Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 1 When you’re in a consulting or service -based business model – especially in digital marketing –having robust processes in place is the key to have a sustainable business. A systematic structure for tasks to obtain certain goals (set of marketing initiatives aligned with campaign objectives) is what prolongs businesses built in this ever-evolving field. I’ve listed some of the most important web documents that somehow have helped us at Xight Interactive develop our own internal processes for Technical SEO, link building, content development and marketing, social media marketing, analytics and pretty much every strategy we’ve come up with within the inbound marketing realm. So if you’re starting your own consulting agency, I strongly recommend the following guides, checklists and cheat sheets listed below. Technical SEO Checklists, Cheat Sheets and Advanced Guides The Web Developer’s SEO Cheat Sheet by Moz This cheat sheet was originally developed by Danny Dover back in 2008, and is still continuously being updated by the awesome team at Moz. The extensive cheat sheet covers both basics and advanced practices in technical SEO, including: Important HTML elements HTTP status codes Canonicalization URL best practices Search Console Robot control syntax Pagination Social metadata Rich snippet optimization Implementing Structured Data/Schemas Targeting Multiple Languages Mobile Web Development and optimization The Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors by Search Engine Land The chart created by the team from SEL is also being continuously updated every time something new comes up in Google’s constant update on its ranking algorithm. The table is comprised of ranking factors under specific metric categories such as: Content Architecture HTML Trust Links Personal Social Search Engine Ranking Factors Expert Survey and Correlation Study by Moz Moz holds a bi-annual expert survey – wherein they collaborate with 150 search marketing professionals from all over the world to determine which ranking signals are significant when optimizing websites. The study focuses and dissects extensive groups/categories of the ranking metrics that Google is possibly using within their algorithm – mainly to identify which ones carry the most weight: Domain-level, link authority features Page-level link metrics Page-level keyword and content-based metrics Page-level, keyword agnostic features User usage and traffic/query data Domain level brand metrics Domain level keyword usage Domain-level, keyword agnostic features Page-level social metrics Google Algorithm Change History by Moz A comprehensive list of the major algorithmic updates (like MayDay, Panda, Penguin, Pigeon, etc…) changes made by Google in the past that had the biggest impact on how optimizing websites for search evolved over time. This list is continuously being updated by Moz, where consultants can refer to when conducting site audits related to algorithmic penalties and possible disadvantages for search rankings and generating organic traffic. Local Search Ranking Factors by Moz An annual correlation study, headed by David Mihm, which discusses the most important ranking signals for local search optimization. This study covers different aspects of Local SEO: My Business signals External Local signals On-page signals Link signals Review signals Social signals Behavioral and mobile signals Personalization signals Negative ranking factors The Definitive Resource and Strategy Guide for Local SEO by The Site Edge The Site Edge did a great job on building this resource. This comprehensive guide has all the necessary details/information any search marketer will need for Local SEO audit, analysis and implementation. Searchmetrics’ Annual Correlation Analysis for Search Engine Ranking Factors Yet another correlation study in determining which ranking factors stand out in Google’s ranking algorithm. Although, this study’s methodology is different from Moz’s – wherein SearchMetrics rely on the data they’ve accumulated using their own resources to analyze 10,000 keywords (300,000 ranking URLs). On-site SEO Cheat Sheet by Colinbancmedia This basically covers all the important aspects of on-site SEO (for both sitewide and on-page-level optimization), which also includes information on how important each aspect is for SEO purposes. The International SEO Checklist – by Aleyda Solis Aleyda has listed all the key actions to take when optimizing a website for International SEO in this infographic. 