Category: SEO

  • Top 40 Free Backlink Sites To Scale Your SEO Rankings

    Top 40 Free Backlink Sites To Scale Your SEO Rankings

    Backlinks remain one of the most critical factors in improving search engine rankings. This guide highlights 40 free backlink sites that can help you earn high-quality backlinks to your website.

    We selected platforms based on their reliability, domain authority, and relevance to different industries.

    Whether you’re just starting or refining your SEO strategy, these free resources offer practical opportunities to strengthen your backlink profile and boost your site’s authority in search results.

    What is the Role of Backlinks in Improving SEO Rankings?

    Backlinks are a key factor in how search engines evaluate and rank websites. When reputable sites link to your content, they signal trust and authority. These links validate your site’s relevance and credibility within a topic or industry.

    Google and other search engines rely on backlinks as part of their ranking algorithms. The more high-quality backlinks you earn, especially from authoritative sources, the higher your site will appear in search results. It boosts organic traffic, lead generation, and brand awareness.

    However, not all backlinks are equal. A few links from trusted, relevant sites are far more effective than dozens from low-quality or unrelated sources. Prioritizing quality over quantity is essential to building a strong SEO foundation.

    In short, backlinks directly impact your site’s authority, visibility, and position in search results.

    Read Also: How Many Backlinks Do I Need To Rank On Page 1

    Top Free Backlink Sites 

    In this section, we will introduce you to the top free backlink sites that can provide valuable backlinks to your website.

    These websites have been selected carefully for their domain authority, relevancy, and reputation to ensure quality. As a result, utilizing these sites can improve your website’s SEO rankings and increase your online visibility.

    1. Crunchbase

    Crunchbase offers a high-authority (DA 81) backlink opportunity. You can list your business for free, include your website link, and optimize your profile with accurate details and relevant keywords to strengthen your backlink profile and boost SEO visibility.

    2. HARO 

    HARO (Help a Reporter Out) connects journalists with expert sources. Create a free account, select relevant industries, and receive three daily emails with media queries.

    Respond to the ones that match your expertise. If a journalist uses your response, you’ll earn a backlink from a reputable publication.

    3. MyBlogU

    MyBlogU is a content collaboration platform where bloggers, writers, and marketers connect to exchange ideas and co-create content.

    Create a profile and participate in interviews or brainstorming projects. Share valuable insights within your niche, and contributors may credit you with a backlink, helping you grow authority and improve SEO.

    4. Google Sites 

    Google Sites is a free tool that lets anyone with a Gmail account build a simple website and secure a backlink. These sites get indexed quickly, helping improve your brand’s visibility in search results.

    Create a Google Site with relevant content about your niche or business. Then, add a link to your main website and optimize the page with niche-specific keywords to boost SEO.

    Read Also: Best SEO Practices to Dominate the SERPs

    5. Google Drive Assets

    Google Drive offers more than just cloud storage. You can use it to build quality backlinks. Create public Docs, Sheets, or Forms that include links to your website.

    Share these assets publicly and embed valuable content with niche-relevant links. Boosts your backlink profile, drives referral traffic, and strengthens your authority in search results.

    6. SourceBottle 

    SourceBottle connects journalists with expert sources. It sends daily emails with media queries from reporters looking for insights and quotes.

    To earn backlinks, sign up, create a complete profile showcasing your expertise, and monitor queries related to your niche. Respond with precise, helpful pitches. If selected, your quote may appear in a published article with a backlink to your website, boosting SEO and referral traffic.

    7. BizSugar

    BizSugar lets business owners and entrepreneurs share tips, trends, and news. You can gain backlinks by posting niche-relevant content others vote on and engage with.

    To build backlinks, create an account, publish valuable content, and include a link to your website. As your posts gain traction, other members may share or link back to your content, increasing referral traffic and SEO rankings.

    8. GitHub 

    GitHub is a platform where developers collaborate and share open-source projects. You can build backlinks by contributing to repositories, creating documentation, or launching your projects.

    Add a link to your website in your GitHub profile, project READMEs, or shared resources. Positions you as an active contributor and helps drive traffic while improving your site’s authority.

    9. GrowthHackers 

    GrowthHackers is a community for digital marketers focused on business growth. You can earn backlinks by sharing original content, syndicating blog posts, and engaging in discussions.

    Post valuable insights and link to your website where relevant. Consistent participation increases your visibility, drives referral traffic, and improves SEO.

    10. DeviantArt 

    DeviantArt is an online community where artists share artwork, photography, and GIFs. Upload your creations, include a backlink in the description or bio, and attract a new audience while improving your SEO.

    Create an account, post consistently, and link to your site. Boosts visibility and earns valuable backlinks from an engaged art community.

    11. Business 2 Community 

    Business 2 Community is a content-sharing platform where professionals publish insights on marketing, SEO, leadership, and tech. As a contributor, you can submit original or repurposed content to build authority and gain backlinks.

    Not only boosts your visibility but also drives referral traffic to your content marketing website, helping improve your search rankings.

    12. SoundCloud 

    SoundCloud is a popular platform for sharing both music and podcasts. Create a free account, upload your audio content, and add your website link to each track, episode description, or show notes. Helps you build backlinks and drive referral traffic from listeners.

    13. Blogger

    Blogger is a free, Google-owned platform you can use for link building. Set up a branded blog, publish valuable articles related to your niche, and add relevant links to your website. Optimize blog posts with keywords to drive organic traffic and strengthen your backlink profile.

    14. Alltop 

    Alltop is a content aggregator that collects real-time RSS feeds from top blogs and websites. Submit your blog’s RSS feed to earn a backlink, boost brand visibility, and drive referral traffic. Optimize blog content to ensure relevance and value for the Alltop audience.

    Read Also: How to Remove Outdated Content from Your Website

    15. Mix 

    Mix is a free platform for curating and sharing content. Create an account, build collections of high-quality articles, videos, or images, and include links to your site.

    As users engage with your collections, you earn backlinks, boost brand visibility, and improve your backlink profile.

    16 Weebly 

    Weebly is a free Web 2.0 platform for building backlinks. Use its drag-and-drop builder to create a branded site, add valuable content, and include backlinks to your main website. These links help improve SEO, boost brand visibility, and build credibility.

    17. Wix 

    Wix is a free platform you can use to build Web 2.0 backlinks. Create a site, add optimized content, and include backlinks to your leading site.

    Sign up for a free account, customize your pages with valuable content, images, or videos, and boost your SEO with relevant links.

    18. Yola

    Yola is a user-friendly site builder that lets you create content and add backlinks to your business. Sign up, build a site with optimized content, and include links to your main website to strengthen your backlink profile and improve SEO rankings.

    19. Live Journal

    LiveJournal is a blogging platform that lets you share industry-related posts and include backlinks to your website. Create an account, publish content with targeted links, and engage readers to boost traffic and strengthen your backlink profile.

    Read Also: Content Marketing Statistics to Drive Your Brand

    20. Tumblr

    Tumblr is a microblogging platform that still offers link equity, making it helpful in building free backlinks. Create an account, share valuable multimedia content, include backlinks, and optimize posts with relevant keywords to boost traffic and brand visibility.

    21. WordPress

    WordPress is the world’s leading content management system, powering over 40% of all websites. To build backlinks, start with a self-hosted WordPress site.

    Then, publish high-quality content in your niche and embed strategic backlinks. Additionally, engage your audience through comments and social sharing to boost SEO and increase traffic.

    22. Yelp

    Yelp is a high-authority platform ideal for building local backlinks. To get started, claim your business listing with a verifiable local address. Once approved, Yelp provides a free, high-quality backlink.

    Next, optimize your profile with accurate details, images, and services. Finally, respond to customer reviews to build trust and improve local SEO visibility.

    23. Google My Business Profile

    Google My Business helps your business rank higher in local search results and builds website authority by linking your brand to a trusted Google platform.

    Since 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, claiming your profile can significantly boost local visibility and customer trust

    Read Also: SEO Tips to Help Your Rank Higher

    24.  TripAdvisor

    TripAdvisor is a high-authority platform ideal for businesses in the travel industry, such as hotels, restaurants, car rentals, or tour services.

    You can earn a quality backlink by creating a strong profile, responding to reviews, and highlighting what sets your business apart. Additionally, this builds trust and attracts potential customers searching for reliable travel experiences.

