The finest cup of coffee can only be prepared if the coffee beans are the best and of fresh quality. Selecting the best quality coffee beans can be compared to buying a bottle of good wine. Buying coffee beans requires careful selection.
It is important to have some basic knowledge about the world of coffee. It is important to sample the taste and aroma of different types of coffee before you finally decide on which coffee – Availability to take home. There are some more features which you should keep in mind when you go out to buy coffee beans. One of them is the acid content in the coffee. All coffees require a certain amount of acidity to prevent them from being flat or dull. The coffee having less amount of acidity is also called “mellow”.
The second factor to consider is the aroma as the aroma of coffee can be flowery, earthy, fruit-like, earthy, smoky or it can even have the aroma of certain nuts or berries.
TASTE: the regions where the coffee beans grow have a lot of impact on their taste. This depends upon the elevation and farming methods, the soil, and whether the coffee beans are organic or have been grown in the shade.
Now let’s dive into understanding the different types of coffee beans
Arabica Coffee Beans
Another name for Arabica is Arabian Coffee. It is considered to be the first species of coffee that was cultivated and comprises a major part of global production. It is the most popular coffee in the world. These coffee beans are grown all over the world but have their origin in the southwestern islands of Ethiopia. It is also grown in areas around the equator, Brazil being the largest producer in the world. They have a balanced taste which is not very strong. It comes in a slightly sweet flavor with a tinge of nuts, chocolate, caramel, fruits, or berries. It can be slightly acidic and bitter in taste.
Some of the most common kinds of Arabica coffee beans are
Bourbon which is a bit of a chocolaty and fruity in flavor
Typica is one of the first coffee variety and today most of the varieties we see come from this
Caturra coffee has a light body and a citric flavor, and many more.
Some of the benefits of this coffee are:
Low calorie without added milk and sugar
Rich in anti-oxidant
Contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals
Can be used as a skincare product
It is best enjoyed as a cold beverage.
Robusta Coffee Beans
Robusta coffee is commonly known as coffee Cenephora which owes its origin to Africa. It is generally used in espresso, instant coffee, and also as a filler while blending certain kinds of ground coffee. The taste of Robusta coffee is between neutral and harsh. It is considered to have a very bitter taste. These coffee beans grow at a low altitude. It requires a very low production cost and is not susceptible done by pests. The farmers use the mono-cropping method for growing these coffee beans.
Some of the benefits include
More caffeine and less sugar
Low acidity
Cheaper in price
Liberica Coffee Beans
Liberica coffee is also known as “Barako” meaning manly. The country of origin for this coffee is the Philippines. The beans of Liberica coffee are large in size and irregular in shape. The coffee beans have an aroma that is fruity and floral. It has a full body and a smoky taste. This coffee is strong in flavor due to the distinct smell it carries while it gets roasted. The taste of this coffee is considered to be woody by most people.
Benefits
It is a great anti-oxidant
Used as a body scrub in the spa treatment
Reduces the chances of Alzheimer’s and heart diseases
This is one of the rarest and least found coffee in the world today.
Excelsa Coffee Beans
Excelsa is also known as Coffea dewevrei or dewevreié and owes its origin to Central Africa where it was first cultivated. It is known to grow best between the altitudes of 1000 to 1300 m.a.s.l. in a much vertical space as it is a tree-like plant and not a shrub.
The coffee beans of Excelsa coffee are small and round and are mostly used to blend with other coffees. It possesses a fruity and tart body and has a roast taste.
Benefits
Contains lower levels of caffeine
Excelsa tree is resistant to many diseases like coffee leaf lust, minor moth on coffee leaves, nematodes, etc.
Diving into different types of coffee, Robusta and Arabica hold more domination in the world of coffee, and sometimes these coffee beans are mixed to give a more interesting flavor, aroma, and texture to help you with a cup to enjoy.
In the end, the idea should be to measure life with coffee spoons whether you choose to drizzle mocha or vanilla.
Monkey coffee beans are obtained after the coffee fruit is thrown away by monkeys after savouring their nectar. The acidity of the coffee is reduced by the saliva of the monkeys. It is produced by the rhesus monkeys and Formosan rock macaques after they chew the coffee beans and spit them in the ground instead of consuming them.
This coffee is a very rare type of coffee bean found in India and Taiwan. As this coffee is rarely found, it is an expensive affair to get a taste of it and enjoy it.
Let us discuss in a little detail about this rare monkey coffee.
Monkey Coffee Beans from India
Monkey coffee is mainly produced in Chikmagalur in India. The farms for producing this coffee are found in close proximity to the forest area and requires a lot of shade for it to grow properly. These monkey coffee beans are generally are formed with the help of Rhesus monkeys.
What is Monkey Coffee?
The monkey coffee bean is the seed that is found inside the coffee bean fruit or cherry. Monkeys select the sweetest and best coffee cherries that grow on coffee estates. After picking these coffee cherries they chew them in their own time.
After they are done with the fruit, they spit the leftover fruit along with the parchment surrounding it to the ground. The farmers rinse, wash, process and dry these seeds which have been chewed. They generally turn grey instead of green and once they are dried, coffee beans are roasted and become available in the market.
The myth behind Monkey Coffee
In the earlier times, the coffee beans chewed by monkeys were considered to be a natural waste and were hardly collected. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that the chewed monkey coffee beans were collected by coffee producers and sold after being processed as a special one.
Benefits or Ill Effects of Monkey Coffee
Some of the health benefits include
Protects from several cancers
Prevents from stomach ailments due to low acidity content
Helps in preventing dementia
Protects and strengthens teeth
Boost energy and improves mood
Helps prevent migraine and headaches
There also certain points you need to keep in mind before investing in the monkey coffee beans.
As it is rare, authentic coffee is hard to find
Might get cheated on the price and you may not get the genuine product as it is not that easily available
How does Monkey Coffee Tastes?
Even though the method of brewing monkey coffee is very similar to brewing other coffees, the taste of monkey coffee is not the same as that of a regular coffee.
