Connect with us

SEO

Which One Should You Use?

Published

on

When it’s time to launch a new site, undergo a site migration or change your CMS, launch a new product, or make another major change, what overarching site structure to use is one of the most common questions.

Should we use or change over to a subdirectory, subdomain, or use a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) if we have international content?

And is one better than the other?

Google says there isn’t a difference.

This is definitely a topic that falls resoundingly in the “it all depends” box.

Advertisement

After all, when it comes to SEO, there are a lot of factors to consider.

Let’s break down the pros and cons of each option and help you decide which is best for your website.

First, let’s define subdomain, subdirectory, and a ccTLD.

Subdomain, Subdirectory And ccTLD Defined

A subdomain is a unique domain that is part of a larger domain.

For example, you could create a subdomain for your blog or another section of your site that sells products or if you need to differentiate content.

This would give you a URL that looks like this: blog.example.com or productname.subdomain.com.

Advertisement

Subdomains are often used to create separate website sections with distinct content.

A subdirectory is a folder on your website that contains separate pages or pieces of content.

For example, if you were managing the GAP, I would recommend a simple and SEO-friendly product subdirectory instead of the URL they have now, i.e., https://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=6998&nav=expmore%3Amen%3Acategories%3Ajeans#pageId=0&department=75.

Subdirectories are often used to create separate website sections with distinct content.

A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a unique domain specific to a certain country.

For example, if you have a website for your business in Canada, you will need a ccTLD for the site, i.e., bestbuy.ca.

Advertisement

Pros And Cons Of Using A Subdomain

There are some benefits and drawbacks to using a subdomain when the overwhelming bulk of the content will be substantially unique from the root domain.

It comes down to what the publisher is trying to accomplish with that new content.

Will they make an effort to establish the necessary link equity?

Is the new content really that substantially unique from the primary content of the root domain?

Pros

  • Subdomains can help with organization.
  • By keeping your content on its own subdomain, it’s easy to keep track of the content and make sure it’s separate from the rest of your website.
  • Especially helpful if you have a large website with lots of distinct types of content.
  • Search engines view subdomains as separate websites, so a well-optimized subdomain has the potential to rank in search results.

Cons

  • More expensive than other options.
  • Additionally, some users find subdomains confusing. For example, if someone is looking for your business website and types in example.com, they may not realize that your blog is at blog.example.com. This can lead to confusion and lost traffic.

Also, since Google treats subdomains as separate sites if you create new content on a subdomain, it does not benefit from the authority being passed down because it is considered a brand-new separate website.

Pros And Cons Of Using A Subdirectory

There are several benefits and drawbacks to using a subdirectory for your site.

Advertisement

Pros

  • Usually more cost-effective to maintain than other options.
  • Some users find subdirectories easier to understand than subdomains. For example, if someone is looking for your business website and types in example.com, they will immediately see your blog at example.com/blog. It can help prevent confusion and lost traffic.
  • Authority is passed down from the root domain over to the subfolder, which can help with your search engine visibility.

Cons

  • Can be more difficult to set up than other options.
  • Subdirectories are not always seen as separate websites by search engines.

Pros And Cons Of Using A ccTLD

There are some benefits and drawbacks to using a ccTLD.

Pros

  • Can help set up your international website content.
  • Using a ccTLD is a strong signal that tells the search engines your content focuses on a specific country.

Cons

  • If you don’t have any international content or serve users around the globe, you do not need it.
  • Usually more expensive than other options.
  • Each ccTLD appears as a different website, so if you own multiple websites across the globe with different ccTLDs, you will have to optimize them all because they are all seen as separate entities.
  • Some countries require you to be a citizen or have some affiliation with the country to purchase the domain names with ccTLDs.

What Is Favored By Most SEO Experts?

SEO experts often favor subdirectories over subdomains because new URLs benefit from the root domain’s already established online authority and equity accumulated through external links.

