What is B2B Marketing: Identifying Plan, Strategy & Tactics

By Somayeh Niya / September 10, 2023

What is B2B Marketing: Identifying Plan, Strategy & Tactics

Somayeh Niya
September 10, 2023
Updated on: July 18, 2024

If you have entered to marketing world recently, you have heard B2B marketing here and there.
What is B2B marketing ?

B2B is a short abbreviation but there are many strategies and rules behind it.
In this article, I talk about B2B marketing. It includes B2B marketing definition, how to develop strategy and plans, different types of B2B marketing tactics, and the buyer’s journey.

In below, you can see table of content.

• What is B2B marketing?

• B2B marketing vs. B2C marketing

• What are the difference between strategy, plan and tactic in B2B?

• How to identify B2B marketing strategies?

• How to create a B2B marketing plan?

• Types of B2B marketing tactics

• Managing B2B marketing buyer's journey by search intent

• How search intent help to create a buyer journey-based content?

• B2B marketing best practices

• B2B marketing challenges

• B2B marketing trends 2024

• B2B marketing examples

• Conclusion

• FAQs

What is B2B marketing?

If you have a company that sells your products or services to another company or business, you own a B2B sales. In other words, B2B (business to business) marketing = dealing between businesses.

The definition is simple and straight, but being successful in such a field is complicated.
But don’t worry. It’s not rocket science.

B2B marketing is essential for growing any business in this competitive market. With the right strategy and tactics, companies can use B2B marketing to reach more customers, increase sales, and build strong relationships with their target audience.

B2B marketing vs. B2C marketing

While B2B marketing focus on another business as a buyer, B2C marketing wishes to sell products to ordinary people as customers. It’s like what you see in the street. It’s a type of communication between a clothes shopkeeper and a customer, or a street food seller and a passer-by who buys something.

But B2B marketing is more complicated than B2C marketing.
Maybe you say, both are business and just business parties are different.

Why B2B marketing is more difficult than B2C marketing?
These are the reasons:

Decision-Making Process: For B2B client’s decision-making isn’t simple and needs too many investigations. Because it’s a matter of a large amount of budget. But this process is short for B2C businesses; maybe it takes a few minutes or some days, while it takes months in B2B businesses. In other words, B2B has a long buyer’s journey.

Communication: B2B is based on relationships. It’s very important to keep the client for the next deal. So, communication has a key role in the decision-making process and after purchase. But it’s not widespread in B2C since it has different entity.

Clients sophistication: Clients in B2B are more knowledgeable and skillful than B2C. Since they invest much amount and also put more time into the investigation, they become more sophisticated. So, gaining customers is more complicated than a B2C.

What are the difference between strategy, plan and tactic in B2B?

Both B2B marketing and B2C marketing includes 3 terms that are often used interchangeably. These 3 concepts are interdependent on each other and no one can accomplish without two others.

But in fact, they are different, and need to pay attention to their true nature so that manage them effectively.
They are marketing strategy, marketing plan, and marketing tactics.

Marketing strategy

Strategy alludes to an outline to become successful in a competition. For example, an outdoor panel manufacturer wants to find a way to be successful in the crowded world of competition. (I use this example because before I worked in an outdoor panel company and this example is true).

This company found producing outdoor panels with high-quality LCD can help them to grow their business. It is a marketing strategy.

Marketing plan

Plan is part of a strategy. In the above example, the manufacturer should identify the characteristics of a good LCD. Do they need to make some changes in other pieces of the product to adopt with new LCD? How do they want to launch the new model? If they need to take part in exhibitions? Or advertising will be enough?
All these questions identify the plans.

Marketing tactic

Tactics are the ways to accomplish your plans. They include more details and nuance. Back to the above example, manufacturers should find suppliers to provide high-quality materials, test samples, identify technical reasons that show why this material is proper, courses for their engineers, and get help from foreign sources. These are tactics.

These three concepts are intertwined.

How to identify B2B marketing strategies?

Identifying B2B marketing strategies requires a combination of research, industry knowledge, competitor analysis, data-driven decision making, and collaboration. Below common methods to identify marketing strategies are noted:

Align with your business goals

What’s the final goal of your B2B marketing campaign? Do you want to build brand awareness, increase revenue or generate leads? Your marketing objectives can determine your strategy to achieve those goals.

Analyse competitors

Competitors are powerful sources for creating new strategies. What are the weak points of your competitors? How about their strong points? How can you be better than them? Analyzing competitors can lead you to strategies to improve your own business.

Understand target audience

Knowing the motivations, needs, struggles, and pain points of the audience leads you to generate strategies to grow B2B marketing.

Who are the people you want to reach? What do they need? How can you improve their problems? Understating your target audience will help you craft messaging and campaigns that resonate with them.

How to create a B2B marketing plan?

After developing a strategy you need to create an effective plan. The plan should align with your strategy. It’s very important to review all aspects of your plan to ensure it’s practical. Otherwise, it’s wasting the time. To create an effective plan consider below points:

Identify channels and resources

When you are setting marketing goals, consider your channel and resources to achieve those objectives. Marketing channels will be effective depending on the information sources and decision-making processes of your target audience.

Experiment with different channels to identify which ones generate the highest return on investment, and continually find ways to improve your performance for better results.

