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All the best things about Ahrefs Evolve 2024

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11 hours ago

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All the best things about Ahrefs Evolve 2024

Hey all, I’m Rebekah and I am your Chosen One to “do a blog post for Ahrefs Evolve 2024”.

What does that entail exactly? I don’t know. In fact, Sam Oh asked me yesterday what the title of this post would be. “Is it like…Ahrefs Evolve 2024: Recap of day 1 and day 2…?” 

Even as I nodded, I couldn’t get over how absolutely boring that sounded. So I’m going to do THIS instead: a curation of all the best things YOU loved about Ahrefs’ first conference, lifted directly from X.

Let’s go!

OUR HUGE SCREEN

CONFERENCE VENUE ITSELF

It was recently named the best new skyscraper in the world, by the way.

 

OUR AMAZING SPEAKER LINEUP – SUPER INFORMATIVE, USEFUL TALKS!

 

GREAT MUSIC

 

AMAZING GOODIES

 

SELFIE BATTLE

Some background: Tim and Sam have a challenge going on to see who can take the most number of selfies with all of you. Last I heard, Sam was winning – but there is room for a comeback yet!

 

THAT BELL

 

STICKER WALL

AND, OF COURSE…ALL OF YOU!

 

–

There’s a TON more content on LinkedIn – click here – but I have limited time to get this post up and can’t quite figure out how to embed LinkedIn posts so…let’s stop here for now. I’ll keep updating as we go along!



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All the best things about Ahrefs Evolve 2024

Published

4 hours ago

on

October 25, 2024

By

All the best things about Ahrefs Evolve 2024

Hey all, I’m Rebekah and I am your Chosen One to “do a blog post for Ahrefs Evolve 2024”.

What does that entail exactly? I don’t know. In fact, Sam Oh asked me yesterday what the title of this post would be. “Is it like…Ahrefs Evolve 2024: Recap of day 1 and day 2…?” 

Even as I nodded, I couldn’t get over how absolutely boring that sounded. So I’m going to do THIS instead: a curation of all the best things YOU loved about Ahrefs’ first conference, lifted directly from X.

Let’s go!

OUR HUGE SCREEN

CONFERENCE VENUE ITSELF

It was recently named the best new skyscraper in the world, by the way.

 

OUR AMAZING SPEAKER LINEUP – SUPER INFORMATIVE, USEFUL TALKS!

 

GREAT MUSIC

 

AMAZING GOODIES

 

SELFIE BATTLE

Some background: Tim and Sam have a challenge going on to see who can take the most number of selfies with all of you. Last I heard, Sam was winning – but there is room for a comeback yet!

 

THAT BELL

Everybody’s just waiting for this one.

 

STICKER WALL

AND, OF COURSE…ALL OF YOU!

 

–

There’s a TON more content on LinkedIn – click here – but I have limited time to get this post up and can’t quite figure out how to embed LinkedIn posts so…let’s stop here for now. I’ll keep updating as we go along!



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11 Tips For How To Find Great Writers

Published

6 hours ago

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October 25, 2024

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11 Tips For How To Find Great Writers

Great content is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy.

Content provides information to users, facilitates ranking in the organic search results, and can be a significant driver in attracting backlinks to your website.

But how and where one sources such amazing content depends on a few factors. For one, you can write your own content, if you have the skills and time to do so.

On the other hand, you could hire a professional writer to craft content for you, but you need to know where to look!

Need an excellent writer? Consider these top tips on how and where to find experienced content writers.

1. Assess Your Content Needs

The first step to finding a great writer is to determine what type of writer you need. Believe it or not, there are many different kinds of copywriters and content writers (yes, they’re different), and they bring different specialties to the table.

Is your goal to craft SEO-friendly content that ranks in search engines? You’ll need a writer who understands on-page SEO best practices and the nuances of keyword usage.

Is your goal to drive conversions from a landing page on your website? You’ll need a direct-response copywriter skilled in sales copywriting and buyer psychology.

Also, these writers may advertise their services on different platforms, so it’s important to consider your needs early on so you know where to look!

