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Broken Link Building Guide: 6+ Tactics for Better Prospecting, Outreach & Links

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Getting quality links to point to your site are a key part of ranking in organic search – and will be for the foreseeable future. But getting links for links sake will often do more harm than good.

Real, quality links that represent real people endorsing your website requires some legit marketing, hours invested in planning & outreach plus a bit of risk – something not a lot of businesses or agencies can afford.

Aside – Seasoned SEO? Skip down to the ideas here.

Broken link building is a link building strategy that aims to at least reduce the risk of lost investment. The general idea is straightforward:

  • Find links on a website to pages that no longer exist
  • Point out the dead links to the website owner
  • Have a similar or complementary page that can replace the broken URL

It’s a win all around. You get an editorially placed link, the website owner saves some time researching replacements, and the website’s users are no longer frustrated by 404 pages.

Broken link building reduces the risk of creating an unwanted content asset or page since you are replacing dead pages that already succeeded in getting links.

However, it can still be time-intensive to find the dead links & do smart, thoughtful, non-spammy outreach. Here’s how to prospect & do outreach much more efficiently & effectively. [Read more…] about Broken Link Building Guide: 6+ Tactics for Better Prospecting, Outreach & Links

How To Use WordPress Category & Tag Pages for SEO

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One amazing, but underestimated, feature of WordPress are Category and Tag pages. Whenever you write a new post, you have the option to add that post to a category or tag the post.

When you add you post to the category/tag, WordPress creates an archive of all the posts in that category or with that tag. You can find them under Posts –> Tag or Posts –> Category on the WordPress Dashboard.

These category and tag pages are blank and simply a list of posts by default. For people browsing your site, they can be useful if you’re consistent with your categorization & tagging…but for anyone not familiar with your site, they can be pretty useless.

In fact, if you have lots of random categories and tags – it can create a low quality/duplicate content issue & appear spammy to search engines. In my post on how to use Yoast’s WordPress SEO plugin, I recommended NOINDEX, FOLLOW category & tag pages to prevent any SEO-related penalties (ie, that tells search engines to click through to your posts, but not to serve them in search results).

But category & tag pages can be so much more for both your readers & search engines. And really, they just need some unique content explaining the category or tag. Here’s why you should build out your category & tag pages – and exactly how to use WordPress category & tag pages for SEO… [Read more…] about How To Use WordPress Category & Tag Pages for SEO

How To Make Bulk Edits To (Any) Content in WordPress

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I’ve had two different bosses in two different industries tell me that “if a task feels tedious then you’re using the wrong tools.”

And that is especially true with auditing, editing and implementing website changes.

Here’s an all too common scenario – you’re a marketer or website owner in charge of a large-ish website running WordPress.

Unlike website software in the past, you can make content changes to your website. In fact, you’ve chosen WordPress over hosted website builders so that you can make these bulk changes.

But whether you are trying to make WordPress bulk edits to post content, titles, or any part of your taxonomy…

It is still all too tedious. [Read more…] about How To Make Bulk Edits To (Any) Content in WordPress

InMotion Hosting Website Creator Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

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Website Creator is a stand-alone website builder product built & sold by InMotion Hosting, one of the largest independent web hosting companies in the world.

See Website Creator Plans & Pricing here.

InMotion Hosting has been in the web hosting business since 2001. Unlike many hosting companies, they remain staunchly independent and focused primarily on website products for small businesses. They have an emphasis on customer support and raw performance.

While they still have a range of hosting products (my InMotion Hosting Review), they have also been quick to respond to changes in customer demand. Website Creator came out of that effort.

The big demand of the past 5 years has been for easy to use, bundled, drag and drop website builders. But popular website builders pose some risks for business owners investing in a long-term project.

Website Creator was created for small business owners who need to easily DIY their own website, but also are thinking seriously about how to best build their website for scalability, versatility, and long-term success.

Since I’ve been a user of InMotion’s hosting products for quite some time, I recently decided to give their new website builder, Website Creator, a try for a small, quick project.

Before I dive into pros and cons, let’s talk about some basics.

[Read more…] about InMotion Hosting Website Creator Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

SiteGround Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using SiteGround

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SiteGround Hosting is an independent web hosting company founded in 2004. They are based in Bulgaria but serve hosting markets globally. SiteGround positions themselves as a company offering high-quality, “well-crafted” hosting solutions.

See SiteGround’s Current Plans & Pricing.

