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Real Content, Real Meaning, Realization… It Must Begin Today!

15th August, 2012

I decided I wanted to make an impact on the content world. I wanted to start making a real difference, not just creating content… I mean, really, anyone can write words, place them into their WordPress CMS, and click “Publish”, but what is that? What have I “published”? What impact have I truly made with the words I have blasted out into the web? What have I written? What does my team of writers, here at The Content Authority, really write? Words. Are they words that matter? Are they words that change? Are they words with a message or just “keywords” that hopefully influence search rankings?

Rather listen to the blog? Real Content, Real Meaning, Realization

Words have been around from the beginning of time. They have inspired. They have brought joy. They have brought pain. Words have transformed common men and women into giants and gotten us all in trouble with our moms and dads at some point. The wise guard their words, and the fool spews them out for all to see their folly. Words have a big impact on every aspect of our lives. Pictures, paintings, snapshots, film, videos; they all tell us stories, give us a message, form words in our minds and hearts. In the end, all words are content and content drives us to buy, sell, move, love, hate, inspire, and be inspired. We all know how powerful words are personally. It is no different for a business, especially a business in the business of content.

As mentioned, I want to start to make a real difference instead of what I have been doing in the recent past, which personally has been less about making an impact and more about creating content just because I knew that if I did not, I would never rank in the search engines. On the other hand, creating content for clients has become a highly automated system, where little engagement happens between writers and clients, and somehow through this sterile controlled environment, I expected to create lasting relationships and content that really impacts. Huh?!?

You see, just a few weeks ago, the TCA Marketing team, which is made up of a marketing consultant and an aspiring marketing manager, and I decided it was time that The Content Authority started making a difference instead of just existing as a content creation company. We decided that there was no reason why we could not take our collective smarts and reinvent our blog as a platform to share where we wanted to move ahead as a business and how we wanted to be viewed in the content arena. With that, we worked through a quick draft of the core areas of our skill sets and how those might align with areas of content. After a few meetings, we arrived at the fact that we, The Content Authority, could have something to say and share in the following areas of Content Strategy, Content Creation, Content Management, Content Promotion, and Content Metrics.

Well, isn’t that fantastic?!? It is, except, over the last week as I have attempted to start and stop this blog post, the beginning of the new and exciting Five Pillars of Content Components from The Content Authority, I have found myself overwhelmed and perplexed by how vast the content industry really is! It is apparent that as I have started to study Content Strategy, Creation, Management, Promotion and Metrics, that it is much more broad, deep, and full of substance than I had first thought. It is as if I am seeing that there are so many paths to take right now, I am at a loss of knowing where to start, and which path is best to take. Not all is lost though!

While I feel this sense of being lost, overwhelmed and uneasy, I know enough that I must start some place to get to where I want to go. I know that, as a business, one of the best first steps in moving ahead is planning and that by planning you help to form a good foundation! What should be the next steps?

Our first step is to tackle Content Strategy and from there, I will see where that takes us.

Join me. Join us as we look to make a difference with the content that we share with others!

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

Impact of Steve Jobs On Everyday Life

Shawn Manaher

6th October, 2011

Announcements

Steve Jobs Has Impacted Lives Around the World

Like many people around the world, I am beginning to start my day. I have my cup of coffee in hand and am starting to get ready to tackle everything on my to do list. I have a job, which is considered nontraditional, but is a fast growing sector of employment opportunities; I work at home creating content and developing new ideas for SEO marketing. It is a great way to earn a living working online, along with all of the benefits of being at home. You may ask, what does this really have to do with this particular blog site or what kind of tips may you learn today to improve your website or blog? The answer is any of us who have started our day taking a look at our e-mail, responding to comments, developing links or preparing content to be posted as well as researching our keywords to make sure we are meeting our SEO strategic plans, need to pause and reflect. Yesterday the world lost one of the most creative innovators we have seen in modern times, Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs Lost Battle with Cancer

Steve Jobs passed away yesterday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was first diagnosed in 2004 and eventually underwent a liver transplant. Battling the disease took its toll on Jobs, with him taking a leave of absence to take care of himself and after his return, eventually had to step down from the CEO position of Apple in in August of this year. His stepping down from the position sent shockwaves throughout the industry and the Apple stock felt the impact. The co-founder of Apple is credited with the development of personal computers, the Mac, which revolutionized the ability for many people to use a computer with ease. This invention led to not only the use of computers in everyday life but was able to give people access to the Internet.

Innovations Have Changed The World

Steve Jobs Has Changed the World

The iPod has changed how we listen and select our favorite music and his venture into graphics and animation has given us movies, such as “Toy Story” through his involvement with Pixar. The creation of the iPhone and its evolution is perhaps one of today’s greatest achievements for Steve Jobs. It has given true meaning to the word mobile communication. The Apple iPad is quickly becoming one of the most popular items in the Apple line. These are all things that people are very familiar with but his impact on the technology industry is shown through the words of condolences coming in from around the world from leaders of the tech field.

