Before we dive into the second way to assume power in your business, let’s revisit Part 1. 

Who informs your marketing strategy? 

YOU, with your carefully curated strategy informed by data and deep knowledge of your brand and audience? Or any of the 3 Cs below? 

• Competitors: Their advertising and digital presence and seemingly never-ending budgets consume the landscape.
• Colleagues: Their tried-and-true proven tactics or lessons learned.
• Customers: Their calls, requests, and ideas. 

Considering any of the above is not bad, in fact, it can be very wise! However, listening quickly becomes devastating if it lends to their running our business or marketing department. 

It’s time we move from defense to offense, sitting in the driver’s seat rather than allowing any of the 3 Cs to control. 

It is one thing to learn from and entirely another to be controlled by. 

In Part 1, we explored how knowing what we want is critical to regaining power.

1) Knowing what you want protects the bottom line.

2) Knowing what you want protects you from the 3 Cs. 

3) Knowing what you want protects you from running on auto-pilot.

You can read Part 1 here; in the meantime, let’s dive in! 

How to Regain Control of Your Business: Knowing Who You Are

Vertical alignment is a favorite concept of mine, coined over the last two years throughout my personal journey of knowing self. 

Consider the diagram below.

Vertical alignment is the state of internal being centered with who you are at your core. 

Horizontal alignment is the state of external doing engaged with the world around you.

In a state of vertical alignment, your business operates from its core center, predicated on its mission, values, and brand. It is authentic and confident and cuts through the noise because it is entirely unique from every competitor in the market. 

From this vertical alignment, your business is positioned for horizontal alignment to fulfill the integrity of its intended services, instituted processes, and promised results. 

A strong brand is not only differentiated in the market by its vertical alignment but delivers consistently and reliably in terms of its products, offerings, and services and also in terms of the customer experience by its horizontal alignment. 

Let’s examine what knowing who you are looks like in application, as well as some habits to implement with your team to strengthen vertical alignment. 

1) Knowing who You are Protects You from Horizontal Voices. 

The strength of “Who We Are” predicates the ability to maintain vertical alignment when something threatens your stability. When a colleague proposes a tactic that is not aligned with your values. When the customer comes calling with ideas that will knock you off course as bandwidth is limited or the budget is tight. 

I was on a call with a gal from my Mastermind when I mentioned a retreat I am excited to launch in the coming months. 

I shared that I was considering its positioning, given its curriculum is rooted in emotional intelligence (EQ) to inform personal brand development. The retreat serves C-Suite, but as EQ is not a common conversation among this audience, I was considering the best positioning. 

She advised, “Sell them solely on the business aspects, and then sneak attack with the EQ when they’re at the retreat!” 

At first blush, it sounds reasonable. After all, there’s a reason why the phrase, “Sell the people what they want, give them what they need,” is popular.

Horizontal advice and counsel can produce a wealth of knowledge. However, we must always approach the horizontal landscape – the external – powered by vertical alignment – centered internally with the core of who we are. 

Upon considering my values of who I am and the vision of what I want for this event, I realized the lack of transparency is not in alignment with my values nor setting the right expectations for the experience.

Sure, maybe I would get more sales; however, my bottom line — what I want — is not just sales. I want transformation on an emotional level. I want C-Suite execs to leave powered from a place of emotional intelligence to decrease decisions made out of alignment with who they are or executing tactics rooted in guilt, not vision. 

Ultimately, one of my core values is authenticity, and I must make business decisions accordingly. 

2) Knowing who You are Protects You from Reactivity.

Operating from vertical alignment maintains focus on the bottom line and the strategy to achieve it. From this position, you are protected from reacting to the horizontal pressures of the 3 Cs: Competitors, Colleagues, and Customers. 

This does not mean you do not adjust tactics or learn. 

However, your approach to adjustments is proactive direction, not reactive deviations. To do this, consider the following questions:

First: How does their (any one of the 3 Cs) tactic measure against my proven track record of success?

If your colleague promotes adding newsletters to your strategy, lean in and ask, “Why?” 

• What are their outcomes? 
• What metrics are they tracking for success? 
• What is their bottom line against yours? 
• How do newsletters fit into their strategy and stage(s) of the customer journey? 

Always consider your historical track record of success first and foremost. 

Have you tried newsletters in the past? Is their audience different from yours? Why are newsletters good for them when they did not prove profitable for you? 

Operate with your head up and your eyes open. 

Maintain focus on your bottom line and ask questions. Revisit your data, and don’t just take their word for it. 

2. Am I allocating time in my schedule?

I had coffee with the former CEO of Jiffy Lube, who built the empire that it is today. 

He could not emphasize more how critical it is to allocate time for thinking. Just being — not doing — and thinking about your business or department. 

Especially for senior leaders or business owners, but even still for junior staff. 

The time and space to be fosters creative thinking, new ideas, and energy. Some of my best campaigns are conjured on a walk or in the shower. 

Kasim Aslam, founder of the world’s #1 Google Ads agency and a dear friend of mine, is a machine when it comes to hacks and habits. He encouraged me to take an audit of my calendar over the last 30 days to assess how I spend time. 

“Create three buckets,” he said. “Organize them by the following:

• Tasks that Generate Revenue
• Tasks that Cost Me Money
• Tasks that Didn’t Earn Anything”

He and I chatted after I completed this exercise, and I added one to the list: Tasks that are Life-Giving. 

Friends — if we are running empty, exhausted, or emotionally depleted, our creative and strategic wherewithal will be significantly diminished. We are holistic creatures and, therefore, must nurture our mind, body, soul, and spirit to maintain optimum capacity for impact. 

