Marketing

Company History  Nike, Inc., founded on January 25, 1964, by University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and his former student Phil Knight, began as Blue Ribbon Sports. It officially became Nike, Inc., in 1971, named after the Greek goddess of victory.  The company revolutionized athletic footwear with innovations like the Waffle sole, invented by Bowerman, and air cushioning technology. Nike’s iconic Swoosh logo, designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971, and its “Just Do It” slogan, introduced in 1988, have solidified its position as a global leader in sports apparel and equipment. Today, Nike continues to influence athletic performance and fashion worldwide. Nike and Air Jordan Collaboration That Made Them Billion-Dollar Brands  The collaboration between Nike and Michael Jordan has set the highest standards of endorsements for the world of sports as well as advertising. This collaboration wasn’t just a business transaction; it had deeper roots in aspirations, ambitions, and branding. Moreover, it was the outcome of a human’s eagerness for greatness. This article explores the psychology behind the partnership. Also, it will examine the influence it has on the realms of marketing, creating popular culture, and sports.  A meeting between the greatest Michael Jordan and Nike in 1984 marked the beginning of a legendary partnership.  Jordan was initially hesitant to sign with Nike as he preferred Adidas. Michael was persuaded by Nike for a 5-year shoe deal amounting to $2.5 million during his rookie year.  They recognized his talents in the world of basketball and were set on giving him his brand. In 1985, designed by Peter Moore, the Air Jordan 1 redefined footwear for basketball with its unique and vibrant colors, iconic logo, and high-top design.  The Michael Jordan brand: an unrivaled powerhouse  Michael’s rocketing rise in basketball with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s signaled the break of a phenomenon that surpassed the sport itself.  Jordan transformed into a global icon with exceptional skills and steady competitiveness, conquering the hearts and minds of millions. Not only basketball, Jordan showed excellence, determination, and relentless pursuit of success—qualities all humans aspire to incorporate in their daily lives. All humans are naturally drawn toward inspirational figures who give a perfect example of the qualities they all aspire to. Jordan was highly dedicated and resilient, and he showed a hunger for success. Nike recognized this and used Jordan’s image to craft a brand revolving around him.  Nike offered much more than just a shoe; it offered customers a slice of his persona. This enabled the people to feel a lot closer to their hero. At the same time, people felt a lot closer and more connected to the product Jordan endorsed. Triggering desire: the scarcity principle  Nike found the perfect psychological tactic that played a crucial role in strengthening Jordan’s brand. They used this to release only limited-edition Jordan sneakers. The strategy created a sense of exclusivity and urgency around their product. This tactic capitalizes on the human tendency to have something that others can’t easily acquire. People are waiting in lines for hours, even days. This only raised the brand’s mystique. The concept of FOMO (ffear of missing out) comes into play here; psychologically, when a person perceives a highly scarce product, they are much more likely to purchase it, even if this was not on their purchase list in the first place.  The nostalgia factor and the brand loyalty  Most of the consumers who bought their first pair in the 1990s have stayed loyal to date. This loyalty was deeply rooted in emotional connections and adored memories with the brand during its initial years.  Nostalgia is a powerful tool. Having positive memories of the brand from the past will create a tendency to relive those moments. This will rekindle the emotions associated with those years and strengthen loyalty to the brand.  conclusion  The psychology that shows the marketing partnership between these two giants is deeply rooted in the reality of human emotion and aspirations. The partnership brought out the aspirations and personal connections of a brand that has passed generational barriers. While Michael Jordan’s image represents the greatness he achieved in basketball, it also symbolizes a person’s thrust toward greatness in all aspects of life. (Nike connections with Jordan shaped the realms of sports, marketing, and culture.) This partnership shows how effective marketing can leave an ineradicable mark on the world. Nike’s Social Media Marketing Strategy  You can find Nike almost everywhere on social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It is so because Nike has about 300 social profiles. Nike’s social media strategy is the most successful story.  Why is their strategy so successful, and what are the reasons behind it? Nike is much more than just a sportswear brand. A brand that impacts its consumers’s everyday lives by encouraging a healthy life and encouraging people to be physically active.  Nike not only promotes their product, but it also motivates everyone to be active. Their way of running social media seems very interesting; let us find out if it is effective or not. conclusion from Nike’s strategy: 1. Nike uses different social media profiles for different sports and multiple social media platforms. Such as Nike football, Nike run club, Nike swim, Nike yoga, and many more.  2. Nike not only promotes the product, but at the same time, they post their brand as a healthy lifestyle motivator.  3. A few of the main elements they used were emotional storytelling and simple and powerful slogans. Nike presents news as well as empowers their target audience.  4. Nike’s campaign aims to stop discrimination, racism, or hate.  5. All their content is wise and eye-catching, and they also post limited things on these platforms.  6. Nike has three YouTube channels: Nike, Nike Skateboarding, and Nike Football.  7. Nike uses a lot of big names for sponsorships. Big names make great profits. They have people such as LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, and many more. The latest post by Ronaldo gained about 2.5 million likes and had hashtags such … Read more

Looking to embark on your freelancing journey in India? We’ve got you covered! In this concise guide, we’ll introduce you to the top 15 freelancing sites in the country. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these platforms offer diverse opportunities to match your skills and career aspirations. Let’s dive in and discover the perfect platform to kickstart your freelance career! 1. Upwork  When speaking about the best freelancing site in India, Upwork has to be at the top of this list. With millions of jobs posted across a wide range of categories like web development, SEO, marketing, designing, content and copywriting, bookkeeping, and a lot more, Upwork is the best of all. Whether you are looking for your next freelancing gig in India or you want to hire a freelancer for your upcoming project, Upwork should be your go-to choice. The site gives 100% autonomy to freelancers while applying or bidding for any project. As a freelancer, you can create your profile on Upwork and upload your portfolio, resume, and previous work to make your profile look lucrative for clients. Once your profile stands out from others, you can surely start getting loads of work.  Speaking about the data security and privacy policy, Upwork follows cutting-edge technology and security guidelines to offer both freelancers and clients a secure, reliable, and compliant talent marketplace for all.  