All Posts By

Josh MacDonald

How to charge $3,000 per guest post

I enjoy getting cold emails. It gives me insight as to how others are making a buck. Today I heard from a “magazine” who charges $3,000. They claim their email newsletter has 95,000 subscribers.

Their traffic is below 1,000 visits a month and their DR is 49, which isn’t all that bad, for $50-250.

Hi Josh,

I am Rachel Nelson with Construction Tech Review Magazine and I am glad to share with you that [company] is shortlisted to feature among the “Top 10 Construction Tech Startups 2023” in our upcoming annual edition on Construction Tech Startups.

[company]’s construction tech solutions will be showcased with a full-page client-centric profile illustrating how your exceptional solutions enhance the construction industry’s efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. You can utilize the reprints of the profile in your selling efforts, which will persuade your prospects to associate with you and convert them into clients. The vast majority of our previous clients have shared that profile reprints have enhanced their prospect-to-client conversion rate.

Along with converting more prospects, [company] will receive lots of business inquiries as this edition will reach out to our 95,000 subscribers comprising Project Managers, Construction Engineers, Contractors and supervisors, Construction Contracts Administrators, and many other senior executives.

Josh, in this edition, we will also have invited thought leadership articles from VCs, Corporate Investors, and Incubators working for the Construction Tech Startup ecosystem.

[company] will receive unlimited print and digital rights of the profile for 3000 USD, which also includes a Certificate of Honor and Recognition Logo. [company]’s profile will be hyperlinked to our website so prospects can directly reach you.

Josh, I would like to connect with you to discuss this recognition and why top companies prefer our reprints.

Regards,
Rachel


And here’s the follow up after I didn’t reply.

Hi Josh,

I am following up on my earlier email about [company]’s feature among the ‘“ Top 10 Construction Tech Startups’. I want to explain how you can make the most out of this recognition by opting for the reprint rights, which gives you extended coverage in this edition.

Our existing clients have benefited from this exposure in the magazine. Most importantly, they have used the profile along with recognition to assist them in their PR and selling efforts, which enhances their exposure in the Industry and also gave them a jump in their prospect conversion rate.

Please inform me of your availability to discuss how you can make the most out of this unique recognition. I look forward to your response.

Regards,
Rachel

Ahrefs vs SEMRush vs Moz vs Majestic

Let’s talk about the biggest SEO crawlers in the space and do a quick comparison.

Ahrefs

  • The largest crawler, meaning the most accurate
  • Minimal bugs
  • Has been the best for a while
  • DR (domain rank) is hard to fake
  • Expensive

SEMRush

  • Been around for a while
  • Used to be mainly for paid analysis and not SEO
  • Recently got much better with SEO
  • Cheaper than Ahrefs and so it wins some attentions
  • Unique audit features when compared to Ahrefs

Moz

  • The smallest crawler
  • The most inaccurate
  • Free and so it wins attention from SEO workers in 3rd countries
  • Metrics regularly inaccurate
  • Domain authority (DA) is easy to spam/fake and so it means nothing
  • Should never be used

Majestic

  • The best topical analysis of all tools
  • Cheaper than Ahrefs but also not free
  • Trust flow (TF) is probably the hardest metric to manipulate/fake
  • Citation flow (CF) is similar to Moz’s DA where it can just be spammed
  • The most unpopular on the list

Popular Types of Anchor Texts

In the world of digital marketing and SEO, understanding the nuances of anchor texts is crucial for enhancing your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines. I actually came across someone recently, who dubbed themselves a “linkbuilding expert” but doesn’t even understand what branded anchors are. He thought they branded anchors were where you used the anchor “branded”. You can’t make this stuff up.

An actual article where an “SEO expert” thought he incorrectly used branded anchors.

If you know me then you know how much this bugs me. I can’t stand someone calling themselves and expert when they’re a beginner at best. Have some humility. I’ve been in SEO since 2009 and my stomach kind of turns when I have to explain my experience in the field to a prospective employer or client. Am I even an expert even though I’ve worked with the largest brands and ranked for extremely competitive keywords repeatedly demonstrating knowledge better than 99% of marketers? Not really. I have a lot to learn.

Let’s explore a few types of anchor texts using the example of a fictional company, “WebPilot Solutions.”

