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Technical debt is a bill that always comes due, whether in the form of a hack or painful upgrade …

If you’re not familiar, “technical debt” is a concept from software development that refers to essentially kicking the can down the road and choosing the easier solution now that will ultimately result in additional work or rework later.

Prepare for some tough love about keeping your website current from a functional standpoint.  Obviously we always want to make sure our content is accurate and fresh, but maintaining an updated website is about so much more than that. Here are four things you can implement today.  

1. Stay on Top of CMS Updates

Periodically, your CMS will push out updates to address security, bug fixes, user experience, etc. You’ll want to implement these as soon as they become available to protect your site from security threats.

2. Keep Those Plugins Updated

The same is true of your plugins. If your CMS is regularly updated, they will need to keep up.  Make sure you keep those updated too!

3.  Keep an Eye on Google

Keep abreast of Google’s announcements and adopt their prescribed best practices. Google has a great deal of control over how consumers find us online. As they did prior to “mobilegeddon,” sometimes Google even gives us a heads up that an important change is coming. When this happens, don’t procrastinate getting your digital house in order. You will be ahead of everyone else who wasn’t paying attention and it will show in your search rankings.   

4. Have a Contingency Plan 

You need a contingency plan if something breaks. That is not the moment you want to begin hunting for a programmer. Make sure you know exactly who you’ll be calling if you need support. Your website should also be configured to back up on a regular schedule so it can be rolled back in an emergency.  

How are you feeling about your technical debt?
If you don’t know how to answer that question, that’s okay! We can help. Contact Cuppa SEO Web Design for a complimentary consultation.

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What is a Backlink?

If you’re not familiar with the term, a backlink is a link from somebody else’s website or blog to yours. Backlinks are important because they have the ability to raise or lower your website authority in a meaningful way, depending on the quality of the backlinks you attain. I say “depending on the quality,” because not all backlinks are created equal.

Good Types of Backlinks

• Sharing a link, or someone sharing a link to you, because it’s great information that’s relevant to readers
• Links that come from reputable websites — with low spam scores and high authority scores (sites that have higher authority scores than your site are preferable)
• Backlinks that require some amount of editorial control. Examples include: guest blogging, directory submissions (citations), press release distribution, blog commenting, niche forums and community sites. All of these are editorially controlled (gaited). In other words, someone has to approve or reject the submission as opposed to simply being submitted and accepted (non-gaited).

Bad Types of Backlinks

• Paid links, which is a link that’s actually paid for (with money, a favor, gifts, etc.).
• Link networking, which occurs when two websites trade links, or link to each other in order to boost backlink numbers.
• Links from overly spammy sites. A good way to check for site “spamminess” is to use an application like MOZ’s Open Site Explorer. It’s free to use, and it will tell you the spam score of any website for which you are considering creating a backlink. You can also check sites that have already added a backlink to your website (with or without your permission) to check their spam score. While you’re there, check your site’s spam score, too!

What are Citations?

You may be wondering what citations are, as the term has more than one meaning. In this case, we’re talking about website citations, which are essentially directory listings for your website. They’re important, and luckily easy to build upon, especially if you use an application such as Bright Local. Bright Local helps you identify where you already have citations, suggests potential new citations, and SUBMITS these citations for you so you can spend your time doing something else.

Avoid Sketchy Backlinks Dealers

If anyone offers to increase your backlinks by hundreds or thousands in a short amount of time, that person is probably practicing questionable strategies to do so. And that can mean trouble for your website. In fact, large amounts of backlinks created in a brief amount of time can look suspicious to Google. If this happens, your efforts can actually work against your website, so build your backlinks carefully and with patience. According to Bright Local, “citation building should appear natural to the search engines and be built gradually over the course of a few months. A good figure to work on is around 25-50 citations per month.”

At Cuppa SEO, we’re sometimes even more cautious with clients, rolling out about 10 new citations every 3–4 weeks. Why? If anything looks unnatural to Google, a penalty could ensue. And if we’re building a brand-new website, nothing says “unnatural” more than 500 backlinks cropping up just days after a site goes live. Beyond citations, there are other ways to legitimately increase your backlinks — natural editorial links and manual outreach, for example. But no matter how you slice it, it’s a long-term process.

This article was gleaned from Joey’s book, A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing, which is chock-full of tips and marketing strategies to help you grow your business. Want to learn more about backlinks and optimizing your digital presence? You can get your copy of A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing on Amazon. 

Need assistance with your website?
Contact Cuppa SEO Web Design anytime for a complimentary consultation! 

The post Let’s Talk Backlinks appeared first on Cuppa SEO.

