Touchscreen smartphone on a green lit background with ChatGPT interface open and ChatGPT prompts

To Block or Not to Block GPTbot: Here’s What to Consider First

Learn what GPTbot is and the pros/cons of blocking ChatGPT's AI crawler

Wondering, “Should I block GPTbot?”, “Is GPTbot harmful?”, or “Can I see if ChatGPT uses my content?”

We’ve got answers. Learn what GPTbot is and read up on the pros and cons of letting Open AI’s GPTbot crawl your site.

ChatGPT is an online AI software made by OpenAI. It provides users with information and answers using data and content aggregated from the web. Since ChatGPT was trained using web information up until September 2021, answers can be outdated or incorrect.

GPTbot, a site crawler, was released in early August 2023 to scrape websites and collect new information and data for ChatGPT’s latest software version, GPT-5. 

GPTbot may be the most discussed name in AI bot crawlers, but it’s not the only one. Other bots are used to inform AI tools, such as CCbot and WebText2.

Blocking GPTbot can prevent ChatGPT from using content on your site, but it won’t prevent other crawlers that may be informing the tool. If you don’t want GPTbot to access your content, you can use robots.txt to block the bot from accessing your website, or parts of it. But should you?

Is GPTbot harmful?

The act of GPTbot crawling your site isn’t harmful. 

Bots crawl websites every day, and most are relatively harmless. Google might crawl large, active sites several times a day, or once every few weeks for smaller or less active sites. 

An aggressive bot can ping your site enough to cause a spike in traffic, though this traffic typically shows up as an anomaly within data reporting tools and is filtered out. 

OpenAI’s GPTbot crawls sites and stores information to use for AI training purposes and to provide answers to users. Currently, ChatGPT does not cite sources or links to the original source material it uses to generate answers — which could come from your website. 

At present, there is no way to track whether your site content has been served in ChatGPT as an answer to a question or prompt. Once ChatGPT begins citing sources, you may be able to track incoming traffic from users who click on your site as a source material.

Should you block GPTbot?

AI bots are becoming more intuitive and gaining popularity. With GPTbot crawling sites, it’s safe to assume your content will be crawled and indexed for the AI program to use. The question is: should you block GPTbot in your robots.txt file to avoid having your content crawled and potentially used to inform answers? Here are some facts to consider.

Analytics tools do not see if your content appears in AI results.

Analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Adobe Analytics, etc., do not currently have a way to show if your site was used for AI results. Allowing GPTbot to crawl and index the content on your site will let it potentially use that content when answering questions, but there is currently no way of knowing if it uses your content or not.

ChatGPT does not cite sources… Yet.

ChatGPT currently does not cite sources when providing answers to its users, which means if it uses your content, there will not be any attribution to your site — and the user wouldn’t know which source is informing ChatGPT’s response. 

However, it is reasonable to assume that ChatGPT will follow Bard’s lead in terms of attribution and cite sources in future updates. For that reason, it may be wise to allow GPTBot to crawl your site now in preparation for what is to come.

“OpenAI says it will cite sources when plugins pull data from third-party websites. This means there will definitely be potential to get clicks from ChatGPT if a user pulls in your content,” – Search Engine Land.

ChatGPT will not replace Google Search in the short term, but it is a great additive tool.

Though AI programs like ChatGPT have gained popularity, it is unlikely they will replace Google Search when it comes to providing answers to users’ questions. Why? In its current state, ChatGPT is not timely nor informed on current events, people, and places. 

On average, there are around 8.5 billion Google searches per day, while ChatGPT averaged around 55 million visitors per day in recent months — less than 1% of daily Google searches. 

That said, other AI tools, such as Google Bard, are already integrated within search engine results and providing generative AI results. Your site could be discovered by searchers in generative AI results as long as your site allows AI bots to crawl content.

“​​There’s a decent chance that if somebody uses the tool to pull content from your website, they might link to you wherever they post the output. You’ll be passing up this chance if you block it.” – Search Engine Land.

Letting GPTbot crawl your site may lead to more mentions — and ownership over your brand voice.

Even if you aren’t yet receiving direct attribution in ChatGPT results, your brand name may still appear among ChatGPT’s results. Allowing GPTbot to crawl your site could result in increased (though currently immeasurable) benefits — akin to earned media or word of mouth. While you aren’t doing any additional work outside of publishing content on your digital properties, ChatGPT may be serving up queries about or related to your brand and, in turn, providing influence and driving interest. Allowing GPTbot to crawl your site will ensure that GPTbot — and therefore ChatGPT — is informed by and synthesizing your brand through your lens. 

AI is still emerging and could shape the SERP.

The rapid emergence of consumer-facing AI technology will likely shape how search evolves down the line. We will likely see an integration between “traditional” search and AI. Rather than resisting (blocking GPTbot), early adopters may be at an advantage over the competition by allowing their sites to be crawled in the here and now.  

At a minimum, allowing your site to be crawled by AI bots could allow your content to be utilized by a unique new tool that leads users back to search engines to prove the AI’s information is factual.

“We need to start thinking of AI as a new acquisition channel – just like we do with search, social and retail platforms or app stores.” – Search Engine Land

What’s GPO’s takeaway?

Currently, AI tools can and do use a site’s content without proper attribution. In the future, if ChatGPT begins crediting sources for its information, it’s best to ensure your quality content is displayed as the source for a user’s question. 

At GPO, we believe AI is a highly relevant, evolving tool that should be embraced by companies as consumers gravitate toward AI-based tools such as ChatGPT. Weigh the pros and cons for your brand, and keep in mind that there is vast potential down the line for your content to influence AI and receive attribution in front of a larger audience as AI capabilities increase and AI integrations become more commonplace.

Have questions about optimizing for AI? Get in touch to learn how GPO and the GPO Platform can help you build a future-proof local content marketing strategy.

UX designer with pen and pad digitally working on laptop on website design for UX and UI.

4 Reasons You Should Care About UX and UI

UX/UI influences your SERP rankings, bounce rate, and more.

