SEO
High-Quality Links vs. Low-Quality Links: What’s the Difference?
They are often seen as the most powerful way to rank a site.
But not every link is created equal.
Over time, the search engines have adapted their algorithms to account for links in different ways, narrowing their use for determining the suitability of a webpage as an answer to a search query.
In this post, you will learn what makes a high-quality link, where to find opportunities to build them, and how to evaluate whether a link is worth the budget and effort to get it.
How Do Search Engines Use Links?
Search engines use links pointing to a webpage to both discover its existence and also determine information about it.
Google mentions in its help documentation,
“Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote by page A for page B. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages “important.”
Bing states in its Webmaster Help and How-To guide,
“Bing prefers to see links built organically. This essentially means the links are built by people linking to your content because they find value in your content. This is an important signal to a search engine because it is seen as a vote of confidence in the content.”
What Is Valuable About a Link?
We know that Google uses links like votes.
A link from a well-regarded website will have more clout than a lesser-regarded website.
Authority
This is often discussed as “authority.”
Many SEO tools will try to assign an authority metric to a website or webpage in an attempt to quantify the value of a link from them.
An authoritative webpage linking to your webpage can be a strong signal that it is itself an authoritative source.
In essence, an authoritative website is one that is considered by the search engines to be a reputable source of information about a subject – an authority in it.
Google will, in part, look at that site’s backlinks to determine its expertise and trustworthiness in a subject.
For instance, a website is considered an expert in interior design. It links to a lesser-known website about interior design.
The website by an expert in interior design is confident enough in the content of the lesser-known site that it’s willing to send its visitors there.
That’s a good, impartial way for the search engines to determine the reputation of a site and its authority on a subject.
Relevance
Authority isn’t everything, however.
Think of it like this… you’re going on holiday to a city you’ve never visited.
Who would you rather ask for restaurant recommendations: your friend who lives in the city, or a tour guide for a city 5 hours away from it?
Your friend who lives in the city is likely more of a relevant source of information on the restaurants in the area than the tour guide who doesn’t serve that area.
You might perceive a tour guide to be more knowledgeable about good restaurants, but not if it’s not their area of expertise.
In a similar way, the search engines will understand the value of a website in your industry linking to your webpage.
A website that reviews restaurants will be considered a more relevant source of information about restaurants than a local community group who had an outing to a restaurant.
Both sites may have a page talking about the “best sushi restaurant in New York,” but the restaurant review website will be more relevant in helping the search engines determine what to serve as an answer for “sushi restaurant in New York.”
Authority & Relevance
The best source of a link is a website that is both considered authoritative and relevant to your website.
What Makes a Link Low-Quality?
If we think of a quality link as one that is both relevant and authoritative, then it makes sense that the lowest quality link is one that is both irrelevant and not authoritative.
These sorts of links are usually easy to come by and can be self-created or requested.
For instance, a website that allows anyone to submit a link is unlikely to have highly curated content that would lend it to being authoritative.
The fact that anyone can add a link to the site means it isn’t likely to be particularly relevant to one industry or niche.
Links to your site from a website like this will be low-quality and generally useless.
At best, these links might have a little positive impact on your search rankings but at worst they could be perceived as part of a manipulative linking scheme.
Google has strict guidelines on what is considered a manipulative link.
You might want to familiarize yourself with Bing and Yandex’s definitions, too.
A Word About Paid Links
We all know by now that paying for links to aid rankings is against the guidelines of most big search engines.
In a best-case scenario, the link won’t be identified as having been paid for and you won’t see a penalty from it.
However, if Google detects that you’ve acquired links from websites that sell links, you may find the webpage it links to penalized.
There are legitimate reasons why links might be placed on websites for a fee.
It’s common practice to utilize banner advertising and affiliate marketing on the internet, for example.
In these instances, Google recommends that webmasters declare the links to be sponsored using the rel=”sponsored” attribute.
This indicates to Googlebots that the link is one that has been paid for and is not to be used for calculating PageRank.
These sorts of links have their own value for marketing and should not be discounted simply because they will not necessarily aid in search rankings.
A Word About NoFollow Links
Before Google introduced the use of the rel=”sponsored” attribute, it and other search engines were using the rel=”nofollow” attribute.
Putting a rel=”nofollow” attribute into the HTML for a link shows the search bots that they shouldn’t go to the destination of that link.
