DIY Home Decor

There are many reasons you may need to get your home appraised. The bank often needs to verify the value of a home that you are providing as collateral for a mortgage. You may want to know how much you can sell your home for. It may have to do with litigation or may be for tax purposes. Except in rare cases, you want to maximize the value of your home for the appraisal. Here are a few simple things you can do to get the best value in an appraisal.

Clean Up
Appraisers are supposed to look at the home and the permanent fixtures of the home, not a mess that can be picked up. Still, a clean home will leave a better impression on the person trying to assess the condition of the home. Keep in mind that spending hours cleaning just for an appraisal is likely going to be a waste of your time. A simple clean up that involves removing clutter, sweeping or vacuuming floors and making beds will usually suffice.

Improve Curb Appeal
Curb appeal matters when anybody is assessing a home. Again, this does not have to be an exhaustive task. A new coat of paint, a new roof and landscaping the whole yard will definitely improve the curb appeal but isn’t always necessary. Simply mowing the lawn, removing weeds and cutting back overgrown plants or shrubs can go a long away. It is also a good idea to remove clutter and wash large stains on the home or driveway. If your resources are limited focus on the front yard over the back. The front yard gives the first and most important impression.

List Updates
Keep a list of all the updates. This can help an appraiser keep track of any improvements made to the home. Make sure the updates are significant and permanent. Small improvements like replacing a door knob may not increase the value of the home so it isn’t necessary to list it. Changing all the door knobs or doors may be important. Finding out what adds value can be tricky and what ultimately impacts the value will be decided by the appraiser. Make sure the improvement is to the home. While a new area rug or sofa may change the appearance of the home it is not a permanent fixture and doesn’t add value to the home. Finally, Keep track of any additions or conversions of non-living space such as garages. The appraiser may be getting the size of the home from city hall records or previous listings for sale. They may not be aware that additions or conversions have been made and may be evaluating assuming that your home is smaller than it is.

Provide Comparables
Most residential appraisals are done with the direct comparison approach. That means that your home is compared with other homes (called comparables) that usually have sold recently in your area. Your appraiser should check thoroughly through your neighborhood to find the most relevant comparables. But it does not hurt if you make the appraiser aware of homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood. The same size home that is the same age on the same size lot in the same condition and next door to yours would be the ideal comparable. Unfortunately that home usually doesn’t exist and even if it did, it would be unlikely that it has recently been listed or sold. Usually comparables are sought and some adjustments are made to account for the difference. The appraiser will determine which comparables are most relevant and how much to adjust. If you do find a comparable make sure you understand the difference between a list price and sale price. Appraisers usually only use comparables that have sold and they will always put more value to the selling price than the listing price. A person can list their home for whatever price they want, it does not mean that somebody will buy it for that price. That’s why the price that a property sells for is more relevant.

Improve Practically
If you’re planning on making any improvements or planning to do any renovations, do so cautiously. Improvements don’t always add value and if they do they don’t increase value over the amount invested. Investing $50,000 does not always increase the value by $75,000 or even $50,000. In fact, it rarely increases over the amount invested. The best investments when improving are generally considered to be paint, flooring, lighting fixtures and plumbing fixtures. The rooms that add most value are considered to be kitchens and baths.

Don’t Rely on Assessments
Assessments done by government agencies are usually used to assess your property taxes. These assessments can give you a general idea of what your home is worth or they can be completely off. Assessments, in most jurisdictions, are done through a computer model. The accuracy of the assessment usually depends on the data that the computer model uses. The age old adage of garbage in, garbage out applies. If the model has relevant and accurate data it can provide an accurate assessment. It should be noted that a computer model does not view the inside of your home therefore it is hard for it to distinguish or compare it to the most relevant comparables.. Another factor that can affect accuracy is when the assessment is done. A lot of jurisdictions will use data from the summer where there is generally an upswing in value and volume. This provides the assessment entity with more data but the assessment can be higher or lower depending on how the market has changed.

Finally let the appraiser do their job. Give them space to do their inspection. In all likelihood, this is not their first appraisal and they know what they are looking for when inspecting the home. You don’t want to annoy them by pointing out details they may not find relevant. There can be a fine line between being informed and being a know it all, you don’t want to cross the line.

Accustar Appraisals team of Real Estate Appraisers provide professional property appraisals on all types of residential properties for communities in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Our high standards and commitment to quality has earned us a reputation for professionalism and objective valuation.