I shared this hack with a friend of mine. Not only did she identify meetings that were costing her money and thus needed to be eliminated, but she also identified that particular meetings could actually turn revenue-generating! She spent a good amount of time each month facilitating introductions; now, she is adding Strategic Partnerships to her suite of services. 

ACTION: Analyze your calendar’s last 30-60 days against the list above. 

Include what is life-giving! 

How are you spending your time? What is the data showing you? Are you on the path to achieving what you want and living in alignment with who you want to be?

Share with your team or business partner for the purpose of accountability, and implement practical changes accordingly. 

Finally, remember: If you will not protect your time, no one else will. 

3) Knowing who You are Protects You from Lack. 

“What are you proud of?” someone asked me last year. 

“Nothing!” I reply too quickly. “I know I’m not living up to my potential or operating in the full capacity I could be.” 

They looked at me in shock. “You need to read The Gap And The Gain.”

I silently rolled my eyes.

I already knew the premise of the book, or I thought I did. I mused: My vision is so big, and I have so much to accomplish. The thought of solely focusing on “my wins” sounded like an excuse to abdicate personal responsibility. 

But I acquiesced. 

The premise of this book is to measure one’s self from where they started and the success from that place to where they are today — the gains — rather than from where they hope to get and the seemingly never-ending distance — the gap.

Ultimately, Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan encourage changing perspectives to assign success, considering the starting point rather than the destination.

The book opens with the following story:

Dan Jensen was an Olympic speed skater, notably the fastest in the world. But in each game spanning a decade, Jansen could not catch a break. “Flukes” — even tragedy with the death of his sister in the early morning of the 1988 Olympics — continued to disrupt the prediction of him being favored as the winner. 

The 1994 Olympics were the last of his career. He had one more shot.

Preceding his last Olympics in 1994, Jansen adjusted his mindset. He focused on every single person who invested in him, leading to this moment. He considered just how very lucky he was to even participate in the first place. He thought about his love for the sport itself, all of which led to an overwhelming realization of just how much he had gained throughout his life.

He raced the 1994 Olympic games differently, as his mindset powering every stride was one of confidence and gratitude — predicated on the gains rather than the gap in his life. 

This race secured him his first and only gold medal and broke a world record, simultaneously proving one of the most emotional wins in Olympic history. 

Friends, knowing who we are on the personal and professional level, can protect us from those voices of shame or guilt that creep in. 

PERSONAL ACTION: Create two columns. On one side, create a list of where you were when you started your business or your position at your company. Include skills and networks and even feelings about where you were in life. On the other side, outline where you are today. 

Look at how far you’ve come. 

COMPANY ACTION: Implement a quarterly meeting to review the past three months. Where did you start? Where are you now? 

Celebrate the gain!

Only from this place of gain mindset, can you create goals for the next quarter predicated on where you are today.

Ultimately, my hope for you is that you deliver exceptional and memorable experiences laced with empathy toward the customer (horizontally aligned) yet powered by the authenticity of the brand (vertically aligned). 

Aligning vertically maintains our focus on the bottom line and powers horizontal fulfillment. 

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Granted, there will be strategic times and seasons for adjustment; however, these changes are to be made on the heels of consulting who we are as a brand — not in reaction to the horizontal landscape of what is the latest and greatest in the industry. 

In Conclusion…

Taking back control of your business and marketing strategies requires a conscious effort to resist external pressures and realign with what you want and who you are.

Final thoughts as we wrap up: 

First, identify the root issue(s).

Consider which of the 3 Cs holds the most power: be it competition, colleagues, or customers.

Second, align vertically.

Vertical alignment facilitates individuality in the market and ensures you — and I — stand out and shine while serving our customers well. 

Third, keep the bottom line in view.

Implement a routine that keeps you and your team focused on what matters most, and then create the cascading strategy necessary to accomplish it. 

Fourth, maintain your mindsets.

Who You Are includes values for the internal culture. Guide your team in acknowledging the progress made along the way and embracing the gains to operate from a position of strength and confidence.

Fifth, maintain humility.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of humility and being open to what others are doing. However, horizontal alignment must come after vertical alignment. Otherwise, we will be at the mercy of the whims and fads of everyone around us. Humility allows us to be open to external inputs and vertically aligned at the same time.

Buckle up, friends! It’s time to take back the wheel and drive our businesses forward. 

The power lies with you and me.

The post 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 2 appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

As I considered the topic that would best serve entrepreneurs, business owners, and marketers alike — all of whom I am — I mused over what I needed most throughout the last year. 

I needed to take back control of my business. 

And I am charging you to do the same. 

While I have provided two strategic ways to do so, the first outlined below and the second outlined in this blog post, it is critical that we first identify the root issue. 

Why are you and I not operating in the driver’s seat of our marketing and/or businesses? 

Three fundamental core challenges come in the form of 3 Cs: Competition, Colleagues, and Customers.

Who Are You Listening To?

1. Competition

We know the feeling all too well.

We feel a pit in our stomach or a slight racing of the heart when our competitors’ ads or organic content seem to be taking over social media and the internet: Google Ads, YouTube, TikTok, newsletters, LinkedIn, programmatic…

And don’t forget traditional advertising.

Especially if you are in the home services or specialty services spaces where direct mail is 100% where you need to be, but don’t forget the QR code and UTMs and unique landing pages and geotargeted ads and email nurturing sequence for a holistic approach. 

Our competition’s budget appears never-ending, and their marketing team must be fantastic. 

Is theirs the strategy we should adopt, deviating from our carefully charted course agreed upon at the outset of the year?

2. Colleagues

Or perhaps it’s that of the peers in our Masterminds or networking groups or online communities. 

