Cornwall SEO

Content Marketing Blog

16 of the Best Video Editing Software for 2023

By

The choice of video editing software is big and it is only looking to get bigger. We have a fantastic choice of video editors for the most popular OS and even an excellent editor for Linux. Mobile video editing only keeps getting better and is cheap enough for any blogger to get started with video editing, although editing on a handheld mobile phone is always going to be tricky, obviously much better on a tablet. Some of these editors have been around for decades and so are very stable and have a lot of features added to them over the years.

There are many more editors than the ones listed here, but I think you will agree these are 16 of the best or at least the most popular.

NamePlatformListing
Adobe DesktopPremiere Pro CC
AdobeDesktopPremier Elements 2023
AppleDesktop/MobileApple iMovie
Avid DesktopAvid Media Composer
Corel (Alludo)DesktopVideoStudio 2023
TechsmithDesktopCamtasia Video Editor
PowerDirectorMobileCyberlink Video Editor
Black Magic DesignDesktopDaVinci Resolve 18
EaseUSDesktopEaseUS Video Editor
WondershareDesktopFilmora 9 Video Editor
AppleDesktopFinal Cut Pro X
FXhomeDesktopHitFilm Video Editor
KineMasterMobileKinemaster Video Editor
LWKSDesktopLightworks Video Editor
pinnacleDesktopPinnacle Video Editor
MovaviDesktopMovavi Video Suite

1. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Windows, macOS
Adobe Premiere Pro CC is a professional-grade video editing software widely used in the film and television industry.

Premiere Pro video editing software

It offers a comprehensive set of features and tools for video editing, colour correction, audio editing, and visual effects.

With its intuitive interface and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, Premiere Pro CC allows for efficient and collaborative editing workflows.

It supports a wide range of file formats and offers advanced video editing capabilities like multicam editing, 3D editing, and VR video editing.

Good points about Adobe Premiere Pro CC

  • Comprehensive set of features and tools for professional-grade video editing.
  • Seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
  • Wide range of file format support and advanced video editing capabilities.

Bad points about Adobe Premiere Pro CC:

  • Steep learning curve for beginners.
  • High system requirements for optimal performance.
  • Subscription-based pricing may be costly for some users.

How much is Premiere Pro?

Adobe Premier Pro Pricing

$20.99 per month

2. Adobe Premiere Elements

Windows, macOS
Adobe Premiere Elements is a user-friendly video editing software designed for beginners and enthusiasts.

It provides a simplified interface and guided editing tools, making it easy to create and edit videos.

Premiere Elements offers features like automated editing options, intelligent video editing, and easy sharing on social media platforms.

It also includes basic video effects, transitions, and audio editing capabilities.

Good points about Adobe Premiere Elements:

  • User-friendly interface and guided editing tools make it accessible for beginners.
  • Automated editing options and intelligent video editing features streamline the editing process.
  • Easy sharing on social media platforms and basic video effects and transitions.

Bad points about Adobe Premiere Elements:

  • Limited advanced editing features compared to professional-grade software.
  • May lack some advanced audio editing capabilities.
  • Subscription-based pricing model may not be suitable for all users.

Adobe Premiere Elements Pricing
$86.56 purchase outright

3. Apple iMovie:

macOS

iMovie is a user-friendly video editing software exclusively available for Apple devices.

It offers a simple and intuitive interface, allowing users to create professional-looking videos with ease.

iMovie provides basic editing tools, video effects, transitions, and audio editing features.

It supports 4K resolution and offers seamless integration with other Apple applications like Final Cut Pro X.

Good points about Apple iMovie:

  • Simple and intuitive interface, ideal for beginners and Apple device users.
  • Basic editing tools, video effects, and transitions for creating professional-looking videos.
  • Seamless integration with other Apple applications like Final Cut Pro X.

Bad points about Apple iMovie:

  • Limited advanced editing features compared to professional software.
  • Availability restricted to Apple devices only.
  • May lack some advanced audio editing capabilities.

Apple iMovie Pricing
Free

4. Avid Media Composer

Windows, macOS
Avid Media Composer is a professional video editing software widely used in the film and television industry.

It offers advanced editing tools, collaborative workflows, and powerful media management capabilities.

Media Composer supports high-resolution video editing, colour grading, visual effects, and audio post-production.

It provides extensive format support and integration with other industry-standard tools.