I’ve been using PodMatch for a couple of months now, and it has been a powerful tool in helping me get booked as a guest on podcasts, which is why I wanted to get the word out about the application and its founder.

In case you’re not familiar, our spotlight series always highlights amazing artists, small businesses and individuals that stand out from the crowd for their all-around awesomeness.

So, let’s get to know more about Alex and PodMatch …

1. Who is PodMatch & What Does it Do?
PodMatch is a service that automatically matches ideal podcast guests and podcast hosts together for interviews. Imagine your favorite online dating app but instead of using it for finding dates, you’re
booking podcast interviews. We use the same(ish) technology for automated matching!

3. Why Do You Love Doing It?
As a passionate podcaster myself who has been helped so much by others along the way, I wanted a way to give back to the industry. I found the entire guest/host connecting process to be very difficult and there was a need to be met here. That’s why I created PodMatch. Today, I love helping people find that ideal guest for their podcast so they can create episodes that impact the world. This is something that I’m so passionate about! Serving the world through podcasting.

4. How Does it Help People?
It helps people who want to be podcast guests find shows who are looking for people with their skills, talents, and expertise. That way, they can share their message with the world! On the flip side, it helps hosts find guests for their podcast so they can focus on producing great content.

5. Why did you decide to create this solution for podcasters and podcast guests?
This is my way of giving back to the podcasting community that has given so much to me. So many people in podcasting have helped me along the way. And I remember when I got started, finding guests used to be a pain, but thankfully, PodMatch is now around for me, and all other podcasters to make this process painless.

6. What hurdles have you faced during start up, and the growth process?
PodMatch almost immediately took off. Figuring out how to manage my time properly with answering people’s questions about it, getting on calls with members who had ideas, and of course, further developing the product, (not to mention keeping my own podcast going) was a lot of work. That balance was tough to figure out and initially caused me to work more than I should have been. But today, I have a much better balance!

7. Favorite coffee?
I actually don’t drink coffee, or tea, just water. I’m a huge fan of water, always have been since I was a kid. (Fun fact, the last time I drank a soda was 2003.

8. Favorite analog hobby (for those times you’re not in front of your computer)?
I enjoy going to the beach with my wife and friends. Playing soccer, swimming laps, and outdoor circuit workouts. All of which, based around community, I love being with the people in my life.

If you’d like to learn more about Alex or PodMatch, feel free to check out any of the following links:

• Podmatch.com
• Creating a Brand (podcast website)
• Creating a Brand Podcast (listen to the podcast)

The post Fresh-brewed Small Business Spotlight: Alex Sanfilippo, Founder of Podmatch appeared first on Cuppa SEO.

I was lucky enough to be a guest on one of Tom’s recent podcasts (episode 434), and I enjoyed his humor and insights so much that I convinced him to be interviewed for our spotlight series.

In case you’re not familiar, our spotlight series always highlights amazing artists, small businesses and individuals that stand out from the crowd for their all-around awesomeness.

So, let’s get to know more about Tom and what he does …

1. Who Are You?
I’m just your every day multimillionaire guy next door who has never had a job. Don’t think I was born with a silver spoon. My dad taught me a serious work ethic and I feel my success is attributed to that work ethic combined with a massive customer service ethic.

I went to college on a football scholarship and by the time I graduated, and starting with nothing, I owned 5 apartment buildings and a hotel. Since then, I’ve been a freelance charter pilot, owned a nightclub where I was in gunfights and had bikers trying to kill me, owned a Practical Joke company like Candid Camera, and traveled the world as a professional speaker with 3000 paid events under my belt.

A Hollywood documentary is being done about my life (I thought you had to be dead to have a documentary about your life, but apparently not hahaha) called “The American Entrepreneur” premiering summer 2021. You can see the trailer here.

All this might sound boastful, but I want to send the message that if you’re not in the car everyday making someone else rich, you’ll have time to enjoy two or three lives instead of one. Hence, the name of my podcast is ….”Screw the Commute.”

2. What Do You Do?
I’ve been selling on the commercial Internet since there was a commercial Internet circa 1994. I didn’t make a nickel for the first two years until I got good training from the 31-year-old “grandfather” of Internet marketing Corey Rudl. Four years later I was an Internet multimillionaire.

What I’d like to mention here is another thing my dad taught me and that was to strive for excellence in everything you do. When you do that, people will notice and want to learn what you know. In this case I was striving for excellence in Internet marketing just to sell my own products and services. I got so good at it that people noticed and wanted me to teach them what I knew. So, I sell my own products and services and also teach others to do so.

From this came the longest running, most unique and most successful mentor program in the field of Internet and digital marketing, a unique Retreat Center where people come in from all over the world to study Internet marketing in the lap of luxury, and the only licensed, dedicated Internet marketing distance learning school in the USA (probably the world).