After all, within these groups resides a wealth of knowledge and expertise, tried-and-true insights, and wins. I am guilty as charged — my talk at T&C 2024 was chock-full of recommendations guiding marketers on their path to generating over 800% ROAS…
Should our marketing strategy or business’s bottom line deviate then?

3. Customers

Oh! But the power of our customers…when their phone call just after 5:00 PM because they saw their competitor’s ad and want to change course. 

Or when our customers’ higher-ups ask why you didn’t generate enough leads last month and how the bottom line is threatened if we don’t do something fast.

And how they joke about your job being on the line if numbers don’t change.

Do any of these resonate? 

If you are a human with a soul that cares about your business, team, and customers, I anticipate your hand is raised alongside mine. 

Friends, it is time we unbuckle the seatbelt of the 3 Cs and graciously escort them out. 

It’s time for you to regain control.

How to Regain Control of Your Business: Knowing What You Want

I cannot tell you how many times my question, “What do you want?” is met with blank stares. 

Such a simple question with such significant ramifications. 

To assume control, we must know what we want for the following three reasons.

1) Knowing what you want keeps you focused on the bottom line.

So many of us fail to regularly take stock of where we are actually going. 

Our heads are down, focused on tasks before us, rather than heads up, looking to the finish line yet equally aware of how our strategies today are or are not moving us closer to that target. 

With our heads down, the focus is on the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the necessary activations to achieve the bottom-line goal rather than the focus being on the goal itself. 

The trick is maintaining clarity of the goal and bottom line to then inform the strategic direction.

EXAMPLE: The Knowing Agency serves as fractional CMO for a waterproofing company. A major — colossal, even — KPI is lead generation. 

This KPI is obviously important because you need leads to get customers.

However, in 2023, our lead count was down significantly. 

With the 3 Cs close at hand, I questioned myself: Am I leading the team in the wrong direction!? 

We must be willing to ask tough questions and pursue the truth, even if it may prove that we are heading in the wrong direction — especially then! 

For we must first know the truth to then be changed by it. 

But I had to zoom out in order to know. 

With the bottom line as the primary focus, I then considered the KPI. 

When we zoomed out and measured that KPI in light of the bottom line, revenue, rather than as a standalone metric, we actually saw a significant increase in overall revenue and profits despite a lower lead count.

This means that while we were driving fewer leads, they were much more qualified, hence driving higher revenue.

My question for you is: Do you know what you want? 

And do you know your bottom line goal and the KPIs necessary to get there?

2) Knowing what you want protects you from the 3 Cs. 

The bottom-line goals of your company or department serve as guardrails to keep you on the straight and narrow when one of the 3 Cs comes calling. 

Protection from Competitors: Their bottom line could very well be entirely different from yours. Perhaps you seek to expand into a new region and must allocate funds by cutting budgets on top-of-funnel brand awareness tactics. Yet your competitor is dominating TV. Don’t deviate; your bottom line is at stake. 

Protection from Colleagues: Perhaps your bottom line is similar, but your target audiences are different. They are finding wild success with newsletters reaching an older demo while your audience is highly engaged with podcasts. Yes, perhaps explore newsletters, but not at the expense of your engaged audience on your podcast. 

Protection from Customers: Hopefully, you both have the same bottom line! However, when my client called with concerns about the KPI of lead numbers, which is indeed important, my ability to maintain focus on the bottom line guided their right thinking about what matters most: Revenue. 

Protection from the 3 Cs does not mean turning a blind eye or ignoring what is working for them. But it does keep your bottom line as the chief focus.

3) Knowing what you want protects you from running on auto-pilot.

Knowing what you want maintains momentum and breathes energy into tasks that otherwise would be monotonous.

Lead yourself or your team in revisiting the vision for the company regularly.

Nine-to-five employees increasingly seek to align with impact-driven organizations, and keeping the transformation the company aims to procure top-of-mind will drive motivation.

The transformation is always emotional, even surrounding a product or service.

EXAMPLE: Returning to the waterproofing company our team supported. Waterproofing a basement transforms the customers’ emotional states from one of anxiety or worry into one of peace or assurance. 

What once was: We are a waterproofing company servicing homeowners in Destin, Florida, for 54 years. Trust our team to waterproof your basement! 

Turns into: Our company cares for your family. Our company preserves homeowners’ greatest investment. Our company, ultimately, protects your home, which is where life happens. 

Suddenly, a waterproofing company has empathy.

Just like that, we are serving families and homes, not just servicing a basement.

But before you can truly know what you want, you first have to know who you are.

Head on over to Part 2!

The post 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 1 appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

The digital marketing software market is valued at $60.3 billion. And it’s expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.5% over the next decade.

With a plethora of digital marketing tools in the market, choosing the right ones can be a daunting task.

However, it’s essential to invest in the best tools to enhance your digital marketing efforts and help you stand above the inevitable competition from your peers.Competition is a significant challenge for 27.1% of digital marketers today, as revealed in a survey conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub.

So which tools should you use to get an edge? 

You don’t need to spend time researching the best tools. In this article, I’ll introduce you to five digital marketing tools that can boost your efforts and give you an edge over the competition.

5 Digital Marketing Tools to Drive Better Results

Here are five digital marketing tools that address different areas of digital marketing. 

They range from tools that enhance website speed to ones for improving landing pages and enhancing overall user experience.

1. TinyImage

TinyImage is one of the digital marketing tools you need to invest in. It’s an image compression tool that reduces the size of your PNG and JPG images online by over 75%.

You don’t have to worry about the security of sensitive image files as well. TinyImage uses a secure 256-bit encrypted SSL connection. It also deletes your images within a few hours of uploading them.

How can TinyImage improve your digital marketing ROI? 

