Listen
How to Rank for “How-to” Keywords
Getting a how-to post to rank highly is like search traffic gold. Well, maybe more like search traffic silver. You only hit gold when your answer lands in Google’s featured snippet box. But that’s another story for another day. Silver is still pretty dang good.
If you’ve written a how-to post and it isn’t ranking, you’re really missing out on some valuable traffic. Today’s the day to get back some of that traffic you’re missing out on.
Head over to your latest “how to” post and get ready to edit along with Ross from Siege Media. His tips:
- (0:34) Use Ordered Lists, “Step” H2s, and Verbs. Rather than just listing your steps as 1, 2, 3, etc., put the word “step” in front of those numbers. That helps Google understand that you’re clearly giving people the steps to do something. Also, make sure you give each step an <h2> tag because that helps to show importance.
- (2:54) Improve CTR With “in X Time/Steps.” People prefer to learn about things that they can do in 5 steps, or in 30 seconds. If people prefer it, so will Google. If your post is a “how to” about email marketing, title it something like “How to Get More Email Subscribers in 5 Easy Steps.” (We should totes write that)
- (4:13) Solve for Multiple Learning Methods. People learn in different ways, right? Include different methods in your blog post – anything from video to illustrations to pictures that match each step. Use them all.
- (6:28) Restate the Title Before Step 1. It’s as simple as this: “These are the 5 steps you need to know to get more email subscribers.” That helps Google know exactly where the action takes place. Plus, a few more keywords in your blog won’t hurt.
Today’s Listen is technically a video, but whatever. It’s still actionable, packed full, and short. Ain’t nobody got time for a 90-minute podcast.
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Stranger Things Stars Offer Clues for Marketers on How to Reach Generation Z
Hold onto your hats, y’all, we’re doing things a little differently today. And it’s not even a Friday! Don’t say we don’t try to keep things interesting around here.
Today’s Read might not be tactic-based, but it’s still super insightful. And okay, fine. We finished Stranger Things 2 and we’re like, “Where do we go to from here…?” Sometimes the Internet gods answer us.
A few months back, we featured an article about Generation Z—their digital behavior, their buying power, their high expectations for brands and technology—and why they should be included in your content strategy. After all, they make up nearly 30% of the US population and contribute $44 billion to the economy.
So, yeah, this interview with the Stranger Things kids is gosh darn adorable, but it’s also a closer look into the minds of Gen Z. Like how they dgaf about Facebook. They literally say it’s for old people and, honestly, we ain’t even mad, we could use the reality check.
Watch
Think Inside the Box
Uber’s putting the car in cardboard (Ohhhhhhh) with their latest minute-long ad. Lol wait, another ad about boxes? Yeah, we’re killin’ it.
But these boxes are representing a huge issue—traffic jams that plague Asian cities.
So Uber took to the streets to stress the importance of ridesharing, with the tagline: Let’s create better cities. Let’s ride together.
The spot is based on research commissioned by Uber, which found that “drivers in nine of Asia’s biggest cities are stuck in traffic jams for 52 minutes every day and spend 26 more minutes looking for parking.” Hard pass.
In the spot, you see drivers and pedestrians alike battling with boxes-turned cars, trying to navigate through the swarms of “vehicles.” Roadways are inundated by cardboard and, despite its light-hearted delivery (the soundtrack is “Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book), you can sense the chaos. Maybe you even flash back to your own hellish commute this morning.
Hey, Look at This
Marketoonist hit us with a v relevant cartoon: what would happen if a marketer edited Shakespeare?
