Seo for Yahoo! guide for beginners

When we talk about search engine optimization (SEO) , we usually focus on Google. However, pouring all your energy into that one search engine may result in losing other sources of traffic. Although the Yahoo! search engine has fewer users, it is still worth optimizing your content for this platform as well. Let’s take a look at Yahoo and what makes it different from other search engines. Let’s then look at six tips for effective SEO on Yahoo.

Let’s get started.

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What is Yahoo Search?
How is SEO for Yahoo SEO different?
6 best practices for optimizing your content for Yahoo

  1. Use keywords skillfully
  2. Format your images correctly
  3. Focus on links
  4. Submit your sitemap to Bing
  5. Make your JavaScript accessible
  6. Work on your social media strategy
    Conclusion
    What is Yahoo Search?
    Yahoo is a platform that includes email functionality, news hub, and search engine. The home page looks pretty full, but you can use Yahoo Search by typing your query in the top bar, then pressing Enter or clicking on the magnifying glass icon:

Yahoo was first launched in 1995 and initially used its own web crawling and data housing services to power its results. However, since 2009, its results have been powered by Bing . Although this search engine is not as popular as Google, it has a worldwide market share of about 2.7 percent . Yahoo is also significantly more popular in Japan and Mexico than elsewhere, with 55% and 30% of users accessing the platform regularly, respectively.

Therefore, SEO for Yahoo can be essential if you plan to target audiences in those countries. Optimizing for this search engine could also be useful if you want to attract web traffic from as many sources as possible.

How is SEO for Yahoo SEO different?
Yahoo faces strong global competition from other search engines, including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yandex . However, Yahoo has an advantage with one particular demographic group: users of Mozilla Firefox .

Firefox set Yahoo as the default search engine in the United States from 2014 to 2017. Although the browser has since switched back to Google, many of its users are now accustomed to using the Yahoo search engine. Considering that about 6.7 percent of Americans use Firefox , this market is not insignificant.

In addition, optimizing your content for Yahoo SEO is probably easier than with other popular search engines. This platform does not use frequently updated algorithms like Google does. In fact, it has very simple guidelines for sites that want to rank in the top positions.

It is also important to reiterate that Yahoo is powered by Bing:

Therefore, if you plan to focus on SEO for Yahoo, we recommend that you also optimize your content for Bing and pay attention to its ranking algorithm .

Finally, Yahoo has less competition for SERPs than the most popular search engines and places more value on domain authority. If you have a well-established site and make an effort to carefully optimize your content, you may rank faster in Yahoo’s results.

6 best practices for optimizing your content for Yahoo
Regardless of which search engine you wish to rank for, we recommend following some basic SEO best practices . These techniques can help your content rank better and stand out from the competition. However, if you are interested in Yahoo SEO specifically, here are the six most important steps you can take.

  1. Use keywords skillfully
    Keywords are essential to your Yahoo SEO strategy. These phrases allow interested users to find your content in SERPs. We recommend that you use keywords frequently to rank well in relevant Yahoo results pages. In particular, we recommend that you add these phrases to your meta descriptions , page titles and alternative text in all your posts.

However, be careful not to overdo it , as most search engines and readers despise this practice called keyword stuffing. Instead, try writing your content first for readers and then for search engines.

You can find relevant keywords for Yahoo SEO by using the search engine’s Search Assist tool. When you start typing a phrase into the search box, you will see recommended terms that other users are searching for:

You can also take advantage of Yahoo! Native . This paid advertising platform allows you to market your content on the search engine and access keyword analysis tools.

  1. Format your images correctly
    Yahoo’s guidelines also address best practices for SEO of images . You should avoid including text in your images. Embedded text can prevent the search engine from properly indexing your content. Instead, you should consider keeping your text and URLs in HTML format so that Yahoo can display them properly.

As with other search engines, it is also essential to include alternate text for your images:

This is another excellent opportunity to include your keywords. Alternative text is also essential to make your content accessible to more users.

  1. Focus on links
    Yahoo places more importance on backlinks than Google. Backlinks are the URLs of external websites that point to your content. Receiving backlinks from authority websites and leaders in your industry can boost your content’s rankings. In addition, these URLs can attract more traffic to your site.

Therefore, we recommend taking an active approach to requesting backlinks.

  1. Submit your sitemap to Bing
    A sitemap lists all the URLs on your website that you wish to have crawled and indexed by search engines. It also provides information about how the pages on your site are related, as well as additional details for each page (such as how often it changes and when it was last updated).

For SEO purposes for Yahoo, we recommend that you submit your sitemap to Bing. Since Bing feeds Yahoo results, this step can improve Bing and Yahoo rankings simultaneously, and you will be sure that both platforms have all the information they need. Fortunately, the process of submitting your sitemap to Bing is relatively simple. (If you’re already using Google Search Console, Bing also has a basic data import process for your site, so there’s no reason not to do it.)

  1. Make your JavaScript accessible.
    JavaScript is a handy scripting language for WordPress websites. It is used to power different kinds of dynamic processes on your site, such as displaying animations, updating content in real time, and other interactive features.

However, Yahoo expressly discourages providing certain elements only via JavaScript. Some search engine crawlers (or bots) may not be able to properly understand and index content in this scripting language. Instead, you should also use “noscript” HTML elements to make your content accessible to all users and search engines.

  1. Work on your social media strategy.
    Finally, as with Bing, social media can have a significant impact on Yahoo’s SEO. Unlike Google, both of these search engines highly consider your presence on online networks. If you have a large number of followers, for example, your content is more likely to rank better. The same principle applies if people frequently share your posts online.

Therefore, we recommend that you invest time in your social media strategy. You will probably want to focus your efforts on the main platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

That said, we recommend that you use the platforms best suited to the unique interests and demographics of your audience. For example, Instagram may be most effective if your readers are between the ages of 18 and 34 . You can easily find this data by examining your demographic metrics in Google Analytics .

You will also need to develop a consistent approach to your social media marketing so that you can maintain your strategy over time. To do this, consider creating a content calendar and automating key activities with social media plugins .

Conclusion
Using proven SEO techniques is essential if you want to attract organic traffic to your site. However, focusing solely on Google could mean losing a significant number of potential visitors. It is still worth considering smaller sources such as Yahoo , especially if you are looking at international traffic (from Mexico and Japan especially).

To recap, you can optimize your content for Yahoo SEO by following these tips:

1.Include keywords in the titles, tags and content of your pages.
2.Format your images with alternative text .
3.Focus on your backlink strategy.
4.Submit your sitemap to Bing .
5.Make sure your JavaScript content is also available to HTML users.
6.Work on your social media strategy .

How to write the perfect meta description for SEO

When users see your pages in search engine results pages (SERPs) , they see only a brief description of their content. Therefore, readers must decide which results to click on based on post titles, website names, and meta description. In particular, meta descriptions are essential for ‘search engine optimization (SEO) . Without compelling meta text, your content may not get the attention it deserves. From users or search engines, so we’re here to explain what meta descriptions are and how to write the perfect one for SEO purposes.

Let’s start

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What is a meta description?
Meta descriptions are short snippets of up to 155 characters that you see below post and page titles in SERPs. They inform you what you will find if you click on a particular result.

It is important to note that meta descriptions are not Google ranking factors . Adding this custom text does not directly increase rankings. However , a great meta description can convince users to click on your pages instead of the other options on the results pages. Even if your page is not ranked #1.

A good meta description gives the searcher enough information to decide whether or not to visit a page or post. If you don’t add this text manually, search engines generate one directly from the first few lines of the article. Usually, this means that you will end up with meta descriptions that do not provide enough information, are completely out of context, or simply do not make sense in snippet form.

You may also encounter meta descriptions that provide information without clarifying what the content as a whole will include.

Overall, however, most users choose search results based on locations. In fact, the first result on a search page gets almost 30 percent of all clicks . As you scroll down the list, results get fewer and fewer clicks. It’s sad, but that’s how it is!

Fortunately, a great title coupled with a good, informative meta description can prompt undecided users to choose your page over others. In addition, WordPress makes it easy to add metatext to your content, thanks to SEO plugins .

How to write the perfect meta description
There are no definitive rules for writing the perfect meta description . However, you might consider following some of these best practices:

1.Keep the description under 155 characters. Longer text may prevent users from seeing the entire meta description.
2.Explain what users will find. The goal of a meta description is to provide information about the page. You want to be direct about the true nature of the content, instead of taking a “clickbait” approach.
3.Mention the benefits of the content. An excellent meta description lets readers know how they can benefit from the article they are about to read.
4.Include your target keywords. If possible, we recommend that you include your target keyword in the meta description. Either way, the keyword phrase should not seem forced (just as it should not be in your content).