This is used by publishers to stop the search engines from visiting the page and ascribing any benefit of the link.
So, if a high-quality page links to your webpage with a link contain a rel=”nofollow” attribute, you won’t see any ranking benefit of that link.
Google announced recently that this attribute is a hint and therefore it might ignore it.
On the whole, this essentially makes a “nofollow” link useless for SEO link-building purposes as link equity will not pass through the link.
However, if people are following the link and discovering your webpage, I would argue it’s not useless at all!
What Do High-Quality Links Looks Like?
Low-quality links are usually those that are either:
- Irrelevant in helping the search engines determine your site’s authority on a subject.
- Or actually harmful.
I’m not addressing link penalties here, or even the sorts of link-building practices that will land you in hot water. For more information on that, see Chuck Price’s article on manual actions.
The low-quality links we’re talking about here are ones that you may well be going after but aren’t benefiting your site.
High-quality links are the Holy Grail of link-building.
They’re the links you show off in your “Team Wins” Slack channel and on Twitter.
They are hard to earn.
I also want to show you some “medium-quality” links.
These are the types of links that are good to get but perhaps won’t move the needle as much as you would like.
They form a part of a healthy backlink profile but aren’t worth your whole content marketing budget to land.
Low Quality: Low Authority/Low Relevance
The sorts of links you are likely to gain that are low-quality and low-relevance are ones that require no real effort to get.
For example, simply sourcing the links and asking for them or, in some cases, adding the link yourself.
Open Directories
These directory sites are very obviously low quality when you visit them. Typically they only offer one service – advertise your website here!
You do not need to pay for a link and everyone and their dog has taken advantage of this.
There will be links from websites in all sorts of industries with very little rhyme or reason as to why this directory exists.
Do note, however, that there are reputable local business directories that can help with verifying your business’s physical address and contact details—Yelp, for instance.
These listings are useful for local citations but are unlikely to really aid in boosting your site’s rankings.
The difference between reputable local directories and generic open directories is quite obvious when you visit them.
Comment Links
Forums ad blogs can be very relevant to a particular industry.
However, due to the ease with which anyone can add content to a forum page or blog comments, any links in that user-generated content are usually discounted by the search engines.
In recent SEO history, blog and forum comments were easy targets for squeezing in a link to a site.
The search engines became wise to this and started devaluing those links.
Alongside the rel=”sponsored” attribute, Google released rel=”ugc”.
This is a way for webmasters to indicate that the links within their forums are user-generated.
Low Quality: Low Effort & No Follow
Social Media Posts
Most large social media sites will use “no follow” tags on them.
However, Google did recently say that “nofollow” tags would be taken as hints rather than concretely respected.
Despite this, social media sites are not the place to go looking for backlinks to help your rankings.
Although social media sites themselves are often authoritative, they are full of uncurated content.
Businesses can set up their own social media pages with links back to their websites. They can talk about their sites in their posts.
These links are not unbiased. Due to this, they are largely ignored by search engines.
Medium Quality: Low Authority but High Relevancy
Small Industry Blogs
Most industries have a proliferation of blogs. Sites run by companies or individuals who want to share their knowledge and build their profile.
There are some highly relevant, niche blogs that might not be well-known enough to be getting their own authority-metric boosting backlinks.
They are, however, full of decent content and very relevant to the website you are trying to grow.
Small industry blog writers are often less over-run with requests to share content and add links than the well-known ones.
They are, however, keen to write and build community.
A smaller blog featuring your site is still a good reinforcement of your relevance to your industry.
This can help enormously with showing your relevance to search topics associated with that industry.
Small Industry Brands
There will be some staple brands in your industry that aren’t necessarily competitors but are tangentially related.
Think of paper manufacturers to your office supply store, for example.
A link from the paper manufacturer showing your store as their distributor can help show your authority in the industry.
Medium Quality: Medium Authority & Medium Low Relevancy
Local News Sites
Your local news site may report on anything to do with your community, or they might be more discerning.
Regardless, doing something considered locally newsworthy can get you featured a lot easier than in a national news website.
These are especially good links to get if you are trying to boost your local SEO efforts.
A link from a website known as a source of reliable local information could help the search engines to see your relevance to that physical area.
High Quality: High Authority but Medium/Low Relevancy
Some sites are extremely authoritative and hard to get a link from. These tend to be beneficial to your SEO efforts.
