These marketing podcasts are well-established, popular, and full of great tips and information. But more importantly, I included podcasts that approach marketing from a variety of angles. That way, you can decide which marketing podcasts will help you reach your goals and that you’ll enjoy listening to.

1. The Digital Marketing Podcast
2. Online Marketing Made Easy
3. Social Media Marketing
4. The Mindful Marketing Podcast
5. Marketing Over Coffee
6. Duct Tape Marketing
7. Perpetual Traffic
8. Marketing School

8 Best Marketing Podcasts in 2024

1. The Digital Marketing Podcast with Ciaran Rogers, Louise Crossley, and Daniel Rowles

Best for: A broad range of digital marketing topics
Average episode length: 20-30 minutes
Episode frequency: Weekly

If you want a marketing podcast that will cover everything from SEO and AI to email marketing and social media, then The Digital Marketing Podcast is a great place to start. It’s created by Target Internet, which is a hub for online digital marketing courses. You have to pay to access the courses, but the podcast is completely free. And it’s ad-free!

Here are just a few of the topics that The Digital Marketing Podcast has covered in 2024:

• Crafting Killer Titles: Hook, Rank, and Convert
• The State of Email Marketing
• How to Start a Digital Marketing Career
• Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing
• GA4 News, Tips and Tricks

This is just a glimpse of the podcast’s breadth. You can find an episode on just about any digital marketing topic, and the hosts keep the tone conversational. It’s a great podcast for anyone in the marketing field, and it offers value to beginners and seasoned experts alike.

2. Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield

Best for: How-tos and actionable tips (especially for course creators)
Average episode length: 25-50 minutes
Episode frequency: Tuesdays and Thursdays

Amy Porterfield is an entrepreneur who has built a $100 million business offering digital courses for other entrepreneurs. How has she accomplished this? By being an expert marketer and a great teacher. These attributes make Online Marketing Made Easy a can’t-miss podcast for digital marketers. Porterfield is a top-notch digital course creator, and she uses those skills to walk podcast listeners through each episode’s topic.

Online Marketing Made Easy does skew heavily toward topics related to online courses, with episodes like “How to Deliver a Digital Course Your Audience REALLY Wants.” Even though I don’t sell online courses, I still learned helpful tips about conducting market research and understanding your target audience. Plus, episodes like “How to Have Emails EVERONE Opens (Which Means MORE Money!)” are extremely helpful for any marketer. Even if you don’t plan to listen to every episode, Porterfield’s podcast is worth having in your subscription feed.

3. Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner

Best for: The latest in social media marketing
Average episode length: 45 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Thursday

Host Michael Stelzner founded Social Media Examiner way back in 2009, and he’s been a leading voice in the digital marketing industry ever since. In each episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, Stelzer interviews a marketing expert on a different social media topic. If social is a major focus of your digital marketing strategy, then this is the podcast you should be tuning in to.

Episodes include social-specific topics such as “Using LinkedIn to Increase Your Sales” and “Leverage Emotions in Your Facebook Ads for Better Results.” However, many episodes are broader. For instance, “Embracing Humor in Your Writing: The Funny Side of Business” includes tips you can apply to copywriting for any marketing channel.

4. The Mindful Marketing Podcast with Andréa Jones

Best for: Thoughtful discussions about the realities of marketing
Average episode length: 30-60 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Tuesday

The Mindful Marketing Podcast used to be called the Savvy Social Podcast. Host Andréa Jones rebranded to reflect her primary focus: the real people doing the marketing and the real people you’re marketing to.

Here’s an example: In the episode “Ignite Your Marketing Curiosity with Emily Aborn,” Aborn says that “Marketing is relationships.” Jones agrees and adds, “It’s not about trying to push something on someone. It’s about helping them in some way.” The episode goes on to provide plenty of specific tips to evoke curiosity and nurture new leads. However, the tips focus on how real people respond to marketing rather that just providing cold data.

Another episode I particularly enjoyed is “Marketing Automation Secrets from the Experts.” Jones leads a discussion with 3 different marketers, who share stories about how automation helped their business and made their lives easier. If you want to hear how real marketers reach their goals and avoid burnout, then you should be listening toThe Mindful Marketing Podcast.

5. Marketing Over Coffee with John J. Wall & Christopther S. Penn

Best for: Laid-back rundown on the latest in marketing, plus expert guests
Average episode length: 20-30 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Thursday

Listening to Marketing Over Coffee feels like chatting with friends. That is, if your friends were marketing gurus who sometimes brought other experts with them to your coffee meet-up. Not only will you learn a ton of great information, but you’ll also enjoy it, as the hosts maintain a friendly, casual tone and an easy-to-follow pace.

Wall and Penn cover old-school marketing topics, along with the latest marketing tech. For example, one recent episode features Katie Robbert, CEO of Trust Insights, a data and analytics company. Robbert discusses the very traditional marketing topic of creating ideal customer profiles. However, she also shares how her company built a large language model (LLM) to help clients automate and improve the process. That intersection of old and new is common in Marketing Over Coffee.

6. Duct Tape Marketing with John Jantsch

Best for: Expert insights into running and marketing a small business
Average episode length: 10-25 minutes
Episode frequency: Wednesdays and Thursdays

John Jantsch has been advising small and medium-sized businesses for 30 years, and he’s hosted Duct Tape Marketing since 2005. In each episode, he interviews a marketer or entreprenuer on a different helpful topic. For example, in “How to Master Product Launches,” Jantsch interviews Jeff Walker, the author of the book Launch. Walker discusses his recently revised edition of the book and the changes he’s made to his product launch formula.

Jantsch asks interesting questions to make the most of his interviews. In the “Marketing for Supervillains” episode, Jessee Wroblewski encourages small business to see themselves as supervillains who need to differentiate themselves from the big-business superheroes. Jantsch helps Wroblewski connect his ideas to real-life brand examples for the audience. Episodes like this make Duct Tape Marketing one of the best marketing podcasts for small businesses.

7. Perpetual Traffic with Ralph Burns & Lauren Petrullo

Best for: Lead generation strategies, especially through paid traffic
Average episode length: 30-60 minutes
Episode frequency: Tuesdays and Fridays

The hosts of Perpetual Traffic are founders and CEOs of their own marketing agencies. That means they’ve helped a wide variety of clients improve their marketing, and they share that expertise in each episode. Perpetual Traffic focuses specifically on lead generation. While this is a narrower topic than many marketing podcasts, it’s an absolutely universal one. They also regularly interview expert guests.

I particularly like Perpetual Traffic‘s focus on strategy and outcomes over vanity metrics. For example, one recent episode is called “How to Hire a Bouncer For Your CRM & Make More Money (Not Get More Leads).” That may sound counterintuitive for a lead generation podcast. However, the episode helps you learn how to make sure your leads are high quality, and it gives tips on filtering out leads who will never buy from you. Burns and Petrullo’s advice keeps businesses from wasting time and money trying to market to bad leads.

8. Marketing School with Neil Patel & Eric Siu

Best for: Brief discussions on the very latest in digital marketing, SEO, and AI.
Average episode length: 15-20 minutes
Episode frequency: Almost daily

Neil Patel and Eric Siu are big names in digital marketing. They publish on a near-daily schedule, and each episode covers a few precise topics. Marketing School‘s quick production schedule means you get insights on the most important things happening right now in digital marketing.

I’ve noticed one major flaw in Marketing School‘s approach: the hosts often focus on flash-in-the-pan controversies and their personal opinions on them. This can feel a bit indulgent and isn’t helpful to listeners who want actionable marketing tips. I suggest looking through each week’s episodes to see if any topics are relevant to your business, rather than listening to each daily episode in its entirety. Regardless, Marketing School is the go-to podcast when you want immediate analysis of the latest digital marketing news.

Learn Even More About Marketing

The best marketing podcasts are easy to listen to, cover the topics you want to learn about, and help you improve your marketing strategy. While there are plenty more great options out there, these 8 marketing podcasts are a great place to start.

Of course, podcasts aren’t the only way to learn about digital marketing. Here at OptinMonster, our blog and email newsletter provide helpful marketing tips to help you get more traffic, leads, and sales.

Here are just a few of our posts that will help you nail your marketing strategy and grow your business:

• Ultimate Beginner’s Content Marketing Guide
• 8 Digital Marketing Best Practices
• SEO Ranking Factors: 10 Factors to Help You Rank in Search
• 11 Proven Ways to Generate Organic Leads and Increase Traffic
• Make Your Site POP: 11+ Website Popup Examples to Boost Conversions

If you’re already driving traffic to your website, the next step in your marketing plan is to convert those visitors into subscribers and customers. OptinMonster is the best lead generation software on the market, helping you grow your email list and move leads through the customer journey.

Using OptinMonster, Storyly increased conversions by 80% and grew their email list by 45%! Find out how in our Storyly case study.

When you’re ready to see those kinds of results, give OptinMonster a try, with our 14-day money-back guarantee.

That’s a lot of videos to compete with. How can you get your brand’s videos to rank in YouTube searches? You’ll need to master SEO for YouTube, so you can boost your visibility, engagement, and subscriber base.

We’ve accomplished all of those goals and more on OptinMonster’s YouTube channel. Using the tactics I’m sharing in this post, we’ve reached a subscriber base of nearly 10,000. That’s a big accomplishment for a niche channel, and it’s exponentially higher than the channels for our competitors.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to improve your YouTube video ranking. I’ll share YouTube SEO tips ranging from keyword research to advanced optimization techniques, and I’ll give actionable steps to rank higher and get more views on your videos.

Throughout the article, you’ll also see examples of how we implement these tactics at OptinMonster. That way, you can understand exactly how each tip works for a real brand.

• What Is YouTube SEO?
• Keyword Research: The Foundation of SEO for YouTube
• How to Optimize YouTube Videos for SEO: 10 Steps & Best Practices
• How to Generate More Leads With Your YouTube Videos

What Is YouTube SEO?

YouTube SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your videos to rank higher in YouTube search results. It can also include improving ranking in Google search results. Like traditional SEO, YouTube SEO involves keyword research, but there are also several platform-specific optimization strategies.

YouTube’s algorithm considers several key factors when ranking videos. Some of the most important factors are:

• Relevance: How well your content matches the user’s search query
• Watch Time: How long viewers watch your videos
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of people who click on your video after seeing it in search results
• Engagement: The number of likes, comments, and shares on the video and on the channel overall

Throughout this article, I’ll discuss tactics to improve these factors and increase your YouTube video rankings.

Keyword Research: The Foundation of SEO for YouTube

Before you can start optimizing your YouTube videos, you have to find the right keywords to target.

Keywords and search queries are the terms and phrases that users type into the YouTube search bar when looking for content.

By identifying and using the right keywords, you help YouTube understand the content of your videos. That makes it more likely that your video will appear in search results. Smart keyword research not only drives more views. It also attracts the right audience: people who have a genuine interest in your content, brand, and products.

Here are some of the best ways to conduct keyword research to help your YouTube video ranking.

1. Use YouTube’s Autosuggest Feature

YouTube’s search bar is an excellent starting point for keyword research. As you type a word or phrase, YouTube automatically suggests popular searches. These autosuggestions reflect what users are actively searching for, making them valuable keywords to consider.

This process helps you both:

1. Identify keywords for videos you’ve already made
2. Find keywords to make new video content for

Example: If your video is about “yoga for beginners,” start typing “yoga for” into YouTube’s search bar. You might see autosuggestions like:

• “yoga for beginners”
• “yoga for flexibility”
• “yoga for stress relief”

These suggestions show what people are actively searching for. This information provides specific angles or subtopics to focus on in your video. For example, a specific phrase like “yoga for stress relief” could help you reach a new segment of your target audience.

Tip: Try typing a few variations of your main topic into the search bar, and take note of the autosuggested phrases. These can often reveal niche keywords you might not have considered.

2. Use Google Trends for YouTube Search

Google Trends is a free SEO tool that helps you discover trending keywords and topics. It offers a dedicated section for YouTube search data, allowing you to explore the popularity of specific keywords over time. You can also find trending topics within your brand niche, along with seasonal search trends.

Google Trends also offers a comparison feature. You can enter 2 search terms and see how their popularity compares over time. This free YouTube tool can help you determine the best main keyword for your video.

Example: Let’s say you want to make videos for healthy smoothie recipes. You can enter that main keyword into Google Trends and select YouTube Search. You’ll see a line graph of the term’s interest over time. If you scroll down, you’ll find a list of related keywords. You can see both:

1. Top Related Queries: Similar keywords with the highest level of interest. For “healthy smoothie recipes,” I got results like “weight loss smoothie recipes,” “healthy breakfast recipes,” and “healthy breakfast smoothie recipes.”
2. Rising Related Queries: These are search terms that are rapidly growing in popularity. They help you take advantage of keywords that are on an upswing. For “healthy smoothie recipes,” the rising related queries were “healthy snacks recipes” and “healthy green smoothie recipes.”

Tip: Use Google Trends to compare the search volume of different keywords. Opt for keywords that show consistent or rising interest over time, rather than those that spike and drop quickly.

3. Use Advanced YouTube SEO Tools

The YouTube search bar and Google Trends give you a great starting point for YouTube SEO research. But if you want to dig deeper, you’ll need a more advanced tool. Here are my top suggestions.

Semrush & Rank Tracker for YouTube

Semrush is the most thorough and effective tool for SEO keyword research. In fact, we list it as #1 in our list of best keyword research tools. Semrush focuses on traditional web search SEO, so it can help you get your YouTube videos ranking higher in Google searches.

Semrush also offers the Rank Tracker for YouTube app, which includes these features:

• Keyword tracking for up to 200 YouTube keywords
• Competitor video analysis
• YouTube rank change monitoring

Both Semrush and Rank Tracker for YouTube offer free trials.

TubeBuddy:

TubeBuddy is a browser extension and app for YouTube. It helps you optimize your YouTube videos to improve search rankings and engagement.

Here are some of TubeBuddy’s top features for SEO:

• Keyword Explorer: See detailed insights on keyword search volume, competition, and overall score, specifically for YouTube.
• Tag Management: Quickly discover and copy your competitors’ best-performing video tags.
• SEO Studio: This suite of SEO tools walks you through the process of optimizing all aspects of your YouTube video.

You can try out basic features, including the Keyword Explorer, with TubeBuddy’s free version. For full access, you’ll need to sign up for one of TubeBuddy’s paid plans.

Tip: Use these tools to identify long-tail keywords, which are more specific and less competitive. A long-tail keyword can be something like “what are the best ingredients for a protein smoothie.” This phrase probably has a lower search volume. However, if you’re selling protein powder, you want to target videos to people using that search term.

How to Optimize YouTube Videos for SEO: 10 Steps & Best Practices

1. Optimize Your Video Title
2. Write Engaging Video Descriptions
3. Tag Videos for Better Visibility
4. Categorize Your Video Appropriately
5. Add a Custom Thumbnail
6. Include Timestamps to Create Chapters
7. Add Subtitles or Closed Captions
8. Include Cards and End Screens
9. Group Videos Into Playlists
10. Track & Analyze Your Video’s Performance

1. Optimize Your Video Title

Your video title should include your video’s main keyword. That lets the YouTube algorithm understand your content’s topic. Additionally, your title needs to entice users to choose your video over others in the search results.

When users are searching YouTube, your video title is one of the first things they see. That makes titles extremely important for click-through rates (CTR). Giving your video a catchy title is essential for getting more people to click on it, just like having a good email subject line increases open rates.

Here’s an example of a title we’ve used for a video on OptinMonster’s YouTube channel:

The title starts with our keyword phrase: “Upselling Vs. Cross Selling.” It continues with a question that shows exactly what information searchers will learn if they watch the video.

YouTube Title Best Practices:

• Use keywords early: Use your main keyword early in the title. For example, if your keyword is “YouTube SEO,” a good title might be “YouTube SEO: 10 Tips to Rank Your Videos Higher.”
• Incorporate keywords naturally: Your keyword phrase should make grammatical sense in your title. Don’t force it in a way that sounds awkward.
• Keep Titles Concise: Aim for titles around 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results.
• Consider Using Numbers, Parentheses, or Brackets: Variations from regular text can draw a searcher’s eye. For instance, you can say “Top 5 Tips” instead of simply “Tips.” Or you can add “(2024 Update)” to a new video guide.

A well-written, keyword-focused title won’t magically rank your video content at #1, but it’s an important first step.

2. Write Engaging Video Descriptions

Video descriptions help the YouTube algorithm understand the content of your video and provide context to viewers. You can also include important links in your descriptions.

Here is the description we use for our “Upselling vs. Cross Selling” video:

The description starts with a long-tail search term: “What’s the difference between an upsell and a cross-sell?” After the brief summary of the video’s content, the rest of the description consists of links to related content and OptinMonster’s social channels.

YouTube Description Best Practices:

• Include Keywords: Include your main keyword, or an important variation, within the first few lines of the description. Avoid keyword stuffing.
• Include CTAs and Links: Guide viewers with clear calls-to-action (CTAs), such as “Subscribe for more tips!” Include links to relevant content. YouTube descriptions are also the perfect place to add affiliate links.
• Focus on the First Few Lines: The first 100-150 characters should be catchy and informative. This portion is what appears in search results and above the fold in the description box.

Remember, YouTube’s search algorithm prioritizes user engagement. So if viewers regularly click links in your descriptions, YouTube will see that you’re providing helpful content.

3. Tag Videos for Better Visibility

Tags are a type metadata. They help YouTube understand the context of your video and improve its discoverability. Essentially, you’re providing a list of topics that your video falls unders. While not as powerful as titles or descriptions, tags still play a role in ensuring your content appears in relevant searches.

For our “Upselling Vs. Cross Selling” video, here are some of the tags we used:

• upselling vs cross selling (always include your main keyword as a tag)
• upselling and cross selling
• upselling tips
• how to upsell
• email marketing
• email marketing strategy

As you can see, we included several keyword variations that relate to the content of the video.

YouTube Tagging Best Practices:

• Start with your main keyword: Make your primary keyword the first tag.
• Include Related Terms: Use tags that are semantically related to your main keyword.
• Add spelling variations: If your topic or product is regularly misspelled, include common misspellings as tags.
• Use a YouTube Tag Generator: If you use TubeBuddy, you’ll get tag suggestions as you fill out your YouTube video’s details. You can also try TubeRanker’s YouTube Tag Generator Tool, which is free for limited use.

4. Categorize Your Video Appropriately

During the publishing process, YouTube will ask you to select a category for your video. While that sounds simple, it can be tricky to choose the best one. YouTube only offers 15 categories, and not every video will fall neatly into just one of them.

For example, it can be difficult to decide between 2 similar categories, such as “Comedy” or “Entertainment.” Or, you might have a video that demonstrates how to use a piece of software. Should you select “Science & Technology” or “Howto & Style”?

These best practices can help guide your decision.

YouTube Category Best Practices:

• Consider your audience: Think about who your target audience is and which category they’re likely to browse or search within. For instance, you might have an educational video about eco-friendly beauty products, and you’ll feature affiliate links in your description. While the video could fall under “Education,” your target audience is more likely to search for “Howto & Style” videeos.
• Stay consistent across your channel: If you regularly post content on a similar topic, keep your videos in the same category. Consistency helps build a clear brand identity and makes it easier for viewers to find related content on your channel.
• Reassess over time: As your channel grows and evolves, it may be worth reassessing your category choices. Your audience may shift over time, or your content focus may change. Don’t hesitate to update the category of older videos when needed.

5. Add a Custom Thumbnail

It’s easy to just let YouTube select a screenshot from your video to use as a thumbnail. However, these images are rarely eye-catching or effective. Your thumbnail is your visual hook to get searchers to click on your video, and a well-designed custom thumbnail can significantly boost your CTR.

