Misconceptions and Mistakes About SEO

SEO Strategy for Traditional Marketing Agencies

Content Plan, Roadmap: Good SEO starts with a plan. 

And that plan starts with the content you will produce regularly, backed by keyword research and data. 

The two core areas you will create content for are your service pages and the type of work you offer. And then the content for blog pages.

Your Service Pages provide clear information about your company's professional marketing services. The primary objective is driving conversions (e.g., sign-ups, consultations, purchases) and lead potential clients/customers through the sales funnel.

In comparison, Blog Pages provide readers with valuable, relevant, and often informative content. The primary objectives are driving search traffic to your site, improving your website’s SEO, establishing authority in a field, engaging the audience, and indirectly nurturing leads.

Topic and Keyword Research

Service Pages:

The goal is to uncover keyword variations around your professional services and which keywords you should create content for. 

For example - you may specialize in healthcare marketing. Below is an example of the keyword volumes around various marketing and advertising professional service terms in healthcare for your Service Pages. 

Blog Pages:

Blog content focuses on helpful informational content. Here’s an example of keyword research for terms related to marketing topics in the healthcare industry. Blog search terms are often long-tail, meaning 3 to 4 or more terms are in the phrase. Questions are also common - people ask questions constantly, so producing content around questions makes for great blog content.

Page Organization: Create Silos of Content

Your site content needs to be organized. 

The analogy we use for this is similar to grain silos. So, what does that mean for your website?

Suppose you provide traditional marketing services, including Branding, Advertising, and Websites. And then let’s assume you provide professional marketing services to the following industries: real estate, retail, legal services, and spas. 

You would have a site structure similar to the below infographic. With the pages at the top focused on the core services, then below that, pages that are focused on core services with the industries you serve. (you can read more about silos in our posts about internal linking and WordPress categories for better SEO). Each of those pages in the silo has content specific to that service and industry. 

Writing Your Content for SEO

Write for humans first, search engines second. Write naturally. Do not force keywords into your content.

And content quality is essential. Ensure your content is well-written, informative, and provides value to your readers. Use your chosen keywords naturally throughout the content, especially in your headings and subheadings. However, avoid keyword stuffing in keywords as it harms your SEO.

How To Write SEO Content Without Paid SEO Tools

Develop an SEO blueprint for your content. It’s a simple process. 

Google the keyword that you’re writing about. Review the top 10 pages and make notes about the following characteristics of the top-ranking pages:

On-Page SEO 

Recommendations for optimizing meta tags, headings, and URLs.

Meta tags provide information about your webpage to search engines, and headings help to structure your content for readability and relevance. At the same time, URLs are the unique addresses of your web pages that can be optimized to improve search engine visibility.

Meta Tags

Meta tags reside in the HTML code of your website and are not visible on the page itself. They communicate vital information about your page to search engines. The two most important meta tags for SEO are the meta title and meta description.

Meta Title

Your meta title tag is the title of your webpage. This is the first thing search engines look at to understand what your page is about. It's also the first thing users see on the search results page. Best Practice: Keep your title tag under 60 characters to ensure it displays fully in search results, and include your target keyword as close to the beginning as possible.

Example: If [business/brand name] sells organic cosmetics, a good meta title could be "Organic Cosmetics - Natural Beauty Products | [Business/Brand Name]".

Meta Description

The meta description provides a summary of your web page. While not a direct ranking factor, a well-written meta description can entice users to click on your page in the search results.

Best Practice: Limit your description to 155-160 characters and include your target keyword(s).

Example: "Explore our wide range of organic cosmetics. Enhance your natural beauty with [Business/Brand Name]'s eco-friendly, cruelty-free products."

Headings

Headings structure your content and make it easier for users and search engines to read. The H1 tag is your main heading, followed by subheadings H2 through H6.

Best Practice: Use only one H1 tag per page (usually the page title), H2 tags for main points, and H3-H6 for sub-points. Include keywords in your headings where it makes sense, but avoid keyword stuffing.

Example: On a product page, the H1 could be the product name, H2s could be 'Product Description', 'Benefits', and 'Reviews', and H3s could break down the 'Benefits' section further.

URLs

URLs help search engines understand the content of the page. They should be straightforward and descriptive.

Best Practice: Keep URLs as short as possible, use hyphens to separate words, and include 1-2 keywords.

Example: A URL for a product page on [business/brand name]'s website might look like this: www.[businessname].com/organic-cosmetics/natural-foundation.

Guidance on the internal linking structure and anchor text optimization.

Internal linking is a crucial SEO tactic that involves linking one page of your website to another. This helps users navigate your site more effectively and allows search engines to understand the structure and hierarchy of your website, which can improve your site's visibility in search results.

