MARKETING
Is It Still Worth It?
Updated June 30, 2022
Marketers often resort to guest blogging as a “get rich quick” SEO tactic to secure backlinks that help their content rank better in search.
As far back as 2014, then-head of Google’s web spam team Matt Cutts disavowed this practice, saying: “(S)tick a fork in it: Guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy.”
In the earlier version of this article (which ran with the headline Why Guest Posting Isn’t the Answer in 2020), I set out to show that guest posting wouldn’t fix SEO woes.
That article ended up kicking off a lively discussion (which you can still read in the comments) about all the non-SEO reasons guest posting makes sense.
I stand by my position that guest blogging shouldn’t be your primary strategy for a quick SEO boost. But I agree it’s still worth doing – as long as you focus on long-term growth. I submitted this article to the Content Marketing Institute rather than publishing it on my own channels, after all.
So, let’s review the reasons “old school” guest posting is (still) out. Then I’ll explain how to approach this marketing strategy the right way in 2022 and beyond.
Occasional guest posting doesn’t help SEO
It can be tricky to keep up with evolving search algorithms, but not much has changed in the murky world of link building over the last decade.
In 2012, Google introduced the Penguin update to stamp out black-hat link-building tactics. The move led people to conclude that backlinks must contribute positively to a site’s ranking profile. They viewed links as demonstrating that their websites must be significant enough to be referenced by other sources, thus showing search engines (and humans) that the site is an authoritative source.
In the words of Google, “Natural links to your site develop as part of the dynamic nature of the web when other sites find your content valuable and think it would be helpful for their visitors.”
But as research from Backlinko reveals, writing a guest post here won’t provide the same boost to your search ranking or your online visibility.
As this chart shows, content that gets the top positions on SERPs earns many different referring root domains. Even a No. 10 ranking features multiple links from different domains. So, even if your guest post results in a backlink, a single probably won’t be enough to boost your content’s page rank.
As you can see, to rise to the top positions on search engine results pages requires hundreds of referring domains. Even a No. 10 ranking averages almost 50 referring domains.
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: 3 Types of Backlinks You Want Your Content To Get (and How To Get Them)
Website quality matters
Not all backlinks are created equal. There’s no point in guest blogging on a site no one has heard of.
Check sites’ domain authority when identifying publications you want to submit an article to. That’s a good indicator of the publishing site’s quality. You can use MozBar, a Chrome extension, to find the domain authority and an overview of the website’s metrics to see if the site is even worth your guest blogging time.
You could also use Moz’s Link Explorer to check out page authority (PA):
If you’re going to invest in writing or outsourcing guest posts, make sure you properly vet the hosting domain first.
Not all backlinks are created equal. There’s no point in guest #blogging on sites no one ever heard of, says @IAmAaronAgius via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet
Many publishers use “nofollow” links (or no link)
Even a well-known (i.e., high domain authority) site may not be a valuable place for your guest post.
Not all of them grant a referral link in guest posts. Some allow links but code them as “nofollow,” which lets visitors click on the hyperlink but tells Google that the link isn’t worth considering in its search algorithm.
Guest blog referral traffic is usually minimal compared to your overall traffic. And unless the referring site and guest blog topic are highly relevant, those visitors may be low quality – they don’t stay on your site, visit other pages, convert, etc.
Spend your time securing more valuable referral traffic by focusing on high-quality native content, influencer marketing, and a robust social media strategy.
B2C brands find less success
Here’s the deal: Building an impactful backlink profile solely from guest blogging is not likely to work for a B2C company. As Neil Patel, who has written more than a thousand guest articles, says: “If you’re in the B2C niche … chances are it’s not worth it.
“The amount of traffic you can get from these sites and the amount of business it generates for the consumer niche is so small you will not generate enough revenue.”
5. Guest posting doesn’t lead to short-term success
Neil also explains in the video above how he attacked guest blogging – he started with one or two guest articles a week. He ramped up to add a guest-blogging team to manage his process and he was writing a 700- to 1,000-word article every day of the week.
But Neil only began to see business materialize a year later when his guest articles on sites like Entrepreneur and Inc. began to rank high in Google search results.
Ultimately, Neil advises, don’t expect to see a big return on investment for at least two years.
