How to Submit Your Website to Google (And Why It Matters)

So, you've developed an amazing site. You've put together some seriously valuable content, iterated on the design, and gathered a ton of feedback. Now, you're finally feeling ready to share it with the world.

And as soon as you publish your new site for the world to see, all of your content will immediately start showing up in Google, right?

Well, maybe. Although, it takes a little more than just hitting the publish button. To get your site listed, you'll need to check a few boxes first. Let's walk through it ...

How Google Finds Your Content

Google, in its own words, uses a huge set of computers to crawl billions of pages on the web. This crawler, called the Googlebot, essentially begins with a list of web page URLs generated from previous crawls and then augments those pages with sitemap data provided within Google Search Console. During the crawling process, the Googlebot looks for new sites, updates to existing pages, and any broken links.

If new pages are within your sitemap, Google will discover them and crawl the content and then potentially list the page within search results based on its evaluation of 200+ criteria.

Once the crawling process is completed all of the results are fed into Google's index, and any new sites or updated content will be listed accordingly. During the processing of results, Google looks at information on your page such as title tags, meta description, alt tags, and more. If you have dynamic content on a page, the Googlebot may not be able to read it and will crawl the default version -- it's recommended that your default version is optimized for search.

As a result of Google's crawling, you may never need to submit your website as it will be discovered automatically. The downside to this approach has always been that it's reliant on Google's timeframe to crawl and index your site content, which may not happen as quickly as you would like.

Want to check if a particular site is listed in Google? Just begin your search with "Site:Sitename.com." For example, here's what is displayed in Google for HubSpot.com:

If no content is indexed yet for a site, Google will let you know that your search did not match any results.

If no content is found, your next step should be to create a sitemap that can be submitted to Google.

If you want more information about how to create a sitemap, take a look at this post.

(HubSpot customers: Your sitemap is automatically generated and maintained. Simply go to http://bit.ly/2hUhPl7 to see it.)

How Long Does It Take to Index Content?

My colleague Casey Henry wondered this very question and ran a test to see how long it took Yahoo and Google to crawl and index content. The results? Well, they were staggering.

When publishing content without manually submitting an updated sitemap, Henry found that it took Google 1,375 minutes to crawl, while Yahoo took 1,773 minutes. To put those numbers into perspective, that's roughly a full-day just to crawl your content.

Source: Moz

On the other hand if you are launching a new website, or adding a number of new pages, it may be worth submitting an updated sitemap. According to the same study, Henry found that after submitting an updated sitemap, the average time it took for a bot to visit the page was 14 minutes, compared to 245 minutes for Yahoo. In other words, your new page can start generating organic traffic and conversions on the same day.

Source: Moz

How Do I Submit My Site to Google?

If you have a brand new site, you should first verify you own the site within Google Search Console and then submit it here.

If you have an existing site and are launching a number of new pages, then instead you should submit an updated sitemap to ensure it gets listed as quickly as possible.

To submit an updated sitemap, log in to Google Search Console > Crawl tab > Sitemaps. Once you're there you can submit your updated sitemap for Google so it can begin crawling it as soon as possible.

Based on the above, you may be asking if you need to submit an updated sitemap every time you publish a page. While you certainly could do so, it's best to manually go through the submission process if you're working with critically important content that needs to be indexed quickly. If you're just making minor updates or corrections to pages, then it may be ok to wait until Google crawls that page and updates its index.

Do you generally submit an updated sitemap when you publish new content? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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How to Use Facebook Login on Your Website

Do you want more information about the people who log into your website? Wondering how you can target your website visitors more effectively on Facebook? When you let visitors log into your site with their Facebook profile, you can collect their demographic attributes and other characteristics. In this article, you’ll discover how to add Facebook [...]

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How One Simple Change Can Improve Your Client and Employee Satisfaction Rates

Making a U-turn in a Ford Focus is easier than in an 18-wheeler.

In the same sense, making substantial changes to your company structure is much easier at an agency of 10 people than an agency that has grown to 50 or more.

