Difficult, but not impossible.

The Value of a Keyword

Ask most SEOs and they’ll tell you the best place to estimate keyword value: the Google keyword tool. I’ll agree that, in most cases, it’s probably the best place to start looking for keyword ideas. But we all know that the traffic numbers are dodgy, and we can’t rely on the average CPC as any kind of indication of keyword worth for your business.

There’s only one way to test it accurately: PPC.

It’s simple. Choose a promising keyword. Build a landing page. Set up an ad.

Use the ad to test headlines. Use the keyword in the headline, not because it promises a better CTR, but because you’ll rarely rank for the keyword if it’s not in your final headline.

A/B test your landing page. As long as you’re spending money, you might as well optimize your landing page to maximize revenue.

Optimize to the point of profit. I’m of the opinion that if you can’t earn a profit on ads, you shouldn’t be chasing this as a main keyword.

Now dial up your bid price until you’re the top bidder. Assume the revenue you earn from the ad is a good estimate of the revenue you’ll earn from first page placement. This is generally a good, conservative estimate.

The Cost of a Keyword

And now the million dollar question: how much will it cost to earn the keyword?

Clearly, this all comes down to competitor analysis. You’ll need to analyze the front page link profiles to estimate how many links, of what quality, it’s going to take.

One important point, though. Branded sites with strong usage data are going to outrank many sites with strong link profiles. Don’t get misled by this. A good way to test for sites with strong usage data is to type their name into the search bar, hit SPACE, and see what Google Suggest comes up with. If more than two or three suggestions including the brand name pop up, you’re going up against a lot more than just a good link profile.

I typically don’t concern myself much with the Page Authority of my competitors. Instead, I look at the links to that page. Generally, I think of links from the same domain just like external links. I look at the top link from each domain, and the page authority of each of those links.

Then I estimate how much it would cost to replicate the top link from each domain three times over. How you answer that question is up to you, because every link building/earning strategy is different.

Undoubtedly, Google’s rankings are a bit unpredictable, but not quite as unpredictable as some might suggest. If you use conservative estimates like these and stick to links that will last as justifiable marketing, you’ll rarely fail to reach your goals.

Image credit: Tax Credits

Let’s face it, as professionals who work within the field of SEO, we’re all quite aware of what’s ethical and what’s not. There are black hat techniques, white hat and the abstract grey hat techniques, which are actually just a label that make black hat techniques appear less toxic. It can only be one or the other, either it’s right or it’s wrong and Google are making rankings less attainable for those who are leaning towards anything but right.

Penguin 2.0 had a driving purpose to devalue sites that were benefitting from low-grade links. A lot of sites have been built with the purpose of simply holding links to point in any and all directions. So much effort goes into creating these sites, disguising them as reputable businesses or information portals, while their sole function is to link to your website for a small fee. While it doesn’t seem “too wrong” – grey hat, one might say - delving a little deeper, one would notice the cracks behind the facade and Penguin 2.0 had the job of highlighting those cracks on behalf of Google.

Sites That Weren’t So Lucky

Searchmetrics posted a list of sites that were knocked after the Penguin 2.0 update and the majority was made up of pornography and gaming sites that experienced a large percentage drop in rankings. You can view the full list here. According to the same blog post, other sites like the Salvation Army and dish.com also took a beating, however it doesn’t seem to have had the impact that everyone was expecting.

The last Panda update caused a huge stir and the same response was expected this time around with Penguin 2.0. A lot of assumption centers on the fact that this could merely be the beginning phase of roll out and that more damaging action is yet to come. Could this be true? Or have we learned so much from our previous mistakes that we’re already crafting perfectly tuned SEO strategies and sites that no one takes a knock anymore? A romantic thought, but no.

So How Do You Protect Yourself From Any Further Releases?

The best way to roll with any Google update is to do it ethically. Play by the rules and no one gets hurt and it’s really simple to do. Going back to the mention of “grey hat”; if you’re in any doubt as to whether or not it’s ethical, it’s probably not and should be avoided.