UX, UI, graphic design…why do they matter? When you’re analyzing where to spend your already stretched-thin budget, it’s easy to brush off design either as a given – it should just work – or even think of it as fluff.

After all, who cares how something looks if it works well?

Your customers and clients care! When it comes to user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, it’s about more than picking great colors and hoping for the best. It’s about bringing customers to your site, keeping them on page, and more. Not convinced yet? Here are four reasons why you should care about UI and UX, too.

1. Great UX/UI Brings Customers to Your Website

Yep, we’re talking about SEO. And why wouldn’t we? Search engine optimization is what draws potential customers to your website in the first place. And we’ve learned that Google cares about UX and UI, or at the very least, the consumer behaviors they promote. Well-organized websites are easier for search bots to crawl, making them easier to find. Mobile-first indexing means that sites optimized to work well on both mobile and desktop fare better on the SERP. A lower bounce rate can help your ranking. And what better way to keep customers on the page than a well-designed, easy-to-use site? That leads us to…

2. Great UX Keeps Customers on Your Website

In the 100-meter dash, 3 seconds is the difference between Usain Bolt and your average middle schooler. In SEO, 3 seconds is the difference between a happy consumer and a lost conversion.

According to Google, 53% of users abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. That means that your fight for customers doesn’t stop at the SERP.

Once the race to load your page is complete, know that you’re not across the finish line. Great UX and UI help keep that hard-won customer on-page for longer, increasing their likelihood of converting. UX focuses on ensuring that the logic of your site makes sense, flows well, and presents crucial information quickly. Do all of the buttons work, or do they cause unexpected results? Is your site intuitive to navigate, or does it take a consumer two, three, or a dreaded four clicks to find what they’re looking for?

When you dedicate proper resources to user experience, you improve your Core Web Vitals performance and have a better shot at not only drawing customers to your site but keeping them there for longer. Plus, the lower your bounce rate, the better it looks for SEO. Meaning that customers who stay longer bring more customers in the long run.

3. Great UI Showcases Your Brand Voice

UI concerns itself with the visual aspect of your website. What do customers see when they click your search result? What story is it telling on the initial impression?

Once your site loads, it’s crucial to make a great first impression and showcase the services and products that you offer. Visual engagement doesn’t focus solely on high-quality graphics and picking the right font, though that’s part of it! Visual engagement also means staying true to your brand’s identity and maintaining distinct branding. Sticking to your brand identity can serve as a unifying factor when you’re working with dozens of different locations in various cities. It can also make your website a distinctive mermaid (or man) in a sea of competitors.

When you provide unique, powerful content that is tailored to your brand’s unique, powerful identity, it’s memorable to your consumers and keeps them coming back for more.

4. Great UX/UI Shows That You Mean Business

Throwback sneakers: very cool. Throwback websites: not so much.

We’ve all visited sites that look straight out of the dial-up era. White backgrounds, blue and black text, and even some funky word art or low-quality graphics to match. While “retro” can be a bold aesthetic choice when done right, most companies aren’t going for that look. And let’s be honest – like the throwback sneakers, most can’t pull it off, either.

When your site is beautiful, up-to-date, easy to navigate, and on-brand, your company looks more professional. It communicates to your customers that they can take you seriously and tells your competitors they should, too.

High-Quality Content, High-Quality UX: Localize Content

Words move hearts, not buttons. However, you need high-quality UX and UI to ensure you maximize your conversions and keep consumers in the pipeline during their purchase journey.

With GPO’s Localize Content, you can expand your digital footprint while maintaining a completely brand-matched experience from visuals to voice.  Fast-loading Localize Content pages are expertly designed to keep your consumers on-page with thoughtful UI, interactive modules, and relevant content that answers searchers’ most pressing questions — allowing for a seamless experience and cleaner “messy middle” of the consumer journey.

Ready to connect with consumers and up your conversion rate? Let’s talk! Get a demo.

Testing More Than Just Design: Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs Content Testing

Test at the content level to drive your strategy — and save time and money.

Everyone is “testing.” 77% of organizations do A/B testing on their website and 60% on their landing page. 

The testing process helps your brand identify audiences, the proper market channels, and continually refine and improve — driving your strategy while saving you time and money.

However, most experimentation and testing still occur at the artifact level and center on user experience (UX). In other words, most brands are testing buttons and colors when they should be testing something else — the words on the page.

Graphic outlining the levels of content testing/ flow from CRM to artifact.

Yes — reimagining on-page flow and interactive elements can significantly impact the consumer experience (and your bounce rate), but a massive piece is missing from most marketers’ testing. That’s content. 

Why Test at the Content Level and the UX Level?

Words might be free to use, but how you use them can cost you. Big time. Content testing can highlight the price you’ll pay for using the wrong ones, and the wealth that can come from using the right ones. 

Don’t diminish the power of words. Words move hearts, and hearts move limbs (Hamza Yusuf). Words compel people to act online and in person because words are the point of connection between the brand (the creator) and the customer.

“Buttons move hearts” sounds as natural as “Bing it.” Nope. It’s words that move people, and when in doubt, “Google it.” 

Test your words to find just the right ones to: 

Increase Conversion Rates

Do your site visitors need a paragraph about style or one about functionality? A comparison chart or a pros/cons list? A causal, 20 words, or a comprehensive 2,000? Learn what drives conversions.

By testing different versions of the content on your landing pages, emails, and ads, you can identify the elements that resonate best with your target audience and increase your conversion rates.

Reduce Risk

If you don’t make moves to manage risks, you’ll never know if your new ideas will connect with customers or if they’re worth the end investment. Testing content minimizes the risk of a drastic business impact. 

Identify potential issues with the content in your marketing campaigns before you invest a significant amount of time and money. Pinpointing ineffective content reduces the risk of launching campaigns that fail to achieve your desired results — conversions.

Enhance the Customer Experience

Testing at the content level helps you to understand your customers’ needs and preferences, enabling you to create copy and marketing campaigns that resonate and even update old content. Almost half (44%) of SEMRush content survey respondents said updating existing content has boosted their content marketing value.  