Importance of Internal Linking

Internal links help distribute link equity (the value passed from one page to another through links) across your site, influencing your page's ability to rank in search engine results.  Moreover, they enhance user experience by guiding visitors to relevant content and potentially increasing their time spent on your site.

Best Practices for Internal Linking

Suggestions for optimizing images and multimedia elements.

Images are an essential part of your content. For more in-depth information, read our post about how to optimize your images for SEO.

Advice on optimizing the content structure and readability.

 Content that is the easiest to read will perform the best. A famous copywriter once said that the best content is like a slippery slide - you get on at the top and don’t stop until you get to the bottom. 

Creating well-structured, readable content is crucial for both SEO and user experience. Not only does it help search engines understand and rank your content, but it also makes your content more accessible and engaging for readers.

Tips to optimize your content structure and readability:

Understanding Technical SEO and Enhancing Website Performance

Technical SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website for crawling and indexing. It involves improving aspects of your site that, when combined, make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your pages to provide users with accurate search results.

Improving Website Crawlability and Indexability

Crawlability refers to a search engine's ability to access and crawl content on a page. On the other hand, indexability is whether or not a search engine will index a crawled page. Here are some recommendations to improve these:

Implementing Schema Markup

Optimizing Website Speed and Performance

Website speed is a crucial ranking factor for search engines. A slow-loading site leads to higher bounce rates, and lower conversion rates, negatively impacts user experience, and hurts SEO (more here from Google on this topic). 

Here are ways to enhance your website's speed and performance:

Reporting and Measurement in SEO

Effective SEO goes beyond implementing strategies. It involves tracking, measuring, and adjusting your efforts based on data-driven insights. 

Here’s how you can establish a robust reporting and measurement system for SEO:

Implementing Tracking and Analytics Tools

Tracking and analytics tools allow you to monitor the performance of your SEO efforts. 

Google Analytics (GA4) is a widely used tool (installed on the majority of websites worldwide) that is free and offers insights into traffic sources, user behavior, and more (more here on GA4)

Google Search Console (GSC) provides valuable data about your site's visibility in Google search results. Consider using an SEO-specific tool like SEMrush for deeper SEO analytics and competitor insights. GSC is our primary go-to SEO tool for a quick understanding of how our organic SEO is performing. (a related post here on how to get easy SEO wins using Google Search Console).

Defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs for SEO success may include organic traffic volume trends, engagement rates, page load times, and rankings for targeted keywords. 

Conversion-related metrics such as form submissions, newsletter signups, or e-commerce transactions are also crucial.

Technology Stack for SEO

An effective SEO technology stack might include tools for keyword research (Ahrefs, SEMrush), on-page SEO (Yoast), backlink analysis (SEMrush or Ahrefs), technical SEO (SEMrush), and local SEO (BrightLocal, Whitespark).

Reporting Schedule and Format

The frequency and format of reports depend on your specific needs and the complexity of your SEO campaigns. 

Monthly reporting is standard, but some businesses may benefit from weekly updates (only needed if you have a high traffic volume). Reports should be concise, visual, and focus on KPIs. 

They should highlight successes, identify areas for improvement, and outline future strategies.

Remember, the goal of SEO reporting isn't just to present data but to provide actionable insights that drive continuous improvement.

Your Next Steps:

Understanding Image Optimization

What exactly is image optimization?

Well, dear reader, image optimization is preparing your website's images to be search engine-friendly so they rank in Google within search results and on the Image tab and contribute to the overall page SEO (related post on all the different places you can rank in Google). 

Below is an example of images ranking on the Images tab for an important search phrase. 

Images are beneficial to your readers because they help usability. Images can display information like charts and graphs, or appealing graphics, but also help break up thick content so it’s easier to read. 

Image optimization is crucial in enhancing page load speed, directly impacting user experience and contributing to your overall SEO. Google wants a fast internet, and its SEO algorithms reward sites that load fast (you can read more about Google’s Core Web Vitals here, which are all about page speed).

With your image in place, it's time to wield the resizing magic. Locate the "Resize" button on the top right corner of your workspace – it's your gateway to unlocking new dimensions. Upon clicking, you're presented with various preset sizes and dimensions.

Whether you're optimizing for social media, a blog post, or a custom size, select the one that suits your needs. As you click your chosen dimensions, witness your image elegantly conform to its new proportions. 

A side note about image dimensions for placement in a blog post or web page - resize your image to the exact size of the space it will fill. If it’s too small or too large, the browser will resize the image before loading it, which slows page loading and hurts your page’s SEO.

Step 3: Download Your File

Locate the "File" button in your workspace's upper left corner, and click Download.

Step 4: Select which image format you wish to turn the image into under File Type (using JPG for this example)

From our experience, jpg is the format we use 90% of the time. It maintains the best quality while making the file the smallest overall size.  

