Building a Consistent Brand Voice Across Your Content

Establishing a unique and consistent brand voice is crucial for companies looking to stand out from the crowd and connect with their target audience. Your brand voice encompasses the tone, style, and messaging that represents your brand across all channels. When done right, it can become an invaluable asset in developing brand loyalty and recognition. This article will explore tips on developing and maintaining a consistent brand voice, especially when working with white label content providers. Define Your Ideal Customer The first step is getting crystal clear on who your ideal customers are. Understanding their demographics, challenges, goals and psychographics will inform the brand voice that will best resonate with them. Create detailed buyer personas that capture your ideal customer’s perspectives. What messaging and tone will your personas best respond to? Your brand voice should align with your audience and stir their interest. Conduct a Brand Voice Audit Take an inventory of all existing content you have published across channels. This includes your website, blogs, social media, ads, newsletters and any other materials. Analyse the language and tone used across these assets. Is there consistency or does the voice fluctuate? Are there any gaps or opportunities for improvement? An audit will reveal if you need to pivot or refine your brand voice for greater cohesion. Establish Your Brand Voice Guidelines From your audit and buyer personas, develop a brand voice guideline document to reference going forward. This should outline specifics to encapsulate your unique voice such as: Brand personality – Use descriptive words like fun, daring, prestigious. Tone – Casual or formal? Witty or earnest? Academic or conversational? Point of view – First person? Third person? Team focus? Language style – Industry jargon? Simplified? Clever phrasing? Content format – Stats heavy? Story focused? Lists and tips? Q&A? Imagery – Colour palette, stock photos, custom graphics Mission statement or slogan Having written guidelines provides a playbook for your team and any white label content writers to align with your voice. Look at Brand Voice Examples Study how other brands effectively wield their own unique voices across content types. Take note of specifics around word choices, tone, imagery and formats leveraged. Popular examples include: Mailchimp’s conversational content full of wit and humour. Lyft’s uplifting, community-driven language and visuals. GoPro’s action-packed, adventurous style. Seeing strong brand voice examples can provide inspiration on nailing your own. Look to brands targeting an audience similar to yours. Test and Iterate Have your guidelines reviewed by key team members to ensure alignment across stakeholders. You can also hire an external content agency to assess if your established voice resonates based on their outside perspective. Then, test run some new content using your outlined voice, whether through blogs, social posts, newsletters or other assets. Examine the reception and impact of these initial tests, collecting feedback from your audience. Tweak the voice as needed to fine tune based on learnings before scaling production. Maintain Consistency In-House Get internal team members onboard with your brand voice style guide. Host a training workshop walking through the guide, giving examples and answering questions. Encourage consistency by having teams access the document before creating any new materials. Appoint an owner to monitor content across departments and ensure alignment. Offer feedback when pieces veer off voice. Consistency takes discipline, but pays off exponentially. Vet External Content Creators If leveraging an external blog writing service, content agency or freelance writers, thoroughly vet providers to find ones capable of adhering to your voice. When sourcing and interviewing, have candidates review your guidelines and submit previous work showcasing brand voice capabilities. Test writers out on a small scale before assigning them anything high volume. Be highly selective, only working with those demonstrating a knack for aligning with your brand style. Ongoing monitoring is still required to catch any deviations. Evolve Thoughtfully Over Time While consistency is key, also leave room for your brand voice to thoughtfully evolve as your business grows or new products are introduced. Occasionally revisit your guidelines, refreshing persona information and making tweaks where your current voice needs to adapt. Know when to hold steady amidst trends, versus when shifting your tone could connect better with audiences. Change is inevitable, so build in flexibility to gracefully evolve your voice on your brand’s terms. Developing a distinct, authentic brand voice requires upfront strategic work and continued diligence. But the payoff can set you apart while resonating strongly with your customers. Defining detailed guidelines and keeping your voice consistent wherever your brand is represented will maximize results. At Ink Elves, our team can deliver expert content that seamlessly aligns with your brand’s unique voice and needs. Contact us today to learn more about our white label content and blog writing services.