Even if a content test doesn’t turn out as anticipated, you can still use your findings to identify what customers don’t want.

Provide Strategy-Driving Insights

Testing your content provides valuable insights that you can use to optimize your content creation efforts moving forward. By analyzing the results of your tests, you can identify trends, patterns, and opportunities that you may have otherwise missed.

 

Why Aren’t More Marketers Testing and Experimenting At the  Content Level? 

 

With the disruption of single-search and AI content generators, creating content that connects — and lots of it — is more critical than ever. So, why don’t more marketers hone in on their efforts to test at the content level?

Content creation is time and resource intensive. Creating quality content requires hours of strategy, idea generation, and editing. And when you’re talking landing pages and product descriptions, you’re talking hundreds of pages and thousands of words. 

That’s a lot of output and a lot of line-by-line head-scratching.

Generating these massive amounts of copy for testing purposes in-house can bog down your creative team. It’s simply not feasible. 

An astounding 19% of organizations don’t have a dedicated content team or person, and only 36% have a content team of 1-3 people. If you opt to freelance or use AI content generators, you’ve now taken on the stress of proofing and fact-checking content, ensuring unique outputs, infusing your brand voice, and figuring out how to host and monitor it. (Oh yeah, and all those freelance invoices!) 

Logistics alone make creating “excess” copy for testing an intimidating feat.

That’s where GPO comes in. 

Use the testing and optimization platform of your choice to its max potential quickly and easily — GPO’s Amplify Content allows you to test at the content level. 

Amplify Content provides hundreds of unique pages of human-written, AI-empowered content (and fast). With Amplify Content, you can generate hundreds to thousands of unique content pages with minimal oversight. Our in-house writers adapt to your brand voice, integrate your marketing messaging, and ensure a clean output that passes AI-generator detection. 

Get in touch now to learn more about how you can pair GPO’s Amplify Content with Optimizely and advance your marketing testing. 

 

Haley Collins AI Webinar Breaking Down the Buzzword of 2023 AI Content presented by GPO

Watch Now | Breaking Down THE Buzzword of 2023: AI Content

Learn about the capabilities (and limitations) of AI content generators.

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How AI content works. You’ll get an easy-to-understand breakdown of how AI conceptually works, plus how marketers tend to approach using AI-powered tools.
  • The limitations of what AI copywriting can do for your brand. While AI writing has gotten amazingly good, there are still constraints marketers face when using AI tools.
  • How the GPO Platform works. Learn how our content solutions may be a faster, more accurate way to publish (and host!) content at scale for your brand.

Remain Competitive in the Age of AI

Are you prepared to take on an evolving digital landscape? Get in touch with GPO today to learn how our Content Platform can help your brand leverage unique human-written, AI-powered content at scale  resulting in increased presence and conversions.

Content Marketing World 2022

Lessons Learned at Content Marketing World

Marketers across the country wait in anticipation all year for Content Marketing World. This multi-day event is jam-packed with keynotes, breakout sessions, and workshops.

GPO team in Cleveland, OH for CMW '22

This year nine GPOers gathered in Cleveland to learn from some of the best and brightest in the business. From AI-assisted marketing to zero-click approaches, here are the four lessons from Content Marketing World 2022 that we’re excited to share with you.

Human Written Content is Here to Stay

Content marketers have all heard the hype: artificial intelligence is coming to take our jobs. Well — not so fast! Even though AI has come a long way in the past few years, content marketing will require a human touch for the foreseeable future. Though AI can assist marketers with daily tasks, it can’t replace them.

At Content Marketing World, we learned that using AI to create content isn’t as simple and streamlined as it appears — or often marketed. Marketers must teach and train their AI programs first to get the best results. Before you begin the content creation process, you’ll need to provide samples of human-written content that suits your brand voice, tone, and message. You’ll still need to provide topics, key points, and vital facts or information for every piece. Finally, you’ll need to heavily edit and revise your AI-written content to ensure accuracy (and to make it sound like a robot didn’t write it). Using AI is still a lot of work — and potentially even more time-consuming than just creating content yourself.

Go After RAQs, not FAQs

Starting to create your quarterly content calendars? Want to create content that ranks? According to Andrew Davis, your goal shouldn’t be to create more content. Your goal should be to answer more original questions. Davis suggests refraining from answering frequently asked questions and instead focusing on rarely asked questions, or RAQs. (In the SEO world, you may also call these long-tail keyphrases.)

Why? First, frequently asked questions cater to too large of audiences (and they’ve already been answered). Second, FAQs don’t provide room for personalization or segmentation.

Answering rarely-asked questions is the best way to cater to multiple smaller, segmented audiences and deliver outsized results. RAQs leverage the power of top-down promotion, a marketing strategy in which the decision to try a service, buy a product, or support a cause is encouraged at the highest level. It’s essentially shifting your content efforts to spend more time on the ultimate decision-maker.

To help explain top-down promotion, Davis uses the example of a new Content Manager presenting to their CMO about the need for content marketing. The Content Manager knows the CMO will want to know when to expect results, so they Google “how long does it take for content marketing to work,” and see that it takes 6 to 8 months.

The CMO wants to know “why content marketing takes so long” (a query with 0 helpful results) and what needs to happen to speed up the process. A smart Content Manager, focused on getting buy-in from the top-down decision-maker, will get ahead of the question, “why content marketing takes so long.”

To leverage the power of rarely-asked questions, content planners need to know and understand the mindset of the decision-makers for their products/services. Ask yourself: is the ultimate decision-maker in this instance an in-the-weeds doer who needs to know “how to?” Or, is your decision-maker a single mom who needs to know “why” and “when?”

The key takeaway here: get outsized results by answering rarely asked questions from the right decision makers who could purchase your products/services.

The Future of SEO is Low-Click

The shift toward low-click isn’t necessarily recent news — but it should inform how you adjust your content and SEO strategy. During The Future of SEO: Adapting to a New Low-Click Through Rate Reality, we learned how to address some of today’s new SEO challenges.

