Reading Time: 9 mins

Make money reading.

Are you a true bookworm? If reading is a passion of yours, it may be worth considering the ways you can make money from reading. Who doesn’t want to earn money from something they love? 

There are more ways to earn money from reading than you may think. From proofreading and editing to reviewing books, you could make decent cash on the side. If you’re going to read anyway, why not profit from it? 

Here are 6 ways you can make money reading.

• Review books
• Start a book blog
• Use social media
• Proofreading
• Narrate audiobooks
• Translate books

Review books

You don’t have to be a literary scholar to review books. All you need is a love for reading, and have the ability to form honest, fair opinions about the books you read. If you are asked to review a particular book, you will need to be open to reading genres or authors outside of your usual, and give them a fair chance. You really can’t judge a book by its cover with this one! 

There are many websites online that pay you for your reviews. All you have to do is search ‘get paid to review books’ into Google, and a plethora of results come up. It is important to research, as the number of opportunities, level of pay and depth of reviews required may differ.  

It’s also important to remember that reviewing books won’t make you millions, nor will you be able to quit your day job. However, it can be a lucrative and fun side hustle to help you put away extra into your savings, pension or even spend on more books! 

OnlineBookClub.org is a great place to start. Publishers and authors will often give you a free copy of a new book in exchange for an honest, written review from you, the reader. You will get a free copy of a book, then on top of this, get paid to give it an honest review. The best part is, you don’t have to lie. 

OnlineBookClub encourage you to be honest. You will get paid no matter what you think. You don’t have to claim you loved it if you didn’t. 

Pay outs current range from $5 to $60 per review. This is approximately £4 to £50 GBP. As previously mentioned, you won’t get totally rich from this venture, but you could earn a decent sum if you do a few reviews per month. The thing to note with this, is that you won’t get paid for your first review. However, you will get the book for free. 

We also recommend:  

• Kirkus Media 
• Women’s Review of Books 
• Booklist Publications 

Overrun with books? Find out how to make money from your old books. 

Start a book blog

Blogging is a great way to earn money on the side, and could actually become a full-time job should you build your brand and grow your blog successfully. Book bloggers are can be very popular and successful, with blogs such as BookWritten getting over 75,000 hits per month. 

The site contains articles on a range of things, from finding places to read books for free, to looking after books to keep them in pristine condition. However, you could write about anything that tickles your fancy. 

The Literary Edit is a more personal blog, written by award-winning book blogger and writer Lucy. She blogs about all things books, with a more informal, chatty style, Lucy writes reviews of books she’s read, tells her followers her favourite books of all time, and even has a great little section called ‘Desert Island Books’. 

You could even find a niche and discuss books particularly close to your interests. Crime By The Book is a fascinating book blog, written by a lover of crime fiction, with a particular skew towards Scandinavia. Although most of the books are general crime fiction, the niche is particularly interesting. 

But how can you make money from blogging? Well, mainly ads on the site, as well as partnerships and affiliates with brands. You may even get a sponsorship for a particular series. As your blog grows and develops, you may be sent freebies of books, and even asked to review them on your blog in return for payment.

If your blog grows large enough, people may even pay monthly subscriptions for exclusive content, or you could use widgets such as Buy Me A Coffee, where people can buy you a virtual coffee to help fund your mission. Plus you will be able to make this money reading.

Our frugal columnist, and award-winning blogger Jane, owner of shoestringcottage.com, first started her blog over a decade ago: 

Jane from Shoestring Cottage

“I began with a free WordPress blog, as I was writing as a hobby. However, when I realised it was possible to monetise my site, I purchased a domain name and server hosting. I also bought a theme (design) to make it look more professional. I maybe spent £400 initially and now pay around £150 a year.

“The key to getting a steady readership is to post regularly – at least once a week, preferably more. I also did a couple of cheap blogging courses, and learned some of the technicalities of running a blog. I think it is worth doing this if you are a complete beginner.” 

Not sure where to begin? Here are some websites we recommend to start your blog: 

• WordPress 
• Wix.com 
• Squarespace 
• Blogger 

These websites are free, easy-to-use and allow you to build your blog using templates available. They are straight forward and you can create a beautiful, unique blog in very little time. 

Find out more about making money from blogging here. 