These sorts of links might not be highly relevant, however.
Although you will see a benefit to your search visibility, it may not help solidify your relevance for particular topics.
National News Sites
There are some national and international newspapers with extremely high authority websites. A link from these sites is worth the effort.
However, journalists are inundated with hundreds of press releases and article ideas every day.
It can be incredibly difficult to get featured, especially with a link.
The best way to get coverage in a national newspaper is to do something newsworthy.
Bringing it to the attention of the site’s journalists might help you get it covered, hopefully with a link back to your site.
High Quality: Medium Authority but High Relevancy
Big Industry Blogs
That website that everyone in the industry goes to for their news; your friends and family may not have heard of it, but your colleagues definitely have.
It’s likely to be a medium authority site according to authority metrics but it’s a leader in your industry.
It’s also very relevant to the website you’re promoting.
A link from a site like this will go a long way in showing your site’s expertise.
High Quality: High Authority & High Relevancy
Big Industry Brands
These are household names; the companies everyone in your industry (and possibly their families) know of.
These links are likely to be medium to high authority according to the tools but definitely leaders in your industry.
If you are linked to as a supplier or distributor, or even just mentioned in a favorable review, you are likely to see the ranking benefit.
Conclusion
A wide and varied link profile is good for SEO.
If you are actively looking to increase links to your site in an organic manner, it’s imperative you know how to generate high-quality links.
Don’t waste your time going for easy links on unrelated and low-quality sites.
Instead, focus your energy and budget on creating truly newsworthy content and bringing it to the attention of authoritative and relevant publishers.
More Resources:
SEO
The 11 Best SEO Books You Must Read Today
SEO is a rapidly evolving field, making it important for professionals to continuously expand their knowledge and skills.
We’ve put together a list of essential SEO books suitable for readers at various levels.
Some books on this list provide a foundation in core concepts, while more advanced practitioners can explore topics such as entity optimization.
The list includes specialized resources tailored to specific areas of SEO. For example, some books offer strategies for businesses targeting local audiences, while others serve as comprehensive guides to link building tactics.
For those interested in Google’s perspective, another book provides insights into the company’s philosophies and principles.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, this list caters to diverse interests and skill levels, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
Books On Search Engine Optimization
1. SEO For Beginners: An Introduction To SEO Basics
Published by Search Engine Journal, this is a comprehensive guide to SEO. It covers everything from link building and SEO history to busting common myths and offering expert tips.
While it’s for beginners, veterans can also gain new insights. The book breaks down complex ideas into bite-sized pieces, making it a great starting point.
It’s well-structured, with each chapter tackling a different SEO aspect – from search engine mechanics to the latest algorithm updates.
The authors don’t just stick to theory. They provide real-world examples and case studies to show how these concepts work in practice. This mix of theory and application makes the book a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their SEO.
Key reasons to give it a read:
- Get a solid grasp of SEO basics from industry pros.
- Easy-to-follow explanations of tricky concepts.
- Practical advice you can apply to your SEO strategies.
- Stay in the loop with current SEO trends and Google updates.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of top SEO experts.
2. Entity SEO: Moving From Strings To Things
By Dixon Jones, CEO of InLinks
Dixon Jones’ book “Entity SEO: Moving from Strings to Things” explains the shift from old-school keyword SEO to modern entity-based optimization.
It explains how search engines now use the Knowledge Graph to understand relationships between concepts and offers practical advice on adapting your SEO strategy.
Key points:
- Making your brand an “entity” in your niche.
- Using structured data effectively.
- Getting quality links and mentions.
- Creating content rich in entity information.
The book uses real examples to show how these concepts work in practice. It’s meant to help SEO professionals at all levels understand and prepare for where search is heading.
Worth reading if you want to:
- Get a solid grip on entity SEO.
- Learn actionable entity optimization tactics.
- Establish your brand as a recognized entity.
- Master the use of structured data for SEO.
- Future-proof your SEO strategy.
3. The Art Of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization
by Eric Enge of Stone Temple Consulting, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie C. Stricchiola
Covering everything from SEO 101 to advanced tactics, this book starts with the basics of how search engines work and then dives into the meat of SEO: keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building.
The authors break down complex strategies into actionable steps, making implementation a breeze.