Set your budget

When it comes to setting a budget for B2B marketing, several factors need to be considered. Start by looking at the company’s overall financial goals and objectives. This helps you to determine how much money can be allocated towards marketing efforts.

Also, research the industry landscape to see what other companies are doing and how they are allocating their marketing budgets. This helps you to understand where you stand in comparison and what areas you need to focus on.

Measure success

It is crucial to determine key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure performance against your goals. Track the results of your campaigns and adjust your strategies if needed. It will help you be aware of your shortcomings and make a plan to improve them.

Creating a B2B marketing plan can seem daunting, but don’t worry. By following these steps you can create a perfect Plan to grow your business. Good luck!

Types of B2B marketing tactics

After determining plans, you should find tactics to execute those plans.
Below some common tactics are noted that widely use in business to business marketing.

B2B content marketing

In this age, it isn’t possible to make a successful business without content marketing. Reports show content marketing became more important to business owners in 2022. B2B content marketing has a wide range, from blog posts and newsletters to videos and podcasts.

Ok. Content marketing is good.
But how does it make money?

Content marketing isn’t a tool for direct sales. If you have such a point of view, I should say you are walking in the traditional marketing world.

Content marketing is a process that passes steps of awareness, consideration, and decision-making to buy a product. Through your content, you help buyers and give value to them.

But content marketing can be more complicated in B2B marketing. Because in B2B, it’s about organizations behavior not tracking individuals through cookies.

Be noted using AI tools can boost your content marketing results. These tools analyze a wide amount of data and suggest topics that resonate with your target audience. Also, AI tools save your time.

B2B email marketing

Email marketing is sending emails to a group of people for commercial aims. In B2B marketing a company sends the email to another business as a potential customer. B2B email marketing isn’t based on involving the interest and emotion of another party; it’s based on scale, proven evidence, and return on investment (ROI).

Creating a successful B2B email marketing without careful planning and trial and error is impossible. But it’s worth the effort because it is an effective way to reach the target market.

Email marketing has considerable benefits.
It’s highly targeted and measurable, and it has flexible usage. B2B email marketing is a great way to keep customers engaged and interested in your business in the long term, which will lead to sales conversion.

B2B SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is a process to optimize a website for Google search to earn higher rankings in SERPs for keywords related to a specific business. SEO principles are the same for both B2B and B2C. But it is more complicated in B2B.

The main difference between B2B and B2C SEO is that B2B SEO focuses on longer, more complex keyword phrases in a particular industry or niche.

B2B SEO can be a challenge because of the nature of the products and services you’re trying to promote. Often, B2B companies sell highly technical or specialized products, and creating content that appeals to search engines and potential customers is more complicated.

However, with the help of creativity and effort, it is possible to develop a successful B2B SEO strategy.

B2B social media

B2B marketing social media refers to using social media platforms to promote products or services in business-to-business marketing.

This strategy is highly effective as it allows businesses to connect with their target audience in an engaging way. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook provide opportunities for businesses to share valuable content, engage in conversations, and build relationships with potential clients.

One of the key benefits of B2B marketing social media is its ability to reach a wider audience. With millions of users on these platforms, businesses can increase their brand visibility and attract new leads. Additionally, social media provides a cost-effective way to promote products or services compared to traditional advertising methods.

Another advantage of B2B marketing social media is the ability to gather insights and data about your target audience. By analyzing engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments, businesses can gain a better understanding of what content resonates with their audience and adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.

B2B referral program

B2B referral program encourages pleased users to support your brand through a systematic process.

Although it has similarities with the affiliate program, it’s different. In B2B referral programs people motivate to promote your products by their passion for your brand, product, or service not for gaining money.

B2B referral program should be through a systematic program. Otherwise, the results aren’t significant or even successful.

B2B direct marketing

B2B direct marketing is a type of marketing that involves direct communication between a company and its potential or existing customers. This strategy can be through various means, such as email, phone, or mail.

B2B direct marketing is different from other types of marketing, such as mass marketing or business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing because it targets a specific audience.

B2B direct marketing is also more personal than other forms of marketing, as it allows for a two-way conversation between the company and the customer. This allows for a deeper level of engagement, which can lead to more sales.

If you are looking for a more effective way to grow your business, B2B direct marketing may be the right choice for you.

Managing B2B marketing buyer's journey by search intent

In B2B marketing buyers pass a long cycle to make decisions for purchasing. It’s so important to give them perfect content at the right time. Like a newborn baby that should receive every nurturing food at the right time; otherwise, growth development isn’t acceptable.

Maybe this metaphor seems irrelevant to B2B marketing. But it’s correct.
Although it seems very simple, sometimes it is a challenge for businesses. Because this journey is long and also buyer behavior is complicated.

First, let’s dive into the buyer’s journey in B2B marketing. Then discuss how to create the right content at the right time.

Buyer's Journey

Buyer’s journey in B2B marketing starts with a consumer searching for an inquiry. This journey includes four steps:

Awareness

In this stage, the consumer searches for a specific subject. Through this research, they find out that some products or services can improve their business or life. Your content should be ready already to inform them about their problems.

