🗞 What's New: Google's shutting a tool down...you can fill the gap

Next month, Google URL shortener links will no longer be available:

• Anytime a big company shuts down a service, it creates many opportunities for indie hackers to fill the gap. Here are some of them!
• When is it time to optimize for SEO? If you're seeing a drop in traffic, redesigning your site, or facing competition, it's time to refresh.
• $10K MRR from an AI content creation tool. Alex launched, then leveraged key industry leaders and influencers to grow quickly.

Want your product seen by over 95,000 founders and businesses? Sponsor an issue of the Indie Hackers newsletter. Choose between 3 affordable tiers that can fit almost any budget.

from the Trendy Software Ideas newsletter

Three days ago, Google announced that the Google URL shortener links will no longer be available.

The information

Here's the official statement:

There are 12M+ search results when you search for "goo.gl." We used Bing as our source here, since Google has started hiding the number of search results:

Create alternatives

When a big corporation shuts down a service, there's a gap to build many product ideas to replace that service.

In this case, there are many websites that already have goo.gl links on a live page. Create an alternative URL shortener to provide them with a replacement for their soon-to-be-broken links.

To find websites that use goo.gl links, start with a source code search engine, like PublicWWW. Type "goo.gl" in the search box, and you'll get close to 1M results, along with the specific websites that list goo.gl in their HTML source code:

These are all highly popular websites with goo.gl link on the homepage. Pro tip: Include goo.gl links that are used by Google across its products.

For example, if you go to Google Maps, click on a location, then click "Share," you'll get this:

Apparently Google will continue to use goo.gl links for their own products. They'll just close the service for the public.

How do you recognize these "internal" goo.gl links? They usually have a subdomain or a start with a subpage (i.e., maps.goo.gl, goo.gl/maps, etc.).

Create your own scraper or crawler

Another option is to create your own crawler to discover websites that use Google's URL shortener:

• Use Majestic Million to get a list of some of the world's most popular domains.
• Scan their homepage, their most popular pages, etc. Alternatively, use the "site:" operator (use a search engine API or Google directly). For example: "goo.gl" -maps site:tiktok.com

Other things you could build

• A link monitoring or management tool: When marketing, hone in on the fact that things like this happen all the time, and your link monitoring tool will make sure that nobody is negatively affected.
• SEO service that focuses on internal link structure: You could start by discovering links that are about to become broken links. Then, start reaching out directly to tell people about your solution.
• Migration tool: Automatically transfer existing goo.gl links to a new URL shortening service.

Discuss this story, or subscribe to Trendy Software Ideas for more.

from the Trendy Software Ideas newsletter

📱 Slack introduces iPhone widgets.

🖱️ 150 social media power words to drive more clicks and conversions.

💲 Link to your product here. Our most affordable ad.

👩‍💻 What happened to the metaverse?

🤖 The data that powers AI is disappearing fast.

🥸 Could you pull off playing hooky for six years?

Check out Trendy Software Ideas to discover more software ideas inspired by recent news.

by Smoteria

SEO is a key for boosting your online visibility and attracting your target audience. But when exactly should you think about optimizing for SEO?

The telltale signs

1. Seeing a drop in website traffic: If your site suddenly sees less traffic, it could be a sign that your search engine rankings are slipping. This might be due to increased competition, or changes in search engine algorithms. SEO optimization can help pinpoint issues and get your site back on track.
2. Launching a new website: When launching a new site, having a solid SEO strategy from the get-go is essential to attract organic traffic and get noticed. Starting with SEO can quickly build trust and visibility with search engines.
3. Facing tough competition: In highly competitive industries, SEO can give you an edge over competitors, and help capture more market share. By analyzing your competitors and tweaking your strategy accordingly, you can carve out a unique position to stand out in search results.
4. Rebranding or redesigning your site: After a redesign or rebranding, SEO optimization ensures that your new content and structure aligns with search engine best practices. This involves setting up proper redirects, preserving the authority of valuable pages, and updating keywords and meta tags.
5. Adapting to changing market trends: As your target market or user behavior evolves, SEO allows you to adjust your approach to match new search habits. For instance, optimizing for mobile-friendliness and local search becomes crucial, as more people search on their phones.
6. Boosting local search visibility: For local businesses, SEO optimization can significantly increase visibility in local search results, attracting more nearby customers. Optimizing your Google My Business profile, gathering positive reviews, and listing in local directories can give you a strong local presence.