25-point Website Usability Checklist by Dr. Pete This checklist was published back in 2009, but is still very relevant to today’s optimization process. The checklist covers site usability audits for 4 different sections: Accessibility, Identity, Navigation and Content. .htaccess Cheat Sheet This web document lists all the major .htaccess rules. Another cheat sheet that’s also worth checking out is the one from The Jackol’s Den. Google’s Advanced Search Operators – by Google Guide List of search operators you can use for refined Google search results, which search marketers can use for finding link opportunities, content research, site audits, and competitive analysis. Although this list hasn’t been updated since 2007, there are some other lists that contain other new search operators: Advanced Operator Cheat Sheet – by Webimax Content Marketer’s Guide to Google Operators (Cheat Sheet) – Wpromote mod_rewrite Cheat Sheet This reference sheet lists directives for RewriteRule, RewriteCond, Redirects, Server Variables, URL mapping, handling query strings, as well as security and authorization. The Advanced Guide to SEO – by QuickSprout Created by Neil Patel and Sujan Patel a couple of years back – the comprehensive guide is composed of 9 chapters that details almost all the necessary techniques to effectively execute SEO in any type of website. Other Useful Resources: Technical Site Audit Checklist: 2015 Edition – by Geoff Kenyon How to Rank: 25 Step Master SEO Blueprint – by Cyrus Shepard Definitive Guide to WordPress SEO – by Yoast Screaming Frog Guide to Doing Almost Anything – by SEER Interactive Guide to Rich Snippets – Microdata, JSON-LD & Schema – by BuiltVisible The Guide to Ecommerce SEO – by Geoff Kenyon Mobile Optimization: SEO Best Practices – by Moz DIY Site Audit Template (Paid) – by Annie Cushing The Ultimate Google Algorithm Cheat Sheet – by Neil Patel The On-Page SEO Cheat Sheet – by Neil Patel YouTube Ranking Factors – by Tony Edward Link Building Checklists, Cheat Sheet and Advanced Guides Link Building Tactics (Complete List) – by Point Blank SEO The title says it all. This list of link building tactics from Jon Cooper has almost every link acquisition method any search marketer will ever need to learn. And if you’re really serious about learning more about link building, you might also want to check out Jon’s link building course – which includes a lot of practical advice and easy-to-follow guides on the key processes required to perform effective link development campaigns. The Essential DIY Guide to Successful Link Bait – by Voltier Creative This infographic from Voltier Digital (which was acquired by BlueGlass Interactive back in 2012) had the biggest impact in my early days of my career as an SEO, particularly in better understanding the advanced concepts of link building. The tips from this content from Voltier are pretty much applicable up to this day – which is why it belongs in this long list of useful cheat sheets. SEO Guide to Creating Viral Linkbait and Infographics – by Ed Fry Distilled’s Ed Fry (back when he was still an intern for the world-famous digital agency) did an awesome job in building this solid resource on creating viral link baits. This extensive guide covers key processes in content development and promotion – from brainstorming, research and analysis, design & presentation up to publishing & sharing. Link Building: The Definitive Guide – by Brian Dean One of the better ways to master link building in a shorter period of time is to get access to all important information in one place. Backlinko already did many of us a favor by gathering all the high-value link building tutorials on the web – covering topic areas such as: Link building fundamentals Content Marketing Email Outreach Guest blogging Blackhat Techniques (to avoid) Google Penguin updates Link building resources Creative link building Case studies The Advanced Guide to Link Building – by Neil Patel and Brian Dean A 12-chapter guide created by QuickSprout (with the help from Brian of Backlinko) – which focuses on advanced methodologies and processes in acquiring hard-to-replicate links. Creating a Link Building Machine – by Ross Hudgens A presentation by Ross Hudgens back from 2011, which had also made a huge impact to my growth as a link builder. Other useful resources: Kaiserthesage’s Link Building Posts 44 Creative and Innovative Link Building Experts and their Strategies 33 links & how to get them – by Justin Briggs A model for link building: Beyond “Great Content” – by Ross Hudgens All links are not created equal: 10 illustrations on search engines’ valuation of links – by Rand Fishkin Point Blank SEO’s Link Building Blog Content Marketing Checklists, Cheat Sheets, and Advanced Guides Content Marketing Checklist by Siege Media This is a simplified list of action items that’s highly recommended to be implemented by content marketers on any content asset they launch. The interactive tool includes tasks under the 3 major content development/promotion processes: from idea generation, pre-launch and post-launch period. Advanced Content Promotion Checklist by Jordan Van Hemert Driving traffic to newly launched content assets is the other half that makes content marketing a very effective channel for many brands. This interactive checklist will help you keep the most crucial part of your content marketing campaign on track. Content Marketing Persona Template by Content Marketing Institute This is a detailed guide from CMI on how to create buyer personas (specifically for content marketing purposes), as well as on how to map these personas to the buying process. Content Mapping Template by Content Marketing Institute Another guide from CMI, that mainly discusses a 5-step content mapping process. 