What sets this book apart is its holistic approach. It’s not just about ranking; it’s about aligning SEO with your business goals and integrating it into your digital strategy. The book also discusses the role of content marketing and social media in boosting SEO performance.
Reasons to read this book:
- Get a complete SEO education, from basics to advanced strategies.
- Learn to align SEO with your business objectives.
- Access practical, step-by-step guides for implementing SEO tactics.
- Understand how to integrate SEO with content marketing and social media.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of three renowned SEO experts.
4. The Psychology Of A Website: Mastering Cognitive Biases, Conversion Triggers And Modern SEO To Achieve Massive Results
Matthew Capala’s “The Psychology of a Website” offers a fresh take on website optimization. Instead of focusing on technical aspects, it dives into the psychology behind user behavior and conversions.
Capala, a seasoned digital marketer, shares actionable tips for creating websites that perform well in search results and keep visitors engaged and more likely to convert.
The book kicks off by exploring how our brains work when we browse websites. Capala then gets into the nitty-gritty of optimizing different website elements, from how they look to what they say.
A big focus throughout is user experience (UX). Capala stresses that a great website isn’t just about ranking high on Google – it needs to be easy and enjoyable for people to use.
While UX is key, Capala doesn’t ignore SEO. He offers practical advice on keyword research, on-page optimization, and building links while keeping the focus on creating content that actually connects with users.
By blending psychological insights with practical digital marketing strategies, Capala offers a well-rounded approach to website optimization that can lead to significant improvements.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain insights into the psychology driving user behavior and conversions.
- Learn to create websites that not only rank well but also engage visitors.
- Get practical strategies for optimizing design, content, and calls-to-action.
- Discover how to enhance user experience and mobile performance.
- Learn to integrate SEO best practices with a focus on user engagement.
- Benefit from real-world examples and expert insights from a seasoned digital marketer.
5. The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period
SEO veteran Stoney DeGeyter’s book “The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period” covers SEO basics to advanced tactics for websites and online stores.
It starts with SEO essentials and then dives into advanced topics. The book’s standout feature is its focus on ecommerce, addressing product pages, category optimization, and effective product descriptions.
DeGeyter emphasizes a holistic SEO approach that aligns with business goals and user experience. He also covers analytics for strategy refinement.
This guide suits both small business owners and ecommerce marketers.
Reasons to read:
- Master SEO fundamentals and advanced strategies.
- Learn ecommerce-specific optimization tactics.
- Discover product page and description best practices.
- Understand user-generated content’s SEO impact.
- Align SEO efforts with business objectives.
- Benefit from decades of industry expertise.
6. Ecommerce SEO Mastery: 10 Huge SEO Wins For Any Online Store
Kristina Azarenko’s “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” offers 10 key strategies for online stores. The book tackles common ecommerce SEO challenges like thin content and complex site structures.
Azarenko breaks down each “SEO win” with practical advice on implementation.
Topics include:
- Ecommerce keyword research.
- Product & category page optimization.
- Leveraging user-generated content.
- Building quality backlinks.
- Site speed and mobile optimization.
- Structured data.
The book provides real-world examples and emphasizes data-driven SEO. It guides readers through using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track progress.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 10 powerful ecommerce-specific SEO strategies.
- Gain insights from a renowned SEO expert.
- Discover how to optimize product and category pages.
- Leverage user-generated content for SEO benefits.
- Learn to build high-quality backlinks.
- Apply real-world examples and case studies.
- Adopt a data-driven approach to ecommerce SEO.
7. Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy
by Eli Schwartz
Eli Schwartz’s “Product-Led SEO” offers a fresh take on SEO strategy, emphasizing business goals and sustainable organic growth.
Drawing from his work with major brands, Schwartz presents a framework that integrates SEO with overall company strategy.
The book challenges traditional SEO tactics, advocating for a holistic approach that prioritizes user value.
Key topics include:
- User intent optimization.
- Content strategy for the full customer journey.
- Measuring SEO’s business impact.
Schwartz focuses on the strategic “why” behind SEO tactics, encouraging critical thinking and adaptable strategies for long-term success.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain a strategic perspective on SEO that aligns with business objectives.
- Learn to create sustainable organic growth through user-centric approaches.
- Discover how to optimize for the entire customer journey.
- Understand methods for measuring and communicating SEO’s business impact.