Consideration

In the previous stage consumer becomes aware that there is a problem, and now wants to find a solution. Surrounding themselves with so many options, they want to make sure to choose the right solution.

Now your content should compare solutions, guide the buying process, and break down exactly what your product does, how it’s different from competitors, and how it will improve the buyer’s outlook.

Decision-making

In this stage, the consumer is ready to become a customer. They entered to decision stage to purchase. At this stage, consumers have done the bulk of research and understand both their problem and what their ideal solution looks like. They may need to seek information about a particular brand, product, or service they want to choose.

Maintenance

If you are in this step, it means you did loads of things right. But even though you’ve sold your products or services, the journey didn’t finish yet.

Maintenance stage is where you start to strengthen your relationship with your customers and help them gain the most value and satisfaction from your product or service.

Now you understand the buyer’s journey, let’s talk about how search intent helps to create content based on the buyer’s journey.

How search intent help to create a buyer journey-based content?

There are four types of search intent:

Informational: Searches to gather information and includes question words such as who, what, where, why, and how.
Commercial: Searches aimed at purchase preparation and increasing knowledge before the purchase.
Transactional: In this type of search intention user is ready to buy.
Navigational: User knows the brand or product wants to purchase.

You should optimize your content based on the search intent in every step. In other words, buyers have different intentions on each step of their journey.
Although to some extent maybe search intentions overlap with each other, they fall into the following categories:

Awareness stage= Informational intent

Buyer’s intention: To search for information to solve a problem.
Your marketing goal: Show how to solve the problem and create trust.
Type of content: Educational content, working principles, instructions, etc.
Source: Blog articles, eBooks, and so on.

Consideration Stage= Commercial intent

Buyer’s intention: To understand the different solutions and how these solutions solve the problem.
Your marketing goal: Present your solution and compare it with competitors.
Type of content: Guide users by presenting the real characteristics of your brand.
Source: Brochures, guidelines, product pages, etc.

Decision-making stage= Transactional intent

Buyer’s intention: Make the final decision to purchase.
Your marketing goal: Influence the final decision.
Type of content: Comparison lists, social proof, product description, etc.
Source: Testimonials, compare price and the features of your product with competitor’s product, honest success stories of your brand, etc.

Maintenance Stage= Navigational intent

Buyer’s intention: Purchasing (Since customers are satisfied with the previous purchases or your products was introduced to them)
Your Marketing goal: keep customers and make them loyal customers
Type of Content: branding and emotional content, special offers, etc.
Source: customized login area, customized services, etc.

After content creation, you need to track customer journey behaviors. You can check the bounce rate of your website with Google Analytics to know how much users engage with your content. A high bounce rate shows you need to improve your content.
Also, buyer’s journey tools can make this process easier for you.

B2B marketing best practices

There are proven practices to speed up your B2B marketing:

Target your audience

Defiantly you know your audience. But do you target them specifically?

Well, targeting your audience needs to go through research to understand their needs and preferences.

For example, consider factors like industry, company size, job titles, and pain points. This helps your messaging and maximizes marketing effectiveness.

Analyze market trends and consumer behavior. It helps to find potential pain points that your products or services can address. This deep understanding allows you to craft compelling marketing messages to target audiences on a personal level.

Personalization

Since B2B marketing has specific buyers and a long sales cycle, it needs personalization.

For example:

First, provide a wide research on the pain points and challenges of the prospects. Then, address specific challenges.

Finally, customize your marketing campaigns and messaging to resonate with individual prospects.

Building relationships

Try to build long-term relationships with your customers.

Building relationships goes beyond transactional interactions. You need to make genuine connections with your customers and grow loyalty and advocacy of your brand.

This involves not only delivering on your promises but also actively seeking feedback and incorporating it into your business practices.

In summary, building a relationship happens through the following factors:

Regular communication
Providing exceptional customer service
Exceeding their expectations

Data-driven decision making

Here is the truth:

Successful B2B marketing and analytical data go hand in hand.

B2B deals with a lot of money and any decision without aesthetical data will be dangerous.

Use data and analytics to drive your marketing strategies. To achieve this, pay attention to the following:

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)
Track campaign success
Consider customer insights
Utilize analytical platforms

Continuous learning

Continuous learning and experimentation can help you stay ahead of the competition.

Stay up to date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in B2B marketing.

This ongoing learning includes being updated about the latest marketing tools and trends. It helps that your strategies resonate with business clients.

B2B marketing challenges

While B2B marketing offers great opportunities, it also comes with its own set of challenges.

Here are some common challenges faced by B2B marketers:

Longer sales cycles

B2B sales cycles are longer than B2C sales cycles. Why does it demand a long time?

Because it’s a matter of a high volume of money transactions. Therefore, it requires patience, persistence, and effective strategies to move prospects through the sales funnel

Multiple decision-makers

B2B purchases often involve multiple decision-makers within a company. It can be another challenge for B2B marketers.

To overcome this matter, B2B marketers need to align their marketing efforts with the needs and preferences of various stakeholders. By doing that decision-making process won’t be an issue

Content creation

Content marketing plays a vital role in B2B marketing.

Consistently producing high-quality and relevant content can be challenging. A successful content marketing campaign must educate and inform the audiences and build trust.