Good points about Avid Media Composer:

  • Advanced editing tools and powerful media management capabilities.
  • Industry-standard software widely used in the film and television industry.
  • Extensive format support and integration with other post-production tools.

Bad points about Avid Media Composer:

  • Steeper learning curve for beginners.
  • Higher price point compared to some other video editing software.
  • Requires a powerful computer system for optimal performance.

Avid Medi Composer Pricing
Free to $23.99 per month

5. Camtasia

Windows, macOS
Camtasia is a versatile video editing and screen recording software suitable for creating tutorials, presentations, and online courses.

It offers an easy-to-use interface, screen recording capabilities, video effects, transitions, and audio editing features.

Camtasia also provides options for adding quizzes, annotations, and interactive elements to videos.

Good points about Camtasia:

  • Versatile software for creating tutorials, presentations, and online courses.
  • Easy-to-use interface and screen recording capabilities.
  • Video effects, transitions, and audio editing features for enhancing video content.

Bad points about Camtasia:

  • May lack some advanced video editing features found in dedicated video editing software.
  • Limited scope for complex visual effects and advanced post-production workflows.
  • Higher price point compared to some other entry-level video editing software.

6. Corel VideoStudio Ultimate

Windows
Corel VideoStudio Ultimate is a feature-rich video editing software that combines ease of use with powerful editing tools.

It offers a variety of creative effects, transitions, and filters, as well as advanced features like multi-camera editing, 360-degree video editing, and motion tracking.

VideoStudio Ultimate also includes a library of royalty-free music, templates, and customizable intros and outros.

Good points about Corel VideoStudio Ultimate:

  • Feature-rich software with a balance of ease of use and powerful editing tools.
  • Wide range of creative effects, transitions, and filters for enhancing videos.
  • Advanced features like multi-camera editing, 360-degree video editing, and motion tracking.

Bad points about Corel VideoStudio Ultimate:

  • User interface may feel overwhelming for beginners.
  • Occasional stability issues reported by some users.
  • Limited third-party plugin support compared to other professional software.

7. CyberLink PowerDirector

Windows
CyberLink PowerDirector is a comprehensive video editing software suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

It offers a user-friendly interface, fast rendering speeds, and a wide range of editing tools and effects.

PowerDirector supports 360-degree video editing, motion tracking, colour grading, and advanced audio editing.

It also includes features like AI-powered editing, 4K video support, and easy sharing options.

Good points about CyberLink PowerDirector :

  • Comprehensive video editing software suitable for beginners and advanced users.
  • User-friendly interface and fast rendering speeds for efficient editing workflows.
  • Wide range of editing tools, effects, and transitions for creative flexibility.

Bad points about CyberLink PowerDirector:

  • Some advanced features may require upgrading to the more expensive versions.
  • Occasional performance issues when dealing with large projects.
  • User interface may feel cluttered due to the abundance of features.

8. DaVinci Resolve 18

Windows, macOS, Linux
DaVinci Resolve is a professional video editing software known for its advanced colour correction and grading capabilities.

It offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, visual effects, and audio post-production features.

DaVinci Resolve is widely used in the film and television industry for its industry-standard colourgrading capabilities and seamless integration with other post-production tools.

Good points about DaVinci Resolve:

  • Professional-grade software known for its advanced colour correction and grading capabilities.
  • Extensive set of editing tools, visual effects, and audio post-production features.
  • Seamless integration with other post-production tools and industry-standard workflows.

Bad points about DaVinci Resolve:

  • Steeper learning curve, particularly for beginners.
  • Higher system requirements for optimal performance.
  • Some features and advanced capabilities are exclusive to the paid Studio version.

DaVinci Resolve Pricing

Free to use
Buy outright with full features $295

9. EaseUS Video Editor

Windows
EaseUS Video Editor is a user-friendly video editing software that offers basic editing tools and effects.

It allows users to trim, cut, merge, and adjust video clips easily.

EaseUS Video Editor provides features like video transitions, filters, text overlays, and background music.

It supports various video formats and offers options for exporting videos in different resolutions.

Good points about EaseUS Video Editor:

  • User-friendly video editing software with a straightforward interface.
  • Basic editing tools and effects for simple video editing tasks.
  • Support for various video formats and options for exporting videos in different resolutions.