Step 5: Adjust the quality slider to achieve a good balance

You will also notice a Quality slider before you download your image. It defaults to 80. 

Our experience has shown that jpg and Quality set to 80 is an ideal setting that minimizes file size while not sacrificing overall quality. But I recommend testing different levels of Quality with the slider and file types to find what works best.

Captions, Titles, and Image Descriptions: Adding Context and Flavor

Think of captions and titles as the captions beneath a piece of art in a gallery – they provide context. Captions benefit SEO and help the human visitor understand the image better. And the title often shows when a user mouses over an image.

Image descriptions will show if the image doesn’t show or load on the page so you know what was supposed to be there.  The Alt Text and Caption are the most important. The caption can be a bit more explanatory since it’s visible to users, but from there, you can use the exact text that you use in the alt text for the other image meta fields.

Page Speed Tools

Use Google's page speed tool to understand how your page is doing on speed. I would suggest testing a page before you optimize the images if it's an existing page, and then testing it after you have optimized the images. 

The below image shows that we could shave off a whopping 10.99 seconds of loading time by optimizing the images. That's a huge improvement. And we would save 2,198 KiB (2.2 mb) and 1,158 KiB (1.1 mb) off the first two images!!! 

Page Load Speed: Speeding Up Your Success

By reducing image file sizes, and compressing visuals, you're creating a better experience for users (fast page loads). Thus, search engines will reward you with better rankings, more clicks, and more impressions. Today’s internet is all about speed - it’s the currency of the online realm. Visitors won't wait for a slow-loading website; they'll simply move on to greener pastures. By harnessing the power of image optimization, you're not just enhancing page load speed – you're crafting an experience that keeps visitors engaged and eager to explore further.

Your Picture-Perfect SEO Journey Begins

In the dynamic world of SEO, image optimization is your secret weapon. By implementing the strategies we've discussed, you're setting your small business up for long-term success. Improved SEO, faster load times, and enhanced user experience await those who dare to embark on this journey. So, take a leap of faith, optimize those images, and watch your online presence flourish like never before. Here's to a picture-perfect strategy that will leave your competitors in awe!

Remember, your images are worth a thousand keywords and are about to speak volumes for your brand. Cheers to a brighter, optimized future!

Why Is This Important?

Because it allows to focus your ad spend on tactics that are working, and stop investing in advertising that is losing you money.

Each platform has its unique features and benefits. Some platforms are better suited to certain business types than others. 

And for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), advertising is a knee-jerk reaction, not something well planned out, and much of it is wasteful and ineffective for a number of different reasons. 

But here's how to answer that question for your business. 

How Do We Define "Worth It?"

First, I define a successful ad campaign as one that generates more cash for a business than it consumes.

If you run an ad in the paper that costs $500 but only 1 new person called you, and they only spent $200 on your products or services, that's ineffective advertising that consumed more cash than it generated for your business -- that serves nobody well (other than the advertising company you paid)!

In accounting, cash is king. And it should be for your business, too.

Cash is the lifeblood of any business, and running advertising campaigns that are cash flow drains will put you in the poor house!

Some might argue that even if it wasn't successful financially, you still created brand awareness, and you can't really measure the value of that too well.

There are times when you do want to create awareness and that's the main goal, but the majority of SMBs need the phone to ring, they need cash register to ring and cash to flow now, not brand awareness. 

The goal of Advertising is to Support Sales

Advertising should contribute positively to the financial results of a business.

It's important to hold your advertising accountable and make it pay for itself. You wouldn't keep an employee around that wasn't contributing, so don't keep advertising around that isn't contributing either.

So, to answer the question, is advertising worth it, we start the accountability process by building a simple profit blueprint to help us better understand how advertising affects our business.

The goal of this post is to provide a simple Profit Strategy Blueprint which you can use to measure the financial success of any ad campaign and decide for yourself if the advertising you're doing is worth it. You can build this model using Excel or Google Sheets.

Although the majority of my work these days is in Internet marketing, the examples I present below are with a Google Ads campaign, and then two direct mail campaigns.

However, you can use this model for any advertising you do to understand whether it's positively contributing to the financial success of your business.

Whether that is Internet advertising through Google Ads, or Yelp advertising, or any advertising where your goal is to drive sales. (Read our related post on the benefits of digital marketing vs traditional marketing and SEO for Traditional Marketing Agencies)

Build a Profit Strategy Blueprint

First, to build a profit strategy and to answer the question if advertising is worth it for your business, you need to be able to track the leads and/or sales from your campaigns. You can do this in various ways: through unique call tracking numbers, Google Analytics, overall sales measured at the P&L level, coupon redeeming, and more.

Digital Marketing Example - Google Ads:

Let's look at a Google Ads campaign for Spa that sells massage therapy. The goal of this campaign is to book new prospects for a 1-hour massage. 