A. Upwork has a desktop app as well that will allow you to directly launch the website without using any browser. This will save you time and effort. Plus, you can also use the mobile app on an iOS or Android device and start your freelancing in India right from your cell phone.  B. You can become a part of the Upwork community, which works as a forum, and meet like-minded people for networking or to ask your doubts and queries of others. C. The best part of Upwork is their support system. They have multiple support systems that allow you to get your issue resolved as quickly as possible. You can send them an email, raise a ticket, or chat with the live customer support agent.  So, what are you waiting for? With so many perks and add-ons, Upwork is surely the top freelancing site in India.  2. Fiverr Next to Upwork, Fiverr is yet another top-rated freelancing website in India for writers, SEO experts, developers, and marketers who are looking for freelancing gigs in India. Fiverr has jobs listed in 700 different categories, like graphics design, digital marketing, writing, video and animation, logo making, data, programming, business, lifestyle, photography, and a lot more.  The best thing I love about Fivver is their Fiver Pro marketplace, which connects the best brands and businesses to top-rated freelancers. This is a great opportunity for freelancers in India to work with some of the most influential brands in the world. The Fiverr Pro freelancers are handpicked from more categories like tech, design, writing, digital marketing, and more. Once you get a pro badge on your profile, it signifies your vetted status on Fiverr.  A. Clients can expect a higher level of expertise and professionalism from Pros due to the rigorous vetting process they undergo. B. Fiverr Pros receive additional support from the Fiverr team, ensuring smooth communication and project management. C. Pros can create custom offers tailored to the specific needs of clients, allowing for more personalized and specialized services. D. Fiverr Pros are often featured prominently on the platform, making it easier for clients to discover and hire them. 3. Freelancer As the name says it all, Freelancer is yet another top-rated freelancing marketplace in India that has connected 72,726,315 employers and freelancers globally from 200+ countries, regions, and territories. On Freelancer, employers and job seekers can hunt for work related to software development, writing, data entry, design, marketing, accounting, legal services, and a lot more. The best thing about freelancers is that job seekers can hunt for new roles and freelance gigs based on their skill, language, featured post, or contest. On Freelancer, the clients get endless opportunities to get any work done the way they want it done. From one small task to large-scale multiple projects, clients can find freelancers and agencies and pay a fixed price or an hourly rate. For freelancers, they can hunt for gigs all across the globe, create and optimize their freelancing profile, showcase their previous work, upload their professional certificates and degrees, and decide their work rate by hour or per project basis.  A. Freelancer gives multiple tools to clients as well as freelancers to work more efficiently. Features like file sharing, chat in real-time, and mobile applications make collaboration between freelancers and clients a breeze. B. On Freelancer, both clients and freelancers get 24*7 support via chat. You can also email the support team or directly call international numbers to get your query resolved. C. Freelancers also have preferred freelancing programs by which freelancers get access to high-value projects and premium enterprise clients. As a freelancer, you will have exclusive access to high-value projects and enjoy a preferential fee payment plan. 4. People per hour If you are a freelancer in India and looking for clients across Europe, then People Per Hour is the top freelance site in India. It was started in 2007 with the aim of connecting clients and freelancers and empowering people to live their work dreams. Since then, they have been the longest-running freelancing site in the UK and Europe. They have paid over $100 to their freelancer community and solved over 1 million business problems globally.  You can complete online application to join People Per Hour. Your application will be reviewed and approved by their team, which is to ensure the platform only has a best talent available to clients globally.  A. PeoplePerHour hosts a wide range of skilled freelancers across different industries and professions. Whether you need graphic design, writing, programming, marketing, or any other service, you can find professionals with the expertise you require. B. As … Read more

Are you looking to buy backlinks from the best companies and agencies for link-building in SEO? Do you need help with your Google rankings and link-building efforts? If yes, then keep reading this blog post and get to know some of the best link-building companies in the world. Why backlinks are important in SEO Link building is surely one of the most important SEO activities that has a 90% impact on your overall SEO rankings, along with quality content. If you can master both of these two SEO activities, then nobody can stop you from getting your website on top of Google. However, most people struggle with link-building. They either build links from poor-quality sites or they don’t understand the process of link building or how to approach it.  This is where the link-building companies come into the picture.  Link-building agencies and companies have resources, teams, experience, and most importantly, data about the websites from several niches where they can place your link. They can help you get the link from top-quality sites, depending on your niche, metrics, and requirements.  When you start getting links from several authoritative websites, Google will give credit to your website in terms of SERP rankings, and you might soon see a spike in your organic traffic. Another reason why backlinks are important is because they help you increase the overall authority of your site. And once your site has built a significant amount of authority, you can rank it quickly compared to your competitors’ websites by churning out content more regularly.  Should you buy backlinks? Buying backlinks is still considered to be against Google’s’ guidelines. Google still prohibits any kind of link building, link exchange, or buying of backlinks. However, if you buy backlinks from high-quality websites and make them look natural in the eyes of Google, then there is nothing wrong with them.  Most webmasters buy backlinks or outsource their off-page tasks to companies that specialize in link-building activities.  While buying backlinks, make sure that you don’t buy cheap backlinks from PBN sites or general blogging sites. I would also recommend you avoid silly Fiverr gigs on off-page SEO, as they won’t add any value to your off-page activity. I have been there, bought many cheap backlinks on Fiverr, and got my website spammed.  While buying backlinks, make sure that you buy links from real business websites, service websites, or SaaS sites with good DR and organic traffic.  Following are the metrics that you should look into a website while buying backlinks.  1. The DR of a website should be 70+. 2. It should be a SaaS, service, or business website with a blog. 3. The website should have 1K organic traffic at least. 4. The traffic on the websites should be constant or in an increasing state. 