Bad points about EaseUS Video Editor:

  • Limited advanced editing features compared to professional-grade software.
  • May lack some advanced audio editing capabilities.
  • Occasional performance issues reported by users.

10. Filmora 9

Windows, macOS
Filmora 9 is a popular video editing software known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface.

It offers a wide range of editing tools, effects, transitions, and overlays.

Filmora 9 supports 4K video editing, screen recording, and easy sharing options.

It also provides a built-in library of royalty-free music, sound effects, and video elements.

Good points about Filmora 9:

  • Popular video editing software known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface.
  • Wide range of editing tools, effects, transitions, and overlays for creative video editing.
  • Supports 4K video editing, screen recording, and easy sharing options.

Bad points about Filmora 9:

  • Some advanced features may require upgrading to the more expensive versions.
  • Limited scope for complex visual effects and advanced post-production workflows.
  • Occasional performance issues when dealing with large and complex projects.

11. Final Cut Pro X

macOS
Final Cut Pro X is a professional video editing software exclusively available for macOS.

It offers a wide range of advanced editing tools, effects, and transitions.

Final Cut Pro X supports high-quality video formats, 360-degree video editing, and HDR video.

It provides a seamless workflow with Apple’s ecosystem, allowing for efficient editing, audio post-production, and colour grading.

Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful organization and media management features, making it a popular choice among professional video editors.

Good points about Final Cut Pro X:

  • Professional video editing software exclusively available for macOS, offering a seamless workflow within Apple’s ecosystem.
  • Wide range of advanced editing tools, effects, and transitions for creating high-quality videos.
  • Supports high-quality video formats, 360-degree video editing, and HDR video.

Bad points Final Cut Pro X:

  • Limited availability only for macOS, which restricts access for Windows or other operating systems.
  • Higher price point compared to some other video editing software options.
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners, requiring time to master its advanced features.

Final Cut Pro Pricing
Free to try for 90 days
Buy outright: $299

12. HitFilm

Windows, macOS
HitFilm is a powerful video editing and visual effects software.

It combines professional-grade editing tools with advanced visual effects capabilities.

HitFilm offers a range of effects, compositing tools, and 3D animation features.

It allows for seamless integration between editing and visual effects workflows, making it a comprehensive solution for filmmakers and content creators.

Good points about Hitfilm:

  • Powerful video editing and visual effects software, combining professional-grade editing tools with advanced visual effects capabilities.
  • Offers a wide range of effects, compositing tools, and 3D animation features for creating visually stunning videos.
  • Allows seamless integration between editing and visual effects workflows, providing a comprehensive solution for filmmakers and content creators.

Bad points about Hitfilm:

  • Advanced features may require a more powerful computer setup for smooth performance.
  • The learning curve can be steep, especially for users new to visual effects and compositing.
  • The free version has some limitations, with more advanced features available in the paid version.

13. KineMaster

iOS, Android

KineMaster is a professional mobile video editing app with advanced features for iOS and Android OS.

It offers multi-layer video editing, chroma key compositing, and precise control over audio and video elements.

KineMaster provides a wide range of visual effects, transitions, and animation options.

It also supports 4K video editing and offers easy sharing options for social media platforms.

Good points about KineMaster:

  • Professional mobile video editing app with advanced features for multi-layer editing, chroma key compositing, and precise control over audio and video elements.
  • Offers a wide range of visual effects, transitions, and animation options for creating polished videos.
  • Supports 4K video editing and provides easy sharing options for social media platforms.

Bad points about KineMaster:

  • Some advanced features may require a subscription or in-app purchases.
  • The free version includes a watermark on exported videos.
  • Occasional performance issues reported by users, particularly on older or less powerful devices.

14. Lightworks

Windows, macOS, Linux

Lightworks is a professional video editing software available for both Windows and macOS.

It offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, advanced effects, and real-time collaboration features.

Lightworks supports high-resolution video editing, multi-camera editing, and a wide range of file formats.

It has been used in the production of numerous films and television shows.

Good points about Lightworks:

  • Professional video editing software available for both Windows and macOS.
  • Offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, advanced effects, and real-time collaboration features.
  • Supports high-resolution video editing, multi-camera editing, and a wide range of file formats.

Bad points about Lightworks:

  • The free version has some limitations, with more advanced features available in the paid version.
  • The user interface may feel complex for new users, requiring some time to become familiar with its features.
  • Occasional stability issues reported by some users, requiring periodic software updates.

