This year, we were aware of the importance to continue investing in high-quality content and focused on delivering relevant and helpful blog posts to our readers. To no surprise, the underlying theme in most of our top 10 blog posts was around content writing and optimization.
Keep reading to check out the most-read posts on our blog from this year.
Our top hits of 2018
#10 – How to promote your vacation rental business on social media
This one was a bit surprising. Compared to the rest of our top posts, this one was very specific to a marketing channel and business type. This post provides recommendations on the types of social media channels vacation rental businesses should consider, along with what types of content to share on each channel.
Excerpt: With so many vacation rentals available, it is important to get noticed among all of the competition.
Successful social media marketing to promote your vacation rental business is vital. Almost 70 percent of Americans use some form of social media, making it a popular and inexpensive way to get the word out about rental properties.
Social media for vacation rental promotion allows you to build awareness, extend your reach and connect with guests and prospective guests with tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and forums.
Read the full post: How to promote your vacation rental business on social media »
#9 – How to write website content in 2018: A guide to content writing best practices
Even though we highlighted tips for 2018, they will still be relevant for your 2019 content marketing strategy.
Excerpt: Content. Without it, what would your website be? It might look nice, but it would be an empty shell.
In 2018, content is both what makes your website yours and drives traffic to it. It’s what determines what keywords and queries your website comes up for in search engines. It can be the difference between being in the search results and being completely absent. It’s just not an option to have poor content anymore!
Okay, you probably know about the importance of content if you’re reading this article. You understand how it can set your website apart from your competitors, and how it can drive a successful marketing strategy. It’s the bread and butter of your campaigns, and you’re ready to make it shine.
Full post: How to Write Website Content in 2018: A Guide to Content Writing Best Practices »
#8 – 18 free keyword tools for landing high rankings
This blog post is very useful if you’re a new business, or managing your own SEO. It covers why keywords are important and how to leverage keyword tools to help you not only find the keyword opportunities for your website, but also track their rankings and improve upon them to increase your position in search results.
Excerpt: Using keywords in SEO is like fishing. You need to know how to bait the hook and where to cast the line to reel in the big profits.
Keyword research is at the core of PPC campaigns and search engine marketing. If you’re not using the right keywords as bait, then you’re unlikely to be able to get the attention of your desired audience.
Researching and selecting keywords that your audience will search for and then integrate those keywords naturally within your content, your on- and off-page SEO strategy, and your Google Ads campaigns will be the most effective way to attract customers and increase profits.
But first, let’s explain what types of keywords we’re looking for and how we’ll use them after the research is done.
Read the full post: 18 Free Keyword Tools For Landing High Rankings »
Need an SEO expert?
Choose Thrive's team to help your website rank higher
#7 – 7 important questions you should be asking while establishing a marketing strategy
We’d be lost without direction if we didn’t have a game plan. Your marketing strategy is what guides you through the year, from your social media advertising budget to the holiday campaign schedule. These questions will help you in developing out your marketing strategy if your business doesn’t yet have one.
Excerpt: You may think you don’t need a digital marketing strategy. You might be relying on intuition or some other gut force rather than an actual, detailed plan of attack.
This is mistake number one. Even if you have a plan, you can’t implement it without a good strategy. A plan is what you’ll do – a strategy is how you’ll do it.
You may be wondering how to create a successful strategy, one that takes you places. To start, make sure you’re asking yourself some vital questions in order to do strategy development right.
Read the full post: 7 Important Questions To Ask When Establishing Your Marketing Strategy »
#6 – Your 8 -step website redesign checklist
A website redesign can sometimes be just as much work as the initial website build and design, especially if you built your website before WordPress was around. This handy checklist helps you ensure the new design will last as long as possible, because we all know the internet is always changing.
Excerpt: Your website is a business tool. It’s a sales pitch, a business card, a display for products/services, an advertisement, and a listing. Each of these functions is essential to your brand and your success both online and off.
When you think about your website this way, the design becomes more important than ever. You may even start rethinking your entire look, or maybe you have been for some time.