Rankings may not be changing much, but viewport positioning is. Currently, 92% of searches feature the “People Also Ask” featured snippet, and approximately 2/3 of search queries result in zero clicks. There are other SERP challenges to account for, too. Directories, PR pieces, and marketplaces tend to dominate SERPs — resulting in traffic losses.

Panelists suggested several approaches to keep in mind when creating SEO-focused content.

  • Don’t target a keyphrase without the appropriate content type
  • Optimize directories using listings management
  • “Own” a keyphrase with multiple content types
  • Target mixed-intent searches with timely AND evergreen content
  • Use site search analytics

Brand Voice is The New Logo

Author and speaker Ann Handly addressed the importance of voice in her keynote speech, “Brand Voice is the New Logo”. Handley emphasized the importance of brand voice as an integral component of crafting brand recognition and posed the question: If your logo fell off, would you recognize you?

Handley asserts that every company and every marketer needs a memorable, relatable voice to build brand affinity, awareness, and loyalty.

According to Handley, a strong brand voice has the power to:

  • Demonstrate consumer understanding
  • Create competitor separation
  • Build consumer trust
  • Forge connection

However, a memorable, relatable brand voice isn’t something that you can cultivate overnight.

Creating a brand voice takes time — and effort. Handley took us on a (hilarious) and memorable journey to brand voice.

The Forest of Enchantment

Spend time immersing yourself in content that beckons you, those you’d love to emulate.

The Swamp of Rage

The frustrating piece: determining how other brands create their voice — and examining where your brand is falling short.

The Hall of Mimic

It’s time to put brand voice into practice. During this stage, mimic but don’t copy what brands you admire (or your competitors) are doing.

The Reflecting Pool

Refine your strategy and learn what works for your brand.

The Secret Chamber of Clams

Handley pulls from the comedic world, bringing in the concept of clams. Clams are typically comedic gems. For your brand, clams may take shape as taglines or impactful language that you can reiterate time and time again. Clams can help you create an “insider language” with your consumers.

Need help with your digital strategy? Turn to GPO. From unique product descriptions to local search pages, our proven set of Content Solutions can help simplify the content strategy and creation process.

Woman at whiteboard planning out when and how often to create blog content calendars in modern collaborative office setting

When (and How Often) You Should Create Blog Content Calendars

Need help with creating your content calendars? Use this guide.

As content marketers, we’re often tasked with determining how and when to create content calendars. But, the right content calendar strategy for your business depends upon many factors.  

Need help deciding when to get started with creating your content calendars? Questioning how often you should be building your content calendars? Use this guide to find clarity. 

What Should a Content Calendar Accomplish?

Content calendars can help you keep a consistent writing and posting schedule. But beyond that, there are other benefits to creating content calendars. First, going through the process of creating a content calendar is a great way to start formulating your overarching content strategy. 

Content calendars are considered best practice for bringing your content marketing strategy to life because they allow you to:

Define Content Strategy & Goals

Your content calendar should allow you to plainly see what every post aims to accomplish. Each topic in your content calendar should have a clearly-defined purpose, call to action, and goal — whether that be to welcome a new employee or highlight how your company provides quality furniture that fits the latest design trend. 

See the Big Picture 

Seeing your topics, goals, and strategy laid out can help you see the big picture of your content strategy. Condensing your ideas and topics into one organized space will help you better understand which topics you’re covering well and make it easier to identify any content gaps in the future. 

Stay Organized 

A well-defined content calendar will help keep you organized and efficient. Having your topics preplanned with due dates and publish dates will help ensure that you’re not only posting relevant content on the regular but also quality content.

Track Your Ideas

Don’t rely upon sticky notes for capturing your best blog topics! In addition to providing an outline of your upcoming content topics, your content calendar should also have a space for jotting down future content ideas. 

Capturing potential topics as they come naturally can save you time down the line — and ensure your brilliant shower thoughts don’t wash down the drain. 

Now that you understand how to create a well-defined content marketing strategy framework, read on to figure out when (and how frequently) you should begin developing your content calendars. 

When Should You Create Content Calendars?

Before you get started creating your content calendars, there’s a bit of work to be done. From gathering business goals and trends to completing research, here’s what you’ll need in your back pocket before you start.

Once Business Goals and Merchandising Trends Are Established 

Consult with your team at large to see where business goals and merchandising trends lie in the months ahead. If your company is looking to sell more tires, for example, you’ll want to incorporate tire-related topics.  

Business goals and merchandising trends are typically solidified at the top of the business quarter — making this an ideal time to gather intel. 

After Completing Research

With business goals and merchandising trends in hand, it’s time to start researching. Dive deep into your previous content performance by analyzing your best (and worst) performing posts. Get to know your market by completing keyphrase research — tools such as SEM Rush and MOZ can help you get started. 

Completing keyphrase research can help you grasp not only what your consumers are searching for but also how they’re searching for it. And, don’t forget to do some competitive research to see what topics significant players in your industry have recently addressed! 

Ahead of a New Product or Service Launch

Is your company branching out and offering a new product or service? Now’s the time to get ahead of the curve and start creating content! Creating content around your new product or service can help establish your business in SERPs and build consumer trust. 

How Often Should You Create Blog Content Calendars?

The short answer: it depends. You’ll want to have enough content planned out to feel confident that you have a good game plan for the quarter ahead, but you also need to leave room for flexibility. For that reason, you’ll need to devise a strategy that allows you plenty of breathing room to create content while remaining agile. 

The right strategy for your business will depend upon a handful of factors, including:

Your Company’s or Industry’s Age

Have you just launched a new company or segment? Are you in an up-and-coming industry? If that’s the case, you’ll want to consider a shorter time frame for your content calendars. Until you have a solid grasp of who your consumers are and how your products fit their needs, you may need to test and modify your existing content to ensure it resonates. 

Shorter time frames on content calendars — such as monthly content calendars — will allow for greater agility and adjustment. 