    25. Trustpilot

    Trustpilot is a customer review website that contains reviews of businesses worldwide. You may sign up, have your company listed, and add a backlink.

    Then, encourage your consumers to submit reviews for your site, which can help you increase your brand’s authority in your sector.

    26. LinkedIn

    LinkedIn helps you connect with industry professionals and share content relevant to your niche. When you post valuable insights, engage in conversations, and link to your website, you build backlinks while increasing your brand’s authority and visibility.

    27. Medium

    Medium lets you publish for both original and repurposed content with backlinks to your website. Use this platform to boost your reach, build authority, and strengthen your SEO strategy.

    28. Quora

    Quora is a popular Q&A platform where users seek and share knowledge. While it doesn’t primarily serve for backlink building, providing valuable answers related to your expertise can indirectly drive traffic to your site.

    Include links when genuinely relevant. However, be cautious not to overly self-promote, as Quora values informative contributions.

    29. Pinterest

    Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where you can showcase both contents through engaging pins and boards.

    To get started, create eye-catching visuals, optimize descriptions with keywords, and link back to your website. Consistent activity helps you build visibility, drive traffic, and earn valuable backlinks.

    30. Facebook

    Facebook isn’t a primary backlink source, but you can still earn link equity. Create a business page, add links in the About section, and share content in posts. Join niche-relevant groups, engage with users, and post valuable content to increase visibility and drive traffic.

    31. Twitter

    Twitter is a popular site for various Internet marketers, and it’s an excellent place to obtain a steady supply of backlinks.

    32. YouTube

    YouTube is a powerful platform for building both do-follow and nofollow backlinks. Add links in your video descriptions, channel About section, and community posts.

    Include more than five links per channel to drive traffic and improve SEO. Create helpful videos that match your niche, and engage with viewers to guide them to your site.

    Also Read: How Many Backlinks Per Month Should You Get?

    33. Vimeo

    Vimeo is a professional video-sharing platform that creators and businesses use to showcase high-quality videos. Additionally, it lets you add links to your website in your profile and video descriptions.

    Vimeo doesn’t primarily focus on link building, but supports your SEO strategy if you regularly publish video content. These links can drive traffic, improve visibility, and boost your brand’s authority.

    34. Wikipedia

    Wikipedia is a widely used online encyclopedia with strict editorial standards. You can earn backlinks by contributing well-sourced, neutral content to relevant articles.

    When you cite your website as a credible reference, editors may retain the link if it adds value. While Wikipedia backlinks are usually nofollow, they can improve your site’s visibility and drive traffic from a trusted platform.

    35. Industry Blogs

    Industry blogs offer opportunities for guest posting, which is an excellent way to earn backlinks. However, to make the most of this strategy, choose reputable blogs relevant to your niche with good domain authority, ensuring that the backlinks gained can positively impact your SEO efforts.

    36. Minds

    Minds is a blockchain-based social media platform where users earn tokens by posting and engaging with content.

    You can include backlinks in your posts and profile to drive traffic to your site. It offers a niche space to build backlinks while participating in a decentralized, crypto-friendly community.

    37. Unsplash

    Unsplash is a platform where users share and download free, high-quality images. While not designed for link building, photographers and creators can add backlinks to their website in image attributions.

    By uploading original photos, you can earn backlinks and drive referral traffic when others use your images and credit your site.

    38. Flickr

    Flickr is an image-sharing platform where users can upload and showcase their photos. Moreover, you can include your website link in image descriptions or your profile.

    While Flickr isn’t primarily a backlink-building tool, popular images can generate referral traffic and improve brand visibility.

    39. SlideShare

    SlideShare is an online resource that allows you to share presentations and documents. Moreover, it enables users to include backlinks in their slides, making it a valuable platform for sharing content and earning backlinks.

    40. Wattpad

    Wattpad is a writing and reading community. While it allows authors to showcase their work, including backlinks within the content might be more complex.

    However, you can still use it to engage with readers while indirectly promoting your website.

    Final Take on Free Backlink Sites

    Free backlink sites can help boost your SEO rankings, but they work best when used strategically. Focus on relevant platforms, share high-quality content, and diversify your link sources.

    It builds a strong, natural backlink profile that supports long-term SEO growth.
    Since the value of these sites can change over time, track their performance and adjust your strategy regularly to maintain lasting results.

    Featured Image Source: seochatter.com

  • The Ultimate SEO Vs. GEO Guide for The 2025 Marketer

    The Ultimate SEO Vs. GEO Guide for The 2025 Marketer

    There has been a rapid increase in AI-powered search experiences like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s evolving Search Generative Experience (SGE).

    And businesses and content creators are facing a stark reality: ranking well in traditional search results is no longer the sole path to online discoverability.

    Leaders must now rethink their content through two distinct, yet interconnected lenses: SEO and GEO.

    What is SEO?

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the well-established practice of improving a website’s visibility and ranking in traditional SERPs to drive organic traffic and ultimately, conversions.

    Here is a visual example of the traditional SEO ranking system of blue links that direct users to your page.

    A screenshot of SERP page with a list of ranked sites

    The primary audience for traditional SEO has always been human searchers using platforms like Google, Bing and YouTube.

    Its evolution traces back to the early days of the internet, when basic algorithms analyzed keywords to determine relevance.

    Over decades, SEO has matured into a complex discipline, built upon these core pillars:

    • Technical SEO: Ensuring a website is crawlable, indexable and has a healthy technical foundation (e.g., site speed, mobile-friendliness, structured data implementation).
    • On-page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages for specific keywords and user intent (e.g., title tags, meta descriptions, headings, content quality, internal linking).
    • Off-page SEO: Building authority and trust through external signals like backlinks from reputable websites, brand mentions, and social signals.
    • Content Strategy: Creating authoritative and engaging content that answers user queries and satisfies their needs.

    What is GEO?

    Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the newer and more nuanced process of making your content retrievable, referenceable and directly cited by AI engines and large language models (LLMs).

    Unlike traditional SEO, which aims to get users to click on your link, GEO aims to have your content become the answer, or at least a highly credible source for an AI-generated answer.

    To visualise the current AI search, here’s a screenshot that shows an AI overview summary on the left and the relevant cited pages on the right.

    A snippet view of how AI Overviews are presented in search engine.

    The audience for GEO is fundamentally different: it’s AI models themselves and by extension, the users interacting with AI agents and conversational interfaces.

    With GEO, the focus shifts from keywords in isolation to a deeper understanding of structured data, chunked facts, machine-readable formats and pervasive brand mentions.

    Key Differences Between SEO and GEO

    While both SEO and GEO aim for online visibility; their approaches, targets, and success metrics diverge significantly.

    Here’s a breakdown of their core differences:

    ElementSEOGEO
    User IntentHuman search queries (e.g., “best running shoes”)AI prompts, conversational queries, and agent tasks
    Ranking MechanismIndexing + Algorithmic SERP rankingRetrieval + LLM reasoning and summarization
    Optimization TargetSearch engine crawlers (Googlebot, Bingbot)Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
    Format FocusOptimized webpages, meta tags, links, comprehensive articlesData chunks, clean facts, structured formats (schema, tables, FAQs)
    MetricsRankings, organic traffic, click-through rate (CTR), conversionsMentions, citations, direct answers, embeddings, brand visibility within AI responses

    How GEO Impacts the Modern Marketing Funnel

    AI assistants fundamentally alter the traditional marketing funnel by introducing a new, critical discovery layer: zero-click discovery.

    A study by Wordstream shows that 58% of Google searches now result in zero clicks as consumers bypass traditional search results entirely.

    • An example is when I asked an AI assistant: “What are the best noise-canceling headphones for travel?”

    Here is a snippet of the response from a list of 10 items ranked by quality:

    A screenshot example of how searchers can employ AI models for quick answers

    This shows that if your brand’s content isn’t visible to AI or detailed in a way that’s digestible by LLMs, you’re missing a massive chunk of the early-stage consumer journey.

    How SEO and GEO Work Together

    SEO and GEO are not mutually exclusive. Here is how they complement one another:

    • SEO Feeds GEO: Well-structured and optimized content that is easy for crawlers to understand and organize is more likely to be pulled into AI-generated summaries.
    • Programmatic Content For Dual-Purpose: Content generated programmatically for SEO scale (e.g., thousands of product variations or location pages) can be designed with GEO in mind to serve traditional search intent and AI prompts.
    • Brand Consistency and Trust: Both SEO and GEO benefit immensely from a consistent brand message, strong trust signals (E-E-A-T) and factual clarity.