The flavour of the monkey coffee bean changes as the saliva of the monkeys helps in breaking down the enzymes in the coffee beans.
The taste of monkey coffee is more complex and sweeter than many coffees. It has a blend of many flavours such as citrus, nuts, chocolates and vanilla. Out of all these flavours, vanilla is more prominent.
Typically found in a light to medium roast, monkey coffee is very little traces of bitterness and a pleasant taste. Monkey bean coffee being a very rare and expensive coffee is usually preferred by people to be consumed on special occasions rather than being drunk on a regular basis.
The best way to savour monkey coffee is to have it without any additions like milk, creamer or sugar. It is best tasted like black coffee.
How Can You Purchase Monkey Coffee?
The production of monkey coffee mainly depends upon monkeys along with favourable climate conditions due to which there is a lot of inconsistency in its availability. It is very common for coffee producers to have a very limited amount of coffee available for the whole year. The number of coffee producers specializing in monkey coffee is very less in number.
The retail price of monkey coffee is several hundred dollars for a pound and the price of a cup of brewed monkey coffee can go up to 10 dollars.
It is very difficult to procure monkey coffee as it is scarce very difficult to find.
It can be sold through high-end coffee retailers, coffee farmers or from the website of speciality coffee roasters.
Monkey coffee beans are rare coffee beans that are grown in limited places like India and Taiwan and are a little pricy. This coffee is not much bitter and is best enjoyed as black coffee.
In order to retain its freshness, it is advisable to store monkey coffee carefully. It should be stored in an airtight container and kept in a place that is dry, dark and cool. The best locations for storing it are is away from the source of heat. Storing monkey coffee in the freezer or a refrigerator should be avoided as the beans can degrade because of the humidity and moisture in these places.
Sure, this coffee seems bizarre but hey, given the realms of coffee have made animal poop coffee popular, monkey coffee seems to be a fair deal. Too offbeat for you?
It’s an Ice breaker, it’s a Heart mender, it is a Cup of Coffee!
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is almost therapeutic. Regardless of whether you like it with a hint of hazelnut syrup or a dollop(s) of ice cream; it is remedial for everyone.
The very mention of the word coffee reminds us of a café or a coffee shop and on visiting these places it generally becomes difficult on what to order as the variety of milk coffee is mind-boggling. There is a variety of coffee available to suit different tastes that go beyond just normal coffee.
With different kinds of beans available at the best coffee farms, many forms of coffee can be brewed using a little bit of innovation and imagination.
Let us dive into some of the best milk coffee drinks that will want you to get in your kitchen and experiment.
Cappuccino
Is a favorite among many people. It is inspired by the distinct hoods on the robes of Italian monks called capuchins. It is served with a foam cup of thick milk. A good cup of cappuccino can instantly energize you to begin your day with a full swing.
Recipe for a good cup of cappuccino
Take 1 shot of espresso and add it to half a cup of steamed milk and one-third cup of milk foam. Combine all three of them and enjoy.
Latte
Latte is another variant of the cappuccino family but in a mildly flavored version. A latte has less froth and more steamed milk as compared to a cup of cappuccino. You can also enjoy it by flavoring it with a dessert syrup of your choice.
Another way of relishing the latte is by adding ice and some whipped cream.
Recipe to an energizing cup of latte
Take one shot of espresso and add it to ten ounces of steamed milk. Now top it up with half an inch of foam. You can also add some dessert syrup or ice or whipped cream to add flavor.
Affogato
Italians have inspired many versions of coffee and one of them is affogato which is more of a dessert than coffee. It includes ice cream or gelato along with a shot of espresso. You can always create variations by adding a dash of liqueurs along with espresso.
Recipe to a delightful affogato
Take one scoop of any ice cream preferably vanilla and add one shot of espresso on top of it. Enjoy the bold and creamy iced drink with a distinct flavor of espresso.
Cortado
This interesting drink has its origin in Spain and owes its name to the Spanish verb cortar which means to cut. The name is so as the strong espresso has a lot of acidity and the dairy cuts out the acidity so produced.
It is a common ratio of 1:1 of espresso and milk where milk cuts the bitterness of the espresso. Cortado is generally served in a glass or a metal cup.
Recipe to this delicious drink
take two ounces of espresso and an equal amount of foamed milk. The milk should be just slightly foamed. Serve a cup of love to be savored.
Mocha/Mochaccino
Mocha has its origin from the city of Mocha in Yemen, an early coffee trade center. Most people are of the opinion that mocha and mochaccino are the same, but there is no clarity on why. Both these drinks are made out of espresso and chocolate. Mocha is a latte with some added chocolate which is used as a sweetener.
A mochaccino is considered to be closer to a cappuccino where the espresso and milk ratio is concerned.
These two drinks are often served with whipped cream.
Recipe to this lip-smacking drink
Take one tablespoon of chocolate syrup and add a shot of espresso to it. Now add one-third of steamed milk and top it up with one-third of whipped cream. You can also add marsh mellows and cinnamon for some variation.
Flat white
This delicious drink has its origin in Australia and is one of people’s favorite. It is important to have the right proportion of steamed milk and espresso for preparing a perfect cup of flat white. The microfoam topping is the most challenging part and requires a skillful and careful steaming of milk to get the dense froth which is the highlight of this drink.
Recipe to a frothy flat white
Take one shot of espresso and add four ounces of milk steamed to get a dense froth.
Frappuccino
Frappuccino is widely called a frappe. This is a mixture of many ingredients to get the required consistency. It is also known as a coffee milkshake that requires to be frozen, creamy, and strong coffee.
Recipe to a strong coffee milkshake
Take one shot of espresso, add one cup of ice to it along with half a cup of milk. Now add three tablespoons of brown sugar and blend them to enjoy your Frappuccino.
Coffee is a very versatile drink that can be made and consumed in a variety of ways. One can experiment using different various ways and with different beans, milk, and other ingredients.
Haven’t turned into cafephile yet? Give them all a (double) shot!