Content Writers Vs. Copywriters

If you are looking for a writer who specializes in long-form, SEO-friendly content, you’ll want to find a content writer. Some examples of content writers include:

  • Blog writers – when your goal is to drive organic traffic, build brand awareness, and engage readers.
  • Article writers – when you need in-depth articles (for websites, magazines, or online publications) that educate readers on specific topics.
  • SEO writers – if you want to improve your website visibility and organic traffic to webpages.
  • Technical writers – for writing manuals, how-to guides, software documentation, and white papers.
  • Social media content writers – when you need short-form content for social media platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Now, if you are looking for a writer specializing in persuasive writing that compels people to take action (like buy a product or sign up for a service, you’ll want a copywriter.

Some examples of copywriters include:

  • Direct response copywriters – who specialize in writing sales letters, email campaigns, landing pages, and ads that inspire action
  • Sales copywriters – when you need product descriptions, sales pages, or promotional materials
  • Email copywriters – who write email sequences for marketing campaigns, newsletters, and product launches
  • Brand copywriters – who specialize in writing content that conveys your brand’s voice, tone, and values to build your brand identity (may include website copy, slogans, or ads)

Some content writers and copywriters offer several services. For example, it’s common to find a content writer who does blog writing, article writing, and SEO content.

However, copywriters and content writers are notably different in what they aim to achieve – sales vs. traffic, respectively.

Consider what you are trying to accomplish with your content and search for a writer with that skill set.

2. Browse Reputable Writer Directories And Platforms

Now, it’s time to find a writer. Easier said than done, right? Business owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to the number of freelancer websites available, but not all are created equal.

Ask Your Professional Network

Before venturing to a freelancer website, I suggest asking your professional network whether they know of any writers they might recommend.

Not only will you then get a referral from someone who can vouch for the writer’s services, but you’ll save a ton of time in your search.

Reach Out To Your Network

I highly recommend reaching out to your existing network to find writers who have a track record of proven results.

A referral from someone within your industry is even better. Ask them about their experience working with the writer and what results they generated.

Niche Facebook Groups

Facebook is a great source of freelance writers, especially within niche-specific Facebook Groups.

For example, if you’re looking for a travel writer, look for groups like the Association of Travel Writers or Travel Writers Exchange.

Many Facebook Groups also allow you to post jobs to find writers for hire.

LinkedIn Search

LinkedIn is a popular professional networking site that allows you to search for consultants, brands, and freelancers.

Simply use the LinkedIn search bar to find a “writer,” “copywriter,” “SEO writer,” etc.

You’ll see individuals who rank at the top for these keywords. Be sure to check out their portfolio and recommendations.

College Job Boards

Many university students are looking for part-time jobs and contract opportunities.

Check out your local university or college websites to see if they have a job board, then post the requirements of the role.

Content Agencies

Content marketing agencies specialize in content strategy and content writing, often for a variety of platforms.

While their rates may be more expensive than working with a freelance writer, you can often trust that there’s a higher degree of quality control.

You may also be able to source content for social media, email, and your website – all in one place.

Writer Directories

Writer directories like Compose.ly and blcklst.com allow writers to publish their portfolios, post their rates, and apply for jobs.

Some sites allow you to post an open role, while others allow you to contact the writers directly. Again, look for writers with an active portfolio and, ideally, client testimonials.

3. Request Content Examples

Once you’ve found a writer (or several) that you’d like to work with, it’s time to request more information.

Hiring a writer is a financial commitment, so do your due diligence to assess their portfolio and skills.

Always ask for examples of their work – particularly work related to your niche.

Unfortunately, stealing content examples is common practice online, so you don’t always know what you are getting; if they can send you an example with their name in the byline, that’s a safer bet.

Human Writers Vs. AI Content

The prevalence of AI-generated content has been on the rise. With tools like ChatGPT and contents.ai, it’s easy for businesses to turn to this fast, cheaper form of content.

But there is a lot of personality, uniqueness, and quality lost in AI content.

For one, AI content lacks the history of lived human experience to tell stories, provide relatable examples, and solve modern problems in your content.

Human writers are able to empathize with your readers and buyers, incorporating this sentiment and psychology into the content.

Also, with AI content, you’re at risk of generating material that’s identical to other pieces of content that are on the web.

This can hurt your brand and your SEO. Human writers are able to craft a unique story that’s specific to your brand voice and audience.

AI content has its place – such as in content planning and drafts – but should not be the basis of your entire content strategy.

While cheap, AI content can end up costing you in terms of brand visibility, user trust, and conversions.