But that challenge and discomfort shouldn't keep you from working to improve your agency's structure. If you approach the process strategically and for the right reasons, change can be a positive force for your company -- and it could potentially result in pretty impressive growth in the long run.

When my content marketing agency, Influence & Co., grew to about 50 people a year and a half ago, we decided to change our entire company structure.

When I discuss this change with my fellow agency leaders, they often think (at least initially) that a switch to a client-based team structure instead of siloed departments would be chaotic, difficult, and possibly negative for clients who were used to and preferred the existing model.

But change -- even major structural and procedural change -- doesn't have to create chaos. If you and your leadership team manage development effectively and commit to transparent communication with your team and clients, you might be surprised by how smooth the process can be.

If you're considering making a change within your own agency's team structure, take a look at whether an approach like ours would work for you.

Why We Saw Change on the Horizon

In our agency's infancy, our client services team was divided into departments by role. Our account strategists managed sets of clients from their own department, while editors, in a separate department, worked on content for all clients according to their individual capacities.

This is a fairly common structure for content agencies, but its prevalence doesn't mean it's perfect. In fact, we found it was responsible for a number of inefficiencies and incidents of tension between departments.

A lack of regular contact between editors and clients often left editors in the dark about concerns like strategy and tone, which resulted in a disconnect that reduced content quality. Account strategists were split between two very different job functions: account management and content strategy. This not only left them feeling stretched too thin, but also made it difficult for us to hire and train content marketers and project managers.

This problematic disconnect made it challenging for us to effectively service clients, and kept our employees from performing at their best. We knew we needed a change -- we just had to determine what it would look like.

How One Change Can Improve Everything

After six months of internal research and planning, we rolled out the client-based structure we use today.

Rather than separate departments, we designed smaller teams called "pods" that include three team members essential to an effective content strategy who collaborate to serve their assigned clients. Each pod contains an account strategist who manages client relationships, a content strategist who manages client campaigns, and an editor who manages content creation.

The pod structure completely broke down the silos that kept our client-facing team members from working together as efficiently as we knew they could. The new structure also included dividing the account strategist role into two positions, which allows the three pod members to specialize in their own areas of expertise. And because these team members are dedicated to working together and serving their shared group of clients, they each understand those clients, those clients’ strategies, and one another’s roles much more thoroughly.

Because of the targeted focus on client service and employee performance, this change has helped our company grow and improve by every metric we measure.

Our client lifetime has grown by 30%, client satisfaction -- as measured by Net Promoter Score -- improved by 29% three months after the change; employee satisfaction has risen by 23%; and our top-line revenue has grown by more than 50% since the switch.

Planning for growth has also become easier. In the past, the resignation of one account strategist meant we'd need to transfer all his clients to other account strategists right away. That back-and-forth transfer of clients weakened the client experience and added stress to other team members. Now if one person in a pod leaves, that client has two other familiar faces he or she can trust and continue working with while the third role is being filled.

Plus, the remaining pod members can temporarily pick up the slack while we transition a new employee into the vacant role, giving us enough time to properly hire and train another team member. The entire structure is a much more stable approach to growth and client management than any we had before.

Get the Team Involved for Effective Change Management

We did our best to roll out these structural and procedural changes -- big and small -- in a way that our team could embrace. What we didn't do was walk into the office one day and say, "Hey, everyone. All of your roles are changing. We're doing a pod thing now. Good luck!"

Conversations with team members began about six months before we actually shifted to a pod structure and about three months before our support-structure change. Beginning with discovery conversations with people in all affected roles, we asked how employees thought it would impact their jobs and what resources they needed to make the transition smooth.

We also asked our team to poke holes in each idea. What did they think wouldn't work about these changes? Were we overlooking something important? How could we make this even better?

With this information, we laid out a transition plan, communicated the changes to our team (including why we felt this plan was the right choice), and set aside an entire day to turn off client work and integrate into the new roles. And we haven't looked back since.