Brafton published a really great and informative infographic that offers survival techniques with regards to Penguin 2.0. The main point that stands out for me in terms of Penguin is to “Begin varied and dynamic organic linking”.

• If you’re paying someone to build links into your site – you’re doing it wrong
• If you got a bulk deal on 200 inbound links per month – you’re doing it wrong
• If you’re happy to get any and all inbound links, no matter where they come from – you’re doing it wrong

It boils down to the simple truth that any link coming into your site is a vote of confidence in your favor. If it’s coming from a dodgy site that speaks about plastic surgery, football and hardwood floors in the same sentence, then you probably don’t want to be associated with them. It’s got to the point where you have to get creative with your link building techniques, and by the sounds of things, everyone is soon going to be on a level playing field as there will be no benefit to mass producing links from any and all domains. If we’re all starting at ground zero, then it’ll be just as difficult for me to get inbound links and authority from other sites as it will for you, which makes the stakes quite fair.

Let’s see what else Google has in store for us, but in the meantime, perhaps you should be taking a good, hard look at how you’re building links and whether or not you can honestly say it’s ethical. Is it?

Image courtesy of:https://twitter.com/AveryThePenguin

The problem is that when you approach guest posting purely for the sake of rank manipulation, your results are going to be mediocre at best, probably temporary, and at worst, they’ll actually harm you in the long run. Here’s Google’s actual definition of link schemes, a definition many SEOs are uncomfortable paying attention to, and very defensive about ignoring:

"Any links intended to manipulate a site's ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme."

I’m not arguing that you should stop writing guest posts. I’m not even arguing that Google ultimately wishes to discount all guest post backlinks. Surely a guest post on the right blog says something positive about the authority and trust you’ve built on the web. I’m simply arguing that you should ask a simple question before placing any link:

“Would I build this link if Google was going to devalue it tomorrow?”

I’m not advocating paranoia. There are almost certainly links you could build that don’t meet that criterion and will still manage to eek past every future Google algorithm. That’s not the point.

The point is much more fundamental. If those are the kinds of links you’re building, you’re setting your sights too low. You’re missing out on opportunities to build exposure through other means: brand impressions and referral traffic.

The whole point of SEO is to gain the exposure of a larger and more targeted audience. When you guest post on the right blogs, their blog becomes a platform to get in front of that audience right away.

An obsession with rank manipulation doesn’t just encourage spam, it also discourages the use of old-school tactics that can still work wonders.

Comment marketing is still a fantastic way to build relationships and grab referral traffic. The right directories are still great for exposure, and a correctly placed site-wide link can be an incredible source of leads.

Not only that, but these old-school tactics can still be an amazing way to boost SEO value if you use them properly: by directing the traffic to linkable assets in order to attract natural links. (Though it may be wise in some cases to no-follow these old-school links, particularly site-wide links.)

I strongly believe that this is how you should approach guest posts. Use them to hail your site with referral traffic for leads and natural links. Use them to get your brand name in front of a larger audience. Use them to build long term relationships with influencers that will continue to multiply your results for years to come. Use them to propagate through social channels in a way that wouldn’t be possible by publishing on your own site. Use them to tell your audience that you’ve been featured in blogs that signal trustworthiness. Use the associated reputation to boost your conversion rate.

If all you care about is that one link, you’re missing out on a serious opportunity.

Image credit: Benson Kua

SEO

5 Ways You're Already Doing SEO

When marketers think of SEO, they tend to think of it as its own channel with its own team. While that isn't untrue, the process of search engine optimization is something that can also happen in your everyday marketing activities. Why? Because by making your site better for your audience and gaining brand exposure, you're naturally optimizing for search engines.

SEO Diagnostics With Google Analytics

When things are going well on the SEO front, no one really asks questions. Conversions and traffic are up? Great! It must be because of last month's optimizations. However, when performance declines or just fails to meet expectations, it's all hands on deck until an explanation is found.