For OptinMonster’s YouTube videos, we always create thumbnails that are fun, attractive, and intriguing:

YouTube Thumbnail Best Practices:

• Stay on-brand: Use consistent colors, fonts, and design elements to make your thumbnails easily recognizable.
• Use faces and text: Thumbnails with faces tend to perform better because they create an emotional connection. Adding text can also clarify the video’s content at a glance.
• Choose high-contrast colors: Use bright colors and high-contrast images to make your thumbnail stand out. You want your thumbnail to be easy to see, even on small screens.
• A/B Test your thumbnails: YouTube has recently rolled out A/B testing for thumbnails. This feature lets you try out up to 3 thumbnails to see which performs the best.

6. Include Timestamps to Create Chapters

Timestamps are specific time markers added to a YouTube video’s description. They allow viewers to jump directly to a particular moment or section of the video. They’re perfect for longer videos or tutorials, where viewers might be interested in specific segments.

For example, we uploaded our webinar about A/B testing to YouTube and added timestamps in the description:

When timestamps are added to a video, YouTube automatically generates chapters, which are clickable segments on the video progress bar. Here’s what that looks like on our webinar video:

Timestamps help your YouTube SEO strategy in 3 ways:

1. Increased watch time and engagement: Timestamps and chapters make it easier for viewers to find the information they want, which leads to better audience retention and more clicks. In turn, that helps your videos’ search rankings.
2. More context for search algorithms: The titles of your timestamps give YouTube and Google more information about your video’s content. That can help your video rank for more search terms.
3. “Key moments” in Google search: Google uses your chapters to create “key moments” that show up in Google video search results. Here’s an example of key moments that display on an OptinMonster video in Google search:

Best Practices for Adding Timestamps:

• Identify key sections: Before adding timestamps, identify the main sections or topics covered in your video. These sections should be natural breaks in the content that a viewer might want to jump to.
• Use descriptive labels: When labeling your timestamps, use clear and descriptive text. For example, instead of just writing “1:23 – Tip 1,” give more information by writing “1:23 – Tip 1: Optimize your video title.”
• Start with a 0:00 timestamp: Always start your list of timestamps with “0:00” and use a label like “Introduction.” This sets the stage for the viewer and lets them know they can jump to other sections if needed.
• Be consistent: If you’re creating multiple videos with timestamps, try to maintain a consistent format. Consistency helps regular viewers know what to expect and makes your videos more user-friendly.

7. Add Subtitles or Closed Captions

Accessibility is the #1 reason you should add subtitles or closed captions to all your videos. It’s also helpful for your YouTube SEO strategy and can help your videos get higher rankings.

Subtitles increase audience retention by catering to viewers who prefer watching without sound. More importantly, they help non-native speakers and users with hearing impairments. Your subtitles also give YouTube and Google more text to index and rank your video for, which directly impacts SEO.

YouTube Subtitle Best Practices:

• Create Accurate Subtitles: If you followed a script for your video, you can always upload your script using these transcript formatting guidelines. Otherwise, start with YouTube’s automatic captioning feature, or use a third-party service to generate subtitles. Make sure you always review and edit the transcript for accuracy.
• Decide between subtitles and closed captions: Subtitles only include the words that are spoken during your video. Closed captions also include descriptions of any noises, such as sound effects, music, or even sighs and laughs. Use closed captions if your video includes non-verbal sounds that are important to the video’s meaning.

8. Include Cards and End Screens

Cards and end screens are interactive, clickable elements that you can add to your YouTube videos. They help keep viewers engaged, promote additional content, and guide them towards specific actions. Cards and end screens can encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel, watch another video, or visit an external website.

These in-video links let you encourage viewers to take a desired action. For example, the end screens for many of our videos include a link to sign up for OptinMonster:

Clicks on your cards count as engagement, which helps your YouTube SEO.

Best Practices for Cards:

• Focus on timing: Place cards during moments when viewers are highly engaged or when they might be interested in exploring more content. For instance, if you mention a topic that you cover in another video, that’s the perfect moment to suggest it through a card.
• Keep it relevant: Make sure your card is highly relevant to the current video. You might link to a related video, a playlist, or a poll to engage your audience further.
• Limit the number of cards: Too many cards can be distracting. Stick to a few that provide real value and are well-timed.

Best Practices for End Screens:

• Keep it simple: Use a clear call-to-action (CTA) that encourages viewers to take the next step, such as subscribing or watching another video.
• Make it look great: Design end screens that are visually appealing and consistent with your brand. Use contrasting colors to make buttons and CTAs stand out.

9. Group Videos Into Playlists

YouTube playlists are collections of videos on a particular topic or related to a specific interest. They help you organize your content and keep viewers engaged for longer periods. Playlists create a seamless viewing experience that encourages binge-watching. That will increase overall watch time and improve the ranking of your YouTube videos.

OptinMonster’s YouTube channel is organized into a number of playlists, including this one called “How to Grow Your Email List”:

YouTube Playlist Best Practices:

• Group related content: Organize your videos into thematic playlists, so viewers can easily find the content they’re interested in. For example, a fitness channel might have separate playlists for beginner workouts, advanced routines, and nutritional advice.
• Optimize playlist titles and descriptions: Just like with individual videos, use keywords in your playlist titles and descriptions to help them show up in search results.
• Use a logical order: Arrange videos in a logical order within the playlist. For tutorial or educational content, this might be chronological or step-by-step. For entertainment, it might be by popularity or release date.

10. Track & Analyze Your Video’s Performance

SEO for a YouTube video isn’t a one-and-done process. You need to monitor each video’s performance so you can continually optimize your YouTube search rankings. Analyze metrics such as watch time, click-through rate (CTR), audience retention, likes, comments, and shares. This data lets you know which strategies are working and which ones you need to adjust.

Best Practices for Analyzing Performance:

• Use YouTube Analytics: YouTube’s built-in analytics let you easily track key metrics. Pay specific attention to any spikes and drop-offs in your videos. That helps you understand what keeps your target audience engaged and where they’re losing interest.
• Experiment and test: Use your data to test different strategies. For instance, if your CTR is low, experiment with different thumbnails and titles. If your watch time is low, consider adjusting your video’s length or structure.
• Monitor Engagement: Keep an eye on likes, comments, and shares. These interactions play a significant role in video performance. Respond to comments to encourage more interaction.

Generate More Leads From Your YouTube Videos

When you apply these YouTube SEO tips and best practices, you’ll start getting more views and engagement on your videos. But if your YouTube channel is part of a larger brand, then getting viewers is just the first step. You also want to encourage those viewers to take another action, such as purchasing a product or joining your email marketing list.

In other words, YouTube videos are a powerful way to generate more leads for your business. You just need the right tools and strategy to make that happen.

OptinMonster is the best lead-generation tool on the market. You can use our popups, floating bars, and other onsite campaigns to grow your email list and offer enticing coupons and lead magnets.

If you want to convert more of your YouTube viewers into leads, I suggest using these 2 strategies:

1. Add OptinMonster campaigns to any web pages you link to in your videos or descriptions. You can use OptinMonster’s Referrer Detection to create special offers just for visitors coming from your YouTube channel!
2. OptinMonster lets you create MonsterLinks, which are links that directly open an OptinMonster campaign. In your video description, you can include text such as “Get more tips in our email newsletter,” “Download our free ebook,” or “Enjoy a 20% off coupon.” Use a MonsterLink to link that text to your OptinMonster campaign, which will ask for their email address to receive that perk.

That’s just a tiny glimpse at what you can accomplish with OptinMonster. Here’s a quick overview of our features:

Give it a try today with our 14-day money-back guarantee!

Related Resources:

• How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy to Grow Your Business
• 27 Video Marketing Statistics You Need to Know
• Visual Storytelling: How to Build Powerful Connections With Leads
• How to Create a Popup Video: Step-by-Step Tutorial
• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing

Well-optimized sites get more and more traffic over time, which means more leads and sales. Without SEO ranking, searchers won’t be able to find your site, and all your hard work will be for nothing.

In this guide, we will share the updated and essential SEO ranking factors you need to dominate organic search results.

Before we get into the details of each ranking factor, let’s take a quick look at the basics of search engine optimization ranking.

Exclusive Bonus Download the SEO Ranking Factors Cheat Sheet to boost your search rankings quickly.

We’ve created this handy table of contents if you want to skip ahead to the SEO ranking factors.

1. A Secure and Accessible Website
2. Page Speed (Including Mobile Page Speed)
3. Mobile Friendliness
4. Domain Age, URL, and Authority
5. Optimized Content
6. Technical SEO
7. User Experience (RankBrain)
8. Links (Backlinks, Outbound and Internal)
9. Social Signals
10. Real Business Information

Recommended ResourceNeed more website traffic? Learn how to rank #1 on Google with our Ultimate Guide to SEO in 2023.

Stick around until the end of this article as we finally answer the question that plagues most beginner SEO learners: which is more important, pleasing Google or my audience?

Understanding SEO, or “How Do I Rank Higher on Google?”

Many people wonder how Google rankings work. So before we get into the actual SEO ranking factors, let’s start by answering some basic questions most people have about SEO.

What Is SEO Ranking?

SEO ranking is a website’s position on search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords or phrases. The higher a website ranks, the more likely it is to be seen, resulting in more clicks and traffic to the website.

Appearing in the top 3 results is excellent because your click-through rates skyrocket the closer you get to #1, as shown in the image provided by Backlinko below:

Appearing on the first page within the top 10 results is also useful. That’s because 95% of people never pass the first page.

Hence the famous joke in the Google SEO ranking world: where’s the best place to hide a dead body?

On page 2 of Google.

What Does Google Look for in SEO?

Google aims to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Delivering relevant search results is a huge part of that. Here’s how they work:

First, Google’s search bots (pieces of automated software called “spiders” or “crawlers”) crawl the web. Sounds creepy, we know. But all that means is they visit web pages.

Second, they add correctly optimized and crawlable pages to Google’s index and catalog them.

Third, when people search Google, it shows what it thinks are the most relevant results based on the search terms they enter (out of the trillions of pages in Google’s index).

Google has various deeply complex algorithms to decide which content gets displayed and in which order. But we’ll get into all that fun stuff later.

Once your page lands on the SERP, you have to rely on your page titles and meta descriptions to get searchers to click your link and visit your site.

How Do Google Search Rankings Work?

When people want to find information, they type or say words related to what they’re looking for. Those are called keywords, and we’ll look at those in the content optimization section of this guide.

But keeping your website ranking on Google isn’t just about making the most out of competitive keywords. It’s also about the quality of information.

According to Google’s own search quality ratings, when it indexes the main content of each page, it checks factors like:

• Purpose of the page
• Content quality and amount
• Website info and info about the content creator
• Website reputation and content creator reputation
• User interaction with the page (time on page, bounce rates, and so on)
• Expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T)

In just a moment, we’re going to explore that last one (E-A-T) in more detail because it has become very important.

For now, it’s enough to know that all the factors listed above go into Google’s algorithm and help to determine SEO ranking.

Based on the rating guidelines above, Google shows searchers the most relevant, high-quality results related to what they’re looking for. The most relevant are shown first, with the rest shown over successive pages.

One of the goals of addressing SEO ranking factors is to let Google know when your pages on your site are relevant to particular search queries, so people will click the links and visit your site.

Before getting into two types of SEO, let’s explore the concept of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness in greater detail.

What Is E-A-T and Why Does It Matter?

In August 2018, Google rolled out the “medic update,” which emphasized expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) as major Google ranking factors. They even changed some instances of “high-quality content” to “high EAT.”

The goal of this change was to ensure that users weren’t just getting the highest quality content but also getting the right information from that content. And this is super important to understand.

Google realized that most searchers come to their platform for just about everything. That means their users’ lives could be seriously impacted for the worse if the wrong results appear.

Websites that could lead to potentially life-altering results fall under the umbrella “your money or your life” (YMYL). Think about medical sites, financial planning sites, or anything that could change the status of someone’s happiness, health, and wealth.

When someone goes to Google for information that could have real-world consequences, Google wants to be sure it’s giving its users the most accurate information possible.

Part of this means evaluating not only a page’s content but the creator’s reputation as well.

So instead of focusing solely on what a site’s page says, Google now tries to understand who is saying it. This is particularly true for the YMYL sites.

That means looking at each category individually:

• Expertise: Does the author of a piece of content have the requisite skills and knowledge in their field?
• Authority: Is this the best source to answer the searcher’s question, or is there another “go-to” person who would be a better source?
• Trustworthiness: Does the author provide an honest, unbiased presentation of the topic in their content?

But what is Google’s exact formula for measuring E-A-T? Well, that’s the tricky part.

No one outside of Google really knows.

However, we know they have a large team of human searchers to make sure E-A-T is being measured as accurately as possible. As Ahrefs explains, Google measures E-A-T in three

steps:

• Engineers create an algorithm to improve search results
• Quality Raters (the human searchers) see search results with and without the changes made by the engineers
• Google takes feedback from the Quality Raters to decide whether or not to use the algorithm change permanently

It’s not a perfect system yet. But it is surprisingly accurate at measuring a site’s expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

Now, some SEO-ers downplay the importance of E-A-T as an SEO ranking factor. And it’s hard to concretely argue with them because, again, no one truly understands Google’s complex ranking algorithms.

That said, some reputable people have documented strong correlations between E-A-T and ranking.

SEO expert Marie Haynes, CEO of Marie Haynes Consulting (MHC), sheds some light on how E-A-T affects SEO rankings:

“The team at MHC has seen quite a few websites that we believe have been negatively affected by Google Quality updates because they have a lack of E-A-T. We have also had the joy of helping businesses to improve their Google E-A-T with resulting traffic increases.”

Ok, but what does any of this mean for you, and how can you increase your E-A-T? Here are a few helpful tips:

• Create a detailed “About Us” page on your site
• Optimize your page for searcher intent (which we’ll cover later)
• Display any awards, certificates, or credentials proudly on your site
• Build your authoritativeness across the web with guest posts
• Respond to both positive and negative reviews
• Keep all the information on your page as unbiased and as accurate as possible
• Provide an easily accessible contact page with various ways your users can reach you or your team

These are all ways that people can increase their E-A-T for higher SEO rankings. And much of it boils down to using best practices to manage your online reputation.

Let’s be clear, though: there’s never a guarantee of a page one or #1 rank, and with SEO guidelines changing all the time, search engine rankings change with them.

But now, let’s better understand a couple of SEO terms you’ll hear a lot in the marketing world.

What is On-Page SEO and Off-Page SEO?

Two terms you’ll hear mentioned a lot when talking about SEO ranking factors are on-page SEO and off-page SEO.

On-page SEO refers to factors on your own website that you can optimize, such as the underlying code and the content.

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside your site to affect your site’s trustworthiness and authority by building the right inbound links and social signals.

Both types are included in the top SEO ranking factors. Before we hit our top 10 ranking factors, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about monitoring and tracking ranking.

How To Monitor Search Engine Rankings

Before improving your SEO ranking, you’ll need to know your starting point.

There are a couple of ways to find this. First, search Google using the terms you think your customers will use. Use an incognito or private window in your browser so Google’s personalization doesn’t skew the results. See where your content appears.

However, this is impractical for larger sites with hundreds of pages, so you’ll likely want an SEO tool to help you out.

For example, with Semrush, you can type your domain into the search box, wait for the report to run, and see the top organic keywords you’re ranking for. Or, use their keyword position tracking tool to track the exact keywords you’re trying to SEO rank for.

But Semrush is just one of your many options. Check out our guide for some other keyword research tools.

Now let’s look in detail at the top SEO ranking factors and how to go about mastering Google search engine optimization ranking. After all, SEO is mostly about getting that #1 spot, specifically on Google.

Top 10 Current SEO Ranking Factors for Google

1. A Secure and Accessible Website

Unsurprisingly, the first of our SEO ranking factors has to do with having the right kind of URL. Specifically, that’s a URL that Google’s crawlers can easily reach and crawl.

In other words, Google has to be able to visit the URL and look at the page content to understand what that page is about. To help the bots out, you’ll need the following:

• A website created with a well-coded website builder
• A robots.txt file that tells Google where it can and can’t look for your site information
• A sitemap that lists all your pages

If you’re running a WordPress site, you can set up a sitemap via All in One SEO. If not, then you can use an online sitemap generator.

HTTPS isn’t a Google ranking factors in deciding whether or not to index a page, but Google’s own John Mueller has tweeted that it’s a “light-weight ranking factor” and that “having HTTPS is great for users.” We at OptinMonster agree.

If you still need to enable SSL security on your website, get to it.

2. Page Speed (Including Mobile Page Speed)

Page speed has been cited as one of the leading SEO ranking factors for years. Google wants to improve users’ web experience, and fast-loading web pages will do that.

Google announced a search engine algorithm update focused on mobile page speed that started affecting sites in July 2018. It could be penalized if your site doesn’t load fast on mobile devices.

Use Google’s PageSpeed Insight tool to see how your site stacks up.

And, if you’re using WordPress, check out these tips for speeding up a WordPress site from WPBeginner.

But the best idea is to start using Google Search Console (if you’re not already). This has an entire section dedicated to updating you on your site’s performance, including speed.

For a more in-depth overview, check out this guide on how to use Google Search Console to improve your SEO.

3. Mobile Friendliness

While we’re on the subject of mobile, mobile-friendliness is another major SEO ranking factor. More people use mobile devices than desktops to access the web, and that’s one reason there’ve been changes in how Google ranks search results.

Google’s mobile-first index is now a reality, which means it’s drawing its results from mobile-optimized sites first rather than sites geared to desktop computers. If your site is mobile-optimized, you can avoid getting needlessly under-ranked.

Many of the SEO ranking factors we’ll look at in this article will help you lay the foundation for a good search engine ranking, but you also have to look after user experience when people land on your site.

Things to look at include whether you:

• Have a responsive site that automatically resizes to fit the device
• Use large fonts for easy readability on a small screen
• Include accessible menus so your site is easy to navigate
• Ensure that ads don’t hide essential content

Get more tips on mobile-friendly design to improve Google search ranking in our guide to improving your mobile conversion rate.

If you have the team, the time, and the energy, you should explore Google AMP (accelerated mobile pages). The upside is that your pages load nearly instantly from mobile devices. There have also been rumors that Google ranks sites built with AMP more highly than others.

The downside is that you need to make another version of your site following AMP’s guidelines. Then, you need to maintain everything. As you can imagine, this can be a time-intensive project.

But whether you decide to try Google AMP or not, you still need to be sure that your site is 100% optimized for mobile devices.

4. Domain Age, URL, and Authority

Did you know that nearly 60% of the sites with a top ten Google search ranking are three or more years old? Data from an Ahrefs study of two million pages suggests fewer sites than a year old achieve that ranking.

So if you’ve had your site for a while and have optimized it using the tips in this article, that’s already an advantage.

In some cases, the domain name matters. Though Google has penalized exact-match domains (those where the target keyword is in the URL), that penalty is generally for spammy sites with thin content.

Research from Moz shows that exact-match domains deemed relevant, valuable, and high-quality can see a ranking boost because of it. However, if you already have an established website, you don’t need to go looking for an exact-match domain for your business.

What is the best route for choosing your domain? Focus on a URL that reflects your business and optimize the heck out of it instead!

When it comes to SEO ranking factors, authority matters. As you’ll see, that’s usually a combination of great content (see the next tip) and off-page SEO signals like inbound links and social shares. And thanks to E-A-T, it can also include the authority of the content’s creator.

Moz has codified this into metrics called page authority and domain authority scores, both ranked from 0 to 100, which tell you how likely a particular page or domain is to rank in organic search results.