The actual business type is not necessarily important, what is important is the process of measuring the effectiveness and the ability of the campaign to generate cash flow for the business.

For illustrative purposes, let's say you have allocated $1,500 per month in Google Ads spend. (read our post on, how much should you spend on Google Ads?). 

Through our unique call tracking number (unique call tracking numbers on the website, plus click-to-call metrics from the Google Ads campaign), we know how many people called the business or converted directly on the website.

So, let's see how this breaks down.

We have total ad spend in Google, we know the cost-per-lead (CPL), we know how many booked their appointments, and finally we know our average order per customer. 

In the table above, we assumed 10% of leads didn't show for the intro offer for a massage. So that leaves 135 that did. Let's look at that advertising math. 

A $1,500 investment in Google Ads produced $9,449 in sales of prospects receiving a 1-hour massage. 

But that's not all of it. Let's keep going. 

We need to focus on the net cash from fulfilling the sales and take into account the labor costs to produce those sales. 

For a licensed massage therapist, we assume that 50% of sales is labor for simplicity's sake. 

And then, we need to make marketing pay for itself, so we add in the $1,500 expense from Google.

Now we get this...

We've paid our employees, paid our advertising bill to Google, and we're left with over $3,000 in cash flow from this campaign. Not bad. So in this case, yes, advertising is worth it. 

And these campaign results are realistic and spot on. We have run these types of cash-flow profitable campaigns with Google Ads for years.  

Key Takeaways:

• Google Ads and SEO campaigns in Google typically produce the lowest cost per lead out of any advertising you will ever do
• The data is very transparent in Google. Clicks, impressions, and, most importantly, we have clear data on conversions and sales. 
• Your marketing budget will go further than with anything in traditional marketing

Traditional Marketing Example - Direct Mail Postcard:

So, let's compare a postcard campaign where each postcard costs $0.35 each and a more expensive direct mail piece that costs $1 each. The goal again is to answer the question, is advertising worth it?

Here's the total campaign cost: 

So, you can see the postcards is much less expensive, but the hope is that the more expensive direct mail pieces will produce better results.

Postcards are relatively inexpensive at a per-unit cost. The question you should ask is, will either produce positive cash to the business?

And will the more expensive direct mail piece garner that much more of a response to make the extra cost worthwhile?

For example, the more expensive direct mail piece could be variable data direct marketing letters printed on more expensive paper. 

In the direct response marketing world, personal letters from variable data generally have better response rates.

Stay with me here. Let's continue the analysis.

A response rate between 1% - 3% is reasonable, but this will obviously vary depending on the components of the piece, i.e. your offer, the CTA (call to action), a sense of urgency, effective headlines, your mail list, etc.

In our example, the Expensive Direct Mail Piece has produced twice as many leads or phone calls versus the postcard.

So next, let's calculate the sales of each advertising campaign.

If our average order size is $50 then we've achieved double the sales with the more expensive direct mail piece.

The question is, is adverting worth it? 

Let's drill down further and calculate our net sales, where we make the campaign pay for itself.

So, we can see right away in this particular case the net sales of the postcard were better, $750 versus $0.

But...

• Was it still worth it to run the postcard campaign with net sales of $750? 
• How did this affect the financials of our business?

To answer that question, we need to consider what it cost to produce those sales as we did above with the Google Ads campaign.

Let's assume labor is 50% of sales.

So back to our example, the numbers look are now negative cash flow.

In the postcard example, our total revenue was $2,500 and if COGS was 50% our gross profit would be $1,250.

So, our net sales are $750 after we paid for the campaign, but then subtracting the cost of sales (in the postcard example, 50%*$2,500) we are actually negative $500 ($750 - $1,250).

It's even worse with the Expensive Direct Mail Piece, which has put us in the hole a negative $2,500!

These data are important. 

If you stopped the analysis at the fourth chart which was calculating just your net sales you would have incorrectly concluded yes, the postcard campaign is worth it?

You may have assumed, the campaign paid for itself and generated positive cash flow, but the cost of sales expense makes this not such an attractive campaign.

Build a model like this for yourself.

Play around with the numbers to understand what milestones you must hit to make an advertising campaign successful.

So, is advertising worth it? 

In our example, yes, for the Google Ads campaign, and but not for the direct mail postcard advertising. We want advertising that produces positive cash flow.

The key is to understand which advertising campaigns are positively adding to the financial success of your company and making the campaigns accountable.

Questions? Have you tried this or something similar before?

If you want professional marketing help to grow sales and profit for your business, contact us now. We'd love to hear from you! 

Next Steps:

But look to the other side, and you'll see a new beast emerging from the digital jungle: modern marketing.

