Google Drive Users Report Mysterious Disappearance Of Files From Their Cloud Storage

Several users of Google Drive have recently generated complaints regarding the mysterious vanishing of their files from Cloud Storage.

The news has left users confused who are now demanding an answer as the files were reported to be present since the month of May and to have them disappear without any form of warning is alarming for obvious reasons.

The complaints were highlighted by several outlets showing that the issue started to arise in the past week after a Korean user that goes by the name Yoenjoong published his complaints across the Google Support platform and explained how it was annoying to have useful files just vanish without a warning.

He also explained how the drive simply shifted back to a state seen in May of this year and all the data between May and today appears to have gone, proving extreme inconvenience to users like him and many others.

This particular support request went on to talk about how Google Drive failed to show changes in the activity of the user since May of this year. But thankfully, there were no files being trashed manually as none can be found in the bin. Similarly, he added that you could no longer find any file-sharing type of request in the setup too, just files vanishing into thin air.

One member from Google Support did get into contact with the users who began the discussion thread and quoted a few words from the company to better handle the matter. The statement comprised an apology where the representative spoke about not being able to connect with the users for the discussion on the concerning matter but vowed to track the cause of the issue down.

The case is currently being monitored by the firm and he reassured the users that they are not being specifically targeted for any reason. This is a glitch that all users are facing and the complaints on this front keep growing with each passing day.

For now, the team of product engineers at Google Drive is trying to find the answer to the root cause of the matter. They similarly advised how anyone who did indeed experience such behavior has been urged to prevent making changes to data folders, till the company realizes the issue thoroughly and would be able to find a proper solution, restoring full access to those customer accounts that were affected by this mysterious happening.

The company acknowledged how the number of reports they are receiving continues to grow on a daily basis. Right now, they are still getting complaints from many and they wish to find a proper solution and get users’ access back to them like old times.

No reports were generated regarding the time taken for engineers to find the root cause, and neither was any time frame outlined in terms of when users can expect the issue to be solved.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

LinkedIn's New AI Filters Posts, Enhancing User Experience With Efficient Content Moderation

The Microsoft-owned social network, LinkedIn, has taken a big step. The platform is now using AI for sorting posts – to find out which ones are okay and which are not. This is new and big. Imagine, AI working like a filter. It checks all posts, separating the good from the bad. It's like having a super smart helper, always making sure only good things reach into the user feeds.

Let's look closer. LinkedIn's AI, it's special. It learns from real things, real posts. It's like a detective, cleverly finding posts that break rules. It doesn't just look for obvious blunders; it understands deeper things, like how we talk and what we mean. This new framework as per Abhishek Chandak "helps ensure that content that doesn’t align to our policies does not make it onto the platform".

As per Chandak, LinkedIn's new "framework uses a set of XGBoost models, to predict the probability of a piece of content being violative or clear. XGBoost provides better recall at set precision for us compared to architectures like TF2-based neural networks as our training data is tabular and there is large variation in violation patterns over time." Adding further, "These models are trained on a representative sample of past human labeled data from the content review queue and tested on another out-of-time sample. We leverage random grid search for hyperparameter selection and the final model is chosen based on the highest recall at extremely high precision (R@P). We use this success metric because LinkedIn has a very high bar for trust enforcements quality so it is important to maintain very high precision."

Now, you might think, "What does this mean for me?" It's about making LinkedIn better for you. The aim is to keep your feed clean, only showing things that are right for a professional place. It's like a personal guard, keeping out things that shouldn't be there. The AI does a lot of work, but humans still look at the hard cases. This team of humans and AI, they work together perfectly.

But there's more. It's not just about stopping bad posts. It's also about doing things more efficiently. With AI helping, human moderators can focus on the harder stuff. It's a good strategy, making sure every post is checked properly.

"This new content review prioritization framework is able to make auto-decisions on ~10% of all queued content at our established (extremely high) precision standard.", claims LinkedIn on its blog.

But let's be honest. No system is perfect. AI can make mistakes. But LinkedIn says they have confidence in their system. They think it will make your time on LinkedIn better. It's a big goal, to be a leader in checking content.