Related ContentDomain Authority: What It Is and How to Improve Yours

You can check domain authority or page authority with Open Site Explorer. Just plug your URL into the onsite search box, and you’ll get a report showing domain authority, page authority, established links, and new links.

We’ll look more at linking practices to improve SEO ranking in tip #8.

5. Optimized Content

We’ve discussed content in this guide to Google SEO ranking factors. That’s because it’s one of the most important search ranking factors (right up there with user experience, links, and RankBrain, which we’ll get to in a while).

Now let’s dig down and see what optimizing content for SEO really means.

As our keyword research guide said, Google’s search algorithm relies on keywords. These are the words and phrases searchers use when seeking information. They’re also the words and phrases describing your site’s topics.

Ideally, those will match up. That’s why it’s so important to use keywords in your content.

One negative SEO ranking factor to be aware of is duplicate content. For SEO, fresh, original content is always best. And if you have similar content, tell Google which one should be ranked as most authoritative using canonical URLs.

But one of the biggest questions we get at OptinMonster is about how to use LSI keywords to optimize content. So let’s start there.

Understanding LSI Keywords and SEO Ranking

SEO isn’t just about the main keyword. It’s also important to include terms related to the main terms people are searching for. These are called LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords. They provide a kind of online word association to help Google know which results to show.

For example, using the right LSI keywords will tell Google that when searchers type in “mini,” your page is relevant to the car rather than the skirt, and vice versa.

It’s worth noting that as more people search by voice, content optimization includes optimizing for questions and natural language searches. That means some LSI keywords will be longer because people speak differently than they type.

Think about it: Let’s say you own a restaurant. And half of your customers type the phrase “best restaurant near me.” But then people also search for “what’s the best restaurant in Montreal” when searching by voice.

Even though both questions are targeting the same thing, Google’s results may show up differently. Using LSI keywords would be one way of making sure your restaurant ranks for both sets of questions. The more help you can give to Google to understand your content, the more likely your page SEO rank will increase in your niche.

Here’s an important point, though: keyword stuffing is outlawed because it will result in poor-quality web pages and will hurt your SEO ranking.

So make sure that once you’ve targeted your keyword, you’re only including it (and your LSI keywords) in an organic and natural way.

Understanding Search Intent for Content Optimization

Search intent is also important when optimizing content. That means understanding what people are really looking for when they type in search keywords.

For example, let’s say you’ve identified “Florida real estate” as a keyword you want to rank for. You might think that writing content for people looking for real estate in Florida is a good idea. But if the people searching for that term also include realtors looking to sell in Florida, your content won’t meet their needs, and your page won’t rank.

Through a series of low click-through rates and high bounce rates (which we’ll discuss more in a moment), Google will pick up on the fact that your content isn’t matching their user’s search intent.

Sometimes, it’s clear what people are looking for. For example, if they use the word “compare,” they’re likely trying to decide between buying a product. And if they use the word “buy,” they want to make a purchase.

The keywords they use will change depending on whether they want to:

• Find a particular website (navigational)
• Get the answer to a question (informational)
• Research information before making a purchase (investigational)
• Make a purchase (transactional)

Well-optimized business sites will include content for each of those search types.

So how do you make sure your keyword matches user intent? Go straight to the source!

Open a Google search in your in-private browser and type in your keyword. See which results are currently ranking and determine whether or not your content would be a good fit. If not, you need to restart your keyword research. If so, take this opportunity to see why certain pages are ranking.

You can do a competitive analysis of the top 10 results in the SERP to see how you can make your content even better! Then you can fully optimize your content by making it an improvement over the current search results.

Do you still need clarification? Learn more about keyword ranking, LSI keywords, and keyword intent.

Is Content Length an SEO Ranking Factor?

In a word, yes. Google wants content to be quality and have some length to it. While writing more words to stretch out the size is never advisable, if a subject calls for depth, give it depth.

The research suggests that content over 2000 words gets more top ten positions in Google search engine rankings.

This isn’t a rule set in stone, and there are certainly some exceptions. But as a general rule of thumb, your content should be around the 2k word mark or more if you really want to be competitive on the SERP.

Longer content attracts more links and shares too, which are two other important SEO ranking signals we’ll cover shortly.

SEO Ranking Factors: Answer Boxes or the “Zero Position”

Google’s increasingly delivering answers via answer boxes is another aspect of optimizing for better search engine rankings. Here’s what an answer box looks like:

Our experience suggests that optimizing for answer boxes means:

• Answering questions
• Including the questions as headings with properly formatted title tags (more about that in the next tip)
• Ensuring that the answers are correct, relevant, and not too long
• Targeting content to keywords that already have answer boxes
• Adding lists or tables

There is one downside to the coveted “zero position” however:

It sometimes hinders people from clicking through to your site.

Since people get the answer to their questions directly, they may have no reason to continue to the content. That means you may have 100,000 people see your slot in the answer box, but only 10,000 actually click through to the article.

But let’s be honest: getting that zero position rocks because it means Google thinks highly of your content (which is always flattering), you’ll get way more brand recognition, and you’ll also end up with more traffic than you would have.

Plus, if you don’t get that spot, someone else will.

Using Video to Improve SEO Ranking

Our roundup of video marketing stats shows that:

• People are watching videos across all age groups
• Some 79% of people would rather watch a video than read a blog post
• People use video to help them make purchase decisions (remember those transactional searches?)

The bottom line? Start to include videos in your content strategy. Video gets read, shared, and linked, providing plenty of signals to amplify your search ranking.

6. Technical SEO

We said earlier that getting the code right is one aspect of optimizing content for better SEO rankings. This can be intimidating, especially if you’re more of a wordsmith and less of a “techie.”

Here are some of the aspects you can control even if you’re not a coder:

• Add keyword phrases in page titles, which is where Google first looks to determine which content is relevant to which search
• Use header tags to show content hierarchy starting with your title at h1 and then use h2 or h3 for subheads
• Create a meta description that both entices readers and includes your keyword phrase
• Keep those meta descriptions short and catchy at around 160 characters
• Use keyword phrases in image alt tags to show how those images are relevant to the main content
• Include alt tags also help visually impaired people enjoy your site with screenreaders
• Use schema markup to tell Google what kind of content you’re producing

You can easily set all of this up with a plugin like All in One SEO; it’s the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market.

With All in One SEO, you can set a focus key phrase and additional key phrases, and the TruSEO on-page analysis will score how well your pages and posts are optimized. Plus, it gives you an actionable checklist you can use to make improvements.

The on-page SEO checklist also includes a smart meta tag generator to easily set your metadata, such as SEO titles and meta descriptions with dynamic fields like current year, month, custom fields, author info, and more.

Other powerful All in One SEO features include schema markup, smart XML sitemaps, robots.txt editor, SEO health check, and more.

7. User Experience (RankBrain)

Google’s been using artificial intelligence to better rank web pages for a while. It calls that signal RankBrain. This includes other signals that affect your search engine ranking. These include:

• Click-through rate: the percentage of people who click to visit your site after an entry comes up in search results
• Bounce rate (especially pogo-sticking): the number of people who click on your page and quickly go back to the search results
• Dwell time: how long visitors stay on your site after they’ve arrived

If people land on your site, don’t like it, and bounce away, then Google will think it’s irrelevant to their needs. If enough people do this, you might find your site more difficult to rank higher in search results.

This indicates that your content needs to match the searcher’s intent. You should go back and target a more effective keyword.

In contrast, if people click through to your web page and stick around for a while, that tells Google your content is relevant to their search.

So when you optimize titles, descriptions, and content to get the clicks and deliver value on the other end, you can boost your search engine ranking.

8. Links (Backlinks, Outbound and Internal)

As we said at the start, the web is built on links. So, naturally, links are a crucial SEO ranking signal. There are three kinds of links to think about:

• Inbound links
• Outbound links
• Internal links

All three are typically tied to a descriptive anchor text.

Inbound Links

Google uses inbound links to help determine your content’s authority and relevance.

The best-case scenario is where an authoritative site includes a relevant link to yours in a piece of their content. So, if the Content Marketing Institute has a link to your content marketing resource, that’ll be perceived better than if a random person with a low-quality site links to it.

You’ve likely heard inbound links referred to as “backlinks.” You aim to get as many highly authoritative sites to link back to you. That also means you want to have very few inbound links from low-quality domains.

You can find your inbound links using a tool like Semrush.

Outbound Links

At the same time, you want to show that you’re creating quality content for your visitors. That involves using outbound links by linking to relevant, authoritative sites in your niche.

So does that mean you should give out tons of outbound links to boost your authority? Absolutely not.

All it means is that as you’re doing research, you should only pull from reliable sources with high domain authority. To be honest, for your users’ sake, you should probably be doing this anyway to ensure you provide the most value.

Internal Links

Finally, linking to your own content can tie pages together for both Google and your visitors, making each page more valuable. If you have an authoritative page with a link to another page on your site, that helps your visitors find the other page and pass on some authority.

This helps that second page boost its search engine ranking.

As you create new content, build a solid web of internal links so your pages can support one another. Also, don’t forget what we said at the start of this section:

All three types of links are tied to descriptive anchor text.

When you add a link to a piece of text in your content, that text should describe where the link is headed!

You can use All in One SEO’s Link Assistant addon to speed up the internal linking process. It will automatically generate a link report for your site that gives you insight into the following:

• Linking opportunities: Suggestions of relevant pages you can link to and anchor text you can use.
• Orphaned posts: All of the pages/posts on your site with no internal links.

You can apply AIOSEO’s internal linking recommendations in 1-click without manually editing each post.

Related ResourceSee The Ultimate Guide to SEO Link Building to learn the tricks & techniques the experts are using to build quality links.

9. Social Signals

When people share your content on social networks, that’s another sign that it’s valuable. Cognitive SEO’s study of 23 million shares found a definitive link between social shares and search engine ranking.

Google’s official word is that social shares are not a direct SEO ranking factors. Links from Twitter or Facebook aren’t counted the same as links from other authoritative websites.

Still, there’s no denying that the highest-ranking pages in Google search results usually have a lot of shares. Though this is probably due to a few related factors:

• More social shares generate more traffic to the page itself
• More shares also make your content more likely to build backlinks

Because of that, getting more social shares does help your search engine rankings, if only indirectly.

Not only do you need to have a social media presence yourself, but you need to make it easy to share your content and amplify those social signals. We have some great tips for doing this in our guest blogging guide and guide to growing your email list with social media.

We also highly recommend using a plugin like Smash Balloon:

Smash Balloon lets you easily display your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feed directly on your site. Or, if you want to be more aggressive, OptinMonster recently created a popup campaign that is designed to grow your social media following:

This little campaign packs quite the punch when it comes to growing your brand on social media.

10. Real Business Information

This last tip is important for businesses targeting particular local areas. The presence or absence of business information is one of the most crucial local SEO ranking factors.

So it’s important to look after areas like:

• NAP (name, address, phone number)
• Business listings on Google My Business and Facebook
• Reviews on both those sites and relevant directories like Yelp and others
• The right local search terms

That’s it! Now you know the essential SEO ranking factors. For more helpful information, check out our other SEO and content marketing guides:

• SEO tips and best practices from the experts
• How to use SEO for lead generation
• Impressive Content Marketing Examples

And you’ll want to check out these SEO statistics to help you boost traffic to your site.

Exclusive Bonus Download the SEO Ranking Factors Cheat Sheet to boost your search rankings quickly.

But let’s wrap up by discussing the question in every new SEO-er’s and webmaster’s mind.

Should You Strive To Please Your Audience or To Please Google?

This is really what the essence of SEO comes down to. Is the goal to make content that Google can easily read and rank, or is it to make content that your users will enjoy?

Unfortunately, the answer is much less climactic than you’d probably like: it’s both.

Asking which of these two aspects is more important is like asking which side of a pair of scissors is the sharpest. Both parts of SEO need to be perfectly in place to rank well.

You should never sacrifice your user’s experience (UX) to make Google happy. Doing so will only annoy your audience, which will, ironically, get you penalized by Google!

Besides, you should keep in mind that while ranking on Google can help launch your business to the next level, Google will never be your paying customer. Your readers, on the other hand, might put money in your pocket.

So if you want to get the best SEO advice ever, here it is:

Create awesome content that your users will love. Then, with equal energy, optimize that content to help Google understand why your audience loves it so much. But always, no matter what, begin with your user in mind.

The multi-billion-dollar SEO industry simply boils down to that.

Finally, as awesome as your SEO may be, it certainly isn’t the only Google ranking factor you should consider.

Once that organic traffic lands on your page, you need to convert them. OptinMonster is the world’s #1 conversion optimization kit that helps you drive more traffic, grow your email list, and boost revenue.

So what are you waiting for? Join thousands of clever digital marketers by joining OptinMonster today!

As a marketer or eCommerce business owner, you know the importance of a strong call to action (CTA) in driving conversions and achieving your marketing goals. But with so many options and strategies, creating a CTA that stands out and gets results can be challenging.

In this call to action guide, I will share 31 effective call to action examples to inspire your own marketing efforts. While at it, I will also teach CTA meaning and how to create the perfect call to action from scratch.

• What Is a Call to Action?
• 5 Common Types of CTAs
• Call to Action Examples for eCommerce Websites
• Call to Action Examples for Lead Generation
• Call to Action Examples for Social Media
• Call to Action Examples for Landing Pages
• Call to Action Examples from Popular Brands
• How to Make a Call to Action

By the end of this post, you’ll be able to write effective CTAs and boost the click-through rates of your marketing campaigns.

For now, let’s begin with the basics.

What Is a Call to Action?

Call to action Definition: A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that refers to a prompt or instruction that encourages a person to take a specific action

In the context of digital or eCommerce marketing, a CTA is typically a button, link, or message that prompts the user to take some kind of action, such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter, or signing up for a service.

CTAs can be found in various marketing materials, including email campaigns, landing pages, social media posts, and eCommerce websites.

Their purpose is to guide users toward a desired action and help businesses achieve their marketing objectives.

Effective CTAs typically use action-oriented language, create a sense of urgency, highlight the benefit to the user, and are visually prominent.

But it’s important to remember that not all calls to action are created equal. Some are strong, powerful, and persuasive.

Others are weak, boring, and uninviting.

We’ll learn how to create the perfect call to action for your website and content in a moment. Before that, though, let’s check out five common types of CTAs and where you can use them.

5 Common Types of CTAs

Whenever you create a piece of content, you likely want to insert a call to action. This is true for blog posts, YouTube videos, social media posts, podcast episodes, and more.

But here are five of the most common places you’ll see CTAs online:

1. Web page buttons
2. Optin campaign buttons
3. Anchor texts in blog posts
4. Buttons or text in emails
5. Text in social media posts

Let’s quickly look at each type.

1) Web Page Buttons

This is one of the most common placements for a call to action. If you’ve ever been to a webpage, you’ve seen them before. In fact, we’ve already seen one this article:

When done well, CTA page buttons will be large and stand apart from the rest of the page.

You’ll notice in the image above, OptinMonster’s call to action has a bright green background and is supported by a compelling headline with subheader text.

The web copy leads your eyes down to the call to action, Get OptinMonster Now.

Also, the button is easy to click because it’s so big. This is particularly helpful for mobile users who navigate your page with their fingers (not a mouse cursor).

2) Optin Campaign Buttons

When you show an optin campaign (like a popup, slide-in box, floating bar, and so on), your copy will be essential. It needs to be short, catchy, and persuasive.

But most importantly, it needs to lead to a powerful call to action button:

The image above is from a popup campaign built with OptinMonster in under 10 minutes.

The call to action was modified to show the offer in the button, Get My 40% Off Code.

This works because many website visitors won’t take the time to read every word on your optin campaign. Instead, they’ll browse to the spots that catch their attention the most.

When their eyes land on the button, they’re tempted to click because they instantly see the benefit of doing so.

3) Anchor Texts in Blog Posts

In many blog posts, you’ll see a call to action written out with a link embedded somewhere in the text. You may have noticed these in OptinMonster’s blog:

In the image above, the part in blue is the clickable link that redirects users to another tutorial. But the entire sentence (starting with “Check out our tutorial”) is the call to action.

In-text CTAs can help improve user experience (UX). You can invite your readers to go read related posts, look at other tutorials if they’re confused about a concept, or go follow you on social media.

The most important call to action, though, is when you ask users to signup for or buy your product. These CTAs are usually placed somewhere early in the content and at the end of your post:

You can test where your CTAs function best in your blog with your target audience.

4) Buttons or Text in Emails

You can also use CTAs in email marketing. We see these every day when we get emails asking us to:

• Read the full article
• Download a resource
• Take advantage of a discount or freebie
• Get more information about the subject of the email

Here’s an excellent example from our Customer Success Manager, Angie:

Notice the color of the call to action is a huge contrast to the white background. That draws your attention and makes the CTA impossible to miss.

5) Text in Social Media Posts

If you use social media as part of your content marketing strategy, you know how important a good call to action is.

You need to make the call to action in your social media post incredibly clear. That’s because other things will always be fighting for your users’ attention on social platforms.

But you want them focused on your offer or CTA.

Take this example from an OptinMonster post on Facebook:

The call to action is Read this and then get to it! That’s about as straightforward as it gets.

This helps readers understand what the next step is to reach whatever problem you’re helping them solve.

Now that we’ve seen the types of CTAs you can create, let’s jump to our list of the most effective call to action examples.

Call to Action Examples for eCommerce Websites

eCommerce websites often rely on CTAs to encourage visitors to make a purchase. Here are some CTA examples for eCommerce:

1. “Add to Cart” button: This is a classic CTA for online shopping, and for a good reason. It’s simple and straightforward, making it easy for users to add items to their cart and continue shopping or proceed to checkout.
2. “Buy Now” button: This CTA is more direct than “Add to Cart”, as it takes the user to checkout. This can be effective for products with lower prices or time-sensitive sale promotions.
3. “Shop Now” button: This CTA is broader than the previous examples, as it encourages users to browse and explore the website. This can be effective for websites with a wide range of products or for users still in the early stages of the buying process.
4. “Subscribe and Save” option: This CTA is often used for subscription-based products, such as meal delivery services or pet food. By highlighting the potential savings that come with a subscription, this CTA can encourage users to make a long-term commitment.
5. “Limited Time Offer” banner: This CTA can create a sense of urgency and encourage users to make a purchase before a promotion or sale ends. It can also help to increase the perceived value of the product.

Call to Action Examples for Lead Generation

Lead generation is the process of capturing information from potential customers, such as their name, email address, or phone number. Here are some effective CTA examples for lead generation:

6. “Download our free guide” button: This can be a compelling call to action for websites that offer educational resources, such as white papers or ebooks. This CTA can attract leads interested in your industry or products by providing valuable content in exchange for contact information.
7. “Register for our webinar” button: Webinars can be a powerful tool for lead generation, as they offer an interactive and engaging way to share information. By requiring registration, this CTA can help to capture contact information and build a list of leads.
8. “Sign up for our newsletter” button: Newsletters can be a great way to stay in touch with leads and customers, providing them with updates and promotions. By making it easy to sign up, this CTA can help to build a subscriber list.
9. “Get a free quote” button: This CTA can be effective for service-based businesses, such as insurance or home improvement. By offering a personalized quote, this CTA can help to capture contact information and provide leads with a clear next step.
10. “Request a demo” button: This CTA is often used for software or technology products, as it allows users to see the product in action before making a purchase. By requiring a request, this CTA can help to capture contact information and provide leads with a personalized experience.

Call to Action Examples for Social Media

Social media is the most popular medium for engaging your target audience with your brand and routing traffic to your website. Below are some handy CTA which you can use on your social platforms.