This creature is agile, adaptable, and hyper-focused on its prey. It thrives in the wild lands of social media, feeds on the abundant data of Google search, and moves swiftly on the shifting sands of mobile devices.

This seismic shift from traditional to digital isn't just a trend. It's a revolution, fueled by new technologies and changing consumer behaviors.

The rise of social media has given birth to influencers and viral campaigns. The ubiquity of mobile devices has made marketing an always-on, anywhere, anytime affair. And Google search? Well, that's turned the art of persuasion into a science, with data-driven insights guiding every decision.

So, buckle up, dear reader.

We're about to embark on a journey, exploring the nooks and crannies of this new marketing landscape. We'll delve into the differences between traditional and digital, uncover the reasons behind this shift, and reveal how you can harness the power of modern marketing to propel your business into the future. Hang tight, because it's going to be one heck of a ride!

Imagine stepping into a charming local bakery, where the smell of freshly baked bread wafts through the air and the friendly owner greets you by name. This isn't some corporate chain—it's a small, family-owned business that's been serving the community for generations. It's businesses like these that still swear by the power of traditional marketing methods. But why?

Take postcards, for instance.

They're simple, mostly affordable, and can be effective (albeit at a much higher cost per lead than digital tactics). When created correctly, a well-designed postcard can capture attention, convey a message, and evoke an emotional response. The bakery we mentioned earlier might send out postcards featuring a mouth-watering photo of their signature sourdough loaf and a heartfelt message about their family recipe.

Or consider tri-fold brochures. 

These compact marketing tools are relatively easy to create, easy to distribute, and packed with information. Our friendly bakery owner could use a brochure to showcase her full range of pastries, tell the story of how her grandmother started the business, and include a map showing the bakery's location in the heart of the community.

But perhaps the most powerful aspect of traditional marketing materials is their tangibility.

Something as simple as a printed brochure or postcard can feel special in our digital world.  When a customer holds a shiny postcard or looks at a fresh brochure, they are physically interacting with the brand..

A customer once told me that they felt naked without traditional marketing, primarily because you can't hold and feel digital marketing (but I guarantee your bank account prefers digital marketing).

For this reason, many business owners are most comfortable putting most of their ad spending into old-school marketing. But as I will discuss shortly, investments in traditional marketing are sacrificing sales, and, most importantly, profit versus digital marketing.

The most beautiful of canvases require the most skilled hands to bring them to life. A graphic designer to capture your brand essence in a visual symphony, a copywriter to weave words into a captivating narrative, and a photographer to snap the perfect shot of your product. These creative maestros don't work for pennies—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for graphic designers is $53,380 per year, while copywriters can command an average salary of $61,820.

Then comes the canvas itself. 

Whether it's a postcard, a brochure, or a print ad, each has its own price tag.

Postcards might seem inexpensive at first glance, but once you factor in design, printing, and distribution costs, the total can quickly skyrocket.

The same goes for brochures, which require not just design and copy, but also high-quality paper and printing—a single run can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

And let's not forget about print ads.

A full-page ad in a national newspaper can cost upwards of $100,000, according to FitSmallBusiness. Add in the cost of hiring a top-notch designer and copywriter, and you're looking at a hefty sum.

Even the biggest brands aren't immune to these costs.

In 2019, Apple spent a staggering $1.8 billion on advertising, according to the New York Times. That's a mind-boggling amount of money, all poured into traditional marketing channels to keep the brand front and center in consumers' minds.

Today's businesses aren't just dipping their toes into this digital ocean—they're diving in headfirst.

They're using these channels - Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube - to shout their brand stories from the virtual rooftops, to make their products shine brighter than a thousand suns, and to reach out and touch their customers, no matter where they are.

But why?

Why have more and more businesses moved away from the familiar terrain of traditional marketing to chart a course through digital waters?

The answer is as simple as it is powerful: because digital marketing works.

It's more cost-efficient, reaching more people for less money. 

No more shouting into the void; this marketing speaks directly to the heart.

Where Companies Are Spending Their Ad Budgets

An eMarketer study found that US digital ad spending surpassed traditional ad spending for the first time in 2019, reaching $129.34 billion. And that gap has only widened since 2019.

And in July of 2023, a survey of CMOs uncovered that digital spending grew by 8% while traditional marketing spending decreased by 8%. 

Moreover, digital marketing allows businesses to target their audiences with laser precision. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, they can zero in on their ideal customer—right down to their age, location, interests, and buying behavior—and tailor their messages accordingly.

Let's take a closer look at this compass, shall we?

Gone are the days of wasteful traditional marketing. 

Instead, behold the raw power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It's like a lighthouse in the foggy night, guiding lost customers straight to your shores. 

Ninety-three percent (93%) of all search traffic goes through Google. There are 8.5 billion searches per day on Google. And it's the first place many customers go for information.