    Practical Steps for Marketing Leaders

    Marketing leaders must employ sound strategies to prioritize both SEO and GEO initiatives.

    For SEO:

    Maintain a Strong Foundation

    • Invest in technical SEO and monitor your site health.
    • Adopt robust backlink strategy for authority,
    • Conduct a meticulous keyword mapping to ensure you’re targeting relevant human queries.

    Leverage Programmatic SEO for Scale

    Programmatic SEO is an efficient way to create content at scale when used strategically.

    Otherwise, you run the risk of creating thin content that does not appeal to user intent.

    Companies like Zapier have created thousands of landing pages for each product they integrate with using programmatic methods.

    A visual of Zapier's Programmatically producced content

    Monitor Traditional SERP Shifts

    Continuous monitoring of your site is essential. A Semrush study indicates that AI search visitors could surpass traditional search visitors by early 2028 or sooner.

    Keep a close eye on how Google’s AI Overviews and other generative features are impacting your organic clicks using tools like Ahrefs and Semrush.

    For GEO:

    Structure Content Relentlessly

    Break down complex information into easily digestible “fact blocks” that AI can readily identify and utilize.

    • Implement JSON-LD schema markup meticulously.
    • Use HTML tables, bulleted lists, and clear FAQ sections.

    Cultivate Brand Mentions Across Trusted Third-Party Sources

    AI models value collective intelligence and established authority.

    With strategic PR, you can:

    • Secure positive reviews on industry-leading platforms.
    • Build a strong network of brand citations on high-authority websites.

    Test Your Content’s Visibility in AI Platforms

    • Don’t just assume.
    • Actively search for your brand, products, and key topics in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews.
    • Map out when and how your content is cited (or not cited) by these AI models.

    Publish Original Research and Definitive Guides

    To stand out, create content that offers:

    • Unique insights and perspectives
    • Proprietary data
    • Definitive answers to complex questions

    GEO Tools and Metrics to Track

    The measurement landscape for GEO is still in its early stages but rapidly evolving.

    Here are some tools to consider:

    1. Perplexity Pages / Pro Search

    This tool enables SEO professionals to research topics, create comprehensive content pages, and reference their own websites for link building.

    2. ChatGPT with Browse

    It analyzes existing content to identify optimization opportunities and generates SEO-optimized content by browsing current web data.

    When Browse is enabled, observe if ChatGPT directly links to or summarizes your content.

    3. LLM Retrieval Simulators

    These tools test and simulate how LLMs retrieve and process content for AI-powered search results from your site.

    4. AI Visibility Tools

    Platforms like Writesonic’s GEO, Profound, Peec AI, and Keyword.com are specifically designed to track brand mentions and visibility within AI-generated responses across various LLMs.

    They can help you monitor citation frequency, prominence, and even sentiment.

    5. Semantic SEO Tools

    These tools analyze entities, topics and relationships (beyond just keywords) to improve AI comprehension.

    The metrics to track include:

    • The frequency of brand/content citations in AI outputs
    • The position of your content within AI-generated summaries
    • Sentiment of the AI references
    • The types of queries that trigger your content as an AI source

    The Future: From SEO Teams to Visibility Teams

    The traditional “SEO team” must transition into a broader “AI Visibility Team.”

    This requires new skill sets and a reimagined workflow:

    • Content Engineers

    These professionals are essential for structuring content for machine readability and scalability.

    • AI Prompt and Retrieval Optimizers

    These are specialists who understand how users phrase queries to AI and how AI models retrieve information, enabling them to fine-tune content for optimal AI response.

    • Data Structuring Experts

    These professionals are skilled in implementing schema, creating robust content models and ensuring data integrity across complex content systems.

    Success will depend on how effectively organizations can structure their knowledge base to be consumed and cited by intelligent agents, not just crawled by traditional search bots.

    The Brands That Adapt Win

    The future of search is no longer just a list of blue links; it’s a combination of AI summarized answers, intelligent agents and interactive AI interfaces.

    While traditional SEO is still essential for driving conversions at the final stage of the customer journey, GEO is rapidly becoming critical at the initial, zero-click discovery phase powered by AI.

    Marketing leaders must recognize this shift and invest in both SEO’s foundational principles and GEO’s advanced content structuring to double their rewards; visibility and conversions.

    To ignore this, is to risk obsolescence.

  • How Long Does SEO Take to Work? (And Why It Feels So Slow)

    How Long Does SEO Take to Work? (And Why It Feels So Slow)

    If you’ve just started working on your website’s SEO and are wondering when you’ll start seeing results, you’re not alone. Almost every founder, blogger, or marketer has asked this same question: How long does SEO take to work?

    And the frustrating answer?

    It depends.

    But that’s not helpful, right? So in this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what’s going on behind the scenes, what affects how fast (or slow) you rank, and how to know if your SEO is on the right track. Think of this like a map—one that shows you where the slow curves, steep hills, and acceleration lanes are.

    Let’s start at the beginning.

    Why Does SEO Take So Long to Work?

    Imagine planting a seed.

    You water it, give it sunlight, and care for it daily. But the next day? It still looks like a pot of dirt. That’s SEO.

    SEO works kind of like farming. You’re not buying results like you would with ads. You’re building authority, relevance, and trust with Google—over time.

    Here’s why it takes a while:

    • Google doesn’t instantly trust your website. Especially if it’s new, Google needs time to figure out who you are and if you’re a reliable source.
    • There are millions of websites. If you’re writing about something lots of other websites are also covering (like “best laptops” or “how to lose weight”), you’re in a tough race.
    • Google uses hundreds of factors to rank websites. Things like your content, your website’s speed, how many other websites link to you, and how easy your site is to read and navigate.
    • Google needs time to find and understand your content. Even if you publish a great blog post, it can take days or weeks before Google fully crawls, indexes, and evaluates it.

    So SEO isn’t just about writing and waiting. It’s about doing the right things consistently and patiently.

    How to Get SEO Results Faster

    Now, while SEO takes time, there are things you can do to speed things up a little bit. Think of these like adding fertilizer to your plant—it doesn’t make it grow in one day, but it helps.

    1. Choose Easier Keywords to Compete For

    Let’s say you’ve just opened a tiny coffee shop in a big city. If you try to compete with Starbucks on day one, you’ll get crushed. But if you focus on your local street or neighborhood—boom, now you have a chance.

    That’s what low-competition and long-tail keywords are.

    Instead of going for “digital marketing,” try something like “digital marketing for handmade soap businesses.”

    Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or even Google’s autocomplete can help you find these gems.

    2. Understand What the Searcher Really Wants (Search Intent)

    Let’s say someone types “best running shoes.” Do they want a history of shoes? No—they want recommendations.

    Google tries really hard to match what people mean when they search—not just the words they type.

    So before you write, Google the keyword yourself and look at the top results:

    • Are they listicles? (“Top 10 Running Shoes”)
    • Are they reviews? (“Nike vs. Adidas”)
    • Are they how-tos? (“How to choose running shoes”)

    Match the type of content you create with what’s already ranking. That’s what Google thinks people want.

    3. Fix the Hidden Tech Problems on Your Site

    Even if your writing is great, your website needs to be technically sound.

    Think of it like a beautiful house built on a weak foundation—it looks good, but it’s risky.

    Technical SEO means:

    • Making sure your pages load fast
    • Making sure your site works well on mobile phones
    • Fixing broken links
    • Avoiding duplicate content
    • Making sure search engines can find your pages (via sitemaps and clean code)

    You can use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Sitebulb to find and fix problems.

    4. Keep Publishing Great Content—and Clean Up the Bad Stuff

    Content is your fuel.

    You need to publish regularly, but more importantly—you need to publish helpful content. That means:

    • Giving real answers
    • Showing examples
    • Keeping it updated

    At the same time, go through your old posts. If something is thin, outdated, or useless—either fix it or delete it.

    And if you have 3 articles saying the same thing? Combine them into one powerful guide and redirect the old ones.

    5. Get Links—Internally and From Other Sites

    Links are like votes.

    If other good websites link to your content, Google sees you as trustworthy.