- Access real-world case studies and examples from major brands.
- Benefit from the author’s extensive experience in driving impactful SEO results.
Books On Link Building
8. The Link Building Book
by Paddy Moogan
Paddy Moogan’s “The Link Building Book” is a comprehensive, free online guide.
It covers link building basics, tactics for acquiring high-authority backlinks, content creation, and practical steps for planning and executing campaigns.
The book emphasizes white-hat techniques and quality over quantity, making it valuable for both SEO novices and pros.
Reasons to read:
- Master link building fundamentals and best practices.
- Learn diverse tactics for acquiring high-quality, relevant links.
- Understand how to assess potential linking websites.
- Discover content strategies that naturally attract links.
- Learn to plan and execute effective link building campaigns.
- Benefit from practical advice and real-world examples.
- Access updated, valuable insights at no cost.
Books On Local SEO
9. Local SEO Secrets: 20 Local SEO Strategies You Should Be Using NOW
by Roger Bryan
“Local SEO Secrets” by Roger Bryan is a must-read for businesses targeting local customers. It offers 20 proven strategies to boost local search visibility and drive growth.
Key topics include:
- Local SEO fundamentals and how it differs from traditional SEO.
- Optimizing Google Business Profile listings.
- Building local citations and leveraging structured data.
- Creating local content and managing online reputation.
- Implementing and tracking local SEO strategies.
The book provides actionable advice, real-world examples, and step-by-step instructions. It’s valuable for small business owners, marketers, and SEO consultants working with local clients.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 20 proven strategies for improving local search visibility.
- Understand key local ranking factors like Google Business Profile, reviews, and citations.
- Master GBP optimization for local SEO success.
- Discover how to use structured data and local content effectively.
- Learn reputation management best practices.
- Get practical, easy-to-implement instructions and examples.
- Learn to measure local SEO performance with analytics tools.
Books On Search Engines
10. How Google Works
by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg
“How Google Works” by ex-Google execs Schmidt and Rosenberg offers an insider’s view of the search giant. While not focused on SEO, it provides valuable insights for digital marketers and business leaders.
The book offers practical advice and real-world examples applicable to businesses of all sizes.
Understanding Google’s philosophy can inform more effective, customer-focused digital marketing strategies.
Reasons to read:
- Get an insider’s view of Google’s success principles.
- Understand how to create a user-centric business strategy.
- Discover ways to foster innovation and experimentation in your organization.
- Gain insights into data-driven decision-making processes.
11. Entity-Oriented Search
“Entity-Oriented Search” by Krisztian Balog is a deep dive into modern search engine tech. It focuses on entities, knowledge graphs, and semantic search and is aimed at readers with a background in information retrieval (IR).
A key strength is its coverage of cutting-edge research, like neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models. While tech-heavy, it touches on applications in QA, recommender systems, and digital assistants and discusses future trends.
It’s essential reading for IR, natural language processing (NLP), and artificial intelligence (AI) pros seeking in-depth knowledge of modern search engines.
Reasons to read:
- Deep dive into entity-oriented and semantic search tech.
- Research on knowledge graphs and semantic understanding.
- A detailed look at entity extraction, linking, and ranking algorithms.
- Insights on neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models.
- Expert knowledge from a renowned IR and search engine specialist.
Conclusion: Choosing Your Next Book
These 11 SEO books have got you covered – whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro.
For beginners, “SEO for Beginners” and “The Art of SEO” are solid starter packs that’ll teach you the SEO fundamentals.
As you level up, books like “Entity SEO” and “Product-Led SEO” explore more advanced topics like optimizing for entities and aligning SEO with business goals.
Several books focus on specific areas:
- “Local SEO Secrets” is a must-read if you’re targeting local customers.
- “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” zeroes in on ecommerce SEO.
- “The Link Building Book” is your starting point to master link building.
On the technical side, “Entity-Oriented Search” dives deep into semantic search and cutting-edge search engine tech. “How Google Works” gives you the inside scoop on Google’s mindset.
The key is picking books that match your skill level and areas of interest. Whether you want to learn SEO from scratch, level up your game, or specialize, there’s a book for you.
The Amazon links in this post are not affiliate links, and SEJ does not receive compensation when you click or make a purchase through these links.