But not only does Google own search, but it is also the number one maps app for navigating anywhere by car or foot. It has the number one website analytics app in Google Analytics installed on almost every website. And it has the number one browser - Chrome. What this means is that Google has the ability to send your ideal customer to you in droves through SEO or ads. 

Then, let's talk about Google Ads. 

Google Ads can easily tap into your ideal audience through search ads, YouTube ads, and display ads. And these are potential prospects that are pre-qualified leads. In the case of search ads, we know they are interested in our products or service because they typed in keywords of what they were looking for - no other channel provides a flow of customers quite like this. 

Then there's marketing automation.

With marketing automation, you can send personalized messages, nurture leads, and convert them into customers—all without lifting a finger. Invesp reports that 80% of companies using marketing automation saw an increase in leads, and 77% had an increase in conversion rate (the percentage of leads that convert to paying customers). It's like having the wind always at your back.

And let's not forget social media.

Facebook and Instagram are the 800-pound gorillas. More people use Meta's apps by a large margin over any other social platforms. Facebook's unique ad platform can send volumes of your ideal customers your way. It's ad platform is unmatched in targeting customers based on likes, behaviors, and other bottom-of-the-funnel signals. 

The digital revolution is here, transforming every industry landscape. Those who seize these new tools are catching the trade winds, while those clinging to old ways risk being marooned and sacrificing sales and profit.

Social Media Ads: Facebook & Instagram

Let's start with Facebook and Instagram Ads. These platforms are known for their extensive user base and sophisticated targeting options.

These platforms collectively host billions of users, and the cost per impression is significantly lower than traditional advertising mediums.

Google Search: SEO & Google Ads

Google Search is a powerful tool that leverages user intent.

With SEO services costing anywhere from $500-$20,000+ per month, businesses have the chance to rank high on search results organically.

On the other hand, Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, costs about 10-20% of monthly ad spend. The beauty of Google Ads lies in its ability to reach customers precisely when they're looking for what you offer.

Email Marketing:

Email marketing is another cost-efficient digital marketing strategy. While specific costs can vary based on the size of your email list and the platform used, it's known for its impressive ROI. In fact, every $1 spent on email marketing typically generates about $38 in ROI!!

Marketing Automation:

Finally, there's marketing automation—a highly efficient method of managing marketing processes and campaigns across multiple channels. While the cost of marketing automation tools can vary depending on the features, complexity, and scale of your campaigns, companies using marketing automation see significant increases in leads, sales, and profit.

Here are some statistics about its effectiveness:

1. Using marketing automation software can increase qualified leads by as much as 451% (source)
2. 80% of businesses state that marketing automation increases their lead generation (source)

Price Comparison With Traditional Marketing:

In comparison, traditional advertising methods such as TV commercials, print ads, direct mail, and billboards come with hefty price tags and offer less precise targeting and higher costs.

Moreover, measuring the effectiveness of these traditional methods can be challenging.

Overall, digital marketing proves to be more cost-effective and offers a higher return on investment, better audience targeting, and detailed analytics. Businesses can save significantly and achieve better results by choosing and combining different digital platforms based on your product type and target audience.

Below is a chart of a year-and-half of cost per lead tracking for 3 channels for a retail services company with 30 locations: 

• SEO/Organic in Google (blue line)
• Google Ads (red line)
• Direct Mail (green line)

Print is exponentially more expensive compared to digital marketing - not even close in comparison. If this doesn't make you shift your marketing focus and budget, I'm unsure what will. 

Also, in a separate study, we found that leads from SEO and Google converted at a 50% higher rate to paying customers than from traditional marketing channels. But this makes sense, right?

As I mentioned above, leads coming from Google are pre-qualified - they are actively searching for what you have. Traditional marketing is interupt marketing - interrupting people in whatever they are doing to pique their interest. And this is why the cost per lead is so much higher using traditional marketing. 

Digital marketing is a multifaceted strategy encompassing various tactics such as:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Content marketing
• Pay-per-click advertising, and more. 

The goal is to engage with your audience where they spend most of their time—online.

One of the main advantages of digital marketing over traditional methods is cost efficiency. A report by Gartner’s Digital Marketing Spend Report highlighted that up to 40% of respondents claimed to get considerable savings by using digital marketing methods for their products and services.

Digital marketing also enables businesses to reach a global audience. 

For instance, an SEO-optimized website can reach anyone with internet access, regardless of their geographical location. A perfect example of this is Airbnb, which started as a small startup in San Francisco and used digital marketing to grow its presence. Today, it operates in over 220 countries.

Example of Reach Through SEO

And a more personal experience, in the early 2000s, my wife and started a furniture and home decor store in Poway, CA. It was tiny to start - 1,500 square feet.