SiteGround offers a spectrum of hosting solutions ranging from shared Linux hosting (the affordable, versatile kind used by most websites) all the way to Cloud, WordPress, and Reseller server solutions for large, growing websites.

They are one of the fastest growing independent (ie, not a brand owned by a larger corporate holding company) hosting companies. I heard about them via their growing event involvement in the WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and marketing communities.

Like my experiment with Web Hosting Hub, I recently had a couple small sites that needed their own hosting accounts, so I wanted to give SiteGround Hosting a try based on high praise from people I respect in the industry. I started that project several years ago, and have kept the account active. I originally published this review several years ago, but have refreshed & republished this post as SiteGround has changed their tools & services.

Here’s my SiteGround Hosting review – structured with pros & cons, comparisons and next steps based on my experience as a customer. [Read more…] about SiteGround Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using SiteGround

WordPress.com Review: Pros & Cons of WordPress.com as a Website Builder

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WordPress is one of the most popular pieces of software in the website space. WordPress powers over 25% of the Internet and is famous for its versatility and ease of use.

Its is so well-known, that it’s common for people with some web design experience to generally say “just use WordPress” when referring DIYers and freelancers to a website solution.

But for those who are unfamiliar with the general WordPress world, there is a major point of confusion: WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

In this article, I’ll be reviewing WordPress.com as a website builder and general website solution for DIYers.

See WordPress.com’s Plans & Pricing here.

But before I dive into specifics, let’s talk about the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: What’s the Difference?

WordPress is the name of a piece of software that can “power” your website on a server. So instead of uploading individual files to a server to create a website, you can use WordPress to create a “backend” where you can log in to your website to create, edit and manage web pages, blog posts, images – any sort of content.

It’s a “content management system” in web development jargon. WordPress is also “open-source” – which means that a community maintains it. A for-profit corporation does not own it. A non-profit foundation technically manages the trademark while leaving the software open under a General Public License.

The software & open-source community live & function at WordPress.org – where anyone can grab a copy of the software.

Note that I still haven’t said anything about it running a website. The other two pieces needed to run a website are hosting (ie, a server to run WordPress and render your website) and a domain name, which allows people to navigate to your website.

WordPress.org is also known as “self-hosted WordPress” because you have to provide the server for the software to live on. You pay for hosting and domain registration fees separately. You can learn how to setup a self-hosted WordPress website here.

And then there’s WordPress.com. It is a for-profit company owned by Automattic and founded by Matt Mullenweg – one of the original developers of WordPress.

WordPress.com is a service (not just the actual software & community) that offers websites / blogs powered by their install of WordPress software. They bundle hosting, support, services, and software into a single subscription. I refer it to as “hosted WordPress”, because you’re buying a hosted version of the software.

The renting vs. buying in real estate works well as an analogy.

WordPress.com = Renting a building for your living space (aka your website). You can pay for upgrades, but ultimately everything is up to your landlord (WordPress.com). That said – your landlord also has to pay to keep everything in working order.

WordPress.org = Owning a building for your living space. You own everything on your own hosting space. You do whatever you want. That said – you are responsible for everything.

If you want to get into the weeds, I wrote a whole post about the differences between WordPress.com and .org. But that analogy says it all.

The key tradeoff here is between convenience and control. WordPress.com is what we call an all-inclusive website builder. It competes directly with other hosted website builders like Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, GoDaddy GoCentral, etc. You sacrifice some control (like FTP access) to get a lot more convenience (like not installing security patches or crashing your own site).

Compared to its direct competition, WordPress.com focuses on scalability, support, and flexibility. Let’s dive further into my WordPress.com review to see how it really compares.

[Read more…] about WordPress.com Review: Pros & Cons of WordPress.com as a Website Builder

Homepage Best Practices, Ideas, & Examples

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Ah, the homepage. If you’re like most website owners, you’ve put massive thought into making your front page look amazing.

But there’s a rhyme and reason behind homepage design… at least, there should be. Your homepage likely attracts the most visitors of any page on your site. It’s the front door to the rest of your content — and the rest of your business online.

Think about your own browsing habits. What happens when you have a bad homepage experience on someone’s website? You likely hit the back button ASAP.

So let’s talk about getting your homepage where it needs to be. Here are five homepage best practices you should follow, from how your copy should be written to how to give visitors next steps (with examples)!

Your homepage should…

[Read more…] about Homepage Best Practices, Ideas, & Examples

A2 Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using A2 Hosting

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A2 Hosting is an independent web hosting company founded in 2003. They are based in Ann Arbor Michigan but serve hosting markets globally. A2 Hosting positions themselves as a high performance, speed-focused hosting company with excellent support.