Achieving all these goals in 155 characters or less might seem difficult. However, writing great meta descriptions for SEO is a skill you will quickly learn if you publish a lot of content.

Consider the meta description in this post as an example:

Learning how to write meta description for SEO can help your pages stand out in SERPs. Here are some of the best tips!

This meta description has 139 characters, which means it has ancona some free space. It mentions the essential elements of the post and explains what the searcher can find by reading it. It also includes an effective Call to Action (CTA) .

155 characters can be restrictive. Even Twitter raised its limit to 280 characters from 140 because it was too limiting. If you are working with in-depth posts that cover many topics, you may have difficulty mentioning them all in a meta description. Ultimately, you will have to decide what information is most important to include.

We recommend using this tip to make your descriptions actionable: force readers to check out your pages and posts using phrases like “let’s talk about” or “find out how.” These simple, action-based terms can entice readers to click on your content.

Frequently asked questions about SEO meta descriptions
Now that you know how to write the perfect meta description, you can start working on SEO for your website. In this section, we try to answer the most common questions about SEO meta descriptions, but if you have any after reading through everything, leave a comment so we can try to help!

Where do I put the meta description?
If you use an SEO plug-in like Yoast SEO or Rank Math , you will see a widget within the editor that allows you to set a meta description for each page. Here’s what this feature looks like in Yoast SEO:

Should I include more keywords in the meta description?
As a general rule, we recommend including only one or two keywords in a meta description. Remember that you only have up to 155 characters, so there is not much wiggle room. If you use multiple key phrases, you run the risk of writing descriptions that won’t engage searchers and will look like spam to search engines.

What happens if I leave the meta description blank?
If you don’t add a meta description manually, search engines will generate one by going to the page and taking text from it. Usually you will see the first few sentences of an article. This format often results in confusing descriptions that do not accurately reflect the content.

Can a meta description be too long?
A meta description should be less than 155 characters long so that users can read complete sentences. If you exceed that limit, the rest of the meta description will be cut off. This can create confusion about the content and purpose of the page.

What is the difference between an excerpt and a meta description in WordPress?
WordPress allows you to set up a blog page that displays your most recently published posts. Each post can display an excerpt (or excerpt), which is a short snippet of the first few lines of the article.
Here’s a quick look at Creativemotions’ blog, which displays multiple posts and their excerpts:

These are not meta descriptions. Meta descriptions are for search engines. They are not displayed on WordPress blog pages. Often you can simply copy/paste the same text into both fields, but having one set does not set the other. WordPress simply extracts the beginning of your post, which gives anywhere an excerpted post on your site that same out-of-context and incomplete feeling we talked about earlier.

Conclusion
Meta descriptions are some of the most important elements for SEO even if they do not directly affect your position in SERPs Each of your pages and posts should have a unique summary that is no longer than 155 characters. This is not a lot of space, but it is more than enough to give users a preview of what they will read in the article.

You can use meta descriptions primarily to get more clicks in SERPs. Fortunately, writing effective meta descriptions is a skill you can acquire relatively easily. You just need to keep them relatively short, clearly describe your content and its benefits, and include relevant keywords.

What is Ecosia. An environmentally conscious search engine

When it comes to search engines, one or two big players get most of the attention. However, there are many alternative search engines to Google that can help you find the content and products you are looking for. Ecosia is one of them.

If you see “Ecosia” as a referrer in your analytics account and have been wondering “what is Ecosia?”, this article is for you. We will discuss what makes this search engine different and why you should consider using it.

Finally, we will look at how to optimize your content for Ecosia.

Let’s get started.

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What is Ecosia?
Ecosia calls itself an environmentally friendly search engine. It offsets its carbon footprint by using profits from search ads to plant trees in more than 30 countries around the world. At the time of writing, the search engine has funded the planting of more than 140,000,000 trees:

Like most (if not all) search engines, Ecosia receives its funding from ads . However, it reinvests 80 percent of its revenue into nonprofit organizations dedicated to planting trees around the world.

In addition to its efforts to increase tree populations, Ecosia also highlights search results from companies that engage in environmentally friendly practices. Armed with this information, you can choose to reward “green” companies with your traffic and money.

Using Ecosia is the same as any other search engine. Its search results are powered by Bing , with some algorithm changes exclusive to Ecosia. A big advantage of using this “green” search engine is that you can view as you browse Using Ecosia is the same as any other search engine. Its search results are powered by Bing , with some algorithm changes exclusive to Ecosia. A great advantage of using this “green” search engine is that you can view as you browse a tree counter among the results: a tree counter :

This icon indicates how often you use Ecosia, including new searches and moving from one results page to another. According to the search engine, it takes about 45 searches to fund a new tree. Which actually isn’t that many when you think about it. How many times do you search for something, don’t see the right results, refocus your search and repeat it a few times until it’s right? Probably many.

By using Ecosia and looking at that icon, you can keep an eye on how many trees you are helping to plant around the world.

Who should use Ecosia?
Since Bing powers Ecosia’s search results , the real question is “when does it make sense to use Bing?” 2.88% of users worldwide rely on Bing for their results. Ecosia, on the other hand, has a market share of 0.11% .

This is not to say that Bing and Ecosia are not good search engines. Bing, in particular, receives a lot of attention because of its intuitive video search capabilities . In our experience, searching for videos on Bing provides a better experience than Google:

One disadvantage of using Ecosia is that it does not emulate Bing’s SERP layout. Instead, it opts for a more Google-like style:

They are mostly the same video search results as Bing, but Ecosia’s usage seems more like Google than its Microsoft counterpart.

Arguably, Bing search has made strides since its launch in 2009. However, it takes a lot of effort to pull users away from their favorite search engines. That is why there are so few alternatives to Google with considerable market share.

For the privacy-conscious
When it comes to privacy, this environmentally conscious search engine treats your data with much more respect than most other search engines. It does not store search information permanently, sell data to advertisers or use external tracking tools . It also encrypts searches.

If you want to use a search engine that offsets your carbon footprint and does not store search data, Ecosia should be your first choice. On the same note, if you already use Bing but want to help plant trees around the world, consider switching to Ecosia.

Your choice becomes easier when you compare it with other search engines such as Yandex or DuckGoGo. Because of its partnership with Bing, Ecosia offers much better results than Yandex (at least for Western audiences).

In terms of privacy, DuckGoGo has a clear advantage, as it does with the vast majority of search engines. However, DuckGoGo certainly does not follow in Ecosia’s green footsteps.

Optimizing your content on the SEO side for Ecosia
Although Ecosia’s search results are powered by Bing, the search engine also “improves” its rankings with its own algorithms. If you run the same query on both search engines, you will see similar but not identical results .

One disadvantage of using Ecosia as a webmaster is that the search engine does not publish much information about optimization. Its algorithms are not public and do not mention any additional ranking factors beyond those used by Bing.

Ecosia highlights “green” results. , but does not promote them in rankings. However, you may attract additional attention and traffic if your business is considered environmentally friendly. You can achieve this by stocking sustainable products, using environmentally friendly business practices, or following official green guidelines.

Overall, if your website follows the fundamentals of search engine optimization (SEO) and you optimize it for Bing, your content should also rank well in Ecosia. By optimizing for Bing , we intend to follow the following practices:

1.Using Bing’s Webmaster Tools.
2.Registering your business on Bing Places
3.Keeping up with the Bing Webmaster Blog
4.Increasing your social media presence

Bing and Ecosia also include social media in their search results. If your website has a sizable following on online networks or your content gets a lot of shares, your site might rank better on Ecosia and Bing than on Google in Google SERPs..

Overall, there is a great deal of overlap between website ranking factors for different search engines. Following SEO best practices will guarantee you excellent results across the board.

Conclusion
Ecosia may not have the most significant market share among the various search engines. However, we recommend that you optimize your content for both Bing and Ecosia. That way, you will be able to tap into audiences that may not find your content using more traditional options such as Google.

As a searcher, it is worth taking note of this search engine as an alternative to Google because of the good the company is trying to bring to the environment.

When it comes to growing your website, it rarely makes sense to put all your eggs in one basket. This principle also applies to search engines. Although Google is the dominant option, you’re leaving a lot of traffic on the table if you’re not optimizing your content for other platforms like Ecosia.

How to diagnose and restore a hacked site: complete guide 2022

The rapid evolution of technology coincides with the growing number of cybersecurity threats. With 30,000 websites victims of hackers every day, there is no guarantee that your website will not be next.

If your site has already been hacked, be sure to fix it as soon as possible. By doing so, you will minimize the damage that could include loss of reputation and brand revenue, lawsuits, and plummeting positions in search engine results (SERPs).