101 Copywriting Dos and Don’ts by CopyHackers This free downloadable PDF copywriting guide lists 101 tips on how to effectively write copies for web, for better conversions and user activity. The 87-point Sales Page Checklist by CopyHackers This is also a printable web document from CopyHackers that can help guide you on how to edit your sales pages appropriately. Other useful resources: The Skyscraper Technique by Brian Dean Competitive Content Analysis – by Adam North The Advanced Guide to Content Promotion – by BuzzStream The Advanced Guide to Content Marketing – by Neil Patel and Kathryn Aragon Readability Checklist by Roger Parker Content Marketing Distribution Template – by Michele Linn Editorial Calendar Checklist – by Jodi Harris How to generate better content ideas – by Kaiserthesage Social Media Marketing Cheat Sheets, Checklists and Advanced Guides A Complete Checklist for Social Media Managers The checklist was created by Sprout Social’s social media manager – Darryl Villacorta, which lists tasks that managers usually do on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. Social Media Checklist for your next update by Buffer A 12-step check list written by Kevan Lee of Buffer. 2015 Social Media Image Sizes Guide This infographic provides the recommended image sizes for the most popular social platforms businesses use for social media and online branding campaigns (including image sizes for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Linkedin, and YouTube). Social Platform Cheat Sheet by 360i This presents the complete overview of the things marketers should know about the major social networking sites they want to invest their efforts on. Social Media Marketing Strategy Checklist by SproutSocial Michael Patterson of Sprout Social listed a 7-step checklist guide on how to make sure that your social media marketing campaign will have a measurable impact to the brand’s overall strategy (in terms of business bottom line and objectives). Other useful resources: A scientific guide to writing great headlines on blogs and social media – by Leo Widrich The definitive guide to tracking social media metrics – by Kevan Lee Getting more social shares to your website – by Kaiserthesage How to calculate social media ROI – by Buffer Small business branding checklist – 99designs Analytics and CRO Checklists, Cheat Sheet and Advanced Guides Regular Expressions for Google Analytics by Luna Metrics This free PDF document by Robbin Steif discusses all the RegEx used in GA. Complete Guide to Google Tag Manager by iPullRank Michael King’s 13-chapter guide on implementing Google Tag Manager. Universal Analytics Cheat Sheet by Nicholas Blexrud A comprehensive list of configurations for Universal Analytics created by Nicholas Blexrud. Google Analytics Cheat Sheet by Portent From setting up, link tagging, filters, goal tracking, and to other ninja tricks – this cheat sheet from Portent got you covered. Sitewide Ecommerce Best Practices to A/B Test – by AcquireConvert A 12-point checklist from AcquireConvert, which was based on how the best websites in the world perform split testing and optimize their landing pages to convert millions of visitors into customers. Other useful resources: Beginner’s guide to Web Data Analysis: 10 steps to success – by Avinash Kaushik Google Analytics Setup Checklist – by Smart Insights 91-point checklist for eCommerce Conversion Optimization – by Pancham Prashar Landing Page Optimization Checklist – by AcquireConvert Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section. Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.Learn how to publish your content on B2C Join our Telegram channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage Author: Connor Brooke Connor is a Scottish financial expert, specialising in wealth management and equity investing. Based in Glasgow, Connor writes full-time for a wide selection of financial websites, whilst also providing startup consulting to small businesses. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, and a Master’s degree in Investment Fund Management, Connor has … View full profile ›More by this author:ACH Crypto Price Prediction 2022 – Is it a Buy?Lucky Block Partners with Dillian Whyte ahead of Heavyweight Showdown with Tyson FuryNFT Pixel Art – The Best NFT Collections for 2022