Latest news with #HARO
Time Business News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
The Ultimate Guide to Modern SEO Strategies: Beat the Algorithm with Smarter Tactics
Search engine algorithms are evolving faster than ever. In 2025, winning top positions in Google isn't just about keywords—it's about intent, experience, and adaptability. This guide walks you through modern SEO strategies that not only meet current best practices but also future-proof your rankings in a constantly changing landscape. SEO strategies are high-level plans that guide how you optimize your website to increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Unlike SEO tactics, which are specific techniques (like updating a meta description), strategies define your overall direction—such as focusing on topical authority or targeting high-conversion intent keywords. Think of strategy as your roadmap and tactics as the turns you take. For example: Strategy: Become the go-to source for digital marketing knowledge in your niche. Tactic: Publish three blog posts per week targeting long-tail informational keywords. By clearly distinguishing the two, you'll execute more purposefully. Today's SEO isn't just about appeasing algorithms—it's about delivering user-first experiences. Google's advancements in machine learning (e.g., BERT, MUM) mean that content relevance, quality, and engagement carry more weight than ever. Without a strong strategy, even great content can fail to perform. If you want to outrank your competitors in 2025, you need to build a holistic, adaptive strategy. Here's what should be at the core: Modern keyword research focuses less on volume and more on intent. Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google's Keyword Planner can still help you identify terms, but it's your job to determine the user's goal behind each query. Tip: Group keywords by intent—informational, navigational, transactional—and tailor your content accordingly. While optimizing titles, H1s, and meta descriptions still matters, modern on-page SEO also includes: Content layout & scannability Accessibility (alt text, ARIA tags) Engagement signals (time on page, scroll depth) Make sure every page is built for users first, bots second. Search engines won't rank what they can't crawl. Focus on: Core Web Vitals Mobile usability HTTPS security XML sitemaps and optimization Canonical tags and proper redirects A well-maintained site foundation supports every other SEO effort. Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has become a key ranking factor. Establish topical authority by: Covering your niche comprehensively Updating outdated content Adding author bios and source citations Using internal linking to signal content hierarchy Spammy links can tank your rankings. Instead: Earn links through original research, guest posts, and digital PR Use HARO to connect with journalists Leverage broken link building on relevant blogs A handful of high-quality links from authoritative sources outweigh hundreds of weak ones. Smarter Tactics to Beat the Algorithm With AI-driven updates like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) changing how results appear, modern SEO demands more than the basics. Below are tactical approaches that align with your strategy—and help you beat the algorithm without gaming it. AI writing tools can boost productivity, but overuse can result in robotic, generic content. Worse, poorly humanized AI content can trigger detection tools used by publishers, educators, and even Google (indirectly). Smarter tactic: Use AI for outlines, ideation, and first drafts—then rewrite with a human voice. Tools like Content at Scale, Koala Writer, or Writesonic can help, but always edit to infuse expertise and natural flow. Aim to pass both human readers and AI detectors. 'AI humanizers' like and AISEO are designed to rewrite content so it appears human. However, they often fail to mimic authentic tone, insight, and emotional resonance. Smarter tactic: Go beyond mechanical rewrites. Include first-hand experience, examples, case studies, and unique analogies. Break the AI mold by writing as if you're speaking to one person, not an audience of bots. Pro tip: Google's Helpful Content System rewards content created for users by humans—don't forget the 'experience' in E-E-A-T. Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better—and can get you featured with rich snippets, FAQs, carousels, or video thumbnails. Smarter tactic: Use JSON-LD to add structured data for: Articles FAQs Product reviews Events How-to guides Tools like Google's Rich Results Test and Validator can help ensure proper formatting. Internal links aren't just for navigation—they signal topic clusters and distribute page authority (link equity). Smarter tactic: Link to cornerstone content from supporting pages Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text Keep your internal links natural, not forced Maintain a flat site structure for easy crawlability Bonus: This tactic also reduces bounce rate and boosts average session duration. Google's SERP has evolved—ranking #1 doesn't guarantee top visibility. Featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and video carousels now dominate page one. Smarter tactic: Structure your content with clear H2s/H3s to qualify for featured snippets Add FAQ schema to target People Also Ask Embed optimized YouTube videos with relevant transcripts By aiming for these SERP features, you earn more visibility—even if your organic result is technically 'below' others. Final Thoughts: Staying Ahead of SEO in an AI-Driven Era Modern SEO isn't about gaming the algorithm — it's about working smarter. With the right strategy, quality content, and user-first mindset, you can stay ahead in search engine results pages (SERPs), even as algorithms evolve. Keep your focus on intent, experience, and adaptability. SEO success in 2025 belongs to those who create for people — not just for search engines. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Hans India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
How to Manage Link Building for a New Website on a Budget