Larger-sized images take up a lot of bandwidth, which slows down loading times for your visitors.

Research by Digital.com shows 21% of online shoppers are dissatisfied by slow-loading pages. Half will abandon their shopping cart if a page fails to load fast enough.  

This app is most helpful for agencies that provide custom app development services. It helps them to compress images in a few seconds and convert apps into fast loading for their clients.

Use TinyImage to:

• Compress images without losing image quality
• Compare the file size of the compressed images to ensure you have the optimal file size
• Save time by compressing multiple images at a go

Price

• Free

2. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is one of the best social media marketing tools in the market. It helps you manage all aspects of your social presence.

You can analyze the performance of your posts and Reels to find the best Instagram Reels to embed on your website. Also, you can also monitor your competitors, manage conversations with your audience, and plenty more.

Sprout Social boosts your social media marketing efforts. And according to research, effective social media marketing results in higher sales for 55% of businesses.

What you can do with Sprout Social:

• Analyze the performance of your campaigns and get insights into areas of improvement
• Uncover current trends and opportunities to engage with your target audience through social listening
• Schedule and publish posts across multiple platforms

Price

• Standard: $249 per month
• Professional: $399 per month
• Advanced: $499 per month

Enterprise: Custom

3. Zendesk

Customer support plays a crucial role in creating a better customer experience for your e-commerce store and optimizing your digital marketing efforts.

And Zendesk is one of the best tools you can use to ensure provide personalized customer support.

It’s AI-powered AI chatbot, live chat, help desk ticketing system, and other solutions help you provide instant and right customer support.

Why is it one of the best digital marketing tools to boost your ROI? 

Zendesk has helped generate numerous leads, sales, and signups for its customers with its low-cost ownership offers.

How Zendesk can help your business achieve better marketing results:

• It offers an AI-powered chatbot and live chat that answers instantly to customers’ questions.
• It offers the right reporting and analytics software that help you get real-time insights for your business.

Price

• Free: $0
• Starting: $19 per month
• Suite Team: $55 per month
• Suite Growth: $89 per month
• Suite Professional: $115 per month

Suite Enterprise: Reach out to them

4. Ahrefs

Keyword research tools are important for any digital marketing strategy. And Ahrefs is one of the best there is. It’ll help boost your SEO strategies to improve your website’s visibility and ranking in SERPs.

It’s not just a keyword research tool, but an all-in-one SEO toolset that analyzes the ranking difficulty of keywords, simplifies backlinking, and more.

You can use it to scan your website for technical and on-page SEO problems that may be holding back your ranking.

Ahrefs also lets you keep tabs on keywords your competitors are ranking for and get insights into the SEO strategies they are implementing. 

Additionally, you can use it to get content ideas that have the potential to draw traffic to your site and find link prospects from a database of over 14 billion web pages.

Ahrefs also provides access to other free digital marketing tools like a backlink checker and AI writing tools

What you can do with Ahrefs to boost your digital marketing ROI

• Find keywords for YouTube, Amazon, and Bing and generate additional keyword ideas using AI to reach a wider audience
• Find backlink prospects to increase your SERP ranking and enhance your credibility
• Visualize your SEO progress using interactive graphs

Price

• Lite: $99 per month
• Standard: $199 per month
• Advanced: $399 per month

Enterprise: $999 per month

5. Hotjar

Google has clearly stated that it rewards content that provides a good page experience. Hotjar is one of the best digital marketing tools you can use to gain insights on ways to improve user experience and also optimize your store for conversions.

It provides heat maps that you can use to see your website visitors’ activities and identify friction points. The heatmaps show you how your visitors move, click, and scroll.

You can also compare user behavior across different devices using Hotjar to identify opportunities to increase conversions.

And if you serve video ads on your website or any other type of ad, you can conduct surveys and collect feedback from your customers to learn how they’re affecting their user experience.

What you can do with Hotjar to improve your ROI:

• Watch full recordings of your visitors’ journey on your site to find and fix user experience issues
• Access all user data from a single dashboard, including feedback, metrics, and session recordings
• Automatically generate relevant surveys using AI and get automated summary reports of the responses

Price:

• Basic: Free
• Plus: $39 per month
• Business: $99 per month
• Scale: $213 per month

Start Leveraging the Best Digital Marketing Tools Today

Leveraging digital marketing tools is crucial if you want to enhance your ROI. And these are the 5 best tools available in the market that you can use.

They all serve different aspects of digital marketing but with similar goals—improving audience engagement, driving conversions, and maximizing your marketing efforts.

Go ahead and give them a shot to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level and boost your ROI.

The post 5 Must-Have Digital Marketing Tools for 2024 to Skyrocket Your ROI appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Have you ever wondered if the article you’re reading online was written by a human or an AI? 

In today’s quickly evolving digital landscape, distinguishing between human-crafted and AI-generated content is becoming increasingly challenging. 

As AI technology rapidly advances, the lines are blurring, leaving many to question: Can we really trust AI content detectors to tell the difference? 

In this article, we’ll deep dive into the world of AI content detection, exploring its capabilities, limitations, and discuss Google’s view of AI content generation.

What Is AI Content Detection?

AI Content Detection refers to the process and tools used to identify whether a piece of writing was created by an AI program or a human. 

These tools use specific algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze the nuances and patterns in the writing that are typically associated with AI-generated content.

Why was AI Writing Detection Created?

AI content detectors were created to identify and differentiate between content generated by artificial intelligence and content created by humans, helping maintain authenticity and address concerns related to misinformation, plagiarism, and the ethical use of AI-generated content in journalism, academia, and literature. 