1. Branded Anchor Texts:

Branded anchor texts are a fundamental part of SEO. They use the brand name as the anchor, helping to establish a strong online presence and reinforce brand recognition. For WebPilot Solutions, a branded anchor text might look like this:

“WebPilot Solutions”

2. Exact Match Anchor Texts:

Exact match anchor texts use the exact keyword or phrase you want to rank for as the anchor. For example, if WebPilot Solutions wants to rank for “custom web development,” their anchor text could be:

“custom web development services”

3. Partial Match Anchor Texts:

Partial match anchor texts incorporate a variation of the target keyword. For instance, if WebPilot Solutions provides web design services, a partial match anchor text could be:

“WebPilot Solutions specializes in professional web design”

4. Generic Anchor Texts:

Generic anchor texts are non-specific and don’t contain keywords or brand names. They are often used for natural link-building. An example for WebPilot Solutions could be:

“Click here”

5. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Anchor Texts:

LSI anchor texts use semantically related words or phrases to the target keyword. For WebPilot Solutions offering web development, an LSI anchor text might be:

“Explore our website development expertise”

6. Naked URLs:

Naked URLs are straightforward links to a website’s URL. For WebPilot Solutions, it would be as simple as:

“www.webpilotsolutions.com.”

7. Image Anchor Texts:

Image anchor texts are used when linking images. For example, if WebPilot Solutions showcases their portfolio, the anchor text may not be text but actually an image of the portfolio, hyperlinked to the website.

By strategically incorporating these anchor text types into your website’s content and link-building efforts, you can improve your SEO rankings and provide valuable information to both users and search engines. Remember that a natural and diverse mix of anchor texts is key to a successful SEO strategy.

Why You Should Think Twice Before Registering a Domain with GoDaddy

In the ever-evolving landscape of the internet, securing the perfect domain name for your business or personal project is crucial. However, not all domain registrars are created equal. A recent incident on a popular online forum has brought to light some concerning practices that could affect anyone in the market for a new domain.

An individual recently shared their experience with GoDaddy, a well-known domain registrar. They had found a great domain name, completed the purchase, and even received a confirmation email. However, the domain never appeared in their account. Later, they received an email stating that the domain was not available and had been listed as a “premium domain” for a higher price. Customer support was less than helpful, claiming that “someone else” had purchased the domain just a split second before.

As someone who has been in the internet marketing industry for years, I can tell you that this is not an isolated incident. While GoDaddy is a big name in the domain registration world, they are often criticized for their business practices. For instance, their renewal costs are significantly higher than other registrars.

“Someone else bought it a split second before I did, not GoDaddy but ‘someone,’ and of course they could not tell me who it is due to ‘privacy,'” said the individual. This kind of ambiguity leaves customers in the dark and creates a sense of mistrust.

What You Should Do

  1. Research Before You Buy: Always do your due diligence before purchasing a domain. Look for reviews and compare prices.
  2. Check Availability: Use multiple platforms to check the availability of a domain. Don’t rely solely on one registrar.
  3. Secure Payment: Make sure that the payment process is secure and that you receive a confirmation for your purchase.
  4. Customer Support: Ensure that the registrar has a reliable customer support system in case issues arise.

Securing a domain name is a significant step in establishing your online presence. However, it’s crucial to be cautious about where you make that purchase. While GoDaddy might be a household name, their practices have raised several red flags. Always remember, a little research can go a long way in saving you both time and money.

Would you risk your business or project with a registrar that has a history of such incidents? It’s a question worth pondering.

Hit With Negative Review Bombing? Here’s What Happens Next

Has your company been hit with negative reviews after a viral social media post? I’ve been in ORM (online reputation management) since 2009 and will explain the next steps throughout this post.

Let’s first look at some examples of companies that easily recovered from negative Google reviews.

Example 1

Company: Oh Sweet Day! Bake Shop in East Vancouver

Date review bombed: June 29, 2023

Corrected rating: 4.7 stars

Example 2

Company: Fishing Sushi on Concession St in Hamilton

Date review bombed: August 23, 2023

Corrected rating: 4.7 stars

Example 3

Company: Pete Davidson’s NYC Pebble Bar

Date review bombed: March 16, 2022

Current rating: 4.4

How do I know what reviews qualify to be removed?

The first thing to consider is, are these people real customers? Reviews from non-customers are most likely to be removed, or ghosted meaning the reviewer thinks they are live. The review looks live when logged into a browser with a similar Google account, cookie session or IP address as the originator. However, to new customers, that review is hidden. Ghosting is something most major platforms (Twitter, Reddit, Craigslist, Facebook, etc.) use when suspicious activity is detected.

How does Google know which reviews should be deleted?

This is an easy one. If you live in Utah, and you review a business in Chicago, and Google knows you haven’t been to Chicago in a while then it’s obvious. However, if you’re local, it can be tricky. You need the signal of the review bomb from suspicious accounts to really get the attention of Google.

How does Google address review bombing incidents?