Use social media

Social media is a brilliant tool. Many people actually become full-time ‘influencers’, and earn a good sum of cash using their platforms.  

Instagram

One of the biggest platforms that appreciates books is Instagram. As with blogging, people use their Instagram pages to review books they’ve read, share their favourite books and interact with other people who love reading as much as they do. 

The money comes from sponsorships, affiliates and brand deals. You may collaborate with a brand on a post, for example promoting a new book being released, or encouraging your followers to follow a new author’s work. You may be given affiliate links as well as upfront payment, where you make a cut of a sale when someone buys a book through your link. 

Of course, you won’t get these opportunities immediately, and it will take some hard graft on your end to build a following. But through following others, interacting with them and posting a steady and constant bout of content, you could grow more quickly than you may think. 

‘Bookstagrams’, as they are fondly know in the book-lover community, are a hugely popular part of the platform. Elizabeth Sagan (@elizabeth_sagan) boasts a whopping 203k followers. A self-confessed ‘book whisperer’, Elizabeth posts beautiful imagery of her books and fun, engaging short videos. Other accounts such as @coraliebickfordsmith and @stacked_shelf have 25.8k and 10.3k followers respectively.  

You don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of followers to start making money. Once you reach 5,000 followers you are considered a ‘micro-influencer’, and can start reaching out to brands and companies to see if they’d like to work with you. Remember to work with other influencers and help to build each other up. 

Find out more about making money on social media. 

TikTok

One of the largest video-sharing platforms in the world is TikTok, and ‘BookTok’ is an integral part of the platform. BookTok even has its own Wikipedia page, and the tag #BookTok has over 112.2 billion views on the app. 

You may start on another platform and as you feel more confident, move over to making videos. It can seem daunting, but the BookTok community is a warm and welcoming one. Despite the criticisms of social media, this corner of the internet is full of friendship, enjoyment, and great connections over a shared passion.  

We love @bookishbytammi, who shares books she’s read monthly, her favourite books in different genres such as fantasy and romance, and does fun challenges too. She has 64k followers and almost one million likes across her videos.   

If you aren’t feeling ready to make videos, join the platform and have a browse. As you watch other people make videos and discuss topics you love, you may become inspired to start creating videos yourself. 

As with other social media platforms, the money you can make comes in the form of sponsorships, brand partnerships and affiliates. You may be asked to do ads for a certain product or company, and get paid to attend events.  

Find out about the TikTok influencers teaching personal finance to millions. 

Proofreading

Another way to make money reading is to become a proof-reader. Proofreading is essentially a final quality check before publishing. A proof-reader will carefully check the text for any errors before it is published or shared. It’s the last stage of the writing process, and it is essential for any text. 

The job of a proof-reader is to bring attention to any spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, as well as any typos or formatting issues. You may even alert the author and publisher to any inconsistencies within the text. 

Many proof-readers do it on a freelance basis. You can advertise your proofreading services on websites such as PeoplePerHour and Fiverr. Some people offer their services for under £5, however when you build up your reviews, ratings and reputation, you could be charging hundreds for longer texts and novels. 

You could also go in search of opportunities. Websites such as UpWork and Freelancer are goldmines for people looking for proof-readers to help them. From doing last-minute checks of novels to going over important documents and even checking for spelling and grammar in examination papers, proof-reading involves a huge range of tasks. The roles range from £8 per hour to a few thousand pounds for large, important projects. 

In order to be a successful proof-reader, you will of course need a love for reading, but some key skills are required also. You will need a great attention to detail and a solid understanding of spelling and grammar. You’ll need to be self-disciplined and be able to meet tight deadlines.  

Scribbr have a great guide to proofreading, which you can read here. 

Need a flexible schedule? Check out these work from home roles for everyone. 

Narrate audiobooks

Do you have a smooth as butter voice that people love to listen to? Perhaps you are good at doing accents, making a book come to life as you read to others. Do your children or grandchildren guffaw when you make a funny voice, pretending to be the monster in their book? Narrating audiobooks could be just the thing for you. 

If you are an avid reader, this is a great way to supplement your income. You may even choose to pursue this as a freelancer on a full-time basis if you find it is a successful career path for you. You can make money reading books, out loud!