• Also read: Navigating the New Normal — 73% of Freelancers Integrating AI into Their Workflows

So, next time you're scrolling through LinkedIn, take a moment to notice the change. Is your feed cleaner, more professional? Are you seeing less of what you don't want and more of what you do? This is the power of AI at work, a silent guardian shaping your digital world.

In the big picture, what LinkedIn is doing could be an example for other platforms. Imagine if all online places had this kind of system – efficient, quiet, and good at its job. LinkedIn is trying to make this real.

Photo: DIW - AI-gen

Read next: SEO vs CRO: Combine Them for The Best Success
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Black Friday 2023 Sees 7% Ecommerce Traffic Dip, Highlighting Shifts in Consumer Spending and Retail Trends

According to data published by SimilarWeb, this Black Friday, something different happened. Traffic to online stores went down by 7% from last year, which shows that people are changing their mind when it comes to what they want to buy. They're now more into traveling, looking good with beauty stuff, and still loving the big stores, especially Amazon.

You know, Black Friday isn't just a day anymore. It's like a festival, starting from Thanksgiving, all the way to Cyber Monday. They call it "Cyber 5" and some Cyber Week. And this year, just looking at the first two days, we can already see some surprising trends. People were actually buying more groceries online, up by 5%. Seems like everyone's using deals to fill up their kitchens!

• Discover More: Black Friday's Global Spread and the Evolution of Consumer Habits

When we look at the big shops, it's a mixed bag. Amazon did okay, with a small increase in people visiting the ecommerce giant. But, oh boy, the fashion shops took a hit. Macy's, Kohl's, Gap - all saw fewer people. And then there's Temu, growing a lot in visitors but still not top 15. Guess it's not just about how many people visit.

This chart shows the "top sectors in YoY Traffic change on Black Friday":

Amazon's still the king early in the Black Friday game. They had a lot more people coming on Thanksgiving than even on Black Friday itself. But not everything sold well. Clothes and stuff? Not so much. But beauty products? Big hit. Some items were even famous on TikTok!

• Dig Deeper: What Ecommerce Apps Collect the Most User Data?

This graphic highlights the "top US eCommerce sites on Black Friday, in visits with Year-over-Year change":

And Apple, as usual, everyone loves their stuff. iPads, watches, AirPods - people just keep searching and buying them.

Now, toys and games had their own story. Even with all the talk about the Barbie movie, Barbie dolls weren't top sellers. The big hit was the Barbie Dreamhouse, at number 15. Looks like people are ready to spend more on toys that feel special.

This infographic illustrates the "top categories on Thanksgiving and Black Friday in Product views, by Year-on-Year change in visits":

So, what does this Black Friday tell us? We're changing what we buy. We want experiences, nice beauty stuff, but we're also loyal to the big names like Amazon and Apple. It's interesting to see how our choices are shifting and what that says about us.

Read next: Who's Winning the Battle for the Top Talent in Big Tech?
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Clicker Beware: New Study Reveals the Crypto Search Terms and URLs Most Likely to Contain Malware

The world of cryptocurrency has been a rollercoaster of fortunes and misfortunes, attracting both seasoned investors and newcomers eager for quick riches.

To navigate this landscape, investors must stay vigilant and understand the risks beyond investing. And they include the threat from hackers and criminals. These bad actors are always looking for ways to exploit, deceive, and ensnare crypto enthusiasts. One method involves loading URLs from search results of popular crypto terms with malware and other malicious programs. Oneclick, and the hackers are in your system.

CoinKickOff decided to investigate this very real threat. Its researchers analysed 28,000+ URLs to see which crypto terms most commonly lead to malware or other security risks. They then put all the findings into charts and tables, creating valuable resources to help you avoid these dangerous links.

Here's a full breakdown of the study.

Hackers Targeting Altcoin Investors

Altcoins can yield huge profits if you pick the right coin at the right time. In the frenzy of the crypto bull markets, these coins can surge by thousands of percentage points, turning a few dollars into serious profits.

But what goes up must always come down. And in the crypto world, that comedown crash can wipe out all your gains in seconds.