There are several key reasons behind the creation of AI writing detectors:

Maintaining Authenticity: In a world where authenticity is highly valued, especially in journalism, academia, and literature, ensuring that content is genuinely human-produced is important for many people. 

Combatting Misinformation: With the rise of AI tools, there’s a risk of their misuse in spreading misinformation. AI content detectors were created in an attempt to combat this.

Upholding Quality Standards: While AI has made significant strides in content generation, it still lacks some of the nuances, depth, and emotional connection that human writing offers.

Educational Integrity: In academic settings, AI detectors play a vital role in upholding the integrity of educational assessments by ensuring that students’ submissions are their own work and not generated by AI tools.

How Does AI Detection Work?

Perplexity and Burstiness

AI generation and detection tools often use concepts like ‘perplexity’ and ‘burstiness’ to identify AI-generated text. 

Perplexity measures the deviation of a sentence from expected “next word” predictions. In simpler terms, it checks if the text follows predictable patterns typical of AI writing. When a text frequently employs predicted “next words,” it’s likely generated by an AI writing tool.

Burstiness refers to the variability in sentence length and complexity. AI-written texts tend to have less variability than human-written ones, often sticking to a more uniform structure. 

Both these metrics help in differentiating between human and AI writing styles.

Classifiers and Embeddings

Classifiers are algorithms that categorize text into different groups. 

In the case of AI detection, they classify text as either AI-generated or human-written. These classifiers are trained on large datasets of both human and AI-generated texts.

Embeddings are representations of text in a numerical format, allowing the AI to understand and process written content as data. By analyzing these embeddings, AI detection tools can spot patterns and nuances typical of AI-generated texts.

Temperature

Temperature is a term borrowed from statistical mechanics, but in the context of AI, it relates to the randomness in the text generation process. 

Lower temperature results in more predictable and conservative text, while higher temperature leads to more varied and creative outputs. AI detection tools can analyze the temperature of a text, identifying whether it was likely written by an AI operating at a certain temperature setting. 

This is particularly useful for distinguishing between texts generated by AI with different creativity levels, but its detection accuracy begins to degrade the higher the temperature.

AI Watermarks

A newer approach in AI detection is the use of AI watermarks. Some AI writing tools embed subtle, almost imperceptible patterns or signals in the text they generate. 

These can be specific word choices, punctuation patterns, or sentence structures. AI detectors can look for these watermarks to identify if the content is AI-generated. 

While this method is still evolving, it represents a direct way for AI systems to ‘mark’ their output, making detection easier.

The Accuracy of AI Writing Detection

Assessing the Reliability of AI Detectors

These detectors are designed to identify text generated by AI tools, such as ChatGPT, and are used by educators to check for plagiarism and by moderators to remove AI content. 

However, they are still experimental and have been found to be somewhat unreliable. 

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has stated that AI content detectors have not proven to reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content, and they have a tendency to misidentify human-written text as AI-generated. 

Additionally, experiments with popular AI content detection tools have shown instances of false negatives and false positives, making these tools less than 100% trustworthy. 

The detectors can easily fail if the AI output was prompted to be less predictable or was edited or paraphrased after being generated. Therefore, due to these limitations, AI content detectors are not considered a foolproof solution for detecting AI-generated content.

Limitations and Shortcomings of AI Content Detection Tools

No technology is without its limitations, and AI detectors are no exception. 

Here are some key shortcomings:

• False positives/negatives: Sometimes, these tools can mistakenly flag human-written content as AI-generated and vice versa.
• Dependence on training data: The tools might struggle with texts that are significantly different from their training data.
• Adapting to evolving AI styles: As AI writing tools evolve, the detectors need to continuously update to keep pace or get left behind.
• Lack of understanding of intent and context: AI detectors can sometimes miss the subtleties of human intent or the context within which the content was created.

Real Examples of How AI Detection is Flawed

AI detectors, while increasingly interesting, are not infallible. Several instances highlight their limitations and the challenges in distinguishing between human and AI-written content accurately. 

University of Maryland AI Detection Research Findings

University of Maryland researchers, Soheil Feizi and Furong Huang, have conducted research on the detectability of AI-generated content. 

They found that “Current detectors of AI aren’t reliable in practical scenarios,” with significant limitations in their ability to distinguish between human-made and machine-generated text.

Feizi also discusses the two types of errors that impact the reliability of AI text detectors: type I, where human text is incorrectly identified as AI-generated, and type II, where AI-generated text is not detected at all.

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He provides an example of a recent type I error where AI detection software incorrectly flagged the U.S. Constitution as AI-generated, illustrating the potential consequences of relying too heavily on flawed AI detectors.

As you increase the sensitivity of the instrument to catch more Al-generated text, you can’t avoid raising the number of false positives to what he considers an unacceptable level. 

So far, he says, it’s impossible to get one without the other. And as the statistical distribution of words in AI-generated text edges closer to that of humans —that is, as it becomes more convincing —he says the detectors will only become less accurate. 

He also found that paraphrasing baffles Al detectors, rendering their judgments “almost random.” “I don’t think the future is bright for these detectors,” Feizi says.

UC Davis Student Falsely Accused

A student at UC Davis, Louise Stivers, fell prey to the university’s efforts to identify and eliminate assignments and tests done by AI.

She had used Turnitin, an anti-plagiarism tool, for her assignments, but a new Turnitin detection tool flagged a portion of her work as AI-written, leading to an academic misconduct investigation.

Stivers had to go through a bureaucratic process to prove her innocence, which took more than two weeks and negatively affected her grades.

AI Detectors vs. Plagiarism Checkers

When considering the tools used in content verification, it’s essential to distinguish between AI detectors and plagiarism checkers as they serve different purposes.