By leveraging that authority of the root domain, subdirectories accumulate meaningful rankings and organic performance quicker than subdomains.

For that reason, many SEO professionals favor them, which frequently gets translated as “better.”

While it’s true Google recognizes subdomains as properties of the larger domain entity and can see the relationship between the two when done well and correctly, publishers will limit the linking between the two properties.

Therefore, the new subdomain then needs many external links pointed to it to become an established authority. That often takes substantial time and effort.

Advertisement

You might need a ccTLD if you have content in different countries and need to send a strong signal to Google and other search engines about your international content strategy.

While this can be expensive depending on the number of countries you manage, it may be worth looking into subdirectories or subdomains to direct users from different countries to the appropriate content.

Case Study

One of our clients in the financial space moved from a .com to a subdomain which we advised against.

When they moved, our client experienced decreased search engine visibility and traffic, but it was not too drastic.

After a year on a subdomain, they moved back to the main domain.

Once we set up the redirect and content migration strategy, our client experienced a 15% growth in traffic by moving back to the main domain with the authority, links, etc.

Advertisement

Wrapping Up

So, which is better for SEO: A subdomain, subdirectory, or ccTLD?

There is no easy answer.

It depends on your specific needs and goals. As we’ve seen, there are pros and cons to each option.

More resources:


Featured Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);

Advertisement

if( typeof sopp !== “undefined” && sopp === ‘yes’ ){
fbq(‘dataProcessingOptions’, [‘LDU’], 1, 1000);
}else{
fbq(‘dataProcessingOptions’, []);
}

fbq(‘init’, ‘1321385257908563’);

fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);

fbq(‘trackSingle’, ‘1321385257908563’, ‘ViewContent’, {
content_name: ‘subdomain-subdirectory-cctld-which-one-should-you-use’,
content_category: ‘seo web-development ‘
});

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

SEO

Google Further Postpones Third-Party Cookie Deprecation In Chrome

Published

on

By

Close-up of a document with a grid and a red stamp that reads "delayed" over the word "status" due to Chrome's deprecation of third-party cookies.

Google has again delayed its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome web browser. The latest postponement comes after ongoing challenges in reconciling feedback from industry stakeholders and regulators.

The announcement was made in Google and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) joint quarterly report on the Privacy Sandbox initiative, scheduled for release on April 26.

Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Phaseout Pushed To 2025

Google states it “will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4” this year as planned.

Instead, the tech giant aims to begin deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome “starting early next year,” assuming an agreement can be reached with the CMA and the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The statement reads:

Advertisement

“We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem. It’s also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June.”

Continued Engagement With Regulators

Google reiterated its commitment to “engaging closely with the CMA and ICO” throughout the process and hopes to conclude discussions this year.

This marks the third delay to Google’s plan to deprecate third-party cookies, initially aiming for a Q3 2023 phaseout before pushing it back to late 2024.

The postponements reflect the challenges in transitioning away from cross-site user tracking while balancing privacy and advertiser interests.

Transition Period & Impact

In January, Chrome began restricting third-party cookie access for 1% of users globally. This percentage was expected to gradually increase until 100% of users were covered by Q3 2024.

However, the latest delay gives websites and services more time to migrate away from third-party cookie dependencies through Google’s limited “deprecation trials” program.

The trials offer temporary cookie access extensions until December 27, 2024, for non-advertising use cases that can demonstrate direct user impact and functional breakage.

Advertisement

While easing the transition, the trials have strict eligibility rules. Advertising-related services are ineligible, and origins matching known ad-related domains are rejected.

Google states the program aims to address functional issues rather than relieve general data collection inconveniences.

Publisher & Advertiser Implications

The repeated delays highlight the potential disruption for digital publishers and advertisers relying on third-party cookie tracking.

Industry groups have raised concerns that restricting cross-site tracking could push websites toward more opaque privacy-invasive practices.

However, privacy advocates view the phaseout as crucial in preventing covert user profiling across the web.

