Search Engine Optimisation Archives - The Rough Diamond Academy

Aesop and Search Engine Optimisation

Aesop's SEO | Search Engine Optimisation | Rough Diamond Academy

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A Hare, A Tortoise, A Moral and Search Engine Optimisation

Despite living over 2500 years ago, Aesop had a lot to say about SEO! Well, sort of. I loved Aesop's Fables growing up, and still do! At the end of every fable there was always a moral to the story. Whether you're familiar with Aesop or not, there's an extremely high probability that you are familiar with the stories. The one I currently have in mind is The Hare & the Tortoise.

Do you know it? Well, just in case, here's a quick synopsis:

This is a story about a tortoise, which is a very slow moving creature, and a hare, which is extremely fast! They are having a race. The hare is pretty cocky. Supremely confident! He knows he can outrun (or hop) the tortoise with ease, so he's not at all concerned. He sets out at a pretty fast clip and is soon far ahead of the tortoise. The tortoise knows he's not quick, but he goes about the race in a slow methodical way, step after step, never stopping.

The hare, who has no fear of losing, stops for a rest... and falls asleep. The hare, step after slow methodical step, passes his sleeping opponent and goes on to win the race! The moral of the story? Slow and steady wins the race! See, you did know it!

Now, if Aesop was alive today and giving advice to businesses on their approach to SEO, I have a feeling he would see more hares than tortoises in the mix. And I'm sure he'd be a little disappointed his wisdom of the ages was being ignored. I see it all the time! People set off at a frantic pace, writing posts and getting content together only to stop for a rest under a tree and falling asleep. And that's when the competition passes them.

I'm not sure it's confidence that causes business owners to fall asleep and give up writing. Often it's because they don't get instant results, or they get distracted, but they stop and that's the point. The trick with winning the SEO race is to keep going regardless of your pace! Because if there's one thing I've learned in all the years of doing this, most people stop, your competitors will stop, and that's when you can win the race!

So, when people ask me for the trick to ranking, or getting seen on search engines, I know they're looking for some magic silver bullet, like how to structure an article, or how long and article should be. And these things do matter, but one well structured article by a business owner who's fallen asleep against a tree is no match for the business owner who writes, one word after another, day after day, week after week. The may be slow and not quite so flashy, but... slow and steady wins the race!

Be an SEO tortoise, not and SEO hare!

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

For over 21 years David has been building websites for clients. In 2013 he pivoted from running a web design agency to working hands on with clients to help them build their businesses by reaching their ideal clients. Going beyond the website. The experience of working at the coal face is the foundation of The Rough Diamond Academy. Real life experience for real life businesses. It starts with building a site, but that's only the beginning!

How Often Should You Update WordPress?

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Keeping Your Website Secure

How Often Should You Update WordPress? WordPress is an incredible platform for developing websites. I've been using it for close to 14 years now as my go to CMS. It's flexible and powerful. Having said that the very things that make it incredible can also make it vulnerable. Managed well though, this is nothing to fear. It's only when we ignore the basic maintenance of the software that runs WordPress that things get problematic. So, what is that software?

WordPress Core, Plugins and Themes

A basic understanding of the structure of a WordPress site helps to highlight where vulnerabilities can occur. There are 3 areas you need to be aware of:

WordPress Core
Plugins
Themes

1. WordPress Core

At the heart of WordPress is the core. This the software that is initially installed when you install WordPress, and is a part of every WordPress site. The core is regularly updated as improvements are made to functionality and new features are added. It is also updated to patch security issues as they are discovered. These security patches are of particular importance.

2. Plugins

Every Website has a uniques set of requirements. To try and have all the code required to cater for these requirements in the core would be impossible, not to mention making the code enormous and clumsy. So to keep a website running as lean as possible, additional functionality can be added in the form of Plugins. Plugins are code that interact with the WordPress Core to extend its functionality. Just like the core, plugins are regularly updated to extend functionality and patch security issues.

3. Themes

Every WordPress website has a theme. This is code that determines the layout, or look, of the website. And guess what? Themes are as updated with functionality and security patches too!

So, how often should you update WordPress then?

I'm not sure there is a definitive answer to this, but you should have a regular process in place to check the current status of your core, plugins and themes. I have all my sites on a weekly schedule of automated updates. But, be warned! Updates can break a site! Not often, but it most definitely can happen.

Not all Plugins are Created Equally

There are currently, at the time of writing this article, in excess of 58000 plugins to choose from. These plugins are developed by 3rd party developers, and they range in quality. Sometimes things go wrong and plugins conflict with each other, or even the WordPress core. This can lead to unexpected results! Like the dreaded white screen of death!

Backup Before Updating!