Our last article on list of black coffee drinks and above list of milk coffee drinks and recipes will give you a fair idea about the best types of palatable milk and black coffees which can be customized to your taste using a little creativity and experimenting with ingredients. milk-based coffee also helps you avoid acidic reactions.
So go ahead, brew a perfect cup of coffee, and savor it.
When we hear or read the word coffee, the first thing that comes to mind is a coffee shop or a cafe and when we do visit these coffee shops, small/big or buy coffee from a renowned coffee farms the first thing is that we get confused looking at the menu. There are so many variants of coffee that it becomes difficult to decide what to drink and impossible to try all (yes, even for a coffee lover). With so many variants of beans, brews, and types of coffee that it will be impossible to taste all of them in a lifetime. This makes trying them all the more important.
While people love experimenting with coffee, it’s more about different brewing methods, beans, grinding methods, water temperature and more just to get that perfect cup of coffee.
Here we are going to discuss the best black coffee drinks and help you decide what all to try. You probably have had the aroma settled in your senses already so here we go!
Espresso
A perfect espresso shot is a creamy sweet syrup which is truly the essence of a wonderful coffee. It takes a lot of expertise to prepare a perfect espresso that is creamy and smooth containing just a little pinch of bitterness.
The difference between espresso and other coffee drinks is its preparation method.
Recipe for a perfect espresso shot
Take 7-9 grams of coffee.
Pour clean water forced at 195-205F (90.5-96.1C) with a lot of pressure grinding the coffee beans for 20-30 seconds to allow it to brew well. This will prepare a single shot of 25-35 ml which is .85-1.2 ounce.
To prepare a double shot multiply the numbers by 2.
To keep it simple, espresso is one of the most loved coffee shots which is highly concentrated and needs a short time to be brewed under a lot of pressure.
The taste of espresso largely depends on the way the coffee beans are roasted. The darker the beans are roasted; the more bitter the espresso will be. Roasting the beans lightly or medium make the best espresso as this allows the sugar and oils to be preserved leading to a balanced taste.
Americano
Iced Americano Vardish
Americano is one of the much-debated coffee on the menu. It is made by pouring some water into the espresso shot after it is brewed by diluting it. Many people who love coffee take americano to be diluted, but on the contrary, sometimes an espresso shot tastes much better with a combination of some water.
It helps in making it more aromatic keeping the elements in place.
Recipe for a beautifully brewed Americano
The three important things to be kept in mind while preparing an americano are
The temperature of the water-
The temperature of the water should be 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Adding too hot or too cold water will not make a perfect americano.
Flavor Profile-
There are many different coffee flavors to prepare an americano. And mixing hot water with the shot of espresso will only dilute the coffee flavors. There may not be any particular flavor for preparing an americano, but many different flavors will require different preparation methods.
Style of shot
While choosing a shot to prepare americano, ristretto shots are preferred by many coffee lovers due to its intensity. These shots are highly flavored, brighter, and sweeter as compared to the espresso shot.
Ristretto
Even though ristretto originated in Italy, it was made popular by the Americans. The intensity of flavors in a ristretto is higher which means that the level of favoring compounds of coffee is difficult and not as concentrated as in espresso.
To prepare a perfect cup of ristretto
Brew the coffee for the same time as an espresso shot just keeping the water restricted. This changes the extraction of coffee shifting the flavor to a sweet, syrupy, and acidic one.
The final cup of a ristretto is a sweet, syrupy, and bright espresso shot. Even the bitterness is very little.
Long black
The long black is very popular in the café of Australia. It is similar to Americano just the method is reversed.
Recipe for preparing a long black
Fill the cup with hot boiling water and then pour the espresso or ristretto shot from the top. This will help to give the long black a rich flavor as well as reserve the crema.
Another way of preparing a long shot is by pulling the espresso shots straight into the water. This helps in preserving the flavor for a longer time also helping in creating a beautiful pattern on the top of the coffee.
Lungo Espresso
Lungo espresso is also Caffe Lungo and is a favorite in Italy. the taste of Caffe Lungo can be extremely bitter as compared to a properly brewed one.
The recipe to prepare the Lungo shots
Brew it for more than one minute which is longer than the normal espresso.
Food. Water. Black Coffee – that’s all the essentials you need in life.
The above list of black coffee drinks and recipes includes the best black coffee and is a must-try for every coffee lover. A good cup of black coffee not only helps in energizing you but also has a lot of health benefits. So, experiment at home or visit a nearby café and brew yourself a perfect cup of black coffee drink with the help of the recipes above.
Many of us like to begin our day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. It is a perfect energy booster to keep you going the entire day. Purchasing coffee from retailers and departmental stores is the closest on a busy day, but it depends on the availability and often creates a hole in our pockets.
It is thus more beneficial to connect with the local coffee farmers and stock yourself with less expensive and fresh beans directly cutting out on all middlemen from the supply chain and having the best source at hand.
Let’s now dive into coffee farms and direct procurement to understand the benefits of directly buying coffee from coffee farmers.
What are coffee farms and coffee farmers?
Coffee farms are farms where coffee cherry seeds are planted and coffee trees are grown. There are many different types of coffee farms that can help you in understanding how coffee is produced.
Small Family-owned Farms – Small scale farmers are responsible for growing around 80% of the coffee produced in the world. Coffee farming is a source of livelihood for more than 125 million people.
High Production Farms – Around 20% are high production farms that are not owned by families. The coffee output farms of Vietnam and Mexico are the commercial hub of the coffee business.
Organic Coffee Farms – Organic farms are refrained from using chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides for increasing their coffee plants. This helps in the early ripening of the berries and helps in producing a healthy yield.
Organic coffee is more expensive than the standard ones.
How to find and select the best coffee farms?
Coffee is a product that can vary in properties based on various factors. In order to procure the best coffee, there are a few things to look out for:
Choose Source Country – The first step is to determine the country of origin from where you want your coffee to be sourced. Each country has its distinct coffee characteristics which are aided by the varying soil fertility, altitude, processing methods, and local varieties. The desired order quantity and frequency is a major factor because coffee can’t be sourced all year round from the same country.
