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Eric Ritter

How to Use ChatGPT for SEO

In today’s digital age, having a solid online presence is essential for any business looking to thrive and grow. Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical in ensuring your website ranks high on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attracts a steady stream of targeted traffic. However, SEO can be complex and time-consuming, so many companies choose to work with a reliable and trustworthy agency partner. If you’re an in-house marketing manager or a small to medium-sized business owner looking to generate more business from your website, you may be interested in exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT can help take your SEO efforts to the next level. 

ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art AI language model developed by OpenAI that can generate high-quality content on various topics. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into how ChatGPT and SurferSEO Content Editor work and explore their benefits for SEO. We’ll also provide practical tips and strategies for optimizing your content with these tools and show you how to use them together for maximum impact. Let’s dive in and discover how to use ChatGPT for SEO.

Chat GPT AI

What Is ChatGPT and How Does It Work?

ChatGPT is a cutting-edge AI tool that uses natural language processing (NLP) to generate high-quality content. Additionally, it is built on the GPT-3.5 architecture and can understand human language and generate text almost indistinguishable from that written by humans. Here’s how it works:

1. Understanding Natural Language

The first step in using ChatGPT is to input a prompt or question in natural language. It uses natural language processing to understand the input and create a context for generating the output. You can also input various queries, from short sentences to long paragraphs.

2. Preprocessing and Tokenization

Once ChatGPT has understood the input, it undergoes preprocessing and tokenization. This involves breaking down the text into smaller, more manageable pieces and converting it into a numerical format that the AI can understand.

3. Generating Output

After tokenizing the text, ChatGPT uses its machine-learning algorithms to generate output. It does this by predicting the next word or phrase in the sentence based on the input and the data it has been trained on.

4. Filtering and Sorting

Once the output has been generated, ChatGPT filters and sorts it based on various criteria, such as relevance, coherence, and grammatical correctness. Moreover, this ensures that the output is of the highest quality and is suitable for the intended purpose.

5. Evaluating and Adjusting

After the output has been filtered and sorted, ChatGPT evaluates it to ensure that it meets the desired standards. It adjusts its algorithms and parameters to improve the output quality of output if it does not meet the criteria.

6. Providing the Final Output

Finally, ChatGPT provides the final output, anything from a short paragraph to a full-length article. The output is generated in natural language and is suitable for various applications, such as content creation, SEO, and customer service.

Chat with AI

Benefits of Using ChatGPT for SEO

Using ChatGPT for SEO offers a range of benefits that can help businesses and individuals achieve their digital marketing goals. Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Improved content Quality: One of the main benefits of using ChatGPT for SEO is the improved quality of the content. By leveraging its natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, it can generate high-quality content that is engaging, informative, and optimized for search engines. 
  • Time-Saving: SEO professionals can use it to save valuable time. Rather than spending hours researching and writing content, it can generate content quickly and efficiently. This can also save time for essential tasks like keyword research, link building, and website optimization.
  • Customizable Output: ChatGPT for SEO also offers customizable output, allowing users to specify the length, tone, and focus of the content. This helps ensure the content is tailored to the user’s specific needs and target audience. Additionally, it can generate content on a wide range of topics, from technical SEO to product descriptions and blog posts.
  • Improved SEO Performance: By generating high-quality, optimized content, ChatGPT for SEO can help to improve SEO performance. This includes improving search engine rankings, increasing website traffic, and boosting engagement metrics such as time on page and bounce rate. It can also help identify relevant keywords and phrases, optimize on-page content, and create compelling meta descriptions and title tags.
  • Increased Efficiency: ChatGPT for SEO  can increase efficiency for SEO professionals and content creators. Rather than researching and writing content, it allows users to focus on other essential tasks, such as keyword research, link building, and website optimization. This can lead to improved overall efficiency and better results in less time.
SEO

How to Use ChatGPT for Keyword Research

ChatGPT for SEO can assist in identifying relevant keywords and phrases that align with the target audience’s search intent. With its advanced natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, it can analyze search data to generate a list of potential keywords and phrases that can be used for content optimization. Here are the steps to follow for effectively using ChatGPT for keyword research with search intent in mind:

Step 1. Define Your Topic

Start by defining the topic that you want to focus on. This could be a product, service, or industry-related topic.

Step 2. Generate a List of Seed Keywords

Next, generate a list of seed keywords relevant to your topic. These are broad terms that describe the main topic you want to target.

Step 3. Analyze and Refine the List

Please review the list of keywords generated by ChatGPT and refine it based on relevance, search volume, and competition. Consider user intent and long-tail keywords.

Step 4. Organize Keywords Into Groups

Organize your final list of keywords into groups based on relevance and search intent. This can also help ensure your content is keyword based.

Step 5. Optimize Content

Finally, use your list of optimized keywords to optimize your content. This includes including relevant keywords in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the body of your content.

Best Practices for ChatGPT Keyword Research

To get the most out of ChatGPT for keyword research, it’s essential to follow some best practices:

  • Focus on long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search terms that are less competitive but often have higher conversion rates.
  • Consider user intent: When choosing keywords, consider the purpose behind the search. Are users looking for information, products, or services?
  • Analyze competition: Analyze the competition for each keyword and consider factors such as search volume, difficulty, and CPC.
  • Use keyword research with other SEO tactics: While keyword research is essential, it should be used with other SEO tactics such as on-page optimization, link building, and social media marketing.

By following these best practices and leveraging ChatGPT’s natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, users can effectively conduct keyword research and optimize their content for improved search engine rankings and increased website traffic.

Tips for Optimizing Content Using ChatGPT

Now that you understand how ChatGPT can be used for SEO let’s dive into some tips for optimizing your content using this powerful tool.