More SEO & Marketing Books Worth Your Time:
Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
SEO
The 100 Most Searched People on Google in 2024
These are the 100 most searched people, along with their monthly search volumes.
| # | Keyword | Search volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | donald trump | 7450000 |
| 2 | taylor swift | 7300000 |
| 3 | travis kelce | 4970000 |
| 4 | matthew perry | 3790000 |
| 5 | kamala harris | 2730000 |
| 6 | joe biden | 2480000 |
| 7 | caitlin clark | 2400000 |
| 8 | olivia rodrigo | 2100000 |
| 9 | jd vance | 2060000 |
| 10 | billie eilish | 1720000 |
| 11 | sabrina carpenter | 1680000 |
| 12 | kate middleton | 1660000 |
| 13 | patrick mahomes | 1570000 |
| 14 | gypsy rose | 1520000 |
| 15 | jason kelce | 1490000 |
| 16 | mihály csíkszentmihályi | 1460000 |
| 17 | timothee chalamet | 1450000 |
| 18 | tyreek hill | 1380000 |
| 19 | lola beltrán | 1350000 |
| 20 | lebron james | 1330000 |
| 21 | lauren boebert | 1310000 |
| 22 | barry keoghan | 1300000 |
| 23 | brock purdy | 1280000 |
| 24 | drake | 1250000 |
| 25 | griselda blanco | 1210000 |
| 26 | ryan reynolds | 1200000 |
| 27 | zendaya | 1180000 |
| 28 | scottie scheffler | 1170000 |
| 29 | aaron rodgers | 1170000 |
| 30 | casimir funk | 1170000 |
| 31 | zach bryan | 1150000 |
| 32 | tom brady | 1150000 |
| 33 | jacob elordi | 1140000 |
| 34 | blake lively | 1130000 |
| 35 | millie bobby brown | 1120000 |
| 36 | margot robbie | 1110000 |
| 37 | luisa moreno | 1110000 |
| 38 | bruce willis | 1090000 |
| 39 | v | 1090000 |
| 40 | eminem | 1050000 |
| 41 | cillian murphy | 1040000 |
| 42 | anthony edwards | 1020000 |
| 43 | peso pluma | 1000000 |
| 44 | fani willis | 1000000 |
| 45 | etel adnan | 1000000 |
| 46 | dua lipa | 991000 |
| 47 | jennifer aniston | 986000 |
| 48 | bianca censori | 983000 |
| 49 | megan fox | 982000 |
| 50 | shannen doherty | 977000 |
| 51 | mike tyson | 973000 |
| 52 | megan thee stallion | 971000 |
| 53 | ariana grande | 960000 |
| 54 | james baldwin | 958000 |
| 55 | britney spears | 954000 |
| 56 | oj simpson | 941000 |
| 57 | lainey wilson | 937000 |
| 58 | dan schneider | 933000 |
| 59 | emma stone | 932000 |
| 60 | raoul a. cortez | 930000 |
| 61 | dolly parton | 926000 |
| 62 | joe burrow | 925000 |
| 63 | anya taylor-joy | 925000 |
| 64 | amanda bynes | 924000 |
| 65 | danny masterson | 920000 |
| 66 | matt rife | 918000 |
| 67 | kendrick lamar | 912000 |
| 68 | messi | 901000 |
| 69 | bronny james | 901000 |
| 70 | adam sandler | 898000 |
| 71 | james earl jones | 897000 |
| 72 | coco gauff | 892000 |
| 73 | michael jackson | 884000 |
| 74 | victor wembanyama | 870000 |
| 75 | pink | 865000 |
| 76 | luka doncic | 861000 |
| 77 | selena gomez | 861000 |
| 78 | jelly roll | 861000 |
| 79 | jonathan majors | 840000 |
| 80 | justin fields | 824000 |
| 81 | meghan markle | 821000 |
| 82 | florence pugh | 819000 |
| 83 | post malone | 813000 |
| 84 | jayson tatum | 808000 |
| 85 | diddy | 804000 |
| 86 | justin jefferson | 799000 |
| 87 | sza | 794000 |
| 88 | ana de armas | 793000 |
| 89 | cj stroud | 790000 |
| 90 | ben affleck | 788000 |
| 91 | jake paul | 786000 |
| 92 | zac efron | 783000 |
| 93 | scarlett johansson | 779000 |
| 94 | deion sanders | 771000 |
| 95 | dr. victor chang | 760000 |
| 96 | andrew tate | 759000 |
| 97 | jason momoa | 756000 |
| 98 | pedro pascal | 755000 |
| 99 | bad bunny | 744000 |
| 100 | christian mccaffrey | 735000 |