4. Interview The Candidates

When “chatting” with a writer, a lot can be lost in translation via email or messenger. It’s always best to get on a live call to assess whether the candidate is a good fit for your brand and needs.

Just as much as you are looking for a writer with the right skills, you want to be sure they are a good character fit. Communication is important throughout the entire content planning and writing process.

Here are some questions to ask during your writer interview:

  • What types of writing do you specialize in?
  • Do you have experience in our industry?
  • How do you approach research for a topic you’re unfamiliar with?
  • How do you incorporate SEO best practices into your content writing (if applicable)?
  • Do you have experience working with content calendars, marketing teams, or campaign strategies?
  • What is your preferred workflow (e.g., strategy provided by client, first draft approval, round one revision, final approval)?
  • What’s your average turnaround time for a [type of content]?

These questions will give you a better understanding of the writer’s skills, style, and approach to writing, helping you find the right fit for your needs.

5. Look For Case Studies And Reviews

Whether you’re using your referral network, social media, or writer directories to find writers, look for their case studies or client reviews.

Many professional writers will have a website where they showcase their work and/or recommendations on LinkedIn or social media.

This “social proof” will make it evident what kind of results they have been able to generate for their clients.

6. Assess Their SEO Knowledge

If your goal is to grow your traffic, you’ll want a writer who understands SEO and how to incorporate it into their content.

They may not be an SEO expert, but they should know on-page best practices, such as keyword usage in the page title, heading structure and hierarchy, and the importance of internal linking.

It’s appropriate to ask them a few questions about their expertise and to request examples of SEO content. If they have case studies that showcase measurable results, even better.

7. Ask How They Measure Success

On the topic of results, you should ask writer candidates how they measure the success of their content.

Though many factors go into content performance – not all of which they will have control over – it’s still a fair question to assess their approach to content writing.

For example, if they are an SEO writer, do they measure success by organic traffic and reduced bounce rate? Do they tend to look at the number and position of keyword rankings? A great SEO writer will pay attention to these metrics.

Similarly, if they are a sales copywriter, do they track conversions? How do they determine what makes their copy successful? Do they make updates to the copy to improve performance?

Not only will this consideration get you thinking about how you quantify results, but it will also help you identify a writer who is results-driven.

8. Understand Their Pricing Structure

There are many different types of pricing structures writers may use to charge for content.

The most common is price-per-word, where the writer provides a set cost per each word of content written.

Freelance writers can charge anywhere from $0.05 to $2.00 per word, depending on their experience.

Another common approach is cost per page/post. This is where the writer typically determines an approximate content length and set cost.

For example, a short blog post may cost around $150, whereas a long blog post may cost $300+. This option is great if you want the costs to be predictable.

Be sure to discuss the writer’s preferred pricing structure and rates before you start on a project. Ideally, get your agreement set in writing so there is no confusion over the terms.

9. Know What’s Provided In Their Services

Some SEO writers only include the content and the H1 and H2 tags. Others include all on-page SEO.

Even further, some provide keyword research or content planning. For any writer, ask what their services include and what needs to be provided by you.

Do they need you to do the keyword research and create the blog strategy? Get clear about that from the beginning.

You should also ask whether edits and/or rewrites are included. Complete rewrites are rare; don’t expect most writers to write an entirely new piece without compensation.

Typically, writers offer one to two rounds of edits, or a refund if they miss the mark.

10. Discuss Your Expectations

Hiring a writer is like any other professional relationship in that you need to discuss your expectations at the start.

Know what’s expected of you, make sure they know what’s expected of them, and outline a clear process when it comes to creating content together.

Note that some writers offer refunds, while others do not. Discuss this at the beginning (and get it in writing) before you find yourself in a pickle.

11. Know That Great Content Is An Investment

With all this talk about pricing and payment terms, you may be wondering, “How much does great content cost?”

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t simple. Writers’ rates vary based on their industry expertise, years of experience, the results they have generated for clients, their location, and a range of other factors.

But what remains true is that you get what you pay for. Don’t expect high-quality sales copy from a “cheap” AI content service. Don’t expect high conversions on sales pages written by a novice versus an expert.

When it comes to driving results, you’ll want a content writer or copywriter who understands the nuances of SEO and buyer psychology.

They likely have years of experience and a proven track record of delivering results for clients. And they likely aren’t cheap.