This article will discuss the symptoms of a hacked site and how to fix them. You will also learn some ways to protect your website from future attacks and the best way to communicate the security incident to your visitors.

Let’s get started.

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How to check if your site has been hacked
Before you take action to clean up your website, you need to be sure that it has been hacked.

The signs that a website has been hacked vary and may even be invisible, depending on the type of attack. The following is a list of common indications that a site has been hacked:

  • Alerts about hacking from browsers and search engines.
  • Links redirecting to suspicious websites.
  • High volumes of traffic from other countries.
  • Damaged or broken web pages.
  • Slower than usual loading time.
  • Alerts on Google’s blocklist.
  • Emails sent end up in spam.
  • Removal of the website by the hosting provider.
  • Unsavory ads.
  • WSOD (White Screen of Death).
  • Random code snippets displayed in the header or footer.

To confirm your suspicions you have several website checkers such as Sucuri SiteCheck , DeHashed and Have I Been Pwned? We recommend checking your website with more than one tool to receive more accurate results.

10 steps to restore a hacked site
After you have confirmation that your site has been hacked, take action to fix the problem. The following steps will guide you through the process of restoring and fixing your hacked site.

  1. Keep calm and don’t panic
    There is no reason to panic: hacked sites are generally recoverable. Reacting emotionally without calmly assessing the situation can lead to more harm than good.

Therefore, remain calm and proceed to the next step.

  1. Change your passwords and verify access
    Brute force attacks are some of the most common cybersecurity threats . Hackers try to guess your administrator account password using various combinations of letters and numbers.

Changing all your passwords will revoke hackers’ access to your website and prevent them from compromising other accounts and causing further damage.

Here is a checklist of accounts whose passwords you should reset at the first opportunity:

  • Hosting account.
  • FTP account (primary and secondary).
  • Content management system (CMS) administrator account.
  • Database (via the database connection file).
  • E-mail accounts associated with the hacked site.

In addition to changing all your passwords, we also recommend that you review the access privileges of website users. If hackers are able to get into the site using an administrator account, they will have full access to all administration features.

If the hacked site is hosted on WordPress, check existing user roles and permissions by accessing Users from the admin dashboard. Review accounts with super administrator and administrator roles as they have the highest level of access privileges.

Follow the same procedure on platforms that grant access to multiple users, such as the hosting control panel and FTP system .

Set appropriate permissions for your Web site files, particularly those in the root directory ( usually public_html ) such as the wp-admin folder and the wp-config.php file via the Web hosting’s File Manager . This will prevent unauthorized users from accessing, modifying and executing existing files.

Pro tip.
Use a password manager to manage password saves. Take advantage of the built-in password generator that is generally provided to create reliable passwords.

  1. Create a backup of your website
    Your website may have been hacked, but it is still functional and contains all important data. By downloading a backup of the website , you will be able to reload this version of the website and repeat the cleaning process if it fails the first time.
  1. Track your actions
    Most hacking attempts occur after a website has undergone some changes, creating new vulnerabilities to exploit. By tracking your actions, you should be able to identify the source of security problems much more quickly.

Narrow the time window by checking your web logs for a sudden spike in traffic. Then, inspect your access logs and error logs through your hosting control panel to identify any suspicious activity or errors that occurred within the suspicious time period.

After calculating the time when the hacking occurred, review all changes made before. In WordPress, malicious code usually enters the site through new files introduced by plugins, themes, and WordPress installations.

  1. Investigate recent online breaches
    Even popular software can suffer security breaches. Keeping up to date with cybersecurity news will help you find vulnerabilities much more easily and remove malicious code before it can devastate your website.

Here are some of the best cybersecurity websites recommended by cybersecurity experts:

  • Hacker News – provides news about hacking.
  • WP Hacked Help Blog – offers tips on WordPress security and restoring hacked sites.
  • Daniel Miessler – publishes articles and tutorials on website security and technology in general.
  • IT Security Guru – focuses on cybersecurity, cybercrime and ransomware.
  • Security Weekly Blog – provides weekly cyber security updates in the form of live streaming.
  1. Contact your hosting provider.
    If your hacked website is running on shared hosting, the source of the security problems could be from another website on the same shared server. In this case, cyber attacks could also target your hosting account.

Contact your hosting provider to see if other websites on the same server were also attacked.

Most web hosts also provide users with access to web logs, allowing you to monitor visits. If server access logging is disabled by default, contact your hosting provider or enable it manually.

  1. Investigate with Google Blocklist and Spam Blocklist.
    If Google detects suspicious or dangerous activity on a website, the search engine is likely to block it. When a website is blocked, it will not appear in search results to protect visitors from potential malware.

Check to see if your website ends up on Google Blocklist using Google Search Console . The alert will appear in Security Issues under Security and Manual Actions .

Google Safe Browsing is another tool you can use to check the status of your website. It will let you know if the site is safe to visit.

If you do not have access to the DNS zone , examine your website traffic through Google Analytics . Having a sudden drop in traffic will be a solid confirmation that Google has blocked your website.

In addition to Google Blocklist, your website may also appear in the anti-spam database. Internet service providers, email providers and anti-spam platforms use spam blocklists to prevent spam emails from entering their system. Emails from IP addresses listed on this blocklist will be blocked or end up in the spam folder.

Clarify whether your domain is listed on the spam block list using domain integrity checking tools such as MxToolBox and Domain DNS Health Checker . In addition to providing detailed information about the status of the domain, these tools can identify problems related to the web server, mail server, and DNS.

  1. Reset your .htaccess file.
    .htaccess is a file that contains high-level configuration settings for a website hosted on Apache web Server. For this reason, .htaccess is a popular target of cyber attacks.

Some of the most common .htaccess file exploits include:

  • Redirect from search engines to malware.
  • Redirect from error pages to malware.
  • Malware attached to PHP files.
  • Revealing ‘information.
  • Browser fingerprinting.
  • Watering hole attacks.

Disabling and restoring the .htaccess file to its original version may help solve the security problem. Also, change its file permissions so that only certain users can access it.

Black Hat SEO: everything you need to know

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a key role in generating traffic to your site. However, using underhanded and shady methods (known as black hat SEO tactics) to boost your rankings can result in search engine penalties. Therefore, it is essential to understand which practices are considered unethical and to be avoided. In this post, we will take a closer look at black hat SEO and how it can damage your website, rankings, and reputation. We will then discuss some of the most common bad practices and show you how to avoid them.

Let’s get started!

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What is SEO Black Hat?
Black Hat SEO is a term that describes underhanded or unethical practices used to improve a website’s search engine rankings. It is the opposite of White Hat SEO, which includes techniques approved and recommended by search engines.

Google and other search engines have webmaster guidelines that site owners and web developers must follow when optimizing their content. Any deviation from these rules can result in a penalty.

There are several harmful practices that can penalize your site, regardless of whether you consciously use them or not. One of the most common Black Hat SEO tactics is keyword stuffing. Users stuff their content with the same keywords to get top spots on search engine results pages (SERPs). This practice makes content difficult to read and reduces its usefulness to readers, often to the point of gibberish..

As you probably already know, search engines such as Google use algorithms to deliver relevant content to users based on their search queries. These search algorithms are constantly updating and improving. This means that they also improve in detecting black hat SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing and other spam behaviors.

A Google penalty normally leads to a significant drop in your rankings. Alternatively, the search engine may even remove your website completely from search results. This scenario typically occurs when an algorithm update identifies bad SEO practices on your site.

Although it is possible to get back into Google’s good graces, it takes a lot of work to recover from a penalty. It is best to never get into this situation. Therefore, it is best to learn about black hat practices so you know how to avoid them altogether.

Black Hat SEO: 10 techniques to avoid
As we have just seen, using sneaky tactics to get on top of Google rankings can result in penalization. Even if you use them inadvertently, bad SEO practices can hurt your rankings and reduce the chances of users discovering your website. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most common black hat SEO techniques and how to avoid them!

  1. Keyword stuffing
    As mentioned earlier, keyword stuffing involves filling a page with the phrase you wish to rank for. While keywords help search engines understand what your content is about, overuse can get you into trouble.

Search engines are very good at detecting keyword stuffing and penalize offenders by not showing their content. Therefore, we advise you to use keywords moderately and naturally. We recommend using a plugin such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math to monitor keyword usage:

In addition to making suggestions for optimizing your website, Yoast also tells you if you are overdoing it with SEO. For example, it measures the density of keywords in a post. It also warns you if you have already used the same search term on another page .