Home invasion is one of the most disturbing and dangerous criminal situations that occur in America today. Victims of this crime are at risk of robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and even death in the worst case scenario. No crime is ever 100% preventable, but taking care in securing your home put you and your family at the least risk.

In 2012, the last year that we have full detailed crime statistics, the FBI reported that there were a total of 292,074 robberies across the United States. When we talk about a home invasions, statistics can be tricky to obtain, because the crime doesn’t explicitly exist as a chargeable offense. These crimes usually fall under robberies, as they’re the act of illegal entry to a property with the aim of taking something by force. The other side of home invasion falls under aggravated assault. Of the robberies committed in 2012, almost 50,000 of them were committed in a residence, this is where we find the home invasions. With a statistic that high, are you willing to leave your safety up to chance?

These crimes could be a simple robbery including breaking and entering, or could escalate to situations where assault, sexual assault, abduction, or even homicide. Criminals are brazen enough to enter your home while you and your family are inside, maybe even while you’re sleeping and vulnerable. Taking steps to reduce the appeal of your home to would be invaders is the simplest and most effective protection against these crimes.

Many people still consider breaks-ins to be random crimes of opportunity, but in fact criminals look for targets where all of the elements are in their favor. Changing some small things around your home can cover all of the necessary precautions that will make your home a less desirable target, and protect your family from becoming the next victims.

The Importance of High Quality Locks

An obvious element but one that is so important, the locks on your home could prevent and deter intruders even before they’ve made it through your door. Locks should always be professionally installed by a reputable locksmith and deadbolts are still the standard to go for. Doors should remain closed and locked at all times, even during the day.

Doors and Windows

Locks are one thing but what good is a lock without a high quality door? Solid wood doors prevent forced entry as they’re harder to break in, and if you have glass doors around the home, they should be aluminum or solid wood, with double paned glass. The windows you have installed should also be double paned, and kept closed or secured with quality locking latches that open only enough for ventilation.

Outside Lighting

At night, a dark exterior could make all the difference in how appealing your home is to an intruder. Motion based security lighting is an effective method of deterrence, and it also provides a warning system of any outside activity, giving you time to react.

Shrubs and Trees

High density landscaping can make your home an easy target. Homes that concealed from the roadside are more at risk, so homeowners should strike a balance between privacy and security. Keep large trees and foliage to a minimum, and your windows should be unobstructed by shrubs or climbing foliage.

Home Alarm Systems

One critical aspect of safety is the home alarm. An excellent defense against trespassers and intruders, the initial investment is far outweighed by the security advantage. Alarm systems can be multi-zoned, allowing you to leave outside sensors on even while you’re in the home. A monitored system provides the most benefit, giving you additional peace of mind and support from security personnel when the alarm is triggered.

Protecting your family from home invasion is as simple as being aware of the dangers and remaining vigilant. When the consequences of this crime are so dire, ignoring home security is a mistake that you don’t want to make.

There are many reasons that people look for work at home jobs. Many of these people are parents or caretakers of the disabled or elderly. Others are disabled themselves. Some people are looking to cut down on the costs of gas, business attire, and daycare. There are also those who simply prefer to work from the comfort of their own home and according to their own schedules.

Many job seekers give up on the prospect of working from home because they run into scam websites when they begin their search. However, there are legitimate companies that hire telecommuters if one knows where to look in order to find them. This article will outline several simple options for those seeking to work from home.

1) Transform Your Current Job Into a Work at Home Job. This first and simplest option is exclusively for those who are currently working outside the home. If your current job could easily be done from your home office, it does not hurt to propose this to your employer. Before you make your proposal, however, be sure to do your research and have an outline of how your working from home will benefit the company and save it money. You’d be surprised how many people have succeeded in doing this.

2) Pursue Customer Service Work. The next option is to work as a customer service agent from your home. Virtual call center and customer service jobs are among the easiest and fastest work at home jobs to land. There are numerous companies that are continuously hiring for this. In order to qualify for this work you just need a quiet workspace, a landline with a corded headset, and in most cases a background check. This work is usually extremely flexible. One place to start: LiveOps

3) Data Entry and Transcription Jobs Are Real. There are also data entry and transcription jobs available to those who wish to work from home. These are not the easiest jobs to get and there are many scams on the internet claiming to be legitimate data entry jobs that you have to weed through. That being said, real jobs do exist in this field. For a high end transcription job, you should have training and a foot pedal. If you are just starting out and are willing to make a bit less money, there are entry level jobs that do not require any equipment. One place to start: Accutran Global