5. The traffic on a website should be in a falling pattern. Best Link Building Companies in the UK, USA, India, and More Now that you know what backlinks are important and whether you should buy backlinks or not, Let us now explore some of the best link-building companies in the UK, USA, India, and many other countries.  1. Digital Olympus When speaking about the best link-building companies, Digital Olympus has to be at the top of my list. They are best known for their relationship-based link-building services, where they place links to their clients’s websites on blogs or online sites that represent legit brands or businesses. If they do not have a niche-specific website, they initiate a custom outreach plan to reach the webmaster who runs a similar niche site as your business. This strategy helps them place your link on a relevant business site.  The best thing about working with Digital Olympus is their transparency and reporting system. At the end of the month, they will send you a detailed link building report, which will include details like the number of links made live, anchor text, landing page, DR and traffic of a website, domain name, niche, and a lot more. They also track all their links that are built, so you can have a guarantee that your link is not getting removed later or labeled as a no-follow tag. Founder: Alexandra Tachalova Why should you hire them? They follow a five-step process for link building that starts with backlink profile analysis, drafting a link plan, outlining requirements, creating a link schedule, and monitoring the link performance.  Pricing plans Their pricing plan for link-building services is quite affordable as compared to other companies. They have multiple plans depending on your business, budget, the number of links required, and the metrics of the website from which you want to get your links.  Other services Apart from link building, they don’t offer any other services. They only focus on link-building services.  2. Dofollow The next top-rated link-building agency is Dofollow.io, which is a team of experienced link-building specialists, outreach experts, content managers, and HARO managers to help you build the best links. Though they offer niche-specific links, their main focus lies in SaaS link building, which is the highest in the market right now.  Dofollow.io believes the old and traditional methods of link building are over. That’s why they focus on acquiring quality links from real business websites with DR50+ and handsome organic traffic. Such links are more than enough to outsmart Google’s algorithm.  Doffolow.io works on the six core principles of transparency, link quality, communication, bespokeness, fairness, and ownership, which sets them apart from other link-building companies in the world. This also helps them deliver good results to their clients within a timeline of 4–12 months.  Founders: Eric Carrell and Sebastian Schäffer Why should you hire them? Dofollow works with complete honesty, transparency, and dedication. They have worked with some of the best and biggest SaaS companies and brands in the world, and they’ll surely help you scale the organic traffic on your site by taking your off-page activities to the next level. Pricing plans Their basic pricing plan starts at $1000 per … Read more

Introduction With millions of online businesses and stores, the UK has become the hot spot for many young entrepreneurs who want to kick-start their online businesses in the UK. However, the success of any online business heavily depends on its online marketing efforts. And when speaking about online marketing, SEO is the first thing that comes to mind. SEO services are selling like hotcakes in the UK. From agencies to freelancers, everyone is selling SEO services in the UK. So, if you are wondering what the cost of SEO is in the UK, then you have come to the right spot. In this blog post, I will walk you through a brief explanation of SEO costs in the UK and how you can opt for the best services for your business, online store, or blog to open the floodgates of organic traffic. Here are a few highlights of this blog. What is SEO? Cost of Different Types of SEO in the UK Factors determining the cost of SEO in the UK How do I check for the cost of SEO in the UK? Freelancing vs. Agency SEO Costs in the UK Cheap vs. expensive SEO in the UK Best SEO Packages in the UK Why is SEO important in the UK? What is SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is the process of improving the ranking and positioning of a website on Google’s organic listings, which will help the website get more traffic, customers, conversions, and sales. The Google search engine result page is divided into three different parts. Paid ads, local listings, and organic listings. Paid ads are something that you pay a certain amount to Google in order to show your website at the top. Once your budget is utilized, your rankings and traffic will be gone. Local listings are nothing but Google My Business profiles, which are created by local businesses and optimized to appear on local listings for location-specific keywords. These results appear below the paid ads and drive maximum traffic to the business website. To appear on a local listing, you need to register your business on Google My Business. Last, you will find the SEO or organic results below the local listings. These results are the best, highly convertible, and stay on top of Google for a longer duration, driving maximum success and growth for any business. In order to appear on an organic listing, you need to do SEO on your website. Cost of Different Types of SEO in the UK Cost of On-Page SEO in the UK On-page SEO refers to all the on-site activities done in order to optimize the structure of a website. The cost of on-page SEO in the UK might be anywhere between $500 and $1000 per month, depending on the number of pages to be optimized. If it is a small website with limited pages, then the cost for a startup will be around $500 per month and not more than that. On-page activities generally include optimization of URLs, title tags, meta descriptions, heading tags, image alternative tags, the content of the website, and overall navigation and structure for better SEO. Generally, agencies do cost more for on-page SEO in the UK as compared to freelancers. A freelancer might cost as little as $100, while the agency charges for on-page SEO in the UK might be around $500 to $100. Cost of Off-Page SEO in the UK Off-page SEO is one of my favorite parts of SEO and is also the most important ranking factor on Google. It generally involves high-quality link-building from different domains and IPs. Since it has a major role to play in SEO, the cost of off-page SEO in the UK is on the higher side. It typically ranges from $3000 per month to $10,000 per month. The cost might also go high if someone wants to build links from high-quality SaaS sites with good metrics. I made $1000 by offering off-page SEO and link-building services to clients globally. Speaking about freelancers and agencies, freelancers are on the cheaper side, and they might charge you $1000 for off-page activities per month. While some reputed link-building agencies in the UK might charge you up to $100,000 per month depending on the scale of your project, budget, and links required, Overall, off-page SEO is a must, and you can’t ignore it. Also, make sure to avoid fiver gigs and cheap links for off-page activities. Such links are mostly PBN links, and they won’t add much value to your SEO process. Focus on high-quality links from SaaS, service, or real business websites. Cost of Local