Measuring ROI

Determining the return on investment (ROI) of B2B marketing efforts can be complex. Tracking and measuring the impact of various marketing initiatives on revenue generation requires proper analytics and reporting tools.

Staying ahead of the competition

Competing in the B2B market requires constant innovation and staying ahead of competitors. A strong competitive analysis and a strategic approach are essential for success.

Personalized communication

B2B transactions involve long-term relationships. So, it needs to a personalized communication tailored to the specific needs of each client.

This level of customization requires a deep understanding of the client’s business, industry trends, and pain points.

Evolving digital marketing landscape

B2B transactions involve long-term relationships. So, it needs to a personalized communication tailored to the specific needs of each client.

For example, you need to search engine optimization best practices. It improves your visibility and helps your success in the competitive B2B space.

B2B marketing trends 2024

To stay ahead in the B2B marketing landscape, you need to keep an eye on emerging trends:

AI-powered marketing: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionary effects on B2B marketing. It includes automating processes, improving personalization, and providing valuable insights for better decision-making..

Video marketing: Video content is gaining popularity in B2B marketing. Videos can effectively communicate complex information, showcase products or services, and engage prospects.

Virtual events and webinars: With the rise of remote work and virtual interactions, webinar has become a popular option for B2B marketers to generate leads, educate prospects, and build brand awareness.

Personalized content experiences: B2B buyers expect personalized experiences. Offering personalized content based on preferences, previous interactions, and demographics can significantly impact conversion rates.

Voice search optimization: With the increasing use of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, optimizing content for voice search is becoming essential. B2B marketers are focusing on creating conversational and long-tail keyword phrases to align with how users speak their queries.

B2B marketing examples

There are many examples of successful B2B marketing campaigns that have helped companies grow their business.

Here are some of the most examples:

IBM

IBM has been a leader in B2B marketing for decades. They have developed an extensive network of partners and customers, and use their resources to create effective campaigns. For example, they launched a campaign called “Smarter Planet” which focused on using technology to make the world a better place. The campaign was a success and helped IBM gain more recognition in the market.

Microsoft

Microsoft has been a major player in B2B marketing. Their campaigns focus on providing solutions to businesses, such as cloud computing and enterprise software. One of their most successful campaigns was the launch of Office 365, which allowed businesses to access their applications from anywhere. This campaign was a huge success and helped Microsoft gain more customers.

Google

Google has become one of the leading companies in B2B marketing. They use their vast resources to create innovative campaigns that target businesses. For example, their “Grow with Google” campaign focuses on helping small businesses succeed by providing them with tools and resources. This campaign has been very successful and has helped Google gain more customers.

Conclusion

B2B marketing is a complex and ever-evolving field that requires constant adaptation to stay ahead of the competition. As a marketer, it’s important to understand your target audience and their unique needs in order to create effective strategies that drive results.

Ultimately, successful B2B marketing requires a combination of creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your target audience. By staying up-to-date on industry trends and continually refining your approach, you can achieve your marketing goals and drive growth for your business.

FAQs

1. What's B2B marketing?

B2B marketing is the process of promoting a business to other businesses. It involves creating relationships with potential customers, understanding their needs, and providing solutions. B2B marketing can be used to target specific industries or sectors, as well as individual companies.

2. How can I measure the success of my B2B marketing strategy?

By tracking key performance indicators, customer engagement metrics, lead generation metrics, and return on investment, you can measure the success of your B2B marketing strategy and make informed decisions about future campaigns.

3. What are the most effective B2B marketing channels?

The most effective B2B marketing channels include content marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media.

4. What challenges should I anticipate when creating a B2B marketing plan?

Creating a B2B marketing plan needs many investigations. It requires careful analysis of the target audience, budget, and resources. Additionally, there are several challenges such as understanding the customer’s needs, developing a strategy for reaching the target audience, considering the timeline and budget for the marketing plan.

Different types of editing: 4 steps to a perfect editing

By Somayeh Niya / September 10, 2023

Different types of editing: How to do a perfect editing in four steps

In simple language, editing is like polishing a stone. It removes all errors, including grammatical, structural, factual errors, readability, style, syntax, and other kinds of mistakes in content.

Knowing different types of editing is essential for every writer. Maybe some new writers overlook the importance of content editing. But more professional writers know it is vital to edit content before publishing. No matter how much your content is significant and how much it is valuable. Without perfect editing, it will be messy, unfocused, and unreadable.

This article covers different types of editing. I know if you look at articles in other websites, maybe you see the other names for every steps in editing. All are correct. Just different sites used other names interchangeably for different types of editing or break down every steps in editing.

What is editing for written content, and why is it important?

Editing allows you to refine your message and ensure that it is communicated effectively. It helps you to eliminate errors, clarify confusing language, and improve the overall flow of your writing. By putting much time into editing your work, you show your readers that you value their time and attention.

In today’s fast-paced world, where there is an abundance of content available at our fingertips, it is more important than ever to produce high-quality content. By prioritizing editing and striving for excellence in your writing, you can stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on your audience.

It is recommended to quit your content after writing for a while. Then come back to edit it. Because your mind got involved with the content you wrote and needs to refresh. A busy mind can’t find errors well.

What are different types of editing?