Choose the Coffee Producing Region – Each country can have multiple coffee-producing regions defined by climate and geography. Each region’s coffee can differ in taste and aroma. Having an understanding of each region’s flavor profile can help you choose wisely.
Research Processing Methods – The processing method greatly impacts the flavor profile of any coffee produce. There are three main processing methods – natural, honey, and washed. It is important to know each process in detail and how it affects the coffee.
Visit the Coffee Farm and Taste the Coffee – Once your preferred source country and region are selected, you should visit the coffee farms in that location for a process called “cupping”, where you can sample the coffee and get an idea about the flavor profile of the coffee on offer.
Fair Trade Certified – If you want your coffee to be sourced only from farms that provide safe working conditions to the coffee farmers and do not use harmful chemical pesticides, you should buy from Fair Trade Certified coffee farms only.
What are the benefits of procuring coffee directly from producers?
Purchasing coffee directly from producers is popularly known as Direct Trade. The benefits of direct trade include:
Greater Transparency – From start to finish, the process is highly transparent with every specific detail provided to you by the farmers and producers. This includes the specific farm where the coffee was produced.
Better Prices for Everyone – Since direct trade removes all middlemen from the coffee purchasing process, the purchase price is lesser for customers while giving more money to the farmers. This is a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved.
Better Relationships with Producers and Farmers – Direct trade allows you to facilitate long-standing relationships with coffee producers and farmers. This provides encouragement and better earning opportunities to farmers while also ensuring value delivery for customers.
Great Quality of Coffee – Since you are directly procuring coffee from farmers, you can make informed decisions based on your sampling of coffee. Farmers are incentivized to choose high-quality beans as they have better monetary returns. This allows you to choose the best quality of coffee.
Best coffee farms in 2021
Some of the best coffee farms in 2021 which you can visit for an enriching experience are:
Finca La Valentina (Panama) – This coffee estate is located in the mountains of Boquete and produces Geisha coffee.
Finca El Ocaso (Colombia) – This coffee farm can accommodate up to 10 tourists with on-site rooms and has daily tours of 3-hour duration, available in both English and Spanish.
Arusha Coffee Lodge (Tanzania) – One of the largest coffee farms in the country.
Suan Lahu (Thailand) – Run by the Lahu tribe, Suan Lahu farm offers insights not only into Thai coffee but also the culture of the Lahu people.
We hope this article shows you the benefits of procuring coffee directly from the farmers who toil tirelessly to ensure that you get the best cup of black coffees or milk coffees all year long.
Are you looking for the best Vedic astrologer in Chandigarh, Panchkula or Mohali?
You must be busy searching for them through Google. Or you might have asked your friends for references.
True, it is not a big deal to find them. Just type “best astrologers near me” and you will get hundreds of search results for the same.
How to tell if you have chosen the right Vedic astrologer?
How to make sure that you have chosen someone who can give you the best prediction and solution?
This is because many people claim to be an astrologer. Well, anyone can be an astrologer.
There are many tutorials or astrology books one can learn from to become an astrologer. But that doesn’t make anyone a good astrologer. It takes years of experience, analytical skills and expertise to become an efficient astrologer. Therefore, your hunt for the right astrologer in Chandigarh or Tri-city can be quite stressful.
Don’t worry! Here I have rounded up some best Vedic astrologers in Chandigarh based on their performances, reputation and results.
Whether you are stuck with relationship issues, financial concerns, career, health or other life problems, these astrologers will help you overcome all problems with their precise prediction and result-oriented solutions.
1. Priyanka Jain Vedic Astrologer Review:
Counted among the top Vedic astrologers in Chandigarh, Priyanka Jain has helped many people with her accurate predictions and guidance over the years. Boasting 15 years of experience in Vedic astrology, she is a gifted astrologer and has a huge client base not only in Chandigarh but throughout India.
Priyanka has started astrology as a hobby that evolved into a passion over time.
She specializes in counselling and future telling for a love affair, career, marriage and other problems. She also uses astrological solutions to help people overcome severe depression and suicidal issues. She listens to her client’s issues in a friendly and composed manner. On receiving information from them, she can see a complete picture to come up with the right suggestions.
Guaranteed accurate results, she has earned wide acclaim in the fields of astrology. You can consult her on any issue—from marriage, divorce, love life to psychological problems, career to business, and dosha removal to family issues. Click here for contact info.
2. Astrologer Pandit Bhusan Sharma:
Pandit Bhusan Sharma offers comprehensive Vedic astrology services in Tricity, including personal astrology, numerology, Vashikarana and Vastu.
Pandit Ji, as he is fondly addressed by people, is known for his specific approach in astrological readings. Being an eminent Vedic astrologer in Chandigarh, he has a huge client base in the city and around.
Whether you are looking for a solution to your marriage, childbirth issues, love related problem, or legal problems, Pandit Bhusan Sharma will help you overcome all life problems efficiently and without any hassle. Click here for contact info.
3. Astrologer Karan Sharma Review:
Karan Sharma makes it to this list of top Vedic astrologers in Chandigarh due to his proven track record since 2000. He holds expertise in both astrology and numerology.
He has been awarded a gold medal in the National Conference on Astrologer and Vastu in 2011. He helps his clients with his profound knowledge and experience in health, business, career, marriage and divorce issues.
He is a renowned specialist in finance-related matters, making him a sought-after astrologer for industrialists and people looking to invest money. Some of his popular services are Janam kundali matching, black magic removals, career prediction, financial astrology and horoscope making. Click here for contact info.
4. Pandit Amar Sharma:
Amar Sharma is one of the popular Vedic astrologers in Chandigarh and around. Known for making accurate predictions, he holds expertise in the field of astrology, Vastu and numerology.
Mr Amar Sharma analyzes the problem to find the right solution using his immense knowledge in horoscopes, birth chart analysis and tantra/mantra.