If you’re at this stage, there are some essentials you must keep in mind for the best outcome. These will help you design the best website possible for a powerful home base on the web.
Read the full post: Your 8 Step Website Redesign Checklist »
#5 – 2018 holiday gift guide: Top client gift ideas for showing your appreciation
This has been a popular blog post of ours for a few years now, and we continue to update it each year to reflect any new gift ideas.
Excerpt: One of the best ways to show your appreciation toward your clients and customers is by taking advantage of the holiday season and sending gifts as a thank you. Whether celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or the New Year, ’tis the season to spread some joy!
Coming up empty on gift ideas? With a little bit of creative thinking, we put together a gift guide and some idea starters to help you find the perfect gift for your clients.
Read the full post: 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Top Client Gift Ideas For Showing your Appreciation »
#4 – 6 content writing tools everyone should be using
Content is so important when it comes to SEO and creating new websites, which are our top two services. These tools help make content writing a whole lot easier for businesses who choose to write it all themselves.
Excerpt: Ever written a blog post or composed a web article? Then you know how much effort goes into the research, planning, writing, and optimizing of the content published on a web page.
So many details need to be included in order to create content that does it all; attracts readers, provides information, turns visitors into customers, and ranks high on search engines. All content writers know the feeling that comes when you check the clock and see that several hours have passed during what you thought was going to be a quick post.
So how can writers produce content that checks all the boxes without getting overwhelmed by all the details? There are some awesome tools and resources out there that’ll help streamline and improve the content writing process.
Read the full post: 6 Content Writing Tools Everyone Should Be Using »
Outsource Your Content Writing
Let us help you write great content!
#3 – How to write website content
Even more tips on content writing! We list out 20 do’s and don’ts when it comes to writing content for your website in this post.
Excerpt: If you’re in the process of creating a website, one of your top priorities is to write attractive and compelling content for your site. If this is the first time (or second or third – it takes a while to learn the skill of quality content writing!) you might be a bit unsure of what you should and should not be writing. Successful website content appeals to both your internet viewers and search engines, but catering to both can be intimidating.
Don’t panic! We’ve compiled the top 20 do’s and don’ts to show you how to write website content that enhances the appearance, readability, and SEO effectiveness of your new site. Follow these tips when you’re composing and compiling your website content and you’ll be able to reap the rewards of quality content writing when your new site is live!
Read the full post: How To Write Website Content: Top 20 Do’s And Don’ts »
#2 – Make your brand irresistible by marketing to the senses
Considering all senses when developing your marketing plan can be what differentiates your brand from the competition. This post shares ideas on how you can play with each of the five senses in your next marketing campaign, whether that’s through traditional or digital marketing channels.
Excerpt: Today, there are dozens of theories about how best to appeal to customers. “Tell a story,” some say. “Use images,” others say.
But what if the answer was much simpler? What if the answer was simply to appeal to a few things that are as foundational and essential as it gets: the five senses?
As it turns out, great marketing really is that simple. It’s come to be known as “sensory marketing,” and it’s sweeping the digital world.
Read the full post: Make Your Brand Irresistible By Marketing To The Senses »
#1 – Top duplicate content checkers: free & paid
We’ve been keeping this post up-to-date for a few years now and continues to help marketers and content writers with both free and paid tools to make sure content is original.
Excerpt: Duplicate content can seriously harm your site, so we’ve put together our favorite free duplicate content checkers or plagiarism checking tools for your use.
Choosing to plagiarize content is a risky strategy. Along with losing the respect of their peers, plagiarists have lost their degrees, been fired from their jobs, scuttled their political careers, not to mention dealing with legal repercussions.
So, if plagiarism is regarded as a detestable practice in the offline world, why do people assume that duplicating content in the online world is acceptable? In fact, online duplicate content is a HUGE mistake!
Read the full post: Top Duplicate Content Checkers: Free & Paid »
What do you suspect will be the hot topics or trends in 2019? Share your prediction in the comments below!