But with the website we built and a focus on early SEO strategies, we gained national exposure in the search engines from people looking for what we had to offer. We got requests for orders from around the country. It was then, we went from being a small hyper-local store to having national distribution. 

Moreover, digital marketing offers the advantage of highly personalized communication. A compelling example of this is Warby Parker, a small to medium-sized eyewear business. They have effectively used digital marketing to tailor customer experiences. By leveraging past purchases and browsing behaviors, Warby Parker provides personalized recommendations for glasses frames that align with customers' style preferences and purchase history. 

Finally, let's talk about marketing automation—an advanced digital marketing technique that automates repetitive tasks such as emails, social media posts, SMS messages, and other website actions. It not only saves time and effort but also increases efficiency and ROI. 

Specific tools used for successful marketing automation include Keap, HubSpot, Marketo, and MailChimp. These platforms offer features such as email automation, CRM integration, and analytics. Here's a more in-depth post with examples on how marketing automation combined with lead magnets can help you scale your leads. 

Traditional marketing still has its place in the right situations. And if you're going to use traditional marketing, make sure to integrate it into digital. This harmonious mix can help you reach potential customers more effectively, engaging them at multiple offline and online touchpoints, and improving your ROI.

Let's picture this: 

You've got an attractive sign outside your local store—classic traditional marketing.

Now, imagine adding a QR code to that sign, which, when scanned, leads consumers to a customized landing page or an engaging email newsletter sign-up. 

An additional example would be a table tent placed on dining tables at a restaurant. Perhaps you have a giveaway they can enter to win a free dinner. They scan the QR code on the table tent and go to a customized landing page to enter. 

This is the magic of integrating digital marketing into your traditional marketing - you're bridging the gap and extending the life of your traditional marketing into the digital space.

By placing QR codes on your traditional marketing materials—be it flyers, posters, or billboards—you can effortlessly guide traffic to this digital platform. And after the Covid pandemic, people are much more comfortable using QR codes. 

You can also do this with a vanity URL that is redirected to a landing page as well with UTM parameters in the redirect so you can track in Google Analytics how many people used the vanity URL from your other marketing materials. 

In essence, traditional and digital marketing marriage can create a potent mix that drives customer engagement and boosts your business's outreach. 

Summary

And so, we find ourselves at the crossroads of marketing tradition and digital innovation.

At every step of your customer's journey, digital marketing provides more effective solutions when compared to traditional.

Not only does digital marketing catch your prospects where they are, but it combines it with customer intent (people that are actively searching or ready to buy now) to provide marketing that delivers a consistent flow of leads and sales at the lowest cost.

Are you ready to start your digital marketing journey? 

With 'Digital Dynamo' by your side, there's no limit to what you can achieve. Click here to learn more and begin your adventure today. Remember, the future waits for no one. Seize it now, and let's make marketing history together!

Before we really go in depth here, let's get a basic understanding of some of these tools. 

These AI tools are software applications powered by artificial intelligence that help users create content (e.g., website pages or blog pages, social posts, ads, email newsletters) much more efficiently. Using AI to produce this content is referred to as generative AI. It’s primary purpose when used in a marketing context is to improve efficiency to make you more productive, enhance data analysis, and drive meaningful engagement with target audiences.

Benefits of Using AI for Your Content

These AI content tools enable small to medium businesses to produce high-quality content that captivates audiences, drives organic Google traffic, and ultimately grows leads, sales, and profits.

Two Generative AI Tools You Can Use Now

ChatGPT (free): Transforming Content Creation

One of the most powerful AI tools for content creation is ChatGPT. Powered by OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model (4.0 is now out but often it defaults to 3.5). ChatGPT has the ability to understand and generate human-like text. Businesses looking to enhance their marketing content can harness its capabilities to streamline their content creation process.

For example, marketers can collaborate with an AI-powered assistant to brainstorm ideas, overcome writer's block, and refine content. By simply providing prompts or questions, ChatGPT generates responses that can serve as a starting point or inspiration for engaging and relevant content.

How ChatGPT Assists in Generating Engaging and Relevant Content

Idea Generation: By feeding it relevant keywords or topics, the tool can suggest different angles, perspectives, or subtopics to explore.

Content Expansion: Sometimes, marketers need assistance in expanding on their existing content or filling in gaps. ChatGPT can provide detailed explanations, examples, supporting stories, or supporting arguments, helping marketers enrich their content and provide more value to their audience.

Writing Assistance: ChatGPT can offer suggestions to improve the flow, structure, and clarity of the content. It can provide alternative word choices, sentence restructuring, or even help with introductions and conclusions, enabling marketers to craft polished and compelling pieces.