He has spent years helping and guiding his clients through their good and bad times. He provides accurate readings and solutions for marriage, career, visa, love marriage, child issues, business, health, film and modelling career and marital dispute. Click here for contact info.
5. R.K. Shastri:
Lovingly known as Shastri Ji by his clients and peers, Pandit R.K. Shastri has benefitted many people with his precise readings and astrological solutions. Even he can read the minds through your body language.
He is a reputed astrologer of international acclaim in Chandigarh and Panchkula when it comes to horoscope reading and making predictions on politics, matchmaking and finance.
He also helped in getting lost love back, black magic services, childbirth issues and visa problems with his top-notch astrological services. Click here for contact info.
6. Astrologer Narinder Kataria:
Having specialization in astrology, Vaastu and palmistry, Narinder Kataria believes in providing practical astrological solutions that can work for his clients.
He has helped many people get rid of the problems associated with marriage, childbirth, career and marriage. No wonder why he is known as a gifted maestro in the world of astrology. Click here for contact info.
Wrapping Up…
So these are some best Vedic astrologers in Chandigarh and Tri-city, India. You can call them, schedule an online consultation or meet them in person. If you think that we have missed out on a few names, let me know by commenting below! Best of luck!!!
As a marketer, the power of Google Analytics cannot be ignored today. The Universal Google Analytics model took the market by a storm unprecedented and has made its roots stay here. Today, it is next to impossible to be an online marketer without an in-depth understanding and use of Google Analytics. This is what makes the improvement and changes this important along with being needed to be understood well.
The bottom line of the tools at Google Analytics is to give you a complete and comprehensive picture of consumer behavior and activity patterns. This core need and idea is what has led to Google Analytics 4 being rolled out. Before we can get into how you can transition from the old system to the new one, let us understand what all the new one entails.
What are the four key features of Google Analytic 4?
Smarter AI-powered insights and predictions
Machine learning has been a part of Google Analytics since its inception. What has changed in GA4 then is the inputs it gives and what they are. GA4 does more than before by detecting changes in trends when it comes to what your business has to offer. This can help you:
Stay updated to something like increased demand for your offerings
Make better predictions in terms of potential revenue or churn rates.
The way this helps is simple yet powerful. These insights when put together or even taken independently, help you as a marketer take better decisions. Working on accurate predictions, trends, and data that is well-founded, helps you plan your campaigns and supply chain better. After all, while you certainly want to avoid being over-prepared for sales you don’t also want to be caught with more demand than you can cater to. Given that you are using the best tools in the kit should allow you to find the balance.
Deeper integration with Google Ads
Google Analytics 4 works better than ever with the other marketing tools that Google has to offer. This is nowhere truer than Google Ads. The increase in precision and decision making that this allows is worth seeing.
The integration allows you to:
Make and maintain a custom audience basis your site and app visiting/ usage. This will allow you to cater to those who are actually your audience or potentially so; rather than working on ideas only. A sure shot way for increased Return on Investment in ads.
There is also the integrated feature that allows you to view conversions from YouTube, be it on the app or the web, as also for other channels. These channels could be organic growth, paid ads, paid search, social media, emails, etc. This directly presents a better and comprehensive view of the marketing efforts you make.
Customer-centric measurements and customer life cycle reports
Till this point, Google has performed analytics on very fragmented metrics and data sets. GA4 allows the complete life cycle of a customer to be measured and analyzed through more compact and comprehensive metrics and forms.
This is achieved by Google Analytics 4 by making the use of multiple identity spaces to the likes of marketer provided User IDs and Google signals. The latter of course is only from users who have opted into personalized ads
In all, this will help you see how your customers and potential customers intact with your business throughout their journey. This includes all stages from first visibility to conversion and beyond that as well. Even feedback revisits and customer experience sharing online if done on Google platforms is integrated.
There are also updated engagement and retention reports that allow an analysis of what is working and what isn’t for you online. This can help immensely better your business presence and decisions.
More granular data control
One of the biggest changes that GA4 has seen is the field and form of data control. The control of the data has not only been taken seriously by the analytics tool kit themselves but also more control mechanisms have been awarded to users and marketers such as you. This applies to all aspects of the data such as collection, retention, and usage.
This level of control means you can choose even whether or not you would like to use the data only as a measurement or would you rather want it used for optimization.
Another key feature of the update in this aspect is that it is made to work for the future where cookies and identifiers may reduce or become entirely different. The idea GA4 has is to make use of conversion modeling which helps fill the gaps in the customer journey.
Steps to do transition from old analytics to Google Analytics 4
Setting up your first data stream
This is the first and likely the most crucial step in setting yourself up in GA4 and in the transition. To keep your tags from the Universal GA to GA4 you must have both tags firing on your site. This can be achieved through the admin section where you have to upgrade your property. This upgrade will lead to a new property being created for tagging. This new property begins with G-.
This you will have to follow up by connecting the new property to your data streams. After this, you will be given the full G property and code that you must install on your website.
When doing this you must not remove your Universal GA firing on your site or through Google Tag Manager. This should allow for data to flow to both versions of GA.
Real-time refresh
After you are done installing the code, the next step is simpler. You need to navigate to the real-time report in other to confirm the flow of data into the GA.
The new reports work in a manner where all individual reports are combined into one mega report. Also, to note here is the fact that the map now updates in real-time along with showing a 30-minute history.
Another major change is that all user activity is now counted as events. This is done as GA4 wishes to focus on engagement. This is complemented by the change where “important actions” are now labeled “conversions” and you can track up to 30 of those now.
Events editing by you
Last but not least relevant part of the process is for you to edit and define your events. When you go to the events menu for the first time, the standard events that are a part of GA4 are visible. You will see modify and add options in this menu as well. One more ease is that a click on a slide allows for events to be converted to and tracked as conversions.
Defining and adding/ modifying events allows you to have what matters to you counted instead of a one size one count fits all model.
While this change may appear daunting at first, we hope that as you start to work on it report by report and data set by data set, you find the journey exciting and you learn to work well in the new system at the earliest.