3. Why Do You Love Doing It?
All I saw from my dad my entire life was entrepreneurship and high achievement. My dad actually put the first electric lightbulb in Carnegie Pennsylvania and by 13 years old he had an electrical contracting firm.

I get so excited to see successful businesspeople and I get especially excited when I had a big part in their success.

Case in point: Young Ilya Pozin was a Russian immigrant working at Comp USA in Rockville, Maryland circa1997. He was a 17-year-old high school kid. As I was in there shopping, I noticed just about all the computer related questions were being referred to him. I asked him my question and he answered it perfectly without even pausing to think about it. I could see he was someone special.

I slipped him a note that said, “Call me for a job. I’ll pay you double what they’re paying you here.” He called and started working with me. At the time he was on a path to just get a corporate job like his immigrant parents had done. I taught him how to start his own business. He worked with me for a few years and then it was time to spread his wings. He just sold his third startup pluto.tv to Viacom for $340 Million. I told him next time I see him, he’s buying dinner hahaha.

So, I ask you, “Who couldn’t love being part of success stories like that?”

4. How Does it Help People?
I’m somewhat in the life changing business . . . at least in the financial life changing business.

I was doing a fundraiser not too long ago in Philadelphia and a lady came up to me in tears . . . actually I would characterize it as “blubbering.” I said, “What’s wrong?” When she could halfway talk, she said she heard me speak ten years earlier and she and her husband were laid off and were going to lose their home. She told me because of my speech she started an online business which saved their home and turned their entire life around.

What I teach gives people options to have a better and more secure life.

5. What caused you to transition from professional comedian to internet marketing guru and podcaster?
I’m always moving forward. The entertainment company and professional comedy came from a needed respite from the nasty nightclub world. As the comedy career took off, I was thinking there must be something bigger out there for me than just doing parties. That something bigger was professional speaking.

Pro Speaking
Pro speaking let me combine my business experience and my entertainment skills for much bigger money than simply entertaining. Part of being a professional speaker is selling your products at the back of the room. Prior to the Internet it was hard enough to sell your products across the street, let alone around the world from your desktop.

Arrival of the Commercial Internet
When I saw the commercial Internet emerge, I know that was my ticket to selling my information products on a much wider basis. I was basically learning the Internet just to sell my own stuff. As mentioned earlier, I got so good at it that people started begging me to teach them.

Podcasting
I pooh-poohed podcasting for a long time. People just wanted to hear themselves talk and nobody was making any money from it. Then a couple years ago new cars started being able to play podcasts from their dashboards. Podcast listenership exceeded XM Radio and podcasts were free. Also, in home devices like Amazon’s Echo and Google Assistant started selling hundreds of millions of units all capable of playing podcasts.

Then I saw people really start making money and that’s when I jumped in. The name “Screw the Commute” was a no brainer as I guess I’m pretty unique and qualified to do such a podcast since I’ve never had a job.  As I’m writing this, I just completed 437 episodes.

On Mondays I do a training session on something that’s either made me or saved me a ton of money and on Wednesdays and Fridays I Interview other great entrepreneurs like you.

6. Who is your favorite comedian, and why?
Two brothers Brian and Dennis Regan. They are just extremely skilled in mixing physical expression and everyday observations and occurrences that have me buckled over laughing.

Thank you, Tom, for taking the time to answer our spotlight questions.

If you’d like to learn more about Tom and his offerings, feel free to check out any of the following links:

• https://screwthecommute.com (Tom’s Podcast)
• https://www.ScrewTheCommute.com/automatefree (Free Business Automation Ebook)
• https://www.GreatInternetMarketingTraining.com (Mentor Program)

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And they’re still not.

If you are engaging (or thinking of engaging) with people you know — or total strangers — in this way, my advice is to consider a more humanistic option.

NOBODY likes to be cold sold — heck, nobody likes to be sold no matter what the circumstance or the relationship.

Selling is transactional. There’s no humanity in it. And in our pandemic era, it is more unsavory than ever because everyone’s struggle, everyone’s trauma is exacerbated.

Instead of barraging someone with sales speak, we’ve always been proponents of building relationships.

Some of these relationships lead to business, some to friendships, and some just remain acquaintances.

With a focus on relationships and connecting with others, nobody every feels sold because you’re not trying to sell.

The key here is remaining VISIBLE and actively cultivating relationships — which takes more time and effort than a blanket email to 2,000 people. It means adding another Zoom call or two to your week, or actually engaging with your LinkedIn network.

The surprising things is this is the opposite of dreadful — even though I’m extremely busy — because it gives me opportunity to connect, and reconnect with people which has intrinsic value in and of itself, especially in a pandemic …

… these conversations are fruitful on many levels, one of which is the fact that they sometimes lead to business growth in a very humanistic way.

