Written by: Lia Categories - The Importance Of Taking Responsibility For Your Digital Presence
November 8, 2016—the date of the 58th US Presidential Election—has caused a huge stir internationally, to say the least. It’s also raised questions about the role of SEO and the responsibilities a digital marketing agency has, not just for business but for the general public. We’ve spoken before about the importance of good content with regards to improving SEO. Providing authentic and factual information is a must. But with the explosion of fake “news” stories clogging search engines, it’s more important than ever for a digital marketing agency—not to mention any content provider—to take responsibility for their content and push back against black hat SEO techniques. Sounds like heavy stuff, right? Not at all! Understanding your responsibilities can help you create better content, which leads to—you guessed it—a bigger audience and more business in the long run. Here’s what you need to know:
F is for Fake
What actually makes fake news fake? Keep in mind that clickbait, journalistic mistakes, and satire don’t count. Fake news is deliberately created by outlets looking to promote their own agenda, whatever that may be, and has no real respect for things like facts, accuracy, or honesty. The problem is that these stories wind up going viral—which should be a marketer’s dream!—and get to the top of Facebook’s trending topics or Google’s news results. This is a big problem for marketers and search engines alike. Fake news:
- Competes with good, high-quality content—your content!
- Influences how the audience thinks and feels about a brand
- Shakes up business—and not in a good way!
On Google, high-ranking fake news results typically mean a shady digital marketing agency is using black hat SEO techniques such as:
- Hidden text or links in an attempt to trick search engines
- Keyword stuffing, often including unrelated search terms
- Doorway pages to gain high search result rankings
- Page swapping, switching the page out entirely after it’s ranked
- Duplicated or otherwise copied content
Knowing Is Half The Battle
Since fake news became A Thing™, Google has committed to finding solutions to this issue. In fact, they’ve even encouraged content publishers to be more authentic. Part of Google’s approach will no doubt involve some changes to their search algorithm. We’ve talked about this before, but in short:
- Stick to the facts
- Don’t hide behind complicated language
- Remember why users are visiting your site—they need your services and information!
That means content needs to be factual, honest, and transparent. Don’t hide why you want users to click on a link! Let them know up front, and they’ll be happier for it.
A is for Accountability
A digital marketing agency has a responsibility for the work it puts out in the public eye. As such, it’s important to deliver the very best to users. Customers will always appreciate the personal aspects of content marketing, so speaking to them and their needs is a must. As experts in web marketing in Ottawa, we know how important it is to stand behind our work, do our homework, and know that anything that gets out there will make waves.
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