    You can get these by:

    • Guest posting
    • Being featured in niche blogs or news sites
    • Creating content that’s good enough to be cited naturally

    Also, don’t forget to link between your own pages. It helps Google understand your site structure and keeps people exploring.

    5 Things That Determine How Fast You’ll See Results

    You can do everything right and still see slow results if these factors aren’t working in your favor:

    1. Your Budget and Resources

    If you’re doing everything yourself in your spare time, results will come slower. If you have a team creating content, fixing your site, and building links, things move faster.

    2. Your Domain’s Age and History

    Older websites that have built up a good reputation usually rank faster. New sites? They need to prove themselves.

    If your domain has been penalized before (maybe someone used spammy tactics in the past), that can also slow you down.

    3. How Search-Engine-Friendly Your Website Is

    If your website has poor navigation, no clear structure, or messy code, Google has a hard time figuring it out. Clean things up:

    • Use proper headings (H1, H2, etc.)
    • Make sure your URLs are simple and descriptive
    • Write good page titles and meta descriptions

    4. How Fast Google Can Crawl and Index Your Site

    Sometimes Google takes a long time to discover your pages. You can help by:

    • Submitting new pages to Google Search Console
    • Having a sitemap
    • Avoiding pages blocked by robots.txt or “noindex” tags by mistake

    5. The Competition in Your Industry

    Trying to rank for fitness, health, finance, or tech? Expect slower results. These are ultra-competitive.

    But if you’re targeting something specific like “SEO for landscaping companies in Phoenix,” you might see traction within weeks.

    What a Real SEO Timeline Looks Like (Month by Month)

    Let’s say you’ve just started your SEO campaign. Here’s what to expect in the first six months:

    Month 1: Research and Audit

    You begin by:

    • Auditing your website
    • Researching your keywords
    • Looking at what your competitors are doing
    • Making a game plan

    Not much happens on the surface this month, but this research is your blueprint.

    Month 2: Fixing and Preparing

    You fix tech issues, set up Google tools, and maybe redesign a few parts of your site.

    You’ll also start writing your first pieces of content.

    But traffic? Still probably flat. That’s normal.

    Month 3: Content Starts Rolling Out

    Now the fun begins.

    You start publishing helpful blog posts, improving service pages, and setting up internal links. If you’ve done outreach, maybe you get your first backlinks.

    A few keywords might creep onto page 2 or 3 of search results.

    Month 4: First Signs of Life

    Now you start seeing actual growth.

    • You get more impressions in Google Search Console
    • A few posts show up on page 1 (usually for long-tail keywords)
    • You might start getting a trickle of traffic

    Keep going. This is where most people give up—but you’re just warming up.

    Month 5: Acceleration

    You’re in a groove now.

    • Content is consistent
    • You’re building links and getting mentions
    • You’ve removed bad pages and improved your site structure

    Traffic starts climbing. Maybe 300–1000 monthly visitors. Leads or sales might start trickling in.

    Month 6: Compounding Growth

    This is when it gets fun.

    Your old posts are ranking higher. Your new posts get indexed faster. Your site starts earning trust.

    If you’ve done things right, you might be seeing:

    • 2–5x the traffic you had in month 3
    • Consistent keyword wins
    • Some page 1 rankings for higher-volume queries

    So… When Will I Rank #1?

    If you’re asking, “When will I be number one on Google?”—pause.

    It’s not about ranking #1 for everything. It’s about building a steady stream of traffic that grows month after month.

    Realistically:

    • In a low-competition niche with great execution? You might see real results in 3–6 months.
    • In a competitive niche? Expect 9–12 months before you hit serious traction.

    But the cool part?

    Once it works, it works on autopilot. No ads. No chasing trends. Just reliable, compounding organic traffic.

    Final Thoughts

    SEO is not a quick fix. It’s a long-term investment. But if you stick with it, the rewards are huge.

    You’ll build trust, get traffic while you sleep, and eventually—rankings, leads, and authority will come to you.

    So be patient. Keep learning. Keep publishing.

    Your future self will thank you.

  • 13 Places to Find Free Images for Your Blog

    13 Places to Find Free Images for Your Blog

    Using images from the web for your blog is a great way to grab attention and make your content more engaging. But for many content creators, figuring out where to find these free images can be quite a task.

    Should you risk using images from Google and potentially run into copyright issues? Or are there better alternatives out there for sourcing free-to-use photos? The good news is there are numerous websites where you can find high-quality stock photos without any cost.

    However, searching for these free images can be time-consuming. So, we’ve compiled a list of reliable sites you can turn to whenever you need to add visuals to your blog. But before we dive into that, let’s discuss why incorporating images into your blog posts is so important.

    Why You Need Free Images for Your Blog

    Did you know that the average attention span is now 8 seconds? Your attention span is now worse than that of a goldfish.

    Part of the reason for this decline in attention is information overload. So much content is created every day. Furthermore, anyone with a smartphone or a computer can create and share content daily.

    free images for your blog

    Imagine reading through paragraphs and paragraphs of nothing but text in the middle of all the distractions pictured above. It’s not easy, even for the most focused person.

    So, how do you break through this noise and capture and retain your audience’s information? First, you need to write about something your audience cares about. Second, you need to create quality content.

    A big part of quality content is visual content. Visual content gives your readers a break from what would otherwise be masses of text, and it makes your blog post more fun to read.

    Using free images for your blog will retain your readers’ attention and help them recall the lessons in your content.

    Ultimately, suppose a reader can recall your content quickly. In that case, you will remain at the top of their minds as a trusted authority and a worthwhile solution to their problems.

    Now that you know why visual content in your blog posts is so important, let’s discuss where to find these images without spending money.

    Where to Find Free Images for Your Blog

    Luckily, there are many places to find free images for your blog. We’ve compiled a list of 13 ways you can get these images.

    Licensing of Free Images

    Most of the images in the sources listed below are free from copyright or licensed under Creative Commons. This means you can copy, modify, and distribute the photos—even for business purposes—without asking the owners for permission.

    Even though most of these fall under the Creative Commons, we have done our best to highlight where attribution is required. It also wouldn’t hurt to double-check when you download your images. Remember that images marked CC0 can be used worldwide without restrictions if you’re especially worried about attracting legal fines.

    13 Places to Find Free Images for Your Blog

    1) Pexels

    free images for your blog

    We love Pexels because you can search for quality photos and videos in different categories.

    When you download an image from Pexels, attribution is not required but is appreciated. Moreover, you can use the content you get from Pexels for business purposes, as long as you don’t portray any identifiable people negatively. However, if you’re selling the photo, then you must edit it first. Finally, Pexels doesn’t allow you to share or sell their images on other stock photos or wallpaper sites.

    2) Unsplash

    free images for your blog

    When we can’t find something on Pexels, our next stop is usually Unsplash. This site has various categories and is a great place to look for free images for your blog.

    As with Pexels, permission isn’t required, but attribution is appreciated. Similarly, you cannot resell or redistribute Unsplash images unless you’ve made significant edits.

    3) Canva

    free images for your blog

    We at Kontely are huge fans of Canva. While its primary purpose is to help you design your visuals, a free account also gives you access to stock images and videos.

    Since Canva offers multiple design templates, this deal is even sweeter because you can incorporate images into any organic design. For example, you can use their pictures in a social media post or flyer for your brand. How awesome is that?

    When you use images from Canva, you don’t need to get permission or attribute anyone. You can freely use these images on your blog, website, and any marketing material. However, you can’t resell or redistribute their photos on other sites.

    4) Freepik

    free images for your blog

    Freepik is heaven for designers, boasting free vectors, stock photos, PSD files, and presentation templates. For this reason, it works well as a one-stop shop for free images for your blog. While a premium version exists, you can still access many resources on a free account.

    As with the three previous sites, you don’t need to ask for permission or attribute your images from Freepik. On the other hand, you can’t sell or redistribute these images.

    5) StockSnap.io

    StockSnap.io

    StockSnap offers a vast collection of high-resolution images in different categories. You can browse their collections at random or enter a specific search term.

    The Creative Commons (CC0) license governs the photos on this site. In other words, as before, they are free to download, edit and use. StockSnap encourages you to attribute the images you download to their owners. At the same time, it’s not illegal to use the photos without attribution.

    6) Reshot

    Reshot

    Reshot is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for non-stocky, stock-free photos. Here, you can get free images for your blog, and most of their images are unique.