  • Generate title tags: One of the most powerful features of ChatGPT is its ability to generate topic ideas and titles based on a given keyword or phrase. Use this feature to create new ideas for your content and ensure your titles are optimized for SEO.
  • Create engaging introductions and conclusions: The introduction and conclusion of your content are critical for engaging readers and driving conversions. Additionally, use ChatGPT to generate ideas for these sections and ensure they are optimized for search engines and readers.
  • Optimize your content for readability: Readability is critical to SEO, impacting user engagement and search engine rankings. Use ChatGPT to optimize your content for readability and ensure that it is easy to understand and enjoyable to read.
  • Optimize your content for search engines: In addition to optimizing your content for readers, you should also ensure that it is optimized for search engines. Use ChatGPT to generate relevant keywords and phrases and ensure your content is structured in a way that is easy for search engines to crawl and understand.
  • Create meta descriptions and tags: Meta descriptions and tags are critical for SEO and user engagement. Use ChatGPT to generate compelling meta descriptions and tags that accurately reflect your pages’ content and entice users to click through to your site.
  • Optimize your content for voice search: As more and more users turn to voice search, optimizing your content for this new search format is essential. Use ChatGPT to generate long-tail keywords and phrases optimized for voice search and ensure that your content is structured in a way that is easy for voice assistants to understand.

ChatGPT vs Traditional SEO Tools

Many traditional SEO tools are designed to help businesses improve their online visibility. However, ChatGPT stands out from these standard SEO tools in several ways.

1. Natural Language Processing Capabilities

Traditional SEO tools rely on specific keywords and phrases to analyze content and provide recommendations for optimization. However, ChatGPT uses natural language processing capabilities to analyze content and provide more accurate recommendations.

2. Ability to Generate Content Ideas

While traditional SEO tools can help with keyword research, ChatGPT goes a step further and can generate content ideas based on a specific topic. This can be especially helpful for businesses that struggle with content creation.

3. Time and Cost Efficiency

Traditional SEO tools often require significant time and money to set up and use effectively. In contrast, ChatGPT is a cloud-based tool that requires minimal setup and can be used immediately.

4. Customization and Personalization

Traditional SEO tools often provide a one-size-fits-all approach to SEO, while ChatGPT allows for customization and personalization based on specific business needs and goals.

5. Dynamic and Continuous Learning

Traditional SEO tools rely on fixed rules and algorithms, while ChatGPT uses machine learning to improve its recommendations continuously. This means that it can adapt to changes in search algorithms and provide more relevant recommendations over time.

Working With a Reliable and Trustworthy SEO Agency

To ensure the success of your SEO efforts using ChatGPT and SurferSEO Content Editor, it’s crucial to partner with a reliable and trustworthy SEO agency. Below are some key factors to consider when selecting an agency:

  • Reputation: Choose an agency with a solid track record of success in SEO and digital marketing. Check their client testimonials, case studies, and online reviews to ensure they have a proven track record.
  • Experience: Choosing an agency with expertise in your industry or niche is essential. They should know your target audience, competitors, and industry trends to provide the most effective SEO strategies.
  • Transparency: Look for an agency that is transparent about its methods and can provide regular reports on its progress. This will also help you track your SEO efforts and ensure you get a return on investment.
  • Communication: Make sure the agency is responsive and easy to communicate with. They should be able to answer your questions, provide updates, and address any concerns you have promptly.
  • Customer Service: Choose an agency that prioritizes customer service and goes above and beyond to meet your needs. They should proactively identify opportunities for improvement and provide recommendations to help you achieve your digital goals.

Can ChatGPT Content Rank on Google?

With the growing importance of search engine optimization (SEO) in digital marketing, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to improve their rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). One such innovation is using ChatGPT, an AI-powered content creation tool, to produce content optimized for search engines. However, the question arises whether its content can rank on Google.

The ability of ChatGPT content to rank on Google depends on several factors, such as the content’s quality, the keywords’ competitiveness, and the content’s relevance to the search query. Let’s explore some of these factors in more detail:

1. Content Quality

The quality of the content produced by ChatGPT is a crucial factor in determining its ability to rank on Google. While it can produce high-quality content, it is ultimately up to the user to ensure it is well-written and error-free. Poorly written content with grammatical errors and awkward phrasing is unlikely to rank well on Google.

2. Keyword Competitiveness

Another critical factor is the competitiveness of the keywords used in the content. ChatGPT can generate content optimized for specific keywords, but if those keywords are highly competitive, it may be difficult for the content to rank well on Google. Conducting thorough keyword research and targeting less competitive, long-tail keywords is essential to increase the chances of ranking.

3. Relevance to Search Query

Finally, the relevance of the ChatGPT content to the search query is crucial for ranking on Google. Google’s algorithm is designed to provide the most relevant results to the user’s search query. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the content it produces is relevant to the target audience’s search intent.

How Will ChatGPT Affect SEO?

ChatGPT, as a language model, can significantly impact SEO. Here are some ways in which it may affect SEO:

  • Improved Content Quality: ChatGPT can help creators produce higher-quality content by suggesting outlines, topic ideas, and critical points to cover. This could result in more informative and engaging content that satisfies user intent and ranks higher in search results.
  • Enhanced Keyword Research: ChatGPT can assist in keyword research by generating related keywords, suggesting long-tail keywords and phrases, and analyzing the language used by target audiences. By leveraging this capability, content creators can produce content that is more closely aligned with what their target audience is searching for.
  • Increased Competition: ChatGPT can also lead to increased competition in the content creation space. As more content creators utilize the language model’s capabilities, more high-quality content targeting similar keywords and topics may be produced. 