The get-rich-quick potential of altcoin investments tends to attract a younger, less experienced type of investor. Many have little to no experience with financial products, making them ripe targets for hackers and scammers who circle like sharks.

So it should be no surprise to hear that the most dangerous URLs loaded with potential malware include references to altcoins and altcoin projects.

The CoinKickoff research team found severe red flags in search results for Stellar, a cryptocurrency designed for fast and low-cost cross-border transactions. They contained the highest number of potential malware links. Almost 4 out of 10 (38%) showed signs of malware or ransomware; that's the highest percentage found in the entire study.

Other terms to avoid when researching altcoins online include Aave (36%), Cronos (32%), Tron (30%), and The Graph (29%).

Crypto Wallet Links Hiding Malware

Cybercriminals are a persistent and diligent bunch. They look for (and exploit) every possible opportunity to steal our data and sneak nasty programs onto our devices.

The hacker targeting crypto enthusiasts is no different. They're seeking malware on any crypto-related links, including those in search results for crypto wallets.

Crypto wallets are pretty self-explanatory. A crypto wallet allows individuals to securely store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It consists of a private key for accessing and managing the user's cryptocurrency holdings and a public address for receiving funds.

Crypto wallets allow users to take (virtual) custody of their coins, instead of leaving them on exchanges. Think of exchanges like a bank and a crypto wallet as your personal vault in the basement, with a secret code only you know.

This idea of self-custody is a big deal in the crypto community, especially for the libertarian types who distrust banks, financial institutions, and governments.

But not all wallets are created equal, and not all online searches for wallets are safe.

Proceed with (extreme) caution if you're researching Jaxx Liberty wallets. CoinKickoff found that clicking on nearly 47% of URLs mentioning the wallet could turn you into a cyber hacker's next victim.

Cybercriminals are also hiding malware in URLs mentioning Digifox, Staked Wallet, and Xapo Wallet.

"Bad" Crypto Exchange URLs

Let's turn our attention to the cryptocurrency exchange search terms to avoid.

Cryptocurrency exchanges are online platforms that facilitate the buying, selling, and trading of cryptocurrencies. They serve as intermediaries connecting buyers and sellers of cryptocurrencies and provide a marketplace for users to exchange one cryptocurrency for another or fiat currency.

There are an estimated 504 cryptocurrency exchanges to choose from, and search for.

When deciding where to buy your Bitcoin, it's best to avoid researching exchanges like Coinsbit, Latoken, MEXC, and BTCEX. Around 40% of search results for these crypto exchanges contain links that you wish you'd never clicked on.

Instead, stick to the more established players, like Coinbase and Kraken. Neither exchange features in the study, suggesting that the majority of Coinbase/Kraken search results are malware-free.

Malicious Metaverse Links

Next up, the CoinKickOff team looked at the number of malicious links disguised in URLs from popular Metaverse search terms.

Biswap has the dubious honour of coming out on top in this chart. Clicking on Biswap links will take you into an expansive online metaverse ecosystem featuring trading opportunities, NFT platforms, gaming, and virtual marketing spaces.

However, over 40% of these links (42.70%, to be exact) could load up your device or PC with a malware program.

There was also a high percentage of nasty links within search results of other native metaverse tokens, including Efinity Token, Ethernity Chain, and RichQUACK.

The Dangers Lurking within NFT Links

The lack of regulation (and security) within the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) space is a cybercriminal's dream. The NFT ecosystem is anonymous, offers zero consumer protection, and runs on transactions that are 100% irreversible. It's the definition of what some critics have called the "Wild West" economy of digital assets.

And it explains why so many NFT URL search results are loaded with malware designed to steal digital loot from holders.

Searches for Dreadfulz NFTs contain the most danger. CoinKickOff researchers found evidence suggesting that more than 1 in 2 links that come up (51.92%) should never be clicked.

Crypto Mining Links

CoinKickOff rounded off the study with a look at links related to searches for crypto mining software. Crypto mining is the engine of the industry. It’s the complex process of creating new cryptocurrency units and verifying transactions on a blockchain network.

