What is Duplicate Content and How to Check for it During Website Audit?

SEO experts have always stressed on the importance of original content. Duplicate content should be actively shunned as this might not only severely affect your ranking, but also lead Google to penalize your website and have it removed from the search results.

What is duplicate content and what are its common causes?

Before we set out to find out the ways to detect duplicate content, it is necessary to understand what exactly the term means. Duplicate content is the content which is either identical to or closely similar in terms of wording and/or structure to an already existing piece of content on the World Wide Web.

Now, you might argue that you always take care not to copy content as it is from another source. However, duplicate content is not always the result of deliberate intent. Let us have a quick look at some of the common causes of this issue -

• Faceted navigation (especially in cases of ecommerce websites)

•  Session IDs  can create a new URL for a particular session, leading to duplicate content

• Site accessible at two or more variations of http, http, www or non-www

•  Print-friendly or mobile-friendly versions of the URL results in same content on different URLs

• Paginated comments

•  Duplication through scrapers and content syndication

How to check for duplicate content?

There are many free and paid tools available on the Internet that detect any duplicate or plagiarized content. This will make sure that the content you have created is completely unique and does not resemble any content from another website, either deliberately or unintentionally.

These tools will also let you know that if anyone has scraped the content from your website, so that you can take the required action against the scrapers.

You can contact a digital marketing company for a complete audit of your website for content quality, duplicacy issues and more.

TSL Consulting Pvt Ltd is an integrated marketing company based in India. We offer customized outbound marketing, inbound marketing, digital marketing and data profiling services to a wide spectrum of small and mid-sized organizations.

Are you caught in the trap of thin content?

Content is arguably the most important part of an organization's SEO strategy. However, if you find that you are still not seeing any improvement in ramking or traffic no matter how much content you create, you are possibly creating 'thin content'.

                                                      

As per Google, thin content is the content that provides "little or no value". Naturally, as Google has made clear its emphasis on user-relevant and quality content since the days of Panda update, thin content will not go far. Some examples of thin content are -

• Low-quality content on affiliate pages

• Content created through tools like article spinners or directly translated from another language

•  Content copied directly from another website

•  Page with negligible or no content at all

•  Pages stuffed with keywords

Today, it is vital to produce original content that matches the search intent of the user, to fare well on the search engines. A digital marketing company can help you create such quality content that provides the value of your solution to your target audience.

Effective B2B Lead Nurturing Strategies

More than collecting interest leads, it is important for B2B marketing companies to nurture them and keep them moving through the funnel till they convert into customers.

                                

Break your leads into different categories

Categorizing your leads as warm, hot or cold will give you an idea of the stage they are currently at, and the amount of nurturing they will require to move further.

Use email marketing

Segment your leads into hyper-focuses categories and send personalized messages.

Leverage marketing automation software for quick response

Lacking a fast response, you stand at a risk of leads going cold.

Use targeted content

Send your leads useful content that is tailored to their interests and business challenges, to engage and delight them.

Importance of conversational marketing in B2B

In general, the B2B buying process is too cold. In a bid to get potential customers to fill out lead forms and drive them through the sales funnel, very little meaningful conversation takes place. 

As customers wait for email responses after filling out forms, or a call back from your sales team in response to a query, the conversation gap leads to very few prospects actually getting converted.

                                              

This is where conversational marketing comes into picture. It aims at removing the obstacles in communication, and facilitate faster journey through the funnel to conversion through meaningful conversation.

Implementing conversational marketing can be as simple as using chatbots on your website. When a visitor is looking through your solutions, the chatbot can offer instant assistance for any of the queries. This removes the extra time of filling out lead forms and waiting for a response on your part. The chatbot can also put the visitor directly in touch with your sales team rep, where he can get further information.

Thus, conversational marketing can greatly help B2B marketing companies make the buying process more friendly, for faster results and greater ROI.

Google Ads vs Social Ads: Which is Better for Your Business?

When it comes to paid social advertisements, most of our thoughts will immediately land on the Google Ads. While they are super effective, it cannot be forgotten that running paid advertisements on social platforms such as Facebook can be just as effective.

Let us see how you can make the right choice for your business -

Customer reach

With majority of people being armed with smartphones and desktops, it has become second nature for them to turn to Google whenever they need any product or service. Thus, Google's reach is unquestionable.

However, major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn also boast of users in billions, and the time spent on these platforms is ever-increasing.

Therefore, both Google ads and social ads can help you reach out to a wide target audience.

Ad visibility

Google ads often face the challenge of a phenomenon called banner blindness. As users have become accustomed to seeing ads immediately below search results, many of them actively avoid looking at this area.