Businesses in well-established companies or industries will have greater foresight into what the year ahead will bring. Therefore, you’re better positioned to create content calendars well in advance. In this case, quarterly or semi-annual calendars can help you get organized and prepared. 

No matter your approach, don’t become “married” to your content calendars. Be willing to adapt and adjust as things change. 

Trend, News Cycle, and Supply Chain Influence

As a content marketer, you must stay on top of how trends, world events, and supply chain disruptions can impact your business. While your products or services are likely set in stone for a quarter — or year — ahead, these influences may affect how you want to position your products or services. 

World events, trends, and supply chains can influence how your consumers search and purchase. If any of the above directly impacts your industry, you may want to consider creating content calendars more frequently — perhaps monthly or quarterly. This way, you can ensure your content calendars are fresh and provide timely, relevant information as things change.

Your Ideal Posting Schedule

Finally, you’ll need to consider how often you want to post. For a social media content calendar, you may want to post multiple times a week — even daily. Posting at least weekly is considered the sweet spot for blogs or articles. 

If you plan on churning out multiple posts per week, you’ll likely need or want to be a little more flexible in your posting. In this case, a weekly or monthly calendar is your best bet. For once-weekly posting, refer to the above topics to determine how often you should create your content calendars. 

Need Help? Turn to GPO’s Tailor Content

Need help developing your content strategy? Turn to GPO’s Tailor Content. Let our team of experienced, qualified content writers handle your content strategy from inception to posting. We’ll work with you to learn and understand your business goals, marketing initiatives, brand, and voice. The result? Research-backed, search-optimized content that seamlessly fits your brand. 



Woman at computer with pencil in hand

How to Improve Your Website’s Bounce Rate

Get the conversions you're after by improving your website's bounce rate.

When it comes to online marketing, keeping users’ attention is necessary. The longer a user stays on your website, the more likely they will convert to a sale for your business. Conversely, the quicker they “bounce” away from your site, the lower your chances of converting a sale. 

If you’re dealing with a high bounce rate on a vital landing page or across multiple pages on your website, you’ve come to the right place. Learn why your website might have a high bounce rate and how to fix it ASAP.

Bounce Rate: What It Is and What It Means

Before jumping into bounce rate improvement strategies, let’s start with some essential terminology and common questions about bounce rates.

What is a bounce? 

A bounce is a single instance of a user finding your website, clicking on it, viewing one page (and one page only), then leaving your site. “Leaving” can be navigating to an external website, clicking the back button on their browser, closing the browser tab, or letting their session time out.

What is bounce rate?

When looking at Google Analytics or similar data dashboards for your website, you’ll see the total number of sessions and bounces (amongst other metrics). Bounce rate is the percentage of total sessions during which visitors leave your website after visiting only one specific page. 

Exit rate vs. bounce rate: what’s the difference?

The most significant difference between a bounce and an exit is the number of pages a visitor views during their session. To be considered an “exit” for a particular page, a visitor would have to view multiple pages on your website then leave the website immediately after viewing that specific page. 

Here’s an example of the difference:

  • Session 1: Visitor views page A on your website, then leaves the site. 
  • Session 2: Visitor views page B on your website, then navigates to page C, then page A, then leaves the site. 

Session 1 would count as a “bounce” for page A. Session 2 would count as an “exit” for page A. Each of these would affect page A’s bounce rate and exit rate, respectively. 

What is a good bounce rate? 

In general, an average-to-good bounce rate is under 55%. A higher bounce rate is not always an indication that something is wrong, though. 

A desirable bounce rate can depend on several factors:

  • Page purpose. When a page is meant to be informational or allow users to submit a form, they don’t necessarily need to navigate away from that page for the page to fulfill its purpose. In this case, single-page sessions and high bounce rates are expected. If reaching your desired end goal requires users to navigate multiple pages, a high bounce rate may cause concern. 
  • Industry average bounce rate. Some industries and business types simply lend themselves to one-and-done user sessions. Do some research to find the industry average bounce rate, and make adjustments if your website is outside the typical range. 

How to Improve Bounce Rate

Whether you’d like to improve average bounce rates across your site or focus on a few specific pages, these strategies can help.

1. Keep Your Content Short and Sweet

People are looking for quick answers. Can they get them from your brand? The average user stays on a web page for 10-20 seconds — that’s only extended if they like what they see as soon as they open the page. If key information on your page is buried in long paragraphs toward the bottom of the page, it’s time to fix that. Showcase a clear message and value proposition at the top of your pages to keep users engaged. 

2. Prioritize Easy Readability and Flow

Breaking content into subheadings can help with search engine indexing (hello, higher ranking!), but it can also keep users interested. When creating content for web pages and blog posts, use a hierarchy of headings to make your content skimmable. Numbered lists and bullet points can also help the reader get maximum value in a short amount of time, which ultimately keeps your brand top-of-mind as a helpful resource they’ll want to turn to again in the future. 

3. Make Page Speed Improvements

You only have a user’s attention for a few seconds before it wanders, so make those seconds count. Eliminate user frustration (and missed opportunities) by improving your website’s loading speeds. Use PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to quickly identify site components that are slowing things down.

4. Overhaul Your Page Navigation

Once users land on a specific page, is there a clear path of where to go next? Do you give them good reasons to keep clicking? Besides having top-quality, search-optimized content, your site pages should have easy, intuitive navigation. Don’t make searchers hunt for more information or next steps—you’ll lose them if they have to work too hard to find what they need.

5. Optimize for Mobile Use

Think you don’t need a mobile version of your website? Think again. Mobile users account for more than half of all search engine queries. Make sure your website is up to par with mobile-friendly features, navigation, and visual flow. 

Improve Your Average Bounce Rates with High-Quality Content

High bouncing is fun on a trampoline, but in online marketing, a high bounce rate can spell trouble. GPO’s tried-and-true content approach can improve a high bounce rate— and turn page views into sales for your business. Schedule a demo today to see how our team can help.

 

Student hands paying with credit card on laptop at night

5 Reasons Brands Need to Create Personalized Content

Your brand needs personalized content. Here's why.