So, before you do any updates, whether it's the core, plugins or themes, make sure you have created a complete backup of your site. There are a number of ways to do this, but that a whole other article. I use an automated system called managewp.com to do my backups, updates and various other tasks. No matter how you achieve it, don't skip the backup!

In addition to my weekly schedule I keep a lookout for any urgent security issues, for example, I subscribe to services like WordFence to keep me informed. This alerts me to individual issues that I may need to address urgently in a manual fashion, like an urgent patch to a specific plugin that's just been released.

In short, keep an eye on updates and do them as often as possible.

Why Should I Update Though? Won't My Site Keep Working?

Look, you might get lucky for years with an old WordPress core and out of date plugins and themes. I know of several sites right now that haven't been updated in forever! Obviously these aren't sites I manage. To date, they've been lucky, but it's just a matter of time. It's a roll of the dice! Out of date software that has potential security exploits is a great way to get hacked. And nobody wants or needs that! So yes, your site may not stop working if you don't update it, but you are risking your business on a wing and a prayer! I've also seen many sites hacked with software that is only months out of date. I just don't take that risk.

Here's an example of a release in the last 24 hours from WordPress.

WordPress 5.7.1 is now available!

This security and maintenance release features 26 bug fixes in addition to two security fixes. Because this is a security release, it is recommended that you update your sites immediately. All versions since WordPress 4.7 have also been updated.

Note here that even previous versions if WordPress have been patched. So even if you for so specific reason want to stay with an old version, you can still apply security patches.

Summary

A regular update program for your website is vital to keeping it running smoothly and free of security issues. As an important part of your marketing, it's worth considering having someone manage the site for you to ensure updates are being managed and backups are taken care of. Experience has taught me that it's never an issue, until it's an issue! And then it's a disaster!

PS. This applies to all CMS software, not just WordPress!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

When To Give Up Blogging?

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When To Give Up Blogging? Hint: Don't!

It can be disappointing when you write a great article and get no response. But, is that a reason to quit? At what point do you throw in the towel and call it a day? Well, I would argue that no response is not a great yard stick to go by, or reason to quit. It's silence, not rejection.

A huge problem with expecting an immediate response is that it assumes your blog is relevant to everyone all the time. This goes for social media posts as well. But if you're writing to provide information of value to your audience there's several things you don't know, and may never know.

Who's Listening? (Or reading)

You never know when someone is reading your words. An assumption that everyone who does will respond in some form or fashion is misplaced. Most people will never tell you they are following you, or may not tell you for some time. This happens all the time with social media. I'm often told by people in person that they loved a certain post, or series of posts, and yet they have never liked said posts or left a comment, etc. They are the shadow watches, the lurkers (in the nicest of possible ways) You are having a quiet impact and you don't even know it! How sad would it be if you gave up and lost having that impact?!

Context

I've mentioned this before. Your content is not always relevant in the moment. It's a matter of context and timing. Just because you were ready to push publish doesn't mean your audience was ready to read! You are creating content for future reference. This is probably more true of blogs than social media posts, but even then I'm often surprised when when an old social post is liked followed by a follow. The audience was ready, and my content was there. Context. Timing.

It's a Service

If you are writing for the purpose of providing value to your audience that is reason enough, or should be. Yes, it's nice to get feedback, but keep believing you are providing that service, that value to your community and keep writing. The feedback will come, and often in the most unexpected form and times. You are creating a library of value and that takes time.

It's For You Too

Writing is a great way to think through your business products and services. The very act of writing a blog is consolidating ideas that will lead to value not only for your audience but for you as a business owner. It's amazing how often writing blogs leads to a clarity around a direction or idea.

It's a Great Discipline

Creating a habit of writing is a great discipline that helps develop the resilience muscle. It's easy to quit, but a small business owner need to develop a learn term vision and the patience and belief to create it. It takes discipline! Hang on there, keep writing, keep growing, keep learning, keep providing value!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Who Wants To Read About My Business?

Who Wants To Read About... (Insert Your Service or Product Here)

My business is boring, who would want to read articles about it? I've heard this more than once over the years and it always makes me chuckle. I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is if it's so boring why the hell are you doing it?! The second thing that follows it immediately is, you're dead wrong!

Only Your Audience is Interested

The answer to that question is so simple, so blindingly obvious, that it is often overlooked. The only people interested in reading articles about your business, what it does, how it provides value, are the people who need your products or services. Please, read that again slowly, and understand it, because it contains the only motivation you will ever need to write blog posts for your business!

Say your business is plumbing. I have no interest in reading about plumbing... until my hot water unit breaks down. Then I am highly motivated to read up on hot water systems! I suddenly became your audience!

If you run a Bed and Breakfast getaway retreat I only become interested in your articles when I'm looking for a getaway! Duh!