“When people tell me they have learned from experience, I tell the trick is to learn from other people’s experience.”
The same thing can be said about case studies.
Case studies, as I personally think, are the best ways to learn from other’s experiences. Experience is the best teacher (even when it’s not our own.)
Case studies are as old as human civilization, although they were not documented as we see them today.
For example, a hunter somewhere in 500 B.C. might be telling others how he hunted down the lion using specific tools and techniques. The other hunters then adapted the same tools in their campaign.
Case studies are a way to share expertise and solution. On the other hand, they are a great way to learn more practically. They include actual examples and results.
A medical case study shows how the researchers identified the problem and created solutions accordingly. It would help the physicians in the future while tackling the same problem. Similarly, a hotel case study would help a new restaurant looking for a business in that area.
But case studies are not something you saw on teleshopping ads where (fake) audience claims to reduce 10 kg weight by taking a magic pill.
Instead, they include the hard and cold data being used in problem-solving and decision making to achieve the goals. The studies logically show “they-did-this-and-got-this.”
Case studies have been used for years by various organizations, medical and law schools, and artists.
And our SEO industry is not an exception.
In fact, case studies are as important as our analytic tools as online marketing is a trial and error process.
The SEO case studies of others can help you identify the best practices for the same concern, especially in the same industry.
SEO case studies can also be useful if you do not get results instead of doing the right things. Many brands have shared their case studies on how they boost their traffic using specific SEO techniques.
Here I have outlined some top SEO case studies you can learn from.
(Note: Names of the organizations hasn’t been given due to privacy issues)
SEO Case Study # 1: Improving Organic Traffic and Visibility
This is a case study of a website selling food products. They wanted to leverage digital marketing to promote their brand but didn’t know where to get started. Top of that, it was quite challenging in a competitive environment. They adapted specific SEO strategies to see success.
Objectives:
Creating a User-Friendly Website
Improving Visibility
Improving User Experience
Increasing Visitors
SEO Strategies Used by Them
Making the right keyword strategy
Identifying user intent
Organizing the website’s content
Creating a URL strategy
Posting fresh content
The Results:
22% Increased Website Traffic
40% Increased Recipe Sharing
Top Ranking for 10 Keywords
Key Lessons to Learn From This Case Study:
Creating a user-friendly website ensures easy navigation and encourages users to explore more.
A URL strategy can improve user experience and improve current marketing strategies.
Understanding the user intent is equally essential as it helps determine whether visitors will explore a website or leave it for a better answer.
Identifying the right keywords can put in front of the right audience and help your rank as well.
Fresh content not only educates your audience but also helps improve ranking.
SEO CASE STUDY # 2: Increasing Organic Traffic through Blogs
Blogs are also an important SEO strategy. See how this laboratory gets more traffic to its website through blogs by addressing customer’s key concerns.
Objective:
Creating blogs to help customers and to drive traffic as well.
SEO Strategies Used by Them:
Researching the topics using specific tools and Q/A platforms like Quora and Reddit.
Including the keywords used by the target audience in the search box
Using CTAs (Call to Action) in each blog
Promoting blogs through social media
Using real images, videos, and infographics
The Results:
33% Increase in Traffic to Product Pages
50% Increase in Organic Traffic
20% Increase in Page View
Key Lessons to Learn from this Case Study:
Audience-centric blogs are liked and shared by users.
Keywords make the content more discoverable.
Creating visual appeal through video or infographics can add to the success of your blogging.
CTA can prompt users to take the required action, thereby improving the chances of sales.
Social media is a basic yet essential channel to market your content.
SEO Case Study# 3: Boosting Local Inquiries
This case study belongs to a waste management business looking for getting leads through local inquiries.
Objectives:
To appear at the time when users are looking for their services.
Building awareness
Focus on the local searches
Improving on-page local optimization
SEO Strategies Used by Them:
Working on-page local optimization
Optimizing “Google My Business”
Creating high-quality mentions and links
The Results:
30% more booking
Improved visibility in targeted areas
Improved traffic and leads
Key Lessons to Learn from this Case Study:
Google My Business account is important to improve your local visibility.
On-page SEO helps you get better visibility and support your marketing campaigns.
Creating mentions and links on other sites and directories help get traffic back to your website.
SEO Case Study# 4: Ranking for Competitive Keywords
A local travel blogger was looking to compete for the top keywords used by his audiences, such as travel advice or outdoor travel tips.
Objectives:
To get on top with specific competitive keywords.
SEO Strategies Used by Them:
Guest Posting
Choosing the keywords with good volume
Performing competitor analysis
Linkbuilding
Promoting the content
Using other content types such as infographics and videos
Key Lessons to Learn from this Case Study:
Guest post not only exposes your content to more audience but also helps you earn a link.
Link outreach helps increase awareness and visibility.
There is no use in going after highly competitive keywords.
SEO Case Study# 5: Building the Traffic from 0 to 100 k
It is challenging to build traffic for a startup as everything has to be started from scratch. However, getting good traffic is still achievable if SEO is done right. Here is a case study of a software company that increased its traffic from 0 to 100,000 in less than two years.
Objectives:
Building brand awareness
Improving organic traffic
Promoting Sales
SEO Strategies Used by Them:
Keyword research and competitive keyword analysis
Content Creation
Implying link building techniques
Improving blog visuals and readability
Promotion over Social Media
The Results:
Having 100k visitors in less than two years
Top ranking for 30 keywords
Many of their posts still rank on top Google spot for specific keywords
Key Lessons to Learn from this Case Study:
Keyword research is important to find the relevant keywords that can boost traffic.
Link building adds to your credibility and leads to higher site metrics and SEO scores.
Using videos and infographics make content appealing as well as sharable.
Content should be more on the latest issues faced by the audience.
Want to Achieve Success Like These Case Studies? We Can Help
These case studies must have made you familiar with essential SEO ingredients like keyword research, blogging, local SEO, content creation, promotion, and many more. It is well and good if you have SEO expertise to imply these SEO essentials. Otherwise, make sure to choose a professional SEO expert or agency to get the job done. If you are looking for the same, look no further than our digital marketing services.