So whether you're behind the wheel of a Ford Focus or a semi-truck, change will be inevitable -- but there's no reason for it to drive you off the road. The major changes Influence & Co. has introduced over the past year and a half have resulted in amazing growth and improvement: Our clients are more satisfied, employees stay with us longer, and everyone reports feeling more supported.

Your agency is only as strong as your employees and their abilities to serve clients. Isn't it worth exploring the changes that might positively affect them?

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10 of the Best Out-of-Office Messages We Could Find

When it comes to the final days before vacation, people tend to fall into one of two camps: 1) those who watch the clock incessantly, and 2) those who are so busy before they leave, they might even forget to put up an out-of-office email message.

If you're anything like I am, you probably fall into team two. That doesn't leave a lot of time to get creative. But if you plan ahead, you might be able to craft some hilarity.

Out-of-office messages run the gamut. From funny, to clever, to snarky, we've come across some of the best -- from Google, and from colleagues.

Here are some of the gems we found. And once you're back from vacation? Well, not to rush you, but this email productivity guide can help you get back on track after your out-of-office time.

10 Funny Out-of-Office Messages

1) The Not-So-Tropical Getaway

We'll give this guy first place, since we almost feel bad for him. Almost. Rather than using an out-of-office message for a tropical vacation, he used one to explain his absence during what would likely be a snow storm. Not only did it give us a chuckle, but it also generated a certain amount of empathy -- which is often the key to good content.

Source: New Relic

2) The Sorry-I'm-Not-Sorry

If your email client allows it, you could always just use an image to express your out-office-sentiment, like this one. After all, they say that a picture is worth a thousand words -- and, visual content is still essential to successful marketing.

Source: Barry Moroney

3) The Popular Film Reference

Are you familiar with the film Field of Dreams? If not, allow us to fill you in. It centers around baseball and a family in Iowa, but saying any more might spoil the plotline. 

Movie synopses aside, the opening line of this out-of-office message was taken directly from the Field of Dreams script -- fitting, given the sender's travels to Iowa. So before you leave, research some famous quotes about the place you're visiting. It might test the recipient's knowledge, but more likely, it'll just make them smile.

Source: New Relic

4) The Scavenger Hunt

When my colleague Sam Mallikarjunan went on vacation, he set an out-of-office message that was both clever and smart. First, he sent the recipient on an imaginary scavenger hunt to "the highest peak of the tallest mountain." He used humorous absurdity to make it clear that he would not be checking email while he was away.

Plus, he incorporated a delightful technique to let people know that if they really wanted him to read their emails, they should probably send them again after his return. Not only does that keep the sender accountable by saying, "If this is really important, you know when to reach me," but it also helps Mallikarjunan truly vacate his work while he's away. And that's hard to do -- And if you struggle with it, check out these tips.

Source: Sam Mallikarjunan

5) The Blunt Approach

Josh Kopelman, we salute you.

Not only did Kopelman manage to turn his out-of-office message into an epic poem of sorts, but also, he actually went through the trouble of creating a delightfully snarky, vacation-specific email address for his recipients.

Giving the option to contact an email address containing "interruptyourvacation" provides two things -- 1) A dose of humor, and 2) discouragement from actually doing what the name suggests. Plus, he prefaces it with a request for empathy, by explaining that he promised quality time to his family.

Here's where honesty is a helpful device. Sure, Kopelman is truthful about the fact that he's on vacation, but he also lets the recipient know that he or she would be interrupting important family time if the first option is chosen. It states a point simply, and uses humor to avoid making it sound like he wants the reader to feel guilty.

Source: Gizmodo

6) The Third Person

When HubSpot Marketing Manager Karsten Köhler is out of the office, he doesn't mess around. In fact, he's turned his auto-responses into a running series of commentary for fictional cartoon character Troy McClure.

Each time McClure makes an appearance in these out-of-office messages, he "speaks" on behalf of Köhler and alludes to the previous auto-responses in which he starred. It's a mild form of self-deprecating humor -- as if to say, "I know, I'm out of the office again" -- made only funnier by the made-up teaser title included in the last line.

As with the Field of Dreams example, don't be afraid to use a pop cultural reference that audience would recognize. Instead of bemoaning your absence, they'll have something fun and familiar to laugh at.