Lightworks Video Editor Pricing

Free
$9.99 per month
$23.99 per month

15. Pinnacle

Windows, macOS

Pinnacle Studio is a popular video editing software that offers a comprehensive set of features and tools for both beginners and advanced users. It provides a user-friendly interface and a range of editing options to create professional-looking videos.

One of the standout features of Pinnacle Studio is its intuitive timeline editing interface, which allows users to easily arrange and edit video clips, add transitions, apply effects, and adjust audio. The software supports multi-camera editing, making it a great choice for users working with footage from multiple angles.

Pinnacle Studio offers a wide range of built-in effects, filters, and transitions to enhance your videos. It also includes a library of royalty-free music and sound effects to add a professional touch to your projects. Additionally, the software provides advanced features like colour grading, motion tracking, and 360-degree video editing, allowing users to create immersive and visually stunning videos.

One of the drawbacks of Pinnacle Studio is that some advanced features may require additional purchases or upgrades to access. While the software is relatively easy to use, beginners may find the learning curve slightly steep compared to other entry-level video editing software.

In conclusion, Pinnacle Studio is a powerful video editing software that offers a wide range of features and tools for creating impressive videos. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced editor, Pinnacle Studio provides the necessary tools to bring your creative vision to life.

Good Points about Pinnacle Video Editing Software:

  1. Pinnacle Studio features a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for beginners to get started with video editing. The software offers a straightforward timeline-based editing system, intuitive controls, and drag-and-drop functionality, allowing users to quickly arrange and edit their video clips.
  2. Pinnacle Studio provides a comprehensive set of advanced editing features that cater to the needs of more experienced users. It offers multi-camera editing, motion tracking, 360-degree video editing, and keyframe animation capabilities. These features enable users to create professional-looking videos with precise control over effects, transitions, and audio.
  3. Pinnacle Studio includes a vast library of built-in effects, filters, and transitions. Users have access to a wide variety of creative options to enhance their videos and add visual interest. Additionally, the software offers a range of customizable templates and presets, making it easy to achieve professional results without extensive manual editing.

Bad Points about Pinnacle Video Editing Software:

  1. While Pinnacle Studio is designed to be user-friendly, it may have a slightly steep learning curve, especially for beginners who are new to video editing software. The extensive features and advanced capabilities may take some time and practice to master fully.
  2. Pinnacle Studio is primarily designed for Windows operating systems, which limits its availability for users on other platforms such as macOS or Linux. This can be a disadvantage for users who prefer or exclusively work with non-Windows systems.
  3. Pinnacle Studio can be resource-intensive, particularly when working with high-resolution videos or applying complex effects. Users may experience slower performance or longer rendering times, especially if their hardware does not meet the recommended specifications. It’s important to ensure that your computer meets the system requirements to avoid potential performance issues.

It’s worth noting that these points may vary depending on the specific version and release of Pinnacle Studio, as software updates and revisions can address certain drawbacks and improve overall user experience.

Pinnacle Studio Pricing
Free for 15 days
$44.99

16. Movavi

For Windows and Mac
Movavi is a versatile and user-friendly video editing software that caters to both beginners and intermediate users. With its intuitive interface and comprehensive set of features, it allows users to create professional-looking videos with ease.

One of the standout features of Movavi is its wide range of editing tools and effects. It offers essential editing functions such as trimming, cutting, and merging videos, as well as advanced options like chroma keying, picture-in-picture, and slow-motion effects. Users can also enhance their videos with filters, transitions, and text overlays to add creative flair.

Movavi supports a variety of video formats, making it convenient for working with different sources. It also provides a seamless timeline-based editing workflow, allowing users to arrange and organize their video clips effortlessly. Additionally, the software offers a built-in collection of royalty-free music and sound effects, enabling users to enhance their videos with appropriate audio tracks.

Another notable aspect of Movavi is its fast rendering and exporting capabilities. Users can preview their edits in real time and quickly export the final video in various formats or directly upload them to popular social media platforms.

However, Movavi does have a few limitations. Some advanced features, such as 3D editing or motion tracking, are not available in the software. Additionally, while the software provides a decent range of editing tools, it may not have the same level of precision and sophistication as some professional-grade video editing software.