How to Update Old Content to Boost Your Rankings

how to update old content

Did you know that old and outdated website content can negatively impact your search engine rankings and traffic? To stay competitive, it’s important to regularly audit and refresh existing content to keep it relevant, valuable and engaging for your target audience. Updating old content not only improves the user experience on your site, but also signals to search engines like Google that your pages are active and worth ranking highly. This article will explore proven strategies on how to update old content to boost your SEO rankings. Conduct a Content Audit The first step in how to update old content is to conduct a thorough audit of all content on your website. This allows you to identify and prioritise pages that are most in need of an update. Take inventory of all blog posts, product pages, service pages, and other site content. Review page analytics to see which pieces of content are underperforming. Flag these for updating. Assess top-ranking pages and determine if the content is still relevant, accurate and well-structured. Check for grammatical errors, broken links, outdated information, etc. Look for thin content that needs to be bulked up and improved. Conducting a content audit gives you a bird’s eye view of content gaps and opportunities, so you can focus your efforts accordingly. Improve Page Relevancy A top priority is updating old pages to make them more relevant for your target keywords and audience. Here are some tips: Rewrite titles and headers to better reflect the focus of the page. Use your primary keywords where it makes sense. Expand thin content by adding more useful information, data, examples etc. Aim for at least 2000+ words if possible. Update statistics, facts, references or case studies to more recent ones. Review page focus – does it still align with your best-performing content and business goals? Add related keywords naturally throughout the content where relevant. Include updated images, infographics, videos etc. Visuals help reinforce page relevance. Improving relevancy signals search engines that your page offers authoritative information on the topic. Optimise Page Structure Proper on-page SEO structure helps highlight your most important content. When updating old pages: Break up large blocks of text with subheadings using your target keywords. Ensure headings logically flow in the proper outline order. Include keyword-rich introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Use bullet points and numbered lists for easy scanning. Insert links to related content where relevant. Bold key terminology and phrases. Optimising page structure allows search engines to better crawl and index your content. Freshen Up the Design While design aesthetic alone won’t directly improve SEO, a modern and consistent look and feel across your site enhances user experience. When refreshing old content, consider: Updated page layouts and templates for better navigation and scanning. New original images and graphics related to the topic. Infographics to help visualise data. Easy-to-read fonts and colour schemes. Consistent branded headers, footers and sidebars. An outdated design can detract from your content. Freshening up visual elements helps content stand out. Promote and Monitor Performance Once you update old content, don’t forget to: Index and submit URLs in Google Search Console. Promote content through social media, email newsletters, etc. Insert internal links across the website to boost page visits. Review analytics regularly to see if pages are gaining traffic. Monitor rankings monthly to check for improvements. Request backlinks from other reputable websites. Promoting refreshed content and monitoring its impact will help you identify what strategies work best to boost your SEO. Outsource for Ongoing Content Updates For businesses without the bandwidth to continually refresh their website content, partnering with a white label content writing agency is an efficient way to keep your site updated. Agencies like Ink Elves can handle content audits, writing, optimisation, promotion, and performance tracking. By renewing your content on an ongoing basis, your pages stay relevant, which positively impacts SEO rankings over time. Now you know how to update old content, it’s important to remember that updating outdated or underperforming content should be an ongoing initiative as part of your overall SEO strategy. Following the steps in this guide will help boost your content quality and search engine rankings organically over time. If you need assistance auditing and refreshing your website content, our expert white label content agency can help. Contact us today for more information on optimising your old content.

What Are Dropped Domains and Are They Bad for SEO?