Starting a new website can feel exciting, but also a little overwhelming. You've got your site up and running, maybe you've written a few blog posts, and now you're wondering: 'How do I actually get people to find this thing?' That's where link building comes in. It's one of the most important ways to help your site show up in Google. But when you're just starting out, you probably don't have a lot of money to spend on SEO. The good news? You don't need a huge budget to build links. You just need the right approach. In this post, I'll walk you through how to manage link building for a new website without spending a ton. Everything here is simple, doable, and budget-friendly. Let's get into it. 1. Start With Good, Useful Content Before you even think about links, take a look at your content. Is it helpful? Is it answering real questions people might have? If you're just throwing up blog posts without much thought, it's going to be harder to get people to link to them. But if you write something useful like a how-to guide, a list of tips, or a beginner's guide to something, other websites are more likely to link to it naturally. Examples of easy-to-create content: ● Step-by-step guides (like 'How to Fix a Slow WordPress Site') ● Lists ('10 Free Tools for Social Media Marketing') ● Beginner guides ('SEO Basics for Small Business Owners') ● Checklists or templates (people love saving these!) You don't need to be a writing expert. Just write the way you talk, and focus on being helpful. 2. Use Free Link Building Methods First There are a bunch of ways to get backlinks without spending any money. They take time, but they're worth it, especially when your budget is tight. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) HARO is a free service where journalists ask for sources. You sign up, check your email for requests, and if you have something useful to say, you send it in. If they use your quote, they'll often link to your site. Business directories These include sites like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, and industry-specific directories. Even if the links are no-follow, they still help build trust and visibility. Forums and communities Find forums, Facebook groups, or subreddits related to your topic. Be helpful, answer questions, and drop your link only when it actually adds value. Don't spam. Quora and Reddit These platforms have tons of traffic. If you write helpful answers and include a link to your site (when it makes sense), you can get both traffic and backlinks over time. 3. Use a Link Building Platform (Quick, Scalable, and Budget-Friendly) If you don't have time for outreach or just want a faster option, link building platforms can help. They've already done the hard work of finding real websites that accept backlinks or guest posts. Platforms like Link Publishers connect you with trusted site owners, bloggers, niche publishers, and editors - who regularly publish paid content. It saves you the hassle of cold emails and negotiations, while still getting you links from credible, relevant websites. Here's how it works: 1. Select your niche: Whether you're in tech, finance, health, travel, or another industry, you can filter websites based on relevance. 2. Set your budget: Most platforms list websites with prices ranging from $20 to several hundred dollars, depending on the site's authority, traffic, and backlink quality. 3. Review metrics: You can often see important SEO data like Domain Authority (DA), organic traffic, spam score, and link placement type (contextual, sidebar, bio, etc.). 4. Choose a site and submit your content: Some platforms let you provide your own article, while others offer content writing services as part of the package. 5. Place your order and track results: Once your link is published, many platforms give you live URLs and even basic performance tracking. That's it. No emails, no outreach, no guessing. It's a great way to get quality links even if you're not an SEO expert. And since you can sort by price, it's easy to stay within your budget. 4. Try Guest Posting Without Going Overboard Guest posting means writing a blog post for someone else's website, usually with a link back to your site. It's still one of the most reliable ways to build links, even today. You don't have to pay for it either. Just find blogs in your niche and email them something simple like: 'Hey [Name], I really enjoy your blog. I was wondering if you're open to guest posts? I'd love to write something useful for your readers. Let me know!' Start small, maybe one or two guest posts a month. It adds up. 5. Don't Forget Internal Links Internal links are the links you add within your own site like linking one blog post to another related one. A lot of people skip this, but it's actually a smart move. Why it helps: ● It spreads link value across your pages ● It helps Google understand your site structure ● It keeps visitors on your site longer The best part? It costs nothing and takes just a few minutes to do. 6. Repurpose Your Content to Get More Reach Let's say you wrote a blog post. Instead of stopping there, turn it into other things: ● A quick video (post it on YouTube) ● A LinkedIn post or Twitter thread ● A graphic or mini infographic ● A PDF or checklist for sharing These give you more chances to get shared or linked. And if someone finds your repurposed content helpful, they might link back to the original blog post. 7. Keep Track of What's Working You don't need fancy tools to track your progress. Just keep things simple. Free tools to use: ● Google Search Console: See what keywords your site is showing up for. ● Dofollow/Nofollow Link Checker – Use this tool to check if backlinks are dofollow or nofollow. ● Ubersuggest (free version): Get backlink data and keyword ideas. ● Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free): Great for checking backlinks and site health. Check once a week or once a month. If you notice certain pages are getting more links, maybe focus more on that type of content. 8. Stay Consistent - Even if It's Slow Link building doesn't give overnight results. Especially for new websites, it can take a few months before things really start moving. But if you stay consistent, even if that means building just 2 or 3 links a month. You'll see progress. And once your site starts ranking, the traffic you get can make all that effort totally worth it. Final Thoughts You don't need a big budget to build backlinks. What you really need is a bit of time, some patience, and a smart approach. Start with the free stuff: write helpful content, do some outreach, try HARO and business listings. It's all about building slowly and staying consistent. Even with a small budget, your website can grow one good link at a time.