    The photos you download from Reshot can be used in both non-commercial and commercial projects. As with the previous sites, attribution is appreciated but not required.

    7) Foodiesfeed

    Foodiesfeed

    As the title suggests, this site is for you if you are a content creator and a foodie. Foodiesfeed will provide plenty of free images for your food, cooking, or dining blog.

    All the images on Foodiesfeed are licensed under the CC0 license. This means you can use them for non-commercial and commercial purposes without restriction.

    8) Pixabay

    Pixabay

    Since Pixabay delivers on its promise of stunning free images, it’s an excellent site for your blog.

    All the photos on Pixabay are in the public domain, so you can use them freely without worrying about legal issues.

    9) Kaboompics

    Kaboompics

    We couldn’t leave Kaboompics off our list of places to get free images for your blog. It hosts a massive collection of photos to meet every need. Go ahead, check it out, and see for yourself.

    All the photos on Kaboompics are licensed under the CC0 license, making this a straightforward site.

    10) Flickr

    flickr

    Flickr is more well-known than most other sites and with good reason. This site has a vast collection of high-quality images that anyone can use.

    Although we’ve added Flickr to this list of places to find free images for your blog, this site requires more attention. Flickr has copyrighted content and content covered by the CC0 license, so you must use these photos carefully.

    11) New Old Stock

    New Old Stock

    If you need vintage photos, New Old Stock is the perfect place for free images for your blog. The site is a collection of pictures from the public archives that beautifully recapture history.

    These photos are sourced from Flickr and are governed by the Flickr Commons license. While most pictures from this site can be used freely for personal and non-commercial purposes, the site administrator provides a link to each original Flickr photo where you can confirm this.

    12) Google Advanced Image Search

    Google Advanced Image Search

    Did you know you can use Google’s Advanced Image Search to find free images for your blog under the CC0 license?

    You only need to type a description of the image you’re trying to find. Once done, you can narrow the results by choosing details such as file size and image color. As you narrow your search, select the “Creative Commons licenses” option under “usage rights,” you’re all set.

    13) WOCinTech

    WOCinTech

    If you need diversity in the free images for your blog about tech, then this is a great site to check out. WOCinTech knows content creators have difficulty finding women of color doing anything tech-related. They aim to solve this problem by building photo albums of women of color in tech for the public.

    Since the actual albums are hosted on Flickr, the photos combine copyrighted content and content governed by the CC0 license. Use these wisely.

    The Value of Company Photos When You’re Looking for Free Images for Your Blog

    Yes, your company photos can be a valuable source of free images for your blog. They might be even more priceless than the photos you could get on any of the above sites. This is because they give your brand authenticity by displaying the real faces behind your brand name.

    Ultimately, seeing photos of your team members helps your audience feel connected to your brand.

    Your coworkers are the ideal models, just waiting to be photographed for free. If you’re having a brand event or just hanging around at the office, take advantage of these opportunities and build a collection of authentic photos representing your brand. While you should always ask people for permission first, you shouldn’t let these photo ops pass you by.

    As you can see, there are many places you can go when you need free images for your blog. The CC0 license covers most of the sites we’ve recommended. You can use the images freely if you don’t imply that the people in these photos endorse your product, portray them negatively, or use them as part of a logo. Nevertheless, it’s always important to be attentive so that you know what kind of license you’re working with.

  • How to Remove Outdated Content From Your Website

    How to Remove Outdated Content From Your Website

    In the fast-paced digital landscape, it is crucial to remove outdated content from your website regularly. Outdated content can mislead readers, harm your website’s credibility, hinder search engine optimization efforts, and sometimes create compliance risks.

    Proactively identifying and eliminating outdated content can ensure accuracy, enhance the reader’s experience, improve search rankings, maintain industry compliance, and present a positive brand image.

    In this post, we will explore the importance of removing outdated content and provide insights on how to do it effectively if you want your website to stay fresh and updated.

    What Is Outdated Content?

    Outdated content refers to any information, media, or resources that have become obsolete, inaccurate, or irrelevant to the current context or audience. It can include various forms of content, including articles, blog posts, images, videos, product descriptions, and more. 

    Outdated content on most websites may arise due to changes in industry practices, technological advancements, legislation updates, consumer preference shifts, product/service offerings, products out of stock or no longer available, and more.

    It can confuse readers, damage a website’s reputation, and hinder improved search engine rankings. Google has favored websites that continuously update their content and keep it fresh for readers by rewarding them with better search engine rankings.

    Identifying and removing outdated content is crucial to maintaining credibility, providing accurate information, and enhancing user experience. We are in the age of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), where content relevance at any particular time is a ranking signal. When your content is irrelevant to the current times, your rankings drop; when it is relevant, your rankings improve.

    Why You Need to Remove Outdated Content 

    1. Accuracy and Credibility

    Outdated content can provide incorrect or misleading information to your audience. Keeping your content up to date ensures that you provide accurate and reliable information, enhancing your credibility and reputation.

    With more accurate and credible content, you can also command more clicks to your offers because of the improved trust with your audience.

    2. User Experience

    Users rely on your content for relevant and valuable information. Outdated content can frustrate and confuse them, leading to a poor user experience. A lousy reader experience makes them leave your website without spending much time on it, increasing your bounce rate. A high bounce rate is recorded by Google: “Even though we send readers to this website, people leave the website very fast, which means they don’t like the website. So we will stop sending people to this website.”

    It’s not exactly what Google says, but this is what it will think, and then boom! Your rankings drop.

    Removing outdated content improves user satisfaction and engagement, positively impacting your website’s performance, keeping readers on your website longer (hence a lower bounce rate), and a positive signal to Google that the readers it’s sending to your website love it.

    3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

    Search engines prioritize fresh and relevant content. Outdated content can negatively impact your search engine rankings, reducing your visibility and organic traffic. Regularly removing and updating obsolete content with current and optimized content can help improve your SEO efforts.

    Read Also: SEO Tips to Help You Rank Higher

    When people search for things on Google, now Google shows them how long ago the content they’re finding was published or last updated. See this screenshot below:

    The one with the most recently published data is ranked higher than the article with a later date. In most cases, Google’s users will prefer to click on the topmost result that’s been recently updated.

    Don’t miss out on the clicks or higher SEO rankings because of outdated content. Keep your content updated whenever you can.

    4. Industry Compliance

    Industries undergo changes in regulations, best practices, and standards over time. Outdated content may no longer align with the latest compliance requirements for your niche, potentially leading to legal or regulatory issues.

    Some marketers have lost money in court battles because they didn’t understand the offers they were promoting or were too busy promoting them, and they didn’t realize the policies of those programs had become fraudulent. Think it’s a joke? Read this: Affiliate Marketers to Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Charges that They Promoted a Fraudulent Business Coaching and Investment Scheme.

    By removing outdated content, you ensure that your platform remains compliant and avoids any potential liabilities. If you were promoting a program that became fraudulent, you need to update your content as soon as possible to stay compliant.

    5. Resource Optimization

    Outdated content takes up storage space, server resources, crawling budget, and maintenance efforts. By removing outdated content, you free up valuable resources that can be allocated to more relevant and helpful content, improving overall website performance and efficiency.

    6. Brand Perception

    Outdated content reflects poorly on your website.

    It may give the impression that you are not actively maintaining and updating your site, potentially diminishing trust with potential visitors.

    Removing outdated content demonstrates your commitment to providing current and valuable information, enhancing your website’s perception.

    Read Also: Why is Content Marketing Important for Your Brand?

    How to Remove Outdated Content Safely 

    Removing outdated content safely is necessary to ensure your website’s integrity and user experience and avoid the loss of good content that could still serve your readers.

    Here are detailed steps on how to remove outdated content safely:

    1. Conduct a Comprehensive Content Audit

    Before removing any content, perform a thorough content audit to identify outdated pages, articles, or resources.

    This audit should include checking website analytics, feedback or comments from your readers, engagement metrics, and SEO KPIs.

    Look for content with outdated information, low user engagement, high bounce rates, or declining traffic.

    In some cases, even pages with consistent traffic (not falling or rising) might get better performance after an content update.

    2. Establish Clear Criteria for Outdated Content

    Define specific criteria for determining whether the content is obsolete.

    This could include outdated facts, statistics, references, technologies, or practices. Also, check for links to any broken or 404 pages.