Tips for Maximizing the Benefits of ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a powerful tool for SEO content creation that can provide significant benefits when integrated into an overall SEO strategy. To maximize its benefits, consider the following tips:

  • Start with a clear understanding of your target audience and their search intent.
  • Use ChatGPT to generate content ideas that align with your target audience’s search intent.
  • Optimize the generated content for SEO by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases naturally.
  • Use the SurferSEO Content Editor tool to analyze the generated content and ensure it meets on-page SEO best practices.
  • Monitor the performance of the generated content using analytics tools and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Using ChatGPT

  • Avoid using ChatGPT as a replacement for human-written content. It should be used to augment and enhance your overall content strategy.
  • Don’t rely solely on ChatGPT to generate all of your content. Incorporate other content creation methods and sources to provide a diverse and comprehensive content portfolio.
  • Be mindful of the tone and voice of the generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand and messaging.

Enhancing User Experience and Engagement on a Website Using ChatGPT

  • Use ChatGPT to create content that addresses common questions and concerns of your target audience to provide value and improve engagement.
  • Generate content that is easy to read and visually appealing to improve user experience.
  • Use ChatGPT to create interactive content like quizzes or surveys to increase engagement and encourage user participation.
  • Incorporate call-to-actions (CTAs) within the generated content to guide users to take specific actions on your website.

By following these tips, you can effectively integrate ChatGPT into your overall SEO strategy, avoid common pitfalls, and use it to enhance user experience and engagement on your website.

Businesswoman sharing ideas during a meeting

Best Use Cases for ChatGPT

ChatGPT has a variety of use cases in various industries. Here are some of its best use cases:

  • Content Creation: ChatGPT can generate content in different formats, including articles, product descriptions, social media posts, and more. This makes it an excellent tool for businesses looking to save time and resources on content creation.
  • SEO Optimization: ChatGPT can analyze search engine results pages and generate content that meets the requirements for ranking higher in search engines. It can help optimize website content, blog posts, and metadata for SEO purposes.
  • Customer Service: ChatGPT can be used as a chatbot to answer customer queries and provide support. It can be integrated with messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger to provide instant customer support.
  • Personalization: ChatGPT can analyze user data and generate personalized content for users. This makes it an excellent tool for businesses offering personalized recommendations to their customers.
  • Email marketing: ChatGPT can generate personalized email content based on user data, making it a valuable tool for email marketing campaigns.
  • Research and Analysis: ChatGPT can analyze large datasets and generate insights on customer behavior, industry trends, and more. This makes it a valuable tool for businesses looking to make data-driven decisions.

ChatGPT is a versatile tool used in various industries and use cases. Its ability to generate content, analyze data, and provide personalized support makes it a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve their operations and customer experiences.

Revolutionize Your SEO Strategy With ChatGPT 

ChatGPT can revolutionize your SEO strategy and help you achieve your digital goals. This tool offers powerful insights and guidance for keyword research, content optimization, and overall on-page search engine optimization.

Optimizing your website for search engines is crucial in today’s digital age, and knowing how to use ChatGPT for SEO can give you an edge in the competitive online market. However, it’s essential to work with a trustworthy and experienced agency to ensure the success of your SEO strategy. At Digital Neighbor, we specialize in creating customized search engine optimization plans to meet the unique needs of our clients. Whether you’re a busy marketer or a small business owner, we can help you navigate the intricacies of SEO and achieve tangible results. Book a call today, and let us help you learn how to use ChatGPT for SEO.

AI Chat for eCommerce Brands: What You Need to Know

Are you looking for a way to improve your eCommerce customer experience (EX)? Chatbots can be the key. Whether it’s providing personalized product recommendations, one-to-one shopping assistance, or real-time customer support, these automated conversation tools can greatly impact your bottom line. 

Let’s explore the impact of AI chat on the world of eCommerce.

customer using online service with ai chatbots to get support

How Are AI Chatbots Different, and What Are Their Advantages?

eCommerce chatbots are a great way for online retailers to give their customers the best experience possible. By using these tools, businesses can answer questions about products and provide sales support so that customers don’t have to wait on someone from customer service. Chatbots also offer conversational marketing opportunities, such as the ability to engage with shoppers right on website messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger. 

AI chatbots also provide invaluable insight for eCommerce brands. Not only do they enable real-time user interaction, but their analysis can help you improve services that cater to customer demand and preferences. With the instant access to critical data that this technology offers, you can reduce operational costs, while maximizing efficiency.

Key Benefits of AI Chat for eCommerce Brands

  • AI chatbots are revolutionizing the way customers interact with businesses. They provide helpful advice and guidance and facilitate a two-way conversation that builds more meaningful relationships over time–gaining valuable insights from each exchange.
  • With AI chatbots, you can reach customers on their preferred channels and deliver content that speaks to them. Combining the convenience of automation with engaging messages creates a comprehensive customer experience.
  • For anyone selling online, providing a fast response to customer questions is essential. Over 50% of potential customers will ditch their carts if they don’t get immediate answers. That way, customers won’t have to rely on slow email responses or phone calls anymore. Chatbots offer the perfect balance between quick and thorough support, giving customers the information they need right away, without overwhelming them with too much detail.
  • Chatbots provide instant access to critical data. This allows you to save costs and maximize efficiency while still delivering excellent services tailored specifically to user needs.
  • Telling a story is an art form. When you add in the power of AI chatbots, eCommerce can go beyond simply product sales. It can also engage customers with educational content like images, GIFs, videos, and audio that capture their attention. This ultimately enhances the relationship between customer and brand as the conversation moves along more efficiently.
man using a ai search on his laptop chatbots

The Trends of AI Search in 2023 

OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot has revolutionized the way people get information on the internet. Not one to be left out of the race, Google is gearing up and readying its own AI-backed tools for search engine queries. Google is revolutionizing our understanding of artificial intelligence with the debut of its innovative new chatbot, Bard. Powered by LaMDA – an impressively intelligent and creative AI model that some experts have suggested might actually be sentient – this latest development promises to make unparalleled use of existing knowledge from around the world.