Condolences for Steve Jobs Pour In

The respect from others in the tech field is apparent in the condolences being offered to Steve Jobs’ family. The creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, stated on his own Facebook page, “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.” Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft issued a statement saying, “Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to Steve Jobs’ family & friends. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it’s been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely.” Google’s co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both offered their sympathy. Brin said they often looked to Jobs for “inspiration or vision and leadership” from Jobs.

Tributes are also being released from Pres. Obama, other political leaders and celebrities. Perhaps one of the most touching tributes is on the Apple website itself. It simply has a picture of Steve Jobs, no words, just his image. This image is probably the reason why I have taken time today to pause and reflect on the life of this man we saw at the press conferences, releasing new products or all the way back to a 23-year-old young man nervously being interviewed on television for the first time. Google is paying its respects on their home page by simply having his year of birth and year of death posted and if you click on it, it takes you directly to the Apple home page. This is the first time Google has ever linked to another website.

Steve Jobs has had a hand in the technology that has changed the face of how we do business, work and enjoy our lives. I woke up this morning using my iPhone to check my e-mail and begin to plan my day, I will be listening to some of the music I’ve downloaded from iTunes as I begin to work and later on when it is time to relax, I may even play a few games I’ve downloaded from the Apple app store. To answer the question how has my life changed because of Steve Jobs, it has been impacted dramatically. Even through his death, we can see the impact of his life as the news of his demise spread through many of the devices he invented. It is because of some of his innovations that we are now twittering and searching for news about his life, creations and the footprint he has made in the world of technology. Let me know how his life has influenced you.

New TCA Website

Shawn Manaher

19th September, 2011

Announcements

The Content Authority Gets an Extreme Makeover

Change is in the air at The Content Authority (TCA), as the company launches its dramatically redesigned website. This exciting upgrade has been in the pipeline for a while now, with TCA’s development experts and internal team working fiercely to create an impressively advanced site. The result epitomizes professionalism, clearly reflecting the company’s corporate culture.

First impressions count, and the new website makes a good one. Although many people resist change, it’s an integral part of progressing to the next level. The good news is The Content Authority does it in style. We are not talking about a few tweaks here either.

At this point, you may be wondering why TCA undertook such an extensive transformation and how it affects you. To answer your questions, we need to start at the beginning.

The Evolution of TCA

Dismayed by a lack of service, missed deadlines, and inferior articles, TCA’s founder and CEO, Shawn Manaher, took it upon himself to fill the gaping void in the content writing profession. Shawn’s forward-thinking vision compelled him to establish a business that not only balances quality writing and competitive prices perfectly, but also excels at customer service.

Towards the end of 2009, The Content Authority entered the Internet Marketing and SEO industry with a bang. While most start-ups go bust within their first year, TCA exceeded expectations, quickly becoming a leader in content provision.

Meeting the need for a reliable business that offers an integrated marketing approach, The Content Authority incorporates several complementary services into its offering. Besides a Developer API, site users can expect to find a rewriting service and submission service that enhance productivity and amplify your online marketing success. These additional services have proved popular with thousands of Internet marketers, website owners, and bloggers searching for a simple, yet powerful content management system.

Over the last 20 months, The Content Authority has seen significant growth. This rise in production has stimulated the need for a website that caters to the ever-changing requirements of both clients and writers. With plenty of feedback from people who know the system best, including clients, writers, and TCA employees, the development team set out to create a brand new website that meets the needs of everyone.

An Enhanced Service

The vibrantly fresh look of the new website is appealingly professional and uncluttered. There are several additions in terms of features and tools, which make for an improved user experience. This includes a “Latest News” section for anyone who wants to catch up on the recent goings-on at TCA, as well as important announcements.

The streamlined features allow for maximum efficiency and easier navigation, which is exactly what you need when time is of the essence. The sitemap on the homepage lets visitors explore the site conveniently. This gives users the opportunity to gain greater insight into what the company stands for, as well as what the company does, and how it operates. It’s also a fantastic way to learn about the people working behind the scenes.

The Content Authority’s development team understands the importance of finding relevant information and practical tools quickly. As a result, the internal interface has been completely revamped, allowing site users to accomplish tasks promptly. Clients and writers should have no trouble adapting to the new look and feel of the site as they find the tools and features they have come to know and love.

As always, there are a variety of channels you can use to communicate with staff. In addition, you can follow TCA on popular social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Connecting with the company via several platforms is an excellent way to network online. You’ll also ensure you don’t miss any significant updates if you don’t visit the website for an extended period. Additionally, you can simply follow the site’s link to the company’s blog. You’ll be rewarded with a vast collection of informative articles and tips to boost your online marketing success.

Putting You First: Commitment to Clients and Writers

TCA Commitment to Service

Although the new website is entirely different from the original, TCA’s commitment to writers and clients remains unchanged. In fact, the driving force behind the company is its unwavering dedication to providing the best experience possible. TCA will continue to focus on building stronger relationships, putting you first.

TCA has always fostered a sense of mutual accountability, keeping lines of communication open at all times. Rarely will you find a customer service and writer support team as friendly and helpful as the staff at TCA. The company is a firm believer in developing partnerships with its clients and writers, ensuring everyone plays an equal part in the business’s success.