Dropped Domains

A dropped domain is a domain name that has expired and is deleted by the registrar. This frees up the domain name to be registered by someone else. Dropped domains were very popular in the early 2000s as an easy way to get an aged domain with backlinks for SEO. However, times have changed and their use can now hurt your SEO. This article will explain what dropped domains are, why they were once popular, and why you should avoid using them today. What is a Dropped Domain? A dropped domain is a domain name that the original owner allowed to expire. When a domain expires, it enters a grace period where the original owner can renew it. If they don’t renew it, the domain is deleted by the registrar and becomes available for anyone else to register. Dropped domains are sometimes called expired domains, deleted domains, cancelled domains, or aged domains. The key defining feature is that their original registration lapsed, so the domain became available to register again. Why Were Dropped Domains Popular? In the early 2000s, dropped domains became very popular in SEO. At the time, domain age and backlinks were critical ranking factors. So people saw great value in picking up expired domains. The key benefits were: Aged Domain: A dropped domain likely had years of age if the original owner let it expire. Domain age was an important ranking factor. Backlinks: The dropped domain probably accumulated backlinks over the years. These backlinks would pass to the new owner, helping search engine rankings. Traffic History: An aged domain with backlinks often had traffic and search visibility. This history could give a new site a boost in rankings. Brand Potential: Dropped domains with strong brand names could be rebranded for new businesses. SEOs would scout lists of expiring domains to find opportunities to pick up valuable aged domains on the cheap. Marketplaces emerged to buy and sell dropped domains based on metrics like age, backlinks, and search traffic. Why Are Dropped Domains Risky for SEO Now? While dropped domains offered easy SEO wins in the past, they now pose substantial risks. Here’s why you should generally avoid building a site on an expired domain today: Google Algorithm Updates: Google has grown wise to the use of dropped domains as shortcuts. Updates like Penguin now penalise sites using manipulative SEO tactics. Loss of Metrics: Domain age and backlinks no longer have the same SEO weight. Google cares more about authority metrics like trust and topical relevance. An old domain with sketchy links won’t necessarily rank well. Spam Histories: Many dropped domains have sketchy histories like spam sites, poor quality content, or artificial links. This can pollute a domain’s reputation. Lack of Alignment: Trying to force-fit an expired domain rarely aligns well with a new brand’s messaging and positioning. It can create a disconnect with users. Unnatural Growth Patterns: A new site on an old domain may show questionable metrics like overnight ranking gains or traffic surges. This can trigger algorithm penalties. Limited Control: You don’t know how the previous owners used the domain. There could be issues like penalties, negative SEO, or brand collisions waiting to surface. Instead of chasing shortcuts with dropped domains, it’s smarter to: Register a new domain aligned with your brand. Create high-quality, useful content that earns links naturally. Build authority and relevance through engagement over time. This slower but steady approach tends to fare better with modern Google algorithms. While fast shortcuts may pay off briefly, they often backfire as risky or manipulative optimisation. What to Do if You Have a Dropped Domain Site If you currently have a site built on an expired domain, don’t panic. Here are some smart steps: Review your site’s metrics closely for unusual patterns that may indicate issues. Look for traffic or ranking changes that don’t align with your content efforts. Check your site for manual or algorithmic penalties in Google Search Console. Submit reconsideration requests if penalised unfairly. Build out the domain with newly created, high-quality content. Don’t rely solely on the old domain age and links. Distance yourself from the prior brand by developing your own distinct messaging and visual identity. Evaluate whether migrating to a fully new domain makes sense for a fresh start. This is risky but can be worthwhile if the expired domain is irreparably problematic. Consider mass-redirecting poor quality backlinks to your home page or disavowing them. But take care not to over-optimise anchor text ratios. If site metrics remain unstable or concerning, work with an experienced SEO agency to conduct a detailed review and get back on track. The SEO world has moved away from shortcuts like dropped domains. While the risks aren’t automatic deal breakers, you should carefully evaluate your specific site’s situation. An expired domain can still work if used legitimately without overly manipulating trust signals. But investing in high-quality content and patiently earning links yields better long-term returns for brands. Contact Us Today for Expert On-Page SEO Content If you need high-quality on-page content, outreach, and optimisation to boost your organic search visibility, contact us today. We are a UK-based content agency specialising in authoritative blog, website, and e-commerce content that ranks in Google. Our white label content writing services can take your website to the next level. Get in touch for a free consultation!