It requires some serious hardware. Miners also need the right software. And this is where the danger lurks for miners or aspiring miners. Searches for several popular forms of mining software, including Hashgains, Startminer, Hashflare, and Etherpool's network, bring up a high number of URLs which may be disguising malware.

But the biggest threat is hiding within searches for OXBTC, a cloud mining software platform. Half of all its search links contain red flags suggesting the presence of malware.

How to Avoid Malware

If you still want to invest in crypto, then you need to do your research. And you need to know how to avoid downloading malware. You can significantly reduce your risk by:

• Using Reputable Sources: Stick to well-known and trusted websites, forums, and communities for cryptocurrency information.
• Checking for Phishing Sites: Double-check website URLs for accuracy to avoid phishing sites that mimic legitimate cryptocurrency platforms.
• Verifying Software Sources: Only download cryptocurrency-related software from official websites or app stores to avoid fake or malicious versions.
• Keeping Software Updated: Ensure your cryptocurrency wallets and software are updated with the latest security patches.
• Using Security Software: Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software to provide additional protection.
• Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Implement 2FA wherever possible to enhance the security of your cryptocurrency accounts.
• Avoiding Clicking on Suspicious Links: Be cautious when clicking on links in emails or social media, especially if they promise unrealistically high returns or demand urgent action.

Stay safe out there. And good luck!

Read next: The Hidden Cost of Convenience: New Study Exposes the Most Data-Hungry Personal Finance Apps
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Putin Unveils AI Plan Emphasizing Cultural Diversity and Global Cooperation, Aiming to Counter Western Influence.

Russia is stepping confidently into the AI frontier, bringing a unique perspective to the table. At an AI conference in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin made a significant announcement: Russia is charting its own course in AI development. This isn’t just about technology; it's about cultural representation in the digital age.

Putin's vision is compelling. He imagines AI that mirrors the world's cultural diversity. It’s a fresh approach, considering most AI today is heavily influenced by Western data and perspectives. Putin's plan? To infuse AI with the richness of global civilizations, ensuring that Russian culture and others are not just footnotes in the digital narrative.

"Our plans include creating a repository for the code of the domestic platform and services that are indispensable for interaction of Russian and international software engineers.", he explained.

But this is more than just talk. Russia is gearing up for serious work in generative AI and language models. They're investing in supercomputing, aiming to transform their AI education, and planning to reshape laws to support this vision. International cooperation is also a key part of their strategy.

Here’s an interesting point of contention, though. Putin is critical of the current AI models. His concern? They tend to overlook non-English cultures, including Russia’s. This, he fears, could lead to a digital world where diverse cultural histories and contributions are invisible.

"I suggest considering granting our partners from friendly countries access to Russian large language and generative models. I am absolutely convinced that the technological world of the future must be multipolar, and we must build it together on the basis of trust and mutually beneficial cooperation. This is what we plan to do.", remarked remarked Mr. Putin.

The global AI landscape, as it stands, is skewed. The US and UK dominate, while Russia lags behind, according to Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute. This imbalance isn’t just a matter of national achievement. It raises deeper questions about whose voices and values shape the AI of tomorrow.

There's a bit of unease in the scientific community about this, too. Take Geoffrey Hinton, an AI pioneer. He’s openly worried about the misuse of AI, particularly by powerful figures. Putin, however, is undeterred by these concerns. He views the Western hold over AI as something to be challenged, a way to bring balance and inclusivity to the field.

So, what Russia is embarking on isn't just a technological race. It’s about bringing a new cultural dimension to AI, ensuring that the digital world reflects the diversity of human experience. Putin’s vision is to not just catch up but to enrich AI with a broader understanding of our world’s cultural heritage. This journey, with all its technical and cultural aspirations, could very well change how we see and interact with AI in the future.

Photo: Kremlin / YT

Read next: Nations Join Forces to Address the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Safety
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Nations Join Forces to Address the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Safety

This Sunday, a big step was taken by the United States, Britain, and 15 other countries. They brought out a 20-page (and 5000+ words) agreement about artificial intelligence (AI) safety. It's about making AI that is safe right from the start.