  1. Buying backlinks
    Search engines also use backlinks to rank content. If Google sees that there are many external websites with URLs to your posts and pages, it will consider you an authoritative and reliable source . This can help improve your positions in SERPs. Some users take advantage of this ranking signal by selling link placements on their sites. In this setup, other site owners may pay to have a site owner place a backlink to their content.

However, if someone sells these links to many users, search engines may mark the site as spam. In addition, buying links goes against Google’s Webmaster Instructions and you may receive a penalty for doing so.

Fortunately, there are better ways to build backlinks to your site. For example, you could write guest posts for other websites and include a relevant URL to one of your posts. You can also work with other bloggers on collaborative articles, contact you if you notice a broken link on a site to suggest your own as a replacement, and so on.

  1. Article spinning
    Another thing to watch out for is article spinning. Similar to plagiarism, this practice involves copying posts published on other websites. Spinning means reusing the same ideas and rephrasing entire paragraphs. Some writers may even use artificial intelligence-based paraphrasing tools to write articles for their blogs.

However, it is important to note that Google penalizes duplicate or copied content. In addition, some publishers may take legal action against users who plagiarize their content because they are literally stealing copyrighted material.

Of course, it is almost impossible to write about topics that no one else has yet addressed. Whether you’re writing a post on the best SEO techniques or the must-see attractions in Rome there are probably already dozens of articles with the same tips.

Therefore, we recommend that you write articles yourself . You can also improve your existing posts by providing additional ideas and using original photos. Reworking your own content and updating it can get you better SERP positions than stealing someone else’s.

  1. Misuse of schema markup
    Schema markup allows search engines to better understand what your content is about. When you add this code to your site, you get rich snippets of your pages in SERPs:

Rich snippets are search results that contain additional information, such as product ratings and prices. These snippets tend to have higher click-through rates (CTR) than standard links. Therefore, adding schema markup to your pages can help increase organic traffic and conversions.

However, don’t overdo it. Trying to cram a lot of keywords into schema markup can get you penalized. Also, some website owners may try to mislead users by providing inaccurate information. For example, a seller might post fake product reviews and add structured data to display positive reviews.

This kind of data misuse can hurt your positions. Therefore, we recommend that you follow Google’s rich snippet guidelines when optimizing your content.

  1. Webrings or private blog networks
    Webrings, or private blog networks (PBNs), are groups of websites that link together. They are designed to create domain authority and increase each site’s ranking on Google.

You might, for example, create five travel blogs, each focused on a specific niche or topic. Then, you can regularly add links to and from these sites when you write posts.

This method may seem like an easy way to create backlinks. And it was! However, PBNs violate Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines and can result in ranking penalties. A few years ago, Google took direct action against PBNs, and if the search engine thinks your content is part of them, ayou will be in big trouble.

Of course it’s fine to link to your content from other sites you own. But be warned that it is not a huge group of similar websites just funneling traffic between them.

As mentioned earlier, there are more ethical ways to get links to your site . For example, you can contribute original posts to third-party websites. Also, if you have many high-quality articles on your site, other bloggers will gladly link to your posts within their content because they provide value.

  1. Junk mail on blog comments
    If you run a blog you may already be familiar with comment spam. Sometimes, users post comments that contain lonks to their pages. The goal is to create free backlinks from different sites:

Although this technique can be effective, some website owners may simply mark your input as spam and ban you from posting. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid commenting on an article just to link to your site.

Instead, make sure your input is meaningful. You might, for example, share a tip or advice, then link to a relevant post that users might find useful. Some blogs even keep comments marked as nofollow to avoid this, discouraging people from leaving these types of comments because the site owner has asked search engines to ignore them.

Spam comments on your website can also hurt your blog. They make your site look unprofessional, which can damage your reputation. You may want to set up a comment moderation system to filter out spam content. Akismet is a basic plugin to start with if you are a WordPress user.

  1. Hiding content
    Perhaps one of the sneakiest black hat SEO tactics is hiding content on your pages. This practice involves hiding certain text and links by making them the same color as the background so users can’t see it, but search engines will.

Here are some other common tactics for hiding content:

  • Placing it behind an image
  • Using a font size of 0 px
  • Adding a class name to an element on your page and setting it to “hidden” in your CSS stylesheet

People generally use this technique to fill a page with keywork and increase positions by hiding the content from users. However, just because a person cannot see this content, this does not mean that robots cannot. Search engine algorithms are not easily fooled. Your website could be penalized for cloaking elements and filling pages with irrelevant content.

And even if the hidden content is relevant to the post, you can be knocked out of the game for trying to insert keywords.

  1. Sponsored pages and posts
    If you are a blogger or content creator, you may have been approached by brands or websites offering a gift or monetary compensation in exchange for a link. Sometimes, they might even ask you to put an entire post on your blog that contains a URL pointing to their site.

However, Google considers these link schemes to be bad practices. Therefore, it is critical to disclose any sponsored links on your site. You can do this by using the ‘nofollow or sponsored attribute:

These attributes tell search engines to ignore those links when they rank your page. This way, Google will not associate your site with the linked page and will not crawl from your website. Your readers still get the value of sponsored content, the buyer gets brand awareness, but you are not penalized by Google and other search engines for having what might be shady business practices.

This is very similar to buying backlinks, as mentioned earlier, but it goes deeper because they’re not just buying a single link, they’re getting the attention of the entire audience.

  1. Cloaking
    You may have already heard of cloaking. This technique can take different forms and is very different from hiding content on a particular page. In SEO, it refers to displaying different content for users and search engines.

One of the most common cloaking methods is to provide a page of HTML text to search engine crawlers while showing a page of images to users. Another example is to provide users with JavaScript-enabled browsers with a different version of the page than people who have JavaScript disabled.

This bait is a black hat SEO tactic because users will visit a site expecting X content and arrive there to potentially be bombarded with ads, irrelevant content, malware, unsafe site issues, and anything else. Google and other search engines have protections in place to warn site users that could harm them, their data, or their devices, but cloaking circumvents this and allows practitioners to provide users with unfiltered (and likely unwanted) content.

Google offers several tips for making your content accessible without cloaking. Following these guidelines will help you avoid violating the rules on cloaking and accessibility.

  1. Doorway pages
    Doorways are websites or pages created to place similar keywords and direct users to the same content. For example, a website owner may publish multiple pages targeting specific regions that direct all users to the same landing page.

With this configuration, users searching for a particular search query may see several similar pages in the results. When they click on one of these options, they will be redirected to a different (and often unrelated) page. This is different from cloaking because it does not rely on baiting and switching, but instead leverages indexed content and true SEO tactics to funnel users to something unrelated and unwanted.

As you can probably see, this practice goes against Google’s guidelines and could have harmful consequences for your website. There is no white hat alternative to using doorway pages, so you should avoid this practice at all costs.

Conclusion
SEO is critical to the growth and success of your site. However, over-optimizing your content or using “shady” practices can lead to a significant drop in your rankings. In addition, search engines such as Google may ban and completely remove your site as it is involved in black hat SEO.

Black hat SEO practices include keyword stuffing, backlink buying and article spinning Google could also penalize you for cloaking content on your pages or manipulating structured data to increase your rankings. Therefore, whenever possible, we recommend that you instead use white hat SEO techniques and get your positions in SERPs the right way.

Website optimization: top 10 strategies to improve speed, UX and SEO

Website optimization strategies help increase traffic and conversions. Unlike search engine optimization (SEO) , optimizing your website prioritizes the visitor experience.

The following ten strategies will help improve your website’s speed, user experience, ease of use on mobile devices, accessibility, and search engine rankings. We will also look at the top five benefits of optimizing a website.

Finally, we will discuss the different website optimization tools for analyzing your site’s current performance.

Let’s get started.

Table of contents view
What is website optimization?
Website optimization improves user experience, accessibility, search performance, traffic, and conversion rates. Implementing website optimization practices will help determine what is currently working and what needs to be improved.

The main goal of web optimization is to attract more visitors and create a smooth experience for them, encouraging conversions and repeat visits.

The 10 best site optimization strategies
The following ten strategies for optimizing your website focus on two elements:

  • User experience . Help visitors easily navigate your website content through intuitive design, mobile responsiveness, and improved accessibility.
  • Growth . Increase your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) to reach a wider audience and improve branding.
  1. Implement UI/UX web design practices.
    Optimizing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) during design will increase its final conversion rate. In fact, 80 percent of consumers are willing to spend more for a better user experience.

User experience design (UI/UX) practices optimize a website’s usability, accessibility, and performance. For example, Airbnb offers a smooth sales funnel by providing ideas about places to travel to with numerous language and currency options.

It is essential to consider your company’s goals when implementing UI/UX practices. Your website design should support a customer journey that is in line with the intent of your website. For example, the design of an online shop should help any website visitor easily make a purchase.