If you are a mechanic and my car has broken down, or my old mechanic has retired, I'm suddenly in the market for a mechanic. Guess what? Your articles are now in my area of interest.

If you are a lawyer and I'm suddenly looking for legal advice... well you get the picture. I hope!

No matter what your business is, someone is looking for it. If not, you don't have a business!

Context and Timing

So, we write articles about our business, products and services so that they are available for our audience at the moment they are ready. On any given day that same audience may find reading about us and our business a great yawn, but when they need us, or they're researching to find 'us', they are focused on the very thing we have dismissed as boring!

Not for the first time let me say that we should write to provide value to our ideal audience. Of course, that value is a question of timing and context. If we've already written the answer to the question they are looking for as they sit down and start typing into Google, well... it's our lucky day. Then again,

Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity - Seneca

Be prepared, get writing!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Canva – Photoshop for The Rest of Us

Made with Canva

Editing Images with Canva

If you're lucky enough to own a copy of Photoshop, and know how to use it, then it will most likely be your go to tool for photo editing. For quick image resizing and cropping it's where I go. But, if you are flush with Photoshop skills then you should wrap your head around canva.com!

Photo Editing Made Easy

Canva makes photo editing easy! It doesn't have the functionality of Photoshop, but it is a really easy platform to use for creating and editing images for your website or blog. It's also my number 2 place to go for sourcing stock images. Depending on your membership level, photos are either free or very reasonable. (Like $1 US). A pro level membership will get you everything for Free (Well, for the price of membership that is, but everything is included)

Canva comes with a large number of templates as well to help you on your creative journey. Easily design invites, brochures, and even logos! Plus it has built in templates for Social Media images, presentations, videos, etc.

The Right Size Images

On a website the right size images matter. While images will scale, if you upload full resolution images it will significantly slow your website, harming your ranking. So, having a tool like Canva to easily size your images for upload is gold! All it takes is a few simple steps:

Create a design to your required dimensions, either using one of the available templates, or your own custom dimensions
Upload your photo
Drag the photo into the design
Adjust to suit your needs
Export again.

Simple!

So, if you are looking for a simple photo editing software, you can't go past canva.com

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Unsplash – Images For Everything

Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash

Images for Blogs, Websites... Everything!

They say a pictures is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to websites, blogs, etc, this is certainly true! A website or blog without images is just plain boring! I don't know about you, but I'm less likely to read through a page or article that is lacking imagery. Images help tell the story, they help attract the reader and engage them. The right images can make a site!

Sourcing Images

There are a number of places you can source images online, but for me the starting point is always the same: unsplash.com
Why? Because all images on Unsplash are free to use without restriction and are license free. In fact, to quote the license agreement on the Unsplash website:

Unsplash grants you an irrevocable, nonexclusive, worldwide copyright license to download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos from Unsplash for free, including for commercial purposes, without permission from or attributing the photographer or Unsplash. This license does not include the right to compile photos from Unsplash to replicate a similar or competing service.

That's hard to beat!

Crediting

Crediting the photographer is not a requirement, but it is nice to do if you can. They make that pretty easy with a simple copy and paste on download. But, it's completely up to you!

So, if you're looking for images to spice up your next article or web page, head to unsplash.com!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

People Before Search Engine Robots

People Before Robots; Search Engines Can Wait! If you're structuring your writing forvsearch engines without thought to the reader, you ha...

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Stop Writing For Search Engines!

If you are structuring your blog posts with a view to manipulating search engine rankings, without a full consideration to your reading audience, you have it arse about! Search engine don't read articles, people do!

Search Engine Rankings Matter

Yes, search engine rankings matter, but not as much as engaging your readers. How does it serve you to rank highly for a given phrase only to have the reader abandon the article because it is hard to read, or feels unnatural, or simply is structured for an algorithm and not for a human? It doesn't help you, that's the answer!

People Are Your Target

People read, people buy, people engage, people search, etc. It's people that are your target, not search engines. Your job is to provide information of value to your audience, and present it in such a way that it is a joy to read, and useful! That's it! People go to search engines, like Google, to look for solutions to their problems. Your job is to write about the solutions you provide to peoples problems. The search engines are pretty good and working out the matching of your solutions to the problems that people need to solve. They've come a long way and don't need to your help quite as much as you might think.

That's not to say that you can't structure your posts in a way that is easier for a search engine to index. You can definitely do that, and we'll cover it in another article, it's just that you should always write for people first and then modify for search engines. Never structure for search engine optimisation at the expenses of the people who are the intended audience.

If in doubt, write for your audience and let the search engines take care of themselves.

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Uncertainty Is A Gift!

Learning Begins With Knowing What You Don't Know!