AI Detectors: AI detectors are tools designed to identify whether a piece of content is generated by an AI or a human. They use various algorithms to analyze writing style, tone, and structure. These detectors often look for patterns that are typically associated with AI-generated text, such as uniformity in sentence structure, lack of personal anecdotes, or certain repetitive phrases.

Plagiarism Checkers: On the other hand, plagiarism checkers are primarily used to find instances where content has been copied or closely paraphrased from existing sources. These tools scan databases and the internet to compare the submitted text against already published materials, thus identifying potential plagiarism.

The key difference lies in their function: while AI detectors focus on the origin of the content (AI vs. human), plagiarism checkers are concerned with the originality and authenticity of the content against existing works.

Common Mistakes in AI-Generated Text

AI-generated text has improved significantly, but it can occasionally produce strange results. 

Here are some common mistakes that can be a giveaway:

• Lack of Depth in Subject Matter: AI can struggle with deeply understanding nuanced or complex topics, leading to surface-level treatment of subjects.
• Repetition: AI sometimes gets stuck in loops, repeating the same ideas or phrases, which can make the content feel redundant.
• Inconsistencies in Narrative or Argument: AI can lose track of the overall narrative or argument, resulting in inconsistencies or contradictory statements.
• Generic Phrasing: AI tends to use more generic phrases and may lack the unique voice or style of a human writer.
• Difficulty with Contextual Nuances: AI can miss the mark on cultural, contextual, or idiomatic expressions, leading to awkward or incorrect usage.

AI Detection in SEO

Within the world of SEO, content quality has always been one of the major ranking factors.

With the advent of AI-generated content, there’s been much speculation and discussion about how this fits into Google’s framework for ranking and evaluating content.

Here, we’ll explore Google’s stance on AI content and what it means for SEOs.

Google’s Stance on AI Content

Google’s primary goal has always been to provide the best possible search experience for its users. This includes presenting relevant, valuable, and high-quality content in its search results.

Google’s policy on AI-generated content is fairly straightforward: it doesn’t need a special label to indicate it’s AI-generated. Instead, Google focuses on the quality and helpfulness of the content, no matter how it’s made.

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They advise creators to focus on producing original, high-quality, people-first content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

Google has made it clear that AI-generated content is not against its guidelines and has the ability to deliver helpful information and enhance user experience, however, they obviously oppose the use of AI to generate deceptive, malicious, or inappropriate content.

Implications for SEO Strategy

Given Google’s position, the use of AI in content creation can be seen as a tool rather than a shortcut. The key is to ensure that the AI-generated content:

Addresses User Intent: The content should directly answer the queries and needs of the users.

Maintains High Quality: AI content should be well-researched, factually accurate, and free from errors.

Offers Unique Insights: Even though AI can generate content, adding unique perspectives or expert insights can set the content apart.

Broader Applications and Future Outlook

As we dive into the future of AI writing and content detection, it’s clear that we’re standing at the brink of a technological revolution. 

AI isn’t just a fleeting trend; it’s rapidly becoming an integral part of the digital landscape. But as AI writing evolves, it’s unclear as to whether or not AI detection will be able to keep up.

The Future of AI Writing and Content Detection

The future of AI writing is trending towards more sophisticated, nuanced, and context-aware outputs. 

As AI algorithms become more advanced, they are learning to mimic human writing styles with greater accuracy, making it challenging to distinguish between human and AI-generated content.

In response to these advancements, AI detection tools are also evolving. The focus is shifting towards more complex algorithms that can analyze writing styles, patterns, and inconsistencies that are typically subtle and difficult to catch. 

However, as AI writing tools become more adept at mimicking human idiosyncrasies in writing, the task of detection becomes increasingly challenging.

The post AI Anxiety – Does AI Detection Really Work? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Search engine optimization is becoming incredibly challenging and unpredictable. As search engines are integrating generative AI and learning to surface more diverse results, creating a strategy to rank your pages in the top 5 takes a lot of trial and error.

Video marketing is almost equally challenging. Gone are the days when you had to invest in professional equipment and hire an editor to be able to create a video. These days anyone can create great videos at home and edit them using affordable software. The competition is insane.

So where is the opportunity here?

It’s in combining these two marketing channels.

Let me explain:

• Videos rank incredibly well in Google (they have their own sections in search results, so you are not competing with giants)
• Not many video marketers are optimizing their videos for organic Google search, so it is actually doable.

Video opportunities we are targeting here

Videos are very search-friendly if you optimize them the right way. In this post, we’re going to look at the ways you can optimize your videos on the top networks, YouTube and Vimeo, for increased search rankings and views.

When it comes to organic search, there are two distinct opportunities we are targeting here:

• Video rich snippets (these are usually earned when you embed your Youtube code on your page)
• Video carousels (or video packs): These are separate sections within organic search results, and they are pretty easy to capture. All you need is a traditional SEO.

Here is how to best optimize your videos on YouTube and Vimeo for better search rankings and increased views.

Titles

The title is one of the primary elements of optimizing your video for search as it is equivalent to the SEO title for the video page on YouTube and Vimeo. Therefore, the standard rules apply.

Keep it under 65 – 70 characters, including the main keywords you want it to rank for, and make it appealing for visitors to encourage more views. Think of your video title just like the headline for your blog posts – eye-catching and SEO-friendly! Keyword stuffing is not advised. Using ChatGPT to brainstorm better video titles is a great idea.

If you are using videos as a way to boost your personal reputation or the reputation of your business, be sure to include your brand name.

Descriptions

The description of your video is important for a couple of reasons. For starters, the first 160 characters count as the meta description for your video page on YouTube and Vimeo. While meta descriptions don’t necessarily help with rankings, they do come up in search results in both the major search engines and the networks’ own search results.

