Brian Dean is the owner of Backlinko, one of the most successful SEO sites on the web. The reason that's Brian's SEO site is so popular? He gives actionable advice and actual case studies that get help you more traffic and more subscribers, even if you are just starting out.
I started using just one of Brian's tips, the “content upgrade”, several months ago. (Check out his post about it here). It raised my conversion rates significantly. In fact, I'll show you an example of a content upgrade now:
Free Bonus: Discover just how Brian Dean builds trust and consequently more traffic to any blog by downloading your transcript to this podcast recording. Click here for your free download.
Join Brian and I as we discuss:
- The best opt-in box location for better conversion
- How to build trust through your blog's design
- The place to avoid when you are a beginning blogger
- And much, much more…
Sue – That was a great interview.
I am looking at a blog for digital printing. There are '000 s of sites selling cartridges etc (we are one – focusing on the professional end), but very little on easy ways of improving printing, cutting costs etc. – and hardly any case studies.
I have recently got back into business (I'm nearly 70 and should be retired!), having sold a web-based operation 3 years ago. Clearly I must differentiate and blogging (which I like doing) is one way which is important – provided it leads to business. I am based in England.
Kind regards
Daniel Roberts
Thanks for listening to Brian and I on the podcast and thanks for commenting.
Blogging can lead to business, as you said, if you differentiate yourself. Brian, on the podcast, called it "positioning". You need to take a position that is different than the other big blogs out there. Case studies are probably a good way to do it.
Sue
Great interview, Sue!
I'm a big fan of Backlinko but the content upgrade strategy is new to me, and will definitely be something I incorporate as I grow my new site from ghost town to established community.
Luke Jordan recently posted…The Definitive Guide to Hipster SEO
You will love the conversions you get on the content upgrades, Luke!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting,
Sue
Hi, Sue, my speakers have given up so I downloaded the content upgrade! So many eye-opening techniques.
I must make a plan to upgrade past posts, but it's all a little bit more pushy than I naturally am. I won't be jumping into it just yet, but it makes a lot of sense.
20 minutes on social media – that's quite a target. Are you sure he doesn't mean 20 minutes an hour? 🙂
Brian and I both agree that 20 minutes a day is plenty for social media. The ROI isn't as much for beginning bloggers.
You'll enjoy the conversions on the content upgrades, Donald.Try it once and you'll see.
Thanks for commenting today!
Sue
Hi, Sue, I've just popped back to say I've installed Rescue Time. I think it's something I'll use in combination with other techniques, possibly Pomodoro (which I only know about vaguely). Oh, and I'm going to aim for that 20 minute target… as much as I can. Thanks for your help 🙂
Hi, Donald,
I have several friends who use Rescue Time and I use the Pomodoro technique. I literally set a timer for 60 minutes (it can be as little as 25 and as much as 90 minutes) and work for that amount of time and then take a 5 – 10 minute break.
Cutting back on social media and doing more promotion of your blog posts, like Brian recommends on Backlinko.com, really is a better use of your time.
Thanks for commenting again!
Sue
Hi Sue,
What a great interview. That content upgrade strategy is a gold mine. I love that idea. I will sign up for Brian's list today because I want to know more. I love the fact that he has actionable steps. I am glad you asked him about what a newbie should do to be successful. I liked his view on blog design. It goes to show that first impression is a lasting impression and even though content is king, design makes a big difference as well.
He really made me think, what my blog stands for. What makes me different. That is good stuff. Actionable tips are powerful and he has made me realize I can drill down even more. Hi tip on a feature opt in box makes so much since and that is a powerful actionable step that I can use to increase opt-ins – Exciting Stuff!
His points on social media kind of caught me off guard but I am glad I heard that from him. I use Rescue Time for my tasks and realize social media can be a distraction if not used wisely. He has motivated me to make my content even better and not to spend so much time on social media.
Thank you for sharing such value!