SEO in the UK Local SEO is the most affordable type of SEO in the UK. It will cost you anywhere between $100 and $500 at most. It does not require much work. You just need to create your Google Business Profile and optimize it to get it ranked on Google Maps. Generally, local SEO services in the UK can range from a few hundred pounds per month for small businesses with basic needs to several thousand pounds per month for larger businesses or those in highly competitive industries. Some SEO agencies may also offer one-time SEO audits or consulting services at a fixed cost. It’s important to note that the cost of local SEO is an investment, and the return on investment (ROI) can vary based on the effectiveness of the services provided. It’s recommended to thoroughly research and evaluate different SEO providers, their track record, and the specific services included in their packages before making a decision. Additionally, keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process, and results may take time to manifest. Be wary of services that promise quick, guaranteed results, as SEO is a dynamic and evolving field that requires a strategic, long-term approach. Cost of Technical SEO in the UK The cost of technical SEO in the UK starts at $400 and goes up to $1000, depending on the size of the … Read more

1. A2 hosting Founded in 2001 by Bryan Muthing, A2 Hosting is yet another top-rated hosting provider in the UK that is known for its green policies by reducing the CO2 emissions from its hosting server. Besides, their green policies A2 Hosting is also one of the first hosting companies in the UK to switch from HDD drives to SSD drives, which are more energy-efficient and fast. Their game-changing feature is Cloudflare’s CDN, which comes with all their shared hosting plans at no cost. The configuration of CDN can be done by you, or you can contact their support team, and they’ll do it for you in no time. A2 Hosting also guarantees fast page loading times for sites hosted on their SwiftServer platform, which makes the site fine-tuned, high in performance, and improves the site loading time up to 20 times more than other hosting services in the UK. Talking of their uptime, A2 Hosting guarantees 99.9% uptime, and they put in their hard work to meet this promise by following industry best practices like using top-notch servers, the best data centers, and regularly checking their infrastructure. Speed Pricing All their hosting plans come at an affordable rate, which sets them apart from their competitors. Plus, they give a risk-free money-back guarantee on each of their plans. If you are not satisfied with their performance, you can get a refund. Trustpilot review Pros Cons 2. Hostinger When speaking of the best hosting company in the UK, Hostinger has to be at the top of this list. Since entering the hosting space in 2004, Hostinger has emerged as a major player in the hosting world. Besides top-rated speed, website security, and multiple servers across the globe, Hostinger is known for its budget-friendly hosting plans, which sets them apart from other hosting companies in the UK. Their technical support staff is also top-notch, with every agent being professional and having the utmost knowledge about websites and hosting. They offer 24*7 customer support via chat on their website. You can directly chat with the support agent and get all your hosting or website-related issues resolved on time. They also have in-depth video tutorials on their site and comprehensive guides to help you get started with your first website. These tutorials are really helpful for beginners and newbie website owners. Another cool part about hosting is that they offer free domain names for a year. Yes, you read it right. You don’t have to purchase a domain name or an SSL certificate separately if you buy a hosting plan with Hostinger UK. Speaking about the speed of Hostinger, I have personally hosted two of the sites with them and never had any server or slow-loading issues with them. Mobile speed Desktop speed The speed and performance of my website hosted on Hostinger are top-notch. I have not yet fully optimized my website, but it still performs well. That’s because Hostinger leverages LiteSpeed technology and provides advanced cache solutions to load your website much faster. They also have a CDN, which will boost the speed of your site. Speed: AS ABOVE Pricing Trustpilot review Pros: Cons: 3. HostSailor   HostSailor.com is a leading provider of premium web hosting solutions, offering a wide range of services tailored to meet the evolving needs of individuals, startups, and enterprises. With more than a decade in the industry and hundreds of satisfied customers worldwide, HostSailor has built a solid reputation for reliability, performance, and outstanding customer service. We specialize in Virtual Private Servers (VPS), dedicated servers, shared hosting, domain registration, and SSL certificates. Our infrastructure is powered by cutting-edge technology and hosted in world-class data centers in the Netherlands and Romania, ensuring exceptional uptime, high-speed performance, and strong data security. At HostSailor, we understand that every client’s needs are unique. That’s why we offer flexible, customizable solutions with competitive pricing, making it easy to scale as your business grows. Our experienced technical support team is available 24/7 to provide expert assistance whenever you need it. What sets HostSailor apart is our unwavering commitment to transparency, affordability, and technical excellence. Whether you’re launching your first website or managing enterprise-level systems, we provide the tools and support to help you succeed online. Join hundreds of businesses that trust HostSailor as their dependable hosting partner and power your digital journey with confidence. PROS: Affordable Pricing: Offers competitive prices, especially for VPS and dedicated servers, making it a cost-effective choice. Variety of Services: From shared hosting to dedicated servers and domain registration, HostSailor provides a full range of hosting services under one roof. 24/7 Technical Support: Their support team is available around the clock, offering assistance via ticketing, email, and live chat. Fast Setup Times: VPS and shared hosting accounts are often provisioned quickly, allowing customers to get started without delay. Wide Range of OS Options:  Supports multiple Linux distributions and Windows OS choices for VPS and dedicated servers, giving users flexibility in their environment setup. Cons: Fewer Beginner Resources: The platform is more tailored to technically savvy users, which may pose a learning curve for complete beginners. Strict Refund Policy: HostSailor has a more rigid refund policy compared to some larger hosts with generous money-back guarantees. Pricing Plans: Shared Hosting PlansHostSailor offers SSD-based shared hosting plans with cPanel, DDoS protection: Perseus SSD starts at $2.45/mo. Zigra SSD  starts at $4.45/mo. Kraken SSD starts at $6.95/mo Osiris SSD  starts at $9.45/mo  VPS Hosting Plans HostSailor provides various VPS hosting option: NVMe KVM VPS Starts at $4.99/mo. SSD KVM VPS Starts at $2.99/mo. HDD Storage VPS Starts at $1.95/m0.  Features include instant setup, IPv4 & IPv6 support, DDoS protection, and monthly backup. Dedicated Server Plan HostSailor offers dedicated servers in various configurations: HP Servers: Starts at $107.94/mo. RO Servers: Starts at $71.99/mo. Netherlands Fujitsu Servers: Starts at $75.85/mo. For more details or to explore specific configurations, visit HostSailor’s official website: https://hostsailor.com 4. 20i Whether you are looking for WordPress hosting in the UK, eCommerce hosting, cloud hosting, or simple shared hosting, 20i … Read more