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The descriptions also come up as a snippet when you share the video on Facebook and other social networks. This makes the description highly valuable for encouraging views.

As an added bonus, you can include links to your website in the video description. You just need to try to include your links earlier on in your description as most of the description gets cut off at a certain length on both YouTube and Vimeo, and visitors will need to click on the See More / Read More to see them if they are past that point.

Transcription

Is it important to say your primary keywords, name, and business name in a video? It just might be. YouTube automatically transcribes your videos. This means they can make search results for videos more accurate by indexing the video content itself.

On a side note, if you’re curious about any verbal ticks you might have while speaking during a video (like using a lot of um’s), they will be more noticeable in the interactive transcript.

Thumbnails

Take advantage of the ability to choose a thumbnail for both YouTube and Vimeo videos. A good thumbnail could encourage a view the same way a bad one could discourage a view, especially when your video is jumbled in with others in search results.

Embedding

If you want to increase your video views, allow your videos to be embedded. Better yet, add a Creative Commons license to them in the Advanced Settings on both YouTube and Vimeo. This will encourage more people to share them, and potentially increase the links to them as well. It is a good idea to use Youtube gallery plugins on your site to showcase your video content on your site.

Channel optimization

Many people will click on your channel to check out who is the video is coming from. So make sure it is optimized for those user journeys:

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• Complete the about section of the channel
• Add your links
• Set up the “Welcome” video
• Add a Youtube channel header image
• Set up a channel @username so that it’s is easier to type. This tool is great for coming up with memorable names.

Pinterest

Take advantage of Pinterest for more than just image sharing. Pin your videos in order to increase traffic and views from Pinterest to your video content. As an added bonus, Pinterest will give you a link back to both the video and your YouTube / Vimeo channel.

Videos pinned from YouTube will automatically start playing when someone clicks on your pin. Videos from Vimeo will be pinned as the thumbnail image with the ability to click through to the video.

Analytics

Want to know what is working (or not) with your YouTube and Vimeo videos? Be sure to use the video insights to find out where your video has been linked or embedded, the keywords that drove traffic to your video, and much more.

Create a sales journey from each of your videos

Once your video starts generating views and interactions, you want those viewers to go to your site and engage with your sales funnel. So keep that in mind when creating and uploading your videos to Youtube or Vimeo:

• Mention your product or service in the video content
• Use end cards with your contact details and QR codes to direct people to your site. Using IVR technology will help you funnel these calls better, that’s what we were doing.
• Include important links in the video description (and invite your viewers to check the description below the video to click the links)

Make sure to use URL parameters to segment traffic from Youtube and Vimeo. This way you can clearly see the source of each lead and personalize your follow-ups. Using CRM solutions will make segmenting your traffic easier.

Using the strategy above, we were able to create a powerful traffic generation strategy in which video was the second most effective channel for us!

Snowball effect

Videos with a lot of views tend to rank higher than others. Therefore, part of your optimization strategy should be focused on getting more views of your videos. Promote your videos just like you would your blog content. Share them on social networks, include a link to them in your email newsletter, create a blog post around them, or even create a page on your website devoted to all of your videos.

The more views you receive, the better your video will rank in search results within the video networks. As you receive more views, you will receive more shares, embeds, and links back to your video from other websites. Thus, the video’s ranking in main search engines will increase as well.

So as soon as your videos start generating clicks from Google, they will start ranking better on Youtube as well, so you will have more and more visibility for your video content.

This strategy will work even better if you collaborate with Youtube influencers to publish your videos to their channels in the form of interviews or podcasts. This way Youtube will learn to associate your name and content with popular Youtube creators, so your videos will show up in more recommended videos. Hari Ravi is a great example of implementing this strategy well.

Inexpensive Ways to Make Videos

Excited about the possibilities of creating videos, but not sure how to get started? Here are some quick ideas of ways to create a video without having to spend a lot on professional recording hardware or software.

• Host and record live videos on Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram. Gain extra views by inviting industry experts for regular panel discussions to capitalize on searches for their names.
• Record interviews on Skype or Zoom.
• Use Screenflow or Camtasia to record screencasts and tutorials.
• Use tools like VideoScribe to create animated videos.
• Ask customers to make quick testimonials at your business, at conferences, or other places you interact with them.

Ready to take your content marketing to the next level? Then video marketing combined with organic search optimization is the answer.

The post Rank Higher and Capture Leads with Video SEO appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Is SEO dead? 

No, it’s not. (I’ll explain below)

Will SEO exist in 10 years? 

Yes, it will. (In some form or fashion)

What’s the future of SEO? 

A marriage between AI, SEO, & Humans. 

Do I have your attention? 

My name is Connor Gillivan. I’m an SEO and Entrepreneur. I’ve built multiple businesses online in the past 10 years to 6, 7, & 8 figures using SEO w/ an exit in 2019. Today, I teach SEO to millions through LinkedIn and my personal website. 

In this article, I’ll break down simple-to-understand answers on the future of SEO so that you (as a marketer, SEO, or entrepreneur) can benefit from SEO instead of being dominated by it. 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• 5 Predictions About the Future of SEO
  • #1: AI & ChatGPT Will Enhance & Hurt SEO
  • #2: GrE-A-T Content Will Win the SERPs
  • #3: Mobile & Voice SEO Will Continue to Rise in Popularity
  • #4: The Best “System SEOs” Will Outlast the AI Rush
  • #5: Is SEO Dead? Absolutely Not. Will SEO Exist in 5 Years? Yes! Here’s Why
  • Actionable Steps to Tap Into the Future of SEO

5 Bold Predictions About the Future of SEO

In the next 5 to 10 years, SEO will undoubtedly change. 