Microsoft is taking proactive steps to make sure they have a spot in the AI space, Recently partnering with OpenAI, they’re now incorporating these revolutionary capabilities into Bing.

How eCommerce Brands Can Prepare Now 

Many top brands like Starbucks, Sephora, and Domino’s Pizza are taking the customer experience to new heights with their chatbot technology. But these companies aren’t necessarily eCommerce brands. Instead, they have omnichannel capabilities, making their products available online. If these companies can benefit from AI chatbots, your eCommerce business can.

Whether customers are looking for information on products or trying to find an answer quickly, these bots can provide helpful insight in no time. Plus, thanks to advances like natural language processing (NLP), conversations feel more and more human-like every day.

Tips to Prepare Your Business

  • Research the top AI chatbot options for your product. AI chatbots are a great way to bolster your business, but not just any platform will do. When it comes time to decide which AI chatbot is best for you, keep an eye out for the features that matter most. This might include user-friendliness, automation grade, accuracy in understanding customer queries, targeting capabilities, integrations with other platforms, branding options, A/B testing,  reporting and analytics tools, and/or access to tech support when something goes wrong.
  • Start running more personalized and targeted marketing and advertising. Investing in a marketing automation platform is the key to creating personalized, targeted campaigns that speak directly to your audience. The payoff could be huge, but only if you take the time and craft lead-scoring systems and triggers tailored to their needs.  When you run more personalized and targeted ads, you can get the insights you need to better serve your customers. Using the insights from your campaign, you can customize your chatbots to meet your customers’ needs. 
  • Make sure your website, product descriptions, and images are up to date. Perform a complete website audit to ensure all information and images are accurate. That way, implementing your chatbot on your website will give your visitors the most reliable information. 
  • Be sure your platforms are connected for automation. Doing so will allow you to automate processes, making them more efficient and providing an enhanced user experience.
Customer Service with AI chatbots

Bottomline

With eCommerce being on the rise and personalization becoming more important, brands are smart to lean into AI chatbots. Conversational AI opens up opportunities for companies to connect with customers across many different platforms, not just on their websites. This creates valued relationships that can improve loyalty towards a brand. Plus, it helps convert these connections into loyal clients with great customer service. On top of all these benefits, utilizing an AI chatbot can help your business automate inner functions, reducing operational costs and potentially driving revenue growth.

Struggling to boost your online presence as a business? Digital Neighbor is here. Our full-service SEO agency provides customized digital marketing solutions that can help you reach more customers. Contact us today to book a call.

Significance of Web Accessibility and Its Intersection with SEO Practices

More than a quarter of the U.S. adult population has some disability. Further statistics indicate that 75% of people with disabilities use the internet daily. More demographic-specific figures show that those with a vision disability comprise 4.9% of the population, requiring a screen reader, high-contrast pages for those with colorblindness, and other accessibility features to navigate the websites they visit. Others have impaired hand functions, which can limit their use of a keyboard or mouse, while those with hearing impairments require special accessibilities such as video captions and transcripts. Interested in the interplay of Web Accessibility and SEO? Read on to learn more.

A recent report by The WebAIM Million on the accessibility of the top one million sites’ home pages detected multiple errors on the pages. The report found that 5.3% of the home page elements had an accessibility error. Some detected errors included low-contrast text, missing alternative text for images, empty links, missing document language, empty buttons, and missing form input labels.   

Such errors affect the user experience, impacting SEO negatively. In addition, websites lacking accessibility features to aid navigation among people with disabilities can attract serious legal implications. For instance, a recent report by UsableNet showed an increase in accessibility lawsuits, with e-Commerce sites being the highest hit at 73.66% of all the cases. 

Generally, every business with an online presence is vulnerable despite the industry. While big brands have been the most hit by lawsuits in the past, recent statistics show a changing trend where companies with less than $50 million in annual revenue have the highest number of cases.  

This post looks into the relationship between web accessibility and SEO and ways you can make your website accessible and ADA-compliant while improving your SEO.

Table of Contents

  • What Is Web Accessibility?
    • Principles of Web Accessibility
  • Benefits of Website Accessibility
    • Improved User Experience
    • Increased Website Traffic
    • Reduced risk of legal risks
    • Improved Website SEO
    • Positive Brand Reputation
    • Annual ADA Tax Credit
  • How to Create Accessible Websites
  • Start Optimizing Your Website for Improved Accessibility and SEO

What Is Web Accessibility?

Website accessibility refers to the ease with which everyone uses your website, including people with disabilities such as vision impairment, hearing impairment, motor disabilities, etc. It encompasses all aspects of website navigability, including image alt text, content organization, anchor text, heading tags, and more. 

Principles of Accessibility

An accessible website should cater to visitors’ needs without impeding their ability to understand, navigate, perceive, and interact with it. This means it must meet the four POUR principles – perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

  • Perceivable – Must remove accessibility barriers, e.g., by supplying alternative texts to be accessible to screen readers.
  • Operable – Must be operable on all devices.
  • Understandable – The information and interface must be understandable to the users. 
  • Robust – Must be accessible and easy to be interpreted by different technologies and platforms.
User experience and accessibility

Benefits of Website Accessibility

Making your website accessible enhances its usability for everyone, regardless of their physical limitations or device. This translates to other benefits, including improved SEO and ADA compliance, to name a few.

Let’s discuss them in detail. 

Improved User Experience

Improving your website accessibility automatically impacts the user experience. Easy navigation ensures all your visitors find what they’re looking for, regardless of their disability or device. This leads to increased user satisfaction and brand perception, crucial factors in winning their trust and loyalty.

Reduced legal risks

Inaccessible websites pose significant legal implications. Making your website compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should be a priority. 