It’s important to mention that a significant number of review bombing attempts are effectively prevented from becoming public due to Google’s advanced AI-based moderation systems. These systems are capable of detecting the distinctive patterns of review bombing and can proactively remove such reviews before they are published.

Furthermore, alongside Google’s machine learning tools, there is a dedicated team of human moderators who assess the reviews flagged by users. This ensures that any content overlooked by the AI can still be appropriately handled.

Google has the capability to eliminate reviews stemming from review bombing campaigns and can also take action against accounts involved in such activities, including suspending their access.

Remember, Google is known for deleting other types of reviews as well, for example on their app store (example 1, 2).

How long does it take to get reviews taken down?

Google doesn’t take immediate action. If reviewers think their voices aren’t being heard, they’ll look to do more damage from their armchair so Google will leave the reviews up for a few weeks until the news dies off and the next viral TikTok directs their attention elsewhere. That’s when Google usually automatically removes reviews.

7 Popular Side Hustles: Diversify Your Income Streams

In an era where financial stability is more elusive than ever, many are turning to side hustles as a way to supplement their income. Whether you’re looking to pay off debt, save for a vacation, or simply add a cushion to your monthly budget, side hustles offer a practical and often rewarding solution. Here are some of the most popular and profitable side hustles you can consider for 2023.

Creative Skills: Unleash Your Inner Artist

If you have a talent for design, photography, or any other creative endeavor, the digital age offers countless opportunities to monetize your skills. Platforms like Etsy and Fiverr serve as excellent marketplaces to showcase your work and connect with clients who are willing to pay for your expertise.

Freelancing: Turn Your Skills into Cash

Freelancing is not just a trend; it’s a viable career option for those who possess marketable skills. Whether you’re into writing, video editing, or web development, freelancing platforms provide a space for you to offer your services and get paid in return. With the right strategy, freelancing can become a significant source of income.

Dropshipping: The Retail Revolution

E-commerce has changed the way we shop, and dropshipping is at the forefront of this revolution. This business model allows you to sell products directly from suppliers to consumers without holding any inventory. With a well-designed website and effective marketing, dropshipping can be a highly lucrative venture.

Flipping Items: Buy Low, Sell High

If you have an eye for value and enjoy the thrill of the hunt, flipping items could be the side hustle for you. Platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are ideal for buying items at a lower cost and selling them for a profit. From vintage furniture to limited-edition sneakers, the opportunities are endless.

Online Courses: Share Your Expertise

If you possess specialized knowledge in a particular field, creating online courses can be both rewarding and profitable. Platforms like Udemy and Coursera make it easy to upload your courses and reach a global audience, providing a passive income stream that can grow over time.

Investing: Make Your Money Work for You

Investing is a long-term game that can pay off handsomely if done correctly. Mutual funds, stocks, and real estate are just a few options to consider. While it may require an initial financial investment, the potential for significant returns makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

Service-Based Businesses: Get Your Hands Dirty

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, service-based businesses offer a practical way to earn extra income. Whether it’s power washing, lawn care, or home repairs, these types of side hustles often require minimal startup costs and can be easily scaled to fit your schedule.

Conclusion

Choosing the right side hustle is a personal decision that depends on your skills, financial goals, and the amount of time you’re willing to invest. The key is to find an opportunity that not only provides financial benefits but also aligns with your interests and long-term objectives. With the right approach, a side hustle can become more than just a way to make ends meet—it can be a fulfilling and profitable venture.

Why I don’t use PayPal

Too often, I’m asked to pay invoices by PayPal. There are a few reasons I discourage vendors to use PayPal. Being in digital marketing since 2009, I try to pass on lessons to those who haven’t been around as long, and this is one of them.

Using PayPal cost me $25 million

You may know the story if you’ve read my book on it or you were in the SEO space back then. It was 2011. I was in my 3rd year of digital marketing. My company was doing over $17,000/month which was a lot of money back then in high school. We were growing aggressively and on track to overcome Market Samurai’s market share, who was then valued at $25 million. PayPal killed all my MMR and froze payments to my contractors who helped build the tool by limiting my account. The full story is quite long.

PayPal makes tax deductions complicated

In digital marketing, a lot of people either don’t live in the West or they aren’t old enough to think about tax simplification. We use tools like Ramp, a multi-billion dollar company who has solved these problems really well.

If I’m spending 5-10x a day, that equates to a lot of receipts at the end of the quarter. Ramp handles all that if I use my credit card.

I’m not the one who is paying

Many times when I’m spending money, it’s not mine. It’s a client’s. PayPal doesn’t like when you have multiple accounts under the same name for different companies. Also logging into any other PayPal account but a personal one is putting your own account at risk.

