Jan Barley

How to Create Evergreen Content That Ranks for Years (2025)

July 19, 2024

Learn To Write Evergreen Content & Watch Your Traffic Grow Over Time

Create evergreen content that ranks for years, making successful SEO much easier.

Moreover, Neil Patel (Ubersuggest) and many other SEO gurus state that updating aged content is as effective as writing new content.

Indeed, current data suggest refreshing old content is a more powerful way to get Google to rank the content.

If you don’t understand the importance of evergreen content, you may miss out on valuable opportunities to grow your business. Moreover, you’ll be forever creating content that goes out of date.

Above all, evergreen content is the holy grail of digital marketing. It will continue driving traffic to your site for years to come.

If you’re ready to learn how to craft evergreen content, I’m about to spill the beans on crafting sustainable blog content that’ll have Google falling head over heels for your website!

What is Evergreen Content and Why Does it Matter?

Discover precisely what evergreen content is and how to write it.

The Definition Of Evergreen Content

Evergreen content is topics that don’t become outdated or lose relevance and continues to be helpful to readers in years to come. For example, “7 ways to monetise your blog for passive income” and “8 steps to building a faceless brand”

10 Benefits Of Evergreen Content For SEO And Engagement

Establishes authority and expertise in your niche
Continuous traffic generation long after publication
Serves as a foundation for internal linking strategies
Higher return on investment (ROI) for content creation efforts
Provides consistent value to your audience, building trust and loyalty
Improved search engine rankings due to sustained relevance and traffic
It helps attract organic backlinks over time, boosting domain authority
Increased opportunities for backlinks as the content remains beneficial over time
Reduces the need for constant content creation; focus on quality over quantity
Offers opportunities for repurposing into other content formats (e.g., videos, infographics)

Examples Of Successful Evergreen Content

How to start a podcast
Tips for writing a resume
Beginner’s Guide to SEO
Guide to affiliate marketing
X ways to monetise your blog
Top tips for maximising SEO Console data
Understanding evergreen content for SEO

That is to say, this kind of content never gets old. These are subjects that people search for daily.

Choosing the Best Topics for Evergreen Content

Research your topics thoroughly to create a pillar post and content clusters.

9 Key Characteristics Of Evergreen Topics

Broad Appeal: Subjects of interest to a wide audience within your niche
Recurring Problems: Issues people consistently face and seek solutions
Unchanging Processes: Methods or techniques that don’t rapidly evolve
Universal Questions: Topics addressing everyday curiosities or concerns
Foundational Concepts: Basic principles underpinning more advanced topics
Timeless Relevance: Topics that remain important regardless of current trends
Cyclical Interests: Subjects that regain relevance periodically (e.g., seasonal topics)
Fundamental Knowledge: Basic information that newcomers to a field always need
Timeless Human Interests: Topics related to enduring aspects of human nature or society

How To Identify Evergreen Opportunities In Your Niche

Don’t skimp on this stage if you want to write the best evergreen content in your niche. Analyse the FAQs in your industry, You can do this with a Google search or Ask the Public.

Research your competitors for evergreen content and especially choose topics that identify common pain points, solve problems and are helpful for beginners

9 Powerful Tools For Evergreen Topic Research

These time-tested SEO tools are fantastic for helping you identify opportunities for evergreen content. Moreover, most of them are free.

SimilarWeb: A good SEMrush alternative
SEMrush: Identify keywords with steady search volume
Quora: Identify frequently asked questions in your industry
Reddit: Explore subreddits in your niche to find recurring discussions
Answer the Public: Discover questions people are consistently asking
BuzzSumo: Find content that has performed well over extended periods
Ahrefs: Analyse top-performing pages in your niche for evergreen ideas
Google Trends: Analyse search interest over time to identify stable topics
Google Search Console: Analyse your content for consistently high-performing topics.

Avoid Time-Sensitive Language And References

Don’t reference current events or news stories. Instead, focus on timeless principles rather than current trends and use present tense. Don’t use phrases like “this year,” “recently,” or “last month”

When discussing statistics, focus on percentages rather than absolute numbers. Use relative time references (e.g., “in the past decade”) instead of specific years

Structuring Your Content for Long-Term Success

Play the long game. Spend a little longer in the planning stage to structure your blog content for long-term success.

Best Practices For Organising Evergreen Content

Create a FAQ section. At the end is usually best. Include a table of contents, a summary or key takeaways section and bulleted or numbered lists for longer pieces.

Start with the most vital information first. Keep intros short and paragagraphs to no longer than 3-4 sentences. What I do is, after publishing, I open the post on my mobile phone and adjust to create more white space as necessary.

Use internal links to connect related topics within your site

How to Use Headings And Subheadings Effectively

Keep headings concise and descriptive and use H2s with at least 2 subsections, and maintain consistenct in heading structure.

Use a headline analyser for compelling headings. Avoid Clickbait: Headings must accurately reflect the content that follows

Make headings stand out visually (my headings are green font)

How to Optimise Evergreen Content for Search Engines

Remember, you’re writing helpful content for the reader, not just Google bots.

Key SEO Elements For Long-Lasting Content

Regularly update your content
Use descriptive anchor text for links
Add internal links to relevant articles
Optimise image alt text and file names
Use external links to authoritative sources
Ensure your content is 100% mobile-friendly
Add the target keyword in the title & description
Optimise for featured snippets by directly answering common questions

Implementing Semantic SEO Strategies

SurferSEO is one of the best SEO writing tools because it provides multiple semantics for each article.

Moreover, content created with SurferSEO consistently ranks because the semantics help create a comprehensive article.