How to Avoid Plagiarism in Content Writing

Plagiarism is a major issue that can ruin a business’s reputation and get them penalised by search engines. For content marketing agencies and ecommerce businesses relying on blog content, avoiding plagiarism in content writing is crucial. This article will explore what plagiarism is, the effects it can have, and how to avoid it when working with in house writers, freelance writers or white label content agencies. What is Plagiarism in Content Writing? Plagiarism in content writing refers to using someone else’s work or ideas without properly crediting them. This includes: Copying and pasting long sections of text from another website or source without using quotation marks or explicitly citing where it came from. Paraphrasing someone else’s writing without attribution Using statistics, facts, or other information without citing the original source Plagiarism extends beyond just content writing. It can apply to visual assets, data, concepts, and more. In the world of search engine optimisation (SEO) and content writing, plagiarism most commonly refers to copying written content. This could mean stealing full blog posts or just snippets of text without attribution. Search engines like Google can detect duplicated content online. If you publish plagiarised content, it can lead to penalties like lost rankings, removal from search results, and even manual actions by Google. For a business relying on organic traffic, this can be devastating. Beyond SEO risks, plagiarism also leads to loss of trust and reputation. If customers find you publishing unoriginal content, it reflects poorly on your brand image. The Effects of Plagiarism Let’s explore some of the common effects businesses face if they use plagiarized content: Search Engine Penalties As mentioned above, Google and other search engines can detect duplicated content and plagiarism. Some of the penalties may include: Removal from search results – Plagiarised pages may no longer show up for relevant queries. Lost rankings – Your website could drop in rankings for important keywords. Manual actions – In severe cases, Google may manually penalise your whole domain. These penalties mean a drastic loss of organic traffic. For ecommerce stores and content sites relying on SEO, this can destroy revenue streams. Loss of Trust & Reputation Audiences expect original, high-quality content. If you’re caught plagiarising, it reflects poorly on your brand. Customers will see you as untrustworthy and doubt the quality of your products/services. Your reputation with partners like bloggers, journalists, and influencers could also take a hit if you have a history of plagiarism in content writing. They’ll be unlikely to work with you again. Legal Action In some cases, plagiarism can lead to legal consequences like copyright infringement lawsuits. For instance, if you copy long extracts from a book or duplicate an entire blog post without permission. Always give proper attribution to avoid legal issues. High Bounce Rates & Low Dwell time Plagiarised content is often low-quality and poorly optimised. It may not align well with searcher intent. As a result, pages with stolen content tend to have high bounce rates and low average time on page. This signals to Google that the content is not useful, leading to lost visibility. In summary, the risks of plagiarism in content writing far outweigh any temporary gains in output. Avoiding copied content is critical for long-term success. How Can You Avoid Plagiarism in Content Writing? Here are some best practices to ensure plagiarism-free content as a business: Work With Reputable Content Writing Agencies and Writers The top way to avoid plagiarism in content writing is hiring trustworthy content creators. This starts with the hiring process: Screen writers carefully – Review past work and portfolio samples for plagiarism using tools like Copyscape. Check references & reviews – Talk to past clients about their content quality. Explain your no-plagiarism policy – Make sure expectations are clear from the start. Use plagiarism checks – Scan any completed articles with tools like Copyscape before publishing. When working with a white label content agency, do due diligence to ensure they follow best practices. Review samples of their client work and test finished articles yourself as well. Avoid AI Content Writing Tools While AI tools like ChatGPT can generate content quickly, there are major plagiarism risks. The AI may pull snippets from across the web without citation. Until the technology improves, avoid fully relying on AI for content creation. Use human writers instead, even if there is some production delay. Rewrite Existing Content Where Possible For websites with existing product descriptions, blog posts, or articles, consider having these professionally rewritten instead of quoting verbatim. This avoids self-plagiarism. The same applies if you have content written for other sites – get it rewritten for your new publication to make it completely original. Follow Proper Citation Practices When repurposing statistics or including quotes, always cite your sources. Link back to the original content where possible or list the author name and publication. Using quotation marks also helps indicate that certain passages are being cited directly from another website rather than being stolen. Address Intentional Plagiarism If you catch a team member or writer stealing content deliberately, take action quickly. Make it clear through warnings or termination that intentional plagiarism will not be tolerated. Also, re-check previous work by that person for any incidents you may have missed. Avoiding plagiarism takes work but pays off tremendously in the long run. Protect your business reputation and search visibility by using only original, well-cited content from trustworthy sources. Get Plagiarism-Free Content From Our White Label Agency If you need blog, website, or newsletter content, let our white label content agency help. We provide 100% original articles researched and written from scratch exclusively for your brand. With thousands of pieces published across clients, we have a proven track record of delivering plagiarism-free content that engages audiences while avoiding search engine penalties. Get in touch to learn more about our content writing services. We would be happy to provide custom samples showing our commitment to creativity and quality. Don’t leave your business reputation at risk any longer – let us create the