A Disconnect in App Store SEO: Going Beyond ASO

There is an enormous ecosystem of search activity happening around mobile app discovery, but there appears to be a  disconnect in marketing strategy when it comes to using Inbound Marketing channels to drive mobile app installs. When it comes to search, a lot of attention has been given to App Store Optimization (ASO) to optimize apps for search inside of an app store.

Rant: SEO Tests, Cutts Statements, & The Algorithm

I’m going to channel my inner @alanbleiweiss and rant for a minute about some things I saw over the last few days in the SEO world. I also want to apologize for any spelling mistakes from the start, as my right arm is in a cast and I’m typing this entirely left-handed until I can find an intern. (If you’re curious as to how I broke my arm, it was with a softball.)

How to Rank: 25 Step SEO Master Blueprint

If you’re like most SEOs, you spend a lot of time reading. Over the past several years, I’ve spent 100s of hours studying blogs, guides, and Google patents. Not long ago, I realized that 90% of what I read each doesn’t change what I actually do - that is, the basic work of ranking a web page higher on Google.

Anchor Text Diversity and SERP

As we all know vigorous link building is essential, if you want to rank high on Google. But there are many people who have got so many backlinks yet their posts or contents are not ranking on Google. If you are one of them and wondering that what can be the possible reason, here is a possible answer for you.

Guest Blogging: Google’s Next Target?

Google has been very clear about their feelings regarding unnatural links.  Their recent actions resounded deeply within the SEO community and have inspired a higher level of discourse around things like content, quality and scalability. n the wake of Penguin, most SEOs have abandoned their efforts with public blog networks, article galleries, link purchases, directory submissions and automated tools.

New Tools Bring Major Changes To Mobile SEO

I know I said I would have mobile SEO case studies this month, but I’m postponing that a  month so I can discuss two tools that will soon turn the mobile SEO world on its head: Google Keyword Planner and Bright Edge Mobile SEO.

Content Marketing

Effective Content Marketing: Writing for the Success of Your Business

If you vaguely pay attention to what is going on in the world of digital marketing, you should have heard of the term content marketing or content strategy. While strategic content is nothing new, few people understand what content marketing is, never mind what it entails to effectively develop and execute a content marketing campaign.

What’s So New About Content Marketing?

As content marketing grows more popular than Justin Bieber, there’s one question I keep hearing from those who are innately suspicious of fads (i.e., people like me): “What’s so new about content marketing? It’s just what good marketers have always done.”

Return of the Content Marketing Know-It-All

Yes, it’s back again! The Content Marketing Know-It-All is here to answer your questions. This time, we’ve taken a few questions from recent comments here on the blog, a few from the comments on the earlier post, and one from the forums inside Authority, our brand-new education and networking community for content professionals.

6 Smart Ways To Drive Organic Traffic To Your Blog

In Internet marketing, organic traffic is web traffic that comes from listings that aren’t paid for. These listings can include guides, search engines like Google or Bing and directories. Typically, when you want to make money blogging, search engines are the best source of organic traffic. Below are 6 smart ways to drive organic traffic to your blog or website.

Content Marketing DOs and DON’Ts

While everyone's definition of content marketing is a little different, the execution side of this marketing channel has much more definitive best practices. Whether you are new to content marketing or just looking for validation that your program is running smoothly, here are some of the most important (and often overlooked) DOs and DON’Ts of content marketing.

What Would a 'Mad Men' Era Ad Campaign Look Like Today?

In 1946, America had only 12 TV stations broadcasting to the public. With a single TV spot, advertisers could sit back and relax, knowing their ads would successfully pummel their marketing messages into the minds of almost all of America. Things are just a wee bit different today.

Social Media Marketing

Measure Social Media Traffic and Flow with Google Analytics

Measuring the benefits of social media is one biggest challenges in digital marketing. Likes and shares on Facebook are nice, as are RTs (Re-Tweets) and mentions on Twitter, and +1s and shares are great on Google Plus, but beyond being popular on that particular social network is there any benefit?