Don’t expect a significant return from guest posting for at least two years, says @NeilPatel via @IAmAaronAgius @CMIContent. #ContentMarketing Click To Tweet
In short, the more quality content you publish over time, the better the cumulative effect is. If you’re considering guest blogging as an overnight-success tactic, don’t do it.
Editor’s note: All tools referenced come from the author. If you would like to suggest a related tool, please include it in the comments.
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
MARKETING
Quiet Quitting vs. Setting Healthy Boundaries: Where’s The Line?
MARKETING
Microsoft unveils a new small language model
Phi-3-Mini is the first in a family of small language models Microsoft plans to release over the coming weeks. Phi-3-Small and Phi-3-Medium are in the works. In contrast to large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, small language models are trained on much smaller datasets and are said to be much more affordable for users.
We are excited to introduce Phi-3, a family of open AI models developed by Microsoft. Phi-3 models are the most capable and cost-effective small language models (SLMs) available, outperforming models of the same size and next size up across a variety of language, reasoning, coding and math benchmarks.
What are they for? For one thing, the reduced size of this language model may make it suitable to run locally, for example as an app on a smartphone. Something the size of ChatGPT lives in the cloud and requires an internet connection for access.
While ChatGPT is said to have over a trillion parameters, Phi-3-Mini has only 3.8 billion. Sanjeev Bora, who works with genAI in the healthcare space, writes: “The number of parameters in a model usually dictates its size and complexity. Larger models with more parameters are generally more capable but come at the cost of increased computational requirements. The choice of size often depends on the specific problem being addressed.”
Phi-3-Mini was trained on a relatively small dataset of 3.3 trillion tokens — instances of human language expressed numerically. But that’s still a lot of tokens.
Why we care. While it is generally reported, and confirmed by Microsoft, that these SLMs will be much more affordable than the big LLMs, it’s hard to find exact details on the pricing. Nevertheless, taking the promise at face-value, one can imagine a democratization of genAI, making it available to very small businesses and sole proprietors.
We need to see what these models can do in practice, but it’s plausible that use cases like writing a marketing newsletter, coming up with email subject lines or drafting social media posts just don’t require the gigantic power of a LLM.
Dig deeper: How a non-profit farmers market is leveraging AI
MARKETING
Navigating the Video Marketing Maze: Short-Form vs. Long-Form
Are you torn between using long-form or short-form videos for your small business marketing campaign? Well, you are not alone. Despite 89% of consumers wanting to see more brand videos, there is no one-size-fits-all answer about the ideal video length.
However, this should not deter you from creating an effective video strategy. In 2023, people watched an average of 17 videos per day, highlighting the influence of video content in today’s digital landscape.
Both short-form and long-form videos offer unique advantages and come with their set of challenges. Join me as I uncover the benefits and limitations of each video format to help you make informed marketing decisions.
What are Short-Form Videos?
Short videos typically range from 30 seconds to less than 10 minutes long. They are popular on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Short-form videos deliver brief yet engaging messages that quickly capture the viewer’s attention. Here are some popular types of short-form video content.
- TikTok Challenges
- Instagram Reels
- Snapchat Stories
- YouTube Shorts
- Twitter Video Ads
Benefits of Short-Form Videos
A previously cited report shows that 39% of marketers find short-form videos, ranging from 30-60 seconds long, more successful. The same study reports that 44% of customers prefer watching a short video to learn about a brand’s offerings.
So, it is evident that short-form videos have their benefits. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.
Attention-Grabbing
Short-form videos capture attention quickly, making them ideal for the fast-scrolling nature of social media platforms. Your audience is more likely to watch them in their entirety compared to longer content.
Cost-Effective Production
Creating short-form videos requires less time and resources compared to longer videos. As a small business owner with a limited budget, using short-form videos can be cost-effective.
Increased Engagement
Short-form videos engage viewers due to their crisp and concise nature. This results in more likes, comments, and shares that boost your content’s visibility and increase brand awareness.
Integrating short-form videos into your influencer marketing campaigns can further amplify your reach to new and diverse audiences.
Highly Shareable
Short videos are highly shareable. This makes it more likely for your viewers to share them, increasing their virality.
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There are multiple benefits of adding video to your website including increased engagement, improved SEO, and enhanced user experience.
Limitations of Short-Form Videos
While short-form videos offer many advantages in content marketing, they also present some challenges.