The agreement says AI should be made and used in a way that keeps everyone safe. It's not a strict rule, but more like good advice "for providers of any systems that use artificial intelligence". It talks about watching AI for wrong use, keeping data safe, and checking who makes the software.

Jen Easterly, who leads the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, thinks this is very important. She talked to media outlets and said AI shouldn't just be about new features or being cheap. Safety in AI design is what's most important.

"The guidelines are broken down into four key areas within the AI system development lifecycle: secure design, secure development, secure deployment, and secure operation and maintenance", reads the document.

This is part of a bigger effort by many countries to guide AI future. AI is getting more important in work and in our lives. The countries that agreed include Germany, Italy, and others like Australia and Singapore.

The agreement focuses on stopping hackers from using AI in bad ways. But it doesn't answer big questions about how AI should be used or how data for AI is collected.

AI is growing and people worry about it. They fear it could hurt democracy, increase fraud, or cost many jobs.

Europe is doing more about AI rules than the U.S. Countries like France and Germany agree that AI should have rules about how it's used. They want AI models to follow certain codes of conduct.

In the U.S., President Biden wants laws for AI, but Congress is divided and slow to act. The White House, in October, tried to lower the risks of AI to people and national security.

In this effort, everyone is trying to make sure AI is safe and good for everyone. But it's a big challenge and needs everyone to work together.

Photo: DIW - AIgen

Read next: Navigating the New Normal — 73% of Freelancers Integrating AI into Their Workflows
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

SEO vs CRO: Combine Them for The Best Success

When it comes to marketing strategies, SEO and CRO are the two best options.

While both services are different, you can combine them together to achieve better results.

However, not all businesses know this and often miss out on great opportunities.

If you don’t want to stay behind your competitors, it is best to use them together as a part of your business marketing plan.

Digital Nomads HQ - SEO Agency offers both these services to give you an edge over others. The experts create a consolidated marketing strategy using these two techniques to give a boost to your business.

To know more about SEO vs CRO and how they work together, keep reading this article.

What is SEO vs. CRO?

Image: DIW - AIgen

People often mix up SEO and CRO. They think SEO tricks are the same as CRO or consider boosting conversions as part of SEO. Simply put, they're alike but separate.

SEO works on bringing more people to your site, while CRO works on getting those visitors to do something (signing up for a newsletter or buying a product). CRO basically helps turn the traffic from SEO into actions that benefit you.

SEO and CRO aim for different things, yet marketers often use similar tactics for both. Here are more details about SEO vs CRO.

What is SEO?

Photo: DIW - AI-gen

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps raise your website’s position in search engines’ results. When your site lands at the top of search lists, more people discover your business, drop by your site, and eventually make purchases.

SEO plays a vital role in growing any business. Nowadays, people rely on search engines to find what they need. That's why making your website search-friendly matters. Using the right keywords and top-notch content boosts your site's visibility on search engines.

But SEO needs time and patience. It's a continuous process as you have to keep up with new algorithms Google keeps rolling out. It might take 6 to 12 months to really see the impact. Yet, the payoff is huge. Being on the first page of search results means more chances to catch the eye of potential customers.

What is CRO?

Image: DIW- AI-gen

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) is about turning website visitors into customers. In marketing, it means shifting their interest into buying what you offer. But it's not just about sales. It includes getting their information by having them sign up for newsletters, fill out forms, or subscribe. These details help stay connected for future conversions.

SEO brings people to your website, but CRO helps turn those visitors into customers. When you tweak your website design and make it user-friendly, it boosts the chances of visitors taking action and buying something. This can increase your conversion rates and bring in more money.

CRO is great because it relies on data from user behaviour, like click rates and time spent on a page, to make smart decisions. It helps spot where visitors might get stuck or confused so you can fix those areas and improve their experience.

Plus, a strong CRO strategy keeps customers coming back. By understanding what makes them tick and using that info along their journey with your brand, you create loyalty through good experiences.

While SEO brings in traffic, focusing only on that without making the website engaging might make visitors leave without doing much. That's why balancing both SEO & CRO is key for lasting growth and hitting business goals.

SEO vs CRO: What’s the Difference?