11. “Follow us on Twitter” button: This is a simple CTA to increase your social media following and keep your audience engaged with your content. The “Follow us on Twitter” button can be placed on your website or in your email signature, and it encourages visitors to connect with you on this popular platform.
12. “Like us on Facebook” button: This CTA is similar to “Follow us on Twitter” but is specific to Facebook. The “Like us on Facebook” button can be placed on your website, blog, or other digital channels, and it encourages visitors to become a fan of your Facebook page and receive updates on your latest news and offers.
13. “Subscribe to our YouTube channel” button: This CTA is ideal for businesses that create video content and want to grow their YouTube audience. The “Subscribe to our YouTube channel” button can be placed on your website, email signature, or video descriptions, and it encourages visitors to subscribe to your channel and receive notifications when you upload new videos.
14. “Share this post” button: This is a great call to action to increase the reach and visibility of your content. The “Share this post” button can be placed on your blog or social media posts, encouraging visitors to share your content with their followers and friends.
15. “Join the conversation” prompt: This CTA is a more open-ended way to engage your target audience and encourage participation. The “Join the conversation” prompt can be included in your social media posts, blog comments, or forum discussions, and it invites visitors to share their own opinions, feedback, or questions.

Call to Action Examples for Landing Pages

The whole idea behind a landing page is to make sure the user converts. The following call to action examples can help you achieve that goal.

16. “Fill out this form” button: This CTA is crucial to lead generation and conversion optimization. The “Fill out this form” button prompts visitors to provide their contact information in exchange for a specific offer or benefit, such as a free trial, consultation, or demo.
17. “Start your free trial” button: This CTA is ideal for SaaS businesses or other subscription-based models. The “Start your free trial” button encourages visitors to sign up for a limited free access period to your product or service and experience its benefits firsthand.
18. “Get your free quote” button: This CTA is similar to “Get a free quote” but is specifically tailored to landing pages. The “Get your free quote” button prompts visitors to fill out a form and receive a personalized quote or estimate based on their specific needs and preferences.
19. “Book a demo” button: This CTA is similar to “Request a demo” but is more focused on landing pages and conversion optimization. The “Book a demo” button encourages visitors to schedule a live or recorded demo and learn more about how your product or service can help them solve their problems.
20. “Schedule a consultation” button: This CTA is ideal for businesses that offer professional services or consulting. The “Schedule a consultation” button prompts visitors to book a one-on-one session with your team and receive personalized advice and recommendations.

Call to Action Examples from Popular Brands

The following CTA examples are used by high-converting brands that nailed their calls to action. Let’s dive in!

21. Crossrope

Crossrope is a fitness brand that gets people in shape through their jump rope programs. In one of their optin campaigns, they include a clever CTA:

Using the play on words Show Me the Ropes, they were able to boost conversions.

Crossrope actually built this campaign (and others) with OptinMonster. Then they saw a 900% increase in their email subscriptions.

22. Shockbyte

Shockbyte, a game server host provider, used this exit-intent popup to capture abandoning visitors. Their call to action focuses on providing value:

The message is clear: “click here to save money.” That makes this CTA particularly powerful.

In fact, Shockbyte used campaigns just like this to more than double their sales conversion rate.

23. Singularity University

Singularity University helps leaders, organizations, and entire industries grow. They often hold virtual summits. One of the challenges they face, though, is making sure people remember to attend.

They have an excellent optin campaign to remind visitors about their summits:

Their call to action, Remind Me!, is a great message that lets users know why they’re signing up: to get notifications ensuring they don’t miss any valuable content.

As a result, Singularity University got over 960 new leads from that one campaign.

24. Cracku

Cracku helps students prepare for upcoming exams. On an offer they ran, they used a countdown timer to build a sense of urgency:

Then they reinforced that with the call to action, Enroll Now.

The word “Now” inspires readers to act fast. It’s no surprise that Cracku used this campaign to increase conversions by 300%.

25. Bulkly

Bulkly is a social media tool for Buffer. It automatically reuses your social media updates and sends them to Buffer to make scheduling posts even easier.

They offered a free email course with the following campaign:

Notice that they did 2 things with their call to action:

• Told users exactly what they would receive (the lesson)
• Made the alternative sound off-putting

If you use a Yes/No campaign, you can make your “No” option reinforce your call to action. Bulkly makes their “No” option, No thanks, I like doing repetitive tasks.

Since most people wouldn’t agree with this statement, more visitors will click on the “Yes” option.

This was so effective that Bulkly increased their free trial signups by 135%.

26. OptinMonster

We’ve already seen a few calls to action from OptinMonster, but here’s one from an email campaign that did particularly well:

Notice there’s no button, just an anchor text and a link. This call to action invites users to learn how to create Facebook ads that convert.

Since our email lists are properly segmented, the email could be personalized to the right audience. As a result, a clear call to action like this will drastically boost conversion rates.

27. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Brevo is one of the best email service providers on the market. They coupled their homepage CTA with eye-grabbing animation effects of a person driving away in a car:

Brevo’s animation reinforces the light-hearted CTA copy, “Take a free test drive!”

This message is clear, inviting, and focuses on value (with the word “free”).

28. RafflePress

RafflePress is an awesome online giveaway plugin. It helps your contests go viral so you can:

• Grow your followers
• Make more sales
• Increase your site traffic

And much more. We love their homepage CTA:

This is an effective CTA for 2 reasons:

• Size
• Color

It’s a huge button that makes the CTA nearly impossible to miss. This is great for mobile users who are less accurate when they click CTAs and need larger buttons.

The color is another component that makes it stand out. The website’s background is light grey, but the button color is bright orange.

As soon as you land on this page, your eyes immediately see the call to action, and you’re tempted to click.

29. SEMrush

SEMrush is a great tool to help with your digital marketing strategy. When you land on the homepage, they get straight to the point:

SEMrush immediately invites you to start using their services. They don’t offer to let you “learn more” or “explore products.” They take a more direct approach.

You simply enter a domain name, keyword, or URL that you want to explore. Then the CTA follows with Start now.

The color contrast between the background and button also helps strengthen this call to action. But the clear and concise message gets users excited to dive into the program.

30. Grammarly

Grammarly is a spelling and grammar checker that works for all your documents, including emails. It makes sure your writing is effective and mistake-free.

Here’s a call to action from their Twitter account:

This CTA works because it uses the same kind of language as its users. Because their target audience consists of writers, Grammarly creates a powerful call to action, inviting users to Tap into their creativity.

Notice that their entire tweet is a call to action. This is a good lesson for social posts proving that sometimes less is more.

31. WordStream

This is an excellent example of a clever CTA for social media. This Facebook Ad does 2 things:

• Creates curiosity with a question
• Offers to resolve that curiosity if you click the CTA

By using action phrases like “Find out” to start their call to action, they leverage FOMO (fear of missing out). It makes users want to get on the inside of this secret.

Now that we’ve seen the types of CTAs you can create, let’s look at how to make them. Here are five actionable tips you can start using today to make the perfect call to action.

How to Make a Call to Action

1. Use Action Words
2. Focus on Value
3. Foster Curiosity and Anticipation
4. Design Your CTA Buttons
5. Test Your Calls to Action

Let us look at these five actionable tips to make sure you’re writing strong calls to action that will increase your click-through rate.

1. Use Action Words

The best CTAs use action words that let viewers know the specific action they should take next.

Here’s an example of a popup campaign built with OptinMonster:

Notice that the CTA is clear and tells the user exactly what to do: Join the Webinar Today!

Plus, it uses the action verb “Join” to motivate people to signup.

Struggling to come up with the right words for your CTA? We’ve got you covered. You can use power words to evoke an emotional response and create more persuasive calls to action.

Here’s a helpful list of over 700 power words to get you started.

2. Focus on Value

Some CTAs focus on the value they offer. This is usually accomplished by adding the word “Free” or “Risk-Free” to your calls to action.

Here’s an example from TrustPulse’s homepage:

This CTA button is very tempting to click. Letting your users know they can get something for free (or at a discounted rate) directly in the CTA will boost your conversions.

3. Foster Curiosity and Anticipation

A good call to action relies on psychology, combining curiosity with anticipation.

A great way of building curiosity is through gamification. If you turn your optin forms into a game, you’re more likely to get people to click your CTA.

OptinMonster offers a Coupon Wheel optin that can be used to gamify any promotions you run:

By providing multiple prizes and using the CTA Try Your Luck, many visitors are anxious to sign up and play.

4. Design Your CTA Buttons

Design is also an important part of getting the CTA right.

But how do you make your call to action stand out? Let’s take a look at a few key CTA design elements.

Most marketers agree that you should:

• Use white space effectively so your button stands out
• Ensure that your CTA button contrasts with the colors on the rest of the page
• Frame the button to create contrast, if necessary
• Pay attention to the size of the button because it has to be large enough to click but not overwhelming
• Optimize the CTA button for mobile

Again, we try to check off all these boxes here at OptinMonster:

Notice that in the image above, two things are happening:

• Each pricing plan has its own CTA (to stay organized)
• Each CTA stands out from the background

We use a bright color on the CTA button as a way to draw attention to it. With that bright green button over a white background, our call to action is hard to miss.

If you need some design help, check out this article on 16 web design principles you should start using today.

5. Test Your Calls to Action

It’s not enough to create a call to action and trust your gut about how to write and design it.

You need data to see how your CTA is working.

Some professional copywriters struggle with writing good calls to action every day. So don’t get discouraged if it takes you some time to find the right one. How do you know when you’ve found the right one, though?

The data will tell you.

The best way to do this is by split testing. You can experiment with button color and size, button text, text links, form, page design, and CTA placement. Start with one design and quickly create an A/B split test in your OptinMonster dashboard:

Then change 1 element and run the test. When you’re done, choose the one with the highest conversion rate. Finally, rinse and repeat by changing 1 other element.

Why change only 1 element at a time? Because then you’ll know which specific parts are working with your target audience, and which ones aren’t.

Split testing is an essential part of creating the perfect CTA. To get started, see our list of A/B tests to run on your popups to get more subscribers.

And that’s it. You now know the fundamentals of writing the perfect call to action!

And there you have it. In this post, we covered the following:

• What a CTA is
• Five common types of calls to action
• 31 great examples of powerful calls to action that convert
• Five actionable tips for creating the perfect CTA

But remember, calls to action don’t exist in a vacuum. They usually require supporting text to strengthen them. To write better copy to reinforce your CTAs, we recommend the following posts:

• 10 Expert Tips to Write Landing Page Copy That Converts
• 69+ High-Quality Copywriting Templates Proven to Work
• 21 Viral Headline Examples and How You Can Copy Their Success

Once you learn to write compelling copy with persuasive CTAs, you’ll see dramatic increases in conversions and sales.

Ready to put these call to action tips into practice? Sign up for OptinMonster now and start creating high-converting campaigns today!

FAQ

1. What is CTA?

CTA stands for “Call to Action.” It refers to a prompt or instruction that encourages a user or reader to take a specific action, such as clicking a button, filling out a form, or making a purchase.

2. What is CTA in marketing?

In marketing, a CTA (Call to Action) is a directive or encouragement designed to prompt an immediate response from the audience. It often takes the form of a button, link, or graphic in digital marketing materials (like websites, emails, or ads) that urges the viewer to take a specific action, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.”

3. What is a call to action in writing?

A call to action in writing is a statement or phrase that encourages the reader to take a desired action. It can be found in various forms of writing, from persuasive essays to marketing materials. In essence, it’s the part of the content that tells the reader what you want them to do next, whether it’s to believe a certain viewpoint, make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, or engage in another specific behavior.

Content marketing has emerged as a necessary strategy for businesses aiming to engage, inform, and convert their target audience.

In this blog, I will discuss what content marketing strategy is, its significance, and how to effectively create a content marketing strategy. We’ll also explore how OptinMonster can elevate your content marketing efforts.

Without any ado, let’s begin.

• What Is Content Marketing Strategy?
• Why Is a Content Marketing Strategy Important?
• How To Create a Content Marketing Strategy
• Content Marketing Strategy Examples
• Elevate Your Content Marketing Strategy With OptinMonster

What Is Content Marketing Strategy?

Content marketing strategy is creating, publishing, and distributing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience. It aims to build brand awareness, generate leads, and drive customer action.

Content marketing examples include but are not limited to:

• Blog posts
• Emails
• Newsletters
• Social media posts
• Podcasts
• Ebooks
• Videos

The ultimate objective of a content marketing strategy is to grow your audience and achieve business goals.

Why Is a Content Marketing Strategy Important?

A content marketing strategy is important because it helps businesses:

1. Build Trust with Your Audience: Regularly providing valuable content establishes your brand as an industry thought leader.
2. Improve Brand Awareness: Quality content can increase traffic to your site, exposing your brand to a wider audience.
3. Boost SEO Efforts: Search engines favor businesses that are consistently publishing high-quality content, as both are key rankings factors in SEO.
4. Generate Leads: Content marketing helps generate leads by providing potential customers the information they need to make informed decisions.

How To Create a Content Marketing Strategy

1. Step 1. Set Your Mission and Your Goals
2. Step 2. Establish Your KPIs
3. Step 3. Know Your Audience
4. Step 4. Assess Your Current Position
5. Step 5. Figure Out the Best Content Channels
6. Step 6. Decide on Content Types
7. Step 7. Identify and Allocate Resources
8. Step 8. Create a Content Calendar
9. Step 9. Create Content
10. Step 10. Distribute and Market
11. Step 11. Measure Results

Here, I will walk you through 11 simple steps to developing and executing a content marketing plan to help you grow your business without wasting time and money.

Step 1. Set Your Mission and Your Goals

A good starting point for your content strategy plan is to set out a content marketing mission statement. This is a brief statement that makes it easier to focus on what’s important – and what’s not – in creating your content so your content marketing strategy stays on track.

A content marketing mission statement outlines:

• Your target audience
• The content you’ll use to reach them
• The benefit they’ll get

Here’s an example from CIO.com’s about page.

It defines the audience (CIOs and business technology executives). It highlights the benefit (insights on career development). And it gives examples of what its content covers (certification, digital transformation, skills development, and hiring practices).

To create a mission for your own business, try this formula:

We provide [target audience] with [type of content] to help them [business goals].

While the mission statement covers what your audience will get from your content marketing strategy, you also need to think about what your business will get from it. That’s where your business goals come in.

Typical goals include:

• Improving revenue as a result of your content marketing strategy
• Making more sales and getting more high-quality leads, which will help you meet your revenue goals.
• Getting more traffic to your site, as the more traffic there is, the greater the possibilities for meeting your other goals.
• Improving the perception of your business, so you gain influence and authority and are seen as a thought leader.
• SEO success, which leads to more organic traffic.
• Reduced marketing costs, as your content becomes more effective.
• Social media engagement, which can help with both website traffic and authority.

Once you know your goals, it’s time to move to the next step.

Step 2. Establish Your KPIs

The best way to achieve goals is to make them specific and measurable. That means setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for your content marketing strategy.

The KPIs will help you know when you have achieved your goals by providing milestones you can check off. They’ll include what you plan to achieve in terms of revenue, sales, traffic, SEO, traffic and different aspects of digital marketing like email marketing and social media metrics.

Related Content10 Steps to Creating the Perfect Digital Marketing Strategy

Typically, these will have specific numbers attached to them. For example, you might want to:

• Hit a certain revenue target within the month, quarter, or year.
• Get more signups for your lead magnet as a sign that you’re getting more high-quality leads
• Get a certain number of new email subscribers
• See an increase in site traffic and in engagement with your onsite content
• Improve the search ranking of some of your key pages to help boost traffic
• Get a certain number of mentions, shares, and comments for your pillar content
• Be invited to participate in certain key industry events

You’ll also want to pay attention to marketing expenditure, tracking your spend on different campaigns, and keeping an eye on the cost of acquiring leads and making sales.

Learn more about KPIs for your content marketing strategy in our guide to content marketing ROI.

Step 3. Know Your Audience

As mentioned earlier, for a successful content marketing strategy, you’ll need to be clear about who your audience is so you can create the right content to reach them. There are three actions you need to take.

Collect Demographic Data

The first step is to collect demographics on your visitors, email subscribers, and social media followers.

Web analytics, social media analytics, and email subscriber analytics will give you the data you need on your audience’s:

• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Income

You’ll also get insight into their key interests. To find this information in Google Analytics, go to Audience » Interests » Overview. You’ll see the market segments your web visitors fit into.

Learn more about using Google Analytics in our in-depth guide.

And if you use MonsterInsights, you can view all of this data in easy-to-understand reports right from your WordPress dashboard.

Here’s a tutorial on how to add Google Analytics to WordPress.

Social media sites offer similar data. For example, you can get demographic information on your Facebook fans via Facebook Page Insights:

And you can use Twitter analytics to get demographic data on your Twitter followers:

Get Customer Feedback

To learn even more about your target audience, try collecting feedback from your current customers. That’ll give you insights into:

• How they feel about the content you’re currently producing
• What their most urgent needs are
• How you can address their problems with your content

Getting the right customer feedback can help you:

• Understand your readers’ and subscribers’ priorities
• Decide on the best places to reach your customers (see step 9)
• Flesh out your buyer personas, which we’ll talk about next

To easily collect customer feedback, you can create a survey with WPForms.

WPForms offers a drag and drop builder that makes customizing your survey super simple.

Plus, you can take advantage of other powerful features like interactive survey reports, smart survey fields, NPS surveys, real-time polls, instant notifications, and more.

Here’s our guide to collecting feedback from your customers on your site.

Create Buyer Personas

When you have demographic data and customer feedback, you can create or flesh out buyer personas. Buyer personas, also known as customer avatars, describe your ideal readers and customers so that you can target content better.

The best customer avatars include information on your customers’ pain points, challenges, sources of information, and behavioral motivators.

When you know all this, you’ll have a better understanding of:

• The kind of content your audience will respond to
• How it will help them
• What will make them care about it

Learn more about customer avatars in our guide to creating buyer personas. It includes templates like this one from Digital Marketer:

Step 4. Assess Your Current Position

Many businesses already have content out there. This will include content that’s on your blog, as well as social media content, podcasts, video content, white papers and so on.

That’s why the next step is to figure out whether that content is helping you to meet your goals.

(If you’re just getting started and have zero content, you can skip to Step 5 – Figure Out the Best Content Channels.)

To do that, you’ll need to carry out a content audit. That means:

• Logging all the pieces of content, such as blog posts, guest posts, and so on
• Assessing their usefulness or success
• Identifying the gaps

You may also want to look at how your content compares with that of your competitors, and see how any new content will fit in the market.

Let’s look at one example of how this would work for your content marketing strategy.

How to Log Your Content

If you want to log all your site or blog content, Screaming Frog is an excellent starting point. It’s a URL crawler that will:

• List URLs
• Analyze page titles and descriptions
• Find duplicate pages
• Create sitemaps.

The free version crawls up to 500 URLs. SEER Interactive has an excellent, in-depth guide to Screaming Frog. As a bonus, you can also use this tool for competitive research, carrying out the same kind of analysis on your competitors’ content.

You can also log your content with the Content Audit tool from SEMRush. To do this, set up a project and select the section of your site you want to audit, such as your blog. Once you select the URLs, press the Start Content Audit button.

You’ll get a complete analysis of your content, including:

• Content titles and descriptions
• Content length
• Backlinks
• Social shares

Export the data to create a simple spreadsheet that contains all the URLs.

See How Your Content is Working

Next, it’s time to assess the usefulness of the content. You’ll be looking for metrics like:

• Whether there are a lot of inbound links to the content
• What the search engine ranking is for keywords associated with that piece of content
• If the content is widely shared

You’ll get some of this information from the SEMRush report above but can also find more by using other SEMRush tools, such as the site audit and position tracking tools.