I used this powerful SEO tool with many of the companies I wrote SEO content for and the content got ranked super quick.

If you don’t want to invest in SurferSEO, try using Claude or ChatGPT to generate semantics for your primary and secondary keywords. SurferSEO is the SEO software professionals use because it works.

Use natural language patterns and a conversational tone. I always write to one person. Answer related questions to your main topics and create content aligning with user search intent

Research and use synonyms and variations of your keywords. I use a lot of long-tail keyword phrases because I find they work well in Google ranking.Check the People also ask when doing your Google searches.

Write as if you’re talking to a complete beginner. Readability keeps people on your page, which shows Google your content is valuable.

Place primary keywords in the first paragraph and headings and use analogies and examples to explain complex topics

I use the free Yoast plugin on WordPress as it gives a readability score. I also use Microsoft Word “read aloud” function to check auditory rhythm

Leveraging Social Media And Email Marketing For Evergreen Content

I’m not a fan of social media, but it has its place. Social media marketing can help maximise visibility for your evergreen content if you have followers and good views.

I am a believer in curating content. For every post you publish, share it everywhere, on all of your social media channels. Create pins if you’re on Pinterest.

You could also create a mini course from your evergreen content, especially if you have built good sequencing with your evergreen posts.

Conclusion

To sum up, creating evergreen content that never gets old and ranks for years isn’t just a pipe dream.

Moreover, sustainable content marketing is achievable once you implement the right strategies and commit to a long-term plan.

Therefore, by focusing on timeless topics and content that never loses traffic, you’ll build a library of content that defies time and stays relevant to your audience.

Remember, the key is to provide enduring web content that stands the test of time. Try to write more evergreen blog posts instead of trending content nobody wants to read in a year.

Meanwhile, share trending content on social media, but build a portfolio of evergreen articles and gain consistent traffic, views, clicks and sales.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

7 Ways to Monetise Your Blog for Passive Income (2025)

July 16, 2024

Don’t Just Write A Blog for the Sake of It. Start Making An Income As Soon As Possible With These Tips

Monetise your blog for passive income or you may later regret not starting with the end in sight.

There’s no point creating a blog if you don’t plan to monetise it. It’s hard work generating enough SEO content to start getting traffic.

33% of bloggers never make a bean. Do you want to do all that hard work for nothing?

I’ve been a freelance writer since 2020. Writing content that performs is an ongoing commitment until you get to the point where you can hire writers to share the workload.

Imagine how it will feel in a year when your blog gets tons of traffic and makes sales while you sleep.

Read my post on the 7 types of blog content that Google loves, and your content will start ranking in SERPs.

That, my friend, is a reality that can and will be yours if you apply these 7 ways to monetise your blog in 2024.

#1: Harness the Power of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing will underpin your blog monetisation strategy.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

You promote a vendor’s products or services on your blog
The vendor gives you an affiliate link that tracks back to traffic from your blog.
When you make a sale, the vendor pays you an agreed commission rate.
You get a one-off payment or recurring commissions depending on the deal (the latter is preferable for passive income)
The vendor tracks cookies for a determined period.

Choosing Relevant Affiliate Programs for Your Niche

Affiliate products or services must be relevant to your niche: Ideally, opt for affiliate partnerships with vendors you trust. Promote products or services you use or have used that provide value to your audience.
Don’t bother with affiliate programs paying low percentages: Although Amazon affiliate marketing is fantastic, the commission is tiny, around 3%, if I recall. Unless you’re selling big-ticket items, it’s not worth the effort. I promote vendors offering 25% or more affiliate commissions.
Insert links with relevant anchor text: For instance, add your link in sentences like “the Ubersuggest Keyword research tool is free” or “Use Systeme for sales pages and email campaigns.” (note where I inserted the link).

#2: Create and Sell Digital Products

If you have a skill that helps others, create and market a digital course.

Types of digital products: Create e-books, courses, Canva templates, and bite-sized video courses).
Identify your audience’s pain points and create solutions: Research the market to discover these things. Instagram Threads is a great place to ask questions.
Pricing strategies for digital products: Look at market prices for similar products.
Platforms for hosting your digital products: You can host one free course on Systeme or five courses with the starter package. It is VERY easy to create a course in Systeme.
Buy a DFY digital product: I joined Catalyst Collective – the founder is an ex Meta executive. Not only do you learn how to start a business, make a success of social media and create your own digital products. You can sell Catalyst and receive a 70% commission. Is Catalyst Collective good? Yes, it’s the best program I have bought and I no longer need to buy other digital products or courses.

#3: Leverage Email Marketing for Monetisation

Remember, you do not own your social media followers. If a platform closes your account or gets hacked, you lose your followers. Building an email list is the best way to protect your business and create a following eager to buy your products or services.

Create a capture page: This is a one-page website to get people to subscribe to your newsletter
Build and nurture your email list: Don’t rush to sell to your email list. Give value away freely and build trust with your subscribers.
Implement automated email sequences: Structure your emails into a timed sequence. Send the first email immediately after subscribing, followed by another within 3-4 days and then one or two weekly. Don’t bombard your subscribers with fluff and nonsense.
Monetise your email marketing: Add your links to offers, freebies, templates, products and services, but only in small doses. Avoid the hard sell. Lead with value.

You can create a capture page of your own by taking the free certified course on building sales funnels.

#4: Launch a Membership Site or Premium Content

A membership site can become a cash cow if you have sufficient content and the time to nurture your members. Low ticket memberships have become a “thing”, with an average $7 membership fee.

Don’t underestimate low ticket memberships. Jessa of Template Creators has multiple low-ticket memberships generating 6-figure months.