Some think, just pay with a personal PayPal account. It is a bad idea to take on temporary debt for your clients in case they go bankrupt. Expensing can also take months. Don’t get stuck holding the bag.

It’s never worth it to take calls from Meta’s “marketing pros”

This doesn’t apply to only Meta. Nearly every big ad network has a team of reps and those reps are broken into tiers.

Meta’s for example, is split between those who spend under $250k per 6 months and those who spend over. If you spend over, you get a fantastic rep. They have an extensive background and offer great insight. They might even take you for a nice dinner on Zuck’s tab.

However, if you spend under $250k, you get a “Meta marketing pro”.

These people have been caught lying to get you on the phone. They also ignore your questions, and usually talk over you, without any substance or real answers.

Personally, I’ve been on a handful of these calls earlier in my career but over the past few years have stopped talking them because my experiences have been just like the others I linked above.

A quick way to vet the “pro” is to ask them for their LinkedIn. If they are unable to provide their resume, they’re likely not an ad buying pro. In fact, it’s probably a fake American name with someone overseas who is paid on a per-call basis to get you on the phone and spend more money.

To close this out, I’ll leave you with an email from a Meta Pro who can’t get their [tags] to work.

$40-60 per hour social media positions yield few applicants

Being in digital marketing since I was in high school back in 2009, I’ve hired over 400 people online. Lately, I’ve been tasked with building a social media team. Many of the positions are open to any country, which make it easier to fill positions like video editor or graphics editor. However, some positions require a presence in US or Canada, particularly for reaching local audience on platforms where location of posting matter.

Here are two of my latest job posts on Upwork. The first one includes international applicants which when removed, only brought 2 applicants. The second one brought 5 applicants. 4 from the US and 1 from Canada.

The requirements for this position were fairly straight forward.

  • At least 6 months of experience with Canva
  • Strong understanding of the TikTok platform and its unique features
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
  • Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills
  • Must be based in the United States

There are no education or certifications required to work this position.

It regularly surprises me how few applicants social media positions yield. The narrative I hear is “I need more schooling” but in reality, the only positions with requirements like that are corporate or government positions that have more red tape than productivity. Canva and TikTok are new skills in the 2023 workforce. They’re uncommon, especially because the people who understand it best are not looking for work.

Why Dallas?

As a digital nomad, I get to pick anywhere in the world I want to live. Recently I’ve grew fond of Dallas, Texas and I’ve been asked several times on my reasoning behind Dallas. It’s not as common of a pick as other cities (someone asked me why I didn’t move to Hawaii) but a lot of thought has went into why Dallas. Before I dive into Dallas, I should explain why the US. Being Canadian, I’ve occasionally (not often) been asked why the US?

I decided on America because:

  • Unlimited opportunity. This could be a book of its own but things like the market size play a big factor here. There’s money here and a lot of people with it. Even look at something as simple as shipping. In the US I can ship a book for $3 or so. In Canada, that same book costs $20 to ship. You can see how someone in e-commerce would struggle in Canada.
  • Cost of housing. The average house in Toronto was $1.35 million CAD in April 2022 whereas Zillow pegs the average Chicago home at $320,442 USD. These are two very comparable cities. Dare I say more?
  • Weather. Snow is scenic but it’s also dangerous and makes life difficult for no reason. The salt from the roads ruins cars, shoes – everything.
  • Ease of living. This is kind of tied into weather but America has everything. If something is invented, it comes here first. We don’t wait for it to come to this country. We have it and we had it first. Medicine? Comes here first. Then it comes to Canada about 5 years later.

Those are 4 random points that came to mind about the US. Let’s move onto what I planned to talk about, why Dallas?

I think it’s first important to open our eyes – nowhere is perfect. Every city that you think is awesome, someone is looking to escape. So let’s first look at a complain from someone who hates Dallas.

Why not Dallas

Why even consider Dallas? How is it even on a short list? I’ve been here since 2018 and am trying to relocate ASAP. It sucks balls. It’s flat. There’s barely any nature. It’s too hot. The drivers are assholes and dangerous. There’s a lot of crime. People are not nice. Everyone has a gun and are eager to use it. Did I mention how hot it is? Its a sucky place to live for kids. The mosquitos are insane. Allergies! One of the worst place for allergy sufferers in the country. Super high property tax. There’s a bunch of people waiting for the second coming of JFK Jr – that’s just weird, man.

I think we’ll break this down piece by piece.

It’s flat

Most people don’t live in mountains. Colorado is nice. Lots of people vacation there for that reason but to say a city isn’t nice because it’s not mountainous is wrong. There are plenty of great cities without mountains.