    Consider consulting subject matter experts or doing more research to ensure the content’s accuracy and relevance.

    3. Prioritize Content for Removal

    Once you have identified outdated content, prioritize the removal process.

    Focus on pages with the highest negative impact on user experience, search engine rankings, or compliance issues.

    Consider the potential consequences of removing content, such as broken internal links or adverse user reactions, and plan accordingly.

    4. Archive or Update Relevant Information

    For content that still contains valuable information but needs updates, consider archiving or updating it.

    Archiving involves moving content to a separate section of your website and preserving it for reference. Updated content can be edited to reflect current information.

    5. Implement Proper Redirects

    When removing outdated content, implement proper redirects to guide users and search engines to the new addresses where they can find the most relevant and up-to-date version of the content.

    To redirect visitors and search engines from old URLs to the new equivalent URLs, utilize 301 redirects.

    This prevents users from encountering 404 errors and helps preserve your website’s search engine rankings because Google will direct users to the new page and keep your rankings intact.

    6. Update Internal Links and References

    After removing or updating content, review and update any internal links or references pointing to the outdated content.

    This includes updating links within your website’s content, navigation menus, sidebar widgets, or related post sections.

    Broken or incorrect internal links can negatively impact your user experience, which has a ripple effect on your website’s rankings.

    7. Communicate Changes to Users and Stakeholders

    Inform your readers about the removal or updating of outdated content.

    Consider adding a notification on the affected pages that shows the content has been updated or removed. You can also publish a blog post explaining the reasons behind the changes.

    This helps manage user expectations, reduces confusion, and demonstrates transparency with your audience.

    8. Maintain a Backup of the Removed Content

    Before removing any content, create a backup to preserve a copy of the original content.

    This ensures that you have a record of the removed content for future reference or in case you need to restore it.

    9. Handle 404 Errors Properly

    Despite implementing redirects, some users may still encounter 404 errors due to outdated links or cached pages. Customize your 404 error page to provide a helpful message and suggest alternative resources or navigation options. Monitor your website for 404 errors and fix them promptly to enhance the user experience.

    10. Update Xml Sitemaps and robots.txt Files

    After removing or updating content, update your XML sitemap to reflect the changes.

    This allows search engines to locate and index your updated information quickly.

    Review your robots.txt file to ensure it doesn’t block search engine crawlers from accessing your updated pages.

    11. Conduct Thorough Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)

    Before and after removing outdated content, conduct thorough testing and QA checks.

    Test your website’s navigation, internal links, redirects, and search functionality to ensure everything functions correctly.

    Also, check for any unintended consequences of the removal, such as broken design elements or functionality.

    12. Monitor Search Engine Indexation and Traffic

    Keep a close eye on search engine indexation to ensure your updated content is properly crawled and indexed.

    Monitor your website’s traffic, user behavior, and engagement metrics after removal to gauge the impact and identify any necessary adjustments.

    SEO Factors to Remember Before Removing Your Outdated Content

    When removing outdated information from your website, it’s critical to consider the possible influence on your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Here are the key SEO factors to keep in mind before removing outdated content:

    1. Traffic and Rankings

    Review the organic traffic and search engine rankings of the content you plan to remove.

    If the content drives significant traffic or ranks well for relevant keywords, consider the potential impact on your website traffic and visibility.

    Look for opportunities to update or repurpose the content instead of removing it to maintain the traffic and rankings.

    2. Backlinks

    Examine the backlinks pointing to the outdated content pages.

    Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they contribute to your website’s authority and search engine rankings.

    If the writing has important backlinks, redirect the URLs to relevant pages on your site to maintain link equity and keep the SEO juice.

    3. Internal Link Structure

    Evaluate the internal links pointing to outdated content.

    Internal linking plays a significant role in distributing link equity across your website and helping search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.

    If you remove internally linked content, ensure that you update or remove those internal links to maintain a logical and organized internal link structure.

    4. User Experience

    Consider the impact on user experience when removing content.

    If the outdated content provides valuable information or serves as a reference for users, removing it abruptly can disrupt their experience.

    In such cases, it’s better to update the content with current information or redirect users to a relevant alternative rather than remove it entirely.

    5. Redirect Strategy

    Implement proper redirect strategies when removing content. If the outdated content has valuable traffic or backlinks, use 301 redirects to redirect users and search engines to relevant and updated pages.

    This helps preserve link equity, maintain user experience, and prevent organic traffic loss.

    6. XML Sitemap and Robots.txt

    Update your XML sitemap and robots.txt file after removing the content. Remove the URLs of the outdated content from your XML sitemap to ensure search engines don’t crawl and index them.

    Review your robots.txt file to ensure it doesn’t block search engine crawlers from accessing your updated pages.

    7. Keyword Considerations

    Evaluate the keywords targeted by outdated content. If the content ranks for valuable keywords or contributes to your keyword strategy, consider updating it with fresh information rather than obliterating it.

    Ensure the updated content aligns with your keyword strategy and provides relevant and optimized content for target keywords.

    Read Also: Keyword Optimization Guide For SEO Beginners

    8. User Intent and Search Queries

    Analyze the user intent and search queries behind outdated content. If the content no longer aligns with user intent or fails to address users’ queries effectively, it may be appropriate to remove it.

    However, consider creating new content or optimizing existing pages to meet user intent and address those search queries, ensuring you don’t leave gaps in your content coverage.

    9. Monitor and Adapt

    After removing outdated content, monitor your website’s performance, organic traffic, and search engine rankings.

    Analyze the impact of the removal and make necessary adjustments based on the data. If you notice significant drops in traffic or rankings, consider revisiting your content strategy and finding alternative ways to address user needs and search engine requirements.

    Tools You Can Use to Remove Outdated Content

    1. Content Management System (CMS) Tools

    If your website is built on a CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, you can leverage the built-in tools and plugins to manage and remove outdated content.

    These CMS platforms often offer features to delete or update content in bulk, schedule content removal, and manage redirects.

    2. Google Analytics

    Google Analytics provides valuable insights into the performance of your website’s content.

    Utilize the “Behavior” section to analyze engagement metrics, such as bounce rates, time on page, and exit rates.

    Identify pages with low engagement that may be candidates for removal or updating.

    3. Screaming Frog

    Screaming Frog is a powerful website crawler that can help you identify outdated content and broken links.

    It scans your website and provides detailed reports on URL status codes, metadata, and other SEO-related information.

    Use it to find pages with outdated timestamps, low word counts, or other indicators of obsolete content.

    4. SEMrush

    SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO tool that offers various features to assist with content management.

    Use the Site Audit feature to identify outdated pages, broken links, or issues affecting SEO performance.

    The Content Analyzer tool helps you analyze content quality, relevance, and engagement metrics.

    5. Google Search Console

    Google Search Console gives information about how your website ranks in Google’s search results.

    Use the “Coverage” report to identify any errors or issues with your pages, including outdated content.

    The “URL Inspection” tool allows you to check individual URLs and request removal from Google’s index if necessary.

    6. Ahrefs

    Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO toolset that offers features to analyze and manage your website’s content.

    Searching for specific keywords or subjects may uncover old information with the content explorer tool.

    You can also utilize the Site Audit feature to identify pages with low traffic, low backlinks, or other indicators of outdated content.

    Final Take 

    Removing outdated content from your website is crucial for maintaining relevance, user experience, and SEO performance.

    You can safely identify and remove outdated content by following a systematic approach, utilizing tools, and considering SEO factors.

    This process helps ensure that your website provides accurate and valuable information to your audience while maintaining its visibility and authority on search engine pages.

    Keep your content fresh, up-to-date, and aligned with user needs to impact your website’s performance positively.

  • Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines: How Does the Google Algorithm Perceive Quality

    1,000 words or less based on this page: https://www.sistrix.com/ask-sistrix/seo-basics/google-quality-evaluator-guidelines

    Read here: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-eat/quality-raters-guidelines/

  • Fix “Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag” Status

    Fix “Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag” Status

    Are you getting the “alternate page with proper canonical tag” message in Google Search Console and wondering what to do with it? In this article, we will discuss this status in further detail so that when you see it on your Google Search Console, you can take the necessary steps to fix the issue.

    How to fix "alternate page with proper canonical tag" status

    If you feel this is too much work already, check out our SEO audit service to help you discover why your website has canonicalization errors, among other technical issues.