We can help you conquer the ranking and boost traffic with the right SEO practices backed by our experience. Get in touch now!
Amazon – it is the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace. And it has reached its current stature after decades of updates and enhancements, which provide immense value to both buyers and sellers on the platform. Most online vendors have a product page on Amazon as well. It becomes important for customers to be able to search these product pages, similar to how users search for websites on search engines.
Amazon, like other search engines, has its own search algorithm – A9. Thus, it is vital for you to know how A9 works so that they can get their product pages ranked higher to increase discovery and sales. The difference in how Amazon A9 works as compared to the search algorithms of Google and Bing lies in the fact that Amazon is first and foremost a buying platform, which means that the website-SEO concepts alone won’t be of much use.
Again, similar to other search engines, Amazon also offers sellers to use the Sponsored Ads feature, which helps attract more customers, improve sales figures, and allows the sellers to meet their goals.
WHAT IS A9?
While Google and Bing searches are related to almost every possible topic that humans can think of, every Amazon search query has a sole transactional purpose. For this reason, the A9 algorithm focuses on two primary aspects only – Relevance and Performance. Optimizing these two factors can yield wonderful results for your Amazon seller account, and you will see your conversions increase steadfastly.
Relevance and Performance can further be broken down into multiple sub-categories, as discussed below.
A9 RELEVANCE RELATED FACTORS
Product Title – This is the most important Amazon SEO element for any seller. You should use the most relevant product keywords in the product title, but keep in mind that keyword stuffing will depreciate your Amazon search rankings. Some of the points to consider while optimizing your Amazon product name are:
Inclusion of brand name
A concise and clear product description outlining the use(s) of the product
Include the name of at least one essential material or special ingredient
Include product size and color
If applicable, you should mention the product quantity as well
Seller Name – If the main keyword(s) for your product is included in your seller name, your products get ranked higher in Amazon search results.
Backend Keywords – Backend keywords can be thought of as similar to the meta tags of a website that tell the search engine what the webpage is about. Backend keywords are used to guide the A9 algorithm in figuring out which particular product listing is targeting which specific keyword on Amazon. For backend keywords, sellers get five fields with a 50 character limit for each field. Sellers should make optimal use of these limits by not repeating any keywords and keeping the use of quotation marks to a minimum. Using synonyms will also help.
Brand Field – Your brand name spelling should be exactly right, as many searches on Amazon are based on a product’s brand name.
Product Description & Bullet Points – These are again very vital for your search rankings as they give detailed information about the product to your customers, and hence, the description and bullet points need to be as descriptive as possible and need to include your product’s most relevant keywords.
A9 PERFORMANCE RELATED FACTORS
Product Price – Having a competitive price for your products on Amazon as compared to other sites is a big bonus as it increases the likelihood of positively growing your conversion rate. If a particular category has many similar products that are selling for less than you are, then your sales will take a hit. Pricing for products on Amazon should be done only after thorough research and comparison with your competitors.
Product Images – Amazon recommends its sellers to use high-resolution images with guidelines to be 1000 pixels or larger in either of height or width, while also mentioning that the smallest image should be 500 pixels on its longest side.
Amazon Reviews – 85% of the customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Also, generally, the products ranking at the top of an Amazon product search have more and better reviews as compared to the ones down below on the same list. This concludes that more and better reviews have a positive impact on conversion rates and sales. To ensure that your customers do leave your reviews after purchasing products from you, simply send them follow-up emails requesting them to leave a review. If you have negative reviews, understand what the customers’ complaints are and resolve them.
WHAT ARE AMAZON SPONSORED ADS?
Sponsored Ads work by targeting shopping queries or products and occupy high-visibility sections on Amazon’s website. These work similar to Google Ads or Facebook Ads in the sense that different ads are shown to customers based on their search and behavior patterns.
TYPES OF SPONSORED ADS
Sponsored Products – Available to all Amazon professional sellers, these ads are visible on the Amazon website and are useful in promoting specific products. These are visible in the ad placement sections on product search results and product pages. The primary objective of using these ads is to increase traffic to product pages to boost sales.
Sponsored Brands – This is available only to the vendors registered in the Amazon Brand Registry. These ads include multiple products along with the logo of your brand and a customized headline. Once a visitor clicks on the ad, they will be redirected to a grouping of products or your brand store. This ad type is primarily used to increase brand awareness and boost sales across the entire catalog of your products.
Sponsored Display – These ads are used to build customer engagement by targeting those buyers who either viewed the product detail page of your products or showed interest in categories similar to or related to your promoted products. Specific products or categories that are complementary or similar to your product can also be targeted. The sponsored display can help you reach a wider audience both on and off Amazon. This is available to vendors registered in the Amazon Brand Registry only.
Stores – A store is more like a brand campaign where you can showcase your seasonal collections and bestsellers, share your brand’s story, and even publish videos. Automatic widgets can be used to customize the user experience. It helps maximized user engagement with your brand using a custom-made brand experience, which improves user loyalty and retention. Again, available only to the sellers and vendors registered on the Amazon Brand Registry.
BUDGETING
Each advertiser, before launching a campaign, would want to have a heads up about how much the ad campaign is going to cost. To help sellers understand the advertising costs, Amazon has some points for you to consider.
There is no upfront on a monthly advertising fee. While setting up a sponsored ads campaign, sellers can determine their ad budget along with the bid amount for each click. Sellers only pay when their ads get clicked by customers, and the cost charged for each click is the exact same amount set as the bid price by the seller.
Sellers have complete control over their ad budget as they can set daily budgets or a campaign-level budget. Not a single penny extra outside of the budget specified by the sellers will be charged to them.
A budget, once set, can always be revised. If you are working on a daily budget, you can either increase or decrease it each day. But a campaign-level budget can only be increased from its current value.
