iGB Affiliate 55 Feb/Mar | Page 42

TRAFFIC or a misspelling, or because the linked website is no longer registered. If the latter, we may evaluate buying and using that domain to link our money site within a PBN (private blog network) strategy. ●●Majestic The last tool we usually use is Majestic SEO, which gives us the Trust Flow and the Citation Flow of the analysed website. The higher those values are, the stronger the website (and the tougher it will be to overcome that competitor). Of those two metrics, the one to pay most attention is the Trust Flow, as this shows the quality of the sources linking the analysed website, and we all know that having one link from a very authoritative websites is far more valuable than lots links from weak resources. From the top menu, we can click on ‘backlinks’ to have a look at the Trust Flow of linking website both for URL flow metrics and domain flow metrics. The aim of this exercise is to obtain links from the same highest authoritative sources as our competitor websites. Topical trust flow also displays the niche of the linking sources: society, education, finance, science and so forth, with the strongest backlinks being those from related niches and topics. Tips for keeping users engaged Now we have a good website, a great piece of content, and know how to search for good links, the last step is to learn how to keep users engaged. Why is this so important? An engaged user is a loyal one, and is the most likely to buy from our website. Here we share some tips towards achieving this. ●●Create a great first impression Often this is the only opportunity you will get to impress the user and transform them into a loyal one, so it’s imperative 38 iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016 to have an easy-to-navigate website and offer easily readable, high-quality content. We need to front of mind that the aim of every article on our website is to satisfy a user’s needs. ●●Offer a mobile version of your website Almost a year has passed since Google’s Mobilegeddon update (it was released on April 21, 2015) and still not every website today is mobile-friendly. It’s now a must to have a mobile website that gives users a great navigation experience on all devices. Navigation from smartphones is increasing week by week (see www. smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/ mobile-marketing-analytics/mobilemarketing-statistics/) and we cannot skip this step, which allows us to convert more easily and earn more money. ●●Make proper use of text formatting Use bold when needed, clear line spacing, a readable font, both in terms of size and legibility. Integrate your text using lists, which are easier to read, and use images to help explain and make your concepts clearer. Video is also a great way to reach users who don’t like to read. ●●Allow users to easily share your content Put your social buttons in intuitive places on your webpage and encourage users to share on their favourite social network. Google tends to reward the most shared websites and webpages with a higher ranking. ●●Easy-to-follow navigation Users need to move easily though your website. Keep your menus visible and easy to use. ●●Easy-to-understand homepage Studies show that if a homepage doesn’t grab your user’s attention within the first 10 seconds of landing on it, they’ll leave and never return. So, when creating your homepage remember to keep it simple and avoid clutter that may make it confusing to the first-time visitor. your website as quick as possible Especially when navigating the site by mobile, users don’t want to have to wait to access the content, so it’s crucial for this to load and display as fast as possible. Pages that load in less than a second are favoured by both users and Google. To achieve this, use light images and think about using a good content delivery network. Also, keep your coding simple and always choose a reliable server. ●●Make In summary In conclusion, building an optimized website is pivotal to achieving great results. This is true in every niche, but perhaps holds even more true in the most competitive niches such as forex and casino. Nothing can be left to chance, every single aspect of your on and off-site SEO must be perfect in order to rank. Also, don’t forget to allow your users to subscribe to a free newsletter updating them about your new content and offers, as this helps build loyalty. Email marketing has one of the highest conversion rates out there, so it’s a must. Do all this correctly, and you will have a potential money-making machine in your hands. GINO TOPINI is an Italian, resident in London, UK. Along with Manila Carano, he owns Mj Web Studio Ltd, a digital company experienced in web design, SEO, web marketing, social media marketing and copywriting. Working in SEO since 2005, he prefers to work in the most competitive niches, such as forex, loans, mortgages, insurance and tourism.