You get recurring revenue through memberships.
Offer exclusive content to subscribers.
Offer membership upgrades and 1-2-1 services.

The most popular Membership platforms are: –

Circle
Skool
Mighty Networks
Thinkific
Kajabi
Podia
Kartra
Membervault

Most membership platforms cost around $99/month, so building a following and a waiting list is a good idea. That way, you know those monthly fees are covered before starting your membership.

#5: Provide Coaching or Consulting Services

Coaching and consulting services aren’t passive, but you could generate recurring income if you create an email list.

You don’t need to be a super coach; you can make a successful practice if you’re just a few steps ahead of your clients.

Identify your expertise and target audience.
Set up your coaching or consulting packages.
Organise a system for managing appointments and payments, such as Calendy, which is relatively low-cost.
Scale your services through group coaching or workshops. Working 1-2-1 limits your income. Scaling can make a significant difference financially.

Start with small groups, but don’t start with a free service. The pain of paying bias makes it uncomfortable for people to upgrade to paid from free.

#6: Sell Print-on-Demand Merchandise

Print-on-demand is perfect for the time you have a more extensive following. Don’t try to do it when you have 20 followers, 😊

You can either set up an e-commerce store such as Shopify or use a print-on-demand service where you only need to upload 300 dpi images.

Choose the right print-on-demand platform: Printful and Printify are the two most popular POD platforms.
Design merchandise that appeals to your audience.
Integrate your store with your blog or insert links to your shop.
Promote to your followers and on social media.

Alternatively, open an account with Redbubble. I opened a store there a couple of years ago. I lost interest after a while, but still get a few sales come through each month.

#7: Explore Podcast Sponsorships and Advertisements

Podcasting is something I want to do, but I keep avoiding the task. Still, forget about me. Podcasting can be a fabulous way to monetise your blog with integrated ads.

Start a podcast to complement your blog.
Find and secure podcast sponsors (Ideally relevant to your niche).
Integrate ads seamlessly into your podcast content.
Cross-promote your blog and podcast for maximum reach.

Conclusion

Monetising your blog doesn’t have to be an impossible dream. These passive income strategies are relatively easy to implement.

I suggest using one strategy at a time, or it could become overwhelming. It takes time, but as you gain confidence and experience, you will master these blog monetisation techniques.

Content monetisation is a must for bloggers and digital marketers. I put together 9 best passive income ideas for digital marketers, which you might find helpful.

Keep going and believe that success is only a matter of commitment, consistency and time.

Hey, if you want to generate additional income whilst you’re building your blog, read 38 websites that pay bloggers to write.

Pro Tip: Set up your blog with Google Console and Google Analytics. Once you have 10,000 monthly users, you can apply for the Journey by Mediavine program and start getting paid for ads on your site.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

The Power of Using Trigger Words in SEO Content

July 15, 2024

Don’t underestimate the power of trigger words. They create subliminal messages to our brain by creating an emotional response

Trigger words in SEO act as a primer for the reader’s search intent. For example, suppose someone is looking for a new laptop. They may type the detailed phrase “best laptop under £500” or “cheap laptop with good reviews.” In these instances, best, cheap and reviews are trigger words.

How do Trigger Words Improve SEO?

Content entirely focused on SEO can seem starchy and impersonal, and adding trigger words helps strike a chord with your audience. Although a word like “best” may seem obvious, it is entirely subjective. Still, when people are ready to buy, they genuinely want the best.

Most people don’t wait to get recommendations from friends. They read a few testimonials and make snap decisions based on the positives or negatives.

Using detailed trigger words can help: –

Beat the competition
Increase conversions
Better target your audience

Content for user search intent includes the following four types: –

Informative: Words suggesting the user seeks information, such as advice, guidance, instructions, or answers.
Navigational: The user searches for a specific product, brand, service or website.
Transactional: The user is ready to buy
Commercial: The user may be researching products to make a purchase later, but they are not yet ready to buy.

Before writing content, the first step is deciding upon keyword intent. You can then weave fabulous trigger words into your content, with primary and secondary keywords to create articles that rank and keep readers on the page. Whatever niche you are in, whether it’s digital marketing or knitting baby scarves, use trigger words that your audience can relate to.

Best Trigger Words for Conversion

Best – Commercial
Buy – Transactional
Cheap – Transactional
Coupon -Transactional
Deal – Transactional
Discount -Transactional
DIY – Informative
Easy – Informative
Fast – Informative
Free -Transactional
Guide – Informative
How to – Informative
Offer -Transactional
Online – Navigational
Quick – Informative
Review – Commercial
Sale – Transactional
Simple – Informative
Top – Commercial
Tutorial – Informative

… and more …

Advanced – Informative
Affordable – Commercial
Beginner’s – Informative
Compact – Commercial
Comparison – Commercial
Custom – Commercial
Durable – Commercial
Efficient – Informative
Essential – Informative
Expert – Informative / Commercial
Innovative – Commercial
Lightweight – Commercial
Must-have – Commercial
Popular – Commercial
Portable – Commercial
Premium – Commercial
Professional – Informative / Commercial
Quality – Commercial
Recommended – Commercial
Reliable – Commercial
Trending – Commercial
Ultimate – Commercial
Unique – Commercial
Versatile – Commercial

… and more …

Alternative – Commercial
Advice – Informative
Approach – Informative
Blueprint – Informative
Case study – Informative
Checklist – Informative
Examples – Informative
Findings – Informative
Formula – Informative
Framework – Informative
Ideas – Informative
Insights – Informative
Method – Informative
Recipe – Informative
Report – Informative
Research – Informative
Results – Informative
Solution – Informative
Steps – Informative
Strategy – Informative
Study – Informative
Survey – Informative
System – Informative
Technique – Informative
Tips – Informative
Tricks – Informative
Secrets – Informative
Ways – Informative