It’s been that way for the past 20 years since Google was founded and search engines became a staple in all of our digital lives. 

This idea of “seo is dead” isn’t a new one either. 

It’s been said time and time again, but SEO continues to grow and live on. 

Why? 

Because people still have questions that they want answers to. 

That’s the core of SEO. 

Let’s dive into 5 predictions I have about where SEO will head next.  

#1: AI & ChatGPT Will Enhance AND Hurt SEO

I believe in looking at both sides of the argument. 

Some think AI is a godsend for SEO and others argue that it’s the worst thing that could happen to SEO. 

I see both sides and I take the pros and cons into account as I incorporate AI and ChatGPT into my SEO processes and strategy. 

Let’s break it down.

How AI Enhances SEO: 

• Speed up SEO processes that were manual before.
• Help marketers better understand their customer avatar. 
• Open marketers up to new ideas they didn’t have before. 
• New tools to make the research & optimization process better.  

How AI Hurts SEO: 

• Marketers relying solely on ChatGPT and AI writing tools.
• Massive influx of poor quality AI generated blog content.
• Race to the bottom w/ AI generated content. 
• Make marketers think they can do SEO w/out all of the other steps involved.

It ultimately comes down to HOW you USE AI for your SEO. 

If you try to abuse it, it will most likely come back to bite you. 

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If you intelligently build it into your current SEO processes and stay focused on high quality content targeted at the customer’s search intent, you should be in good shape. 

#2: GrE-A-T Content Will Win the SERPs

With that understanding under our belts, let’s talk a bit about what type of content will reign supreme in the next 5 to 10 years. 

It’s GrE-A-T content!

What is GrE-A-T Content? 

Here’s a spectrum to define it for you…

• Bad: Solely AI generated. No editing. No optimization. 
• Poor: Human written. No keyword research. Minimal optimization. 
• Good: Human written. Keyword research. Okay optimization. 

GrE-A-T: Human written. Displaying Experience, Expertise, Authority, & Trustworthiness. 

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. 

It’s a measure that Google takes into account when rating content published on the Internet. 

When creating SEO content, you want to hit on E-E-A-T as much as possible.

Granted there may be adjustments to it over time, it all comes back to creating the best possible content for people searching on Google. 

That’s what will continue to win, no matter how AI impacts the process. 

#3: Mobile & Voice SEO Will Continue to Rise in Popularity

According to Exploding Topics, 56.8% of searches are performed on mobile. And that figure has doubled since 2015. 

Similarly, 50% of the US population uses voice search features daily (according to Oberlo).

As mobile phones and voice enabled devices become more popular in households worldwide, we’ll see increasing amounts of searches performed with them. 

AI and companies like ChatGPT contribute to mobile and voice search experiences enhancing the ability for new features to increase growth. 

As we approach SEO over the next 5 to 10 years, voice and mobile will rise in importance. 

#4: The Best “System SEOs” Will Outlast the AI Rush 

All content is NOT created equal. 

It’s the System SEOs that go above and beyond to create the highest quality content on the internet. 

What’s a “System SEO”? 

System SEOs = SEOs & marketers that are experts on the end-to-end SEO process and build systems and processes to support high quality at quantity. 

The end-to-end SEO process: 

• Competition research
• Keyword research & clustering
• Content planning & clustering
• Matching intent
• Drafting outlines from 1st page SERPs
• High quality human written content
• Content editing & optimization
• Quarterly upgrades
• Backlink building

AI tools can help SEOs & marketers in the entire pipeline. 

The craze right now is ONLY focused on one of the stages: Writing content. 

As AI tools progress and get stronger, they’ll bleed into all areas of the SEO pipeline. 

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The SEOs, marketers, and entrepreneurs that focus on building a high quality content creation system will be the ones that win in the short and long run. 

#5: Is SEO Dead? Absolutely Not. Will SEO Exist in 5 Years? Yes! Here’s Why

At its roots, SEO is all about your ideal customer avatar. 

Customer avatar = your ideal customer that you want to reach with your business. 

SEO is answering questions for your customers & providing them with answers to questions, pains, problems, and frustrations that they have. 

Yes, Google’s AI generated content will be able to answer questions to a certain extent, but millions of people will still seek deeper answers, content, services, and products. 

People will still see a brand on social media or in an advertisement and want to know more. 

Where will they go? Google and other search engines. 

The same goes for people wanting to learn about specific topics, concepts, ideas, etc. 

I argue this customer trend will continue to thrive in the next 5 to 10 years. 

Actionable Steps to Tap Into the Future of SEO

The future of SEO is exciting! (If you’re an SEO or marketer that believes in SEO).

With the power of AI, creating high quality content will become more and more efficient. 

Here’s 7 SEO tips to take action on today: 

1. Focus on your ideal customer – over everything else!
2. Test out the new AI tools
3. Learn the end-to-end SEO process
4. Optimize an SEO system w/ efficient processes
5. Design with mobile first in mind
6. Focus on 10/10 GrE-A-T content
7. Optimize often w/ intelligence

If you follow these in the next 5 to 10 years, you’ll be in great shape to adjust to the AI changes. 

Just remember: It’s all about the reader and customer. 

Conclusion on the Future of SEO

The future of SEO is upon us. 

In just the past 12 months, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of change to the industry. 

But that doesn’t mean SEO is dead. 

In fact, it may be more alive than ever. 

With ChatGPT and AI tools, SEO content can become even better than it was before. 

It’s a matter of combining SEO + AI + Humans to create the highest quality content on the Internet. 

Join that tribe and let’s make the future of SEO a bright one!

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