This’ll tell you:

• Which pieces of content are so effective that you don’t need to change them
• Which ones need some improvement or updating to meet your goals
• Which ones need to be removed or replaced

Identify Content Gaps

Finally, work out where there are gaps you can exploit. These might include:

• Keywords related to your niche that you’re not targeting with your content
• Questions your target audience is asking that you’re not answering
• Content that’s starting to rank well but could be improved, say to target Google’s answer boxes. These are the boxes that appear above search results and provide the answers to a specific question.

You can use Ahrefs to carry out a content gap analysis.

To do this, go to Organic search » Content gap. Add the domains for your main competitors under Show keywords that the following rank for. Add your own domain under But the following target does not rank for. Press Show keywords.

You’ll see a list of competitor keywords you can target with your own new content.

You can carry out a similar analysis in SEMRush.

Interested in more tools that can help in this area? Check out our list of the top 25 competitor research tools out there.

Step 5. Figure Out the Best Content Channels

As you work through this process, you’ll start to get a sense of where your audience is hanging out, and where you already have a successful online presence. It’s best to focus on what’s working and expand from there, rather than try to do everything at once.

But to be absolutely sure, you’ll need to take another look web analytics. When you’re in Google Analytics, go to Acquisition » Social » Overview to see the main social networks where your content is being shared. For example, in our screenshot, most of the social activity takes place on YouTube.

You can also use Buzzsumo to find similar data. Go to their Content Analysis tool and type your domain name into the onscreen search box. Press enter and you’ll see charts showing:

• Shares by network
• Shares by content type
• Shares by content length
• Top content in the past year

You can also refine your search terms for more detail.

With this information, you can easily decide which networks to target to get social media engagement and shares for your content.

Step 6. Decide on Content Types

Next, think about the types of content you need to create. There are some content format that every content marketing strategy will include.

Most successful content marketing strategies rely on having a central core of content published on your own site (or home base) which can then be repurposed and shared on other sites (outposts).

So blog posts are an essential part of your content marketing mix, and they still deliver strong results. Ideally, your blog posts will be actionable, valuable, and shareable, and may include a range of article types.

How to Map Content to Social with Buzzsumo

You can use the Buzzsumo tool mentioned above to map the types of blog posts you want to create to the potential for social shares to boost engagement and reach.

For example, OptinMonster readers really like how-to articles and lists. Click on a content type and a network to see a list of your most shared articles for that metric.

Of course, creating a successful content marketing strategy isn’t just about navel-gazing to get stats on your own site. It’s also about seeing what other successful content is out there that you can use for inspiration. Buzzsumo can help with this, too.

Using the same tool, type your topic into the search box. You’ll see sharing statistics from across the web. For example, one chart suggests that long-form content on content marketing is very popular:

There are also data on the most shared domains publishing on this topic, and the top pieces of content shared relating to it.

Other Buzzsumo features allow you to track backlinks, trending content, and questions people ask, and the standard Buzzsumo search includes sharing data for videos.

Other Content Types

What other content should be included in your content strategy plan? As our own research shows, video marketing should be an essential part of any marketing, as it’s proven to engage your visitors to keep them on-site longer, improve lead generation, and reduce abandonment.

You’ll also want to include other types of visual content to improve engagement.

Consider creating infographics with tools like Piktochart and Canva, and using Canva and similar tools to create customized graphics and memes for social sharing, as Grammarly does.

Other content types to include for improve lead generation include lead magnets like webinars, ebooks, checklists, worksheets, and more.

It’s also worth thinking about podcasting as a content delivery mechanism, as more than 40% of Americans now listen to podcasts. Here’s a list of marketing podcasts for inspiration.

The next step is to figure out what you need to create that content.

Step 7. Identify and Allocate Resources

Now that you know what type of content you’re planning to create, who it’s for, and where you’re planning to share it, it’s important to make sure you have everything you need to deliver on your content marketing strategy. That involves answering questions like:

• Who’s in charge of producing and maintaining content?
• What human, physical or digital tools and resources do you need to create the content?
• What will your publishing workflow look like, including content scheduling?

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

Who’s in Charge of Content Production?

This question is about allocating roles. You’ll need to think about who’s in overall charge, as well as who is responsible for delivering individual content items.

This will depend on the size of your company and marketing team, and on whether you’re doing everything in-house, or farming out content production.

One example of how this might look would be:

• The CEO or chief marketing officer has overall final approval over content and content strategy.
• Your content marketing manager will be in charge of delivering on your content marketing strategy on a day to day basis and will work with the content team.
• Individuals will create content, according to their expertise.

What Tools and Resources Do You Need?

Next, figure out how you’re actually going to create the content. Your content producers might include:

• In-house content creators
• Specialists in video creation, podcasting, or graphic design
• Freelancers

One way to find great freelancers quickly is to return to your Buzzsumo search results, and see who’s written the top content. There’s no harm in approaching them to see if they’re willing to contribute to your content team. You can also find freelancers who produce great content through networks like Contently, NDash, ClearVoice and similar.

You’ll also need equipment for podcasting and creating professional videos, and you’ll need to arrange for hosting on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Spreaker, and Blubrry.

Check out our list of video marketing tips to get started.

Content Workflow

Next, work out what your content production process is going to be. For example, for a typical blog post, you might have to:

• Create an outline and have it approved
• Write the post
• Create accompanying images
• Send the post to the editor
• Make any changes
• Upload
• Publish

There’s just one more thing to do before you get started on researching and creating pieces of content: creating a content calendar, so you know what’ll be published when. We’ll look at that in the next step.

Step 8. Create a Content Calendar

As part of your content strategy, you’ll need to know exactly when you want to publish your content on each of the platforms you want to use.

Lack of planning is a key content marketing mistake, so it’s essential to use a content calendar to get all your content scheduled. There are several ways to do this.

For example, you can use Google Calendar and simply put the due dates for each piece of content there. That works pretty well, especially if you’re not publishing a lot of content.

That’s the simplest approach, but if you’re publishing a lot of content, and have to manage a content team and the production workflow you’ve decided on, then you’ll likely want some more features.

Options for managing this include productivity and task management tools like Asana (shown below), or a purpose-built editorial calendar tool like CoSchedule. Both of these will allow you to schedule different parts of the content creation process.

One way to find content to add to the calendar is to do some initial research to find the topics your audience will respond to.

Find the Questions Your Customers Ask

We mentioned earlier the need to create content around what your audience wants. One way to find that out is to use Buzzsumo’s Question Analyzer or Answer the Public.

Type a topic into the Answer the Public search box, and you’ll get a list of questions people have actually searched for on Google.

Pick a question that seems relevant to your audience, decide on the type of content, such as a blog post, and add a title to your calendar. Repeat the process till you have planned out content for the next few months.

Step 9. Create Content

As you’ve seen, there’s a lot of prep work in your content marketing strategy before you actually create a piece of content. But now it’s time to do just that. We’re going to use a blog post as our example, but these tips will work for almost any type of content creation.

With the research you’ve already done, you’ll have an idea of what type of blog post to create. For example, we know that list posts and how-tos are popular with our readers.

Now it’s time to pick a title from the content calendar and start working on it.

Research Your Content

When you’re ready to write, you’ll need to find out :

• What’s already out there
• How your new content can add value for your audience

This means doing a Google search, checking out the top content for your topic, and seeing how you can improve on it. That’s called the skyscraper technique.

Original research also does well, so consider this as an option if you’re collecting the right kind of data.

Include keyword research to identify the key terms to use for better SEO and improved search ranking. We cover this process in detail in our keyword research 101 guide.

Create the Content

Finally, start writing or creating your content. At this point, you’ll have to think about how to reflect your brand’s personality in the content you write.

You may want to be super-professional, very casual, or something in between. And you’ll have to manage the balance between showing your expertise and not patronizing your audience. Here’s Sprout Social’s advice on creating consistency with your brand voice, and keep in mind important SEO ranking factors to optimize your content. Take a look at these successful content marketing examples for inspiration.

Step 10. Distribute and Market

The next key part of your content strategy is distribution and marketing. That’s because you won’t get the results you want unless these are handled correctly. For example, you will likely:

• Set a schedule for sharing your content on social media platforms, both immediately, and through a drip campaign via a tool like Missinglettr.
• Use email marketing to distribute your content to subscribers.
• Notify any influencers mentioned in your content to spread the word even wider.

OptinMonster is also a great tool to use for promoting your content, both on your site and via your email newsletter. For example, Olyplant used OptinMonster to increase pageviews by 157%.

OptinMonster includes:

• A wide array of targeting features including page-level targeting, onsite retargeting, and geo-location targeting
• The ability to grab visitors’ attention with targeted content just before they leave your site with Exit-Intent® Technology
• Several ways to trigger content marketing campaigns, by referrer, device, activity, and more
• Integrations with the major email marketing services

You can also use OptinMonster to:

• Deliver your lead magnet
• Direct new visitors to the most important parts of your site
• Engage visitors by showing them new content every time they land on your site

OptinMonster customers have successfully used our marketing campaign software to triple their email lists and to get 3806% more conversions with gated content.

Step 11. Measure Results

Finally, it’s time to assess the success of your content marketing strategy. To do this, you’ll return to those KPIs you set at the start of the content strategy plan, and see what’s changed and whether you’re hitting your targets.

To do this, you can:

• Check Google Analytics as described above to see how your content is performing
• Measure social sharing activity via Buzzsumo and other social analytics tools
• Look at OptinMonster’s conversion analytics dashboard to assess the success of your marketing campaigns

Other tools for tracking content marketing success include Google Alerts and Mention. Both of these will let you see if your content is being mentioned and shared, helping you hit those KPIs for awareness and engagement.

Tools like SEMRush will help you to assess KPIs for the search rank of your content. And you’ll be able to track email signups through the analytics in your email marketing software.

By monitoring your progress, you’ll be able to tweak your content marketing strategy at regular intervals, so it’s always up to date.

That’s it! Now you know how to create a successful content marketing strategy from beginning to end.

Content Marketing Strategy Examples

Here are some examples of successful content marketing strategies:

1. HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Strategy

HubSpot, a leader in inbound marketing and sales software, uses content marketing to attract and convert leads.

Key Components:

• Educational Blog Posts: HubSpot’s blog covers a wide range of topics related to marketing, sales, and customer service.
• Ebooks and Guides: Comprehensive resources that provide in-depth information.
• Webinars and Online Courses: Interactive formats for deeper engagement.
• Social Media Promotion: Leveraging multiple platforms to distribute content and engage with followers.
• SEO Optimization: Ensuring all content is optimized for search engines to attract organic traffic.

Success Metric:

• Lead Generation: High-quality content that drives traffic and converts visitors into leads through downloadable resources and email sign-ups.

2. Red Bull’s Extreme Sports Content

Red Bull focuses on extreme sports and adventure, creating content that resonates with their target audience.

Key Components:

• Video Content: High-quality videos of extreme sports events and stunts.
• Events Sponsorship: Organizing and sponsoring extreme sports events globally.
• Social Media Strategy: Sharing visually engaging content across various social media platforms.
• Website and Blog: Providing a platform for longer-form content, athlete stories, and event coverage.

Success Metric:

• Brand Loyalty and Reach: Establishing a strong brand presence in the extreme sports niche, leading to increased brand loyalty and global recognition.

3. American Express OPEN Forum

American Express created the OPEN Forum to provide small business owners with valuable resources and a community for networking.

Key Components:

• Expert Articles: Content from industry experts on topics like business growth, marketing, and finance.
• Interactive Tools: Resources such as business calculators and templates.
• User Community: A platform for business owners to share experiences and advice.
• Email Newsletters: Regular updates and curated content sent to subscribers.

Success Metric:

• Community Engagement: Building a loyal community of small business owners and increasing brand affinity.

4. GoPro’s Visual Storytelling

Overview:GoPro leverages user-generated content to showcase the capabilities of their cameras.

Key Components:

• User-Generated Videos: Encouraging customers to share their GoPro footage on social media.
• Content Contests: Hosting contests to motivate users to create and share high-quality content.
• Social Media Channels: Highlighting the best user videos on GoPro’s official channels.
• Brand Ambassadors: Collaborating with influencers and athletes to create compelling content.

Success Metric:

• Content Reach and Authenticity: Expanding their content library with authentic, high-quality user-generated videos and fostering a community of loyal customers.

5. Lush’s Ethical Campaigns

Lush uses content to highlight their commitment to ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability.

Key Components:

• Storytelling: Sharing the stories behind their products and the people who make them.
• Social Responsibility: Creating content around their ethical practices and charitable initiatives.
• Visual Content: Using vibrant visuals to showcase their products and values.
• Customer Engagement: Encouraging customers to share their own stories and experiences with Lush products.

Success Metric:

• Brand Differentiation: Strengthening their brand image as an ethical and environmentally conscious company.

These examples demonstrate how a well-crafted content marketing strategy can engage audiences, build brand loyalty, and drive business growth.

Elevate Your Content Marketing Strategy With OptinMonster

OptinMonster steps in as a game-changer. With its advanced targeting features and powerful lead generation capabilities, OptinMonster is more than just a tool; it’s a strategic partner in your content marketing journey.

Whether you’re looking to increase engagement, grow your email list, or boost conversion rates, OptinMonster provides a suite of features designed to boost your content marketing strategy.

By integrating OptinMonster into your content marketing efforts, you’re not just sharing content; you’re creating opportunities for growth and engagement at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Don’t just take my word for it; have a look at the following case studies and explore the success stories of our customers to see the impact and results they’ve achieved recently with OptinMonster:

• How Aish.com Gets 10X More Subscribers Using Targeted Optins
• How Nick Gray Increased Conversions by up to 1000% With Smart Opt-in Popups
• How PodBike Gets 18.22% More Email Subscribers with GeoTargeting
• How Human Food Bar Gets 1800+ Signups Per Month With OptinMonster

So, as you refine your content marketing strategy, consider how OptinMonster can help you achieve your marketing goals more effectively. Remember, in content marketing, success is not just about what you create, but how you connect and convert your audience into loyal customers.

Sign up for OptinMonster now and transform your content marketing strategy into a powerhouse of opportunity and growth.

More on Content Marketing:

• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing
• 29 Impressive Content Marketing Examples You Can Use
• Content Marketing Statistics: Everything You Need To Know
• Step-by-Step Guide to Generate Leads with Your Content Marketing
• How to Build a Content Marketing Funnel (+12 Examples)

If you want to start a blog that makes money, it’s important to be in the loop with the latest trends so that you’re not missing out on any opportunities to increase your traffic or revenue.

Let’s dive right in!

Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts

We hope these blogging stats give you some insight and help you make healthy decisions for your blog’s future.

General Blogging Statistics

1. 7.5 million blog posts are published every day.
2. More than 409 million people view over 20 billion pages each month on WordPress.com.
3. On average, it takes about 4 hours to write a blog post.
4. The average reader spends 52 seconds reading a blog post.
5. There are approximately 600 million blogs in the world in 2023.
6. The average blog post length is 1,416 words in 2023.
7. Only 14% of bloggers write blog content that’s 2,000+ words in length.
8. 44% of bloggers publish new content between three to six times monthly.
9. 65% of content marketers say they have a documented content strategy.
10. 71% of B2B buyers consume blog content during their buyer journey.
11. A blog increases your chances of ranking higher in search by 434%.
12. 61% of Americans spend 3X more time-consuming blog content than emails.
13. Blog posts with 6-13 word long headlines tend to drive more traffic.
14. Odd-numbered headlines perform better than their even-numbered counterparts.

Blogging SEO Stats

15. Only 38% of bloggers are updating older articles.
16. 34% of bloggers say that updating content produces strong results.
17. Around 5% of bloggers don’t have access to analytics.
18. Titles with 6-13 words attract the highest and most consistent amount of traffic.
19. SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (such as direct mail or print advertising) have a 1.7% close rate.
20. 72% of online marketers describe content creation as their most effective SEO tactic.

Want more SEO statistics? We got you covered.

Blogging Traffic Stats

21. Businesses that blog experience twice as much email traffic as businesses who don’t.
22. Having a hyphen or colon in the headline increased click-through rates by 9%.
23. Making your headline 6-8 words can increase your CTR by 21%.
24. Over 50% of bloggers report that it has gotten harder to get traffic from Facebook over the past two years, and nearly one-fifth say it has gotten harder to get traffic from Google.
25. Over the past year, there’s been a 93% increase in blogs using promotional techniques to drive traffic to their post including paid ads.

Guest Blogging Statistics

26. 60% of blogs write 1-5 guest posts per month.
27. 3% of blogs write over 100 guest posts per month.
28. Only 6% of bloggers publish the majority of their original content as guest posts.
29. 62.96% of readers perceive blogs with multiple authors to be more credible.
30. 79% of editors say guest content is too promotional.
31. Guest content is in higher demand in the summer months of June, July, and August.

Travel Blogging Statistics

32. 59% of travel bloggers run more than one travel blog.
33. Over 80% of travel planning is done through the internet and is growing.
34. 33% of US travelers use travel blogs for travel advice.
35. The majority of travel blogs are between 1-4 years old.
36. Most travel blogs use publication and sponsored posts as one of the main income sources.
37. The average travel blogger will charge an average of $200 per sponsored post.
38. 94% of travel blogs sell advertising.
39. Most travel blog’s traffic mainly stems from non-brand search with direct traffic a distant second.

Blogging Growth Stats

40. The number of bloggers in the USA is expected to grow to 31.7 million in 2020.
41. There are more than 500 million blogs that exist in 2019.
42. Tumblr has more than 440 million blogs.
43. WordPress has about 60 million blogs.
44. Blogging has grown by 12% since 2015.
45. At this moment, there are roughly 1.9 billion web pages. Judging by the growth rate, we will be hitting 2 billion in less than a year.
46. The average blog post is 1151 words, that’s a 42% increase in the last 5 years.

Social Media Blogging Statistics

47. 66% of marketers reported using blogs in their social media content in 2017.
48. 59% of people will share an article without reading it first, or ever.
49. LinkedIn is the most effective social media platform for delivering content and securing audience engagement.
50. 95.9% of bloggers promote their blog posts via social media.
51. Tumblr had 456.1 million blog accounts as of January 2019.
52. 69% of bloggers say they use social share buttons.

Blogging With Visuals and Videos Stats

53. Articles with images get 94% more views as opposed to those with no visuals.
54. 71% of bloggers report using visuals as part of their marketing strategy.
55. Using photos of real people instead of stock photos can result in a 35% conversion increase.
56. 43% of consumers increasingly want video content from marketers.
57. 19% of bloggers are now including video in their typical posts.
58. 45% of bloggers who add audio to their posts such as podcast see better results.
59. Video content is 50 times more likely to drive organic search traffic than plain text.
60. 32% of marketers say visual images are the most important form of content for their businesses.

Blogging Statistics for Marketers

61. Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to have a positive ROI on their efforts.
62. 61% of the most effective B2B content marketers meet with their content team daily or weekly.
63. 64% of B2B marketers outsource blog copywriting.
64. Spending on marketing automation tools is expected to reach $25.1 billion annually by 2023.
65. 60% of marketers have a documented personalization strategy.
66. 57% of marketers say they’ve gained customers specifically through blogging.
67. 53% of marketers say blogging is their top content marketing priority.
68. B2B marketers who have blogs get 67% more leads than those who don’t.
69. Around 60% of marketer will reuse blog content 2-3 times.
70. 60% of B2B marketers struggle with creating engaging content.

How To Ensure Your Blog Stays Relevant

The blogging industry has become extremely saturated. Ever since the first bloggers shared their success stories publicly, more and more people are getting into the industry.

As a result, competition has gotten higher, and surviving as a blog these days has become increasingly difficult. If you’re not putting in the effort, you’re more than likely going to fail.