Image: DIW

SEO vs CRO work differently. CRO relies on the traffic generated by SEO, but they don't always work together for the same goal. SEO aims to boost website visibility and get more visitors, while CRO focuses on turning that traffic into meaningful actions. Here are more details on SEO vs CRO:

SEO

When comparing CRO to SEO, there are some SEO aspects that don't really play into CRO. Here are a few:

1. Invisible stuff

SEO involves building elements within your website that boost its value, like meta tags, alt tags and schema markup. These aren't visible to users but matter a lot for SEO; however, they don't directly impact CRO.

2. Traffic focus

SEO works on getting more traffic and attention to your site through rankings and site improvements. CRO uses that traffic differently. It aims to turn visitors into customers instead of just getting more traffic, as SEO does.

3. Keywords

SEO relies heavily on specific keywords to drive traffic. CRO focuses more on appealing to customers rather than using specific keywords. Changing keywords for CRO purposes can mess with your SEO strategy.

CRO

CRO's job is to turn traffic into action. While it uses the traffic from SEO, there are parts of CRO that don't need SEO:

1. Non-indexed pages

These pages aren't seen by search engines, so SEO isn't a concern. They just need to offer a great user experience for a successful CRO.

2. Grabbing attention

CRO focuses on engaging customers, whether through marketing or user experience. SEO, on the other hand, focuses on keywords and search engine rules to get noticed on search result pages.

3. Design

Good design boosts user experience, which is crucial for a successful CRO. But sometimes, the design that's great for users might clash with SEO needs. Trying to please search engines can hurt user experience, affecting CRO. Finding the right balance in design is key.

Why CRO and SEO Are Both Necessary for Success?

Image: DIW

Here's why both SEO vs CRO are crucial for a successful digital marketing plan:

• SEO helps you find your audience and makes it simple for them to discover your site.
• CRO steps in once they're there. It’s all about making it tempting and effortless for them to buy from you.

To really succeed, you need a mix of both. Ignoring one means missing out on key parts of your sales plan.

Imagine focusing only on getting to the top of search results without caring about user experience; you'd miss out on potential sales. On the flip side, if you only concentrate on making your site conversion-friendly without minding SEO, people might struggle to find you. It's all about finding that balance.

SEO vs CRO: How to Combine Them Together for Better Results?

Image: DIW

SEO vs CRO aim for different things but ultimately want the same: success for your business. Even though they're different, when you bring them together, they create the best outcomes. Here are some SEO and CRO tips you can follow to blend the two strategies effectively in your marketing plan for great results:

1. Optimize your content for conversions and well as ranking

When you're creating new content for your website, think about how it'll affect both your conversion rate and your site's ranking. Changes for one might not always favour the other. Be cautious not to harm your SEO efforts while focusing on CRO and vice versa.

For instance, an SEO expert might suggest removing a floating form to speed up the site, which helps SEO. But that form might be crucial for CRO, so ditching it could hurt your conversion strategy.

These dilemmas happen a lot. It's vital to streamline your site while keeping a strong conversion path. A/B testing your web or landing pages helps strike the right balance.

2. Improve the user experience of your website

This is one of the best SEO and CRO tips you can follow to improve user experience. When people search on Google, it suggests things to help them out. But how do you get Google to notice your website?

By focusing on what users want and creating content that matches their needs, you can boost your site's ranking and make it visible on Google. So, how can you make your site better for users and improve its ranking, getting more conversions? Here are some ideas:

• Optimize your conversion process
• Use call to action
• Have a responsive design
• Educate your leads
• Create easy-to-digest content
• Speed up your website
• Enhance scrolling experience
• Get feedback

Creating a great user experience isn't easy. You've got to build a strong bond with customers to keep them coming back. How do you do it? By understanding how users behave on your site and interact with your products.

3. Develop SEO and CRO strategy with goals

Create a smart CRO and SEO plan that works hand in hand. When you're starting from scratch or redesigning your site, it's crucial to set clear goals for what you want to achieve.

Here's a step-by-step guide to using SEO and CRO tips:

Set business goals

Figure out what you want to achieve. Is it doubling website traffic in five months or boosting conversions by 30% by the end of 2023? Clear goals help align CRO and SEO efforts.