ADA compliance requires all businesses with an online presence to be accessible to people with disabilities. Specifically, ADA III mandates public services, electronic and information technology to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, and DOJ affirmed in 2022 that websites fall under this classification. Effectively, accessibility has become a web standard like having SSL or GDPR.

Websites lacking essential accessibility features risk costly lawsuits. And while inaccessible desktop websites dominate the cases, accessibility of other digital aspects like the mobile app, video accessibility, and mobile website are also common. 

Using SEO

Improved Website SEO

Accessible websites perform better in SEO for apparent reasons. Making the website user-friendly to everyone opens it to more visitors, translating to increased traffic. In addition, improved user experience has a positive impact on dwell time. A low bounce rate signals to the search engines a page provides value to the visitor, hence is likely to be crawled and ranked more. The more the site receives traffic, the better it performs in SEO.

To support this, Semrush partnered with AccessibilityChecker.org and BuiltWith in a study that analyzed 847 domains to find whether digital accessibility improves online discoverability. According to their findings, upon installing an accessibility solution, the domains’ organic search traffic increased by 12%. Overall, 73.4% of the domains had an increase in organic traffic, and 66.1% recorded a boost of up to 50% in monthly traffic.

Positive Brand Reputation

Having an accessible website complete with an accessibility statement can help your brand reputation. Besides being inclusive and giving everyone a satisfying browsing experience, your visitors (especially those with disabilities) are more likely to recommend your website to their connections (family and friends).

Annual ADA Tax Credit

If your business has less than 30 full-time employees and has generated less than $1 million in revenue in the previous tax year, you can qualify for an annual ADA tax credit. You can claim 50% of expenditures incurred in web accessibility and ADA compliance practices up to $10,250. Examples of qualifying expenditures may include the installation of accessibility solutions on your website, initial and ongoing remediation files and media, native accessibility, etc.

Website traffic & analytics

How to Create Accessible and SEO-Friendly Websites

The average settlement for small businesses sued for ADA non-compliance is $10,000, without factoring in the legal fees, usually charged at about $250-300 per hour. This means if someone sued you for non-compliance, you risk losing multiple times the amount you would spend to create an accessible site. Not mentioning the other benefits you miss when your site is inaccessible. Think of the poor user experience and its impact on SEO performance and conversions.

In most cases, optimizing your site for accessibility requires some simple interventions. For instance, you can increase contrast ratios to make the text easier to read for the vision impaired, make the buttons larger for those with impaired hand function, or put captions on videos for those with hearing impairment.

Generally, here are some elements to focus on when creating accessible websites.

  • Page titles provide context on what a webpage is about. When you open multiple tabs, page titles differentiate the content. Creating page titles with the user experience in mind is essential, as those using screen readers rely on the title information to navigate between pages or tabs.
  • Heading structure – Assistive technologies rely on headings to navigate and understand the different sections of a page. Using relevant heading tags is crucial to increasing page accessibility. 
  • Anchor text provides insight into what the linked content is all about. Optimizing anchor texts to make them highly relevant to the landing page content is an excellent way to increase a page’s accessibility and improve user experience. For instance, when a screen reader comes across a link, it reads the anchor text, then the user can decide whether they want to visit the page. 
  • Image alt text – In the same way image alt text help crawlers understand the images, they also provide a textual alternative to website visitors with visual impairments. Optimizing your website images by including alt text is crucial to making it ADA-compliant.
  • Video captions and transcripts – Ensure your video content has appropriate captions and transcripts to cater to users with hearing impairments. 
  • Sitemap helps visitors find content more easily. Providing a sitemap allows visitors (including those using a screen reader) to access content quickly, especially on a site with complex navigation. 

There are many other elements of your web pages you can optimize for improved accessibility besides the ones we have highlighted. In all these, one thing you will realize is the intersection between accessibility and SEO. Generally, the practices you use to optimize web pages for accessibility also benefit SEO.  

Start Optimizing Your Website for Improved Accessibility and SEO

Investing in web accessibility goes beyond compliance. It’s a robust digital marketing strategy you can leverage to improve your SEO, increase website traffic, enhance your brand reputation, and ultimately boost conversions. Optimizing page titles, heading structures, anchor texts, image alt text, and providing video captions and sitemap are some elements you can start working on to get your website accessible and SEO optimized. But don’t forget these are just a few examples. There’s a sea of other page aspects that require addressing to make your website fully compliant. 

If you’re unsure how to handle this, don’t worry. Your SEO Sommelier is here to help. Whether you need assistance with UX, search engine optimization, or even content creation, talk to us and let’s design a custom solution for your website. 

Ready to get started today on your own? I recommend accessiBe as your accessibility solution. They offer an easy-to-install widget on your website.

Interested in learning more? Get in touch now and book an appointment.

Foolproof Facebook and LinkedIn Tips To Grow Your Business

The social media marketing landscape is constantly evolving. What works today may not work tomorrow, and that’s especially true for Facebook and LinkedIn. These two platforms are the most popular social networks for business, and each has unique marketing opportunities.

Research shows that 74% of US consumers use Facebook to learn about new brands and products. On the other hand, marketers report that LinkedIn generates twice as many conversions as other platforms.

To help you maximize your marketing potential on both platforms, I’ve put together a list of Facebook and LinkedIn marketing tips you can use to grow your business.

Tips for Organic Engagement on LinkedIn and Facebook

Organic engagement on social media is a challenge for many businesses. With so much content published daily, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd. Although you can increase your organic engagement in many ways, these two are the best and the ultimate game changer.