| # | Keyword | Search volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | taylor swift | 17000000 |
| 2 | trump | 12400000 |
| 3 | matthew perry | 9100000 |
| 4 | sydney sweeney | 8500000 |
| 5 | travis kelce | 7500000 |
| 6 | oppenheimer | 7300000 |
| 7 | messi | 7000000 |
| 8 | elon musk | 6500000 |
| 9 | sinner | 6300000 |
| 10 | cristiano ronaldo | 6100000 |
| 11 | kate middleton | 5900000 |
| 12 | billie eilish | 5200000 |
| 13 | joe biden | 5000000 |
| 14 | xxxtentacion | 5000000 |
| 15 | 大谷翔平 | 4900000 |
| 16 | virat kohli | 4800000 |
| 17 | jenna ortega | 4700000 |
| 18 | v | 4600000 |
| 19 | ronaldo | 4600000 |
| 20 | kamala harris | 4300000 |
| 21 | olivia rodrigo | 4200000 |
| 22 | griselda blanco | 4000000 |
| 23 | margot robbie | 4000000 |
| 24 | cillian murphy | 3800000 |
| 25 | carlos alcaraz | 3600000 |
| 26 | dua lipa | 3600000 |
| 27 | zendaya | 3600000 |
| 28 | djokovic | 3500000 |
| 29 | bianca censori | 3500000 |
| 30 | jude bellingham | 3400000 |
| 31 | alcaraz | 3400000 |
| 32 | millie bobby brown | 3400000 |
| 33 | ana de armas | 3300000 |
| 34 | sabrina carpenter | 3300000 |
| 35 | henry cavill | 3300000 |
| 36 | ryan reynolds | 3200000 |
| 37 | ice spice | 3200000 |
| 38 | anne hathaway | 3100000 |
| 39 | timothée chalamet | 3100000 |
| 40 | putin | 3100000 |
| 41 | barry keoghan | 3000000 |
| 42 | lana rhoades | 3000000 |
| 43 | michael jackson | 3000000 |
| 44 | peso pluma | 3000000 |
| 45 | ariana grande | 3000000 |
| 46 | jacob elordi | 3000000 |
| 47 | lebron james | 3000000 |
| 48 | blake lively | 2900000 |
| 49 | bruce willis | 2900000 |
| 50 | lamine yamal | 2900000 |
| 51 | emma stone | 2900000 |
| 52 | shubman gill | 2900000 |
| 53 | simone biles | 2900000 |
| 54 | rohit sharma | 2900000 |
| 55 | brad pitt | 2900000 |
| 56 | eminem | 2900000 |
| 57 | jennifer aniston | 2800000 |
| 58 | timothee chalamet | 2800000 |
| 59 | mike tyson | 2700000 |
| 60 | megan fox | 2700000 |
| 61 | lola beltrán | 2700000 |
| 62 | caitlin clark | 2700000 |
| 63 | leonardo dicaprio | 2700000 |
| 64 | johnny depp | 2600000 |
| 65 | scarlett johansson | 2600000 |
| 66 | selena gomez | 2600000 |
| 67 | drake | 2600000 |
| 68 | mihály csíkszentmihályi | 2600000 |
| 69 | anya taylor-joy | 2500000 |
| 70 | madonna | 2500000 |
| 71 | britney spears | 2500000 |
| 72 | max verstappen | 2500000 |
| 73 | jeremy allen white | 2500000 |
| 74 | gypsy rose | 2500000 |
| 75 | andrew tate | 2500000 |
| 76 | kylie jenner | 2500000 |
| 77 | travis scott | 2400000 |
| 78 | fabrizio romano | 2400000 |
| 79 | jennifer lawrence | 2400000 |
| 80 | meghan markle | 2400000 |
| 81 | hardik pandya | 2400000 |
| 82 | keanu reeves | 2400000 |
| 83 | angelina jolie | 2400000 |
| 84 | glen powell | 2400000 |
| 85 | jd vance | 2400000 |
| 86 | shannen doherty | 2300000 |
| 87 | jungkook | 2300000 |
| 88 | jason momoa | 2300000 |
| 89 | jennifer lopez | 2300000 |
| 90 | bellingham | 2200000 |
| 91 | jeffrey epstein | 2200000 |
| 92 | justin bieber | 2200000 |
| 93 | florence pugh | 2200000 |
| 94 | kim kardashian | 2200000 |
| 95 | ben affleck | 2200000 |
| 96 | haaland | 2200000 |
| 97 | zac efron | 2200000 |
| 98 | tyson fury | 2200000 |
| 99 | imane khelif | 2100000 |
| 100 | adam sandler | 2100000 |
In almost every industry, there are celebrities, professionals, or influencers that other people want to emulate. For example, an amateur tennis player might want to know which tennis racket Novak Djokovic uses. Or a football player might want to know the shoes Trent Alexander-Arnold wears.