Mainly there are 4 types of editing:

• Copy editing

• Content editing

• Content rewriting

• Proofreading

These major types are steps of perfect editing. None of them work for you without the three other ones. If you want your content to be error-free go through these four steps.
For editing, start from the surface and then go to the depth of your content. First, remove apparent errors and then check hidden aspects of your content.
Now let’s dive into discussing the four steps of a perfect edition.

Step 1: Copy editing type

Copy editing also called Mechanical Editing. When you look at a written document, the most significant errors are apparent errors. These are the errors you should remove in copy editing step. Depending on the type of your publication, copy editing involves the following:

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors should be correct.
Ensure the verb and tense are in agreement.
Ensure removal of jargon and choose words based on standards of publication.
Ensuring agreements of style based on your publication type (APA, MLA, AP, etc.)
Remove unnecessary words to make your prose more clear and more valuable.
Ensure display types are correct and suitable for your content. Display types are bold features in content. It includes headlines, subheadlines, photos, photo captions, conclusions, etc.
Ensure to include specific rules for capitalization, abbreviations, and citation formats.
Formatting plays a significant role in copy editing. This involves checking for proper margins, font size, type, spacing, and alignment. A well-formatted document enhances readability.

By considering these factors, you’ll have a polished and error-free document. Apparently the content seems well. But does it finish?
Defiantly no. For professional content production, you should go deeper.

Step 2: Content editing type

This type of editing also called developmental, substantive, or structural editing. Content editing mainly focuses on the accuracy of the message a content conveys to the reader, facts-checking, structure, and other hidden features. This step needs more thinking and investigation of the different aspects of content.
Here are factors that should be included in the content editing process.

Statistics and fact checking

Statistics and other kinds of facts such as scientific facts, data, names, places, and events are inseparable parts of many contents. They are critical because facts and statistics improve the authority of a website.

These elements should be double-checked in the editing process. You can use factbrowser, staticticsbrain.com, factmonster, and Google search to ensure the data.

If your content is confidential, maybe you need to double-check your own sources (for example, if you wrote based on data from an organization). After agreement of your findings and your search result use the data.

Checking contradictions

Content should be empty of contradictions. All pieces of your content should support each other for the sake of the main idea. And since good content should take care of coherency, contradiction damage to the whole of your content. So, check every sentence to ensure consistency in the meaning of the whole content.

Check content structure

Don’t overlook a good structure. Structure of the content is those features that allow readers to understand what the content is about with a glance at your content. It includes headings and subheadings, tables, lists, tables of content, paragraphs, links (in blog post content), and so on.

Headings and subheadings must be in agreement with their following content; Paragraphs should support their messages and don’t include extra information.
Tables and table of content must give a good summary of the content, and links must relate to correct information and use appropriate anchor text.

Brand voice agreement

Content editing also checks the voice of your brand. Whether you write for yourself or a brand, you have a specific voice and style. If you are a brand, I recommend always outsourcing your work to the same content editor.

SEO

If you write to publish online, the next step of content editing is SEO (search engine optimization) of your content. SEO is a broad scope, and if you aren’t an expert, SEO specialists can help you. Any way ensure:

Include right keywords in the content.
Ensure use of internal links.
Check different types of SEO rules (on-page & off-page) in your content so that search engines understand your content well.

Edit your content for skimmers.
It means using several subheadings and bold features in your content. It acts like a hook to grab the attention of readers.

Step 3: Content rewriting type

The editing process isn’t just modifying the errors. After two previous steps, you need to rewrite or add some extra content to develop consistency in the whole of your text. Maybe you need to go back to the sources and do new research.

Rewriting allows you to take a step back and look at the big picture. You can ask yourself questions like: Is this section really necessary? Does it add anything to the overall message of the piece? Are there better ways to express this idea?

Through the process of rewriting, you can also identify areas where more research or information might be needed. For example, if a particular paragraph seems weak or unsupported, you may need to do some additional fact-checking or review sources to strengthen it.

Of course, rewriting can be time-consuming and challenging. It requires a willingness to let go of your initial ideas and be open to new possibilities. But ultimately, the end result is worth it.

By taking the time to rewrite and refine your writing, you can create pieces that are truly impactful and memorable.

If you need to add some content to the main content, just be careful to perform two previous steps, copy editing and content editing on rewriting.

Step 4: Proofreading type

Well, now it’s time to come to the surface from the depth of your content. After perfect copy editing, content editing, and rewriting, your content needs final proofreading. It includes modifying little and big errors that were either overlooked or made during the editing process.

Although you are on the surface of the content, it’s so sensitive. It’s last checking, and as an editor, you should guarantee that the content is free of any kind of errors such as grammatical, factual errors, readability, style, syntax, and typographical faults. In addition, you must ensure that the content follows the style guide that has been chosen.

Overall, proofreading is essential in the writing process to ensure that the final product is polished and professional. Whether it’s a business report, academic paper, or personal blog post, proofreading can help to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the written work.

What is a content editing tool, and how to use it?

A content editing tool is a software program designed to help writers to improve the quality of their content. It provides a range of features that enable users to check spelling and grammatical errors and enhance readability. Some tools even offer suggestions for improving sentence structure, tone, and style.