Here are some ways to improve the user experience design of your website:

  • Optimize menus : Help users easily find your key pages by adding a simple menu in the header and a full menu in the footer. Use optimization tools such as menu plugins to further customize them.
  • Include call to action (CTA) buttons : guide visitors to find more information or make purchases using CTA buttons. Their location should be clearly visible and their visual appearance should be in line with the overall website design.
  • Improve the sales funnel : include clear steps to convert website visitors into paying customers. You can add, for example, a practice guide and provide clear transitions between each part of the transaction.

If you are not sure where to start with optimizing your website design, you can always look for inspiration from other websites.

  1. Optimize content marketing
    Content marketing is a website optimization strategy that helps attract traffic to a site. It is a process that includes planning, creating, and distributing content that educates visitors about your products and services

This site optimization strategy increases brand awareness, engagement, loyalty and authority. About 60 percent of marketers report that content marketing generates more demand.

Creativemotions’ blog is an example of content marketing. It provides up-to-date guides and articles on websites, WordPress, SEO, code, and general industry trends.

Some of the most popular content marketing strategies include:

  • Social media posts : Invite a wider audience from various social media platforms to visit your website. Integrate your website with platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using social media plugins to grow your audience faster.
  • Landing pages: create customized static web pages. Be sure to create engaging CTAs and include a direct value proposition to create a landing page that converts .
  • Blog : inform website visitors about trends related to your product, service or industry. A blog post should include relevant keywords to attract potential customers. When creating a blog , remember to update it regularly.
  • Newsletter : regularly reach out to subscribers and increase brand awareness by providing the latest updates on your product, service or industry. A WordPress website can use newsletter plugins to optimize email marketing campaigns.

Once you know the different strategies available, consider the following tips for optimizing content marketing:

  • Set goals and budget : better target your content marketing efforts and make sure they fit your budget.
  • Map content path : organize your content using tags and categories. Proper mapping can help you properly visualize your content library and identify what might be missing.
  • Analyze and measure results : understand that not all of your content will perform well, so regular monitoring of content will be necessary.
  1. Improve on-page SEO
    On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing web page content for search engines. Improving it will communicate to search engines that your website is responsive to visitor queries. As part of search engine optimization , on-page SEO helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

For demonstration, here is a question about how to create a website and Google’s SERPs listing links to different websites. Google looks for websites that provide the most suitable answers to this search term.

Having a higher ranking on Google SERPs will bring more organic traffic. The top five organic search results account for 67.60 percent of all search engine clicks.

Here are some on-page SEO tips

  • Create blog posts : provide regularly updated information to increase search engine rankings. Follow blog SEO practices to get more conversions from your posts.
  • Do keyword research : include keywords in titles, headings, alt text and content. Consider using a generic keyword for some content to increase its coverage. In an online shop, all product pages should also include relevant keywords.
  • Use header tags : follow the hierarchy of headers on your web pages.
  • Include meta titles and descriptions : write your own meta titles and meta descriptions for all pages and posts.

Using SEO tools, such as YoastSEO or Rank Math, will help you optimize your web pages.

  1. Solve technical SEO problems.
    Another aspect of search engine optimization is technical SEO. Technical SEO makes it easier for search engines to find your content by improving the structure of your website.

When you create a website, search engines send bots to crawl the site and rank each web page. Here are some ways to solve common technical SEO problems:

  • Improve site structure : The structure of your URLs should be consistent to map your web pages better. Also, consistent URLs help website visitors understand where they are on the site. Create an XML sitemap so that search engines can easily index your website.
  • Optimize crawling and indexing : Submit your website to search engines to help bots crawl it more quickly and accurately.
  • Find broken links and duplicate content : prevent search engines from indexing pages with broken links and duplicate content.

SEO tools exist to analyze current search engine performance. One of the SEO tools to use is XML Sitemap Validator, which shows all the problems detected in your sitemap.

  1. Speed up your site
    Page speed is a major Google ranking factor , which means it greatly affects your ranking on SERPs. Another reason why page speed is important is that 47% of users expect an average website to load in less than two seconds .

In addition to understanding why page speed is important, it is also essential to run a website speed test . Google Pagespeed Insights is the best speed testing tool that provides valuable information about your site’s loading speed.

After evaluating the performance of your website , here are some of the ways to speed it up :

  • Remove unnecessary code : optimize your site’s code by removing all unnecessary characters, such as spaces between lines.
  • Use a content delivery network (CDN) : A web hosting plan that offers a CDN option can improve website performance by replicating static content to its data servers.
  • Enable browser caching : plugins and applications are available to help browsers cache files downloaded from the server. This action improves the page speed of websites by generating static web pages.
  • Optimize your images : presents high quality images that take less time to load.
  1. Prioritize compatibility for mobile devices
    Mobile devices currently generate about 54.4 percent of all global website traffic. A website optimized for mobile devices is responsive i.e., viewable on any device. Not only does mobile optimization help you reach a wider audience, but it is also effective with Google’s mobile first indexing .

First, use Google’s mobile optimization test to check your website’s mobile device optimization.

Here are some mobile optimization tips to consider:

  • Implement clear navigation : Layout changes should not prevent mobile users from navigating between different web pages. For example, use a drop-down menu at the top of the website instead of links in the header.
  • Create a responsive design : Select a theme that can adapt the layout and design of your website to any screen size. Make sure your content is always the same as desktop devices as it can significantly affect your ranking with mobile-first indexing.
  • Present clear links and buttons : Insert clear buttons and call-to-action links that are easy to tap on a mobile device.
  • Use accordions : Create headers and use accordions to simplify web pages on mobile devices instead of listing all the content right away.

White Hat SEO: everything you need to know

If you want potential customers to find your website, it is essential to prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) . However, to prevent your site from being penalized or even banned from search results, you must adhere to what are known as white hat SEO practices. This post will explain white hat SEO and which tactics are considered good versus black hat tactics that are bad. Then, we will provide you with a list of the best white hat SEO techniques and discuss why they work and how to implement them. Let’s get inside!

Table of Contents hides
What is white hat SEO?
6 best white hat SEO techniques

  1. Familiarize yourself with webmaster guidelines
  2. Publish unique, relevant and quality content
  3. Use Keyword Tools and position strategically and organically
  4. Consider user intent
  5. Provide a positive user experience (UX)
  6. Optimize your links
    Conclusion
    What is White Hat SEO?
    White Hat SEO encompasses approved best practices for increasing a website’s ranking in search engine results (SERPs). This term refers to sites that rank in organic results rather than through sponsored links and paid ads.

White Hat SEO techniques follow the terms set by major search engines such as Google , Bing and Yahoo . Contrast this with Black Hat SEO , which is based on deceptive and unethical methods. Some examples of black hat SEO include keyword stuffing , link cloaking and link buying.

While some black hat SEO techniques might actually improve search engine visibility, they usually have only temporary benefits. Eventually, Google will recognize these harmful practices and penalize sites that use them.

Therefore, following white hat SEO techniques is critical to maintaining your position in SERPs and preventing search engines from penalizing your website. If your site is penalized, it can negatively affect your traffic, reputation, and sales. And if your site gets blacklisted, well, that’s a tough problem to solve.

6 Best White Hat SEO Techniques
Now that we know more about white hat SEO and why it is important, let’s take a look at its use. Listed below are the six best white hat SEO techniques you can implement on your website.

  1. Familiarize yourself with webmaster guidelines.
    To ensure that you adhere to white hat SEO tactics and do not enter the “gray” area of black hat SEO, we recommend that you read Google’s Webmaster Guidelines .

These guidelines detail how Google finds, indexes, and ranks your site. Knowing them can help you better understand what methods to use to optimize your site in a safe and approved manner. The guidelines also outline illegal practices that can lead to your website being blacklisted or permanently banned.

You might also consider conducting an SEO audit of your website . This process can help you better understand the effectiveness of your current SEO strategy and give you a baseline.

Google is not the only site that publishes these guidelines. Be sure to also check Bing’s list (which also applies to other engines such as Yandex and Ecosia) so that you can stay in the top ranks there as well.

  1. Publish unique, relevant and quality content
    A staple of white hat SEO is the consistent production of high-quality content. However, it is essential that your articles be original and match the search intent . In contrast, Black Hatmsi SEO often focuses on duplicate, low-quality content that is only intended to draw attention to the page for ads (or even attempted malware installation).

When creating your content, the best thing you can do is to solve a problem for your users. What questions and concerns do they have and what content and services can you help them with? They are looking for something, so you need to be the one to provide them with the answers….