Descriptive Trigger Words

Advantages – Informative
Analysis – Informative
Authentic – Commercial
Benefits – Informative
Certified – Commercial
Complete – Informative
Comprehensive – Informative
Detailed – Informative
Disadvantages – Informative
Exhaustive – Informative
Features – Informative
Genuine – Commercial
Highlights – Informative
In-depth – Informative
Facts – Informative
Pros and cons – Informative
Proven – Commercial
Objective – Informative
Overview – Informative
Snapshot – Informative
Specifications – Informative
Summary – Informative
Tested – Commercial
Thorough – Informative
Unbiased – Commercial
Statistics – Informative
Verified – Commercial

Contextual Trigger Words

Customer Service – Navigational
Delivery – Transactional
Guarantee – Transactional
Installation -Transactional
Return Policy – Transactional
Setup – Transactional
Shipping -Transactional
Support – Navigational
Warranty – Transactional
Article – Navigational
Blog Post – Navigational
eBook – Navigational
Guidebook – Informative
Infographic – Navigational
Latest – Commercial
New – Commercial
Podcast – Navigational
Report – Informative
Slide Deck – Navigational
Video – Navigational
Webinar – Navigational
Whitepaper – Navigational

People Trigger Words

For Men – Commercial
For Women – Commercial
For Kids – Commercial
For Teens – Commercial
For Adults – Commercial
For Seniors – Commercial
For Beginners – Informative
For Professionals – Commercial
For Experts – Commercial
For Amateurs – Informative
For Entrepreneurs – Commercial
For Students – Commercial
For Teachers – Commercial
For Parents – Commercial
For Singles – Commercial
For Couples – Commercial
For Families – Commercial
For Small Businesses – Commercial
For Large Corporations – Commercial
For Freelancers – Commercial
For Remote Workers – Commercial
For Travelers – Commercial
For Foodies – Commercial
For Gamers – Commercial
For Photographers Commercial
For Developers – Commercial
For Designers – Commercial
For Artists – Commercial-
For Writers – Commercial-
For Musicians – Commercial
For Fitness Enthusiasts – Commercial

Seasonal Trigger Words

Annual – Informative
Autumn – Commercial
Classic – Commercial
Contemporary – Commercial
Current – Informative
Daily – Informative
Historical – Commercial
Holiday – Commercial
Future – Informative
Old – Commercial
Past – Informative
Recent – Informative
Retro – Commercial
Modern – Commercial
Monthly – Informative
Today – Informative
Tomorrow – Informative
Traditional – Commercial
Seasonal – Commercial
Spring – Commercial
Summer – Commercial
Upcoming – Informative
Vintage – Commercial
Weekly – Informative
Winter -Commercial
Yearly – Informative

Conclusion

When considering adding trigger words to your content, ponder the intent first. For instance, who is the reader, and what do you want them to do? Identify the demographics and type of content in your analysis. For example, “special offer this month for entrepreneurs who want a new marketing system. Monthly or yearly subscriptions. Sale ends tomorrow.”

Yeah, I know that sounds a bit blah, but you get my point, I hope. Use trigger words sparingly; otherwise, your content might get a bit busy and unreadable. Especially filter trigger words into email campaigns. Trigger words also work in social media marketing where you intend to implent SEO and encourage someone to take action.

Thanks for reading. Hey, why not follow me in Instagram and TikTok

How to Market Your Business Without Social Media 2025

July 13, 2024

Marketing Your Business Without Social Media Isn’t As Daunting as You Might Think

Do you know how to market your business without social media? Are you struggling to get your business seen but assuming social media is the only way to do so?

If you answered “No” and Yes“, read on for top tips to market your business without social media.

We do not own our social media content. They can ban or restrict our account activities whenever they want, but they do not explain why.

If you’re marketing your business with multiple social media channels, you know how much hard work it is. The content requirement is endless, and the algorithms seem more focused on highlighting ads than taking care of us little guys.

I spent ages trying to reactivate my Pinterest account after losing it due to supposed “spamming” in June. For every appeal I submited, I received an automated bot response stating they won’t reactivate.

So I thought, sod that. I eventually opened a new account, but started focusing on other options.

Here are 11 ways to market your business without social media.

Using Content Marketing To Grow Your Business

Here’s where you start growing your business.

#1: Blog Content

Create a Pillar Post with Content Clusters: Choose an overarching subject with the potential for dozens of spin-off articles and interlink them.
Develop A Content Calendar: Plan topics in advance. Align your business goals and seasonal trends. Use an Excel doc or free Trello board to map out your plan.
Create Evergreen Content: Write relevant articles over time, providing long-term value—update as necessary.
Optimise For SEO: Use keyword research to target specific search terms and structure your posts for readability and SERP rankings.
Vary Content Types: Mix how-to guides, listicles, case studies, and opinion pieces to keep your blog diverse and engaging. For an in-depth look at content types, read “7 Types of Blog Content That Google Loves.”

#2: Long-Form Content

Whitepapers: Produce in-depth reports on industry trends or challenges, showcasing your expertise and research capabilities. A whitepaper builds your authority.
Ebooks: Create comprehensive guides on specific topics, offering them as lead magnets for email sign-ups. Your Ebook could double up as a lead magnet for email marketing.
Case Studies: Highlight successful client outcomes to demonstrate your product or service effectiveness.