On the other hand, social ads are often formatted in such a way that they seem to be a part of users' social feed, thus being more visible.

However, Google too, has dealt with the problem of banner blindness with ads that seem like in-text content.

Ad intent

Usually, when users turn to Google, they will search with the intent of making a purchase or look for a specific solution for their needs. Here, Google Ads will immediately lead them to the desired step if the intent of your ads is to induce a purchase.

However, when they are on social media, they will generally not be looking for a particular solution. They will be enjoying some downtime or looking to converse with their friends. However, that does not mean your ads are not welcome. While making a sale is still possible with social ads, they will work even better if your intent is to increase brand awareness, generate leads or increase engagement.

To conclude, both Google and social ads are tremendously effective. Depending upon your budget and marketing goals, you can select either or even both of them for running paid advertisements. You can contact a digital marketing company to help you run optimized paid campaigns for generating maximum ROI.

TSL Consulting Pvt Ltd is an integrated marketing company based in India. We offer customized outbound marketing, inbound marketing, digital marketing and data profiling services to a wide spectrum of small and mid-sized organizations.

Tips for effective B2B lead generation through LinkedIn

LinkedIn is arguably the best platform for B2Bmarketing companies who wish to grow their network, connect with prospects and convert them into revenue-generating leads. 

Here are some tips to help you leverage LinkedIn to its fullest for B2B lead generation-

Make sure that your profile is fully updated

Your prospects not only want to know more about the product or service, but also the about organization and its leaders. A fully completed and conprehensive profile conveys your professionalism and encourages further connection.

Create and publish content for your target audience

LinkedIn is the favored platform for professionals to stay up to date with industry news and brush up their knowledge. Instead of self-promotional content, focus on publishing content that provides value to a segmented group of target audience.

Connect with prospects through conversation ads

As LinkedIn's InMail features allow you to message each other, you can use conversation ads to identify and connect with the right decision makers through personalized messages. You can even inlcude CTAs and lead generation forms for better results.

Tips for a successful B2B mobile marketing strategy

With the increasing use of smartphones and other mobile devices, it is high time for B2B marketing companies to pay attention to their mobile marketing strategy.

Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly

A mobile-friendly is not only essential for higher Google ranking, but providing a great mobile experience will also encourage your target audience to engage more with your website.

Leverage conversational selling

Use data like purchase history to initiate relevant personal interactions with your customers through SMS, WhatsApp or emails.

Optimize for local SEO

As most mobile users conduct "near me" searches through smartphones, optimizing your website for local, as well as mobile, SEO will help you attract a large quantity of relevant traffic.

Invest in mobile apps

If it fits within your budget and marketing goals, developing a mobile app for your brand will greatly help increase brand awareness and engagement.

4 social media marketing mistakes to avoid

Social media marketing is no doubt effective for increasing your brand awareness and customer engagement, but it can also be very tricky. One seemingly small misstep can serve to sully your brand's reputation.

Let us have a look at some of the common social media mistakes you should avoid at all costs -

Posting too frequently

If you post too frequently to increase your visibility, you risk your followers getting annoyed by the constant interruptions.

Posting controversial news or opinions

Your followers might get offended if they do not share the same viewpoint as you.

Not responding to the comment section

Comments are great way to engage with your customers and understanding their pain points for a more focused nurturing.

Ignoring or deleting reviews and comments

Doing so will add to the dissatisfaction of the concerned customers and prompt them to voice their concerns on third-party review sites.

Avoiding information overload in content marketing

Digital marketing or content marketing entails reaching out to your target audience on multiple digital channels and educating them through content. However, the constant barrage of information from all channels such as emails, social media posts, blogs and newsletters can confuse and overwhelm the person at the receiving end, thus leading to information overload. 

This renders the person unable to take an informed decision, leading them to abandon your brand altogether.

Here are some tips to help you avoid information overload -

•                     Keep the content absolutely relevant to your audience's business requirements

•                     Break it down into easily consumable pieces and use visual content for easy comprehension

•                     Create non-screen content such as podcasts, so that users can consume information while mullti-tasking

A digital marketing company can help you strategize and create content in a way that engages and educates your target audience, without overwhelming them with information.

How to convert your blog into a lead magnet

B2B marketers who blog get 67% more leads than those who do not.

Yes, blogs are worth more than establishing yourself as a thought leader and increasing website traffic. Done right, they can bring an influx of qualified leads for your digital marketing efforts.

 Of course, the basic requirement is that the content should provide value to your readers, but the blogs should encourage them to strike a conversation with you. Make smart use of the comment section to engage readers, answer their questions, and if possible, schedule a call or set up an email communication.