With the latest postponement, all parties have more time to prepare for the eventual loss of third-party cookies and adopt Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox APIs as replacements.

Advertisement

Featured Image: Novikov Aleksey/Shutterstock

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

SEO

How To Write ChatGPT Prompts To Get The Best Results

Published

on

By

How To Write ChatGPT Prompts To Get The Best Results

ChatGPT is a game changer in the field of SEO. This powerful language model can generate human-like content, making it an invaluable tool for SEO professionals.

However, the prompts you provide largely determine the quality of the output.

To unlock the full potential of ChatGPT and create content that resonates with your audience and search engines, writing effective prompts is crucial.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art of writing prompts for ChatGPT, covering everything from basic techniques to advanced strategies for layering prompts and generating high-quality, SEO-friendly content.

Writing Prompts For ChatGPT

What Is A ChatGPT Prompt?

A ChatGPT prompt is an instruction or discussion topic a user provides for the ChatGPT AI model to respond to.

Advertisement

The prompt can be a question, statement, or any other stimulus to spark creativity, reflection, or engagement.

Users can use the prompt to generate ideas, share their thoughts, or start a conversation.

ChatGPT prompts are designed to be open-ended and can be customized based on the user’s preferences and interests.

How To Write Prompts For ChatGPT

Start by giving ChatGPT a writing prompt, such as, “Write a short story about a person who discovers they have a superpower.”

ChatGPT will then generate a response based on your prompt. Depending on the prompt’s complexity and the level of detail you requested, the answer may be a few sentences or several paragraphs long.

Use the ChatGPT-generated response as a starting point for your writing. You can take the ideas and concepts presented in the answer and expand upon them, adding your own unique spin to the story.

Advertisement

If you want to generate additional ideas, try asking ChatGPT follow-up questions related to your original prompt.

For example, you could ask, “What challenges might the person face in exploring their newfound superpower?” Or, “How might the person’s relationships with others be affected by their superpower?”

Remember that ChatGPT’s answers are generated by artificial intelligence and may not always be perfect or exactly what you want.

However, they can still be a great source of inspiration and help you start writing.

Must-Have GPTs Assistant

I recommend installing the WebBrowser Assistant created by the OpenAI Team. This tool allows you to add relevant Bing results to your ChatGPT prompts.

This assistant adds the first web results to your ChatGPT prompts for more accurate and up-to-date conversations.

Advertisement

It is very easy to install in only two clicks. (Click on Start Chat.)

Screenshot from ChatGPT, April 2024

For example, if I ask, “Who is Vincent Terrasi?,” ChatGPT has no answer.

With WebBrower Assistant, the assistant creates a new prompt with the first Bing results, and now ChatGPT knows who Vincent Terrasi is.

Enabling reverse prompt engineeringScreenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023

You can test other GPT assistants available in the GPTs search engine if you want to use Google results.

Master Reverse Prompt Engineering

ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for reverse engineering prompts because it generates natural and engaging responses to any given input.

By analyzing the prompts generated by ChatGPT, it is possible to gain insight into the model’s underlying thought processes and decision-making strategies.

One key benefit of using ChatGPT to reverse engineer prompts is that the model is highly transparent in its decision-making.

Advertisement

This means that the reasoning and logic behind each response can be traced, making it easier to understand how the model arrives at its conclusions.

Once you’ve done this a few times for different types of content, you’ll gain insight into crafting more effective prompts.

Prepare Your ChatGPT For Generating Prompts

First, activate the reverse prompt engineering.

  • Type the following prompt: “Enable Reverse Prompt Engineering? By Reverse Prompt Engineering I mean creating a prompt from a given text.”
Enabling reverse prompt engineeringScreenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023

ChatGPT is now ready to generate your prompt. You can test the product description in a new chatbot session and evaluate the generated prompt.