Source: Karsten Köhler

7) The Twitter Method

... and then, there was the out-of-office tweet. We're not entirely sure where it originated, but it has two sides.

If you actually want people to be able to reach you, and you're more likely to be checking Twitter than email while out of the office, it might be an effective way for people to reach you.

But if you tend to use social media during vacation and really do want to be left alone, we would suggest offering a different communication method in your auto-response.

I’m not in the office right now but if it’s important, tweet me using #YOUAREINTERRUPTINGMYVACATION http://pic.twitter.com/SgL97nof8L

— Philippe Khattou (@Phil_Khattou) August 14, 2015

8) The Lack of Filter

There seems to be a widespread belief that you're not allowed to brag in your out-of-office message. But if you ask HubSpot Marketing Director Ryan Bonnici, who needs a filter when you've got a great vacation?

We love about this auto-response because of the marketing humor it injects with hashtags like #TMI and #SorryNotSorry. And, it's not trying to hide anything, making it clear that Bonnici is on vacation and doesn't really want to read your email while he's away. But don't worry, he says, soon you'll be on vacation, too, which will fill him with his own karmic envy.

This message also pays tribute to the colleagues who are keeping matters in order during his absence. He specifically lists the best contact for each issue, along with a fun fact about them. Not only do I know who to ask about Field & Events, but I can ask for her dip recipe.

So don't just be honest in your out-of-office -- give credit to the people who are handling things while you're gone.

Source: Ryan Bonnici

9) The Liquid Update

We wish we could find the original source of this one. It's made several lists, and its author is likely a legend within his or her network.

That said, even though we've been preaching honesty as the best policy, be careful with messages that are this transparent. Make sure you're familiar enough with your audience -- and your boss, for that matter -- to know that this sort of out-of-office message will be met with a snicker, and not with concern.

I am currently out of the office and probably out-of-my-mind drunk. Enjoy your work week."

10) The Sneak Preview

I have a confession to make. I'm writing this post on the dawn of my own vacation.

Perhaps I had ulterior motives for seeking these examples, in that I was hoping to find inspiration for my very own out-of-office message. And if you ask me, they all have great elements that I'd like to borrow.

So, without further ado -- Sorry to have missed you.

 

What clever out-of-office replies have you come across? Let us know in the comments.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in July 2014 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

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How to Optimize Social Ads for Every Stage of the Buying Funnel

Want more conversions from your social media ads? Wondering how to successfully target buyers at every stage of the sales process? Mapping your buyer personas and testing your creatives let you deliver ads that speak to a buyer’s immediate needs and concerns, resulting in higher conversions. In this article, you’ll discover how to serve optimized [...]

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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle

December 20, 2016 at 12:00PM http://bit.ly/2hUYVYz
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Twitter Unveils Live Video: Here's What You Need to Know

On December 14th, Twitter announced that users would be able to broadcast live video directly from Twitter on iOS and Android mobile devices. This move is the result of Twitter’s integration with Periscope, the live video streaming app it acquired back in March of 2015.

Earlier in 2016, Twitter began featuring live and replayed Periscope videos in Twitter timelines that users could watch and interact with -- even without a Periscope account.

Now, Twitter users can broadcast live video directly from Twitter without having to create a Periscope account first. Tweets featuring live video can be retweeted and liked, and videos on Twitter can generate comments and heart emojis as they do in the Periscope app.

While this isn't Twitter's first foray into live content this year -- earlier this year, Twitter began partnering with multiple organizations to become a destination site for live video, featuring NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB Games, Presidential debates, and the Republican and Democratic National Conventions -- it is an important one. With the launch of its live capability, Twitter is cementing its place in the competition for user attention -- and research shows that video is what users want.

Let’s dive into a quick explainer about how to go live on Twitter and what impact this announcement may have on video marketing.