#3: Visual Content

Infographics: Present complex data or processes in visually appealing, easy-to-understand graphics.
Videos: Produce tutorials, product demonstrations, or behind-the-scenes content to engage viewers.
Webinars: Host online seminars on relevant topics, allowing for real-time interaction with your audience.
Note: The Systeme $47 package includes unlimited webinars, including evergreen options.

#4: Audio Content

Podcasts: Start a regular podcast discussing industry news, interviewing experts, or sharing tips related to your field.
Audio Guides: Create downloadable audio content for on-the-go learning.

#5: Interactive Content

Quizzes: Develop engaging quizzes that provide value to users while collecting data for your business. Quizzes are currently trending in content creation.

#6: User-Generated Content

Customer Stories: Encourage and feature happy clients’ testimonials, reviews, and success stories.
Contests: Run engaging competitions for customers. Create content relevant to your brand.

#7: Repurposing Content

Transform Blog Posts into slideshows or video presentations.
Convert Webinars into blog posts or podcast episodes.
Curate Long-Form Content into a series of social media posts or email newsletters.

Curating content can save you hours of work. I curate my TikTok videos for Instagram and my Instagram stories into reels and TikTok videos.

#8: Guest Posting

Contribute Articles To Reputable Industry Websites: That will expand your reach and build backlinks.
Ask Industry Experts To Contribute To Your Blog: Bring fresh perspectives and potentially tap into their audience.

#9: Content Partnerships

Collaborate With Complementary Businesses: Co-create valuable content, expanding both parties’ reach.
Participate In Industry Roundups Or Expert Panels: Showcase your knowledge alongside peers.

#10: Content Distribution

Implement An Email Strategy to share your content with subscribers.
Use Content Syndication Platforms to republish your work on other relevant websites.
Leverage Industry Forums And Q&A Sites to share your expertise and link back to your content when appropriate.

#11: Measuring Content Performance

Track Key Metrics: Page views, time on page, and conversion rates.
Use Google Analytics: Assessing analytics helps to understand user behaviour and content effectiveness.
Regularly Review And Update older content to keep it relevant and high-performing.

Focus on creating high-quality, valuable content and strategically distributing it. It will help you attract and engage with the right audience without relying on social media platforms.

9 More Ideas for Marketing Your Business Without Social Media

The tips keep coming.

1. Focus On Your Website

Always make your website a working partner. It shouldn’t be about randomly posting content without having a clear SEO plan underpinning your marketing strategy. The goal should always be to monetise your website as early as possible.

Optimise For Search Engines: Use relevant keywords in your content, meta descriptions, and headers.
Create Valuable, Keyword-Rich Content: Develop in-depth articles, guides, and resources that address your target audience’s needs and questions.
Improve User Experience: Make your site mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Implement clear calls to action.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to “own” your followers. Even if your social media accounts get restricted, your email list is still a loyal band of people who identify with your brand.

Build And Segment Your Email List: Offer sign-up incentives and categorise subscribers based on interests or behaviour.
Create Engaging Newsletters: Share industry insights, company updates, and exclusive offers. Use compelling subject lines and personalisation.
Offer Exclusive Content: Give subscribers access to unique resources, early product releases, or members-only discounts.

If you haven’t got an email campaign set up yet, open a free account with Systeme. You can have up to 2,000 subscribers and one email campaign entirely for free.

3. Local Marketing Strategies

You could have many business opportunities on your doorstep but haven’t yet maximised the marketing potential.

Optimise For Local SEO: Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing. It’s relatively easy to do.
Participate In Community Events: Sponsor or attend local fairs, markets, or charity events to increase brand visibility.
Use Traditional Local Advertising: Place ads in local newspapers, magazines, or on local radio stations.

4. Networking And Partnerships

Attend Industry Events: Participate in trade shows, seminars and conferences to meet potential clients and partners.
Collaborate With Complementary Businesses: Create joint promotions or bundle services with non-competing businesses in your area.
Join Professional Associations: Become a member of industry-specific groups to expand your network and gain credibility.

5. Public Relations

Send Press Releases: Share newsworthy updates about your business with local or industry media outlets.
Seek Speaking Engagements: To showcase your expertise, offer to speak at conferences, webinars, or local business events.
Contribute Expert Articles: Write guest posts or columns for industry publications to increase your visibility and authority.

6. Customer Referral Programs

Incentivise Referrals: Offer discounts, upgrades, or other rewards to customers who bring in new business.
Create A Structured System: Develop a formal process for tracking and rewarding referrals, making it easy for customers to participate.

The final three social media marketing alternatives are my least favourite because they involve cost. However, for your business, these options might work well.

7. Print Marketing

Design Eye-Catching Materials: Create professional brochures, flyers, or postcards communicating your value proposition.
Use Direct Mail: Target specific demographics or geographic areas with personalised mail campaigns.
Place Print Ads: Advertise in industry magazines, local publications, or niche interest periodicals relevant to your target audience.

8. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Invest In Pay-Per-Click: Use platforms like Google Ads. You can bid on relevant keywords and appear in search results.
Use Display Ads: Create visually appealing banner ads and place them on websites frequented by your target audience.

9. Offline Advertising

Billboards Or Transit Ads: Use high-traffic locations to increase brand awareness in your local area.
Radio Or TV Commercials: Develop memorable ads for broadcast media to reach a wider audience.
Sponsor Local Events: Support community sports teams, cultural events, or educational programs to enhance your local reputation.

Conclusion

I’ve given you a lot to think about. I appreciate it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by so many choices. I recommend starting with one of the tips and building up as your business gains momentum. Alternatively, consider hiring relevant experts to help market your business without social media.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

Ubersuggest: Free Keyword Research Made Simple 2025

July 12, 2024

Free keyword research tools can be as effective as paid versions. Ubersuggest is a fantastic free platform to help you master your SEO. It’s easy to learn and suitable for beginners and professionals. It’s one of the only platforms I have found that shows your website backlinks for free.