Consider what it’s worth to your business to have interesting, original, high-converting content. Do you want to pay pennies for basic copy? Or do you want content that will bring a return on investment (ROI)?

Final Thoughts

While there are mixed opinions on what constitutes “great” content and how much great content costs, it remains true that human writers are the source of the best content around.

Able to empathize with buyers’ experiences and craft unique stories, human writers are more equipped than AI to create content that resonates with an audience.

Finding the best writer for your brand depends on the type of content you need and the return you aim to generate from your content.

Your content “budget” should, then, be based on your willingness to invest in content that will achieve the results you want.

I recommend researching your options and outlining clear expectations with your writer from the beginning. That is the path to a positive writer-client relationship and great content for your brand.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

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Why Are My Pages Discovered But Not Indexed?

Published

1 day ago

on

October 24, 2024

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Why Are My Pages Discovered But Not Indexed?

Today’s Ask An SEO question comes from Mandeep, who is having trouble with indexing on their site.

Mandeep asks:

“We have redesigned a website and we had added a few new pages. Some pages were indexed successfully and some were not.

I tried multiple times on Google but that is not working. Now, while I submit the URL to index, it is showing this error via Google Search Console: Discovered – currently not indexed […]

I have tried everything but nothing is working. Please help me resolve this issue.”

This warning is coming from the “Pages” section of the “Indexing” report in Google Search Console. This report gives users insight into what pages Google has crawled and indexed and the problems it may have encountered doing so.

The report will give details of pages that have been successfully crawled and indexed. It also lists reasons why the pages on the site have not been indexed.

Is It A Problem If A Page Isn’t Indexed?

Most sites have pages that are not indexed. These are oftentimes at the request of the website owner.

For example, a page might be deliberately excluded from the search engine indexes by way of an HTML “noindex” tag on the page, or perhaps it is being blocked from crawling in the robots.txt file.

URLs that have been purposely excluded from indexing will appear within this report, as well as pages with problematic indexing issues.

In general, it can take some time for a new page on a website to be crawled and indexed. A new page taking time to show up among the “indexed” pages on the report is not always a sign of an issue.

Not every reason within the “Why pages aren’t indexed” report needs to be addressed.

Indexing Issues

Google will not crawl and index every URL it finds. Your main concern as a website manager is that the pages that you wish to be available as a search result are indexed.

Essentially, if they are not indexed, they will not be eligible to be a search result.

There are several reasons within the “Why pages aren’t indexed” report that do suggest an issue on the site that should be investigated. For example, “Server error (500)” and “Soft 404.”

These flags may not necessarily be a problem for the individual URLs if they aren’t ones you want to have indexed, but they can indicate a wider issue with the site.

What Is “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed”?

“Discovered – currently not indexed” is an error that Google flags for URLs that it knows about but has not indexed.

What is important to remember is that URLs will not appear in this bucket if they can fit within another in the report.

For example, a page with a noindex tag may technically have been discovered by Google and not indexed, but it would appear in the “Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag” bucket, so pages within the “Discovered – currently not indexed” bucket are there for another reason.

The explanation Google gives for a URL appearing as “Discovered – currently not indexed” is:

“The page was found by Google, but not crawled yet. Typically, Google wanted to crawl the URL but this was expected to overload the site; therefore Google rescheduled the crawl. This is why the last crawl date is empty on the report.”

Google tries to make its bots crawl conscientiously.

That is, as Googlebot is not the only visitor to a site, and maybe one among many bots crawling it, it doesn’t want to crash the site by sending too many “requests” to the server.

What Might Be Causing A URL To Be “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed”?

There are two main reasons a page is known to Google but not indexed. John Muller gave details about these in 2023.

Essentially, alongside the concerns around the server’s capacity to withstand crawling, page quality is also considered.

Now, if a page has not been crawled, how can Google know its quality? Well, it can’t. What it can do is make assumptions based on the quality of the pages elsewhere on the site.

That’s right – thin, duplicate, low-value pages elsewhere on your website can affect the indexation of your core pages.

How To Fix The Issue

There is no quick fix to move a page from “Discovered – currently not indexed” to “Indexed,” but there are several solutions you can try.

Check If The Page Is Actually Indexed

The first port of call is to determine if the Google Search Console report is accurate and up to date.

In the top right-hand corner of the report, you will see the “Last updated” date. This gives you an idea of whether the report might be outdated.