The site redesign nurtures the connection clients and writers have with The Content Authority, besides offering optimum functionality, accessibility, and flexibility. For writers, it’s an online home where they are appreciated for their talents and acknowledged as more than a simple means to an end. For clients, it’s a trustworthy source of quality content, and the one place they know customer service genuinely means something. Ultimately, it’s a catalyst for solid relationship building.

Maintained Quality Levels and Ranking Victory

The Content Authority’s main objective has always been to create useful services and products that help companies and individuals achieve higher rankings within major search engines. Based on the company’s history, TCA has been incredibly successful thus far. It’s a company that delivers on the expectations it sets. Staff will gladly go the extra mile, which is evident in the redesign of the site.

The importance of quality content, and what it can do for a business, is something TCA understands well. As search engines continue to place a higher value on the quality of content, the TCA team will forge ahead, maintaining the high level of quality clients have come to expect. The system has several key tools built into it, helping to ensure your search engine optimized articles will work for you.

The ability to achieve higher search engine rankings has always been there for the taking. The only difference is that it’s now packaged a little differently.

A Flourishing Future

With its ability to adapt to fluctuating industry trends, The Content Authority looks forward to a prosperous future. TCA continuously listens to what its clients and writers want and need, making changes to its products and services as necessary. This ensures every process runs as smoothly as possible, propelling the company further into success at it meets organizational goals.

Armed with progressive thinkers, talented writers, and supportive clients, the company is clearly set to expand its service and product offering. The new website is merely the start of its dynamic approach to becoming the premier source for content.

When looking at the website’s extreme makeover, one thing is blatantly obvious; the TCA team knows how to use the company’s core assets and capabilities to their advantage. There is no doubt the development team will continue to refine the website, as well as the products and services on offer.

Have you explored The Content Authority’s new website yet? What do you think of the changes? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, or you can check out our poll region to cast your vote.

[poll id=”5″]

P.S. Don’t forget to follow TCA on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.

Google Farmer Update Improving Search Quality

Shawn Manaher

8th March, 2011

Announcements

Google Farmer Update Improving Search Quality

A recent change to the Google algorithm gives much attention to a problem that has been affecting hard working webmasters for years now and that problem is people scraping and stealing content, they use your content under the guise of their own work and for their own financial benefit.

It is important to understand the Google farmer update improves search quality and only a small amount of webmasters will be affected by this algorithm update.

A recent post at the Google blog called Finding more high-quality sites in search and posted by Amit Singhal and Matt Cutts says that the change affects 11.8% of the search queries performed in Google. According to that article…

Many of the changes we make are so subtle that very few people notice them. But in the last day or so we launched a pretty big algorithmic improvement to our ranking—a change that noticeably impacts 11.8% of our queries—and we wanted to let people know what’s going on. This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.

Although 11.8% might seem like a lot websites are going to be affected, it is only a fraction of the information across the Web.

According to Google Zeitgeist 2010, billions of search queries where performed in 2010.

Google Zeitgeist 2010: How the world searched

Based on the aggregation of billions of search queries people typed into Google this year, Zeitgeist captures the spirit of 2010.

If billions of search queries are performed in Google, then of those search results, 118 million website pages would be affected, there are approximately 205.3 million domain name registrations across all Top Level Domains (TLDs) in the fourth quarter of 2010 as a VeriSign report stated last February.

ccTLD Breakdown Source: Zooknic, January 2011

The total amount of search results being affected is a drop in a bucket compared the total amount of information across the web. We will know more as time progresses.

Although rather vague, it is also important to note that this update only applies to the U.S. and there are plans to launch it elsewhere over time, according to Google.

The Google Farmer Update Affects

The Google Farmer was implemented not only to improve the quality of search but more importantly, to combat against bad results from showing up in the search engine result pages to begin with. This update affects sploggers, scrapers, and content farms.

If you are not familiar with the term content scraping, let me explain it briefly. A scraper is someone that copies your content verbatim – word for word and publishes your content on his or her website. The scenario usually plays out like this— you get an email or someone comments on an article you wrote saying…

“I love your style of writing. I was wondering if I could post part of it on my website?”

Part means all and sometimes they are nice enough to add…

“I will even link back to you!”

And you say…

“Of course, why not go ahead! I love to write and work for free — while you make money at stealing my copyrighted work for your own gain!”

Most content scrapers / sploggers do not bother asking you — especially if your RSS feed sends your subscribers the full post to their email address. I caught on quick – you can too. The best way to combat against these automated scrapers is to set your RSS feed to display an excerpt of each post. This makes it tougher for them to scrape your content to begin with.

Will article rewrites be affected by the Google Farmer Update?

An article rewrite, on the other hand, is not considered bad website content. It is simply a published piece of work you already own the rights to and you have someone else rewrite it for you, or you rewrite the work yourself. The same thing occurs in the real publishing world when an author creates a condensed version of their published novel; this version is called the abridged version.

The difference between scraping content and rewriting content is who owns the copyright of the published work. You can bet that the Google farmer update is all about improving search quality and if you are an ethical writer, you should have no worries about being affected by it.

Please share if your website was affected by the Google Content Farm update, we would love if you shared your experience in the form of a comment below.

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