We also suggest that you consider your word count when writing a post. Although Google does not recommend a specific length, the search engine prefers long content over shorter posts. As a rule of thumb, it is best to aim for at least 1,000 words for blog posts.

Also, to simplify the optimization of your website content, consider installing plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math.

These plugins provide suggestions to better adhere to Google’s SEO guidelines. For example, they evaluate keyword density, determine whether your content is readable, and provide tips for optimizing images and links.

In addition, they can identify when you are abusing your keyword. As such, it can help you avoid black hat SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing.

  1. Use Keyword Tools and position strategically and organically
    Keywords are fundamental to SEO. However, it is essential to use these phrases strategically. Tools for doing keyword research such as Google’s Keyword Planning Tool can help you in this process:

Conducting keyword analysis can help you stay away from overly competitive keywords. Research can also identify both long-tail and short-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords tend to be more specific. This specificity can make it easier to match user intent (which we will discuss later in this post).

You can also brainstorm long-tail keywords using Google Suggest:

Start typing the words for which you want to place a post and note the phrases suggested by Google. These keywords tend to be less competitive. Also, because Google produces them, you know that users are actively searching for these phrases.

It is also important to use your keywords on your page organically. It is advisable to use them in page titles , meta descriptions and image alt text . Also, remember that you do not have to use the exact match keyword in your content .

If your long-tail keyword is “fruitless vegan dessert recipes,” you will find it difficult to have a natural and authentic phrase with that syntax. If your phrase reads something like “these are the best recipes for fruitless vegan desserts I’ve ever tried,” then Google and other search engines will recognize it.

To avoid black hat SEO tactics such as keyword stuffing, we advise you to avoid abusing your keywords. While adding these phrases in your titles, headings and metadata can help SEO, if you overdo it, it can also do worse. It is best to integrate them naturally and not force their placement. Again, the SEO plugins mentioned earlier can help you with appropriate keyword volume.

  1. Consider user intent
    Conducting keyword research can help you create a list of phrases to optimize your site. However, it is important to choose keywords and create content that meets user intent.

User intent refers to the user’s goal when typing a specific word or phrase into a search engine. For example, if someone searches for “vegan fruitless desserts,” they are likely to expect to find a list of vegan recipes, not sets of tableware decorated with vegan desserts.

You can use a variety of strategies to meet the user’s intent. One is to make your page titles accurately reflect your content. SEO page titles can help Google index your site, understand its content and display it in relevant search results.

It also helps make your content scannable by breaking it down into smaller, more direct sections. You can, for example, format your articles using subtitles , white space, videos and images:

This approach can make your pages more engaging and easy to digest. It can increase the value of your content and, in turn, your SEO. If your content is easier for a person to read, it is also easier for a search engine crawler to navigate.

  1. Provide a positive user experience (UX).
    The user experience of your website is one of Google’s ranking factors. Part of providing a positive UX is ensuring a fast site . Slow loading times can increase bounce rates and cause negative impressions of your site and your business.

You can evaluate the current page speed and performance of your WordPress site using a tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights .

After entering your URL, the tool will analyze your site and give it a score on a scale of 1 to 100. It will also provide a list of specific recommendations for improvement.

To really leverage speed and user experience for SEO, you will need to pay close attention to Google’s Core web Vitals, which are specific ranking factors provided by Google that affect SEO with regard to UX and usability.

Another aspect of a solid UX is making sure your site is easy to navigate. Visitors should be able to quickly and easily find what they are looking for and easily move around your website. Having simple top-level navigation menus can go a long way toward this, as can having sidebar widgets that show your most popular content.

  1. Optimize your links
    Link building is another cfundamental aspect of white hat SEO. Generating high-quality backlinks , optimizing your permalinks and using keyword-rich anchor text can boost your rankings. Some link building services can help you create and manage URLs for your site. However, it is important to choose a reliable and credible service. You should avoid any platform that consists of selling links or link farms, which are black hat SEO tactics.

A link farm uses a collection of interconnected web pages to increase the ranking of each page. Although these farms may seem harmless, search engines that detect linking patterns will flag them, as well as any pages they link to.

In contrast, some recommended white hat SEO strategies can optimize your external URLs. For example, to help build backlinks , you might consider guest posting. This method can help you develop professional relationships and expand your audience while linking organically to your website. Google values relevant and contextual backlinks, which is why link farms and directories are considered low quality and even black hat SEO.

We also advise against leaving a link to your website in the comments sections of other blogs. The only exception to this rule is if your contribution is very relevant to the content of the post.

It is also a good idea to monitor your site regularly for broken links , as they can hurt UX and, in turn, SEO. To make things easier, you can use a plugin like Broken Link Checker.

Finally, to create backlinks we suggest you use the Skyscraper technique. In a nutshell, this method involves searching for link-worthy content and creating a more informative and in-depth post on the same topic. Then, you can contact other websites and ask them to link to your article.

Conclusion
SEO is essential for gaining search engine visibility and high rankings in SERPs. However, we advise you to utlize white hat SEO tactics to prevent your site from being blacklisted. Using approved optimization methods ensures the integrity of your website and can increase your ranking in organic search engine results.

As we dvised in this post, here are six white hat SEO techniques you can implement on your website:

1.Become familiar with Google’s Webmaster Instructions .
2.Consistently publish original, relevant, high-quality content.
3.Use keyword tools such as Google’s Keyword Planning Tool .
4.Consider user intent.
5.Provide a positive UX.
6.Optimize your links.

How to do off page SEO the right way

If you want customers to find your website, it is important to prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) . This extensive process involves several techniques, some of which occur off your site. Once you understand the concept of off-page SEO and know some best practices, you will be in a better position to optimize your site and increase its visibility.

In this post, we will explain what off-page SEO is and why it is important. Then we will provide you with a list of tips and best practices on how to conduct off-page SEO and discuss how it is different from on-page SEO.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents hides
What is off-page SEO?
How is off-page SEO different from on-page SEO?
Why is off-page SEO important?
How to do off-page SEO (7 tips).

  1. Earn quality backlinks from high authority sites
  2. Create and share unique and engaging content
  3. Create a Google My Business account
  4. Encourage customer reviews
  5. Build a strong social media presence
  6. Try Influencer Marketing
  7. Monitor your brand signals and mentions
    Conclusion
    What is off-page SEO?
    Off-page SEO, also known as off-site SEO, consists of the actions you take from your website to increase your search engine rankings. When most people think about off-page SEO, they focus on backlinks. Although link building is an important part of off-page SEO, it is not the only aspect.

Much of off-page SEO involves improving the way your site is perceived in terms of quality, authority, popularity, etc. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Social media
  • Content marketing
  • Brand mentions
  • Influencer marketing

The activities you perform outside of your website can affect how Google and other search engines perceive your content. If performed correctly, they can help your site appear more trustworthy and authoritative , which Google will reward.

How is off-page SEO different from on-page SEO?
Although both processes can increase search engine visibility, there are some key differences between off-page SEO and on-page SEO. As you might expect, on-page SEO refers to the actions you take on your website to optimize it.

This includes:

  • Internal linking
  • Image optimization
  • Keyword usage
  • Title and metadata optimization

Another way in which off-page SEO is different from on-page SEO is that you have complete control over the latter. On-page SEO involves making changes directly to your website, which you can do at any time. Otherwise, off-page SEO involves actions such as contacting a third-party blog and asking them to share a link to your site.

Why is off-page SEO important?
Off-page SEO is important because it can affect your site’s ranking in search engine results (SERPs). Google’s algorithm takes backlinks and other off-site signals into account when deciding how to show websites to searchers. These signals include:

  • Relevance and value of content (to what extent it matches user intentions)
  • Anchor text
  • Social signals
  • Brand mentions
  • Domain authority

Making off-page SEO part of your optimization strategy can drive traffic to your site and increase engagement and conversion rates. It can also help you build brand awareness and reach new audience segments.

How to do off-page SEO (7 tips)
Now that you cknow what off-page SEO is and why it’s important, it’s time to look at how to get started. Below are seven tips and best practices you can follow to implement off-page SEO on your site.

  1. Earn quality backlinks from high-authority sites.
    Link building is the heart of off-page SEO. If there are many credible websites linking to your site, this indicates to Google that you are providing relevant, quality content that people like.

In fact, research has shown that pages with many backlinks rank better than those without. On average, the top spot in Google results has almost four times as many backlinks as those below it.

In other words, backlinks are essentially a vote of confidence. If you want to check your site’s link authority score, you can use a tool such as Backlink Analytics from Semrush :

Of course, earning links from high-authority sites is easier said than done. The likelihood of earning them increases when you regularly create and publish valuable, quality content . If you do this, publishers and brands can organically mention and link to your content.