4) Work as a Writer. If you have a knack for writing, there are plenty of freelance writing jobs to be found that can keep you busy and paid for as long as you like. A talented and experienced writer can land jobs for magazines and other major publications, but even a newbie to the writing world will find plenty of jobs supplying content for websites and blogs. One place to start: Content Current

5) Start a Business. Are you someone who prefers to work for yourself? If you are not afraid of selling, you can start a home business. If you have a specific skill set or you make crafts or jewelry you can begin there. If not, there are plenty of home businesses you can buy into for under $200 (some are even free). You will usually be supplied a website, training, and a startup kit with samples in exchange for your fee. From there, you can begin selling to friends and via the internet. If you have a blog or website, affiliate marketing is also an option for the entrepreneurial spirited. With affiliate marketing, there is no cost involved, but there is a lot of time needed to invest in order to drive traffic to your website. The commission rate is also lower in affiliate marketing than it is with most home businesses. One place to start: Tastefully Simple

6) Apply With the Big Companies. Finally, there are many well-known, even Fortune 500, companies that have begun hiring employees to work from home. Visit the job boards on their websites and search for terms such as “virtual,” “work from home,” and “telecommute.” Most of these jobs come with all the perks you’d get if you were working in the corporate office such as medical benefits and a 401K. One place to start: Xerox

Now that you see all of the options available to those who wish to work from home, all you have left to do is to begin applying. Be sure to update your resume and be prepared to answer questions that explain why you are an ideal candidate to work from home such as how responsible you are, how well you work independently, and how self-disciplined you are. Good luck!

For hundreds of years people have built their homes from wood. Since the industrial revolution more and more people start to build their houses with bricks and concrete because buildings made with concrete and bricks last longer and are more durable. However, with the increased global demand for houses log cabin homes are making a comeback.

Today people do not want just a simple, solid square building, painted brown or white, which looks the same as your neighbor’s home. People need something special and totally different. A log cabin home offers many benefits. According to the University of Columbia, log cabin homes ensure low heating and cooling costs, because of the density of the logs. Homes that are produced from the wood use less energy for heating and cooling than traditional homes. It is very important for both the builders and the consumers. Log homes are energy-efficient homes. For example, wooden houses with walls about 6 inches thick can expect to save between 6 percent and 20 percent on heating and cooling costs. What is more, log homes are very cozy and warm because they are built very tightly. If you want to save on heating and cooling bills, you should definitely choose living in a log cabin house.

One more benefit of owning a log cabin house is a great chance to have a house in a lonely place, unknown forest area or wherever you want it to be. You should always remember that your house is your forestry that has to meet all your needs and wants. Living in a log cabin home gives a possibility to become an interior designer and to beautify the walls, floors, rooms and everything else by yourself. Logs can add a sense of consistency to the design of your log cabin home. Or, maybe you would prefer to cover your dwelling in straw or bark for that rustic feel.

People are interested in sustainable development and ecology and this is increasing each year. Today, all log cabin homes suppliers source their wood from renewable sources. This ensures the future of everyone involved in that industry. One more important thing to consider is the type of logs used as they can give a completely different look to your house. You can use handcrafted logs or milled logs which are cut to fit together.

Many of today’s log houses are prefabricated. A prefabricated modular house is a house built from wooden panels which are made in the factory and assembled on the site of the construction. The construction of the modular house consists of a wooden frame, panels, and insulation materials. So when the prefabricated log house arrives on-site to be erected, everything fit together perfectly. It is dramatically important when you are building a wooden home or any wooden structure that is to last for years because the gaps let in the rain and wind. Wooden structures are usually very durable, strong, and beautiful. They are particularly suited to rural settings, summer houses, and to add more buildings to your property. They can also be used for pool houses, garden offices, garages, stables, and much more.

With the coming of modern building technologies log cabin homes are now popular in many suburban areas as well as rural locations. Today these wooden buildings are built from pre-milled logs and usually come in kit form. The logs are visible as the exterior and usually interior of the home. Many people dream of owning a beautiful log cabin in their area. Of course, it is a very lovely dream and if you spend your time properly planning your project, you will get an ideal home. Log cabin homes are ideal as play rooms, gyms, pool houses, garden offices.

The next step is to decide the plot. Your plot will set some of the restrictions placed on your home. You have to consider the square footage you want as well as such things as access to conveniences and services such as power and water. Depending on the plot you will need to consider sourcing a water supply. A major consideration for a log cabin build is how you will cool and heat it. Wood burning stoves have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are practical, efficient, and cheap to use. If you are thinking about this type of heating, proper routing of the chimney is essential. Of course, there are many types of heating you can consider but non that will blend in with the cabin theme as well as a wood stove. The best locations are those that are on high ground. Water runs down from hills into low lying land.