In fact, Equipboard has taken this idea seriously and created a site around the gear used by professional musicians.
You can do the same for your industry too.
Here’s how:
- Go to Keywords Explorer
- Enter the names of famous people in your niche
- Go to the Matching terms report
- Filter for keywords related to gears using the Include filter
For example, if I entered the names of professional tennis players (Roger Federer, Emma Radacanu, Rafael Nadal) and filtered for tennis gear keywords (e.g., shoes, racket, wristband, shorts), I see 960 potential keywords I could target. If I were a tennis site, I could create a category page for each celebrity and list out all their preferred equipment.
Another way is to enter a relevant keyword into Keywords Explorer, go to the Matching terms report, and observe keyword patterns. For example, if I were a fitness site, I could enter “weight loss” into Keywords Explorer.
The first thing I’ll notice is that many people are actually interested in how certain celebrities lost their weight. The second thing I notice is that the keywords all form a pattern: [first name][last name] weight loss.
As such, I can use the Word count filter to look for keywords that have 4 words, which gives me a list of celebrity-related weight loss keywords:
Want to do keyword research for your site? Sign up for Keywords Explorer.
SEO
WordPress Announces New Executive Director
Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg announced a new Executive Director for WordPress.org after the previous director’s resignation. Social media reactions, while generally positive, were notably subdued, with many comments focused on the recent WordPress controversy.
New Executive Director
Mullenweg announced that Mary Hubbard, was hired as the new Executive Director. Hubbard was formerly the Chief Product Officer for WordPress.com from 2020 and will begin her new position on October 21st. She recently resigned as the Head of TikTok Americas, Governance and Experience.
The Executive Director position at WordPress.org opened up after the resignation of 8.4% of Automattic employees, including the previous Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Mullenweg offered employees who wished to leave $30,000 or the equivalent of six months pay, whichever was higher. The severance package was offered after the recent issues between Automattic, Mullenweg and WP Engine (WPE) which resulted in WPE filing a federal lawsuit against Mullenweg and Automattic, alleging attempted extortion.
Muted Response To Announcement
A post in the popular Dynamic WordPress Facebook Group generated 21 responses within seven hours, with most of the comments a discussion about the recent drama and the Mullenweg’s ownership of WordPress.org and other similar topics (view the discussion here, must join the private group to view).
The response to the official WordPress.org announcement on X was muted, with about equal amounts of people posting welcomes as those who were taking the opportunity to post their displeasure and opinions about recent events.
Seven hours after posting the announcement there were only 15 responses, 21 retweets, and 117 likes.
Screenshot Of Tweet
Typical Expressions Of Welcome
Welcome!
— Robert Jacobi (@RobertJacobi) October 8, 2024
Welcome Mary!
— Michael Potter (@Michael_6of7) October 8, 2024
Typical Other Responses
What does the E.D. do for https://t.co/sbi8NmJkOL? Is https://t.co/sbi8NmJkOL part of the Foundation? Part of Automattic? Something else? Unlike WPEngine, the differences between these organizations, their ownership, and governance are incredibly confusing.
— Jeff Severson (@jeffseverson) October 8, 2024
“Our”? I thought Matt owns this establishment, with foundation having nothing to do with https://t.co/Duw3H6Qbg3. 🤨🤷
— Viktor Nagornyy (@V1ktor) October 8, 2024
Fire @photomatt
— Shay Grafdelver (@shaygrafdelver) October 8, 2024
Read the official announcement on WordPress.org
Featured Image by Shutterstock/michaelheim
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