Sometimes editing by a tool offers features like checking plagiarism that you can’t achieve in manual editing.

Here are the steps to edit content with a tool:

1. Choose the right tool: There are many tools available for editing content, so it’s important to choose one that suits your needs. Look for a tool that has features like spell-check, grammar-check, and style suggestions.

2. Upload or copy and paste the content: Once you have chosen your tool, upload the content you want to edit or copy and paste it into the tool’s editor.

3. Review the suggestions: The tool will likely highlight areas of the content that need attention. Review these suggestions carefully and consider making changes based on them.

4. Make necessary edits: Based on the suggestions from the tool, make any necessary edits to the content. This may include fixing spelling or grammar errors, rephrasing sentences for clarity, or adjusting the tone or style of the writing.

5. Review again: After making edits, review the content to ensure everything flows smoothly and makes sense.

6. Save and export: Once you are satisfied with the edits, save the content and export it in the desired format.

Using a tool to edit content can be a valuable time-saver and can help improve the quality of your writing.

Conclusion

The benefits of good content are numerous. It can increase engagement with your audience, establish you as an authority in your field, and ultimately lead to more conversions. However, none of these benefits can be achieved without proper editing.

A poorly edited piece of content can do more harm than good.
So, editing is a crucial step in the content creation process. It ensures that the final product is error-free. Good editing can make the difference between a second-rate piece of content and one that is exceptional.

FAQs

How do I edit my content after writing?

The first step in editing your content is to review your work for clarity and coherence. Check spelling mistakes, punctuation, and grammatical errors. These can be easily corrected using online tools such as Grammarly or Hemingway Editor.

Focus on the structure of your content. Make sure that your paragraphs are well-organized and have a clear topic sentence. Check if your sentences are too long or too short and adjust them accordingly

Check for factual accuracy. Verify any statistics, quotes, or references used in your work. Ensure that they are up-to-date and from reliable sources.

Proofread your work one last time before submitting it. Read through your work carefully, line by line, to catch any remaining errors.

What are the types of editing?

1-Copyediting (also called Mechanical Editing)

2-Content editing (called developmental, substantive, or structural editing)

3-Content rewriting

4-Proofreading.

Who typically needs edition services?

Content editing services are essential for anyone who wants to produce high-quality written content including authors, bloggers, businesses, and students.

Authors need to ensure that their manuscripts are ready for publication. Bloggers also benefit from content editing services, as they need to produce engaging and informative content on a regular basis.

Businesses often require content editing services for their marketing materials, such as content marketing, websites, brochures, and press releases.

And also students can benefit from content editing services when working on academic papers or other assignments.

What are some common issues that content editors address?

One of the most common issues you encounter is grammatical errors. This can include anything from misspelled words to incorrect verb tenses. Another issue is modifying inconsistencies in tone or style. This can happen when multiple writers contribute to a piece of content, or when a writer changes their approach midway through a project.

Factual inaccuracies are another common issue need to address. This can include anything from incorrect dates or statistics to misattributed quotes. It’s essential to fact-check all content thoroughly before publishing it.

Formatting and layout issues can also be a concern. This can include things like inconsistent font sizes or spacing, or poorly formatted images.

How can I find a reliable editor for my project?

First and foremost, research is key. Look for editors who have experience in your specific industry or niche, as they will be more likely to understand the nuances of your content.

Networking is also an important part of finding a reliable content editor. Reach out to colleagues or other professionals in your field and ask for recommendations.

How to choose the best anchor text? A comprehensive guide

By Somayeh Niya / September 10, 2023

How to choose the best anchor text? A comprehensive guide

Anchor text is a vague term at first glance, but at the same time, it triggers curiosity:
What’s the relation between anchor and SEO???

Searching on the internet becomes an inseparable part of daily life, and you constantly read content to get more information.
When you read through lines, you face hyperlinked words or phrases in different colors (maybe bold, or in different formats too). Clicking on them takes you to another page. These words are anchor text.

Anchor text is a word or phrase that presents new content by linking you to another page.
In the following article, I’ll provide a complete guide about anchor text. It includes definition, importance, types of anchor texts, how to choose the best anchor text and some additional tips.

What is Anchor text?

Anchor text is a clickable words or phrase in a hyperlink. It provides an opportunity to link your users to another page inside (or outside) your website.
In HTML code anchor text is the same as below:

But users see it the same as below:

If you want to see the HTML codes of any page, right-click the page. Then select view page source in the menu appears. Another page open in your browser. On the opened page the whole HTML codes will show.

Why is anchor text important for SEO?

If you want to find by users and search engines, don’t overlook the importance of anchor text. It provides context and relevance to both users and search engines.

When users click on an anchor text link, they expect to take to a page related to the text they clicked on. Similarly, search engines use anchor text to understand the content of the page linked to and its relevance to the search query.

Another reason anchor text is crucial for SEO is helping to distribute link equity throughout a website. Link equity or link juice is passing the value of one page to another through links. By using relevant and descriptive anchor text, you can help search engines understand the content of the page link to and pass link equity accordingly.

Types of Anchor text

Efforts to accept by Google’s algorithm caused experts to examine different types of anchor text. Some of these anchor texts are more useful, and others can be good to some extent. Let’s talk about it.