You should also explore all the different home plans. Of course, you will discover that there are many builders who specialize only in log cabin building and they may be able to suggest the type of house suitable for your site or they may even be able to build one for you. When you are done, you will have your own personal cabin to enjoy. You can meet that dream of living in a house that is sturdy, durable, and rustic.

Today’s marketplace is competitive, especially as the traditional system takes a backseat to the global economy. Practices such as international money exchange, offshore investments, and outsourcing opportunities are constantly changing the financial landscape- some for the better, and others for the worse. But there are still opportunities, right?

In the recent past, most of us have turned to financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, to manage our money. However, conventional investment opportunities are becoming outdated as distrust for lending institutions has grown alongside interest rates and bankruptcy filings. So, how do you know who to trust and where to invest your hard-earned money?

While most financial advisors are still pushing long-term investments, short-term are undoubtedly the most sought after- and with good reason. Investing a small amount of money in a short-term investment can produce a high-yield in just a short time, but it can also be a quick “game over” for the unprepared investor. That’s why we’ve prepared a few tips for the short-term investor; a bit of due diligence to help you avoid common mistakes and save you from losing your shirt.

Do Your Homework

An effective investment requires thorough research, including the collection of data concerning the market, the company and/or project you’re investing with, and the feasibility of that company and/or project being successful. Before you dive into an investment opportunity that looks “too good to be true”, remember that sometimes those opportunities are too good to be true.

One way that you can protect your investment is to research the company or project that you’re supporting. Make sure it is a reputable and legal operation, check reviews, and look for fraud alerts on the internet. Once you are sure everything is legit, make sure the opportunity is one that has a high chance of success and you’re on the right track.

Don’t Be a Hero

The global marketplace is crawling with innovative ideas, especially when it comes to technology. Crowdfunding has changed the way people view, find, and support projects however not every innovative project is a success. History repeats itself for a reason and sometimes, trending investments are short-lived.

Be wary of investment opportunities that claim to have a high-return in a short-period of time. They may have the possibility of yielding a high-return, but they also have the possibility of instant bankruptcy for the entrepreneur who has nothing to lose. And, you don’t want your investment listed on the bankruptcy roster.

Follow the Money

Where there is already a steady cash-flow, there is bound to be more. Of course, this is not always true and businesses do occasionally take a turn for the worst, but for the most part, a business with revolving capital and assets is less likely to take a dive. So, if you see a good investment opportunity with a stable company, chances are they are running a short-term campaign for a special project using your investment. This is a win-win situation because they want to fund something that they know will make money while you benefit from their success.

Chris Bouchard is a strategic consultant who works with non-profit leaders and social entrepreneurs to apply concepts and techniques to identify complex strategic issues, find practical solutions, and devise strategies to create and win a unique strategic position. He also offers project development, proposal writing, and project evaluation services.

The volatility that we recently experienced in the market is very troubling to some investors. Unfortunately, those investors who hit the panic button and sold off are recognizing large losses in their portfolios only to turn to investments that are perceived as safer places to invest.

The fact of the matter is that we invest our money to earn long-term rates of return that will exceed the rate of inflation and help us preserve our purchasing power. Historically, cash has been the worst place to invest over the long term.

Losing Investment Capital in a Volatile Market
According to Fidelity Investments, investors who sold their 401(k) holdings while the market was crashing between October 2017 and March 2018, and then stayed on the sidelines, have only seen their account values increase by about 2%, including contributions, through June of 2019. This compares with those who held on and saw account balances bounce back by around 50%. During periods of extreme volatility, wealth managers will often tell clients to stay invested rather than sell and lock in large losses in a seesaw market.

Building confidence in your strategy is a way to keep from making the mistake of buying high and selling low. Having the mental conviction to tell yourself that you have a carefully planned portfolio of high quality investments goes a long way toward getting through the toughest days of market volatility. If you are unsure of how to select high quality investments, consult with an financial manager or registered investment advisor.

The question is; how do you reach that state of mind? It’s not easy if you are the type of person that tends to get knots in your stomach when the market drops. We outline some steps below that might be able to increase your level of confidence.

Conquering the Fear of Volatility
One step you should take to better handle volatility is to make sure you have adequate cash reserves for a financial emergency that might arise. This way you are not depending on your portfolio for unforeseen expenses and your anxiety level will be lower, knowing that you don’t need to sell your investments when they have declined in value.