Want more tips and insights from Cuppa SEO?

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You know the way you cringe when you see, “in 2018 we will pursue…” on a website you’re browsing? An annual content audit of your website will minimize a potential client associating that feeling with your business. Here’s how to start a repeatable process you can implement year after year.   

Step 1: Make sure your site map is accurate.

Don’t have one? Get started! A site map is an outline that lists all the pages on your website. There are a number of web tools, like Flowmapp, to help you build an elaborate site map or you can simply set up an outline in a Word or Google document.

Step 2: Determine what you can delegate.

Are you lucky enough to have a team? Great! Start deputizing folks as subject matter experts (SMEs) and assigning them pages on the website to review. I prefer to do this by color coding my site map, creating a key, and sending it to my team for approval. Explain they are receiving this because you think they are the organization’s experts and best suited to confirm if the information on their assigned pages is current and accurate. Everyone loves to feel important, right? Ask to review the list and confirm their assignments are appropriate.

Step 3: Transcribe Away!

While you’re waiting for confirmation you’ve selected the right SMEs, you can get to work transcribing your website. You’ll start with your site map and add in your web copy page-by-page. At Cuppa SEO, we like to use a program like Google Docs for this because it allows for real-time collaboration and visibility. 

Step 4: Your Review

It’s best if you require all changes to be made in “suggesting mode” in the document. If you’re working in Word, you’ll use a feature called “track changes.” This way, you’ll know exactly how much of the content needs updating when it comes time for implementation. If you haven’t finalized your SMEs yet, use this time to do a cursory review of the document for anything you would normally own (grammar, spelling, etc.) and make updates as needed. Still not ready for delegating? Charge ahead and complete the pages you’ve assigned to yourself. It will help your team to understand how to make their edits if they can see how you’ve begun the process. 

Once everyone has confirmed their SME role, share the document with them and clearly explain your timeline, how you would like them to log edits and how they should confirm to you they have completed their review. 

Step 5: Implementation

Get rolling with those website updates! Do this at least once a year to keep your site fresh and current.

The post When Was the Last Time You Did a Proper Website Audit? appeared first on Cuppa SEO.

Those of us who are used to the trade show and conference circuit know our presentation backwards and forwards; we could put together booth displays in our sleep. That was great until 2020 had other plans. After several postponements, our regular events are finally happening, just virtually. Here’s what you need to know about showing up virtually.  

1. Optimize Your Attendee Profile

Most virtual event platforms offer attendees the ability to create a profile. Be sure to fill yours out completely as soon as you are able. Add your professional headshot and customize your bio to express how excited you are to connect with your fellow attendees. Encourage them to get in touch! Are you a speaker or a panelist? This goes double for you!

2. Look for Virtual Attendee Networking Opportunities

After you’ve set up your attendee page on the conference website, poke around and see if there’s a social component. Can you add people as friends? Message them? Schedule meetings? Do it! And start as soon as you’re allowed to begin logging in. This increases the likelihood that your message will be one of the first things attendees see when they join the platform.

3. Virtual Presentation, Real Background 

We’re not saying you should never use a fun virtual background, but it can be distracting. If you’re speaking at a conference, especially on a panel, try to avoid it. Instead, make sure your real world background is uncluttered and attractive. Consider setting up a spot with some nice art behind you. It’s also important to be cautious of how much personal information is in the shot. Does your office wall show your diploma? Maybe a framed baby needlepoint from a great aunt? Items like these can give away enough information to invite identity theft, especially during large virtual events.

4. Optimize Your Company Profile

Representing a company? Most platforms allow you to create a company profile, similar to the attendee profiles. Just as you would for your attendee profile, fill it out completely and as soon as you are able. You want to capture the interest of attendees pursuing the conference website before the event! Upload your logo and make sure it fits nicely into the thumbnail space, both on the profile and in the companies listing. If you have the opportunity to include a video, consider filming one specifically for the event to stand out from others who are simply uploading their most recent television commercial.  

5. Virtual Trade Show Booths 

Just like the company profile pages, make sure you optimize and customize! Next, if the conference website lets you chat with attendees, make sure someone is scheduled to staff that chat for the duration of the event. If this is not possible, it’s best to clearly indicate “office hours” on your page and stick to them. Lastly, if the event you’re working has any kind of game with a prize to encourage attendee participation, promote the game in your virtual booth. The more people who play, the more visitors and engagements you’ll see.

Attending and working virtual events is never going to be the same as an in-person gathering but we hope these tips (some of them we learned the hard way) will help you make the most of your next virtual conference.

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