Ubersuggest free SEO tools highlight spam scores, too, meaning you can disavow any links affecting your site scores.

Although there is a paid version of Ubersuggest, the free SEO tools are more than enough to help you improve your site’s SEO.

The Benefits of Using Ubersuggest Free Keyword Research Tools

Ubersuggest is better than Google Console as it shows you the movement of keywords in SERPs

It’s excellent for initial keyword research and idea generation
You can get an overview of competitors’ performance
It offers site auditing to identify major SEO issues
It provides an understanding of search trends and user intent

It’s essential not to rely on one free keyword research tool. The most powerful results come from combining SEO tools. For instance, compare insights from free SEO tools like Google Search Console and Google Trends for a more comprehensive SEO strategy.

Having a good grasp of SEO can help your site become an income generator, so it’s worth choosing the best free keyword research SEO tools.

Ubersuggest: Overview of Free Features

Keyword Overview

Search Volume Data: Analyse your website’s search volume.
SEO Difficulty Score: When starting a new site, targeting keywords with low difficulty is best.
Paid Difficulty Score: When planning paid ads, this tool stops you from wasting money on keywords that won’t perform.
Cost Per Click (CPC) Estimates: Ubersuggest calculates how much it will cost per click so you can budget effectively.

Keyword Ideas

Related Keywords: A brilliant way to avoid using expensive SEO software.
Questions People Ask: These are essential to build long-tail keywords.
Prepositions (keywords with “for,” “with,” etc.): Often overlooked, but prepositions can help build out your SEO content.
Comparisons (keywords with “vs,” “or,” etc.): Comparison articles do well in SERPs

Content Ideas

Top-Performing Content For A Given Keyword: This can help you create an effective content strategy.
Social Shares Data: Knowing what people share enables you to target your content.
Estimated Visits: You can get estimated visits from Google Console & Analytics, so use Ubersuggest to compare.

Site Audit (Limited)

There are limitations with the paid version, but I suggest using them to the maximum extent possible.

Basic On-Page SEO Analysis
Identification Of Critical Errors
Suggestions For Improvements

Domain Overview

Domain Authority Score: this is better than Moz, which often seems to have out-of-date data.
Number Of Backlinks: I love this free service as it helped me identify one of my backlinks with a 62% spam score. I have disavowed the link in Google Console, but it’s proving tricky to get rid of.
Organic Monthly Traffic Estimate: Monitor your efforts by checking your site’s growth.

Top Pages

List Of A Domain’s Top-Performing Pages: Knowing your best-performing pages means you can create more content clusters and create a spider web of internal links.
Estimated Visits Per Page: Monitor your site growth.

Backlink Data (Limited)

Overview Of A Site’s Backlink Profile
Sample Of Backlinks

Rank Tracking (Limited)

Even the free version of Ubersuggest gives a great overview of site ranking

Track A Few Keywords For Your Domain: No free SEO tools are 100% accurate, but you can track keyword movement. Target keywords that are ranking already.

Chrome Extension

The free Chrome extension gives you quick Access To Key Metrics While Browsing.

Daily Search Limits

A Set Number Of Free Daily Searches (Typically 3): Before using the Ubersuggest daily search, I advise preparing by selecting the most important keywords for which you want to build out more content.

Here’s an example from my dashboard of keywords I could use in my next articles about master resell rights products.

How To Find Low-Competition Keywords

#1: Start with a Seed Keyword

Enter a broad topic or main keyword in the Ubersuggest search bar
Select your target country and language

#2: Analyse the Keyword Overview

Look at the SEO Difficulty score
Aim for keywords with a score under 30 for low competition (ideally under 15 for new sites)
Check the search volume
Balance keywords between low difficulty and decent search volume (1000+)

#3: Explore Keyword Ideas

Click on “Keyword Ideas” in the left sidebar
Review the suggested keywords, focusing on:
Related keywords
Questions
Prepositions
Comparisons

#4: Filter Your Results

Use the filter option to set max SEO Difficulty (e.g., 15)
Set a minimum search volume that’s realistic for your niche
Apply filters to narrow down your list

#5: Search for Long-Tail Keywords

Focus on longer, more specific phrases
These often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. My site does well with long-tailed keywords. For example “The disadvantages of faceless marketing” is an excellent long-tailed keyword that is a featured snippet for my site (February 2025)

#6: Analyse User Intent

Consider the intent behind each keyword
Look for informational keywords (how-to, guide, tips) for easier ranking

#7: Check Content Ideas

Click on “Content Ideas” in the left sidebar
Look for topics with high engagement but low SEO difficulty

#8: Evaluate Keyword Potential

For promising keywords, click to view more details
Check the “SERP Analysis” to see who’s currently ranking
Look for opportunities where top results have low Domain Authority

#9: Consider Search Trends

Look at the search trend graph for each keyword
Choose keywords with stable or growing trends

#10: Prioritise Your Findings

Create a list of your top low-competition keywords
Prioritise based on relevance to your content and business goals

#11: Verify with Other Tools

Cross-reference your findings with Google Trends or Google Keyword Planner. It helps validate Ubersuggest data.

4 Pro Tips for Ubersuggest

Use your daily free searches wisely by focusing on different seed keywords daily.
Look for niche-specific or location-based keywords for lower competition.
Don’t ignore low-volume keywords if they’re highly relevant to your business.
Consider seasonal trends when evaluating keywords.