A Sponsored Products ad campaign generally takes about 5 minutes on an average to be setup up, and the ads start showing to targeted users almost instantly. In the campaign manager, you can find real-time information, which is also where you create the ads. These ads are designed, keeping in mind the diverse seller backgrounds, which makes it very easy to implement, without having any prior advertising experience. There are even multiple report types to help you understand your ad campaigns better and optimize them.
CONCLUSION
Amazon is a platform in itself, and it is important to know all it has to offer before you become a seller. This will help you optimize your sales and increase your revenue, which is, after all, the primary motivation of becoming an Amazon seller.
A good percentage of Google search queries are in the form of a question.
Whether it’s dating advice, learning magic, making girlfriend happy, or finding the best shoes in the town, everyone prefers to type it in a question form over Google Search.
And Google doesn’t disappoint as it tries to provide the best answer that can go with search intent.
But Google doesn’t answer on its own. Instead, it collects the data from websites, reviews, and trusted entities to match the answer.
It means that if you have the close answer to the user queries, you can show up in its People Also Ask box.
What is People Also Ask box?
It is a Direct Answer facility by Google. It is the set of questions answered that closely matched to the searcher’s intent. It appears in the set of four questions that can be expanded to see the answer.
For example, I want to know how French toasts are made. I use Google search to find the answer and this is what Google shows along with the key answers in the People Also Ask box.
Here is another one (obviously, searched by a curious or jealous female fan of Brad Pitt).
Like featured snippets, the PAA box shows answers in different formats ranging from text, tables to videos (sometimes).
What are Expert opinions on People Also Ask or PAA Box?
Okay. Now you must have understood what the People Also Ask box is. It is a direct answer facility by Google to show you the related questions to your search queries. It helps people find the best answers.
As a business, should you care about People Also Ask Box?
Yeah, you should.
This is because Google pulls out data from several sites, reviews, and trusted entities to provide the best answers.
Showing up in the PAA answers can benefit your website as you get in the front of million eyes looking for the answer. This way, it is a great opportunity to improve your organic search.
EXPERT OPINION
Given their typically high position in search results, the PAA box provides brands and SEOs with an opportunity for visibility in a crucial section of the results page.
– George Nguyen, Editor at Search Engine Land
According to a study by Ahrefs, PAA box appears roughly four times in search results than featured snippets. SEMrush has found that the PAA box appears 75% of the time.
Source: Moz.com
The percent of search results with PAA is higher on mobile devices. In Singapore, they pop up 3 times more often in mobile results. In the USA, they occur four times as often on mobile devices.
Source: advancedwebranking.com
While featured snippets usually appear either first or second in the SERPs, PAA boxes can appear in almost any position. For example, it can be on number two position for the query “how to do SEO” and number five for “how to do digital marketing”.
Source: Semrush.com
How to Optimize for PAA Box?
PAA shouldn’t be ignored if you are looking to improve your ranking.
Make it the part of your SEO or online marketing campaign. Here is how to optimize your online website or other entity to appear in the PAA box.
Choose the Right Keywords:
Find out which keyword set is ideal for the People Also Ask box. You can use a rank tracking tool to find the frequency of PAA results for your target phrases. Also, use the Google Universal search engine ranking data, and look at the SERP feature report.
Brainstorm for the Questions:
Slip into your customer’s shoes and think about what they are likely to ask. Besides, you can use several online tools to explore questions such as Yahoo Answers, AlsoAsked.com, Answer the Public.com, and Usetopic.com. Quora is also an effective way to get insight into people’s queries. Once you generate the list of questions, see if you can answer them all as well as incorporate somewhere in your content.
(Snapshot of Usetopics.com tool for finding the answer)
Optimize Your Content:
Google fetches the data or answers from several online entities such as websites and reviews. But it only considers the content written in the right format. Here are some suggestions to make your content fit for the PAA box:
Write in a plain and natural language
Avoid making it look like a sales copy
Target on the questions you have researched (like on Quora)
Keep your content updated
Use the tools like “Answer the Public” to Understand Your Audience Queries Better.
EXPERT OPINION
When writing about a topic, research it thoroughly and ensure you’re answering all the key questions people have. Thorough keyword research and tools like AlsoAsked will help here.
– Sam Underwood, Digital Search Marketer
Strategically Optimize Your Key Pages:
You can try everything you think that people can search for. For example, many people search for “what is the cost of online marketing”.
You can optimize your pricing page for that. But the answer shouldn’t be built around “Call us for Quote Now”.
Instead, you can mention about the general pricing plans (avoiding sales viewpoint as possible).
Careful planning in advance and active listening in the moment to what consumers want means you’ll learn how to develop your answers. It is an ongoing process of active listening.
– Jeannie Hill
How to See Reporting on Your PAA Listings?
Google Search Console helps you track the data on your PAA listings. However, it only happens when your listed answer on the PAA box is expanded. One more thing—if your PAA box occurs in position five, your listing within the PAA box will be reported in Google Search console as position five, no matter if your answer pops up as one of the original three or the tenth of the listing.
Getting Success with PAA—A Case Study
In the summers of 2018, I have been approached by a US real estate firm looking to increase their sales through an online listing. I thoroughly optimized their site for flaws and found that they lack efficient keywords. However, I also wanted to know how PAA can work for them along with other marketing strategies. Here I will only include PAA strategies and results as the topic is all about PAA. Right?
Our PAA Strategies:
Generating Right Keywords People Used for Buying, Selling, and Listing Homes
Incorporating Semantic Keywords
Adding FAQs Box and Including Some General Real Estate Questions as Well
Optimizing the Content for Voice Search
Using the Q and A Mark Up and Other Schemas
The Results:
Optimizing the real estate website for PAA as well as other SEO strategies improved their traffic and exposure as well. They also saw a 200% increase in People Also Ask results.
OVER TO YOU
People Also Ask or PAA is on the way to becoming a key online marketing strategy over time. Thanks to the ever-increasing question-based search queries and Google’s mission to provide quality search results. If you haven’t optimized your website for the PAA box, do it now or else your competitor will do it.
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below!
