Conscious Strategies LLC

Tag: search phrases

  • SEO or Streaming ~ what is your writing style?

    I recently attended the ICC where one of the best sessions I attended was about writing for SEO. This is what I do for my job so I admit, I have been less than diligent about posting on my own blog. So what is my motivation? I am reading a new book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”. I’m not that far into it, but the theme can be applied to writing style as much as to organizing a closet. So the topic for today is: Are you writing for SEO or Streaming of Consciousness? How to stay relevant to search without getting messy or too wordy and how to tidy up your act.

    Are you #writing for #SEO or stream of consciousness? #tips to stay relevant #content
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    Intelligent Content : Writing for SEO
    Intelligent Content : Writing for SEO

    SEO or Streaming ~ What is Your Writing Style?

    If you are writing for SEO, you want to make use of search phrases. However, you don’t want to just stuff the same key words into one paragraph. That is akin to putting all your clothes in a bundle on your floor.

    The act of tidying is a series of simple actions in which objects are moved from one place to another. It involves putting things away where they belong ~ Marie Kondo

    I found, ironically, that the few first paragraphs of this book are cluttered. Repetitious. I’m not disparaging it. For a novel, stream of consciousness writing is acceptable. If you don’t like the author’s style, you don’t have to read the book. Arguably, if you are writing for a website, your goal is two fold: write for the audience, and write for the spiders. Some repetition is necessary although keeping it spaced out is a better option. Akin to hanging your white blouses on separate hangers.

    Cleaning up your act: Writing with style and SEO in Mind

    Writing for content generation is a layering process. 

    #writing for #SEO is a layering process
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    You have the visible layer that you readers see, and the text that is woven through to ensure that your brilliant penmanship is not buried on google like the proverbial heap of clothing on your floor.

    SEO and the art of layered writing
    SEO and the art of layered writing

    Cleaning up your act may involve:

    • Determining your search phrase
    • Organizing your thoughts: having a beginning, a middle and an end
    • Categorizing your posts/pages so they are easier to access in search
    • Expressing  your key words in a variety of ways (don’t be too repetitious)

    If you use stream of consciousness you have to balance that with the art of tidying up.

  • Functional Writing: Interviewing @Josepf

    Functional Writing: An Interview With @Josepf

    Functional writing is a phrase I am using to describe the intersection between content generation and purposeful presence online.

    functional writing: an interview with @Josepf about #SocialSEO & #contentmarketing
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     I believe as writers, we need to have integrity in what we express; this comes across in our writing style or voice. The other component is the idea of practical and functional expression, if what we are doing is to be relevant in digital marketing.

    Functional Writing for SEO and SOCIAL
    Brainstorming: functional writing/SEO/SOCIAL with @Josepf @Emmalish @Yoginiqueen

    Interviewing Josepf Haslam

    This is an interview with @Josepf, well known for SocialSEO, strategy and his Udemy courses among other things.

    ME: I was teaching a workshop the other day, and one of the participants mentioned that he had been advised not to write for keywords. As an SEO expert, I thought I would ask you what you thought of this.

    J: It’s more accurate to say ‘search phrases’. If you’re not writing to be found then you can completely ignore key words and search phrases, but if you do want to be found for either a key word or a search phrase, you damn well better write for it.

    ME: I understand you are presenting at the Intelligent Content Conference (ICC) in March. I look forward to hearing you speak. Would you give us a snippet of what your seminar will be about?

    Looking forward to your 10 #tips for #SEO @Josepf at ICC in March ~ @CMIContent
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    J: My approach is that most people have learned how to use toilet paper and clean up after themselves. I’m giving away 10 expanded pro tips on how to optimize your content for SEO and Social before you publish. Each of these tips is as easy and necessary as using toilet paper. If you’ve mastered the first part, I’m sure you can master these tips. 

    ME: What is the number one misconception about SEO out there?

    J: Unfortunately SEO has been likened to a snake oil salesman and there is a lot of truth to that stereotype. The best way to think about SEO is that you are actually writing for 2 audiences; the search engine spiders and people. You need to understand how to write for the spiders of you’re never going to be found by the people.

    ME: What do you feel makes a good blog stand out?

    J: A good blog is one that understands the 4 “S’s” of content marketing 

    what makes a good #blog? 4 #tips to make your #content stand out
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    1. Segmented: who is the micro-segmented audience you are writing for?
    2. Searchable: people are actually looking for the content and you know how to make the engines find it
    3. Snackable: Like a great snack, people are always reaching for it; you want your audience to consume your content
    4. Shareable: the #1 KPI for content is “was it shared”

    ME: How did the nickname Godfather of Social Media come about?

    Functional Writing : an Interview with Josepf Haslam
    “The GodFather of Social Media”

    A twitter friend of mine @optioneerJM interviewed me about the future of digital marketing and she coined the phrase in that interview 

    what is the future of #digitalmarketing? @optioneerJM @Josepf
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    ME: What is your favorite social media platform and why?

    J: My favorite platforms have changed over time, and each serves a different purpose. Today my top 3 are Instagram, Linkedin and WeChat, all for different reasons.