What steps can I take to improve email deliverability issues with Yahoo/AOL, despite list cleaning and SPF/DKIM setup?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains that using feedback loops to monitor complaints from users helps identify and address issues that might be causing deliverability problems with Yahoo/AOL.
Marketer from Email Geeks asks about the opt-in method used for collecting contacts and the timeframe considered for opens, suggesting 30 days to 3 months.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog shares that to solve deliverability problems, it is important to monitor your sender reputation using tools like Sender Score, avoid spam traps, and ensure your content is relevant and engaging to prevent low engagement rates.
Marketer from Email Geeks recommends if on dedicated IP and following best practice they may be able to get certified.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester shares that consider using a dedicated IP address to manage and control your sender reputation, especially if you send a high volume of emails. This gives you more control over deliverability.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests maintaining a consistent sending volume and frequency to establish a predictable sending pattern that ISPs like Yahoo/AOL can recognize as legitimate.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that improving email deliverability involves segmenting your email list, personalizing your messages, and removing inactive subscribers. Also, focus on improving sender reputation.
Email marketer from GlockApps Blog explains that to improve deliverability, use testing tools to preview how your email looks in different inboxes (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL) and identify content or configuration issues triggering spam filters.
Marketer from Email Geeks asks if the original poster has tried entering a Yahoo postmaster ticket.
Marketer from Email Geeks asks if the original poster has ensured that all subscribers on their mailing list have explicitly given their consent to be there.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog shares that gradually increasing sending volume while maintaining good engagement rates can help establish a positive sender reputation, especially when using a new IP address or domain.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains that clean HTML coding helps prevent your email from being flagged as spam. Ensure emails are properly coded and accessible to avoid issues with rendering and deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit recommends checking your domain's presence on various blacklists and ensuring reverse DNS records are correctly configured. Yahoo/AOL can be particularly sensitive to these configurations.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog shares that monitoring and reducing your bounce rate helps improve your sender reputation. High bounce rates can signal to ISPs that your list is outdated or poorly maintained.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that proper list hygiene, including prompt removal of unengaged subscribers and those who mark emails as spam, is crucial. Regularly cleaning your list helps maintain a good sending reputation with ISPs like Yahoo and AOL.
Expert from Spam Resource shares that focusing on highly engaged users can significantly boost your sender reputation. By prioritizing sending to those who consistently open and interact with your emails, you can improve deliverability to Yahoo and AOL.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that AOL offers a feedback loop (FBL) that senders can subscribe to in order to receive reports about user complaints. Monitoring and acting upon these reports is crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation with AOL.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Gmail Help outlines that bulk senders must authenticate their email with SPF and DKIM. Keep complaint rates low, and use the feedback loop to identify campaigns generating complaints. Also, Gmail might temporarily defer emails from senders with poor reputations.
Documentation from DKIM outlines that properly configured DKIM signatures prove the email hasn't been altered during transit and verifies the sender's identity, which is vital for improving trust with email providers.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that Microsoft uses sender reputation to help filter spam. Ensure your sending practices are legitimate and align with best practices to maintain a positive sender reputation.
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF should be set up to clearly define which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain to prevent spoofing and improve deliverability.