Exact Match Anchor Text

In this type of anchor text exactly use the keywords you want to rank. This strategy was widespread in past SEO.

Assume you have a website for chocolates. To rank it, you should use the same keywords in your anchor text. For example: the best milk chocolate brand. It is an exact match.

Although exact match anchor text is a very good choice, but it should be noted overusing it can cause penalization by Google.

Partial match Anchor Text

Since exact match anchor text can’t be use too much, partial match anchor text is a good choice. It is a combination of core keywords in addition to some extra words.

For example, “online digital Marketing Services” links to a page about digital Marketing. Partial match anchor text should contain one of the main keywords at least.

Partial anchor text provides more data for both users and search engines. Users know more about the page will link to, and search engines also understand it better. Actually using partial match anchor text is a good idea. It cause your content doesn’t seem spammy and penalizes due to overusing match anchor text.

Just pay attention! Don’t confuse users and search engines with long partial anchor text. If you use long partial anchor text, Google confuses about the content on the page you pointed at. So, Google gives up your content and doesn’t crawl it.

Generic Anchor Text

If you want to know the worst type of anchor text, I will say it is the Generic type.

This type of anchor text doesn’t make an information chain for search engine bots. Search engines don’t understand where this link will lead. So, logically save its crawling energy and give up such anchor text.

On the other side, a generic anchor text is like entering to unknown place for users. No one likes to click on ambiguous anchor text that isn’t clear where it ends up.

Naked Anchor Text

As the name implies, naked anchor text doesn’t have any contextual information. It just point to source and use a URL instead of meaningful words. For example:

Based on https://www.example.com remarks, people just use 10% of capacity of their mind.

According to Google’ John Muller remarks, search engines including Google don’t count this URL as anchor text. It’s just a normal link but doesn’t add to quality of content. Although sometimes we need to use a URL in content, but don’t use it if your main goal is getting traffic.

Latent Semantic Index Anchor Text

Latent semantic index or LSI refers to synonyms or conceptually related to the main keywords.
In the coffee maker case, there are other words related to the coffee maker and usually, these words constantly repeat in content. Google recognizes this relationship.
For example, if the page you are going to link users to is about ‘coffee maker,’ then LSI anchor text would be words such as Espresso, cup, coffee, kettle, coffee beans, and so on.

LSI anchor text is a good idea. It makes your content natural, and you will get rid of using some artificial anchor texts in your content.

Branded Anchor Text

Branded anchor text uses a brand name as anchor text. Usually, it’s an external link takes users to the brand’s page. By referring users to a high authority brand Google considers it as a good signal. It’s a sign of giving value to users. So, use high-quality brands in your content but don’t overuse a brand name.
Overusing a brand isn’t a good signal for Google and seems unhealthy.

Image Anchor Text

Image anchor text is clickable information about the image and it is visible for readers. If users click on image anchor text, they will lead to another page. In the other words, anchor text for an image makes it clickable.

On the other hand, always it recommend to use alt tag for images. Because Google can’t understand the visible appearance of images, and by using alt tag it becomes readable. But what’s the difference between alt tag and image anchor text for images?

Alt tag or alt text is an HTML attribute to provide more information about images for Google. It’s not visible to readers usually. But if the image fails to load, readers can see it. The difference between image alt tag and image anchor text is that the first one isn’t visible to readers, but the second one is visible and clickable.

In the below tweet John Muller was asked about the relevance of such links for SEO.

How to choose the best anchor text?

Answering this question is very simple: To choose the appropriate anchor text, straightly go to the main point in a concise and specific way.

Make it natural and don’t use words or phrases with complicated and sometimes irrelevant sentences! It’s better not to use complete sentences as anchor texts and optimize it SEO-friendly.

Below are some tips to select the best anchor texts:

Choose clear, concise, and descriptive anchors

An anchor is a visible text that appears as a hyperlink, and it should accurately reflect the content of the linked page.

Using vague or generic anchors such as “click here” or “read more” can be confusing for users and may not provide enough information about where the link leads. Instead, use specific words or phrases that accurately describe the content of the linked page.

Optimize anchors for users, not search engines

It’s important to keep in mind that you should be doing it for users and not just for search engines. While having relevant words in anchors can help with SEO, it’s equally important to make sure that the anchor text is clear and descriptive for users.

By using descriptive language, making links visually distinct, and avoiding misleading users, we can create a better user experience.

Don't use the same anchor text more than once

Using the same anchor text repeatedly can be seen as spammy by search engines and may result in penalties or lower rankings. When creating links, it’s important to use varied anchor texts that accurately reflect the content of the linked page.

To avoid using the same anchor text multiple times, consider using synonyms or related phrases instead. This not only helps with SEO but also provides a better user experience for visitors to your website.

Make sure about the right anchor text distribution

A good anchor distribution means using different types of anchor text in your post. Some people over-optimize their anchor texts by excessive use of one type of anchor, especially exact match. It is harmful to a good SEO. So to avoid it, utilize different types of anchors in a specific blog post.

Use brief anchors

Anchor text should be short and brief and not a complete sentence. Using a sentence as an anchor text makes it difficult for search engines to identify the relevance of the linked page. It can also appear cluttered and unprofessional.