How do you optimize for SEO?

Now that you know when to consider SEO optimization, here's how to tackle it effectively:

1. Research keywords: Use the SEO AI tool to find relevant keywords with high traffic and low competition for your business. These keywords will guide your content and page optimization efforts.
2. Optimize your content: Create valuable, high-quality content that incorporates your target keywords naturally. Focus on solving user problems and increasing engagement.
3. Tech-savvy tweaks: Ensure that your site loads fast, works well on mobile devices, and has no broken links. Optimize site structure and code to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index.
4. Building links: Boost your site's authority by earning high-quality external links from respected sites in your industry. Internal linking also helps users and search engines navigate your site.
5. Local SEO tactics: For local businesses, optimize your business information on platforms like Google My Business. Encourage customer reviews, and ensure your business is listed accurately in local directories.
6. Monitoring and adjusting: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to monitor your SEO performance. Address issues promptly, and continually refine your SEO strategy based on data insights.

Mastering SEO optimization is not just about ranking higher; it's about connecting with your audience and growing your business online. By implementing these strategies consistently, you can enhance your website's visibility, attract valuable traffic, and achieve sustainable business growth.

Discuss this story.

by Rob Hope

Strengthen your landing page with these design, development, and conversion tips!

Alternate section background colors.

Consider a slightly darker or lighter background color for each alternate landing page section. This design tip will also help contain section content better as a visitor scrolls.

Subscribe to Rob's One Page Love newsletter for his favorite UI, design, and development finds.

by Alex

In just three months, I've hit $10K MRR with my last product, AutoAE, an AI tool that helps you create viral hooks in seconds.

The keys

Here's what made the difference and brought success for this product:

1. Creating a community academy: 60% of conversions.
2. Newsletter and email campaign: Increased conversion rates by 30%.
3. Collaborations with key leaders in the space: Five times ROI.

tl;dr: Find your niche and best solution first, then start widespread marketing through collaborations.

The launch

At the beginning, like all other marketers, we launched on Product Hunt. This is still the best place for getting free traffic. The most important aspect of a Product Hunt launch is to find your audience!

Here's how:

• Focus on a very small niche. Otherwise, you'll never know who your audience is.
• Show your users how to integrate your product into their workflow.

Spreading the word

Once you launch, be sure to list your product in all of the free directories and platforms to increase your website's trust.

Use Semrush to find your competitor's backlinks, and launch your product there first. This won't yield many conversions, but it will build trust on the internet.

Conversion growth

Once you note at least 20% of your audience using your product to complete their work in a familiar scenario, pay attention; it's your critical factor.

Don't provide a general solutions page. It won't work unless you focus on SEO and persist for a couple of months.

Once you find your best niche and solution, start collaborating with industry leaders and influencers. Here are tips on collaborations:

1. Don't allow your key leaders and influencers to do what they like. You need to have them tell your story, your solution, and your use case.
2. Don't let creators tell the story entirely by themselves, because they won't be as clear about the product as you are.
3. You don't necessarily have to create a whole video. The key is to integrate your product into the workflow, not to sell your product through the video.

The final step is the newsletter and email campaign!

Discuss this story.

by Tweetmaster Flex

I post the tweets indie hackers share the most. Here's today's pick:

Forward it to a friend, and let them know they can subscribe here.

Also, you can submit a section for us to include in a future newsletter.

Special thanks to Jay Avery for editing this issue, to Gabriella Federico for the illustrations, and to Darko, Smoteria, Rob Hope, and Alex for contributing posts. —Channing