But there’s one very important thing you can do that most thriving blogs are doing today. That’s to create “evergreen content”, which is essentially content that doesn’t have an expiry date. People can look back at it in years from now and still find it useful.

It’s also common for bloggers to revisit old content and update the information to provide a fresh take on the subject. Bloggers have stated that content that gets touched up like this is an excellent way to boost SEO.

Related Content13 Best Blog Sites: Which Is Right For You?

Blogging Predictions

So, now that you know this information, what do you do with it?

It’s difficult to know the answer to that unless we first look at where blogging is going, and if it’s still worth putting time and energy into your blogging efforts.

Like Bitcoin, we could be seeing blogging’s peak at the moment, and one day we could wake up to a huge crash.

But as the blogging statistics show, it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. It’s still totally relevant in 2024 and is steadily rising.

It might be hard to determine exactly how many blogs there are out there at any given moment. The stats say about 600 million, although that number also includes inactive sites, which may affect the accuracy of the statistic.

Also, not all platforms choose to share their data publicly.

And although it may be hard to accurately gauge how many blogs there are, one thing’s for sure: At this rate, we will be celebrating 1 billion blogs in no time!

Let’s see what the future holds.

Sources (aka, “Everything We Went Through so You Didn’t Have To!” ? )
HubSpot | SEO Tribunal | TopRank | Content Marketing Institute | IsItWP | Jeff Bullas | Marketing Experiments | Social Media Examiner | Statista | Travel Memo | Professional Travel Bloggers Association | Referral Rock | SEJ | Junto | Orbit Media | Impact | Tech Client | ConversionXL | WordPress | Neil Patel | Red Website Design | Growth Badger | Hosting Tribunal  | Tech Jury

Marketers have been leveraging FOMO for a long time to alter consumer behavior and achieve their desired results. Yet there is little to no knowledge about fear of missing out marketing or how to use it to increase eCommerce sales.

But there’s nothing to worry about because in this FOMO marketing guide, we will explain what FOMO means, what FOMO marketing is, and why it is so effective.

In the end, we will share FOMO marketing strategies and FOMO marketing examples so you can apply FOMO tactics in your marketing campaigns and enjoy the results yourself!

Here’s a table of contents for easy navigation:

1. What is FOMO?
2. What is FOMO Marketing?
3. Why Use FOMO Marketing?
4. FOMO Marketing Strategies
5. Best FOMO Marketing Examples

What is FOMO?

“FOMO” stands for the fear of missing out, a psychological trigger humans can’t help responding to.

According to a study published in Computers in Human Behavior, FOMO is

“a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent.“

It is a psychological phenomenon characterized by the fear or anxiety of being left out of exciting or rewarding experiences. It stems from the innate desire to participate in social activities, events, or opportunities others enjoy.

Now let’s read about fear of missing out marketing.

What is FOMO Marketing?

FOMO marketing capitalizes on people’s fear of missing out to drive consumer engagement, urgency, and action. It typically includes messaging that triggers your target audience’s innate fear of missing out to make them more likely to convert.

By creating a sense of exclusivity, scarcity, and time-limited opportunities, FOMO marketing taps into the emotional response triggered by the potential loss of a valuable experience.

This marketing technique has proven highly effective because it captures attention, creates a sense of urgency, and compels consumers to take immediate action.

Why Use FOMO Marketing?

Let’s look at some FOMO statistics, as that’ll help you understand why FOMO marketing campaigns are so effective, especially with certain demographics.

A lot of data suggests that FOMO is most prevalent among millennials. Around 69% of millennials experience the phenomenon, and according to Strategy Online, 60% of millennials make impulsive purchases because of FOMO. In other words, they’ll buy something just because they feel they might miss out.

However, it’s not just millennials who suffer from FOMO. According to other data, more than half of people using social networks suffer from FOMO.

With more than 3 billion active social media users worldwide, according to We are Social, that’s a huge potential audience.

The bottom line: FOMO marketing is essential, no matter what age group or location you’re targeting.

FOMO Marketing Strategies

Let’s learn how to create FOMO in marketing by looking at the following FOMO marketing strategies.

A. Limited-Time Offers and Flash Sales

By offering time-limited discounts, promotions, or deals, businesses create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate purchase decisions.

• Countdown timers: Visually represent the urgency of the offer.
• Tiered discounts: Offer increasing discounts as the time limit approaches.
• Product bundles: Create additional value by bundling products for a limited time

Recommended Reading: 23 Stunning Sales Promotion Examples To Crush Your Sales

B. Exclusive Access and VIP Memberships

Providing exclusive access to special events, products, or content for loyal customers or members builds a sense of exclusivity and fosters customer loyalty.

• Loyalty programs: Reward repeat customers with exclusive perks and early access.
• Referral programs: Encourage customers to share products with friends for exclusive benefits.
• Tiered memberships: Offer varying levels of exclusivity based on membership tier.

Recommended Reading: What is a Membership Website? (7 Examples of Successful Membership Websites)

C. User-Generated Content and Social Proof

Showcasing real customer experiences and testimonials through user-generated content creates social proof and increases trust, thereby fueling FOMO.

• Live feeds: Display real-time purchases or interactions to demonstrate popularity.
• Influencer takeovers: Collaborate with influencers to showcase product usage and endorsements.
• Customer testimonials: Highlight positive experiences to build trust and credibility.

Recommended Reading: 30+ Proven Ways to Use Social Proof to Increase Your Conversions (Updated)

Recommended Reading: 18 Best Social Proof Software Tools to Boost Sales

D. Influencer Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborating with influencers or industry experts to promote products or events can amplify FOMO by leveraging their authority and reach.

• Micro-influencer collaborations: Target niche audiences for more authentic engagement.
• Gifted products: Provide influencers with products to encourage organic promotion.
• Exclusive influencer codes: Offer unique discounts to drive sales and track performance.

Recommended Reading: Win Big at Influencer Marketing: An Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Best FOMO Marketing Examples

Now that we have gone through the FOMO meaning, FOMO marketing meaning, and strategies, it’s time to look at some FOMO marketing examples to see FOMO in action.

1. Show That People Are Buying

Some of the most effective FOMO marketing techniques trigger the feeling without even making a sales pitch.

These days, it’s not unusual to see live information on sales when you visit a website, as in this FOMO marketing example from SeedProd:

This shows a recent purchaser’s first name and location, so it’s clear it’s a real person. If visitors to your site know other people are buying, they’ll also want to buy.

SeedProd is using TrustPulse social proof notifications to create these popups.

Be sure to check out our guides on the best WooCommerce plugins and best Shopify apps for more useful tools like this.

Related ContentHow to Use a Recent Sales Popup to Boost Your Revenue

2. Display Best Selling or Top Rated Items

When website visitors are able to see what your best-selling or top-rated products are, it will give them a healthy dose of FOMO too. After all, when you see a cool product that other people are buying, you’ll want it for yourself.

So, be sure to display the best-selling or top-rated items prominently on your website. Here’s how the cosmetics company ColorPop does it:

You can easily display your best-selling or top-rated products in the same way with SeedProd.

SeedProd is the best drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress, and it comes with custom WooCommerce blocks. You can choose from a standard products grid, best-selling products, top-rated products, sale products, and more. Simply drag the product block and drop it onto your page.

You can even create a custom WooCommerce checkout page with a showcase of best-selling products. This is a great way to increase your average order value.

3. Highlight Missed Opportunities in Your Messaging

One site that’s great at using these FOMO tactics is Booking.com, which has multiple examples of FOMO on every page. In this tip, we’re focusing on ramping up FOMO by showing that visitors have actually missed out on a great deal.

Booking.com shows this with messaging showing when the property you’re looking at is sold out in big red letters:

As we move forward, you will see more FOMO marketing examples from Booking.com.

4. Show Stock Levels

Scarcity is a big component of FOMO marketing because if something’s about to run out, there’s a huge incentive to get it now. There are many ways to highlight scarcity.

For example, if you’re running an online store, you can show stock levels, as Amazon does:

Or, if you’re in the travel business, you could show the number of spaces left, as Booking.com does:

And you can ramp up the FOMO advertising with “while stocks last” messaging, that suggests that your product or service is about to run out or disappear:

For more inspiration, check out our article on scarcity examples.

5. Make Your Visitors Watch the Clock

When thinking about how to create FOMO, you can also look into urgency in marketing. It’s another tactic that triggers loss aversion, a fancy term for FOMO. If your visitors think they’ll miss out by running out of time, they’re more likely to reach for their virtual wallets and commit to a purchase.

You can do this by showing a countdown timer or even with messaging about when deals end, like in this FOMO marketing example on Amazon:

Or by offering different discount levels on different days, like the Chemical Guys:

Or by creating a countdown popup like this one:

Read How to Create Urgency in Marketing for more help implementing this tactic.

6. Stir Their Competitive Spirit

Not only do we not like missing out, but we hate the thought that others might get something great before we do. That’s why good FOMO marketing campaigns play on this feeling to inspire action. Here are a couple of examples.

Booking.com shows how many people are viewing a property. The underlying message is that if you don’t move fast, you’ll end up missing out:

Or you could show the number of people who’ve already taken a deal, as Amazon does:

If you’re in the software business, you could even show the number of users. Software companies often use FOMO with beta trials, where accepting limited numbers makes those few spaces seem very desirable.

7. Offer a One-Shot Deal With Exit-Intent®

OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent Technology® is a great way to deliver FOMO marketing campaigns. This powerful feature detects when people are about to leave your site and triggers a campaign just before they do.

It’s proven to work:

• Rich Page used exit-intent to boost conversions by 316%
• Ryan Robinson engineered a 500% increase in subscribers with exit-intent
• Podcast Insights combined exit-intent with our onsite retargeting feature to get a 1099% boost in conversions

To use exit-intent for FOMO marketing, follow our instructions for creating your first campaign, and create your discount offer. Enable exit-intent in the display rules section of the OptinMonster campaign builder:

Enable an additional display rule to specify which visitors should see the campaign. For example, you can show the campaign only to visitors on certain pages with page-level targeting.

8. Limit Free Shipping

Did you know that around 90% of shoppers list free shipping as their prime incentive for buying online? That’s one reason why FOMO marketing campaigns that limit free shipping can be really effective.

C’mon, we’ve all bought something extra on Amazon to get free delivery, haven’t we? If people feel they’ll miss out on free shipping by not making a purchase, they’ll likely make it, especially if the additional expenditure is relatively small.

Let your customers know how much more they have to spend to get free shipping, or simply place a banner at the top of your page, showing the threshold for obtaining that benefit. You can easily do this with one of OptinMonster’s floating bar campaigns.

Pro TipDid you know you can use the same floating bar campaigns to create custom alerts for your customers? Learn why you to create a website alert banner to keep your customers well-informed.

9. Be Explicit about FOMO

You don’t have to hide the fact that you’re using FOMO marketing. You can come right out and say it, as Rue La La does in this campaign:

Image Source

You don’t have to hide the fact that you’re using FOMO marketing. You can come right out and say it, as Rue La La does in this FOMO marketing example:

10. Let Your Content Expire

As a business, a lot of your content marketing strategy is about creating content that’ll stick around so you can use it to build authority, get inbound links, improve your search ranking, and win customers.

But there’s another way to pique visitors’ interest by using a FOMO marketing tactic: expiring content. Expiring content mixes urgency, scarcity, and exclusivity to ramp up that FOMO vibe.

Snapchat is the ultimate example of expiring content. One of the reasons Snapchat is so successful, and why teenagers can never leave their phones, is because if you don’t see the content while it’s there, you’ll lose your chance forever.

And here’s a thought: those early Snapchat users (the site launched in 2011) will soon be in their 20s, and they’ve grown up with this FOMO mindset.

Software companies use this same principle when they’re about to change their pricing plans, giving users an option to lock in the old price before it’s too late. Here’s an example from Iconica:

11. Use a Content Upgrade

While we’re on the subject of content, an opt-in content upgrade is a great FOMO marketing technique. That’s because gating content means there’s scarcity in our minds at least, and scarcity triggers FOMO.

You can use OptinMonster to gate content with our Content Lock feature to make visitors want your content upgrades.

OptinMonster customers have used content upgrades to boost conversions by 150% and increase customer retention by 72%.

To implement this, use your blog posts as content upgrades or try one of these ideas.

12. Trigger FOMO with Images

People respond to visuals, so when creating FOMO marketing campaigns, it’s essential to get the images right. An excellent FOMO marketing example comes from Express, which offers a rewards program.

As Stephan Brady points out, along with the “don’t miss out” messaging, the background image suggests that opting in will ensure you have a great time, which means you’re missing the party if you don’t opt-in.

To find the right images for your FOMO marketing campaigns, check out our guide to finding free images online.

13. Make Your Offer Exclusive

There’s nothing to trigger FOMO like exclusivity. As human beings, we love the thought of getting our hands on an opportunity very few people have. Don’t believe us? Check out any airport boarding gate and see how happy the people with priority access are.

Or think about how many people have signed up for Amazon Prime (more than 100 million!) to get deals other Amazon shoppers can’t get.

While those are great FOMO marketing examples, you can also use exclusivity by creating a limited-edition product or service. In the example below, Heinz combines this with time-based scarcity to make a compelling FOMO marketing offer:

14. Show Social Proof

Social proof is a highly effective marketing tactic, and not just for FOMO marketing campaigns. That’s because, besides the FOMO factor, social proof ties into our need to be part of a group.

If other people like us are sharing, engaging, or buying, we want to do it too, so we’ll feel a sense of belonging and won’t miss out.

The best way to leverage the power of social proof is by using TrustPulse. TrustPulse is a social proof software that can instantly increase site conversion rate by up to 15% by showing off real-time, verified customer activity right on your page in a little popup bubble:

TrustPulse also lets you show “On Fire” notifications that are great for leveraging FOMO on landing pages and checkouts:

Get Started for FREEYou can get started with TrustPulse for free!

You can also use social proof by showing the number of customer reviews a product has:

Or by showing huge numbers of people you’ve helped, as we do on our own site:

To use social proof as a FOMO marketing tactic, check out these social proof tips and examples.

15. Promote Experiences

Another way to use FOMO tactics is to let your users help. Using user-generated content (UGC) lets visitors and potential customers vicariously share in the experience of using your products and services, so they want to do it too. After all, real proof from real people is going to be much more compelling than any of your FOMO advertising campaigns.

Here’s an example of UGC from Wayfair, under the #wayfairathome social media hashtag:

And instead of leaving all of your UGC on social media, you can seamlessly integrate it into your website using a plugin like Smash Balloon.

With Smash Balloon’s Instagram Feed Pro, you can easily embed an Instagram hashtag feed anywhere on your site to showcase UGC.

It’s super simple to set up and you can completely customize your feed. You can choose from different layouts, design the feed to match your brand, hide or show likes and comments, highlight specific posts, and more.

Check out this guide on how to add an Instagram hashtag feed to WordPress for more details.

16. Offer Rewards for Early Decisions

Giving a freebie is a good way to attract customers. However, you can make it even more effective by limiting that freebie. Offline, you see this tactic when stores offer a gift or special discount to the first 100 customers, and that usually makes hundreds of people line up.

Online, you can follow the example of Huawei, and offer a gift for the first 100 purchasers:

Image Source

17. Boost FOMO Marketing with Email

Email marketing remains a great way to reach your customers. Our email marketing statistics roundup shows around 90% of people use it. So it’s an excellent tool for FOMO marketing campaigns.

You can effectively use email marketing with any other FOMO marketing examples we’ve listed. For example, you can send emails to:

• Let subscribers know about exclusive deals or rewards
• Tell them when items they’ve saved are about to run out
• Remind them about items in their shopping cart with cart abandonment messages

You can also combine FOMO email messaging with onsite retargeting to offer subscribers who follow a link a special deal via a popup marketing campaign.

Here’s how you can enable onsite behavioral retargeting with OptinMonster.

Recommended Reading: How to Grow Your Email List: 23 Proven and Simple Ways

That’s it! Now you can use these easy-to-implement FOMO marketing examples to get more FOMO sales from visitors and customers. Next, see how to boost sales on Shopify, and to increase average order value with upselling examples.

And follow us on YouTube,Facebook, and Twitter for more marketing tips and tricks and in-depth guides.

FOMO Marketing FAQs

1. What is FOMO in marketing?

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, in marketing refers to a strategy designed to evoke anxiety in consumers that others are enjoying experiences or possessing products that they are not, potentially leading to a feeling of missing out. This tactic encourages consumers to make quicker decisions to purchase, subscribe, or engage with a product or service to avoid the feeling of being left out.

2. How to create FOMO in marketing?

To create FOMO in marketing, you can:

1. Limited Time Offers: Promote products or services as time-sensitive to create urgency.
2. Exclusive Content or Products: Offer special editions or early access to products for a select group of customers.
3. Social Proof: Use testimonials, user reviews, and social media shares to show how others are benefiting from your offerings.
4. Countdown Timers: Include these in your promotions to remind customers of dwindling time to act.
5. Highlight Popularity: Show how popular an item is, indicating high demand and potential sell-out risk.

3. How to use FOMO in marketing?

To effectively use FOMO in marketing:

• Segment Your Audience: Tailor your messages to different segments to make them more personal and relevant.
• Leverage Social Media: Use platforms where your audience is active to share user-generated content, testimonials, and live events.
• Email Campaigns: Send targeted emails highlighting limited offers, exclusive deals, and last chances.
• Remarketing: Remind visitors who left your site without purchasing about what they’re potentially missing out on.

4. Is FOMO marketing ethical?

FOMO marketing, or Fear of Missing Out marketing walks a fine line ethically. When used responsibly, it can be a powerful and legitimate marketing strategy. However, it becomes unethical if it deliberately misleads consumers, creates unnecessary anxiety, or exploits vulnerable individuals. Marketers need to ensure their FOMO tactics are truthful and not manipulative, maintaining transparency and integrity in their campaigns.

What does FOMO stand for in business?

In business, FOMO stands for “Fear of Missing Out.” It refers to the strategy of leveraging consumers’ fears of missing out on benefits, experiences, or products that others have. This concept is used to drive decisions and actions like purchases, subscriptions, and participation in events.

5.  What is FOMO in retail?

In retail, FOMO is used to drive immediate sales by creating a sense of urgency and scarcity around products. Retailers may implement FOMO through flash sales, limited-edition products, or exclusive offers that are only available for a short period. This strategy helps to increase foot traffic in stores or clicks online by encouraging consumers to act quickly to avoid missing out.

6. What are FOMO ads?

FOMO ads are a marketing strategy that exploits the human fear of missing out by creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity to encourage immediate action from consumers.

That’s what the stats say.

Research shows that 95% of people only look at the first page of search results. And half the clicks on that page go to the first three results.

That means if you get keyword use wrong, you’ll seriously hurt your business. That’s because you’ll miss out on the benefits of getting organic traffic when people click through to your site from a list of search results.

And no organic traffic means fewer leads and sales. No business can afford that, right?

In this article, we’re going to show you how to use keywords for SEO the RIGHT way so you get the traffic, leads, and sales you need.

• Understanding Keywords and SEO
• How to Know What Keywords to Use for SEO
• How to Use Keywords for SEO

Understanding Keywords and SEO

Before we go any further, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about keywords and SEO.

SEO is optimizing your web pages for better ranking in search results pages (SERPs). Part of the SEO process is using keywords: words and phrases that describe what your content is about.

For more details about SEO, please read our detailed Beginner’s SEO Guide

Then Google uses that information to determine which content is relevant to a particular search query, and how the page should rank in searches for a particular term. That’s what gives a web page its search ranking.