Diversify Your Content to Keep it Fresh

Your audience doesn’t want to read lengthy posts every day. Sometimes they’d like to watch a video or share their thoughts.  Mix things up once in a while to keep your content fresh and engaging. Changing your post formats keeps your LinkedIn and Facebook feed interesting and your audience engaged. Remember, the more diverse your content is, the more likely your followers will share it, increasing your organic reach.

Here are four great LinkedIn and Facebook content types that will help keep your page interesting and increase your organic engagement:

  • LinkedIn and Facebook polls-Polls provide an excellent opportunity to learn how your audience feels and what they think about your brand.
  • Swipeable image carousels- You can use carousel posts to display up to 10 cards on Facebook and 15 on LinkedIn. Each card can have a different headline and image, and the carousel posts provide lots of opportunities for users to engage and convert.
  • Training videos- Video training is a great way to show your customers how to use your products. Plus, they are highly shareable.
  • Live updates- Did you know that Facebook live gets 15 times more engagement than regular posts? LinkedIn live isn’t far behind, as it generates 24 times more comments than native videos. Using live videos to update your customers on both of these platforms will help you increase your organic engagement.

Be Consistent and Post Regularly

Research shows that LinkedIn engagement rates are two times higher for businesses that post weekly. You, too, can increase your engagement by following the same. The more consistent you are with posting, the longer you stay on your customers’ minds and the stronger your relationship with them.

Posting regularly also shows your customers that you are active and engaged.  Additionally, it allows you to share your company’s story and connect deeper with your customers.

Here are some tips to help you remain active and consistent on Facebook and LinkedIn:

  • Create a content calendar for your posts
  • Research the best times to post on both platforms and add the times to your content calendar
  • Use social media automation tools to help you schedule your posts. Some great examples are Hootsuite, NapoleonCat, and Later.

By following these tips, you can give your business the best chance of success in getting organic engagement.

Organic Customer Acquisition Tips for LinkedIn and Facebook

When it comes to organic customer acquisition on social media, LinkedIn and Facebook are two of the most popular platforms. If you’re looking to grow your customer base organically on either of these platforms, you can do a few things to improve your chances of success.

Create Content To Reach Your Ideal Customer

Marketers know that the key to a great social media strategy is to create the right content for the right audience and to post it at the right time. Therefore, ensure that each piece of content you create is relevant to your target customers. This will help you reach the right people with your message and increase your chances of acquiring new customers.

Engage With Your Audience

Unfortunately, most businesses keep “taking without giving.” They only post their content and don’t bother to engage with their audience. To acquire new customers, you need to show your audience that you care. Respond to their questions and comments. You could also start conversations with potential customers and show them that you have their best interests at heart. This is how you build relationships and get new customers.

Is Paid Advertisement on LinkedIn and Facebook Worth it?

As a business owner, you might be aware of social media’s power to grow your brand. However, you might not know that paid social media advertising is an even more powerful tool to help you take your business to the next level.

Types of LinkedIn and Facebook adverts include:

  • Sponsored job ad listings
  • Sponsored text ads
  • Sponsored messaging (sent directly to a user’s inbox)
  • Dynamic ads
  • Photo carousel ads

If you’re still hesitant about investing in paid advertising, here are four benefits that could change your mind.

You’ll Target Your Ideal Customers

With paid social media advertising, you can target your ads to a specific audience interested in your products or services. This allows you to focus your budget and marketing efforts on the people most likely to convert into customers.

You’ll Build Brand Awareness

Paid social media advertising is an effective way to build brand awareness and visibility for your business. People who see your ads on  Facebook and LinkedIn will become familiar with your brand, leading to increased customers and sales.

You’ll Get Measurable Results

Unlike traditional marketing methods, paid social media advertising provides detailed data and insights that you can use to track your progress and measure your success. This data is invaluable for understanding what’s working and what’s not and can help you fine-tune your social media marketing strategy over time.

You’ll Make a Lasting Impression

When you run a paid social media ad, you’re not just reaching people at the moment. You’re also creating a lasting impression that can lead to future sales. Paid social media ads are an investment in your business that can pay off for months or even years.

9 Awesome Stock Image Websites in 2022

Have you ever wondered why your website struggles with engagement and conversion rates? Despite crafting brilliantly written content, chances are you overlook a crucial ingredient for success in this digital era – visuals!

Humans are visual learners as our eyes process 36000 visual messages per hour. Notable, isn’t it? What’s more astonishing is that 90% of the information sent to our brain is visual, and we process it 60,000 times quicker than text! Therefore, incorporating visual content strategy is essential if you want your website’s visitors to remain interested till the end.

Images are a type of visual content that increases the engagement of your web page. Not only do they add depth and dimension to your brand, but they also resonate with the consumer personally. However, finding good quality and suitable photos for your website is a challenging task. 

Custom photos are undeniably a great way to make your website content look visually appealing. However, stock photos can save the day if your brand is not in a position to come up with these due to time or money constraints. They are the best way to access millions of images and vectors that spice up your otherwise bland content.

In this article, we have compiled a list of 9 top-notch paid and free stock photo sites of 2022 that will help you find the perfect images for your website. Let’s begin!

  1. Adobe Stock — Paid 

If you are a digital marketer or a graphic designer, you must be familiar with Adobe Suite. It is a terrific editing tool that can help elevate your website’s visual appeal. Adobe Stock, a branch of the giant design software Adobe, is a high-end stock photography website. It provides millions of curated stock photos, images, music, art, vectors, illustrations, and even templates to create eye-catching inspirational content. It satisfies your monstrous hunger for creativity effortlessly. 

Also, this stock photo site is fantastic for people who already use Adobe software. As a member, you can use other tools like Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator to create unique customized photos for your web page. With a 30-day free trial period and ten images to start with, it allows its users to get familiar with the site. If convinced, you can check out its affordable pricing plan and kickstart your creative projects. 

Why choose Adobe Stock? 