To sum up, Remember that finding low-competition keywords is just the first step. You must create high-quality, relevant content to rank for these terms. Use keywords strategically in your content planning and on-page SEO efforts.

My advice is to focus on learning one free SEO tools platform first. Once you have mastered that one, pick another to learn. There is no need to pay for expensive SEO tools like Ahrefs and Moz. I do not pay for SEO tools, and I have hundreds of organic ranking keywords and multiple featured snippets.

Let me know how you get along with Ubersuggest free SEO tools. We are grateful to Neil Patel for offering such a fantastic service for free.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

How to Disavow Spam Backlinks 2025

July 4, 2024

If you don’t know whether your site has a high spam score, here is how you find out & improve it

Disavow spam backlinks because they are annoying. Even if you have a secure https:// website, you don’t want a high spam score. It seems unfair that a website linking to ours causes a high spam score, but that’s how it is.

Moz domain authority checker has a spam score based on the quality of your website backlinks. The only thing with this DA checker, is it doesn’t seem to update regularly. I removed every page and post four months ago, and have many top featured snippets and page on ranking, but it shows ranking for the old pages and posts.

How to Get Rid of Those Nasty Backlinks

Most people have no idea how to find out what backlinks they have, so here is a simple way to discover your backlinks and disavow them in Google Search Console

When your website starts ranking, you may acquire a few spam links, which can affect your sites spam score. Depending on your industry, spam links can get out of hand.

Recently, my website’s spam score shot to 40%. Shocked, I did a backlink check and found one URL with a 62% spam score.

Firstly, make sure your domain is verified in Google search Console.
The Second step is to visit Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest website
The next step is to open THIS PAGE to disavow.
Create a .txt document on Notepad

On the Ubersuggest backlinks page, go to Source” for each URL, right click on the upward arrow and “copy link address”

Paste each link into your .txt file on Notepad

Assuming your website is verified with Google Console (if not, why not?), go to THIS PAGE to disavow the link:

Click on the “property” that is your website address

NOTE: If you have your website set up as a “Domain Property” in Google Search Console You cannot disavow spam backlinks. You need to have your domain as a URL prefix. (A Domain Property includes all subdomains of your website)

How to Disavow Spam Backlinks

Open Notepad and create a *.txt file.

If you have two or more links to disavow, here is the EXACT format for the *.txt file: –

# Two pages to disavow
http://spamlink.example1.com
http://spamlink.example2.com

I had six URLs to disavow, so mine read # Six pages to disavow, followed by the offending URLs.

Note: If you only have one domain to disavow, here is the EXACT format for the *.txt file: –

# One domain to disavow
domain:shadyexample.com

Important: In the second example, if you only have one domain to disavow, adding the prefix http:// or https:// won’t work. The uploader returns an error in the layout, so you must use the exact format, including spacing as shown below.

Add how many disavow links you have as seen in the image

Disavowing a spam link is a quick and easy process. However, don’t hold your breath for the link to be removed. It can take up to three months to disavow a link. I have no idea why it takes so long for Google to remove it, but that’s how it is.

I hope you find this informational helpful. I used to think it was complicated to disavow spam links but, as you can see, it is quick and easy to submit your list to Google Console.

Note: If you are amember of various online communities, it’s not always a good idea to add your website URL there. For instance, Skool has a 28% spam score and Clearvoice (a freelancing platform) has 7%.

As well as disavowing these spam links, remove your URL from these communities.

Is Social Media Marketing Worth It? 7 Reasons It’s Not (2025)

June 28, 2024

Every New Business Turns to Social Media Marketing, But is it Worth the Effort?

Is social media marketing worth it? I’ve certainly asked myself that question a lot these last few weeks.

All the digital marketing products and courses I purchased this year touted the importance of social media marketing. However, after a couple of months of content creation, I wondered, “Is social media marketing dead?”

These social media platforms change fast. What was in fashion one week is out the next.

This week, I lost my Pinterest account. I mistakenly added short links in my pins because the affiliate links I was sharing were long and ugly.

I thought a shortener would be OK, not knowing they are against Pinterest community guidelines. In the blink of an eye, Pinterest suspended my account for spamming.

I’m working on an appeal, but it’s made me wonder if social media marketing is worth it. Hence, you’re now reading this article.

#1: Most Social Media Platforms Are Draconian

If you don’t know what draconian means, post a comment on someone’s Instagram reel and say something like –

“Well, done. That’s amazing. I am so happy for you.”

The chances are that Instagram will flash a message restricting your comment because you’re trying to get likes.

You cannot be social on a social media platform anymore

It happened to me six times in a week in late May. The last message threatened to restrict or ban my account. WTAF Instagram?

My solution?

I won’t comment any more. So **** you IG.

I joined Instagram Threads shortly afterwards (mostly unpoliced at the moment), and many people are experiencing the same thing.

Draconian means harsh, severe or ruthless. The penalties for being social on a social media app are ridiculous and way over the top.

When you make a mistake – as I did on Pinterest – you get a message in red saying you VIOLATED community guidelines.

Excuse me, but as an ex-policewoman, I can tell you the true meaning of violation, and it isn’t making a cheerful comment on a reel or adding a couple of short links.

#2: Social Media Rules Constantly Change

It’s challenging to keep up with the ever-changing rules on social media platforms. First, they want hashtags on captions. Then they don’t.

Instagram apparently has a list of banned hashtags, which they don’t announce by, you know, sending us an email, perhaps.

Social media platforms assume we have the time to read rules and guidelines that are as long as the book War & Peace.

We do our best. Still, if you’re marketing on multiple platforms, staying ahead of the changes is impossible.