Overall, Movavi is an excellent choice for users looking for user-friendly and feature-rich video editing software. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate user, Movavi offers a powerful yet accessible editing platform to bring your creative vision to life.

Good Points about Movavi Video Editing Software:

  1. Movavi Video Editing Software offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for beginners. The software provides intuitive controls and a simple timeline-based editing system, allowing users to quickly edit and arrange their video clips.
  2. Movavi offers a diverse collection of effects, filters, transitions, and titles that users can apply to their videos. This extensive library allows for creative customization, enabling users to enhance the visual appeal of their videos and make them more engaging.
  3. Movavi Video Editing Software is known for its efficient rendering and exporting capabilities. The software utilizes hardware acceleration technologies to optimize the rendering process, ensuring that users can quickly generate their final videos in various formats and resolutions.

Bad Points about Movavi Video Editing Software:

  1. While Movavi provides a solid set of basic editing tools, it may lack some advanced features that are available in more professional-grade software. Users seeking in-depth control over complex editing techniques or advanced effects may find Movavi’s capabilities to be somewhat limited.
  2. Some users have reported occasional stability issues with Movavi Video Editing Software, such as crashes or freezing during the editing process. While these issues may not be widespread, it is recommended to regularly save projects and ensure that the software is running on a stable system configuration.
  3. Movavi’s audio editing capabilities are relatively basic compared to other video editing software. While users can perform essential tasks like adjusting volume levels and adding background music, they may find the software lacking more advanced audio editing features, such as detailed equalization or noise reduction.

It’s important to note that the specific features, capabilities, and drawbacks may vary depending on the version and edition of Movavi Video Editing Software being used.

Movavi Pricing
Basic $54.95
1-Year $79.95
Video Suite 1 year $99.95

Conclusion:

We are truly spoilt when it comes to video editing on the desktop and on mobile. The software available is relatively inexpensive and does the primary job well. Each video editing software focuses on specific aspects of editing, be it colouring to special effects. The power editors will satisfy the most hungry of editors and are used to create multi-million dollar motion pictures. Compared to ten years ago we are truly living in a golden age of video editing and it only looks to be getting more interesting.

NamePlatformListing
Adobe DesktopPremiere Pro CC
AdobeDesktopPremier Elements 2023
AppleDesktop/MobileApple iMovie
Avid DesktopAvid Media Composer
Corel (Alludo)DesktopVideoStudio 2023
TechsmithDesktopCamtasia Video Editor
PowerDirectorMobileCyberlink Video Editor
Black Magic DesignDesktopDaVinci Resolve 18
EaseUSDesktopEaseUS Video Editor
WondershareDesktopFilmora 9 Video Editor
AppleDesktopFinal Cut Pro X
FXhomeDesktopHitFilm Video Editor
KineMasterMobileKinemaster Video Editor
LWKSDesktopLightworks Video Editor
pinnacleDesktopPinnacle Video Editor
MovaviDesktopMovavi Video Suite

How do I write a blog post step by step?

By

Let’s Build Something

Following this formula will help you create a killer blog post template

Blogging is easy. It’s simply a case of following a step-by-step process and developing a blog writing format.

You are not writing a great novel, you are saving your readers time by presenting the best information in the most easily digestible format. Human Beings have been hunted by predators since we started to walk on the Earth, we developed a brain that quickly scans the horizon for danger and potential food.

Thus, when we hunt for information we use that same brain which wants to do the job quickly and efficiently.
This article gives you a blog post template and is a great outline of how to write for beginners.

How to write a blog post

1. Identify Your Target Audience and Purpose:

  • Determine who your target audience is and what the purpose of your blog post is. Consider their demographics, interests, and pain points to ensure your content resonates with them.
  • You should already know the audience of the blog as you have steeped yourself within the subject, but go one further and find that subset who would get excited about this specific blog post.

2. Choose a Topic:

  • Select a topic that is relevant to your audience and aligns with your blog’s niche. Brainstorm ideas, conduct keyword research, and consider trending or popular topics to find a suitable subject.

3. Conduct Research:

  • Gather information and conduct research on your chosen topic. Read books, articles, and reputable online sources to deepen your understanding and collect valuable insights.
  • Deep research enables you to find that juicy morsel which your competitors have missed, allowing you to be the source with the most viable information.
Researching writing a blog post

/

Research is your superpower

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

4. Outline Your Blog Post:

  • Create a clear and logical structure for your blog post. Start with an introduction to grab attention, followed by several main points or sections, and a conclusion that summarizes key takeaways or provides a call to action.