But how can you get started? Well, the internet is a powerful thing, and there is a plethora of opportunities waiting for you.  

The Audiobook Creative Exchange (ACX) is a huge online platform that pays people to read books out loud. Books you narrate for this popular platform could even appear on iTunes and Audible, which would be a great boost for your portfolio. Simply create an account, upload some high-quality samples of you narrating a small paragraph or passage, and then set your hourly rate. 

Authors and publishers will be able to find you and review your work and may ask you to narrate for them. The great thing about ACX is that you could even earn some of the royalties earnt on the book! 

There are many ways you can get work, as well as the ACX. As previously mentioned, you could advertise your work on freelance sites such as Fiverr. There are also many more companies which specialise in voiceover and narration. 

Here are some we recommend: 

• Voices 
• Spoken Realms 
• Voice Jungle 
• Brilliance Audio 

Listen to thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and Audible originals, with Audible. Sign up for your free 30-day trial.

Translate books

Do you speak more than one language? Many people are crying out for people to translate texts for them. From novels to documents and even old texts, your language skills could earn you a decent bit of money on the side. If you speak multiple languages, even better! You will be a very valuable asset to many companies and be able to make decent money from reading. 

You could advertise your services on freelance websites, or go in search of opportunities. We have previously recommended Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer and PeoplePerHour, all of which are relevant to this route too.  

However, there are also websites dedicated to translation work. Blend is one of the most popular and successful translation websites. They guarantee continuous workflow and fair pay for every project. You can also apply as both a translator and a voice artist, so you can mix things up! Although the pay doesn’t start out high, the progression system makes it easy to build up your pay and your reputation on the website. 

Unbabel is another great site which allows you to earn by translating. This is a very flexible website, where you can choose whether you work part-time or full-time. You also get paid hourly and can request pay outs on the go, via PayPal or Payoneer. 

However, if you want to make real money from this, you could consider going full-time as a freelance translator. On Freelancer, text translation jobs range anywhere from £7 to £25 an hour for simple texts, and a few thousand pounds for more in-depth, intense texts. 

Do you have some exciting ways to make money reading? Leave your comments below!

The post 6 ways to make money reading appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Original source: https://www.moneymagpie.com/make-money/6-ways-to-make-money-reading

Home Business Magazine Online

Are you looking at getting your first small business loan? It can be intimidating — lenders don’t give out loans to just anyone, after all. You’ll have to prove that your business is worth investing in, and how can you do that?

Well, you have to produce a business plan that shows lenders you have substantial revenue and a solid plan for the loan money. You’ll need to provide accurate financial records and have a strong credit score. It can help to talk to multiple lenders and compare multiple loan products. Follow these dos and don’ts to get the loan your business needs.

Do Create a Business Plan

A strong business plan may be the most important part of your loan application. A business plan should include detailed information about your company, including its structure and finances. Lenders need to know what your revenues and expenses are. They want to know what your goals are for your business, and what you plan to do to reach them. They may also require you to submit a loan proposal, detailing how you plan to use the money you’re borrowing to further your business goals.

Don’t Miscalculate Your Expenses

It’s important to include an accurate accounting of your expenses when presenting your business financial information to a lender. No matter how meticulous you are in calculating your expenses, there are going to be things you miss. It’s a good idea to go back over your expenses and add another 25 to 50 percent to the budget to account for those missed expenses.

Do Repair Your Credit

Your personal credit score will matter when it comes to getting many small business loans, so do whatever you need to do to repair your personal credit. Pay off debts to get your credit utilization ratio below 30 percent. Pay your bills on time. Keep older credit accounts open, as they increase the length of your credit history.

You can improve your business credit score by paying your bills early — Dun & Bradstreet only gives perfect ratings to businesses that pay their bills early, not just on time. Get a business credit card and use it regularly to improve your business credit.

Don’t Exaggerate Your Income

It’s easy to overestimate your projected income, especially if you’re getting a loan to start a small business (as opposed to getting one to grow an existing business). A new business’s first year of income is almost never as high as projected. Take 25 to 50 percent off your projected first year of income in order to make it more accurate.

Do Back Up Your Numbers

Create a realistic budget based on your new revenue projections. Many small business owners forget to provide real experience and research to back up their budgetary calculations. Show why customers are choosing you over the competition. Show that you know how to make a profit in your industry and that you have a concrete and workable plan to make it happen.