How to Go Live on Twitter

Starting a live broadcast on Twitter couldn’t be easier. When you click to compose a new tweet in the mobile app, there’s now an option to record live video, as seen below:

From there, you tap the "Live" option and enter a caption to accompany your video on Twitter timelines:

Once you start recording, it's easy to stop broadcasting, change your camera perspective, and see who's liking and interacting with your video:

Once you've finished broadcasting, you can see how your video appears in other users' Twitter timelines. Here's my (very brief) broadcast on Twitter:

About to #GoLive on Twitter for the first time! http://bit.ly/2h6ZoKx

— Sophia Bernazzani (@soph_bern) December 19, 2016

That's it. Easy, right?

For now, Twitter users can receive notifications when specific handles they follow start recording live, and Twitter says they can expect live videos to be featured prominently on their timelines in the future.

What’s Next for Twitter and Periscope?

Twitter Enters the Live Video Arena

If this live video launch sounds familiar to you, you're right on target -- the live content update is very similar to Facebook Live and Instagram Live. Twitter's new live video capabilities will help it compete against Facebook and Instagram, two social media giants that are currently outpacing Twitter in terms of user growth.

Giving Twitter users the tools to create and share their own live content could help the company attract new users and increase engagement on the platform -- especially because 90% of Twitter video plays already happen on mobile devices. On Facebook, live video performs 3x better than embedded video, so Twitter users may start broadcasting more live video on Twitter if it performs similarly.

Twitter Grows as a Breaking News Source

"Live video is really exciting for Twitter since it takes advantage of two things the network does so well -- breaking news and being human," HubSpot Social Media Marketing Manager Chelsea Hunersen observed. And she's right: Twitter has become a destination for breaking news information, and it's easy to see why.

In just 140 characters, it's easier and faster to gather information about an evolving story than from articles or television news -- 63% of Twitter users surveyed by Pew Research Center admitted they got their news on the platform, and 59% said they had kept up with a news event on Twitter as it was unfolding. By introducing live video into an environment already known for being fast-paced, breaking news just became even easier to share.

This integration of live video will also provide greater context for people trying to witness a breaking news event online. Hunersen added that, "this will also be a good way to disrupt the firehose we’ve come to know on Twitter, where it can be hard to find quality content among the many different tweets, and will add a really engaging element to those tweets."

Twitter Has Become a Video Destination

Between sports and politics, Twitter was already generating huge audiences for their live video events. Giving users the ability to broadcast live onto a popular platform is a huge win for Twitter, but it's a win for users, too. As streaming video content grows in popularity, particularly among Millennials, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are all competing to catch the attention of their young user bases. This live video launch could help Twitter attract more partnerships like the ones they made with professional sports leagues and cable news networks to get more eyes on video content on their platform.

Periscope's Future is Unknown

As for Periscope, an app that boasts 110 years of live video per day being streamed, what's next is unclear. With the integration of Periscope's broadcasting capabilities now available on Twitter without the need for a Periscope account, we don't know whether Twitter will continue to develop the Periscope app it acquired in 2015. For now, it's business as usual, but it will be interesting to see if Periscope's numbers start dropping as Twitter users start ramping up their live video broadcasting frequency.

We're excited to see how this launch unfolds on Twitter and how it will impact Periscope and other social media platforms. Expect more content from us about competition for users, shares, and engagement, the growing popularity of live video, and more insight into how to record a broadcast Twitter users will love.

What type of video content is your favorite to watch and share on Twitter? Share with us in the comments below.

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The Evolution of Project Management [Infographic]

The roots of project management date back thousands of years to the creation of mega projects such as the Giza Pyramids and the Colosseum.

Although the term "project management" wasn't coined until the 1950s, projects from more than 4,500 years ago were delivered with the same systematic approach that characterizes today's projects.

The introduction of the personal computer and the development of the information management sector in the 1990s revolutionized project management like never before.

Modern project management is largely dependent on web-based project applications, as well as mobile applications and the cloud -- enhancing agility, mobility, and collaboration.

We decided to go back in time and compare the modern project management practices to the pre-millennium standards. What does the evolution of project management look like?

Check out the infographic below to see how things have changed.

Infographic via Scoro

 

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