#3: Social Media Feeds Are Saturated With Adverts

If you plan to place ads for your social media marketing, that’s fine. However, be aware that if your free content doesn’t get much attention from the platform, your paid adverts might not perform well either.

I get it. Social media channels want businesses to spend money on advertising, but recently, our feeds have become a sea of irrelevant adverts.

#4: Your Social Media Content Has Poor Reach

What is the success rate of social media marketing? I don’t know the answer to that. I know that many people on Threads say they aren’t achieving success with social media marketing. Some share ridiculously huge income claims, but they aren’t the norm.

Getting decent reach has become a challenge for newbies and influencers. When Instagram changed its algorithm (2024), it affected people with hundreds of thousands of followers as much as the little guys.

I was posting two reels daily and getting between 5-40 views. I spend most of my time on Threads now, as it’s like a better version of Twitter.

If you’re starting a digital marketing business (or any business), it’s natural to think social media marketing is where it’s at. But if nobody sees your content, how effective is social media marketing?

#5: Social Media Marketing is Exhausting

There’s no easy way to say this. Creating content for social media is a drag. I am a content creator. I love creating content, but where are the rewards? How powerful is social media marketing if it makes us feel dead inside?

Many people experience burnout from social media marketing. That’s a fact. Unless you have a team to help you create content, social media marketing is a pain in the butt.

Twitter has been chaotic since Elon put his money into the pot. Facebook and Instagram are draconian (Both owned by Meta).

Pinterest pretends it’s nice until you make a minor VIOLATION. TikTok is a crazy place. The algorithm restricts content or bans people if they breathe the wrong way.

#6: People Want Alternatives to Social Media Marketing

People are getting sick and tired of social media. Someone on Threads asked recently, “Is social media making us depressed?”

I think it can.

Comparison bias and imposter syndrome are hard to ignore when you have women as lean as matchsticks with unnaturally white teeth, long glossy hair and a perfect life boasting how they made $3.5 million from digital marketing in six months.

The other side of the coin is people desperate for money, blasting sales messages to DMs and sharing their struggles on social media. It’s just not a great social environment anymore.

#7: Social Media Marketing is Damaging Our Relationships

When social media did not exist, businesses placed advertisements in magazines, newspapers, themed websites, and other places. What they didn’t do was constantly check if people had seen their advert or made a comment – because they couldn’t.

People went out for coffee or a meal and actually talked to each other, made eye contact and all that stuff. Nowadays, everyone has a phone glued to their hands whether they’re out with a friend or partner, walking their dog, riding a horse (that makes me cross) or participating in any social activity.

It’s an epidemic of loneliness about to explode unless we realise how detrimental social media is to our mental health. We need balance, and social media marketing isn’t great for that.

OK, Jan, What’s The Alternative to Social Media Marketing?

I don’t have all the answers. I am becoming disillusioned with social media marketing because of my recent experiences, and I have begun exploring ways to escape the social media rat race.

Social media began as a way to develop community, and it’s becoming the opposite. So, anything that helps a business build a community of its own may be a better alternative to social media marketing.

The danger of not owning your content become apparent when you get your first suspension or ban from a social media channel. I have hundreds of pins on Pinterest that I can no longer access. Thankfully, most are on Canva, but that’s not the point.

3 Ideas For Alternatives To Social Media Marketing

This list of social media alternatives isn’t definitive. They are just a few avenues for finding customers for your products or services.

#1: Start a Blog

When Pinterest suspended my account, I diverted my attention to this blog. It was already performing well with featured snippets and page one ranking, but I am stepping it up now. My site is getting more traffic and clicks weekly than it used to get monthly.

My goal is to work towards getting enough monthly sessions to apply for an ad partnership with Mediavine.

If your blog has upwards of 10k monthly sessions, apply for Journey By Mediavine. It pays better than Google Adsense.

#2: Build an Email List

I wish I had started this sooner but I kept putting it off because I needed to learn the tech, and write an email campaign and regular content. My feeble excuses stopped me from having a back up after I lost my email list on Substack when they randomly closed my two newsletters.

You can build an email list entirely for free on Systeme and have up to 2k subscribers and one email campaign, which might be all you need. I am on the paid version at $27 monthly, which gives me 5k subscribers and multiple email campaigns.

I would recommend starting an email list from the offset.

#3: Start a Targeted Community of Your Own

Platforms like Skool, Circle, and others are becoming a popular alternative to having a Facebook group. The beauty of these communties is you can run courses and live streams without worrying about getting blocked on your own community.

Facebook often restricts group owners from commenting or posting in their groups, which is ridiculous.

Admittedly, community platforms aren’t cheap. Circle is $89 monthly on an annual plan and Skool is one price of $99 monthly (Prices June 2024). Still, if you want to build a community with your target audience, it’s a powerful way to grow your business.

Before launching a community, decide your mission and goals. Be realistic about the time commitments. If your community grows, people can get needy and make significant demands on your time.

If possible, start with a couple of trusted admins or moderators to help you manage the community.

Conclusion

So, is social media marketing worth it? I’m currently only posting twice daily on weekdays on TikTok. My entire focus now is on finding ways to avoid the social media marketing allure and build my own digital real estate.

I’m pivoting in new directions using my creative skills. I plan to create courses on SEO, create and sell Canva templates and build sales funnels for businesses. If I get my Pinterest account back, I will continue with that platform, but I will never trust Pinterest the way I did before the suspension.

There’s always LinkedIn. I used to be active on that platform, which is more wired for business. It’s less in your face than most other social media platforms. I’m considering easing my way back in to LinkedIn and ditching Instagram entirely.

Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.