Don’t Just Talk to One Lender

You wouldn’t talk to just one lender if you were getting a loan in your personal life, like a home loan, for example. You shouldn’t just go with the first lender you talk to when you’re getting a business loan, either. Different lenders may offer different terms and rates, and even different loan products. You’ll want to get an idea of what loan products different lenders in your area offer, and what the repayment terms are, before you decide on a product and lender.

For example, you may be very qualified and want to get a traditional bank loan to fund an expansion or the purchase of some new equipment. You should shop around for the best rates. Or maybe you’re less qualified or need money faster. You should shop around to online lenders to see what products you can get — whether a line of credit, business credit card, or a loan — and decide which lender and product is best for your financial situation and needs.

Do Get Your Paperwork in Order

Getting a small business loan can require a lot of paperwork, especially if you’re going with a traditional bank loan or Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. You’ll need business bank statements and financial records, personal and business tax records, and often personal financial information and bank statements. Of course, you’ll also need your business plan, business license, resume, and proof that you own collateral, if your lender requires it.

It’s a lot easier to get a small business loan when you educate yourself first about the requirements. Make sure you know what to do and what not to do, so you can get the right loan for your business needs.

The post The Dos and Don’ts of Getting Your First Small Business Loan appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/business-start-up/raising-money/dos-donts-getting-first-small-business-loan/

Home Business Magazine Online

If you work remotely, then you probably want no one and nothing to distract you. But, it’s impossible to explain to the pet that the owner is busy, and most likely the furry friend will demand attention because we are very similar to our pets and vice versa.

However, this situation has its big advantages, as you will be able to spend more time with your beloved pet. Also, it has been scientifically proven that the presence of animals has a beneficial effect on the psychological state of the owners. Animals are a kind of anti-stress for us and can brighten up the workflow.

In addition, you can get to know your four-legged friend better, observe its habits, and preferences and take care of it in case of illness.

Next, we’ll look at some tips on how to organize the work process from home and distract your pet.

How to work from home with a cat?

Cats are nocturnal animals, so their peak activity occurs at night. During the day, the pet will probably doze off, sitting in its favorite cat bed.

However, some pets prefer to take a warm place near the owner, in particular — a computer keyboard. Sometimes it’s difficult to drive a pet out of a cozy place. So, let’s imagine that, for example, your Himalayan cat adores to occupy your keyboard while you are trying to work. There is a way out: put a cat bed next to the computer, so the cat can watch what you’re doing, and also take a nap next to the heat source.

But what if an energetic pet demands attention and wants to play, but you don’t have time for this? In this case, pick up an interesting activity for it so that your beloved pet leaves you alone, allowing you to calmly finish all the work.

• Observation post

Cats love to look at what is happening outside the window. So, create an observation post for your pet’s pleasure. However, take all safety measures beforehand: close the windows, or make sure they’re equipped with safety nets. You can place a hammock over the windowsill from which the cat will observe the exciting life outside the house. And if it likes to watch how you work from a height, buy a cat house, equipped with a hammock and a bed. You can also be creative and build a cat house yourself from improvised materials.

• Interactive entertainment

Interactive toys are labyrinths and tracks with balls, complete with sound effects. You can purchase them from a pet store or make them on your own.

Have you seen a cat that doesn’t love cardboard boxes? Yes, they’re just crazy about them. For a cat’s fun pastime, even one would be enough. But some caring owners manage to collect entire castles and labyrinths for pets from unnecessary cardboard boxes. It’s worth spending one free evening on this — and then you can work calmly.

Some labyrinth models are equipped with a tray for treats. You can place a treat in special holes, and to get food from the toy, the pet will have to show dexterity and ingenuity. Such toys perfectly develop the intellectual skills of the cat and exclude overeating, which prevents the risk of developing obesity.

• Chew toys

If your cat is too active and you want to calm it down, you can use chew toys with extracts of lemon balm, catnip, or calendula. Plant extracts have a mild sedative effect and eliminate nervousness.