Business Journals
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Help a Reporter Out returns: Scottsdale tech firm to revive journalism tool
Scottsdale-based Featured has just acquired an online media tool that once connected media members with subject matter experts. The firm's CEO said now is the perfect time for the tool to make a comeback. Story Highlights Featured acquires Help A Reporter Out from Cision HARO set to resume daily email newsletters Featured CEO says HARO is coming back as "AI floods the internet with generic content" Scottsdale-based Featured is reviving Help A Reporter Out after recently acquiring the online media tool from Cision, a global public relations software company headquartered in Chicago. Featured, which connects publishers with subject matter experts to create content, announced closure of the deal on April 15. Initially launched as a Facebook group in 2008, HARO was an online service that connected journalists with expert sources via daily email newsletters. HARO was acquired in 2010 by Vocus Inc., which later merged with Cision. In 2024, Cision discontinued HARO to focus on its other tools for PR and communications customers, according to the company. 'This is the perfect time to bring HARO back,' Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured, said in a statement. 'As AI floods the internet with generic content, journalists need credible, human sources more than ever. Our goal is to preserve what made HARO great, while modernizing it for today's media landscape.' Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Farmiloe's decision to acquire HARO was prompted by the online service's alignment with Featured's mission of making expert knowledge more accessible to the media. 'Essentially, it was a great way for us to get more people featured in the media and at the same time help reporters get connected to sources to create incredible stories," he said. "It was a kind of a no-brainer to pursue.' HARO is free to use for journalists and subject matter experts. It will be supported via newsletter advertisements, Farmiloe said. Under Featured's ownership, HARO is returning to its original format of delivering daily email newsletters beginning April 22, Farmiloe said. 'The goal here is to look at the demand on the reporter side and determine how many newsletters we actually send out,' he said. 'Initially, it'll probably be once a day, but our goal is to get back to where it was before — at three times a day.' Featured has raised $2 million since inception Farmiloe launched Featured — then known as Terkel — in 2022 after incorporating the company a year earlier. The company created a two-sided online marketplace that helps publishers connect with vetted experts. The company rebranded to Featured in 2023 to better communicate the company's value proposition to its customers, the Business Journal previously reported. 'A publisher is able to post a question and get a full-length article for their website, so that they could drive incremental revenue through ads or commerce content,' Farmiloe told AZ Inno in a 2023 interview. 'Then, marketers are able to answer a question and get it featured in articles on the publisher's website. That helps them build up visibility, promote themselves and their brands, and really get their name out there.' Featured works with more than 1,000 publishers and companies, some of which include GoDaddy, American Express, Fast Company and the University of Arizona. It has a network of more than 50,000 expert sources signed up to answer questions on its platform. Featured has raised a total of $2 million in capital from investors that include Stout Street, Sonoran Founders Fund and Great North Ventures — the latter of which also backed the company's HARO acquisition. Featured will continue operating independently, with both its platform and HARO's revival "rooted in the belief that everyone's an expert at something,' Farmiloe said. 'The fact that we were able to negotiate this deal from here in Phoenix and bring HARO back is incredible,' Farmiloe said. '… I think a HARO revival wasn't on a lot of peoples' bingo cards, but I think it's a welcome addition to what this year brings. And it brings back a really important tool for people to utilize.' Sign up here for the Phoenix Business Journal's free newsletters, and download our free app for breaking news alerts.