5. Write an Engaging Introduction

  • Craft a compelling introduction that hooks readers and establishes the purpose of your blog post. Use an intriguing opening statement, pose a question, or share a relevant anecdote to draw readers in.

6. Develop Your Main Points

  • Expand on the main points or sections outlined in your blog post’s structure. Each section should have a clear focus and provide valuable information, insights, or solutions. Use headings and subheadings to make your content scannable and easy to navigate.

7. Write High-Quality Content:

  • Write your blog post using clear, concise, and engaging language. Ensure your content is well-organized, free of grammatical errors, and easy to understand. Use examples, statistics, or case studies to support your points and make your content more credible.

8. Add Visuals and Multimedia:

  • Enhance your blog post with relevant visuals such as images, infographics, or videos. Visuals not only make your content more appealing but also help to explain complex concepts or break up text.

9. Optimize for SEO:

  • Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your blog post. Optimize the title, headings, meta description, and URL. Consider internal and external linking to improve the SEO value of your post.

10. Craft a Compelling Conclusion:

  • Summarize the key points discussed in your blog post and provide a strong conclusion. Encourage readers to take action, share their thoughts in the comments, or explore related content on your website.

11. Proofread and Edit:

  • Carefully proofread your blog post for any spelling or grammatical errors. Edit for clarity, coherence, and flow. Ensure that your ideas are presented logically and that the overall structure of the blog post is sound.

12. Format and Publish:

  • Format your blog post by using appropriate headings, bullet points, and paragraphs to make it visually appealing and easy to read. Add relevant tags, categories, and meta information. Preview your post to ensure everything appears as intended, then publish it on your blog.

13. Promote Your Blog Post

  • Share your blog post across various channels to increase its visibility. Promote it on social media platforms, through email newsletters, and engage in relevant online communities or forums. Encourage readers to share and engage with

In conclusion

Follow the above steps closely if you are starting out blogging for the first time. After a while as you get more experienced, you will become aware of which aspects to spend more time on and possibly even mix up the order of things. It’s essential to follow a process which fits your own workflow as speed of execution is very important.

Hope this process helps your blogging quality and productivity.

Awesome content is not enough

By

Awesome content is the baseline, it’s where you start.

But what is “awesome content”?

I was emailed to ask if I wanted to see an “awesome infographic” from a content provider. They looked to be a high-quality outfit and the email was nice and polite if a little dull and with no real benefit to me. So I wrote them a reply and thought I would share it with you.
I get these emails all the time and they are frighteningly similar. The thing is, it wouldn’t take much more effort to get a better response. I am sure their infographic was truly fab, although I tend to reserve awesome for things like the Grand Canyon or Rowes Cornish pasty.

Hi [name redacted].

Appreciate the opportunity to see your “awesome infographic”.

To be honest, I am swamped with requests to see “awesome” infographics all day long.
In fact, I think we are all drowning right now in awesome content.

Thing is, “awesome” is no longer enough, and what I mean by that is that how awesome your content is not relevant.

I need more than awesome.

You may already be familiar with the term, content shock.

What is needed is to add “relationship” to content marketing.

You and I currently have a relationship based on one email.
You see where I am going with this?

I am not aware that you have done anything for me and so feel no need to reciprocate. You have probably read Persuasion by Cialdini and his thesis on reciprocity.

I realise that the email you sent me is probably a cookie cutter email sent to a list of maybe thousands. And that is done because it does return something, but it’s not the best way to do things. And also, the fact that the email says, “we are about to enter 2018”, makes me think either your email responder is slow or you haven’t had the time or inclination to change the copy. It is after all the little things which make the difference.

Forming relationships with people, getting them to like and respect you is a longterm play and I realise that most agencies and most in-house outreach people do not go for the long term. But these types of relationships bring the most rewards.

It is interesting when most requests come in that there is not even a tweet or a retweet of my work, and yet that would be a free and easy way to get my attention, to give me something. At the very least this would help grease the wheels for your email, to enable it to have a more receptive consideration.

I think most are under the impression that creating great content and letting people know about it is enough, it’s not. They get by with the ease of brute force communication signalling, hitting as many contacts as possible.