  • Type: “Create a very technical reverse prompt engineering template for a product description about iPhone 11.”
Reverse Prompt engineering via WebChatGPTScreenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023

The result is amazing. You can test with a full text that you want to reproduce. Here is an example of a prompt for selling a Kindle on Amazon.

  • Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {product), capture the writing style and the length of the text :
    product =”
Reverse prompt engineering: Amazon productScreenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023

I tested it on an SEJ blog post. Enjoy the analysis – it is excellent.

  • Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {text}, capture the tone and writing style of the {text} to include in the prompt :
    text = all text coming from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-bard-training-data/478941/”
Reverse prompt engineering an SEJ blog postScreenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023

But be careful not to use ChatGPT to generate your texts. It is just a personal assistant.

Go Deeper

Prompts and examples for SEO:

  • Keyword research and content ideas prompt: “Provide a list of 20 long-tail keyword ideas related to ‘local SEO strategies’ along with brief content topic descriptions for each keyword.”
  • Optimizing content for featured snippets prompt: “Write a 40-50 word paragraph optimized for the query ‘what is the featured snippet in Google search’ that could potentially earn the featured snippet.”
  • Creating meta descriptions prompt: “Draft a compelling meta description for the following blog post title: ’10 Technical SEO Factors You Can’t Ignore in 2024′.”

Important Considerations:

  • Always Fact-Check: While ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, it’s crucial to remember that it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information. Always verify any facts, statistics, or quotes generated by ChatGPT before incorporating them into your content.
  • Maintain Control and Creativity: Use ChatGPT as a tool to assist your writing, not replace it. Don’t rely on it to do your thinking or create content from scratch. Your unique perspective and creativity are essential for producing high-quality, engaging content.
  • Iteration is Key: Refine and revise the outputs generated by ChatGPT to ensure they align with your voice, style, and intended message.

Additional Prompts for Rewording and SEO:
– Rewrite this sentence to be more concise and impactful.
– Suggest alternative phrasing for this section to improve clarity.
– Identify opportunities to incorporate relevant internal and external links.
– Analyze the keyword density and suggest improvements for better SEO.

Remember, while ChatGPT can be a valuable tool, it’s essential to use it responsibly and maintain control over your content creation process.

Experiment And Refine Your Prompting Techniques

Writing effective prompts for ChatGPT is an essential skill for any SEO professional who wants to harness the power of AI-generated content.

Advertisement

Hopefully, the insights and examples shared in this article can inspire you and help guide you to crafting stronger prompts that yield high-quality content.

Remember to experiment with layering prompts, iterating on the output, and continually refining your prompting techniques.

This will help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of SEO.

More resources: 


Featured Image: Tapati Rinchumrus/Shutterstock

Source link

Advertisement
Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

SEO

Measuring Content Impact Across The Customer Journey

Published

on

By

Measuring Content Impact Across The Customer Journey

Understanding the impact of your content at every touchpoint of the customer journey is essential – but that’s easier said than done. From attracting potential leads to nurturing them into loyal customers, there are many touchpoints to look into.

So how do you identify and take advantage of these opportunities for growth?

Watch this on-demand webinar and learn a comprehensive approach for measuring the value of your content initiatives, so you can optimize resource allocation for maximum impact.

You’ll learn:

  • Fresh methods for measuring your content’s impact.
  • Fascinating insights using first-touch attribution, and how it differs from the usual last-touch perspective.
  • Ways to persuade decision-makers to invest in more content by showcasing its value convincingly.

With Bill Franklin and Oliver Tani of DAC Group, we unravel the nuances of attribution modeling, emphasizing the significance of layering first-touch and last-touch attribution within your measurement strategy. 

Check out these insights to help you craft compelling content tailored to each stage, using an approach rooted in first-hand experience to ensure your content resonates.

Advertisement

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or new to content measurement, this webinar promises valuable insights and actionable tactics to elevate your SEO game and optimize your content initiatives for success. 

View the slides below or check out the full webinar for all the details.

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

Trending

Follow by Email
RSS