Make sure you have a mix of investments that fits in to your risk tolerance and time frame. This can be accomplished by considering how you have felt when past market declines have occurred. Your wealth management advisor should be able to provide you with a thought provoking questionnaire that will give you a score when completed. The score on the questionnaire will have a corresponding asset allocation that you can use to determine the split you will have between stocks, bonds and cash.

Once your allocation has been determined, stick with it. It is a good practice to reallocate your assets on a regular basis to keep your risk level the same. This means that a portion of those investments with better performance will be sold (sell high) to purchase in order to purchase shares in those that have not performed as well (buy low).

Other ways to hedge volatility can be through the use of options. Two simple strategies can be applied. One is the sale of covered call options against underlying stock or ETF positions. In this strategy you (the seller of the option) collect money from a speculator (the buyer of the option) in exchange for an agreement to sell your stock only if it reaches a specified price (higher than where it trades at the time of the transaction). The option must hit the price target (strike price) within a predetermined time frame (expiration date). If it does not, the contract expires you keep the money paid and are free to sell more options against that stock position.

The other strategy is to simply buy a put option. This gives you the right to sell your position in a stock or ETF that you own at a predetermined price within a predetermined time frame. For this privilege you will pay money (a premium) to the potential buyer (seller of the put option) of your stock. This strategy should be implemented in periods of low volatility, as the cost of the transaction will rise as markets begin to fall.

Buy With Conviction
Let’s say you’ve owned a stock that has done well over time. The stock has had a history of increasing revenue, profits and dividend increases. It seems like the stock is usually going up when the market goes up, only now there has been a big selloff in the market, and the stock has dropped dramatically due to market conditions. It may be time to do some homework on the company and make sure that the drop is due to just a generally bad market. If it that turns out to be the case, maybe it is time to buy more of the stock. Great companies often go on sale in market declines, only to have dramatic upturns once the market decline is over.

WordPress is one of the highly praised CMS or Content Management System, which is an ideal choice for all who wants to give a kick-start to their business. It is a perfect platform to create your business website because it has a plethora of plugins, themes, and templates to offer. Some of them are free and other ones are paid. One can easily select between the free or paid version as per their business need. One of the main reasons to pick WordPress for your business website is that it has some brilliant features, which make it SEO-friendly that help the search engines to easily crawl your website for better ranking. It also offers a number of plugins that supercharge your SEO and delivers you the expected results and name of some of the most popular among all are as follows.

Yoast SEO: Whenever it comes to SEO, so, the very first plugin that clear all the obstacles is Yoast SEO Plugin. It is the first and foremost choice of almost all the developers and marketers as it helps you optimize multiple aspects of your website, including URL, Meta Description, Keyword Density, Internal and External Links, Content, etc. It is very easy to use and staggeringly increases the ranking of your website.
W3 Total Cache: Another most popular WordPress plugin that everyone should use to get great results from the SEO Strategy is W3 Total Cache. It plays a vital role in improving the speed of your website, which drastically increases the ranking. Also, it boosts up the server performance and reduces the download times. It offers transparent content delivery integration, thus, you should start using it right away, if you haven’t.
Google XML Sitemaps: It is an important WordPress Plugin everyone must have to ensure that your website’s content gets indexed by the search engines, which further increases the ranking of a website. It is very important to create a sitemap for your website as it helps in a number of ways and for generating the accurate results of your efforts you should have this plugin on your list.
These are some of the most popular WordPress Plugins that supercharge SEO and boost the ranking of your website like never before. Having any of these plugins is important to keep SEO in check because it defines the rank of your website, which further increases your conversion rate drastically. For more professional support, consult an expert that helps you and stay with you through thick and thin.

SEO is known as the best process that helps to increase the rank of a website. It is also a fact that you need a perfectly build website that must be error free. There are many factors that you need to check before starting the SEO process. We all know that SEO is a slow process that takes time to deliver the results. Many people use wrong techniques to promote their websites, but that can be a wrong move because it will lead to penalizing the website. White hat is an ethical process of doing SEO that helps you to get a higher ranking for a quite long time. Here are some great points that you must follow before doing SEO.