Apart from comments, set clear and easily visible CTAs that will prompt readers to either subscribe, sign up, or download. Give them as many avenues to engage with you as are practical. 

When they subscribe, take the opportunity of the welcome email to communicate what kind of content they can expect from you, and direct them to your website or social media.

Thus, with the combination of quality content, clear CTAs, and open-ended communication, your B2B blog can be an effective lead generation tool.

Creating a Facebook group for your business

Groups on Facebook are popular for the simple reason that they unite a lot of like-minded people for meaningful discussions. 

Creating your own business group gives you an opportunity to bring a large part of your audience under one roof. Keep the following points in mind to reap the maximum benefits from your group -

•  Set a clear purpose of the group, i.e., decide whether you want to create the group to sell, to increase brand awareness, or simply to engage your existing customers. This will help you narrow down the members from target audience you want to be a part of the group.

• When you are inviting members, make sure you send a personalized message to them, to increase chances of a positive response.

• Keep your group public or private based on social media marketing goals. If you want it to be exclusive, keep it private.

Make sure that the content you post is aimed at helping them solve their business challenges, and encourages open communication with you and other team members.

7 SEO Tricks to Improve Your Google Ranking

No matter how much efforts you put into the design, user experience and content of your website, they would not yield results unless you are showing up higher in Google search results.

                       

Let us have a look at some tried and tested SEO tricks to help you increase your ranking -

Introduce you main keyword as early as possible in the content

Not only the number of times you use a keyword, but its position also makes a difference when it comes to ranking. Google gives priority to relevant keywords that can be seen at the top of the results. However, take care that you weave the keyword naturally through the content.

Increase the loading speed of your website

Slow loading pages put off website visitors and increase your bounce rate. Moreover, page speed is an important Google ranking factor. Removing any unnecessary design elements, enabling browser caching and reducing the number of unused or unnecessary plugins are some quick ways of increasing your loading speed.

Optimize your website for mobile experience

Google has long since started prioritizing mobile versions of websites over the desktop ones. Proving a great mobile experience will definitely help you boost your position in related searches.

Search for and fix any broken links

A sufficient number of quality backlinks is great for SEO, but some of these links might be broken and escaped your notice. Multiple 404 errors greatly harm both user experience and website ranking.

Optimize for local SEO

People are increasingly using their smartphones to search for businesses near their location. Thus, optimizing for local SEO, coupled with customer reviews and testimonials will greatly increase your chances of ranking high in local searches.

TSL Consulting Pvt Ltd is an integrated marketing company based in India. We offer customized outbound marketing, inbound marketing, digital marketing and data profiling services to a wide spectrum of small and mid-sized organizations.

Social Media marketing trends to watch out for in 2020

Just like content; social media is at the heart of digital marketing. It is one of the most powerful tools that help distribute content to the right audience at the right time. With ever-changing social media trends, and the social media channels coming up with new, innovative tools; social media marketing has become omnipresent in IT B2B marketing industry.

Going visual-

The trend in 2020 in B2B Digital Marketing Services is definitely shifting from content-only to visual-only and also on social media. With the attention span of readers reducing by the day, and customers being spoilt for choice; videos are becoming the eye-catcher. Videos are becoming an equally dominant trend in the year 2019 as they were in the year 2018.  With the focus of social media on engaging audiences and building relationships with customers through fresh content-mediums such as stories and live streaming; the use of visual content has more demand now than ever. There is a shift in trends with brands wanting to create a richer, visual-content the medium that can yield a more effective business output.

GoLive-                                                                                                                                            

Video has been gaining popularity and is picking up fast since the year 2018. However; video content on social media has become yet another opportunity for marketers to attract, engage and convert prospects. Going live helps build trust and loyalty of customers. Going live with video also makes it more interactive, helping marketers connect better with their customers. In B2B Digital Marketing industry; video is helping personalization and customization become easier than before.

Enhanced customer experience-

Brands that emphasize more on elevating customer experience have more chances of fetching customer loyalty. A one-on-one communication with customers increases the chances of better and effective communication. Data is now being used and leveraged to make the best of personalization for enhanced customer experiences. Marketers are also focused on giving enhanced customer experiences through recommendations, brand reputation etc. to make the most of social media.

Social media is undeniably one of the most powerful tools for marketers to enhance brand image and reach the expected target audience. And the powerful combination of visual medium and social media is only helping marketers to gain a wider reach with better results.