Long gone are the days of one-size-fits-all web copy. From email marketing subject lines to PPC landing pages, personalized content has revolutionized the digital marketing space — and the consumer experience. Savvy marketers are custom-creating engaging, individualized content to keep up with an increasingly competitive market. And it’s no surprise why: well-done personalized content is 300% more likely to convert. 

Strategic personalized content uses targeted messaging to provide a unique, relevant, and, above all, valuable consumer experience. However, personalized content isn’t about just inserting your consumer’s name in the subject line. The true goal of personalized content isn’t just to improve conversion rates but to make your audience feel seen, heard, and well represented. 

While creating personalized content takes additional time and effort, the results are well worth it. Here are five reasons why your brand needs to create personalized content. 

Reason 1: Improved User Experience Results in Conversions 

Personalization can open up the door to improved user experience. Consumers have come to know (and expect) tailored online experiences. Online shoppers now display less brand loyalty, comparison shop, and want to quickly execute a purchase. You need to grab their attention and keep them interested to make that conversion happen.

And, personalization can increase efficiency. Because personalized content is highly relevant, consumers are able to quickly and easily find what they’re searching for, determine whether or not your product or service is a good fit for them, then take an action: leave, purchase, make an appointment, or whatever the action may be.

A personalized user experience reaches beyond your “owned” web properties, too. As a brand, you must also consider crafting personalized content to be seen in other places where customers are conducting research, such as social media and search engines. Take Google, for example. Nearly 70% of all Google searches use four or more words and more conversational language, showing the searcher’s desire to find very specific answers to their very specific questions. 

As consumers conduct hyper-specific searches online, your brand needs to have hyper-specific content to show up as a relevant answer on search. Your highly tailored content will likely reach customers who are ready to convert. 

Reason 2: Greater Control Over Messaging

Compared to traditional content, creating and placing personalized content requires more strategizing, content creation, and often data collection. This additional effort ultimately allows your brand to have more control over how you communicate with your customer. 

Personalized content will require you to segment your audience, allowing you to choose which locations, offerings, products, or services are most relevant and useful to your consumer.

Additionally, personalization can allow you to meet your consumer where they are in the purchasing process. No matter how you use personalized content, having greater control over your messaging ensures that you’re consistently serving relevant results to your consumers tailored to their purchasing mindset. As a result, your brand will experience increased relevance. 

Reason 3: More Engagement Opportunities Across Multiple Touchpoints 

Quality personalized content is data-driven. Collecting, analyzing, and applying information related to consumer demographics, interests, and behaviors across multiple distribution channels can help you create content that speaks to your consumer. 

Personalizing your brand’s web copy is the first step in creating a more tailored customer experience. From localizing your content to creating dynamic content that changes based on the customer visiting your site, the possibilities are endless. Don’t forget about hyper-personalizing titles and meta descriptions to create a stellar CX on search. 

Next, make sure your social media accounts incorporate personalized content as well. An example: multi-location brands should post local-specific content and offers for every storefront. 

Finally, ensure your one-on-one email communication with customers is highly tailored to their interests. 

Reason 4: Insight into the Customer Journey

Personalization can help you see what is and isn’t working. Where are users clicking out? Why aren’t they completing a transaction? What strategies will help get them there? Personalization is a great way to discern what strategies are — and aren’t — worth investing in moving forward. 

Reason 5: Improved Brand Awareness and Affinity

If you’ve been prioritizing quantity of content over quality of content, it’s time to look into personalization. Many marketers fall into the trap of thinking that repeated exposure will eventually intrigue a potential consumer or increase consumer loyalty. However, consumers are constantly bombarded by marketing messaging and are able to easily tune out the noise. 

In addition to providing a better user experience when a consumer has entered the funnel, personalized content is better at initially capturing attention. 

From there, an exceptional online experience has multiple benefits. Personalized content translates into more brand awareness and increased brand affinity. Users who have a positive experience are more likely to share with others, remember your brand, and repeatedly engage with your brand. Therefore, personalized content is a great tool for building consumer trust online.

How to Create Personalized Content 

It’s clear there are many benefits to creating personalized content, but the task of creating so much copy sounds daunting (not to mention, pricey). The good news? You can likely use the data you already have to scale up content production. GPO can help!

Here are a few areas where you can start personalizing content: 

  • Localized web copy.  Localized web copy offers a personalized touch without feeling overly creepy. You create a personalized feel without having to store tons of data while helping consumers find relevant results, offers, and more.
  • Tailored blog posts and web copy. Use long-tailed keywords to get hyper-specific about a relevant topic. Check out our guide on incorporating keyphrase research into your web and blog post content. 
  • Personalized PPC landing pages. Don’t drive paid traffic to your home page! Create tailored landing pages with personalized content to convert visitors. 
  • Chat opportunities. Chat features — whether AI or employee-driven — provide an opportunity to communicate. 
  • Video capabilities. When done well, video chat can create an in-store feel and allow for personalized, tailored experiences.

Interested in creating personalized content but don’t have the time to do it? Reach out to see how GPO can help you create tailored content that resonates with your audience. From localized content for all of your storefronts to unique, descriptive product descriptions, we have a solution that’s sure to work for your brand.

 

2022 Google Trends: What Are They and How Can You Use Them?

Emerging Google Trends: What Are People Searching For?

When writing content for the web, you have to consider supply and demand — you don’t want to create content that your customers won’t engage with. Thankfully, search trends can help you identify and pinpoint exactly what (and how) your consumers are searching.

If you’re not yet harnessing the power of popular search topics, it’s time to make a change. Read on to find out what’s trending and how searcher behavior is shifting.

From finding the best keywords for SEO to securing your place in consumers’ online comparative shopping efforts, GPO can help your brand capitalize on search trends with high-performing content at scale.


google trends

Getting Out of These Four Walls

After 2020’s “shelter in place” advisories and self-isolation periods, consumers wanted to emerge from their homes in 2021— but with safety still at the forefront of their minds. Here’s how that’s reflected in current search trends:

  • Outdoor activities
  • Live events
  • Travel

Shifting Lifestyle Priorities

It’s no secret that 2020 led many of us to closely examine what is — and isn’t — truly important to us. Over the last year, Google trends have shown that users took their reflections to heart and began looking for tangible ways to prioritize what matters most.