Introduction If you have been in search engine optimization for a while now, you must have heard about the term backlinks. Every SEO expert is aware of this term, either positively or negatively, as backlinks have a direct impact on the website’s ranking and overall organic traffic. However, most SEO experts, bloggers, and webmasters struggle to build awesome backlinks to their websites. So in today’s blog post, I am going to talk about how to build backlinks by sharing my examples and case studies that will help you create some awesome backlinks in 2024. All the link-building strategies and techniques mentioned in the blog post are proven and work like a charm. By using them, you can surely make 20–30 high-quality links per month to your site. What are backlinks in SEO? Backlinks are nothing but basic hyperlinks that point from one website to another website and help the user navigate to another webpage or website to find more information on the web. Whenever we read any blog post or information on the internet, we come across various texts that are highlighted in blue. These texts are supported by backlinks. When you click on these texts, you’ll land on another web page or website. The best example of backlinks is when we read a Wikipedia page about anything. All the texts that are highlighted in blue can be called backlinks. Why are backlinks so important? From SEO’s point of view, backlinks are the number one ranking factor on Google. Many SEO experts might say that backlinks are not relevant or important to rank on Google. However, this happens in the rarest of cases when the competition to rank for certain keywords is less and your content is top-notch. In the general case, backlinks are an important ranking factor, and they will help you rank your website, content, or web page at the top of Google’s organic listings. In the year 2019, Rand Fishkin, a top-rated SEO expert and founder and former CEO of Moz, conducted a survey of over 1500 SEO professionals to share their opinions on various Google ranking factors. Most of the experts who took the survey suggested that backlinks are an important ranking factor on Google. This survey was done in the year 2019, however, it still has some weight in the current ranking factors of Google. Besides increasing the website’s ranking, backlinks help to build authority, increase organic traffic, and also help to get referral traffic on the website. Two different types of backlinks? Although there are many different types of backlinks in SEO, to keep this blog post relevant, we will be talking about only two major types of backlinks, which are no-follow and do-follow backlinks. No-follow links are the ones that do not add any value to the SEO efforts. In short, they do not have a direct impact on increasing the website’s overall traffic and organic rankings. However, they can help you get a significant amount of referral traffic on your site and increase the branding of your site. On the other hand, do-follow links are the most important type of links that act as a vote of confidence in the eyes of Google. A higher number of do-follow links pointing to a website means better rankings and organic traffic. With do-follow links, you can increase the traffic, rankings, domain authority, and overall growth of the website. 7 linkbuilding strategies that work like a charm [With Examples] 1. Slack channels When speaking about the best link-building techniques and strategies, Slack channels will always be at the top of my list. I came to know about SEO slack channels in the year 2023 when one of my SEO colleagues told me about their existence. Prior to that, I used to do manual outreach and keep begging for the links. There are many SEO Slack channels that were created to help you scale up your link-building efforts. On these channels, you can find link exchange offers, paid link offers, ABC link exchange offers, and so much more. These channels have 2000+, or in some cases, 10,000+, members who are actively seeking a link collaboration. Here’s how the SEO Slack channel looks alike. On the left-hand side, you can see the different subchannels for backlink exchange, paid links, guest posts, traffic boosts, and also for some random stuff. People keep sending their list of sites that they have control over and asking for what sites they have in exchange. You can reach out to the people or DM them with the websites that you have in your pocket. 2. Facebook groups The next technique that I used to build backlinks was by joining Facebook groups. Yes, Facebook is a social media platform, but if you leverage it professionally, then you can surely take your link-building efforts to the next level. I have personally built around 20–30 backlinks per month from Facebook groups by reaching out to people. You have to head over to the group section on Facebook and search for the term link exchange. Now, you will see endless communities and groups created by SEO professionals and bloggers. You can join these groups and start posting if you are interested in link exchange or guest post exchange. You can also comment on others’ posts and ask them to DM you for a backlink collaboration. Besides, you can also personally reach out to the group members and directly DM them for a link collaboration request. 3. LinkedIn Outreach The next link-building technique is LinkedIn outreach, which is similar to Facebook outreach with the only difference of having a higher conversion rate because LinkedIn is a professional platform. On LinkedIn, you can hunt for people who are into link building, off-page SEO, outreach, and related work. Here’s how you can approach link building via LinkedIn. First, you have to type link builder in the LinkedIn search bar. Once you do that, you will get a list of people who are working as link builders for the … Read more

Digital India and the growth of smartphone usage have changed the face of education in India. Today, most people in India prefer online education and learning, which has significantly given rise to online learning portals and websites in India. And in the post-pandemic period, the number of online learning websites in India has grown to the next level. The online learning market in India offers a variety of apps, platforms, and websites for students, professionals, individuals, and everyone else to learn, enroll in courses, get a professional degree from a foreign university, and upskill their knowledge. So, if you are someone who is looking for online learning sites or apps in India, then this blog post has got your back covered. In this post, I have discussed the 18 best online websites in India for learning and education purposes. So, keep sticking around and reading this blog post till the end. 1. Udemy When speaking about the best online learning websites in India, Udemy has to be at the top of my list without fail. Currently, 23 million users use this platform for online learning. There are more than 200,000 courses available on Udemy from 75,000 online instructors in nearly 75 languages, making it the biggest online learning portal in India. The company was started in 2010 by Eren Bali, Gagan Biyani, and Oktay Çağlar. At Udemy, you will find online courses in India at very affordable rates. From digital marketing to coding, from social media marketing to fitness, and everything in between, this portal has courses from a diverse range of industries and fields. I have personally enrolled in many SEO courses from Udemey, and they are definitely better than