Thing is, you probably only needed to persuade one person of high influence and let their tribe do the rest.

Hope you appreciate my comments.

How do you become an expert SEO?

By

I was asked to contribute an “expert SEO” quote for one of those “top SEO speak”, type posts.

You know the type of thing.

I get about one of these requests every couple of weeks, sometimes I respond sometimes I do not. I don’t market myself as an “expert SEO”, and so not really bothered about the label one way or another.

Now let’s make clear about these lists, they are not necessarily 100% accurate and people do get on them (including me) who really shouldn’t always be on the list. But they help market your personal brand, help your incoming links and give a quick boost to the ego (not to be taken too seriously) and do help in the wider scheme of things. After all, a link is a link.

Of course, the writer is going for ego-bait, which can be a very powerful marketing tactic when trying to attract influencers. I have written quite a lot about this subject and it led me to study more seriously the neuroscience of web copy and how to influence, but let’s not get distracted from the topic at hand.

I wonder about such lists and whether or not I should even be on such a list, sharing space with people like Rand Fishkin, Barry Schwartz… etc. And that I wasn’t really an “expert SEO”,  or something like that. And I’m fine with that, I don’t think I should be listed next to those people either and wouldn’t ever push myself to be so.

I also don’t regard myself as an SEO, I am more a “get a website customers” type, and use whichever I think to be the best tool. Be it, content, links, social media, content marketing… etc. and of course, SEO.

But then I watched a video where Cal Newport was speaking about “Deep Work” and how for example, Steve Jobs became an expert in Eastern Mysticism on his way to building Apple and that “follow your passion”, is not always the best thing to do. And it got me thinking about what is it which allows you to attach the label of “expert” to yourself.

I first got online in 1996,  and built my first website in 1998.

Back then a domain name was £50.

I remember using a HTML program called Hotdog, later upgrading to a paid version of Dreamweaver, created by Macromedia. I wish I could get my hands on an earlier version of Dreamweaver as the current one is so bloated. I worked at that website for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, for about 6 months. Completely destroying any social time with friends.

At the time the UK charged for a local call and it would have cost me a fortune, at the time I was a penniless, out of work writer, but one of the ISPs offered a free connection from the hours of 6pm to 7am. And this became my work hours. To keep me company I had purchased a £35 used TV from Portobello Road and the new, BBC rolling news and old movies, the World Service on the radio kept me company in those long hours.

It was a time of Infoseek, Excite, and Altavista. plus other flashes in the pan search engines that came and went quite quickly. One upstart was called, “Google”, I wonder what happened to them?

It was crazy fun doing SEO in those days. You could simply spam the meta tags, a lot did and they did it because it worked.

You could create a page similar to the page ranking ahead of you in the SERPS, tweak it, publish, index, and within an hour the SE would be updated with fresh rankings. This allowed you to make multiple attempts to rank and if focused enough you could rank easily, however it wouldn’t last long.

Those early days of SEO were truly the Wild West and looking back on it now I kinda miss it.

I could talk for hours about this period and places like DMOZ, where if you became an editor you had the ability to hand out links from a highly trusted source. This was where I understood that social skills still mattered when it came to getting a website ranked and that no matter how well you optimised your site with your rad SEO skills there was the site which focused more on greasing the wheels and getting people to link to you. I think that is very much the landscape right now and will always be.

After 6 months of being an utter noob at getting traffic to a website, I think I would get about 10-12 unique visits a day. I was using a stat program called, Urchin, which was very good. So good that Google bought it and relabeled in Google Analytics. I preferred the old Urchin as the new system was more about selling the Adwords system. Which made sense from Google’s POV.

After too long in front of a CRT monitor, I took a month long holiday in San Diego, staying with an arty friend who went on to design the funky stuff you see at the entrance of an outfit called Facebook.

Had a blast, visited the Salton Sea, Grand Canyon, Vegas and fell in love with the desert of South Western USA. Particularly an old mining town called Jerome in Arizona. But, let’s not make this a travel blog.

During the holiday I hung out in the SDSU computer lab and noticed my website was now getting 400 uniques a day. Well, that’s nice.

Back in London, I threw myself back into building my website.

I had great link building wins, for example, the movie, Notting Hill was being made in our street. They covered it in fake snow and the production team gave the residents a bottle of champagne for the disruption. I was able to grab video footage of Julia Roberts and use it to get more links from celebrity sites.