• Mechanical toys

You can make your furry friend run after a mechanical mouse, for example. Playing with a mechanical toy stimulates the hunting instinct. Of course, you can tie any ball or soft mouse to a string and imitate its movement. But the best solution would be to buy a mechanical toy. Mechanical toys are easy to operate. With such a toy, a cat will never be bored, and a caring owner will be able to devote time to their work processes. If you don’t want extra noise, choose toys without sound elements.

How to work from home with a dog?

Bored dogs can cause trouble, and if the owner works remotely, there is a chance that the pet may become a member of the owner’s video conferences. Of course, this will brighten up the work process for all colleagues, but it can create a lot of problems for the owner.

• Make your morning walks long and active

Make the walk with the dog the most active and tiring. So, having played enough, it’ll most likely return home tired and won’t have the strength to bother you during work. Include active games and training in your morning walks. Go for a run with your dog in the nearest park. Learn the basic commands from the general training course. Get your pet used to active play in the morning. If you increase the time of the walk by adding training and games to it, this guarantees you quiet work during the rest of the day, and at the same time, the dog will spend a happy time with you.

After a walk, don’t forget to feed the dog well. A well-fed animal doesn’t feel much excitement or anxiety, so it won’t show increased activity or energy.

Also, it’ll be a good idea to find time for a short walk during your lunch break.

• Choose smart toys

Play is an integral part of any dog’s life. Toys will help to cope with the boredom of the pet, as well as with its destructive behavior. Often dogs, which don’t have toys, can use shoes or furniture in their games.

Pick the intellectual toys that will bring a lot of benefits and keep your pet engaged in play without involving you. Such toys stimulate the mental activity of the dog and develop its skills.

• Hide the treats

Your pet will be greatly fascinated by the search game. Spread your dog’s favorite treats around the house and let it find them. Your pet will be busy hunting for treats for a long time.

How to work from home with a bird?

If you need to focus on work, and your favorite parrot or canary entertains you with boisterous singing, move the cage to another room. If this isn’t possible for any reason, you need to distract the pet with something.

• Give a delicacy

Treat your bird with delicacy such as fruit and nut sticks, biscuits, or pine cones. For some time, the pet will be focused on eating the treat, and you can work without too much noise.

• Bath day

Another option is to arrange a bath day for your pet. Place a bathtub filled with wet sand in the cage. The bird will be happy to clean its feathers.

How to work from home with a rodent or rabbit?

Most rodents and decorative rabbits are also nocturnal animals, so during the day the pet is unlikely to interfere with the work process. If you prefer to work at night, the sounds coming from the pet’s cage can annoy you.

And in this case, also, using your pet’s favorite treat would be a good option. Put a treat in a cage or tunnel, and the hamster will vigorously hide it behind the cheeks, and the guinea pig, rat, or mouse will enjoy the food with pleasure.

Another solution is placing additional equipment in the pet’s cage. Install a few more shelves and ladders, a wooden bridge, and a swing, arranging extra obstacles for the rodent. Such entertainment develops dexterity, coordination, and balance.

Working from home with your pet should be comfortable for both you and your pet. If you need time to focus on the process, find good amusement for your four-legged friend. However, don’t forget that our pets are the best source of inspiration and positive emotions, and communication with them improves mood and helps cope with negative emotions.

The post Pets and Work from Home: Tips and Advice appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/lifestyles/success-lifestyles/pets-work-home-tips-advice/

Keyword cannibalization happens when you have two or more pages ranking for the same keyword. It is generally considered undesirable. 

This article will help you decide whether you have a keyword cannibalization problem and, if so, how to solve it.

Is keyword cannibalization always problematic?

Before fixing keyword cannibalization, check whether it is a real problem for your site.

Sometimes, two pieces of content ranking can be favorable, especially with an indented SERPs.

For Delish, these two pages ranking on page 1 are beneficial. In one search, they’ve got two pieces of content ranking. The indented SERP gives Delish more space in the page and increases their chances of a click.

A quick browse of these two pages will show similarities in ranking keywords. For example, according to Semrush, both pages rank for:

• “quick easy healthy lunch”
• “easy healthy lunch ideas”
• “easy healthy lunch”
• “easy and healthy lunch ideas”

You don’t have to take action on two pages ranking when there are indented SERPs. Leave them especially if you’re getting clicks and conversions.