Wellness

After 2020’s “shelter in place” advisories and self-isolation periods, consumers wanted to emerge from their homes in 2021— but with safety still at the forefront of their minds. Here’s how that’s reflected in current search trends:

Time Saving & Convenience

When many brands pivoted to online, virtual, and no-contact options in 2020, users jumped on board out of necessity. However, as these options have improved and evolved, consumers have continued using them — because, well, they’re convenient! Search terms like “takeout restaurants” increased a whopping 400% from 2020, while “shopping apps” have remained popular. Additionally, searchers are frequently using non-branded search terms accompanied with qualifiers like “open now near me” to find restaurants and other businesses they can access ASAP. These types of searches offer opportunities for “zero moment of truth” brand exposure — but only if your brand has the high-quality content users want.

Improving Everyday Life

Many industries shifted to remote work in 2020, leading many consumers to DIY home improvement projects and maintenance at the time. — But, 2021 had them looking for help. While searches related to home renovations and improvement continue to trend upward, search terms like “handyman near me,” “house cleaning services near me,” and “lawn mowing services near me” indicate that users are delegating home tasks to the pros — and using Google to do their comparative shopping for those services.

Learning New Skills

“Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll never be hungry.” In 2021, more search users wanted to learn to “fish” for themselves, so to speak. Queries for “online learning” increased by 70%, and trends indicate that many consumers want to up their financial acumen, as reflected by searches related to investing, as well as “low- budget” and “no fees” purchase options.

Making Major Changes

2020 required us to shift our perspectives and pushed many people to make substantial changes that contributed to their overall health, well-being, and happiness. Many re- entered the job market, others searched for things like “how to write a resignation letter”. Many contemplated their long-term goals with searches like, “good career path.”

Consumers were eager to become homeowners (“calculator for home loan” saw a 200% spike in search volume compared to 2020). Terms like “furniture shop near me” and “tv wall design” saw significant increases as consumers opted to pour time and effort into their new or existing homes.


Looking at the Bigger Picture

Sustainability and Environmental Concerns

Consumers are looking closely at the impact of their purchase and lifestyle decisions — as evidenced by an uptick in sustainable and environmentally-focused searches, like secondhand shopping and electric cars.relatedSearchers are showing an increased interest in sustainably made goods from nearly every sector, from activewear and cleaning products to engagement rings and shoes.

Community Activism

Sure, being “together” might look different these days, but that hasn’t stopped many searchers from finding ways to connect with their community. More searchers are looking for ways to give back, as evidenced by increased search volume related to “Volunteer opportunities”. Other searchers are showing they care by self-isolating, donating, or shopping to support a local charity. Recent search trends prove that activism — on both a local and global scale— is on consumers’ minds.

Trends Can Help You Can Find the Best Keywords for SEO… But Is That Enough?

As search engines continue to grow and evolve, so does searcher behavior. While you can generate a list of keywords to attract your ideal customers, your digital search-friendly content strategy shouldn’t stop there. You’ll also want to consider how users are searching and take into account the behavioral trends we’ve seen recently.

Zero-Click Searches

blog trendsConsumers want information at their fingertips, and they want it fast. In more than half of searches, users don’t even bother to click on a search result, leading to what’s called a “zero-click search.” Do you know how to optimize for zero-click searches?

When users initiate an unbranded search, is your brand at the forefront to provide a quick, reputable answer? When it comes to local non-branded search queries, many Google searches direct users to other aggregators, which provide a subpar user experience (and often out-of-date information). Capitalize on zero-click searches and provide your consumers with a branded snippet that builds trust and improves your brand positioning in a matter of seconds.

Voice Searches

More and more consumers have smart speakers in their homes and vehicles, resulting in increased voice searches and purchases. Voice search isn’t going away in 2022. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to use natural phrasing, anticipate customer needs, and optimize your content for geographical searches.

Shifting Lifestyle Priorities

You know your brand can offer value to searchers — you just need to get that value into their hands. With scalable eCommerce content and local-search-optimized content from GPO, harnessing search trends to connect with consumers doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Contact the GPO team today and start turning online search trends into bottom-line results for your brand.

Woman at whiteboard completing content planning in 2022 after reviewing 2022 content trends

8 Content Trends to Watch for in 2022

Stay ahead of the curve with these 8 content trends.

According to Statista and World Wide Web Project, there are 1.88 billion websites in existence. Needless to say, no matter how big your brand is, it’s easy to feel like a tiny fish in a giant ocean when it comes to the vastness of the internet. While the amount of content in existence can be overwhelming, content marketers know that all content is not created equal. Quality, relevant content outranks subpar copy all day long.

But with so many competing priorities and shiny distractions, how can content marketing teams create content that matters? We’ve compiled a list of up-and-coming trends to keep in mind as you develop your content strategy for 2022.

1. Valuable Short and Sweet Content

Aiming for time spent on page and further on-site navigation used to be a goal of many content marketers. Instead, content marketing best practices dictate that brands should aim to move users through their site experience faster.

Consumers are strapped for time. Even the most comparative buyers are looking to find an answer — and fast! On average, users are spending less than 15 seconds on-site, and will leave mobile web pages if they don’t load within 3 seconds — a significant decrease from years past. Help your consumers find what they’re looking for, act on it, and move on by keeping your content short, sweet, and to the point. Aim to create informative, brief content that gets the attention of your target audience. Consolidate any relevant data so that users don’t have to hunt or navigate offsite to complete any additional research.

2. Specific, Quality, Scaled Content

People are turning to Google more than ever for specific and sentence/question queries. More than 3.5 billion searches occur on Google every single day and 20% of queries are brand new. Brands need content about their products and services at the ready to answer specific queries such as “F150 tire size” or “chicken wing delivery near me.” Most importantly, content marketers need a methodical approach to creating a large volume of content quickly without having to rely on — and manage — low-wage freelance writers.