  • Innovative and robust search engine.
  • It has multiple categories with fantastic content.
  • Subscribers can contribute to the image library. 
  • Allows users to earn passive income by selling their photography on the website. 
  • The database is renewed daily with high-quality trending photos, videos, and audio to provide users with a premium visual digital experience. 
  1. Unsplash – Free

Unsplash was launched in 2013, and since then, it’s been one of the most popular websites for stock photography. It’s completely free, so you can get access to as many photos as you want without having the hassle of navigating through copyrights and licensing issues. With more than four million photos by over 300000+ pro and semi-pro photographers, it is a hub of modern, unique, and fresh images. 

Its search engine is incredibly robust. With a visual search option now available, finding images for your website has become easier than ever. What’s more impressive is that you can find imagery, wallpaper, textures, and designs related to popular topics and trends from the sidebar. You can also type your keyword and get access to a plethora of vivid, colorful images that suit your basic content needs. 

Moreover, it has a collections feature that sorts photos according to themes such as shadow play, rainy days, double exposure, and so much more. The blog feature on this website benefits users by guiding and updating them with the latest tips and tricks regarding stock photography. 

 Why choose Unsplash? 

  • Contains high-resolution photos. 
  • User-friendly mobile application. 
  • The website is updated with new images every day. 
  • It is well-integrated with many popular tools. 
  • Its current events sections keep you in touch and let you share newsworthy material on your sites to maintain their popularity. 
  1. Stock Photo Secrets Shop — Paid

Stock Photo Secrets Shop is your go-to website for finding photos, fonts, videos, and vectors with ultimate ease. It is a paid website that offers subscriptions based on plans and image packs. Also, its licensing differs if you plan to resale the images as it requires purchasing an extended license compared to the standard. 

Its search engine is fast, with visual and refined search options. The latter search feature entails the user filtering the image based on orientation, search type, and much more. You can also find the best results according to the sorting criteria; relevance, newest, curated, and popularity. 

With the top categories section, you can find themes straight away, thus saving time and effort in finding the perfect image for your web page. Plus, the search settings option on the top right corner allows you to choose your preferred thumbnail size and number of results per page. 

Why choose Stock Photo Secrets Shop? 

  • Aesthetic and appealing user interface.
  • Search tips guide you to make the most of this site.
  • It has a safe search option that levels up your security game.
  • It has a free EPS Converter to convert your EPS files to PNG, PDF, and JPG.
  1. Pixabay — Free

Pixabay has a substantial library of stunning and royalty-free stock images. It also has a diverse range of videos, illustrations, vectors, GIFs, music, and sound effects. The great thing about this stock photography site is that it contains over 2.7 million curated stock assets – all free!

Its layout and search engine are easy to navigate, allowing you to access desired photos with a few simple clicks. But, if you are struggling to find something or don’t have a specific idea, you can check out its Editor’s choice section. It highlights the best images chosen by the website’s dedicated team. So whatever your needs are, with this vast library, you will easily find content that relates to your brand and supplements the written text beautifully. 

Why choose Pixabay? 

  • It has a wide range of premium graphical content. 
  • Its blog keeps its users up-to-date with the latest trends. 
  • With Pixabay, there are no worries about licensing or unexpected copyright issues. 
  • The website has a simple interface with no learning curve allowing users of all knowledge backgrounds to navigate easily.
  1. Stockphotos — Paid 

If you are searching for a one-stop shop for stock photography and image editing, Stockphotos is the right place. With a growing library of 8 million photos, its media constantly updates with high-quality images that cover almost every niche. It’s also integrated with an AI Image Upscaler that allows you to resize the photo according to your desired resolution without compromising the quality of the picture.

If this was not impressive enough, it’s linked with Canva Pro – the best image editing tool. The website interface is simple and easy to navigate. Also, it features a blog page that updates the customers regarding other stock imagery sites and provides many additional helpful insights. 

Why choose Stock Photos? 

  • It is one of the most affordable, top-notch stock photography sites. 
  • It provides users with discounts and coupons from platforms like iStock and Shutterstock. 
  • The website offers access to free stock photos from many other famous brands as well. 
  1. Vecteezy — Free + Paid 

Vecteezy has an extensive library of stunning stock images and much more to help you design your web pages beautifully. Its landing page is attractive, with a robust search engine that filters the content effortlessly. Also, it has free and pro plans depending on your budget needs. 

The thing that sets it apart from other stock photo sites is its extensive filter element. You can narrow your search according to licensing, hex color code, orientation, image style, number of people, and age to get the best match. Plus, the quality of imagery is unbeatable as Vecteezy’s team reviews every photo to ensure it meets their high-quality standards. 

Why choose Vecteezy? 

  • The trending feature helps find popular images.
  • Easy to tell apart free and paid images. 
  • Access to millions of photos, vectors, and videos. 
  1. Depositphotos – Paid 

With over 234 million royalty-free images, Depositphotos is home to high-resolution photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, SFX, and even music. This vast collection helps you to find a unique picture for your webpage. Also, the comfortable design of this website enables users to access desired content without fuss. You can filter the results according to color, size, and other specifications. 

This stock photo site also has a diverse range of tools to enhance images, such as reverse image search logo maker, free background remover, and more. Moreover, you can find a limited amount of free photos in its 7-day free trial period. If convinced, you can opt for its on-demand or other subscription plans per your needs. 

Why choose Depositphotos?

  • The visual content is fantastic and contemporary.
  • It offers live customer support 24/7 in 20 languages. 
  • The Depositphotos blog keeps you in the loop with all the latest trends. 
  • It is an excellent platform to add your photos and collection for future use. 
  1. Shutterstock — Paid 

Did you know Shutterstock is one of the most premium stock photography sites, with an average of 336,000 active subscribers in 2021? In the same year, they also generated annual revenue of about $773.4 million. Impressive, isn’t it? This stock imagery site has one of the largest databases of royalty-free photos, videos, vectors, 3D models, illustrations, and sounds. This website is famous and a favorite among content creators for its versatile collection and constantly updated media. 