No nature

It’s a city, of course there’s no nature.

It’s hot

This is fair. The heat is bad in the summer. The heat can also be dangeorus like snow.

The drivers are assholes and dangerous

When I think dangerous, I think Chicago drivers. I think driving I-90 north heading into Chicago. People are driving fast, and swerve across manly lanes. In conclusion, you get this in any city. Toronto is notorious for it too. In fact, Toronto is the only place where I’ve seen people pull over and get out of their car because of road rage. It happens in the US too – it happens in cities.

There’s a lot of crime

You can basically just look at stats to understand this. Most major metro areas in the south have a lot of crime.

People are not nice

This is a city thing. People tend to be on edge in cities. Again, visit Chicago or Toronto.

Everyone has a gun

This seems more of a dig to America rather than Dallas.

Mosquitos and allergies

I grew up in a marsh so I can’t really say this bothers me but I guess it would bother some. This is definitely a first-world problem.

High property tax

The idea here is that since there’s no state income tax, it levels out, and it does.

Weird people

People are weird, but checkout Florida.

Why Dallas

In no order, this is kind of how I thought about choosing my next city.

Weather

I enjoy the sunshine. I don’t like getting pale in the winter and hibernating. The idea of waiting until summer to do an activity is not something I’m fond of and where I’m from, summer is 3 months and hibernation is close to 8. The thought of having two garden seasons per year? Awesome.

So split the country in half. Let’s look at the sunny portion. Anywhere that’s red, orange or yellow is good. I’ll stay away from the blue and purple.

Entertainment

Now I’m not someone who likes to go out a lot but I like having the option. I don’t like waiting for events. I want to have the option of going to an event every night of the week if I wanted. I want something for my guests to go do if they’re in town visiting, and being from Canada, I’m expecting a lot of visitors and I expect them to stay at my house. I work long hours, so it’s nice if there’s a big city with things to do.

I also like the idea of friends passing through the city for events. Being a digital nomad, my friends are spread out. If I plop myself in Dallas, there’s a high chance they’ll see me rather than 90% of other places in the US.

Sports are also a huge part of entertainment. I like hockey, but I’m sick of cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs because I just can’t afford going to games that often. Tickets are often 10x the price. Not to mention, Canada doesn’t have football like the US. I’m really looking forward to Cowboys games.

Now we’re able to get down to a list of cities which is something we can work with. Working left to right, I can explain why I didn’t choose other cities, because realistically, that’s how my thought process was for much of it. It was a process of elimination.

Cost of living

Looking at the 3 California cities, COL comes to mind. California has beautiful weather but the costs of living are very high. I lived in San Diego a few years ago and I’ll never forget whenever I drove to Vegas for a weekend, I would try to get pass the state line to Nevada because gas prices would drop $1 per gallon. California is a big economy but it is losing some of it’s talent. It’ll be strong for years to come but it just doesn’t make sense. Maybe if their economy crashes I’d reconsider going there because the weather there is unbeatable.

Scenery/livability

Phoenix is really hot, but as they say, “it’s a dry heat.” However, it’s a desert. It’s a different lifestyle than what I’m used to growing up. There’s no grass. People don’t go outside midday. It would be kind of culture shock to me so I would have to live there a bit before diving into any consideration of long term.

Family and lifestyle

Las Vegas has a lot. Actually, it has everything. It’s an incredible city but it’s just not ideal for a family. Not that a family is on the horizon (it’s not) but it doesn’t really make sense to me to park myself in the biggest party city in the country at this point in my life. Besides, Vegas flights are incredibly cheap if I decide to go.

Miami is also a big party city, which is why I decided against it as well.

Cities where families live also have more stability in home prices. Vegas is too reliant on tourism. During the pandemic, the city was very quiet.

Population

I like places with population because population breeds opportunity but it also breeds things to do. Carbone has 5 locations – New York, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas and Hong Kong. Those are big cities.

Population has things like auctions. There are stores. There’s a booming used market on places like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. You don’t have to buy a brand new – well, anything – because someone’s selling it in these cities.

This in turn is why I chose to not go to North Carolina. There’s just not enough going on there. This would make sense if I was about 40 and less motivated.

This leaves us with Dallas, Nashville and Tampa, which were basically my top picks. My other top picks are:

  • Charleston. Amazing but just not enough going on. Atlanta and Jacksonville are each 4-5 hours away.
  • Austin. Similar to Charleston, not enough going on but at least Dallas is a reasonable drive.
  • Pheonix, specifically Scottsdale. It’s a nice spot but I chose to remain on this half of the country because family.
  • Denver. Colorado is awesome, but I think I’d be mad at myself if I moved somewhere with snow.