Not quite sure where to publish scaled content? Here are a few places to start:

  • Product descriptions on your e-commerce site
  • Longer, search-optimized content on your local pages
  • Educational content on your customer journey pages
  • Personalized paid landing pages

3. Emphasis on Owned Channels

Expect to see a decrease in paid social media efforts in 2022 and an uptick in time spent building owned channels.

Wondering why paid efforts are on the decline?

  • Saturation. Paid digital, including paid social, is a saturated space. Users are accustomed to seeing both paid social posts and banner ads. And, campaigns are increasingly expensive and competitive. Which leads to…
  • Decreased ROI. Paid digital has historically been emphasized as a must across a variety of industries. Therefore, nearly everyone’s in on the game. Since you must pay to play, you could find yourself in an endless bidding war with your competitors vying for placement.
  • Desire for portfolio building. Paid digital and social efforts move quickly. They’re great for disruption campaigns. However, they are not long-lasting — both organic and paid social posts quickly vanish from consumers’ timelines out of sight (and out of mind). Owned channels allow brands to create a long-lasting archive of relevant content and information.

As 2022 approaches, expect to find marketers emphasizing and investing in their owned channels — websites, blogs, organic social, and email campaigns. Beefing out or revamping an owned channel can act as a budget-saving measure and a wise long-term strategy. Plus, enhancing existing owned channels can help complement, boost, and support existing paid campaigns.

4. Value-Driven Branding and Content

From an uptick in ethical consumption to looking for ways to give back, it’s clear that consumers are drawn to brands with values that align with their own. Therefore, expect to see more value-driven marketing campaigns in 2022 related to inclusivity, sustainability, community building, and fair labor practices.

Looking to successfully connect with consumers over a cause? Here’s what to keep in mind.

  • Be genuine. For the sake of consumer trust, don’t claim to support causes if you’re not willing to follow through. In today’s world, digital-savvy consumers are quick to do their research — and call you out if you’re not living up to your promises. Therefore, be prepared to make a genuine and transparent effort to give back, whether it’s through volunteering, donating, or offering services ad hoc.
  • Be human. Consumers are looking to make a connection. So, don’t hide behind the curtain of a perfectly polished, corporate presence. Humanize your brand by showcasing leadership and employees as “real” people who celebrate, work, and lead dynamic lives both in and out of the office.

5. Personalized Content

Consumers are increasingly experience-focused and increasingly online. But, rising consumer expectations are calling for new and exciting ways to create an in-person feel without ever stepping foot in a brick and mortar location. However, creating a memorable online experience can be difficult. That’s where personalization comes in.

Here’s how to create a personalized feel in the digital realm:

  • Localized web copy. Publish city-specific content to connect with consumers and provide them with the most relevant-to-them content possible.
  • Chat opportunities. Chat features — whether AI or employee-driven — allow your consumer to reach out for assistance, ask questions, and even enjoy introvert-friendly shopping assistance from the comfort and convenience of their homes.
  • Video capabilities. Video chat can be used to connect associates with consumers, and when done well, can create an extremely personalized and tailored experience. Video has its applications across all industries but has particular strength within the clothing retail sphere. Using video, you can create a private, by-appointment experience to answer questions about sizing and provide shopping assistance.

Keep in mind that personalization isn’t just simply inserting your consumer’s name into email marketing campaigns. Instead, it’s about creating an experience where your consumer feels informed, guided, and seen.

6. AI Influence

Artificial intelligence is changing how marketers conduct research, devise strategies, and even create content.

Digital marketers can expect to continue leveraging AI into 2022, including:

  • Chatbots. Chatbots can help you create a personalized feel. Simple chatbots are capable of answering questions outside of normal business hours, but advanced chatbots can even walk a consumer through purchasing, returns, and troubleshooting.
  • Research. AI tools can quickly compile, organize, and aggregate relevant data — helping you cut back on research time.
  • Lead generation. In B2B applications, AI-powered tools can be used to prospect and sift through leads to find those most qualified. Multiple AI platforms enable marketers to track prospects across multiple touchpoints, and from there use predictive analysis to determine how likely a lead is to follow through.
  • Content optimization and creation. Artificial intelligence is already being leveraged to optimize and quickly create web content. But, never fear fellow writers: you won’t be replaced by AI just yet. While AI can work quickly, it still lacks the nuance of human touch.

7. Content Optimized for Voice Search Capability

“Hey Google, how many people use voice search?” An estimated one-third of the U.S. population uses voice capabilities on their phones or smart speakers, and a further 71% prefer to conduct searches by voice rather than putting their fingers to the keyboard.

Voice search is used by consumers to carry out basic tasks (like checking the weather), conduct research, and even order products. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to create content that’s easily digestible and primed for voice search features.

To create content optimized for voice search, focus on:

  • Natural phrasing. When compared to traditional search engine queries, voice searchers tend to use more natural, conversational language. Therefore, create search optimized content that includes natural long-tail keywords and key phrases devoid of any grammatical parses.
  • Meeting searchers at their purchase stage. Anticipate micromoments and the questions that consumers ask about your product at different levels of the purchasing process. Then, create content that directly and concisely answers their burning questions.
  • Incorporating geo modifiers. Both smartphones and smart speakers use location-based services to aggregate results that are most relevant to their searchers. Plus, many voice-searchers are looking for a specific product or service “near me”. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to create localized content. (Psst — we can help with that.)

8. Content Engineered for the Virtual Reality Landscape

Enter: the Metaverse. While currently in its nascent stage, virtual reality will soon shake up how consumers browse the internet, shop, and otherwise engage with content. Stay forward-thinking and keep on top of upcoming developments within the VR industry.

As we approach 2022, one thing is clear: brands need quality content — and LOTS of it. GPO can help you develop your content at scale strategy for 2022. Get in touch to see how to leverage our Content Solutions for your brand.