Domain Authority – It is the most important factor that you must check before stating the promotion process. The domain authority is the number that determines the success of a website in the search engine result page. Always remember that a domain with high-ranking provides better traffic and better search ranking. There are many tools that help you to check the domain authority so, you can review them easily.
Backlinks Matters – A backlink is mainly a link that connects your website from external sites. The main purpose of doing SEO is to create the good number of backlinks. Many people focus on the quantity, but this can be their biggest mistake that can lead to lower the ranking of their website. It is important to be linked with high PR sites, as it will help you to increase your website on search engines.
A Good Number Of Index Page – Index pages refers to the number of the page that is available on the website. The robot crawls on every page and returns back, this helps to improve the ranking of the given keywords. It is recommended to post the regular articles and blogs on your website and get them crawled by the spider.
These are the most important points that you should consider because SEO will only going to help you if you do it in a right manner. Besides this, there are many other factors that play an important role in SEO process. It is suggested to analyze the website and check the errors before starting this process, as any kind of error will lead to lower down the ranking of a website. It is strictly recommended to apply white hat to get the long-lasting results.

Competitor Analysis is a process of identifying the strategies, strengths, and weakness of the mover and shaker of your niche. It helps to upgrade your strategy in a good manner and help you win the battle. It is one of the most important aspects of any marketing plan that every entrepreneur should adopt for the better outcomes and for understanding what points they are missing and how much they need to improve. Well, doing it is not as tough as it sounds, thanks to the number of tools available on the internet or intranet. So, if you are new to this, take a look, how to do competitor analysis for improving your strategy like a pro.

Identify Your Competitors: The first and foremost step of competitor analysis is identifying who your competitors are? You cannot analyze their strategies until or unless you know about them. Therefore, identifying them is a must and important in all possible manner.
Take A Tour Of Their Website And Analyze Properly: A deep dive into the website of your competitor is a must to understand what they are doing and if you are doing the same, so, at what point they are better at you. A basic inspection will help you in long-term and support you find out a lot that further improves your strategy.
Spy On Your Competitor’s Keywords: A smart move is important to beat the tough market competition and therefore, you have to determine with which keyword your competitors are ranking high. Also, you should check the keyword density to get the better idea.
Evaluate Their Backlinks: Backlinks are important for the ranking of your website and you have to analyze your competitor’s site properly to identify from which sources they get links for their website, so, you can get your backlinks from the same.
Keen Eye On Their Social Media Handling: Social Media is important nowadays, therefore, you should keep a keen eye on their social activities. It helps you understand how active and engaged, they are with the audience and how frequent they share a post and what type. This may help you improve your social media strategy to drive more traffic.
After understanding all the barriers to your entry, make an effective strategy for SEO that delivers outcomes better than before. Learn new things and improve your strategy and not only copy them. Also, you can take SEO Expert help if you don’t have the time or enough knowledge to do this on your own.

Social media has the potential to bring about dramatic improvements in your SEO efforts. However, it is important to understand how activities on social channels can have an impact on your ranking. Search engines use links shared on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. as ranking signal. One important thing to consider at this point is that social media is not a direct ranking factor.

Increasing number of people are carrying out more and more of their daily communication on the internet, particularly social media which is a great way of sharing and obtaining information. People love to consume interesting content on social media. If you create amazing content and share it on relevant social platforms, it is likely to get popular. As a result, your rankings will experience a boost. Following are 3 of the ways social media can help you with your SEO efforts:

1. Generate links

First of all, you must create and post shareable and engaging content on platforms relevant to your industry. The more share you generate on social media, the more likely that people will see your content and link to it. Few years ago, marketers took it as granted that Facebook shares were a great ranking signal and, therefore, they put considerable emphasis on generating more and more shares. It was not really the number of shares that search engines took as indirect ranking factor, but the links that Facebook shares can generate. Which means you need to focus on creating high-quality content and sharing it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. to get links from other websites.

2. Build presence

In today’s competitive environment, it is crucial to not only produce great products but also market them in an effective manner. As a business manager, you must stay proactive and reach your audience wherever they are in the world. You can’t find a better place than Facebook where you can have the chance to connect with 2 billion active users. Build your audience through social media marketing and earn customers trust. Social media helps you promote your brand and get it in front of potential customers who wouldn’t have otherwise found you. Once you earn more share of clicks in Google from a rapidly growing audience, you will be ranked higher.

3. Make good use of YouTube

We know YouTube is the second most-searched search engine where people can find plenty of incredible content and solutions to their problems. If used properly, YouTube marketing can have a positive impact on your SEO performance. If you create enticing content to promote your brand, it can leads to more links, just like Facebook. Videos can rank organically in search. The best technique is to create how-to videos that can help your audience solve problems.