Check your site

Do a thorough check of your website using tools like Google Analytics. Find areas for improvement in content, design, and technical performance.

Keyword research

Understand the keywords your audience uses in searches. This helps optimize your content for better rankings.

Optimize your site

Make improvements based on your site audit and keyword research. Work on technical aspects, user experience, and content relevance.

Plan content

Create a strategy for content creation and optimization. Target the right keywords and plan how to promote your content.

CRO tactics

Once your site is SEO-ready, focus on strategies to enhance conversion rates. Tweak layout, content, calls to action, and checkout processes.

Track and adopt

Monitor your efforts closely. See what works and what needs fixing. Adjust your strategies accordingly.

Ensure everyone involved shares their actions to avoid conflicting strategies. Whether you outsource or manage in-house, keep a check on every action for a balanced approach.

4. Create relevant and quality content for SEO that aligns with search intent

Creating SEO content is one of the best CRO and SEO tips to follow. Your content should always match what your audience is searching for. Aim to produce top-notch content that boosts your visibility in search results without sacrificing elements crucial for CRO.

Search intent broadly falls into four categories: Informational, Commercial, Navigational, and Transactional. Understanding this helps tailor your content to user needs.

Integrating CRO into SEO content is key. Here's how:

Use internal links

Linking related content keeps visitors on your site longer, nudging them toward a conversion.

Make content readable

Easy-to-understand content keeps users engaged and on your site.

Create clear calls to action

Align CTAs with user intent to guide visitors through the buying process.

Test and refine

Continuously test and enhance your site's design and content for better results.

Focusing on these aspects improves user experience and conversion rates. Remember, SEO content isn't just about ranking high; it's about enhancing user experience and guiding them towards actions that benefit your site.

5. Try experimenting with tactical CRO tests on your site

Experimenting with your site to boost conversions in CRO involves trying out various tactics. Not all will pack the same punch - some quick changes could make a big impact, while others need more thought.

Here are some tests to boost your site's conversion rates:

Caption images

Adding captions to photos helps users and adds relevant keywords for SEO.

Go green

Test using the colour green. It can create a positive vibe for eco-conscious consumers and leave a great impression.

Offer guarantees

People love guarantees. It shows confidence in your product or service and reduces risk for consumers.

Bold important info

Highlighting key details helps skimming readers grasp your offer better, nudging them towards conversion.

Create urgency

Make your offer time-sensitive or limited in quantity. Scarcity tends to make things more desirable.

Use high-quality images

Swap grainy images for high-quality ones. Better images enhance your brand's appearance and keep users engaged.

Test landing page copy

Experiment with different text to improve both SEO and conversion rates. It can help pages rank better and find the best wording for higher conversions.

6. Use data to optimize your content

Once you've made changes to your site and updated content, it's crucial to analyze the results. It is one of the best SEO and CRO tips. Compare the data from both SEO and CRO perspectives.

If different teams handle your CRO or SEO, it's vital they work together to interpret data. This ensures one strategy doesn't overpower the other. Here are examples to illustrate possible scenarios:

Example 1:

You increase target keywords on a page to boost rankings and traffic. The page ranks higher and gets 40% more traffic. However, the conversion rate drops by 5%, suggesting keywords affect user experience. You realize the traffic increase doesn't offset the CR drop. Solution? Test a variant with fewer keywords for a better balance.

Example 2:

You use a UX tool to track how people move around your site. Turns out, 80% of your organic traffic goes straight to the bottom of your homepage and spends about 5 seconds checking out the footer. But your footer doesn't have much; it has just short links to a few pages and no CTA. Here are two ideas to make the most of this:

• For better SEO, expand the footer by breaking down service categories. Add more links to each specific service.
• To boost CRO, put a call-to-action next to the footer links. It's another chance to get users to take action.

Review and act on data from both SEO vs CRO perspectives. Heat maps help visualize this. Future tests should serve both SEO and CRO needs.

Regular data checks on CRO vs SEO changes help identify issues for the next site updates. Collaborative analysis ensures a well-rounded approach to your marketing strategy.