Uncertainty is a gift! Being able to say, 'I Don't Know, or I'm Not Sure', without fear is a statement of confidence, not weakness! Having an open mind a a willingness to seek answers to fill the gaps in your knowledge is not something to be ashamed about.

I Don't Know

I've never understood why people are afraid to admit they don't know the answer to something. It's not logical. It's not realistic. No one knows everything. There are always new things to be learned. There are always new innovations and approaches to consider. Not knowing is not a problem. Pretending to know is! In fact not knowing the answers and having the confidence to seek them with an open mind and an abundance of enthusiasm is a Super Power!

Learning Begins Here

Learning doesn't begin with ignorance. It begins with knowing. Not knowing the answer as such, but knowing what you don't know! It's from this position that you can begin to seek the information you require to fill the void. It's hard to research if you are simply unaware of what you don't know. Ignorance is a state of unawareness. Not knowing is a state of being aware that you don't know something and need to learn. A vast difference.

I'll Find Out!

Rather than being ashamed or embarrassed about not knowing the answer to something, I get excited. I know know a starting point to educate myself. I'm not afraid to say, "I have no idea!", because at that point I've already committed to finding the answer. I'll find out! It's an opportunity to learn, to grow, to expand my skills, and I'm grateful for the knowledge that there is a gap in my knowledge. I now know what I don't know!

Uncertainty I A Gift

No one likes that feeling of uncertainty, not knowing. But rather than framing it as a lack, framing it as an opportunity gives us the means to embrace uncertainty as a gift. The gift of learning something new. The gift of increasing our skills, or knowledge. So, next time you find yourself about to pretend you know something to avoid embarrassment, take the chance to say, "I don't know, but I'm about find out!" You wont' regret it!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Persistence vs Motivation

Don't Rely On Motivation!

Motivation will always desert you! You start off with all the best intentions, full of excitement and possibility, and then life happens. Before you know it motivation has left the building! In simple terms, motivation is a fair weather friend! It's the first to suggest a party, pushes everyone to make it happen, and is the first to leave if the beer runs out! Seriously, if you want to make a go of anything you have to have a strategy to push through once motivation has deserted you... because it will!

Choose Your Companions Wisely

There are companions that will stay the course no matter how rough the path becomes. These are companions you can count on no matter what! A group of Samwise Gamgees if you would. They are: persistence, determination, consistency and application. Throw in process for good measure. A fellowship that will get it done!

In any endeavour you have to fall back on sheer guts and determination to push through the tough times. A bloody minded persistence to see it through regardless of how you feel, what the circumstances are, the temptations to walk away, the feelings that overwhelm you, etc. Persistence! Persistence! Persistence! The will to stick at it because that's what you said you'd do! Your promise to yourself to go the distance even though motivation to do it left the building long ago. This is what champions rely on. A process to follow; steps to take. A determination to apply themselves in a consistent fashion day in day out; hail, rain or shine. No excuses, no cop outs, just an unflagging persistence to push on, to push through!

Don't Give Up

In the end, when asked, "what's the secret to (insert your success here)", the answer will probably be a simple, " I didn't give up!" That's because you are a champion!

David Fuller

CEO - Rough Diamond Academy

Write For Yourself

Write for Your Own Interest

Still struggling to work out what to write about? Try writing for yourself. Write as if you, and only you, will be reading the article. Choose a topic that is of particularly interest to you and forget about what you think others are interested in. Write as you would in your journal, as if no one else will ever read a word. Be the writer and the reader. Be you!

The why behind what you do!

If you are trying to attract an audience, it stands to reason that they will be interested in the same things that interest you. This is true whether you sell products or services. Write about the elements of the products you sell that you find interesting, fascinating, valuable, etc. A good way of doing this is to write a review of a product. Give your perspective of the pros and cons of the particular item and why you are attracted to it. The same for services you provide. Talk about why you are driven to provide that service, what elements of the process catch your imagination or light your fire. The why behind what you do!

Put Your Passion On Display

Why hide the fact that you are passionate about your work? If you love what you do, and I truly hope you do, then that passion will be a beacon to draw the attention of those looking for your products or services. Be passionate in your description of your work. Write in a way that you'd enjoy reading. There's no law that says you have to be boring!! Bring your personality to the words. Bring your fiery passion to the reader. It's not about what you sell, it's about whether you're invested in it. That investment will show, your passion will shine through.

People Buy From People They Trust

Remember, at the end of the day people buy from people they trust. If you are upfront and genuine in your belief about the product or service you are selling, the value it brings, the problems it solves, etc, then you will display a level of trustworthiness and openness that will resonate with potential buyers.

Write For You

So, writing as if you are the buyer has the added advantage of getting you excited about your business and why you do it, and attracting the kind of buyers that are interested in what you sell. That's a win win! It's not only ok to love what you do, what you sell, it's desirable!