    What Is a Canonical Tag?

    A canonical tag is also known as a canonicalized URL, a canonical link, or a rel canonical. A page is tagged on Google Search Console as canonical when there is a duplicate version of it. A canonical tag means that Google has marked the page as the original and indexed it.

    What Does “Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag” Mean?

    In summary, Google is telling you that the pages listed here on this status have alternative duplicate pages, and Google has preferred those duplicate pages for indexing. Therefore, these pages listed here have not been indexed and are not being served on Google.

    What Does “Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag” Mean?

    This means that Google can index alternative pages by inspecting the URLs listed here. 

    For example, this page is listed under “alternate page with the proper canonical tag.” I clicked on the URL, which gave me a pop-up on the side with some options. I chose to Inspect the URL to find out which page Google serves users instead of this one. In other words, which page is canonicalized?

    Inspect URL to see which page Google servers users

    When inspection of the URL ended, Google showed me below the canonicalized page and the page that it is showing users instead of the one above:

    Google shows canonicalized page

    Under the “Indexing” sub-title, Google shows me the indexing page instead of the first URL. 

    Inspecting the Links in This Scenario

    When analyzing these two URLs, I can see that the only difference is the forward slash (/) at the end of the link: URL 1 doesn’t have the forward slash, while URL 2 does.

    URL 1: /the-cloud-mvrdv

    URL 2: /the-cloud-mvrdv/

    When we publish blog posts on this WordPress site, the forward slash is automatically added at the end of every link. The original blog post has the forward-slash (/) at the end. That makes the URL 2 above the original one. It makes sense why Google didn’t pick URL 1 for indexing – it is not the original link.

    URL 2 is the alternate page with the proper canonical tag, which is being indexed and served on Google.

    This also means that URL 1 is not being served. The message on Google Search Console is that this URL 1 link exists on your site. Even though Google found it, it is a duplicate URL and will not be preferred over URL 2, which is the original version.

    Troubleshooting

    You might be asking yourself, how in the world did URL 1 without a forward slash exist if all articles automatically publish with a forward slash?

    Well, in this case, there is only one scenario why this URL 1 exists. Someone on the site added this link as an internal link on a different blog post but did not add the forward slash at the end of the link. Therefore, when Google crawled the site and came across this link without the forward slash, it became a duplicate version of the original link with a forward slash. Google chose not to index the page without a forward slash and marked the page with the forward slash as the proper canonicalized URL for indexing.

    This is just one example of some links in the “alternate page with proper canonical tag” status on the Google search console. 

    How Do You Fix the ‘Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag” Status?

    In some cases, you don’t need to fix anything. Why? Google has checked a set of duplicate links and chosen the original version—most likely the one we created first. Google has then added all the other duplicates to this list so that you know it chose the original. Therefore, Google is not indexing these pages listed under this status.

    In this case, Google is correct in choosing the original page, so Google is accurate. So you don’t have to do anything. 

    But what if Google is wrong? In some cases, this happens. Google chooses to index an alternate page from the one listed here, but you want the one listed here to be the right page for indexing.

    If that’s the case, then you need a fix.

    So what do you do?

    1. Set the Correct Canonical URL

    These pages under “alternate page with proper canonical tag” are not being indexed because other pages are marked as canonical, and Google is crawling them instead. 

    Removing the canonical URL and setting the right one on the page under the “alternate page with proper canonical tag” status is the best fix for this issue.

    Therefore, you would go to the alternate page that Google is currently indexing and remove the canonicalization. Then, return to the page you want Google to index instead and add the rel canonical in the page header.

    Use the simple code below:

    <head>
    
    <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.kontely.com/canonical-url/>
    
    </head>

    2. Check Your Internal Links

    In the case we shared in the screenshots above, we need to be careful about adding internal links on this site. This would ensure that the URL 1 without the forward slash would never happen. All my internal links would have the forward slash like URL 2.

    I would quickly fix this issue using one of two ways:

    1. Redirect URL 1 to URL 2 using a 301 redirect
    2. Audit my internal links to find where URL 1 was added without the forward slash. Fix this by adding a forward slash at the end of that link.

    Depending on which is more manageable, both solutions would work just fine. 

    3. 301 Redirects

    I have used a 301 redirect because the page is the same. Only the forward slash creates a scenario where Google thinks these are two duplicate pages.

    When using 301 redirects to fix this for your use case, ensure you don’t want to keep the duplicate pages. Once you redirect them, you cannot access the duplicate pages. You might as well delete the pages and implement the redirect.

    The redirection plugin for WordPress websites is a quick way to implement the 301 redirect.

    Conclusion

    We have established that the “alternate page with proper canonical tag” status means the pages listed are not being indexed. Some might be okay, while others need a fix by:

    • Telling Google which page to canonicalize and index instead
    • Going through our internal URLs to fix poorly done internal links
    • Implementing 301 redirects to the right alternate page with proper canonical tags. Inspect the URL to find which links Google is indexing, and then do the 301 redirect to those links.

    Remember, if you need us to do a thorough SEO audit of your website, don’t hesitate to contact us. The most common reasons for canonicalization errors are excessive duplication and poor internal linking practices. Today, we can investigate these technical issues by diving deeply into your website.

  • 8 Best Keyword Research Tools for SEO in 2024

    If you’re keen on boosting your search engine optimization strategy, you know that keyword research plays a pivotal role. However, delving into keyword research without the appropriate tools can be irritating and unproductive. That’s precisely why SEO experts rely on keyword research tools to assist them in compiling thorough lists of keywords and their respective monthly search volumes.

    In this piece, we’ll walk you through 8 of the finest keyword research tools SEO professionals utilize. Whether you’re just starting in SEO or looking for fresh tools to experiment with, we’ll help you select the ideal one tailored to your requirements. By the time you reach the end of this article, you’ll possess the insights and assurance needed to elevate your keyword research efforts to new heights.

    The Best Tools for Keyword Research

    1. Semrush

    When finding the right keywords for your online presence, Semrush stands out as a top choice. It’s widely known and trusted for its thoroughness and versatility in SEO tools, with a dedicated suite just for keyword research.

    Semrush’s Keyword Overview lets you quickly glimpse essential metrics like search volume, difficulty, CPC, and variations for your chosen keywords. Then there’s the Keyword Magic Tool, which goes deeper, generating keyword suggestions in various matches (broad, exact, phrase) and related terms while also providing insights on search volume, search intent, and competitiveness.

    For those with a paid Semrush subscription, the Keyword Manager tool offers advanced analysis options and the ability to export data for further examination. Plus, with daily monitoring, the Position Tracking feature keeps you updated on your site’s ranking compared to competitors.

    To tie it all together, the Organic Traffic Insights feature merges Google Analytics and Search Console data with Semrush’s, helping you pinpoint the keywords bringing organic traffic to your site.

    Semrush’s pricing ranges from $99.95 to $449.95 per month.

    2. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

    Ahrefs is another all-in-one SEO toolkit with a Keyword Explorer providing in-depth keyword information. It uses data from 10 different search engines and provides more than keyword suggestions; it also includes search volume, ranking difficulty, and keyword movement information.

    Ahrefs is particularly useful for identifying your competition and which keywords they’re ranking for that you are not. This information can then generate new content to target and capture that traffic.

    Read Also: How to Remove Outdated Content From Your Website

    Ahrefs’ pricing ranges from $83 to $999 per month.

    3. Google Keyword Planner

    Google Keyword Planner is a free-to-use tool for anyone with a Google Ads account. It provides direct data from Google and is primarily intended for digital marketers advertising on Google.

    Using Google Keyword Planner is straightforward – type in a keyword, and it will give you data on related keywords, approximate monthly searches, and bidding information.

    4. Serpstat

    Serpstat offers a comprehensive SEO suite, covering everything from link building and managing PPC campaigns to optimizing for local search. It boasts utilizing a vast database to aid in identifying keywords, analyzing their volume, popularity, and competition, and keeping tabs on your competitors.

    One standout feature of Serpstat is its ability to present the site within the featured snippet as the primary result, allowing you to strive for that coveted spot. Additionally, it provides tools for tracking trending keywords, including regional search trends, monitoring your rankings, and analyzing content for optimization.

    Serpstat’s pricing ranges from $59 to $499 per month.

    5. KeywordTool.io

    KeywordTool.io is known for providing a sheer volume of keyword suggestions. For example, a search for “pharmacy” returned 669 total keywords.