You will love being on Brian's list, Nathaniel. His blog is one of my top 4 that I read the minute I get his email that a post is live!
You are the second person today to talk about Rescue Time. We can get pulled in a million directions as bloggers and it's key to see where we are spending out time and if it's truly worth it.
Thanks for stopping by to comment,
Sue
Hi Sue.
Great interview.
I agree very much with Brian's tip about spending only 20 minutes a day on social media.
Once we've put our input out there, then our followers can do their part while we concentrate on our part, i.e. building our community through our websites and blogging networks.
Thanks for that.
Nathan.
Nathan Ambrose recently posted…I Want to Comment on Your Blog but Don’t Know What to Say
Hi, Nathan,
So true about social media – it can be a big time-suck, right?
Thanks for commenting today,
Sue
Thanks Sue, for this interview because it has been of help for me. Am a big fan of Brain and he has been one of those industry player i cherished their work.
Also a big Brian fan!
Thanks, Olayinka,
Sue
Sue Anne recently posted…Conversion Rates: What I Learned From Brian Dean of Backlinko.com
Hi, Sue,
What a wonderful interview with Brian, and I could not have agreed more with all that he shared. Seems like a super nice guy too, so thanks for having him on and sharing with us!
Awesome strategies shared, and I think I detect similar strategies with different names from the past that I’ve used, if I’m not mistaken…
Back in November of 2011 I did my first award post where I spotlighted 25 top women bloggers which was a lot of fun, but that was termed a different name, (had purchased a WSO that taught it).
I had forgotten about it until you did your Top 50 Successful post, which I was so very honored to be part of, thanks again!
Guess who is going back to 2011 posts to update? This girl. lol
For video posts, I’ve had the PDF download of transcript offer (for opt in) for a long time, and had planned on adding more list building elements to my posts (specifically mid post) soon, but this will spur me on to get it on the To-Do list asap, so thank you so much for the encouragement, I appreciate it.
Your blog is a delight, Sue, and I appreciate your high quality content so very much.
Hope you’re feeling better and have a restful weekend.
– Carol
Carol Amato recently posted…5 Tips To Keep The Content Flowing
Hi, Carol,
I was a good girl and rested all weekend and feel better now. Thanks for asking.
List posts and award posts work very well to pull in traffic and social media shares.
Thanks for the compliment!
Sue
Sue Anne recently posted…Conversion Rates: What I Learned From Brian Dean of Backlinko.com
Hi Sue,
I've heard of Backlinko many times but never gave a second thought to the name behind it. From the podcast, Brian is super knowledgeable about his business and you sure asked the right questions….
In particular, a blog design that inspires confidence and the actual positioning of optin boxes was a great eye opener. If you don't built a formidable (and interested list), how do you keep in contact with your passionate readers and possible customers and clients?
Be certain to make the day great!
Always,
Terungwa
Brian is great and I have learned a lot from him.
Thanks for your insightful comment!
Sue
Sue Anne recently posted…Conversion Rates: What I Learned From Brian Dean of Backlinko.com
Hi Sue,
Awesome interview with Brian. Learned a lot of great points from him.
I remember when I first heard of his strategy of the content upgrade and seeing it in action, I thought it was sheer genius and was anxious to implement it. I can safely say I don't use it as often as I probably should, which is my own fault. But the times I've used it, I did get some pretty nice results. So I'm going to be putting in the work again to go ahead and apply that strategy.
I live the advice he gave regarding helping those that are starting as well. You do have to do something that helps you stand out. He has case studies. Derek has scientific proof. People, including myself, need to figure out that angle to really get us separated from everyone else. Because it seems to work wonders.
Great podcast again.
– Andrew
I was just thinking about that same thing myself, Andrew. Being known for just one thing. I'm leaning towards "Blog Content Specialist". One of my mentors, Yaro Starak, says you really have to make sure you want it because it's hard to change down the road.
Thanks for commenting!
Sue
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