Next, go to Google and perform a site:[yourwebsitedomain] inurl:[the URL slug of the page you want to index] search.

If the page is returned as a search result, then you know it is actually indexed.

Give the report some time to get updated, and it will start appearing under the “Indexed” section and not in the “Discovered – currently not indexed” report.

Check Your Site’s Page Quality

Next, you may want to consider the overall quality of your website, as this could be the reason why Google is not indexing your page.

Remember, quality is not just a measure of the words on your site, their relevance to search queries, and the overall “E-E-A-T” displayed. Instead, Google’s John Muller described it as:

“When it comes to the quality of the content, we don’t mean like just the text of your articles.

It’s really the quality of your overall website.

And that includes everything from the layout to the design.

Like, how you have things presented on your pages, how you integrate images, how you work with speed, all of those factors they kind of come into play there.”

So, review your website with these criteria in mind. How does the quality of your website compare to that of your competitors?

A thorough website audit is a good place to start.

Check For Duplicate Pages

Sometimes, a website might have low-quality or duplicate pages that the website manager has no knowledge of.

For example, a page might be reached via multiple URLs. You might have a “Contact Us” page that exists on both exampledomain.com/contact-us and exampledomain.com/contact-us/.

The URL with and the URL without the “trailing slash” are considered separate pages by Googlebot if it can reach them both, and the server returns a 200 status code. That is, they are both live pages.

There is a possibility that all of your pages may be duplicated in this same way.

You might also have a lot of URL parameters on your website that you are unaware of. These are URLs that contain “query strings,” such as exampledomain.com/dress?colour=red.

They are usually caused by filtering and sorting options on your website. In an ecommerce website, this might look like a product category page that is filtered down by criteria such as color, and able to be sorted by price.

As a result, the main features of the page do not change with this filtering and sorting, just the products listed. These are technically separate, crawlable pages and may be causing a lot of duplicates on your site.

You may think your website only has 100 high-quality pages on it. However, a Googlebot may see hundreds of thousands of near-duplicate pages as a result of these technical issues.

Ways To Fix “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed”

Once you have identified the likely causes of your URL not being indexed, you can attempt to fix it.

If your website has duplicate pages, low-quality, scraped content, or other quality issues, that is where to begin.

As a side benefit, you are likely to see your rankings improve across your pages as you work to fix these issues.

Signify The Page’s Importance

In the example of our opening question, there is a specific page that Mandeep is struggling to get indexed.

In this scenario, I would suggest trying to bolster the page’s importance in the eyes of the search engines. Give them a reason to crawl it.

Add The Page To The Website’s XML Sitemap

One way of showing Google that it is an important page that deserves to be crawled and indexed is by adding it to your website’s XML sitemap.

This is essentially a signpost to all of the URLs that you believe search bots should crawl.

Remember, Googlebot already knows that the page exists; it just doesn’t believe it is beneficial to crawl and index it.

If it is already in the XML sitemap, do not stop there. Consider these next steps.

Add Internal Links To The Page

Another way to show a page’s importance is by linking to it from internal pages on the site.

For example, adding the page to your primary navigation system, like the main menu.

Or add contextual links to it from within the copy on other pages on your website. These will signify to Googlebot that it is a significant page on your website.

Add External Links To The Page

Backlinks – they are a fundamental part of SEO. We’ve known for a while that Google will use links from other websites to determine a page’s relevance and authority to a subject.

If you struggle to show Google that your page is of enough quality to index, then having external links from reputable, relevant websites pointing to it can give additional reassurance of the page’s value.

For example, if the page you are struggling to get indexed is a specific red dress’s product detail page, then having that dress’s page featured in some fashion blogs may give Google the signal that it is a high-quality page.

Submit It To Be Crawled

Once you have made changes to your website, try resubmitting the page to be crawled via Google Search Console.

If you notice in the Google Search Console “Indexing” report that the URL is still within the “Discovered – currently not crawled” bucket after some time (it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for Google to crawl a submitted page), then you know that you potentially still have some issues with the page.

In Summary

Optimize your website for crawling and indexing. If you do this, you are likely to see those pages move from “Discovered – currently not indexed” to “Indexed.”

Optimizing your particular website will require an in-depth analysis of the overall quality of the site and identifying how to convey the importance of the “Discovered – currently not indexed” pages to Googlebot.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal

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