Ensure to use relevant anchor text

Search engines become smarter and they find ways to find out how anchor texts are related to page content. If the search engine determines that the anchor text and the target page are well related, both the linking page and the target page will have a good chance for crawling and ranking.

Also, the relevance of the overall theme of the website is important. If a coffee shop’s website links to a similar website about how to make different types of coffee, it will be better in Google’s view than linking to irrelevant sites like sports sites!

Without relevancy, your anchor text will be unnatural. It will damage user experience and waste your efforts for ranking.

Heads up! Errors should be avoided in anchor texts

When it comes to writing anchor texts according to SEO standards, there are mistakes that should be avoided. These include:

Using generic phrases

Regarding the use of generic anchor text, a user asks a question from Google’s Lizzi Sassman:

Question: Is there any difference if an internal link is under the word “here” or if it is linked in a keyword?

Answer: It doesn’t matter if it’s an internal link to something on your site or if it’s an external link pointing to something else, “here” is still bad link text. It could be pointing to any page and it doesn’t tell us what the page is about. It’s much better to use words that are related to that topic so that users and search engines know what to expect from that link.”

Besides SEO discussion, generic anchor texts don’t create good space in your content. They are unpleasant and away from writing art.

Overusing exact match keywords

While it’s important to use keywords in your anchor text, overusing them can be seen as spammy by search engines. Instead, try to use variations of your target keyword or use related phrases that still convey the same meaning.

Including too many links

Including too many links in your content can make it look cluttered and overwhelming for users. Try to limit the number of links you include and focus on linking to high-quality sources that add value to your content.

Using irrelevant anchor text

Your anchor text should accurately describe the content of the page you’re linking to. Using irrelevant anchor text can confuse both search engines and users and may even hurt your rankings.

Using false and deceptive phrases

clickbait anchor text to draw users to click on links is not a good idea. You will lose the authenticity and value of your content.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create effective anchor texts that not only improve your SEO but also provide a better user experience for your audience.

Conclusion

Anchor text is an old but complex topic in SEO. Many active people in this field believe that anchor texts should be used according to the content of the page linked to it, but recommend that be cautious in using anchor texts as much as possible.

You should use different methods in link building. If you only use an anchor text model for your site, it is not out of mind that your site will be penalized by Google in the future, because Google’s algorithm is constantly changing the review criteria.

If users are not redirected to relevant pages by clicking on anchor texts, they will most likely stop clicking on other anchor texts created on your site and their trust in your site will be lost over time.

FAQs

What's anchor text?

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another page or website. It is usually underlined or appears in a different color than the surrounding text. The purpose of anchor text is to provide context and information about the target page.

Why is anchor text essential for SEO?

Anchor text is like a road sign. It tells search engine bots and users where they will lead after clicking on it. Therefore it’s important to select them sensitively and intelligently.

Is there any difference between optimizing anchor text in internal links and external links?

Actually no. But anchor text in internal links is more sensitive. Because by using internal links we want to show our other pages to search engine bots and should be more sensitive about anchor text selection. In addition, internal links are fully under our control and we must be careful to don’t lose this opportunity with wrong anchor texts. But it doesn’t mean overlooking anchor text in external links.

What is very important in anchor text discussion?

The most important thing in anchor text study is knowing the context well.
Now you maybe say ok. But what does happen then?

All of us know the time has passed to select the exact match keyword as anchor text. So, you must focus on ISL or partial match anchor text. (Using branded anchor text in its right place is a good choice.) And ISL and partial match anchor text need a good understanding of your context.

Page Authority and Domain Authority in SEO: How to check and increase

By Somayeh Niya / September 10, 2023

Page Authority and Domain Authority in SEO: How to check and increase?

What is page authority?

In simple language, page authority is a ranking score for a specific page based on some metrics. The range of this score is from 1 to 100. The more it gets closer to 100, the page authority will increase, and the more it gets closer to 1, page authority will decrease.

It should be noted page authority isn’t a ranking factor by Google. This concept was developed by an SEO company tool, MOZ, to help for a better understanding of page value.

What is domain authority?

Domain authority is a metric that measures the strength and authority of a website. It was developed by Moz, a leading SEO software company, to help website owners understand how their sites rank in search engines. Like page authority, the score ranges from 1 to 100, and the higher scores indicate more authority.

Page authority (PA) vs. domain authority (DA)

While page authority indicated the authority of a single page in a specific website, domain authority pointed to the authority of the whole pages of a website.

In other words, domain authority = average authority of the whole pages of a domain. So, as much as you increase the authority of every single page on your website, indeed you increase the authority of your website.

Although they may seem similar, there are some differences between PA and DA that are worth noting:

First, PA takes into account factors such as the number and quality of inbound links, the content on the page, and the overall user experience. On the other hand, DA takes into account factors such as the age of the domain, the number and quality of inbound links to the entire site, and the overall reputation of the domain.

Second, both PA and DA are measured on a scale of 0-100, with higher scores indicating stronger pages. But it is much harder to achieve a high score in DA because it considers the entire domain rather than just one page.

Why page authority & domain authority are important in SEO?

Page Authority and domain authority don’t have any correlation to SEO; they aren’t official rankings given by Google