(It’s important to note that while keywords aren’t the main ranking factor themselves, their use in content and links, which ARE among the top ranking factors, helps Google with this process.)

How to Know What Keywords to Use for SEO

An important starting point when using keywords for SEO is doing keyword research. That’s how you find the right keywords to include on a web page in the first place.

As we said earlier, the use of keywords helps Google assign the right search ranking.

Keyword research also helps you come up with your content strategy by creating content around the terms that you know your audience is looking for.

The best practice is to focus each piece of content on a different keyword phrase, and never use the same keyword more than once. That’s because you don’t want to end up competing with your own content for search rankings.

Lets find out how to know what keywords to use for SEO.

A. Identify Your Target Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Consider who they are, what problems they need to solve, and what language they use when searching for solutions. This insight will guide your keyword selection.

B. Use Keyword Research Tools

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush can help you discover relevant keywords. Look for:

• Search Volume: The number of searches for a keyword each month. Higher volumes indicate more interest.
• Keyword Difficulty: How hard it is to rank for a keyword. Target a mix of low and high-difficulty keywords.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Phrases with three or more words that are highly specific, like “best SEO tips for beginners.” They often have lower competition and higher conversion rates.

C. Analyze Competitors

Check what keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can reveal gaps in your strategy and opportunities for content creation.

How to Use Keywords for SEO

Strategic keyword placement is a crucial element of SEO that directly influences how search engines interpret and rank your content. The goal is to place keywords in key locations on your webpage to signal relevance while maintaining a natural and engaging flow for readers. Here’s how to effectively incorporate keywords into different parts of your content:

1. Title Tags

The title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results and plays a significant role in both search engine ranking and click-through rates (CTR).

Best Practices for Title Tags:

• Include the Primary Keyword Early: Ideally, your primary keyword should appear at the beginning of the title tag. This not only helps search engines recognize the focus of your content but also increases the likelihood of users clicking on your link.
• Keep It Concise: Aim for a title tag length of 50-60 characters, including spaces. This ensures that your entire title is visible in search results without being cut off.
• Make It Compelling: While including keywords is crucial, your title should also be engaging and compelling enough to entice users to click. Consider adding power words, numbers, or questions to capture attention.

Example:

• Keyword: “How to Use Keywords for SEO”
• Title Tag: “How to Use Keywords for SEO: 7 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Rankings”

2. Meta Descriptions

The meta description is the brief summary that appears beneath your title tag in search engine results. While it doesn’t directly impact rankings, a well-crafted meta description can significantly influence CTR, which indirectly affects SEO.

Best Practices for Meta Descriptions:

• Include the Primary Keyword: Incorporate your primary keyword naturally within the first 160 characters to ensure it appears in the visible portion of the description.
• Highlight the Value Proposition: Clearly state what users can expect from your content and why it’s valuable. This could include benefits, solutions, or a unique selling point.
• Use a Call to Action (CTA): Encourage users to click on your link with a compelling call to action, such as “Learn more,” “Discover how,” or “Find out today.”

Example:

• Keyword: “How to Use Keywords for SEO”
• Meta Description: “Learn how to use keywords for SEO with our step-by-step guide. Boost your website’s rankings and drive more traffic today. Discover proven strategies now!”

3. Headings and Subheadings

Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help organize your content and make it easier for readers and search engines to navigate. They also provide an opportunity to signal the structure and key topics of your content to search engines.

Best Practices for Headings:

• Use the Primary Keyword in the H1: The H1 tag is typically reserved for the main title of your page or post. It should include your primary keyword to clearly indicate the topic of the content.
• Incorporate Keywords in H2s and H3s: Use secondary keywords or related phrases in your H2 and H3 headings to further emphasize key topics and subtopics. This not only helps with SEO but also improves content readability.
• Keep Headings Descriptive and Relevant: Headings should be concise, descriptive, and relevant to the content that follows. This enhances user experience and ensures that search engines can accurately understand the content structure.

Example:

• H1: “How to Use Keywords for SEO: A Comprehensive Guide”
• H2: “Why Keywords Matter in SEO”
• H2: “Strategically Placing Keywords for Maximum Impact”
• H3: “Optimizing Title Tags and Meta Descriptions”

4. Body Content

The body content is where the bulk of your keyword optimization will occur. However, it’s important to strike a balance between keyword usage and readability. The goal is to include keywords naturally, so they enhance the content rather than disrupt the flow.

Best Practices for Body Content:

• Maintain Natural Keyword Density: Aim for a keyword density of around 1-2%, meaning your primary keyword should appear 1-2 times per 100 words. However, avoid forcing keywords into the text if they don’t fit naturally.
• Use Synonyms and Related Terms: To prevent keyword stuffing and improve content richness, incorporate synonyms and related terms throughout your content. This also helps with Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), which allows search engines to understand the context of your content better.
• Focus on Readability: Write for your audience first, ensuring that the content is clear, engaging, and informative. Keywords should support the narrative, not dominate it.
• Incorporate Keywords Early: Try to include your primary keyword within the first 100 words of your content. This helps signal to search engines what the page is about early on.

Example:

• Keyword: “How to Use Keywords for SEO”
• Body Content Snippet: “Understanding how to use keywords for SEO is essential for anyone looking to improve their website’s search engine rankings. By strategically placing keywords throughout your content, you can help search engines better understand your page and attract more targeted traffic.”

5. URLs

URLs are another critical on-page SEO element that should be optimized for keywords. A well-structured URL not only helps search engines understand the content but also improves user experience by providing a clear, concise link.

Best Practices for URLs:

• Include the Primary Keyword: Ensure that your primary keyword is part of the URL slug. This makes it clear what the page is about and can improve rankings.
• Keep URLs Short and Simple: Shorter URLs tend to perform better in search results and are easier for users to share and remember. Aim for a URL length of 3-5 words.
• Use Hyphens to Separate Words: Use hyphens (-) to separate words in your URL, as search engines prefer this format over underscores (_).

Example:

• Keyword: “How to Use Keywords for SEO”
• Optimized URL: www.yoursite.com/how-to-use-keywords-for-seo

6. Images and Alt Text

Images are an often-overlooked opportunity for keyword optimization. Search engines can’t “see” images the way humans do, so they rely on alt text and file names to understand what an image is about. Optimizing these elements with keywords can enhance your overall SEO and improve image search rankings.

Best Practices for Images and Alt Text:

• Use Descriptive File Names: Before uploading images, rename the files with descriptive, keyword-rich names. Avoid generic names like “IMG1234.jpg” in favor of more specific names like “seo-keyword-optimization.jpg.”
• Optimize Alt Text: Alt text should describe the image and include relevant keywords where appropriate. However, it should still be accurate and useful, primarily for users who rely on screen readers.
• Consider Image Titles: Although not as critical as alt text, including keywords in image titles can provide an additional layer of optimization.

Example:

• Keyword: “How to Use Keywords for SEO”
• Optimized Alt Text: “Illustration showing how to use keywords for SEO in website content.”

That’s it! Now that you know how to use keywords for SEO, check out our articles on using SEO for lead generation and the best keyword research tools to boost your content strategy.

And follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more in-depth guides and useful tips.

It’s an influential marketing hack bloggers and businesses use to reach new audiences, share expertise, and boost their online presence.

Here are just a couple of examples to prove our point:

• Elna Cain used guest posting to make a full-time income from freelance writing
• Buffer used guest posting to attract 100,000 customers.

As the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) points out, guest blogging is an essential part of your marketing funnel, providing offsite expert content:

Note: Throughout this article, the terms ‘guest posting’ and ‘guest blogging’ are used interchangeably, as they convey the same meaning.

If you’ve ever wondered how guest posting can benefit you or how to get started, you’re in the right place.

This guest posting guide will dive deep into the ins and outs of guest blogging, offering tips and insights for startups and established businesses.

• What Is Guest Posting?
• What Is a Guest Blog Post?
• Benefits of Guest Blogging
• Essential Steps for Successful Guest Posting

What is Guest Posting?

Guest blogging, or guest posting, is when someone outside your company writes a blog that will be published on your website or vice versa, ideally to reach a wider audience, improve search engine rankings, and establish your brand as an authority.

What is a Guest Blog Post?

A guest post is an article or piece of content written by someone who is not a regular contributor to a website or blog. Instead, the content is contributed by an external writer, often aiming to promote a particular message or brand.

Benefits of Guest Blogging

Now, let’s look at some benefits of becoming a guest blogger. By writing guest posts on blogs, you can improve on the following:

• Referral Traffic:
  • Boost referral traffic and content marketing ROI by driving traffic from other reputable sites.
• Brand Awareness:
  • Introduce your brand to new audiences through content on other sites.
• Lead Generation:
  • Attract new subscribers and improve lead generation due to new readers visiting your site or landing page.
• Social Proof:
  • Gain credibility when trusted, authoritative sites publish your content.
  • Regular guest blogging can position you as an industry expert.
• SEO Link Building:
  • Obtain backlinks from high-quality sites, a key SEO ranking factor.
  • Quality backlinks are seen as signals by ranking algorithms, improving your site’s position on Google search engine results pages.

• Content Marketing:
  • Guest posting helps website owners meet their content needs, addressing a major content marketing challenge.

Remember, the success of guest posting largely depends on the quality and relevance of the content, as well as the reputation of both the guest blogger and the host site.

Related Content Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts

Essential Steps for Successful Guest Posting

Here’s the step-by-step tutorial you need to follow to do guest posting successfully:

1. Know Your Goals
2. Find Guest Posting Opportunities
3. Guest Post Outreach
4. Choose a Winning Guest Post Idea
5. Submit Your Pitch
6. Write Great Content
7. Work That Bio
8. Be Responsive
9. Promote Your Content
10. Write More Guest Posts
11. Track Success

Step 1. Know Your Goals

Like every other marketing strategy, a successful guest blogging strategy starts with knowing your goals. After all, you have to know where you’re headed if you ever expect to get there.

The typical goals for a guest blogging strategy align with the benefits described earlier. They include:

• Driving traffic to a specific landing page (or to your site in general) to get more leads and sales
• Building awareness of your brand, products, and services
• Improving SEO by attracting inbound links
• Positioning yourself as an expert so you can be cited more often and get speaking engagements
• Increasing email subscriber numbers or your social media audience

It’s essential to have a goal in mind so you can frame your author bio appropriately and ensure that your links deliver what you’ve promised. It’s the best way to build trust with the new audience you’re attracting.

Step 2. Find Guest Posting Opportunities

Before you write a guest blog, you’ll have to find a site that accepts guest authors and is actively looking for content. Beyond that, you’ll need to ensure that posting on the site will help you meet your goals.

How to Find a Site That Accepts Guest Posts

There are lots of ways to find sites that are happy to accept guest posts.

For example, you can use Google to find sites that accept guest posts on the topics you want to write about. Some sample search queries include:

• [topic keyword phrase] + “write for us”
• [topic keyword phrase] + “guest article”
• [topic keyword phrase] + “become a contributor”

These queries should direct you to a blog’s guest post guidelines page, guest post submission page, or actual guest pieces from other contributors.

See this list of search queries from Optimize Smart for even more suggestions.

You can also use similar queries on Twitter. Just type “guest post” or “guest article” into the search box, and you’ll see a list of tweets showing guest posts.

Whether you’re using Google, Twitter, or another search source, make a note of the guest blogging sites. You’ll need those later when it’s time to see if the opportunity is right for you.

You can also find guest posting opportunities by checking out where your competitors are guest posting. Most guest bloggers will share their posts to enhance their reputation. When you follow competitors on social media or subscribe to their email newsletter, you’ll likely see links to their guest posts.

Another way to find this information is to see where their inbound links are coming from. To do this, log in to Semrush (Ahrefs is also a good alternative), and go to Backlink Analytics. Type the URL of the competitor site you want to check into the search box. Then select the Backlinks tab.

When you get the report, you’ll be able to see the actual backlinks, the anchor text, the referring domains, and more. Look for the dropdown menu that says Ref. page platform and change the platform to Blog. This will narrow the results down to blog sites, and some of these backlinks may be from guest posts.

This information will help you find more sites that accept guest posts. For more information on using Semrush for guest blogging research, see their article on How to Guest Post for SEO

Other places to find guest posting opportunities for your guest blogging strategy include:

• Alltop, which lists the top guest posting sites in almost every niche
• Lists of sites that accept guest posts, like this one
• Checking out where the most prolific bloggers in your niche are guest posting

How to Assess Guest Blogging Opportunities

Finding the sites is only one part of the equation. You also have to figure out if those sites are worth your while and will help you meet your goals. Most importantly, you should choose sites that aren’t spammy. Publishing on spammy sites can hurt your guest blogging SEO.

Here are some areas to assess. Pick one of the sites you identified above to get started.

Domain Authority

First, use Moz’s Link Explorer to check the domain authority for the site you’re considering. This tactic tells you if the site is well-regarded online. It’ll also give you an idea of whether guest blogging on that site will provide good value in terms of links and referral traffic. Here’s a domain authority report for the Content Marketing Institute as an example.

The higher the number (on a scale of 0 to 100), the better.

There’s no clear benchmark for what is a “good” domain authority score. The average will vary based on industry and the size of your niche. But as you’re comparing potential sites to guest post for, it’s a smart idea to prioritize the ones with the highest domain authority.

You must create an account to use Moz’s Link Explorer. The free account allows a limited number of searches per month. Pricing for Moz Pro starts at $99 per month

Follower and Subscriber Count

You should also check for the brand’s email subscriber and social follower numbers. Most site owners publish these if they’re big enough, and it’ll give you an idea of the size of the potential audience you could reach.

If social follower numbers aren’t on the site, check out their social media profiles yourself and see if the website owners have an audience, and whether they actively promote all content published on their site (including guest content). If you look back over a month’s worth of content, you’ll see whether they regularly post links to blog posts.

Blog Content

Next, look at the content of the website’s blog. See if the content published is a match for the topics you want to write about. Don’t worry if comment numbers are low; that’s true of many sites these days. And even if the number of social shares isn’t impressive, a site that reaches your ideal target audience can still help you meet your goals.

Check out the author bios at the end of guest posts, to make sure you’ll be able to get appropriate credit and send readers back to your site, as in the example below from the OptinMonster blog.

We’ll look at how to create a great guest blogging bio later in this guide.

Step 3. Guest Post Outreach

Before you approach site owners to suggest a guest post (known as “pitching”), you’ll need to form a connection with them.

Don’t be fooled by all these guest blog post pitch templates you see online. For most site owners, cold pitches won’t work unless the content is stellar.

In fact, many website owners are so tired of irrelevant pitches and poor quality content that they’ll only take guest content from people they already know, like, and trust. Here’s how you can become one of those people.

First, get to know their site and the type of content they publish by following them on social media, where many people share their content, or by subscribing to their site in Feedly, so you get updated whenever there’s something new.

Read the content consistently for a few weeks, or longer, so you understand what matters to them and their audience. If they list their top-performing or featured content on their site, check that out, too. For example, anyone visiting WPBeginner can easily see what kind of content is most popular by looking at the sidebar:

Connect with site owners on social media, so you can tag them when you share their site content. Share anything you really love and include a comment so it’s not just a plain link.

Comment on their blogs, sign up for their email marketing newsletter, and respond to their emails.

The point is to build a relationship with the site owner. Don’t fake it; they’ll figure it out and you won’t achieve your goals.

Step 4. Choose a Winning Guest Post Idea

Once you have a good understanding of your target site, and what matters to the site owner, it’s time to find a topic to pitch.

You should already know what’s popular on the site. Now, think about how you can add value by:

• Responding to what’s on the site
• Providing additional information on a popular topic
• Writing something new on a topic that’s likely to be popular with the audience

When you’re ready to narrow your choice, Buzzsumo is a great tool to use. With Buzzsumo, you can search for the most shared content on a specific site, within your industry, or within a general topic.

You can use these results to discover what blog topics readers are likely to share. When more readers share your guest post, your brand will get more reach.

If you find a topic that’s widely shared, and relevant to a site, but hasn’t yet been published on your target site, that’s a good topic to kick off your guest blogging strategy.

Buzzsumo has a 30-day free trial. After that, pricing starts at $199 per month.

Looking for an edge when choosing your topic? Research shows that in-depth content, posts that use proprietary research, and posts that share experiences and life hacks tend to be popular.

Important note: Before pitching a guest blog topic, make sure the site doesn’t already have a post about it. If the blog has a search bar, search for a few related keywords to see what posts they already have. You can also use the Google operator site: xyz.com to search for results within that website. While you want to create posts similar to the site’s most popular content, you shouldn’t pitch specific topics that have already been covered.

One last thing: if the site has guest post guidelines for pitching and writing, read them. If you don’t, website owners might just reject your pitch before even reading it.

Step 5. Submit Your Pitch

For a successful guest blogging strategy, it’s important to avoid generic guest posting pitches. If you’ve done your homework as we suggested earlier, you’ll be able to craft a winning pitch that’s personal to each site owner with very little effort.

The first rule is to keep the pitch short and to the point. Site owners, especially those with authoritative sites, get a LOT of pitches, so don’t waste their time.

Second, use their name – most site owners won’t read pitches from people who can’t be bothered to research this basic contact detail.

Third, include the post title. In fact, some successful pitches use this in the email subject line and as a secondary heading within the body of the email.

Your Buzzsumo results also give you a snapshot of popular headlines. Use this as a starting point for coming up with your own, and nail the right headline with this list of headline tools. If the person you’re pitching loves your title, you’re halfway to a successful pitch.

Next, describe the post briefly. Say what it will cover in a couple of sentences or a few bullet points.

Say how this piece of content will help their readers. Since by now you’re familiar with their existing content, this will be easy to do.

Finally, show why you’re the right person to write the post. Note, this isn’t a resume; just hit a couple of high points.

Here’s one example of how this would work.

Remember, this is not a guest posting template. Craft your own unique pitch for the site you want to reach, using your own natural tone and language.

Step 6. Write Great Content

If your pitch is accepted, the next thing to do is write your guest post. Especially if it’s the first time you’re writing for a site, you want to make it better than your best.

Craft a Stellar Headline

Start by taking a look at the headline in your pitch again. Even if the site owner loved it, it won’t hurt to come up with some alternatives. Some of the best headlines:

• Include the benefit for the reader
• Use action words
• Tap into emotion

We use headlines like those on the OptinMonster blog, and our readers love them! Here’s a guide to writing great headlines to help you nail yours.

Research Keyword Phrases

Website owners will love it if your guest content ranks well in search engines and drives organic traffic to their site. So, just like you’d do for your own content, carry out some keyword research to find a couple of core phrases you can use to optimize it.

Good keyword usage (not stuffing) shows search engines that content is relevant, which helps searchers find it – and you. Read our full keyword research guide for help with this.

Link Appropriately

Ideally, your guest post will have a great link profile, which helps with SEO and building authority. That means you should include relevant internal and external links in the guest post you’re writing.

Within the content, link to great content from the site you’re writing for, and useful resources on external sites. This helps give the content a good link profile, which is also good for SEO and building authority.

Make sure you follow any linking guidelines set out by site owners. As you’ll see when we get to the bio section, some limit links.

Include Images

Finding images can be a hassle, so unless site owners prefer to do this themselves, help them out by including or suggesting relevant images for your guest post. These will underline your main points and break up the text to make it easier for readers to scan. Use our guide to free image sites to help get high-quality images for your guest blogging strategy.

Format the Post Correctly

Finally, format the post so it matches others on the site. Note how they use subheadings, capitalization, bold text, lists, etc. The less work you leave for site owners to do, the happier they’ll be to keep working with you. Some sites provide guest post guidelines for guest post writers, in which case, all you need to do is follow them.