many full-time online courses. Pricing for courses The course pricing at Udemy starts at Rs 300 and might go up to Rs 3000. This proves that Udemy is the cheapest online learning website in India to watch out for. So, if you are running tight on budget, then Udemy should be your go-to place. What courses are available? At Udemy, you’ll find courses related to digital marketing, science and technology, coding, programming, health and fitness, blogging, psychology, finance, stock market and trading, and a lot more. Why should you choose it? There are more than 200,000 courses available on Udemy from experts in their own particular fields. Some of the courses are also available for free, and some are paid for a nominal amount. Also, there are many certification courses that might also help you excel in your professional career. Pros Cons  2. Upgrad Next to Udemy, Upgrad is a top-rated online learning website in India. It was founded in 2015 by Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Ravijot Chugh, and Phalgun Kompalli with the aim of helping the learners achieve their desired outcomes. At Upgrad, you will find courses related to data science, management, and MBA. They offer both degrees as well as certification courses. Each of their courses is designed by industry experts in collaboration with the top-class universities in the world. You can also do an MBA from abroad at Upgrad and fulfill your dream of learning from a foreign institute in India. They have courses listed from universities like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and a lot more. Although they have listed loads of courses, they excel in data science and data analytics courses and programs, which the majority of individuals enroll in. Millions of users have found their data scene course worth giving a shot, and many have excelled in their careers with salary hikes and promotions. Pricing for courses Upgrad is providing quality education. This means the price of the courses at Upgrad would be high as compared to other online learning apps in India. A full-time MBA course from Upgrad would cost you anywhere between 10 and 15 lakhs, while a certification course would cost you between Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 or above. What courses are available? MBA, data science, management, law, finance, PHD courses, digital marketing courses, and a lot more are available at Upgrad. They have a combination of degree as well as certificate courses. Why should you choose it? There are multiple reasons why you should choose Upgrad over other online learning portals in India. First, Upgrad will give you degree courses, which means you will have an original degree from a foreign university after successfully completing it. You will be getting 100% placement assistance, interview prep, resume-building tools, and networking opportunities with alumni to help you find your dream job. Pros Cons 3. Skillshare Skillshare is yet another online learning website in India, similar to Udemy. You will find both free and paid long- and short-term courses on Skillshare, specifically in the domains of design, creativity, art, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, marketing, and technology. The courses are in the form of pre-recorded video lectures from experts in a particular field. You can either enroll in a single course by paying the course fee or become a Skillshare member by paying an annual fee, which will allow you to enroll in any course and watch it when and where you want and get additional features such as offline viewing, access to the community, and a lot more. Apart from learning from courses and upgrading your knowledge, you can also start teaching Skillshare by creating your own course and helping others learn new skills and expand their knowledge. Moreover, you can also earn passive income whenever someone enrolls in your course. Pricing for courses Skillshare is an affordable online learning website in India, just like Udemy. You can find courses on Skillshare starting at Rs 1000 and going up to Rs 5000 or more, depending on the course duration, trainer experience, and expertise. Overall, this portal is affordable for all. What courses are available? Skillshare has thousands of courses ranging from graphic design to cooking,  marketing, SEO, social media, web development, UI/UX design, and entrepreneurship. If it’s something creative, you can learn it on Skillshare. Why should you choose it? You don’t need to … Read more

Introduction  Do you want to know what Upgrad is? Are you confused about the business model of Upgrad? If yes, then you have landed in the right place. Upgrad is a top-rated educational company in India. However, still, people, students, and individuals are unaware of what upgrading is. With that in mind, I have curated this blog post that will help you learn everything about Upgrad, its courses, the founder of Upgrad, placement, mission, and vision. So without further ado, let’s get started with this blog post. Founder of Upgrad? First things first, let us learn about the founders of Upgrad. There are three founders of Upgrad, namely: 1. Roonie Screwvala  Ronnie Screwvala needs no introduction. If you are a Bollywood fan, then you must have watched a couple of movies produced by Roonie, namely Uri, The Surgical Stricks, Sam Bahadur, Shaadi Ke Side Effects, and many more. Currently, Roonie Sir is the co-founder and chair of Upgrad. His name has also been featured in Esquire’s List of the 75 Most Influential People in the 21st Century. Apart from being an entrepreneur and movie producer, Ronnie is also a great philanthropist and has donated hundreds of crores towards education and social work. 2. Mayank Kumar  Mayak Kumar is another co-founder and MD of Upgrad. He has completed his engineering degree from IIT Delhi and an MBA from the prestigious Indian School of Business. He has 10+ years of experience in operations, investment, and consulting in various sectors in India, China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. He has also been part of investments of over $1 billion in the education sector and in related markets. 3. Phalgun Kompalli Phalgun Kompalli is the co-founder of Upgrad and completed his civil engineering degree at IIT Delhi. Now that you know who the founders of Upgrad are,Let us understand Upgrad’s story and journey towards providing quality online education and various skill development courses in India. In the year 2015, Upgrad’s core founding team, which included Ronnie, Mayak, and Phalgun, laid the cornerstone of Upgrad. They started Upgrad from the beginning with the mission of helping learners achieve their financial and professional goals. In the year 2018, Upgrad crossed the 10,000 student mark and crossed 450+ career transitions. In 2020, they crossed the 1 million-learner mark and launched a few new courses and verticals like Upgrad Degree, Upgrad Abroad, and Upgrad Rekrut. I will tell you about all the verticals below in the blog. In the year 2016, 114 students completed their first program in entrepreneurship called Start-Up with Upgrad. In 2019, the company became the largest online education portal in India, with the highest gross revenue in the Indian market. In 2021, they became a unicorn and expanded their business in other countries as well. What is Upgrad? Started in 2015 by Ronnie, Mayak Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, and Ravijot Chugh, Upgrad is an online education platform in India that aims to offer formal education online. They offer various certification courses, degree courses, and skill development courses, allowing working professionals