In any case, you can also take a more proactive approach to link building by contacting third-party sites and requesting link attribution or mention. For example, you could partner with influencers to get them to promote and link to your content. This is one form of influencer marketing, which we will discuss in more detail shortly.

When it comes to link building, we recommend focusing on quality rather than quantity. It is also important to make sure you are using white hat SEO tactics. It is best to avoid spam and black hat SEO practices, such as excessive linking to your own content in forums and comment sections.

  1. Create and share unique and engaging content
    Content marketing is another key aspect of off-page SEO. As mentioned, publishing unique, interesting, and engaging content can help you naturally build link authority.

In addition to your on-page SEO content, such as your blog posts, you can also leverage other forms of content marketing. For example, you can write guest posts for external websites and include a text link to your site. This is also a great way to get your content and brand in front of a new audience.

Other types of resources you can create and share include:

  • Infographics
  • Case studies
  • White papers
  • eBooks

If you create informative, high-quality content, people will naturally want to link to it and share it. Long-form content, in particular, can be beneficial. One study found that long-form content gets 75% more backlinks than shorter pieces.

Also, we recommend incorporating data and statistics into your content. Research-supported content can help generate backlinks, as publishers might cite it as a source.

  1. Create a Google My Business account.
    Google My Business is a free business profile account that you can create with Google:

These profiles appear in Google search results for local queries, for example, “idi seafood restaurant near me.” Creating and optimizing your Google My Business profile can help you improve your ranking in organic search results.

To get started, you can visit the Google My Business website and select Manage Now . After adding essential information, you can include a link to your website, photos and more.

Customers can also leave ratings and reviews on your profile. This can be another way to increase your off-page SEO over time.

  1. Encourage customer reviews
    There are several benefits to generating reviews from customers . In addition to providing potential new customers with social proof and increasing trust, reviews can improve your off-page SEO:

This is why we recommend that you encourage your customers to leave reviews on sites like Trustpilot and Google My Business. You can incentivize them by giving them a reward, such as a coupon or discount.

Keep in mind that reviews must be genuine. Users can spot a fake review a mile away and can even report to Google that you are trying to fool the system if there are too many fake ones.

  1. Build a strong social media presence
    When it comes to generating backlinks and brand mentions, both of which are excellent for off-page SEO, social media platforms can be incredibly helpful. Nowadays, many people use social media sites as smaller versions of search engines.

On these platforms, users can search for products or services they are interested in, find answers to questions, and so on. Of course, they are also popular platforms for sharing and linking to interesting content. Interacting with customers on social media sites can also serve as a channel for customer service and support.

We recommend that you share your content on social media frequently. This can help drive traffic to your website, as well as build brand awareness and authority.

  1. Try Influencer Marketing
    Earlier, we mentioned that influencer marketing can help you generate backlinks. However, this is not the only reason to take a closer look at this technique.

Collaborating with influencers who have a large following can be an effective way to expand brand awareness and promote your content on a larger scale to reach new audiences. It can help establish credibility and strengthen your social media presence.

To get the most out of influencer marketing, we suggest reaching out to famous people in your niche or current customers who are already familiar with your brand. The more authentic their appreciation for your products or services, the easier it will be for them to create genuine, quality content that resonates with users.

To find potential influencers in your niche, you can use a platform like BuzzSumo :

Its Content Analyzer tool can help you find influencers who are most likely to share your content. You can search for keywords and topics related to your brand or campaign and then view the top shares of related posts.

  1. Monitor your brand signals and mentions.
    Google uses brand signals to check whether or not you are a legitimate business. It also considers brand mentions (references to your company, products or services), both related and unrelated.

Therefore, we recommend that you check your brand signals to see how many people are currently searching for your business. You can find this information using the Google Search Console performance report . Simply go to Search Results, then select the Appearance tab in the search:

You can also set up brand monitoring using a platform such as Mention :

This tool allows you to track how many people are talking about your site on third-party platforms, such as news sites and social media channels. Using it consistently can help you identify trends over time and see what is generating the most interest and engagement.

Conclusion
Optimizing your WordPress site can help you drive traffic and increase revenue. However, to improve your chances of ranking, it is critical to focus on both on-page and off-page SEO.

As we have seen in this post, there are uvarious methods you can use to implement off-page SEO ps on your website, including guest blogging, content marketing, creating your social media presence, and working with influencers.

What is a WordPress theme: the different types of themes and how to choose one

If you use WordPress as a content management system (CMS) , you have probably already encountered the term “WordPress theme.” Themes play a crucial role in the overall appearance of a website and help you create a good-looking site without having to use a lot of code..

With the right theme, WordPress users can customize their web design elements, including color and typography, to reflect their brand personality.

This tutorial will explain what a WordPress theme is and how it is different from a template. You will also learn about the different types of themes and how to choose the right one for your WordPress website.

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What is a WordPress theme?
A WordPress theme is a collection of files that form the basis of your site’s appearance, including page layouts, style sheets, and sidebar placement. These files will determine how your blog posts and pages will appear to website visitors.

What can a WordPress theme do?
WordPress themes help site owners create a website without using code to make it from scratch. You can simply activate a theme from the WordPress directory or purchase it through a third-party store and upload the file to your WordPress admin area.

A theme can drastically change the design of your site with theme features such as:

  • Navigation menus.
  • Custom headers.
  • Custom backgrounds.
  • Sidebars.
  • Post format.

A new WordPress website comes with a default theme installed that is simple and lightweight. You can use it or change it to a free or premium theme.

Note that design elements may change significantly once you replace the WordPress themes since each one often has a specific style and purpose. For example, some might be better suited for complex business sites, while others are perfect for simple portfolio sites.

By default, users can only activate one theme at a time. To activate multiple WordPress themes , install a plugin such as Multiple Themes..

Unlike a WordPress plugin that adds a specific feature to a site, a theme should not have crucial functionality . Therefore, users will not lose a critical feature if they change the theme.

What is the difference between a WordPress theme and a WordPress template?
The difference between WordPress themes and templates is the number of pages you can apply them to. A theme controls the appearance of an entire site, while a template defines a single-page layout.

Two required WordPress theme files are:

  • Index.php – the main WordPress template file.
  • Style.css – the main style file.

A theme folder can also include additional files, such as:

  • PHP files, including template files for creating classic themes.
  • Blocks and HTML files for developing block themes.
  • CSS style sheet.
  • Graphics.
  • JavaScript.

Some WordPress themes offer multiple template files for further customization within the overall theme. For example, a theme may contain two landing page templates, a full-width version and a reduced-width version, or have a different look and feel for blog and portfolio pages.

Types of WordPress themes
There are over 9,000 free themes in the WordPress theme directory alone, not to mention those available on marketplaces.

To help users filter themes based on specific needs, the WordPress directory categorizes its themes into:

  • Layout : classifies themes according to a page format, such as a three-column or grid layout.
  • Functionality : refers to the specific attributes that many people look for in a theme, such as RTL language support and footer widgets.
  • Subject matter : groups themes according to their purpose and niche, such as portfolio and education themes.

In addition to these categories provided in the filter function of the WordPress directory, we will look at other types of WordPress themes in more detail below, starting with free and premium themes.

Free WordPress themes and premium themes
Independent developers and high-end vendors typically create free WordPress themes as a temptation for their premium packages.

They are an excellent option for users on a budget. In addition, they are available in the WordPress.org theme directory where they are required to pass a rigorous review process . As a result, users can be assured of quality and safety.

Free WordPress themes are also easy to access as users can browse and activate them directly from the admin dashboard..

One of the main disadvantages of free WordPress themes is their limited support, both in the form of documentation and direct communication with the creators. Some developers provide support via WordPress forums, but they are not obligated to do so.

This can be a problem if you need to fix a bug or change an element in the theme.

Another drawback is their lack of uniqueness. Free WordPress themes are widely available and have limited customization features, which may make your site design generic and require some code knowledge or a page builder to customize it.

Unlike free WordPress themes , the premium version is available for purchase on third-party WordPress theme stores, such as:

  • Elegant Themes
  • StudioPress
  • Themeforest
  • Mojo Marketplace

Alternatively, you can purchase buy buy a premium theme directly from theme developers, such as aThemes or ThemeIsle . Dedicated developers typically have multiple themes and often provide top-notch customer support. However, they may not display user ratings as in a theme marketplace or WordPress theme directory.

Here are some of the major benefits of using premium WordPress themes:

  • Advanced features : include custom content and graphics, as well as search engine optimization (SEO) features.
  • Unique design : choose from several customization options, including built-in drag-and-drop builders, multiple templates and extensive color choices.
  • Regular support : contact via forum, email or phone.