Identifying keyword cannibalization that needs fixing

If you don’t have access to software to help spot cannibalization, you can find potential issues with Google site search. 

Use the following when searching:

• site:example.com “keyword” 

The screenshot above shows how Google has listed content on and around “healthy” and/or “lunch” published on the Delish website. 

If you have similar results, look at the pages and investigate if they are problematic.

To identify problematic cannibalization problems, look for the following:

A sudden drop in clicks or impressions

This can happen when you publish a new piece of content and Google prioritizes the new piece over what was already ranking. 

This can return to normal after a while, but if it doesn’t, look at the next section on fixing keyword cannibalization.

Struggling to rank despite your best efforts

Two pieces of content targeting the same SERP intent can be “confusing” to Google. 

It indicates that your content strategy isn’t as robust as it should be. 

Pages ranking for a keyword that isn’t supposed to

If you’ve worked on your content strategy, but the wrong page still ranks, then you’re almost definitely cannibalizing yourself.

In this situation, follow our tips on what to do when the wrong page ranks.

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Fixing keyword cannibalization 

How you fix keyword cannibalization will depend on the problem it’s causing and the solution most useful for your readers.

Here are some keyword cannibalization solutions to consider.

Internal linking

An internal linking strategy is a good first effort to resolve keyword cannibalization. 

Here, you won’t be taking pages down or redirecting content – a fairly safe option if you feel nervous about the consequences.

How to fix keyword cannibalization with internal linking

Internal linking is a powerful tool for SEO. It’s useful for readers to find relevant sources and related content. It also gives Google a directive on what a page should rank for.

If you’re doing content the right way, you know what the two pieces of content should rank for. 

So you can use an internal link from one piece to the other to reinforce where they sit in website architecture and what people might search to find the piece.

In this instance, opt for an exact match keyword or something close to it.

Review your internal links and identify links pointing to the two ranking pieces. You might be pointing to the pages with the same anchor text. 

You can get a good idea of what anchor text you’re using to link to pages with Screaming Frog.

Open Screaming Frog, then click crawl your site. Filter by HTML, click the page you want to view, then hit inlinks.

You’ll see which pages link to your page and with what anchor text. With a quick edit you can straighten out your internal linking strategy.

Pro tip: When building a content plan, prepare a content database (like a Google Sheet) where you can pick a keyword from the cluster to use in your anchor links. This process prevents writers from adding random internal links in their articles.

Refining keyword clusters and establishing clear search intent

Perhaps you’ve identified keyword cannibalization but want to keep the two pages. In this case, you might need to give each piece a defined purpose. 

To do this, develop a keyword cluster and establish clear search intent. Each piece of content must do something unique.

Using the Delish example from above, we can see that although similar, the two articles have clear search intent. 

• One article recommends lunch ideas for work.
• The other recommends packed lunches. 

Taking a packed lunch to work is synonymous with a work lunch, but it isn’t just for work purposes.

Content consolidation and 301 redirects

It’s fairly intuitive when you need to do a content consolidation and a 301 redirect. Mostly, you can tell immediately if a page is targeting the exact same keyword.

Going back to the Delish example, although similar, the two pages on healthy lunches have two different intents. As mentioned, one article focuses more on lunches for work, and the other is about packed lunches.

Although nuanced, the two content pieces can co-exist assuming they’re not causing issues behind the scenes.

However, if the two articles were “55 Healthy Lunches” and “The Best Healthy Lunches,” there is an issue.

The target keyword is clearly similar – “healthy lunches” and “best healthy lunches.” Sounds like the same thing, right?

To confirm, a quick search of  “healthy lunches” and “best healthy lunches” returns almost the exact same SERPs.

So, these articles would be consolidated, and one would be redirected to the other.

How to fix keyword cannibalization with content consolidation and a 301 redirect

Before consolidating two (or more) articles, do your due diligence. Use data to help you decide which URL you’re keeping and which one you’re redirecting.

• Consolidate the content in the two articles. When you do this, make sure you give it a thorough edit. You’ll do more bad than good if you end up with Frankenstein-esque content. To succeed with this tactic, your content must be high-quality and well-written. 
• Find the most successful URL by looking at Google Search Console data. Filter by page to see which URL receives the most clicks, impressions and average position. Generally, one will supersede the other a lot, so the choice will be obvious.