to upskill, students to make a thriving career, and existing working employees to get a salary hike. Over the years, Upgrad has trained more than 1 million learners and impacted more than 363K individuals globally. Upgrad majorly offers courses in the domain of data science, technology, marketing, and management to all. Each of their courses and programs is designed by working professionals and in collaboration with the top Indian universities like IIT Madras, IIIT B, BITS Pilani, MICA, Cambridge Juge Business School, and many others to curate the best course curriculum that offers a holistic learning experience to learners. What’s more? Upgrad has built a comprehensive learning ecosystem that includes one-on-one sessions with the mentor, peer-to-peer learning experiences, industry networking opportunities, and career guidance provided by Express, allowing the learners to receive holistic support and help them grow and excel in their careers. The company has been awarded the ‘Best Tech for Education’ by IAMAI in 2019. The company received the ‘Best Education Brands’ award from the Economic Times and has made it to LinkedIn’s ‘Top 25 Startups’ two years in a row in 2018 and 2019. What is the mission of Upgrad? Upgrad’s mission is to help learners achieve their desired outcomes, and their vision is to power career success for every member of the global workforce as their trusted lifelong partner. With the help of the latest technology, pedagogy, industry partners, and world-class faculty, they try to create an immersive online learning experience for learners globally. What is Upgrad abroad? Do you want to study abroad at top universities, but you are struggling with how to get there? Are work and study visas acting as a bottleneck in your career? If yes, then Upgrad Abroad has got your back covered. Upgrad Abroad can easily fulfill your desire to study abroad, not only through the physical classroom but also from the luxury of your home in an online model. This program connects you virtually with the best mentors and education professionals from different parts of the world. They have taken multiple courses in engineering, management, finance, marketing, and operations from the world’s top universities. With their multiple courses in various domains, you can explore a world full of opportunities internationally by studying online year-round and directly on campus in the 2nd year of top universities. Upgrad’s Abroad mission is to help learners study abroad by simplifying the process through their journey. Their vision is to enable more students to study abroad by accelerating their path to success at top universities. To give you good options, Upgrad Abroad has tied up with some of the leading universities from the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK, Germany, Ireland, France, Finland, and many other countries across the globe. Plus, they have both degrees as well as certification courses like MBA, data analytics, supply chain management, master in computer science, MBA in finance and marketing, and a lot more. Some of the top universities include Cornell, Yale, Harvard, … Read more

Introduction Are you a blogger or a webmaster in India looking for the best hosting in India? Do you want to create a website and are confused about which hosting provider to opt for? If yes, then worry no more. In this blog post, I have created a list of not one but fifteen of the best hosting companies in India that are known for their speed, flexibility, customer support, and loads of add-on services. So, are you excited to explore this blog post? If yes, then keep sticking around. Cost of Hosting in India The cost of web hosting in India can vary widely depending on several factors, including the type of hosting, the features and resources you require, and the web hosting provider you choose. Here are some general guidelines for the cost of web hosting in India: Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is the most affordable option and is suitable for small websites and blogs. In India, you can find shared hosting plans starting at around ₹50 to ₹500 per month, depending on the provider and the features included. VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: VPS hosting offers more resources and control compared to shared hosting. Prices for VPS hosting in India typically range from ₹500 to ₹2,000 or more per month, depending on the configuration and the hosting company. Dedicated Server Hosting: Dedicated hosting provides you with an entire server dedicated to your website or application. The cost of dedicated server hosting in India can vary significantly and generally starts at ₹5,000 per month but can go up to several thousand rupees or more, depending on the server’s specifications. Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting is a scalable and flexible option. The cost of cloud hosting in India can vary widely based on your usage and the cloud service provider. It can start as low as ₹500 per month for basic setups but can increase based on your resource requirements. WordPress Hosting: Some hosting providers offer specialized WordPress hosting, which can range from ₹200 to ₹2,000 or more per month, depending on the features and support provided. Best Hosting in India 1) Hostinger India [Best WordPress Hosting in India] When speaking about the best hosting in India, Hostinger has to be at the top of my list. I have been using Hostinger for my blog for more than 2 years now, and I can say they are the best in the hosting industry for sure. With their data centers located all across the globe, Hostinger will make sure that your site is up and running all the time. They have their data centers in the USA, UK, France, India, Singapore, the Netherlands, and many other countries worldwide. With their all-in-one solution, you can manage up to 100 websites without getting the server down at any cost. Plus, you can register a domain and get a free professional email ID as well. Here is a snapshot of the speed test of my website hosted on Hostinger. Mobile speed Website speed I have built a WordPress website and have not yet optimized it to its full potential, but the speed on mobile and desktop is amazing. By fully optimizing the site, I can get better results, for sure. Hostinger leverages the power of Litespeed web technology and provides cache solutions to make your websites load best for users. You already know that website speed is a ranking factor for Google. By using Hostinger, you can surely boost the speed of your site by 40% using the Hostinger CDN, which includes code minification, data center rerouting, and auto-image optmization. With all these, you can surely create the best site for your business or blog. Hostinger offers many different types of web hosting, like: professional web hosting, VPS hosting, Minecraft hosting, WordPress hosting, CMS hosting, e-commerce hosting, and free hosting as well. Trustpilot Review Speed: As shown above Pricing plan Pros: Cons: 2) Bluehost [the best Indian hosting company] Now here comes the most used WordPress hosting in India, i.e., Bluehost. I started my first blog, The Digital Skipper, on Bluehost and was very satisfied with their performance. Their speed, customer support, free domain, and SSL certificates are some that I was happy with. However, I was more satisfied with their customer support and knowledge of the team members. Though they have outsourced their support tasks, the team really makes sure that all your doubts and queries are satisfied. If you are a beginner or have less knowledge about web hosting in India, then I would recommend you start your