3 trends in digital marketing, that you may not have yet adopted in 2020

While we are ready to almost pave halfway through 2020; it is never too late to know what it is that is trending in the digital marketing world. With change being the only constant and more so with technology and customer awareness changing the way we do business today; one should be in sync with what works today and now! Here are a few trends of Digital marketing in 2020 that is catching up fast and that may help your business in more ways than one.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)-

Going by the trends in AI; all our simpler jobs, at least, in the near future will be taken over by AI. This path-breaking technology can analyse consumer behaviour; while utilizing data from social media. It creates new search patterns to build better understanding between the marketers and consumers. Chatbots are a great example of simplifying the complex needs of customers, like-wise, providing them with what they want. AI is already playing a crucial role in moulding the way B2B Digital Marketing works.

Programmatic Advertising-

In IT B2B Marketing, this can also be termed as refined advertising; one that is done with the help of technology; as, through programmatic advertising, you now get to automate your Ad- buying for a specific target audience. Simplifying the process of identifying the audience and not fully knowing what would appeal to them; programmatic advertising brings in the ease of knowing and delivering what the customer wants without any guess-work. According to sources (www.emarketer.com) almost 90% of digital display ads in the U.S will be made programmatic by the year 2020. With systematic programmatic advertising; you can expect higher conversions and ROI.

Video Marketing-

Video marketing has already made its entry and has been here for some time now as the next big thing in the digital realm.

Going by the statistics, it is about to make a bigger wave in the digital world-

•  Almost 72% of businesses are saying that video marketing has improved their conversion rate
• 70% of consumers say that they share brand videos
•  52% of consumers say watching videos help them make online buying decisions more confidently
• 65% of executives say that they visit a marketers website after watching a video

(source- www.impactbnd.com)

The good thing about change is that, there is always something new that is trending and can help augment your business. The skill is to know how much of it you really need, and how much of it you have to adopt right away so that you don’t lose out on the potential chances of enhancing your business today.

8 Tips to Revive Your Lead Generation in 2020

Scrolling through the last decade, you can’t miss out the pace with which everything has transformed. From the way people make decisions to the way they buy, has evolved! In the market, where you see thousands of options for one good or service, it is very difficult to differentiate yourself. It is important that you put across your brand’s value in an effective way to catch the attention of your target audience. Yes, your website SEO services, internet marketing service, email marketing services, demand generation and content all are relevant, but what next? How do you make that impression on your audience?

Here are some unusual yet effective ways to get the desired results, especially in 2020.

#Microsite

Your every prospect is not looking for all the services in your portfolio; hence, it is important that you provide a separate space for each of your service or targeted audience. Microsite does exactly that by explaining the niche service/product. Also, microsites are easy to rank on long-tail keywords, which can also drive traffic to your main website, if linked to the microsite.  

                   

#Build B2B app

B2B products and services often neglect the significance of application. Most of the people think business applications are to buy the product or service. But, one shouldn’t forget, app is an easy and quick way to exhibit your services. Also, a few thoughtfully designed service packages could be a part of the app. This will help prospects to get quick services without much business and paper hassles.

#FAQs page

Your prospects need to know in and out of your services before they actually purchase it. Hence, they will need answers to their questions. FAQs page is a great opportunity to convert your prospects into customers. An FAQ page with an enquiry form or an instant chat box can definitely help you answer the doubts of your customers then and there. 

#Engage with fellow service providers

Even if your fellow service providers are your competitors, you should be interacting with them through social media, conferences and other media. This will not only help you understand the current industry trend, but also enable you to set the thought leadership path of your organization’s services. It will help you to be one step ahead of them and differentiate yourself.

#Personalized pop-ups and slide-ins

However irritating these might be, but the prospects that actually need your service will definitely fill the form for more information or enquiry. And, when you personalize them, it adds a human touch to the otherwise wry and dry transactions. Your customers do feel welcomed and connected to the brand.

#Tradeshows

Tradeshows are a great way to connect with your prospects on personal level. It gives you a first-hand chance to know them and their demands. And, when your customers can directly approach you through events and tradeshows, they do feel related to the brand.

#Corporate Social Responsibility

This is rather an offbeat and unglorified way to generate leads. Remember, whether a prospect or not, everyone wants to be associated with the good. When a brand is associated with a social cause, it creates a goodwill in society and ultimately amongst the prospects.

#Hire an expert

Last, but not the least, you cannot underestimate the value that an expert brings on the table. Experts having the technique and experience in market can definitely help you boost your lead generation activities. Though, you’ll have to carefully scrutinize and choose which lead generation company can help you meet your objectives.

Conclusion

The lead generation is the ultimate goal of your marketing activities. Thus, it is important that your marketing is effective and current enough to catch the eyeballs of your prospects. The above mentioned ways will not only boost your lead generation activities, but also help you to differentiate yourself in the industry.