A Different Way to Think About Social Media ROI

No matter who I am consulting with or where I am speaking, the “ROI of social media question” is bound to come up. I have a different view of the ideal role of social media in the marketing mix that might be helpful to you, whether you are just starting out, or whether you have an established program.

How to Become a Social Media Marketing Expert – Infographic

Many words and phrases are trotted out by self titled social media marketing experts that are tossed around so much they lose their meaning and impact. Specialist, thought leader and even guru are some of the glib terms used. Maybe we should be using words that are a bit more fun.

How to Develop a Social Media Strategy, Not a Bunch of Tactics

A lot of “how to” posts about social media offer insights on how to conform to community values, how to save you time, how to save you money, or best social media practices. These posts focus on tactics: plans for promoting a desired result. Tactics are actions supporting a strategy.

17 Incredible Social Media Marketing Statistics [INFOGRAPHIC]

Did you know that 15 percent of U.S. mobile internet time is spent entirely on social networking sites? Or that social media lead conversion rates are 13 percent higher than the average lead conversion rate?

The Power of Images in Social Media Marketing 

Social media marketing has evolved significantly over the past few years, and staying up-to-date on trends is crucial for success. One of the biggest trends is image-centric marketing rather than traditional text-based. According to Trend Reports, between 65 and 85 percent of people describe themselves as visual learners.

How NOT to use social media for Ecommerce

So many articles out there just tell you what to do with social media when it comes to ecommerce; but what about what you shouldn’t be doing? There are so many opportunities to slip up when it comes to using social media for brand communications, and all so often in the public eye, with many just waiting for the chance to point out each and every one of your flaws.

This month we'll leave you with a video from resident Google genius, Mr. Matt Cutts, who answers the question, "What kind of t-shirt do you wear?"

Recently my e-mail had been inundated with people who I don’t know and have never heard of before (or organizations, which is even worse), asking me if they can write a guest post on some highly obscure but generally commercially-related subject, because they are sure that my audience will just love it, etc. I don’t know whether this is a new spammy practice or if some SEO-mad consultant has advised his clients that “guest posts” are the new black, or whatever, but I do know this sudden wave of solicitations is highly annoying.

Meanwhile, in April, State of Search decided to stop accepting guest posts. Why?

Nowadays however the ‘link requests’ have become less, but my inbox almost can’t handle the guest post requests. The link building requests have turned into guest post requests. But they are not any better, or less for that matter.

And most of you are probably already aware that ProBlogger has decided to stop accepting unsolicited guest posts as well.

Of course, we at Northcutt still accept guest posts, as do major brands like Moz, but it’s impossible to deny that there has been a recent shift in the industry. Perhaps this was a response to the warnings that Penguin 2.0 was coming. Either way, it's clear the link spammers are now choosing to make guest post requests instead.

And the problem is accelerating.

Blogs all over the internet are telling you they won’t accept your guest posts, no matter how high the quality.

The fact that big name bloggers are increasingly telling their audiences that they simply will not accept unsolicited guest posts should be disturbing if this is where most of your links are coming from. As fewer and fewer blogs accept guest posts, we are creating two webs: the ones that accept submissions and the ones that don’t.

If your link profile doesn’t exist on both webs, Google can easily identify that your “popularity” is artificial.

Guest Posting for Traffic and Natural Links

The future of guest posting has little to do with the single link back to your site. Google is growing increasingly aware of who is responsible for content, and there’s no reason to think this won’t be used to filter out results propped up by links from a limited number of authors.

It’s time to start thinking about guest posts as a chance to grow brand impressions. We can leverage that opportunity to drive referral traffic, and to promote tools and content that naturally attract links of their own.

The most successful sites on the web are powered by tools and communities. Use guest posts to promote tools and communities that will snowball, not to build direct links.

Image credit: Eric Fischer