See A2 Hosting’s Current Plans & Pricing.

A2 Hosting offers a full spectrum of hosting solutions ranging from shared Linux hosting (what most businesses need) all the way to cloud, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated server solutions for large, growing websites.

Like InMotion Hosting and SiteGround Hosting, A2 Hosting is one of the faster growing independent hosting companies (i.e., not owned by a larger corporate holding company like Endurance or GoDaddy). They have a large dedicated fanbase in addition to some high-profile bloggers as customers.

I recently had a couple small websites that needed their own hosting accounts. Since I’ve had readers ask about A2 Hosting, I decided to give them a try.

Here’s my A2 Hosting review structured with pros and cons based on my experience as a customer.

Skip to direct comparisons or skip to the conclusion. [Read more…] about A2 Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using A2 Hosting

My Blog Comment Spam Is Too High. Here’s Why & What To Do About It.

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Last month, the Akismet module of JetPack (the anti-spam software I use) filtered 850 delicious bits of blog comment spam.

I now have 324 comments in my queue tagged spam.

And that’s just the automated stuff.

I also get lots of bewildering comments such as,

Good way of explaining, and fastidious post to obtain data regarding my presentation subject matter, which i am going to deliver in institution of higher education.

The above comment could have been from a very well-meaning reader who is trying to leave a very kind comment in a language not his own…except for certain indications that said that it was a spammy attempt for a certain British web design agency to get a free link from my website.

If you have had a blog for any amount of time – you will encounter spam. Lots of spam. In fact – here’s my spam chart that I proudly display on my WordPress Dashboard…

Spam Increase

 

But what most people don’t know is what blog comment spam is…who does it? Why does it exist? And most importantly – how you can attempt to stanch the tsunami of blog comment spam so that you can treat your real commenters like royalty?

Well here’s what you need to know. [Read more…] about My Blog Comment Spam Is Too High. Here’s Why & What To Do About It.

15+ Ideas for Using Search Performance More Effectively

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Search Performance (formerly ‘Search Analytics’) is one of the most useful tools in Google Search Console’s suite of tools. It provides a lot of data about how your website is performing in Google’s organic search results.

But like any data source – it is useless…unless you know how to put the data into action. Even though the best ways to use Search Console are specific to your website, there is a myriad of ways to put the data into action.

As of 2019, Google moved an all-new Google Search Console out of Beta. You can get access at search.google.com. It is different on multiple levels from the old Webmaster Tools / Search Console. I’ve reworked all the screenshots below to reflect the current Search Console (which also renamed the Search Analytics Report to the ‘Performance’ tab.

Search Performance

Either way, here are 15+ ways that I like to use Search Console to solve SEO problems. Hopefully, you’ll be find something to use or build on to put your own data into action. [Read more…] about 15+ Ideas for Using Search Performance More Effectively

Jimdo Review: Pros & Cons of Using Jimdo Website Builder

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Jimdo is known as an easy-to-use, all-inclusive website builder that is designed for people with no coding knowledge. They offer two options for website owners: a DIY builder that puts you in control of choosing a template and customizing it, or an AI website builder that uses artificial intelligence to build a template for you, then walks you through the various tweaks you can make.

See Jimdo’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave Jimdo a try for a full Jimdo review. But before I get into the pros and cons of my Jimdo review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

[Read more…] about Jimdo Review: Pros & Cons of Using Jimdo Website Builder

Site123 Review: Pros & Cons of using Site123 Website Builder

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Site123 is a fast-growing, independently-owned, website builder based in Israel focused exclusively on DIYers. They claim to be “the most intuitive and easy to use website builder on the market”.

Check out Site123’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave Site 123 a try for a small project after receiving a few reader questions. But before I get into the pros and cons of my Site 23 review, let’s consider a bit of background on building a website in general.

There are so many considerations to take into account when choosing a website builder — and really, there are a thousand ways to get what you want in the end in terms of functionality, convenience, pricing, etc. The thing to remember is: whether you’re building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

What Is Site123?

On the wide spectrum of website building solutions, Site123 lives on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website. It contrasts with solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately. I wrote a post on Website Builders, Explained for more background.

Using Site123 is sort of like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control with all software, but especially with website builders.

Everything may fit together just right with a website builder like Site123, but that may or may not be what you’re looking for.