Plus, it offers professional quality templates that you can customize according to your company’s needs. It also has seamless integration with many image editor tools such as collage maker, image resizer, color palette, and photo editor to craft and customize visually appealing images for your website. 

Why choose Shutterstock? 

  • The website boasts around 415 million images, videos, and more. 
  • It helps you to keep up with trends with its curated and offset collection. 
  • Provides ultimate deals and discounts to its users. 
  • The website offers individual packages and team/enterprise accounts at an affordable price. 
  • It has introduced a new catalog feature with a free login that allows users to access and manage the content in one place. This feature is fantastic as you don’t have to worry about data loss and can give your systems a breath of space. 
  1. iStock — Paid 

No stock photography article is complete without mentioning this iconic low-cost but high-on-quality website – iStock. It contains millions of stock photos, illustrations, music, video, and vector content that suit your creative project needs. The website also offers multiple image editing tools to enhance the image’s visual appeal. 

Its interface is relatively straightforward to navigate, with a comprehensive search engine function. The explore option enables users to search and filter trendy content according to regions, industry, and time. It doesn’t have a free trial. But it does provide its registered users with a weekly dose of three photos and illustrations, and videos for free inspiration each month.

Why choose iStock? 

  • It offers affordable pricing plans. 
  • Many HD and 4K video clips are available. 
  • Provides visual GPS insights that let you understand user interest. 
  • The website has Exclusive graphical content from incredibly talented photographers.
  • It offers promo codes and various discounts to its users. 
  • The website has a partnership with popular brands across the globe. 

Final Thoughts

Stock photos are essential to enhance the visual appeal of your website. If you are a content designer, visit these websites and check out their unique, fresh content. However, if you need clarification about the dynamics of creating visually aesthetic content, it’s best to trust a professional web design and marketing agency. They have access to premium stock photography sites along with a skilled team. You can talk to them about your brand ideology and mutually decide what themes and images to go with to craft a unique, eye-catching website for your online business.

A Quick Guide to SEO for Lawyers

Employment in the legal profession is expected to go up by 9 percent in the coming year! This means that if you are a lawyer you have to stay competitive.

Have you been thinking about how you can grow your law practice and bring in new clients? SEO should be a the top of your list of strategies.

However, SEO can be complex and there are a few things you need to bear in mind before you can effectively use SEO to drive traffic to your site.

Here is a look at what you need to know about SEO for lawyers.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization and it involves using different strategies to get search engines to rank your web pages so that you will receive visitors to your website. The higher you are on the search engine results page the better chance you will have of getting someone to click on your link and go to your website.

Getting on page one means that you are in the top ten results. However, it is even better to get into the top three positions. With Law Firm SEO you have the chance to ensure that you get the best result possible.

Local SEO

To succeed you need to focus on your local SEO strategy. Your local SEO strategy will help you to attract the attention of people in your area who are searching for law firms. To attract the attention of potential clients in your locale, you need to select the right keywords.

The keywords that you select need to be what people are typing into Google to find local law firms. You can find out what keywords people are using to search for lawyers in your area by using a keyword research tool.

There are several keyword research tools on the market and many of them have varying prices. It all depends on what you can afford.

However, you should bear in mind that when it comes to keyword research tools you do get what you pay for. Generally speaking, the more expensive the tool, the more comprehensive the information, although there are some exceptions.

Another important part of local SEO is submitting your website to important website directories such as Google business. This will ensure that you are found for local searches. Always ensure that the name and address of your business are listed correctly, for best results.

Content Creation

Once you know the keywords people are searching for it is time to create content around them.

The key is to create as much legal information as possible so that you can make your website a hub for finding accurate and informative legal content. When selecting keywords you have to bear in mind that popular keywords may be difficult to rank for based on the authority of your domain.

If your website is relatively new then it will not have a lot of authority. You will not be able to rank for content that more established sites are currently ranking for.

This is why you need to select what is known as long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords have four or more words in them. They are usually easier to rank than shorter phrases.

These keywords are perfect for a website that has low authority because they are usually not targeted by sites with higher domain authority.

While long-tail keywords do not carry as much traffic as shorter phrases, if you can rank for several of them you will find that your traffic will increase dramatically.

Your keywords should be sprinkled throughout the content that you are publishing. 

You must place your keywords in your title, URL, and as a header on your content page. You also want to make sure that you use the keyword a few times within the content.

Be sure you don’t overdo it as Google penalizes you for overstuffing your content with keywords.

Backlinks

Backlinks occur when another site finds your content valuable and links back to it. It sends a signal to Google and to search engines that your content is valuable. However, if your website is new it is hard to acquire backlinks for your website, yet they are extremely critical in getting Google to rank your pages higher.

One solution for this is to start doing posts on other websites, when you guest post a link is provided from a site with a higher authority than yours to your website. This will give your website more authority, and help you to rank for more difficult keywords.

Over time if you continue to write valuable content you will get links to your website organically but this can take some time. One thing you can do to speed up the process is to provide original statistical information and even infographics. Providing this information about legal content is a great way to inspire others to link to you.

SEO for Lawyers in 2022

If you’re trying to find the right digital marketing strategy for the next year then the tips presented here will help to take your business to the next level.

SEO for lawyers does not have to be difficult as long as you take the time to choose the right keywords for your business. Selecting the right keywords will help you to get to the top of the search engine results.

However, this is all a part of a larger strategy so make sure that you take the time to create a comprehensive digital marketing plan for your law firm.

If you would like to help with search engine optimization please do not hesitate to contact us.

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