Limited Message Depth
Due to their brief duration, short-form videos may struggle to convey complex or detailed messages. Longer videos might be more suitable if you need to communicate intricate information.
Competition for Attention
Standing out on platforms flooded with short-form video content can be challenging. You must create content that stands out to avoid becoming lost in the sea of other videos.
Shorter Lifespan
Short videos may lose their relevance with time. They can quickly get buried in users’ feeds, leading to a shorter visibility and engagement period than longer, evergreen content.
This means you must consistently create short-form videos to maintain audience interest over time.
Limited SEO Impact
Short-form videos may be more challenging to optimize for search engines than longer, more keyword-rich content. This can affect the discoverability of your content outside the social media scene.
What are Long-Form Videos?
Long-form videos are typically longer, ranging from a few minutes to several hours. They extend beyond a few minutes to several hours, providing ample time for in-depth topic exploration and detailed content.
These videos are particularly suitable for educational content, product demonstrations, and narrative-driven storytelling. Long-form videos are common on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. Common types of long-form video content include:
- YouTube Series
- Webinars
- Educational Tutorials and Courses:
- Behind-the-Scenes Content
- Interviews and Conversations
Advantages of Long-Form Videos
Long-form video content is the fastest-growing segment, with videos above 30 minutes experiencing tremendous growth over the years. Let’s explore some of the benefits behind this growth.
Establishes Expertise and Credibility
Long-form videos allow you to provide in-depth information about various subjects, establishing your brand as an authority. Potential customers will likely trust and rely on your insights when you consistently deliver valuable content.
Builds Strong Audience Connections
The more your audience watches your videos, the more they become familiar with your content and brand. This consistent engagement promotes trust and loyalty, helping you create deeper connections with your audience.
Provide SEO Optimization Opportunities
Long-form videos keep your audience engaged for a longer duration than short ones. This signals search engines that your content provides value, resulting in higher rankings and increased visibility.
Besides, these videos provide opportunities to optimize for relevant keywords. This Attrock guide offers more insights into the value of SEO for your small business.
They Are Sustainable
Unlike short videos, well-produced and valuable long-form videos have an extended shelf life. They can continue to attract views and engagement over an extended period, contributing to a sustainable content strategy.
Instagram reels are also a part of short videos and you can get benefits from this platform by integrating it with your website. You can learn how to embed Instagram Reels on websites and get extra benefits from your Reels.
Drawbacks of Long-Form Videos
Despite their benefits, long-form videos also have certain limitations, including:
Attention Span Challenges
Between distractions, juggling tasks, and information overload, user attention span quickly diminishes. Viewers may lose interest and disengage from your long video before its conclusion.
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Complex Production Process
Creating high-quality long-form videos requires more resources, including time, equipment, and skilled personnel. This can be disadvantageous, especially for small businesses with limited budgets.
Platform Limitations
Some social media platforms and video hosting sites may limit video length, making it challenging to distribute long-form video content. You may then be forced to repurpose your content to suit various platforms.
Short-Form or Long-Form Videos: Which Are Better?
Now that you know the benefits and limitations of each format, which one should you choose? Short-form or long-form videos?
Well, it all boils down to considering several factors, such as:
Content Objectives
What do you want to achieve from your video marketing campaign? Short-form videos are highly effective for quick brand exposure and generating buzz. Long-form videos, on the other hand, contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the brand.
Target Audience Preferences
Audiences with short attention spans likely prefer short-form videos, while long-form videos appeal to those seeking a more immersive experience.
Similarly, short-form videos may appeal more to younger audiences, while older demographics may prefer the depth of long-form content.
Platform Dynamics
Various platforms support different content formats. Short-form videos are well-suited for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. On the other hand, platforms like YouTube and Vimeo are better for hosting longer videos.
Industry Type
Short-form videos would be ideal if your industry thrives on trends, entertainment, and quick messages. However, long-form videos are effective for industries requiring in-depth explanations or educational content.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, choosing short-form or long-form videos depends on your business’s specific needs and goals. Since both formats have advantages and limitations, making a choice may prove difficult.
However, it doesn’t have to be an uphill task. The key lies in recognizing when to incorporate each video format into your marketing strategy. Understanding your audience and its needs allows you to combine both formats strategically, maximizing the benefits of each.
Continuously analyze performance metrics and adapt your video marketing strategy accordingly to ensure optimal engagement and conversion rates.
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