As far as competition, Site123 competes with all-inclusive hosted website builders like Weebly, Wix, Squarespace, Gator, and WordPress.com.

Compared to their direct competition, they focus on speed and ease by providing done-for-you templates and designs so you can focus solely on content.

Instead of operating like a traditional drag-and-drop website builder, Site123 has you pick your niche and then customize a curated template based on that niche, which appeals to beginners who have no design or development experience (think DIY-ers who need to create a website ASAP without having any website experience).

[Read more…] about Site123 Review: Pros & Cons of using Site123 Website Builder

Contact Us Page Best Practices, Ideas & Examples

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How much thought did you put into your Contact Us page on your website?

If you’re like most businesses, you probably focused on the method (i.e. how people can contact you) but didn’t give much thought to the page itself (i.e. the copywriting and design).

In reality, the Contact page should be one of highest priority pages on your site because it’s one of the most visited pages. It’s also typically the beginning of your interactions with potential customers.

With that in mind, let’s talk about how to make a killer Contact Us page that will stand out to your visitors.

[Read more…] about Contact Us Page Best Practices, Ideas & Examples

Gator Website Builder Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

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HostGator is one of the best known brands in the website & hosting industry. They’re especially known for their shared hosting, building their reputation on good pricing, fast servers, and great service compared to other brands. While I’ve long used HostGator for website hosting, I recently gave their website builder software, Gator Website Builder, a try.

View Gator Website Builder Current Plans & Pricing.

But before I get into the pros and cons of my Gator website builder review, let’s dive into an overview of website solutions.

There are so many considerations to take into account when choosing a website builder — and really, there are a thousand ways to get what you want in the end in terms of functionality, convenience, pricing, etc.

The thing to remember is: whether you’re building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

What Is Gator Website Builder?

The Gator Website Builder is HostGator’s hosted website builder. HostGator has traditionally only provided domain names & hosting for other website software (like installing WordPress). Gator is their move into providing domain, hosting AND software in a single subscription.

So, on the wide spectrum of website building solutions, Gator Website Builder lives on the end that is hosted, all-inclusive, provides everything you need to get started and grow your website. It contrasts with solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately (ie, buying your domain name, hosting & installing software).

Using HostGator’s Gator Website Builder is sort of like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner.

That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control. You can read more about what a website builder is and how it contrasts to web hosting here.

Everything may fit together just right with a website builder like HostGator, but that may or may not be what you’re looking for.

As far as competition, HostGator competes directly with all-inclusive website builders like Weebly, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy’s GoCentral and WordPress.com.

Compared to their direct competition, they focus on speed and convenience by offering everything you need to get your website up and running in just a few minutes. HostGator appeals to the non-developer community here (think DIY-ers who need to create a website without having tons of website experience or time to maintain self-hosted software).

[Read more…] about Gator Website Builder Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

HostGator Hosting Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

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HostGator is one of the most well-known brands in the hosting world. They are one of the two flagship brands of Endurance International, the world’s largest web services corporation.

HostGator was the first shared hosting company that I ever used – I signed up back when they were still privately owned. They’ve changed a lot over the years in both product focus and lineup.

See HostGator’s current plans & pricing.

And yet – I’m still a customer after all these years (I have several micro-sites on a single shared hosting account). They are an incredible fit for a certain type of customer. But it pays to know their pros, cons, advantages. and complaints so that you can find the best host for your specific situation.

So let’s dive into my HostGator review. They aren’t the best fit for everyone, but here’s what I’ve liked/disliked as a customer. [Read more…] about HostGator Hosting Review: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

How To Use Google Search Console (Webmaster Tools) Effectively

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Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) is Google’s suite of tools, data & diagnostics to “help you have a healthy, Google-friendly site.”

It’s the only place to get search engine optimization information about your website directly from Google.

Side note – Bing has a separate but similar tool suite at Bing Webmaster Tools.

Google Search Console (Webmaster Tools) is free. Any website can use it. But, simply installing it will not improve your SEO, or your organic traffic. It’s a toolset – which means you have to understand how to use Google Search Console effectively to make any difference on your website.

In 2018, Google has launched an all-new Google Search Console. It’s out of Beta and open to the public. If you are used to the old Webmaster Tools, much of the data & structure might be familiar. Many pieces were removed, but overall your access to data is much improved. There is way more data that is way more accessible than the old Webmaster Tools.