7. Improve meta titles and meta descriptions

Enhancing your meta titles and descriptions on the website helps improve SEO and CRO results. Once your site ranks on the first page of search results, the next step is to refine these titles and descriptions.

When assessing these elements, consider both SEO and CRO perspectives. From an SEO viewpoint, focus on the keywords used. From a CRO perspective, prioritize keywords that drive conversions. Analyze this data and share insights with your advertising team for future campaigns.

8. Optimize content for specific keywords

Choosing the right keywords can attract the right customers. It is one of the most basic SEO and CRO tips to follow. Keywords should match where customers are in their buying journey: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action.

• Awareness: It's the starting point, attracting curious visitors.
• Interest and Desire: This phase uses more specific keywords as people figure out what they want.
• Action: This is where specific keywords drive higher conversion rates as people are ready to buy or sign up.

Focusing on 'Action' keywords helps generate leads or sales from ready-to-act customers. To be visible to these customers, create content targeting these keywords for better rankings and more traffic in search results.

9. Improve page loading time

Page loading speed affects both your CRO and Google ranking. Slow loading hurts your site in SEO and leads to a high bounce rate as people quickly exit when a page takes too long. This suggests your page doesn't fulfil their needs.

A low bounce rate means people explore more pages, potentially increasing your conversion rate. Aim for a page load speed of two seconds or less to improve these aspects. Top of Form
Focus on macro conversions

To climb up Google's rankings, SEO teams should prioritize major conversions for increased organic traffic. Micro conversions are steps users take toward your main goal, like signing up for a newsletter or viewing a product page.

Macro conversions are the big wins, like making a purchase on an online store. To boost sales and leads, concentrate on these conversion points, streamline them, and create a clear path for customers without causing confusion in their journey.

11. Test and try different types of CTAs

CTAs, or 'call-to-action', work well for both SEO vs CRO. They prompt users and provide extra information. CTAs come in various types, like buttons, forms, text links, phone call links, and more.

Some CTAs offer additional resources for users to explore deeper into your website, keeping them engaged longer. This can lead to more conversions, which is beneficial for CRO. To boost SEO, consider adding keywords to your CTAs to enhance your content.

12. Make your content mobile-friendly

Nowadays, over half of search traffic comes from mobile devices. If your content isn’t set up for mobile, you could lose out on valuable leads and conversions. Ensure that crucial content shows up at the top of the screen on mobile.

For product pages, key details like quick specs, shipping costs, prices, reviews, and product images should appear first. This helps mobile users swiftly find what they're looking for and take the next steps to convert. This is one of the key SEO and CRO tips for business owners.

13. Keep testing your SEO and CRO content from time to time

Constantly testing your SEO vs CRO content is crucial. Whenever you add something new to your site, set up experiments with two different versions.

CRO tools like Google Optimize let you tweak specific page parts and compare the data from each version. This helps refine your CRO strategy.

A/B testing is like putting into practice the CRO tactics we talked about earlier. It's not just for CRO; you can A/B test SEO content to see what boosts your page rankings. It also helps improve site speed, which affects how well you rank.

Don't rely solely on personal preferences for page layout and design. Test different versions to see which works better based on user behaviour. For instance, if you and your developer disagree on website colours, test both options and decide based on the data gathered from user tests.

14. Gain insights from heat mapping tools

Heat mapping tools offer valuable insights that aid both SEO and CRO. They provide data through heat maps and track user interactions like mouse movements and clicks.

These tools are handy as they reveal where visitors focus on your site. You can identify areas needing adjustment to improve the visibility of important information. They also highlight less engaging pages, signalling areas needing strategy updates.

Conclusion

Conversion rate optimization and search engine optimization play key roles in digital marketing strategies. Understanding what SEO vs. CRO is and how they complement each other improves your overall strategy and benefits various aspects of your website. You can follow the SEO and CRO tips we have listed in the article to get the best results.

Managing both CRO and SEO simultaneously can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many digital marketing agencies that offer affordable services to enhance your strategies and add value to your and your websites.

by Web Desk via Digital Information World