However, advanced features in premium WordPress themes can weigh down the code, overload the server and affect loading speed. Their price can also be relatively high and they may still require an additional monthly or annual fee.

Multipurpose and niche themes
A multipurpose theme serves various uses and niches. It usually includes several extensions, widgets and pages to provide more options for users to customize sites, regardless of industry.

One of the most popular themes that fall into this category is Divi .

It is not only great for a blog or portfolio theme, but also for a WooCommerce theme because of its specific features.

In parallel, a niche theme often targets specific industries or topics, such as blogs and entertainment or eCommerce sites.

The features or customization choices in niche themes generally are not as many as multipurpose themes, but they have the exact requirements for your specific needs.

Personalias is a great example of this category. This blog theme has a minimal and elegant design, a grid layout, and a sidebar for comments and recent posts.

Parent themes vs. child themes
A parent theme refers to a complete theme that includes all the required templateWordPress files.

Otherwise, a child theme or child theme inherits the main features and appearance of the main theme, but allows developers to modify it without altering the main theme.

WordPress theme developers will tell you if a theme is a child theme in the description and label it “This is a child theme of X” in the sidebar, as in the example below.

Custom Themes
A custom theme is an excellent way to achieve a unique look and feel, such as animation and 3D integration. It is often suitable for specific websites such as ecommerce.

Several factors can contribute to the cost of a custom theme, such as the timeline of the project and the location of the developer. However, the price can start from $1,750 for a standard custom theme to $25,000 for a project with complex features.

How to choose a WordPress theme?
Here’s what to look out for when choosing the right theme for your WordPress site:

  1. Understand your needs
    The first step in choosing an ideal WordPress theme is to decide the purpose of the website, whether it is a simple blog , a digital portfolio or an online shop .

Each of them will need different features and layouts. A photography portfolio for example might require a gallery layout and animations to attract customers, while content-focused sites might be better with a minimalist design.

Create a list of what you want to include in your site. Some features to consider for a WordPress theme are:

  • Social media widgets
  • Accessibility
  • Translation support
  • Contact form on the homepage
  • Comments section or forum
  • E-commerce compatibility

Next, list your preferred site design options, such as layout and editor styles. Many WordPress themes are customizable, but we recommend choosing the one that reflects your brand image for a faster development process.

A great tip is to check out demo sites for a WordPress theme. Click the Homepage link of the theme in the official directory if you decide on free WordPress themes. Then, click on the View Demo Sites button . Keep in mind that on other websites this button may have a different name.

Here you can estimate what your WordPress site will look like as it contains demo content, including page layout, custom widgets, and plugin support.

Also, list existing WordPress websites and their features you like, then use a tool like What WordPress Theme Is That? to find out what WordPress theme and plugins they use.

  1. Check the Customization Options.
    Sometimes, users may find a theme suitable for their brand, but still want to customize it further to ensure that each page shows their personality.

One way to check the customization of a theme is to install the theme, go to Appearance -> Themes in the WordPress dashboard, and click on Live Preview .

Next, you should see the WordPress theme customization dashboard and theme customization features in the left sidebar

Advanced users can use more comprehensive customization options as they can edit WordPress theme files from the administration area using the ‘Theme Editor .

Visiting the theme website is also a great way to learn about available customization options. For example,

Some popular WordPress themes such as Themify and Divi themes have built-in theme builders, so check out these tools for better alignment and understanding of customization options.

What are SMTP ports and how to choose the right one

SMTP ports play an important role in sending SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). That is why it is important to choose the right port when configuring an e-mail server. Incorrect configuration can cause errors when sending and receiving e-mail.

This article will describe what SMTP ports are used for and analyze four of them. We will also explain their functions and features to help you choose the right port for your SMTP server.

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What exactly are SMTP ports used for?
SMTP is a mail-sending protocol that allows users to send e-mail over the Internet, and SMTP ports act as communication endpoints that handle information transfers from one server to another.

To begin using an SMTP server, you must set up your e-mail account. This can be done by entering an IP address and port number to properly route your emails.

There are three stages that emails must go through before they reach the recipient:

  • Sending e-mail : sending e-mail to an outgoing mail server. This happens via SMTP, so you will have to decide which port to use.
  • SMTP forwarding : forwards messages between two mail servers. Usually, users do not have to configure a port because it uses a default one.
  • E-mail reception : e-mails arrive at the recipient’s server. This process is handled by Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)/Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3).

Which SMTP port to use to connect to the mail server?
Each SMTP port supports at least one level of encryption that determines the security of the e-mail transmission process. When choosing a port, be sure to choose the one that best suits your needs.

Four levels of encryption are available:

  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL encryption is an outdated technology that protects e-mail transmissions between two SMTP servers.
  • Transport Layer Security (TLS). TLS is the successor to SSL that encrypts Internet traffic using modern, secure systems.
  • Opportunistic TLS (STARTTLS). STARTTLS is a protocol command used to upgrade an insecure connection to a secure one using SSL/TLS.
  • Null (NONE). No encryption provided.

Here is a table of each SMTP port with its type of encryption:

Use of unencrypted SMTP port 25.
Initially, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) assigned SMTP port 25 as the standard transmission channel for e-mail.

Although the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) still recognizes it as the default SMTP port, it is not recommended to use it as a channel for sending mail. In fact, port 25 has been used to spread spam and malware.

In addition, port 25 does not encrypt messages, transmitting information in plain text. Since threat actors can intercept unencrypted data, this raises many security concerns.

As a result, many Internet service providers (ISPs) and web hosting have decided to block any traffic on port 25. This is done to reduce unwanted e-mail sent through it.

That said, port 25 is a good channel for testing the connection or troubleshooting e-mail configuration problems. For example, if the server does not respond using port 25 when configuring your Web site’s contact form, this indicates a problem with the non-SMTP server.

Sending mail using SMTP port 465
Port 465 serves as a better alternative to 25 in case port 587 does not work.

IANA introduced SMTP port 465 as an upgrade to port 25. It facilitates the secure transmission of e-mail using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol over SSL (SMTPS). However, the IETF never officially approved it as an official SMTP port.

Sending mail via port 465 is protected using implicit TLS, which means that the initial connection is encrypted using an SSL or TLS certificate.

Currently, SMTP port 465 is obsolete and no longer considered an accepted standard for sending mail. We recommend using it only if your hosting provider requires the protocol.

Sending messages via SMTP port 587
SMTP port 587 was introduced as the successor to channel 465. Both IANA and IETF recognize it as the current default SMTP port for sending e-mail.

SMTP port 587 supports STARTTLS, which means it also works with SSL and TLS encryption. It allows messages to be sent securely and provides a level of protection from spam and malware.

STARTTLS is a protocol command issued between an e-mail program and a server. It encrypts information transmitted using TLS connections. In addition, STARTTLS offers SMTP authentication, which requires the SMTP client to authenticate with the mail server to gain access to the system.

SMTP port 587 is currently the best option and we recommend that you use it for sending e-mail as it provides a more robust security mechanism than the other ports.

Try the non-traditional SMTP port 2525
Port 2525 is a modern protocol used for connecting to SMTP servers. It is considered a secure option because it supports TLS encryption for e-mail transmission.

Nowadays, it is a commonly used port supported by many ESPs, ISPs, and cloud hosting services. In some cases, port 2525 is used to configure virtual private servers (VPS).

Port 2525 serves primarily as an alternative if you experience connectivity problems when sending SMTP. If you use port 587 but the connection is blocked or rejected, try switching to port 2525 instead.

However, port 2525 is a nonstandard channel, so it is not widely monitored by IANA and IETF-it is not recognized as an official SMTP method. In addition, some hosting providers also do not support it.

Conclusion
During the e-mail transfer process, different ports are used to send e-mail to one outgoing mail server and forward messages from one SMTP server to another.

SMTP is a protocol that allows you to send e-mail over the Internet. SMTP ports help route messages to the right server and act as communication endpoints between mail servers.

Choosing the right port is important in order to send e-mail. Here is a summary of the four SMTP ports:

  • Port 25 : has no security mechanism and therefore is not recommended for sending e-mail. It is currently used as an SMTP forwarding port.
  • Port 465 : This port was designed for SMTPS since it used SSL encryption. However, IANA stopped supporting the protocol and replaced it with STARTTLS encryption.
  • Port 587 : The successor to port 465 and currently the default transmission channel for SMTP. Port 587 provides secure e-mail transmission using STARTTLS encryption.
  • Port 2525 : An alternate port to be used in case of connection problems with port 587. However, it is not recognized by IANA and IETF as an official SMTP port.

We hope this article has helped you choose the right SMTP port.