I learned that creating a spectacle and earning links created fantastic ROI.

My website was celebrity based and getting early with the news resulted in good traffic (this method is still powerful).

End of 1999 it was making money via an advertising system (pre Adsense) and was making more money than I knew what to do with. So did what you should do in that situation, head off to San Francisco for two years to hang out. Bagged a primo apartment in Russian Hill.

I had a ton of projects on the good, all pretty much failed.

For example, I bought a domain called, ratemyvideo.com. The idea being people could upload video and others would vote on it. An idea that was greeted with, “yeah but what if someone throws themselves off the Golden Gate Bridge, and the video gets uploaded?” The site never happened, mostly because I was not the type of person for such a project and bandwidth meant any video was a thumbnail.

Also, SF was a lot of fun and I didn’t do much work. Yosemite was a drive away and having a British accent could get you a long way with native, female population and so I mostly had too much fun.

Although I do remember the day I arrived in SF. It was exactly the same day the first bubble had burst in the year 2000. I had just taken a 4,000-mile transcontinental drive from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Only driving on minor roads and eating at non-chain eateries.

It was a journey of a lifetime and learned that in a one-horse town in West Texas, if you pull out $50 in cash you will get told, “oh you must be from the city”. And if you go to Furnace Creek in Death Valley in February, don’t expect heat.

Because of the crash, a lot of time was spent going to auction of bankrupt companies. On Market Street (the main tech strip in downtown SF), expensive desks were dumped on the streets.

The online scene contracted.

But I was still doing ok.

I came back from SF to do a Media Coms course at Lincoln Uni.

Fast forward to 2006 and my site was now doing 30,000 uniques a day.

Not bad for someone who is not an expert in SEO 😉

However, disaster loomed.

I had been deliberately breaking the Google TOS to get traffic, it worked for 6 years but not updating the site with the proper enforcement of the Google TOS meant the site was nuked for traffic from Google. Many sites rank whilst in breach of the Google TOS and a lot of times if you followed the rules you simply didn’t rank.

The site was toast and income stream gone.

Time to pivot.

And so I started Cornwallseo.com to sell services, which quickly pivoted to selling content, links, content marketing training… etc. And local SEO services, a lot of local websites had very bad optimisation as they had been created by a web designer, who typically are more into fonts than they are to improving traffic.

Local SEO was quite easy, (and still is)  it usually takes about 15 mins to assess what was needed, and in that time you can give the advice to increase traffic by 300%+. Implementation can take a little longer but it’s really not that hard to do at the local level.. National and International sites in highly competitive areas, however,  need a different approach, but the basics are the same.

So, does 20 years of building web traffic through optimisation by millions, building optimising hundreds of websites and giving others advice on optimisation, speaking at many SEO conferences, writing about SEO for 10 years on this blog, reading thousands of articles over 20 years regarding online marketing,  make me an SEO expert?

I have no idea.

I would never call myself an SEO expert, but I understand when others do.

Does it mean I shouldn’t be asked to offer a quote to be on a top list?

Maybe, but they keep asking, ironically I got another one a few days ago.

 

Best UK Web Host for WordPress

By

I chose Siteground, as the server company when I want to host a WordPress install in the UK.

  1. They are competitive on price.
  2. Servers based in the UK
  3. Great support, quick, know their stuff and no fuss.
  4. WordPress moves and fresh installs easy peasy.
  5. Servers are fast enough to offer great SEO.

My current server is US based, Dreamhost. Which I am very happy with as have a long relationship, but for UK clients I recommend Siteground.

Getting the right server for your WordPress host is crucial. I have had many in the past, big and small. I remember back in 2003 hosting with a one-man band who never seemed to sleep and would make live server changes at the keyboard whilst I waited on the phone.

He was great, but eventually got bought out. I have found the small operators are usually the best. Avoid the big corporate types who advertise on TV like the plague. The problem with the small but nifty outfits is they tend to get bought out by bigger, slower moving entities. I won’t name names of where this has happened already in enough trouble.

Yes, of course, these are affiliate links, it would be nuts not to add aff links to places I vouch for, plus I need to buy a new pair of socks, the current ones have holes. So if you do make a purchase through these links, thank you all over.

And of course, if you wish to cut me out and let the business keep its commission by Googling the company and going direct. You can do that, but know this. My toes will still be cold.