• If the winning URL doesn’t jump out at you by this point, check the backlink profile. Although you will redirect one link to the other and carry over those backlinks, keeping the content on the URL with the strongest backlink profile would be better.

Add a canonical

If the two pages need to exist but you don’t want Google indexing both, you could add a canonical. 

This method is useful on ecommerce websites, particularly Shopify sites, where the same product exists on multiple URLs.

We can see the canonical in action on Helm’s Shopify website.

Their Xander Olive shoe exists on two URLs:

• https://helmboots.com/products/the-xander-olive 
• https://helmboots.com/collections/the-xander/products/the-xander-olive

A search within the code of the /collections/ URL shows the canonical pointing to the product.

How to avoid cannibalization in the future

Cannibalization issues occur when there’s no clear plan for content production. Without a plan, well-intentioned writers can deliver similar pieces of content. 

To avoid cannibalization, keep a content log and monitor the following:

• Focus keyword: Assign one to each piece of content.
• Keyword cluster: Detail all other keywords the piece should rank for.
• Content pillar/topic: This helps visualize all content under a certain topic.

The closer you are to your content and its purpose, the less likely you are to create cannibalizing content. It helps to have a strategic SEO professional to guide the process so they can correctly assign keywords. 

If each piece of content fits within a specific pillar or topic, you can filter content by that topic and double check you’ve not already created content before you write it.

Or, you can use your content research process to identify content that could be edited instead of recreated. Sometimes, a good edit on an existing article can do wonders for your SEO.

The post A guide to keyword cannibalization in SEO and how to fix it appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/keyword-cannibalization-seo-guide-393596

Google’s Search Ads Week kicked off with two new tools to help advertisers deliver faster creatives and better performance.

• Create new assets with Google’s AI 
• New customer acquisition goals

Create new assets with Google’s AI. Google’s goal is to help advertisers deliver effective ads to their target audience by having a variety of relevant creative assets available. To achieve this, they now offer a setting called “automatically created assets” which generates new ad components based on an advertiser’s existing assets and landing page. This setting allows responsive search ads to show potential customers the best combination of assets.

Now, the open beta for automatically generated assets is available to all advertisers in English. Early adopters who have used this feature for headlines and descriptions have seen an average increase of 2% in conversions, with a similar cost per conversion, for ad groups that use responsive search ads.

New improvements coming to assets. As part of this update, the following improvements will roll out in the coming weeks:

• Ad Strength will take into account both automatically created assets and your existing assets when determining your rating.
• Automatically created assets will use inputs you’ve provided such as your keywords to customize your headlines and improve their relevance to the query when it’s predicted to improve performance.
• You’ll also be able to remove any automatically created assets that you’d prefer not to include in your ads.

Additional languages for automatically created assets will be launched later this year.

Connect with new customers on Search. A new customer acquisition goal for Search campaigns has been launched globally. This goal utilizes Smart Bidding and first-party data to optimize campaigns and attract new customers during peak periods. By combining the new customer acquisition goal with bidding strategies like Maximize conversion value with a target ROAS, advertisers can prioritize and target high-value customers.

Early adopters. Numerous businesses have already utilized this goal to reach out to potential new customers. Baltic Born, a fashion retailer, is an example of one such business with an ambitious revenue growth target. To expand their customer base beyond repeat customers in a highly competitive market, Baltic Born implemented the new customer acquisition goal for Search along with a target ROAS value-based bid strategy. As a result, they were able to achieve a 73% increase in new customers and a 36% rise in revenue.

The new customer acquisition goal has two modes that help you to reach your campaign goals:

• Value New Customer: Bid higher for new customers than for existing customers.
• New Customers Only: Bid for new customers only.

Dig deeper. You can read more about the new tools on the Google Ads Help website. You can also register for Search Ads Week here.

Why we care. The new tools make it easier for advertisers to expand your customer base and grow your business by connecting with potential new customers. The goal utilizes Smart Bidding and first-party data to optimize campaigns during peak periods, making it easier for businesses to prioritize and find high-value customers.

The post Google launched 2 new asset creation and customer acquisition tools appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-launched-2-new-asset-creation-and-customer-acquisition-tools-393637