Step 7. Work That Bio

The bio is the payoff for the hard work you’ve invested in your guest blogging strategy. That’s because it’s where you get to link back to your own site and resources. Options commonly offered include:

• A single link to your home page
• A link to any page/resource on your site
• A link to your site plus a social media link
• A couple of web and social media links

There are even a few site owners who put no restrictions on links in the bio, though that’s not very common. In most cases, you’ll be able to link to a URL of your choice plus a social link.

How to Use Your Bio for Lead Generation

If you get the choice, consider improving lead generation by linking to a landing page with a lead magnet, so you get signups from people who already like the content you’ve written and want to learn more. Here’s an example of that guest blogging strategy from Adam Connell on Blog Boost Traffic:

OptinMonster is a great way to deliver your lead magnet. Follow our guide to creating your first campaign, then visit the Success tab in the OptinMonster campaign builder. You can deliver the lead magnet immediately via a success theme or a link, and can also send it by email.

Whether you’re linking to a landing page or not, include a clear call to action (CTA) so readers know what to do next. A typical guest posting CTA can ask readers to:

• Visit your site
• Download a free resource
• Follow you on social media

OptinMonster’s Referrer Detection feature is another useful way to capitalize on traffic resulting from your guest blogging strategy. It allows you to show specific campaigns to people coming from a particular site, without needing to create a whole landing page.

Follow our instructions for creating your first campaign, then go to Display Rules » Current URL path » exactly matches. Add the URL of your guest post.

You’ll be able to track the success of your campaign in OptinMonster’s conversion analytics dashboard.

Another approach to the bio is to define your target audience. Say who you work with and how you can help them, as in the example from Cate Scolnik below:

If you can, add UTM parameters so you can check the success of each guest blog in Google Analytics. That’ll tell you which sites are really working to meet your goals. You’ll be able to track the traffic coming from different sites within your GA4 dashboard.

If you have a WordPress site and want an easier way to track UTM links, try MonsterInsights.

MonsterInsights brings the power of Google Analytics to your WordPress dashboard with an easy-to-use interface. That’ll save you time and stress.

MonsterInsights starts at just $99.50 a year, and there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Try MonsterInsights today!

Finally, there’s no rule that your guest posting bio has to be identical on every site. Don’t be afraid to change your bio depending on your goals. Here’s one bio for a travel site:

And here it is customized for a productivity site:

Step 8. Be Responsive

We’re going to keep this next guest blogging strategy tip short and sweet: keep an eye on the comment section and respond to comments and mentions of your post.

Why? Not just because it’s good manners, although that’s a good reason. Being responsive is how you make connections with your new audience, which can help you meet some of your strategic goals.

Blog owners will also be happy if you’re responsive, making it more likely they’ll be receptive to new pitches, or will suggest ways you can contribute further. This moves you even closer to achieving your goals for your guest blogging strategy.

If the blog owner allows it, subscribe to comments on your guest post, so you’ll get an email alert when anyone comments. You can also track mentions and shares of the post via a Google alert.

Step 9. Promote Your Content

Content promotion is a key part of your guest blogging strategy so more people read your content and follow it back to your site. The site owner will be happy to benefit from increased traffic, too.

You can promote guest posting content via the same channels you use to promote your own content. For example, you can inform subscribers about your guest blog in your email marketing newsletter. You can even include links to your best posts in any drip email campaigns you have scheduled.

You should also share your content on social media. If you’re promoting content via Buffer or another social scheduling platform, add your guest post links to your queue. Remember, not everyone will see your social media post the first time, so reshare your guest posts several times.

Wherever you share your guest posts, encourage your subscribers and followers to visit, comment, and share. Some will be happy to oblige.

Finally, link to and mention your guest blog content whenever it makes sense, both in posts on your own blog and on other guest posts, which brings us to the next point:

Step 10. Write More Guest Posts

While one guest post will help you achieve some goals, for real success you need to keep writing more. With a good guest blogging strategy, more is more, as long as you can maintain high-quality guest articles.

The more posts you write, the more online presence you’ll have, and the more people will see you as an authority. That leads to more invitations to write and participate in events, more organic traffic to your site, and more leads and sales.

Of course, if you’re writing a lot of guest posts, you’ll need a way to keep track of them. That’s why it makes sense to have a guest posting calendar.

An easy way to do this is to create a new calendar in Google Calendar and add the titles and due dates of any guest blogging commitments.

If you’re writing for a few publications regularly, use color-coding to have an easy visual guide to what’s coming up for which sites. You can even note when posts are scheduled to be live, so you can kick social media promotion into high gear.

Other tools for tracking your blogging commitments include Asana and CoSchedule.

Step 11. Track Success

If you want to know if your guest blogging strategy is working, you’ll need to measure success. This means using some of the tools mentioned earlier in this guide.

For example, if you want to see if your content is bringing in more leads, track traffic to your landing page with Google Analytics, and use OptinMonster’s conversion analytics to assess the success of your marketing campaigns.

Search Buzzsumo as described earlier to see if your guest content is being shared on social media. Buzzsumo also lets you set up an author search so you can track all your guest content from one place. To do this use author: [your author name] in the search box.

Use Semrush as described earlier to see how your guest content ranks for target keywords and if you’re getting new inbound links and related traffic from your guest posts.

Lastly, remember to follow up with the blog owner or editor. Thank them for the chance to contribute and ask if they have any feedback or potential opportunities for future collaborations.

That’s it. By following this guest posting guide, you’ll be ready to become a successful guest blogger.

Guest posting stands out as a tried-and-true strategy to boost brand visibility, establish authority, and foster meaningful industry connections.

But remember, the success of your guest blogging efforts is often tied to the tools you use to convert that newfound traffic into loyal subscribers or customers.

If you’re looking to supercharge these conversions, consider OptinMonster.

With its intuitive design and powerful features, it’s no wonder many successful bloggers and marketers trust OptinMonster to optimize their guest blog returns.

As you venture into the world of guest blogging, ensure you’re equipped with the best tools to maximize your efforts. Happy blogging!

Get started with OptinMonster today!

Related Resources:

• How to Write an Excellent Blog Post in 10 Steps
• Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts
• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing
• How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy

In the age of content marketing, where content is king, headlines reign supreme. They are the first impression, the hook that captures attention, and the deciding factor for many readers on whether to click or scroll past.

For businesses and marketers, mastering the art of the headline is crucial for success.

But what makes a headline truly stand out? How can you craft headlines that resonate with your audience and drive engagement?

In this blog, we’ll deep dive into the world of headlines, exploring their importance the key components of a compelling headline, and providing many headline examples across various niches.

Whether you’re a seasoned content creator, a business owner looking to boost your online presence, or simply curious about headline copywriting, this blog has something for everyone. Dive in and discover the power of a well-crafted headline!

• Why Headlines Matter
• Key Components of a Great Headline
• Types of Headlines and Their Uses
• Best Headline Examples for Different Niches
• How to Start Writing Your Own Headlines
• Tips and Best Practices for a Catchy Headline

Why Headlines Matter

The online world is saturated with content. Every day, millions of articles, blog posts, videos, and social media updates are published, competing for the attention of online users. Amidst this sea of information, the headline guides readers to the content that matters most.

Here’s why headlines are so crucial:

• First Impressions Count: For many, the headline is the first (and sometimes only) part of your content they’ll see. A strong headline can make a lasting impression, enticing your target audience to delve deeper into the content.
• Boosts Engagement: A compelling headline can significantly increase click-through rates, shares, and overall engagement. It’s the difference between content that gets noticed and content that gets overlooked.
• SEO Benefits: Search engines value user engagement. Articles with high click-through rates act as ranking factors for search engines, signaling that the content is valuable, potentially boosting its ranking in search results.
• Sets the Tone: The headline sets the expectation for the content. It gives readers a glimpse of what to expect, ensuring they find content relevant to their interests or needs.

Key Components of a Great Headline

A great headline formula is a combination of several elements that work together to capture attention, convey a message, and compel the reader to engage with the content. Here’s what makes a headline stand out:

1. Clarity

A headline should be straightforward and easy to understand. Readers should instantly grasp the topic or offer being presented without any ambiguity.

In this generation of headline readers, users often skim through content. A clear headline ensures the message is immediately conveyed, reducing the chances of potential readers scrolling past.

Example: Instead of “Elevate Your Culinary Endeavors,” a clearer headline would be “Improve Your Cooking Skills.”

2. Relevance

The headline should accurately reflect the content it precedes, ensuring that readers receive information that aligns with their expectations set by the headline.

Misleading headlines can lead to high bounce rates. If readers click on a headline expecting one thing and get another, they’re likely to leave immediately, which can negatively impact SEO rankings and brand trust.

Example: If you’re writing about “Top Vegan Recipes,” the headline shouldn’t be “Meaty Delights for Dinner.” A relevant headline would be “10 Delicious Vegan Recipes to Try Today.”

3. Urgency

This feature plants a sense of time-sensitivity or need in the reader. It prompts immediate action, whether reading the article, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.

Creating a sense of urgency can significantly boost conversions and click-through rates. It taps into the reader’s fear of missing out (FOMO) and encourages them to act now rather than later.

Example: Instead of “Our Summer Collection,” an urgent headline would be “Our Summer Collection: Only Available for 48 Hours!”

4. Value Proposition

This component highlights the benefit or solution the content offers to the reader. It answers the reader’s implicit question: “What’s in it for me?”

Readers are more likely to engage with content that offers them tangible value. By clearly conveying the benefits in the headline, you give readers a compelling reason to click and read more.

Example: Instead of “Our New E-book,” a value-driven headline would be “Unlock Expert Marketing Strategies with Our New E-book.”

Types of Headlines and Their Uses

1. Listicles

These are headlines that introduce a list-based article or content. They often include numbers and promise a specific number of items, tips, or points.

Listicles are highly effective for online readers who often skim content. The numbered format promises a structured read, making it attractive for those seeking organized information.

Example: “10 Proven Email Templates to Boost Your Online Sales”

2. How-to’s

These headlines introduce instructional or tutorial content. They often start with “How to” and promise a solution or guide.

“How-to” headlines appeal to readers looking for guidance, solutions, or ways to achieve a specific goal.

Example: “How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users”

3. Questions

These are headlines posed as questions aiming to resonate with readers’ curiosities or concerns.

Question headlines engage readers by addressing potential queries or doubts, prompting them to click to find the answer.

Example: “Is Remote Work the Future of the Corporate World?”

4. Testimonials

These headlines use quotes or experiences from real people, often customers or experts, to validate a point or product.

Testimonial headlines build trust and credibility, showing readers that others have benefited from or endorse the content or product.

Example: “Why I Switched to [Product Name] and Never Looked Back”

Best Headline Examples for Different Niches

• E-commerce Headlines
• Blog Post Headlines
• Email Marketing Headlines
• Social Media Post Headlines
• Google Ads Headline Examples
• Homepage Headline Examples
• Facebook Ad Headline Examples
• LinkedIn Ad Headline Examples
• LinkedIn Headline Examples

By modeling these 90 attention-grabbing headline examples, you can craft your own effective headlines, and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying their success.

E-commerce Headlines:

1. “Limited Stock: Get Your Hands on Our Best-sellers Now!”
2. “New Arrivals: Fall in Love with Our Autumn Collection”
3. “Exclusive Member Deals Await: Sign Up Now!”
4. “Why Our Organic Range is a Must-Have This Season”
5. “Experience Luxury: Premium Products at Unbeatable Prices”
6. “Hassle-Free Returns on All Orders”
7. “Unlock Free Shipping on Orders Above $50”
8. “Handcrafted with Love: Discover Our Artisan Collection”
9. “Sneak Peek: Upcoming Summer Essentials”
10. “Customer’s Choice: Top-Rated Products of the Month”

Blog Post Headlines:

11. “The Beginner’s Guide to Urban Gardening”
12. “Decoding the Myths: Truths About Healthy Eating”
13. “Exploring Hidden Gems: Offbeat Travel Destinations”
14. “Mastering the Art of Digital Photography: Tips and Tricks”
15. “Sustainable Living: Small Changes with Big Impact”
16. “The Science Behind Effective Time Management”
17. “Revamp Your Home Decor on a Budget”
18. “The Future of Tech: Innovations to Watch Out For”
19. “Culinary Adventures: Dishes from Around the World”
20. “Mindfulness and Well-being: Practices for Modern Life”

Email Marketing Headlines:

21. “Special Offer: Claim Your 20% Discount Inside!”
22. “You’re Invited: Exclusive Webinar on Digital Trends”
23. “Missed Out? Catch Up on Our Latest Updates”
24. “Thank You for Being Awesome: A Gift Just for You”
25. “Breaking News: Major Announcements Inside!”
26. “Last Chance: Grab Your Early Bird Offer Now”
27. “Unlock the Secrets: Free E-book Inside”
28. “Your Feedback Matters: Take Our Quick Survey”
29. “Sneak Peek: Upcoming Events and Workshops”
30. “Stay Informed: Weekly Roundup of Top Stories”

Social Media Post Headlines:

31. “Behind the Scenes: A Day in Our Office ”
32. “Guess What’s Coming? Big Reveal Tomorrow! ”
33. “Meet the Team: Introducing Our Design Maestro, Jane!”
34. “Throwback to Our Most Memorable Event of 2022 ”
35. “Join Our Live Q&A Session Today at 5 PM EST!”
36. “Your Opinion Matters: Vote on Our Next Product Launch ”
37. “Quick DIY Tips for a Perfect Weekend Project ”
38. “Celebrating 5 Years of Excellence: A Journey Down Memory Lane ”
39. “Exclusive Sneak Peek: New Collection Dropping Soon! ”
40. “Share & Win: Tag Us in Your Photos for a Chance to Get Featured! ”

Google Ads Headline Examples:

41. “Discover the Unseen: Next-Gen Camera Tech Inside!”
42. “Elevate Your Style: Timeless Watches Now on Sale!”
43. “Dreaming of a Getaway? Book Now & Save Big!”
44. “Unleash Your Potential: Join Our Masterclass Today!”
45. “Healthy, Organic, Delicious: Taste the Difference!”
46. “Upgrade Your Tech Game: Best Deals of the Season!”
47. “Transform Your Space: Expert Interior Tips Inside!”
48. “Empower Your Fitness Journey: Premium Gear Awaits!”
49. “Experience Lightning-Fast Internet: Switch Now!”
50. “Unlock a World of Learning: Courses Starting at Just $9.99!”

Homepage Headline Examples:

51. “Empowering Your Digital Journey: Welcome to [Brand Name]!”
52. “Crafted with Precision: Experience Quality Like Never Before.”
53. “Your Adventure Awaits: Dive into Our World of Exploration.”
54. “Innovation Meets Design: Discover Our Latest Creations.”
55. “Join Our Community: Together, We Shape the Future.”
56. “Sustainability at Its Best: Eco-friendly Choices for Conscious Living.”
57. “Unparalleled Service, Unbeatable Prices: Shop Now!”
58. “Your Health, Our Priority: Wellness Solutions for Modern Life.”
59. “Transforming Ideas into Reality: Let’s Build Together.”
60. “Stay Updated: The Latest News and Trends Right Here.”

Facebook Ad Headline Examples:

61. “Limited Time Offer: Grab It Before It’s Gone!”
62. “Join Thousands Who Made the Smart Choice!”
63. “Unlock Your Special Discount: Click Now!”
64. “Discover the Secret to Ageless Beauty!”
65. “Why Wait? Start Your Journey Today!”
66. “Exclusive Access: Be the First to Know!”
67. “Turn Your Dreams into Reality: Learn How!”
68. “Experience Luxury at a Fraction of the Cost!”
69. “Boost Your Skills: Top-Rated Courses Inside!”
70. “Hurry! Last Chance to Avail This Exclusive Deal!”

LinkedIn Ad Headline Examples:

71. “Elevate Your Career: Exclusive Workshops Inside!”
72. “Connect with Industry Leaders: Join Our Network!”
73. “Unlock Business Growth: Expert Strategies Revealed!”
74. “Stay Ahead of the Curve: Market Insights Await!”
75. “Transform Your Team: Corporate Training Solutions Here!”
76. “Discover Opportunities: Top Job Listings Inside!”
77. “Master the Art of Networking: Tips from the Pros!”
78. “Boost Your Brand: Expert Marketing Solutions Available!”
79. “Invest in Your Future: Financial Webinars This Week!”
80. “Empower Your Business: Cutting-Edge Tech Solutions Here!”

LinkedIn Headline Examples:

81. “Digital Marketing Specialist | Driving ROI Through Innovative Strategies”
82. “Tech Enthusiast | Bridging the Gap Between Ideas and Execution”
83. “Financial Analyst | Helping Businesses Make Informed Decisions”
84. “Content Creator | Crafting Stories That Resonate and Engage”
85. “HR Professional | Building Strong Teams for Tomorrow’s Challenges”
86. “Sales Expert | Turning Prospects into Loyal Customers”
87. “Graphic Designer | Bringing Brands to Life Through Visuals”
88. “Educator | Shaping Minds and Inspiring Futures”
89. “Entrepreneur | Passionate About Sustainable Business Solutions”
90. “Engineer | Innovating for a Better Tomorrow”

How to Start Writing Your Own Headlines

Follow these steps to write your own viral headlines:

Step 1. Get to know your target audience.

This means taking the time to decide who you want coming to your site.

What makes them tick? Are they looking for something specific? What do they share, and who do they follow?

Know your audience through and through, and crafting a winning headline becomes so much easier.

Step 2. Know where your audience hangs out.

What is your audience’s favorite social media platform? You’ll notice that some of these viral headlines got more shares on one social media platform versus another. Sometimes, that’s because some headlines are better suited to one platform over another.

So, before you write your headline, figure out where your audience hangs out and what your best sources of traffic are. Armed with that information, some unique, new headline ideas may come to you.

Step 3. Discover your audience’s infectious agents.

To find your audience’s infectious agents, follow them on social media and note what they share. Look for patterns in the words or phrases recurring in topics, links, and headlines they share most.

That way, you’ll know which emotions to hit with your headline.

Step 4. Layer in those infectious agents.

It’s OK to start with something bland. Keep working on your headline by layering in your infectious agents, and then. Eventually, you’ll have a winner.

Here’s an example of the process:

Bland headline: How To Get More Traffic To Your Blog

Emotional headline: Why Nobody Visits Your Blog

Curiosity headline: 3 Little-Known Reasons Nobody Visits Your Blog

Promise headline: 3 Little-Known Reasons Nobody Visits Your Blog (and What To Do About It)

See how much better the headline got after adding in more infectious agents? That wasn’t so hard.

Tips and Best Practices for a Catchy Headline

• Keep It Concise: Aim for 6-8 words for optimal engagement.
• Use Power Words: Power Words like “exclusive,” “secret,” or “ultimate” can add a punch.
• A/B Test: Experiment with different headlines to see which resonates more.
• Avoid Clickbait: Ensure your content delivers on the promise of the headline.

Headlines are more than just a string of words. They’re the gateway to your content, the promise of value, and, often, the difference between a click and a pass.

By understanding the components of a compelling headline and adapting them to your niche, you can significantly enhance your content strategy.

If you want to elevate your headline game, OptinMonster has got you covered. The OptinMonster headline analyzer tool can help you craft and evaluate your headlines.

This free analyzer will make sure you’re writing the most clickable and SEO-friendly headlines that bring in more traffic.

More on Headlines:

• How to Write a Great Headline That Drives Clicks (Step by Step)
• 29 Tools That’ll Help You Create Better Headlines
• 130+ Proven Opt-in Headline Ideas to Get More Email Subscribers (Cheat Sheet)
• 6 Simple Steps to Writing High-Converting Headlines
• How to Write Powerful Headlines Using AI (Explained)