    KeywordTool.io provides all the relevant data an SEO professional could want, including search volume, competition (both average and by specific keyword), and trend information. It also allows users to sift results based on their needs, such as region, language, platform, and type.

    KeywordTool.io’s pricing ranges from $69 to $129 per month.

    6. Moz Keyword Explorer

    Moz is one of the most prominent players in the world of SEO tools and offers both a paid and free version (restricted to 10 queries per month) of its Keyword Explorer.

    Moz Keyword Explorer has robust keyword suggestions, comprehensive analysis tools, and predictive metrics. It also gives you detailed information on tools for identifying long-tail keywords, SERPs, and search questions, with tips to help you rank internationally.

    Read Also: Best SEO Practices to Dominate the SERPs

    Moz’s pricing ranges from $79 to $599 per month.

    7. Google Trends

    Google Trends is an outstanding tool you can use for free! It helps you discover what people are searching for by letting you type keywords or phrases or check out related queries. Then, it gives you all sorts of excellent info, like where people are most interested, how that interest has changed over time, and what other topics or questions are connected. Plus, you can compare two keywords to see which one’s getting more buzz. So rad, right?

    8. AnswerThePublic

    AnswerThePublic is a “search listening tool” that taps into autocomplete data from search engines to determine practical search questions and phrases. It presents this information visually, making it easy to identify prepositions and search volume divided by questions, comparisons, and related searches.

    AnswerThePublic has a free version valid for small amounts of research and a Pro plan that is better for regular SEO work. The Pro plan offers unlimited daily searches, priority customer support, and customization options.

    AnswerThePublic’s pricing ranges from $9 to $199 per month.

    Choosing The Right Keyword Research Tool

    When picking the right keyword research tool, remember a couple of things. Firstly, your budget plays a significant role. While free tools might seem appealing, they often lack the depth and features of paid options. Thus, finding a tool that balances functionality and affordability is critical.

    Another crucial aspect is aligning the tool with your overall SEO content strategy. Consider your primary objectives—are you aiming to boost your authority, attract new customers, or target specific local or international audiences? Since each keyword research platform has strengths and weaknesses, it is essential to select one that aligns well with your goals.

    Making an informed decision involves careful assessment of your options. If you’re part of a team, gathering everyone’s input can be invaluable. They might have insights from past experiences with different platforms, which can provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. This collaborative approach can help you choose the best tool for your needs.

    Once you find the perfect tool, you can go after and land traffic from more queries and generate more conversions. Here are some more resources to help you in your keyword research journey:

    • Google Keyword Planner: How To Use The Free Tool For SEO
    • Keyword Research: An In-Depth Beginner’s Guide
    • Rank Tracking: How To Do It The Right Way

    Choosing the best keyword research tool for your needs can improve your SEO efforts and drive more traffic to your website.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    a) What are some of the top keyword research tools available?

    Many keyword research tools are available in the market, but some top ones include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Keyword Explorer, and Keyword Tool. These tools offer features such as keyword suggestions, search volume data, competition analysis, and more.

    b) How do you determine which keyword research tool is best for you?

    The best keyword research tool depends on users’ specific needs and budget. Before deciding, consider factors such as ease of use, features offered, pricing, and customer support. You can also try demos or free trials to see which tool works best.

    c) Can you recommend a free keyword research tool?

    Some free keyword research tools include Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Tool, and Ubersuggest. While they may not offer all the features of paid tools, they can still provide valuable insights into keyword research.

    d) What are the advantages of using keyword research tools?

    Using a keyword research tool can help one identify relevant keywords for their website or business, understand search volume and competition for those keywords, and optimize their content for better search engine rankings. It can also save you time and effort in manually researching keywords.

    e) How do you use a keyword research tool to improve your SEO strategy?

    To use a keyword research tool effectively:

    1. Identify your target audience and the keywords they may use to search for your products or services.
    2. Use the tool to find related keywords, search volume data, and competition analysis.
    3. Use this information to optimize your website content, including titles, meta descriptions, and headings, for better search engine rankings.

    f) Which keyword research tool is most commonly used by SEO professionals?

    While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, some of the most commonly used keyword research tools by SEO professionals include SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools offer advanced features and in-depth analysis for keyword research and SEO strategy.

  • Keyword Optimization Guide For SEO Beginners

    Keyword Optimization Guide For SEO Beginners

    The main element of your search engine optimization / SEO strategy is to drive more qualified leads to your site by using keywords in your Content. Excellent keyword research reveals the most common terms, phrases, and questions your users and customers search for.

    Read on to learn about keyword optimization, its benefits, and how to use it for long-term website rankings and traffic.

    What Is Keyword Optimization?

    Keyword optimization effectively uses the best keywords to improve visibility in search engines, drive traffic to your site, and increase its organic ranking.

    Good keyword optimization involves researching, analyzing, and selecting the keywords you will use for each page on your Site.

    In simpler terms, keyword optimization helps search engines better understand your Site, making your pages more accessible for people searching for those key phrases.

    Benefits of Keyword Optimization

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    Keyword optimization is significant in digital marketing, from content strategy to how your site content is organized. It is among the most critical aspects of search engine optimization and pay-per-click/ PPC.

    Here are the specific benefits of keyword optimization:

    1. Increases Organic Discovery: Keyword optimization will help deliver your site pages to a relevant audience through pertinent search queries.
    2. Measure and drive potential traffic flow to your Site: Optimization helps you measure and understand your potential online market size.
    3. Write captivating Content. Optimized keywords in your website’s Content let you instantly connect with potential customers and address their needs.
    4. Understand client behavior: By analyzing the best keywords, you get an idea of what your clients need and how to service those needs.
    5.  Credibility and Trust: As a result of ranking first for a specific keyword, your credibility is endorsed, helping clients trust you more 

    How Do You Optimize Keywords?

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    1. Find the Right Keywords for Optimization

    Keyword optimization begins with finding keywords and phrases associated with your Site, product, or service. 

    However, figuring out which words to use is a daunting task. 

    Therefore, using the best keyword optimization tools will help you analyze the popularity of the keywords and improve your SEO. 

    Several practical keyword optimization and SEO analytics tools will help you choose the right keywords.

    Some that offer free trials include Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Keyword Hero, Jaaxy, and Soovle. 

    Ideally, it would be best if you aimed to find keywords with high search volumes but lower competition. This way, your Content will easily rank high on Google’s search result pages.

    2. Map The Keywords to Each Page on your Site

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    Now that you have the relevant keywords you will be working with, the next step is mapping them to your website. This is assigning keywords to specific pages on your Site based on keyword research to avoid duplicating keywords on multiple pages.

    It would be best to focus on one primary keyword per page while including at least two or three SEO keyword variations. Each page should focus on a single topic and include the most essential SEO keywords. 

    3. Check Your Current On-Page SEO and Do Keyword Optimization

    You will audit your current on-page SEO strategy to see if your Site has existing Content.

    However, if you are creating new Content, ensure it is optimized.

    Here are things to look for during content optimization:

    a. Title Tags

     The title tags will show what your page is about. You need to ensure they contain the right length of 56 to 60 characters and are unique.

    Image credit: modernworldconsulting.com

    b. Header Tags

     Your page should have appropriately formatted headings and subheadings in HTML instead of bold headers.

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    c. Meta Descriptions

    This short description is usually below your web page in search results. It should be 100 to 155 characters and clearly describe your page.

    Image credit: delante.co

    d. URL Structure

     The URL should be short and simple and include your primary keyword.

    e. Images

    You should have more than one image on the page. Ensure the image has the image file names for each keyword and alt text.

    f. Content

    Ensure that your content is optimized by using the main and a few secondary keywords within the first 100 words on your page. Content should be at least 300 words.

    Image credit: neilpatel.com

    g. Internal Links

    If you have links to other Content, ensure those links still work. 

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    4. Submit your Content to Google Search Console

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     Submitting your Content to Google Search Console will help index your pages on the search engine results page (SERPs). It will also potentially speed up the discovery process.

    5. Track Your Keyword Rankings

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    After your Content is indexed and ranked in Google, you need to track and see how those keywords rank. 

    You should give it at least 2 months for new Content before making any keyword search optimization changes.

    You can track rankings daily for 14 days before changing existing Content.

    Featured Image credit: page.one