That said, it is still bit daunting to understand. This tutorial will go through what each feature is, what you should be using it for, and some ideas on being creative with it. [Read more…] about How To Use Google Search Console (Webmaster Tools) Effectively

GoDaddy Website Builder vs. Shopify for Online Stores

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GoDaddy Website Builder vs. Shopify – they are two of the most well-known brands in the website / eCommerce platform industry, but how do they compare directly to each other?

View Shopify’s Current Pricing & Plans

View GoDaddy’s Current Pricing & Plans

First, a bit of background. Over the past few years, online store costs have plummeted, and the technology to get a website from idea to reality has blossomed. Whether you’re using a text editor and uploading to the Amazon cloud, hosting your own site powered by WordPress + WooCommerce or using a drag and drop online store builder, there’s never been an easier time to create an online store.

All-inclusive eCommerce builders have been particularly interesting. Companies like GoDaddy, Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce – not to mention platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon – have brought eCommerce to everyone regardless of their coding skills.

On the wide spectrum of eCommerce store building solutions, they all live on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website.

That is in contrast to solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately. While that’s not a good or bad thing, it is something to be aware of when you’re choosing one of them as a solution since it affects your website both long and short term.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

Using an online store builder is like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs

Shopify, GoDaddy’s builder, and other options like Weebly as a group compete with options like WordPress (which provides the free software to build a website that you own & control – see my WordPress setup guide here) all the way to options like typing actual HTML code into a text file.

There are three last prefaces to straighten out.

First, is that GoDaddy is an all-around hosted website builder with eCommerce capability.

Second, Shopify, in contrast, is strictly a hosted eCommerce platform. This focus puts GoDaddy Website Builder behind as an advanced tool and Shopify behind as a super-easy-to-use tool. With their respective free trials, you can quickly see the differences.

Third, GoDaddy also offers hosting without the builder where you can install WooCommerce, Magento or other self-hosted eCommerce software. In this comparison, we’ll look at GoDaddy’s Builder product specifically. You can find GoDaddy hosting alternatives here.

Make sense? Awesome – let’s dive into the comparison.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

Side note – if you want this comparison in a BuzzFeed-style quiz, you can take my online store builder quiz here…

You can also look at my posts on –

Otherwise, we’ll look specifically at pricing, onboarding/user experience, design features, technical features, eCommerce features, marketing features, and customer support. [Read more…] about GoDaddy Website Builder vs. Shopify for Online Stores

Website Builders Explained

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Website builders are a type of software that turns visual design elements into HTML / CSS files that browsers can show as a website. Modern website builders are usually bundled in some form with hosting to provide storage & server abilities for those files.

As an analogy, imagine a website is like a physical home. Website builders are a bit like pre-built houses or condominiums with infrastructure & services provided. Usually the land (hosting), address (domain) and services are bundled with the home. There are usually costs & limitations, but also much more convenience compared to building a home from scratch.

[Read more…] about Website Builders Explained

Website Hosting Explained

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Website hosting is reserved space on a computer server that stores & serves files related to a website (ie, HTML, CSS, images, etc) to browsers when requested via the Internet. Website hosting is usually connected to a human-readable domain name.

As an analogy, website hosting is like a plot of physical land…but on the Internet. Like a physical plot of land, it’s usually connected to a known address, and it’s only truly useful if you build something on it. Also like physical land, website hosting can come with an infrastructure to make your project easier / cheaper. It also has many tradeoffs.

[Read more…] about Website Hosting Explained

Namecheap or GoDaddy? Where To Get Your Website Domain Names

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Namecheap or GoDaddy? Where’s the best place to buy your domain name? I get asked those type of questions a lot. I’m a customer of both GoDaddy and Namecheap. So this review is based 100% on my experience with both companies as far as domains go.

Notes: If you are just looking for discounts, coupons, or promo codes – here’s what I’ve got for you. I’ve got links with promo codes built in from both GoDaddy & Namecheap. I get referral fees from any companies mentioned in this post, but any opinions are based on my experience as a paying customer.

If you click this link for GoDaddy – you can get a .com for $0.99 for the first year.

If you click this link to Namecheap, you’ll access their current flash sale.

Still with me? Great! Let’s dive into the full Namecheap vs. GoDaddy review! Because you’re already the type of person who knows that your domain name is your name on the Internet – and that it matters who provides it – I’ll break the review down into 6 categories that actually matter – price, user experience, interface, extras, upsells, and principles based on my experience as a consultant & owner of (way too many) domains. [Read more…] about Namecheap or GoDaddy? Where To Get Your Website Domain Names