journey with Bluehost India. Here is a snap of the speed of my site hosted on Bluehost. Desktop Mobile The speed on mobile is less, but I have not optimized my site yet. I am using it as a PBN to build backlinks for my money site. But if I optimize the site, then it will surely skyrocket in speed. You can contact Bluehost via chat support or phone number. I would suggest going with chat support, as their team is responsive and gives quick answers. This was the reply that I got within 45 seconds from their team. You can ask them about any queries like billing information, website security, SEO, backend and front of your website, server issues, how to create email, website migration, and so much more. You can also trust their team with all your personal details and passwords. Bluehost offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, reseller hosting, WordPress hosting, managed hosting, and WooCommerce hosting. Trustpilot Review Speed: As shown above Pricing plan Pros: Cons: 3) Hostgator: [Cheap Indian Hosting] When speaking about the best hosting company in India, Hostgator has to be on my list. They are popular for their shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting plans in India at affordable rates.  With more than 10 years in the hosting industry and a large pool of satisfied customers, Hostgator brings to you a plethora of additional services besides their hosting plan. They have 24*7 customer and … Read more

In the ever-evolving world of remote work and freelancing, Upwork has long been a household name. With its extensive marketplace connecting businesses with talented freelancers, Upwork has enabled countless professionals to find work and clients to hire the right talent. However, Upwork is not the only platform of its kind. There’s a world of alternatives and similar websites that offer a plethora of opportunities and options for both freelancers and businesses. Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer looking to diversify your income sources or a business owner seeking a talented professional for your project, this guide is designed to provide you with a comprehensive overview of alternatives and websites like Upwork. We’ll explore various platforms, each with its own unique features and offerings, to help you make informed choices and maximize your opportunities in the gig economy. 15 Best Websites Like Upwork 1. Toptal Are you a software engineer who loves to design and play around with coding? Do you want to start your career as a freelance software developer? If yes, then Toptal is a one-stop destination for you. Toptal is a freelancing website that connects software developers and business consultants with clients who are looking for coders and developers. This platform is specifically made for designers, software developers, and financial consultants. This means, as a freelance developer, you’ll get a better-quality job and payment for it. Because of its strict screening process, Toptal only allows the top 3% of applicants per month to join the platform. This makes Toptal less competitive as compared to Upwork.com. Also, the hourly rate of Toptal is good when compared to Upwork.com. The total hourly rate starts around $60, and with good knowledge and experience, you can get around $ 120 per hour. Hence, you can earn a handsome amount of money from Toptal, but only for quality work. Additional features of Toptal: 1. Top 3% talent Toptal is best known for hiring the top 3% of talent. Each freelancer must pass a rigorous screening process and test in order to get their Toptal account created, thus ensuring that businesses get to hire the best talent across the world. That being said, both freelancers and businesses get good opportunities in their respective domains to make money. 2. Specialized services Besides, Toptal also offers a wide range of specialized services in the domains of development, design, security, hosting, and a lot more.They have their own team of developers and designers who are specialized in front-end development, back-end development, website and mobile app development, website and app design services, and everything in between, making them a prominent mobile app development company in Dubai. 3. Free online and web-based tools Another cool feature of Toptal is that they offer some free online and web-based tools for designers and developers to help them manage their projects easily and quickly. There are tools for developers, designers, and marketers as well. A few of them include Gitignore, sorting algorithms, checklists, JSON formatters, and a lot more. 2. Coding Ninja Coding Ninja is another great alternative to Upwork, especially for coding lovers and developers. The website makes sure that freelancers have complete independence in selecting the project they want to work on. They also have a good support staff that clarifies all the questions and confusion that freelancers have. Also, there is complete transparency maintained between clients and freelancers. Once you start the project, you are allowed to directly communicate with the client. This helps clients as well as freelancers communicate with each other smoothly.  What’s more? At Coding Ninja, you can also upskill and learn more about coding, developing, data science, programming, and everything related to computer science. They offer a wide range of certification courses with placement assistance to help you excel in your career and upgrade your knowledge. Top features: 1. Community Coding Ninja has its own community platform where you can register and network with like-minded people, ask your doubts in the forum, and get answers to all your queries from experienced people in the industry. In this community, you will also be getting updates about all the upcoming events and scholarship tests conducted by Coding Ninjas to hone your skills. Details about webinars, video interviews with experts, workshops, and coding events are also mentioned from time to time. 2. Scholarship If you want to avail of the coding scholarship from Conding Ninja, then you need to pass a test, and based on your marks, you’ll be offered some discounts and scholarships on your courses. The registration fee for the exam is zero, making it a win-win situation for you. 3. Affiliate Do you want to make some money online? Are you interested in promoting Coding Ninja to your friends and colleagues? If yes, then you can also make money by promoting and selling courses at Coding Ninja’s. Coding Ninja has an amazing affiliate program that you can sign up for for free and make money by promoting their courses. You can sign up, get your affiliate link, promote it on social media, your blog, website, or YouTube, and get a decent commission for every sale that you make. The commission range is between 10% and 30% on courses. 4. Practice If you want to hone and brush up your skills in coding, then you can enroll in multiple quizzes and skill-testing exams on Coding Ninja. There is also an interview question guide, coding interview prep tests, and mock interviews to help you pass your coding job interview. 3. Freelancer Freelancer is a crowdsourcing marketplace website that allows clients to post their jobs and find relevant freelancers to complete them. This website functions very similarly to Upwork.com, which makes it a perfect alternative to Upwork. As a freelancer, it is very important to find the right quality of work. And I personally feel that, as a freelancer, you will get good-quality work from the clients. There are around 6.7 million projects on freelancer.com, which will give you a good chance to grab enough quality work. Moreover, … Read more