Examples of Successful Content Created Using ChatGPT

Jasper: Enhancing Content Quality (paid tool)

Jasper is another effective generative AI tool that can help you scale your content production. It’s more robust and offers marketers more features. But Jasper is paid too, and for good reason. 

While Jasper has AI chat similar to ChatGPT, it offers pre-made AI prompts to help. Here’s an example of some of the other features it has that ChatGPT doesn’t (remember, ChatGPT is on only chat).

Another feature of Jasper is that it can be taught your company's brand voice, making all the content you make with it stick to your company's voice and style. This can shave time off of your editing, after all these tools are great but the human element is still always necessary. 

AI prompt engineering is the process of crafting precise and well-structured instructions or queries given to AI models to generate specific outputs. Just like asking the right questions to get the right answers, prompt engineering ensures that AI tools understand the intended purpose and context of the task. By providing clear guidance and context, businesses can customize AI outputs to align with their marketing objectives and brand identity.

While AI marketing tools offer numerous benefits, one of their greatest strengths lies in their high customizability, especially when it comes to prompt engineering. Think of it as being a college professor – you ask the right questions to get the right answers.

Prompt engineering empowers marketers to tailor AI models to their specific needs and objectives. But most importantly, squeeze out of AI exactly what the user needs. 

By crafting precise and well-structured prompts, businesses can guide AI tools to generate content that aligns perfectly with their brand identity and marketing strategy. This customization ensures that AI-generated outputs are not only accurate but also highly relevant to the intended audience.

Here is an example:

Let's say you are a Massage and Spa company, and you need to make new Facebook posts on a new special. If you put in something like "make me 3 social media posts, I’ma massage and spa company" you're going to get content like this:

Not too bad but it is pretty basic huh?

If you put in a basic prompt, you are going to get basic content. But the more effort you put into the content the better it will be. Thankfully learning how to create better prompts is not too hard, just try to follow these steps:

So, using the example from before and using these steps lets improve on the basic prompt:

See how much better and professional that prompt is? 

Here’s three examples that demonstrate how better AI prompts generates more effective outputs:

Example 1:

Example 2: 

Example 3:

Notice the difference in Chat’s output using that more detailed prompt? You can get extraordinarily better content out of these programs with a very small amount of effort!

Bottom line, being able to give the programs adequate prompts is pivotal for high-quality AI content that sounds natural and spot-on for your audience. You still need a good marketing mind though to start the process. All of this content creation is no good if you don't have quality research and intent behind it.

So, you're ready to dive into the world of AI-generated marketing content. Let's walk through the content workflow that'll help you seamlessly integrate AI tools into your content creation strategy. For the first workflow example let's assume you're using AI to help you write Blog content for an Italian Restaurant.

It's all about working smart and efficiently. 

Here's how it goes:

Step 1: Planning and Strategy

First things first, let's set clear objectives and define who we're targeting. Know your audience inside out and identify the topics and messaging that'll resonate with them. Once that's done, it's time to pick the perfect AI tools that'll support your content creation process like a true partner. 

Step 2: Use AI to Help You Brainstorm Headlines

Let's fire up that AI tool and get those brainstorming gears turning! AI is great when it comes to generating headlines that capture a reader’s attention and sell more of what you have to offer. Just feed it some keywords or topic ideas, and bam! You'll have a list of headline gems ready to grab your readers' attention. It's like having a brainstorming buddy that never runs out of awesome ideas. Once you’ve picked one, you’re comfortable with, move to the next step.

Step 3: Use Those Headlines for an Outline

Now that we've got those headlines, let's use them as the backbone of our content. Let the AI take those amazing headlines and create a rock-solid outline. It's like having a content architect that knows exactly how to structure your masterpiece. With the AI's guidance, we'll have a roadmap to guide us through the content creation process.

Step 4: Have the AI Write Content Based Off the Outline

It's the moment we've all been waiting for. 

We'll hand over that outline to our AI and let it start weaving its magic into content. We have noticed the absolute best way to do this with Chat AI is to give the program each section of the outline one at a time. Start with the introduction, then to the second point, ect, ect.

Step 5: Human Review and Editing

Once you have the entire Blog, its time to review and edit it. Remember, AI is amazing, but it's always a good idea to edit the work it produces. Put your personal touch on it, add any missing context, and ensure it reflects your brand voice. This step ensures that your content is top-notch and resonates with your audience.

Step 6: Optimization

You're almost there! Give your content one last polish. 

Fine-tune it, optimize it for SEO, and add photos. Check for any final tweaks, adjust where needed, and make sure it's primed and ready for the world to see.

With this content workflow, you'll be generating marketing content like a pro.

 But what if you're not just doing Blog posts? 

AI Content Workflow for Email Campaign 

There are paid AI services out there that will actually fully automate email campaigns for you but for this example let's stick with the restaurant and again just go over the workflow for having ChatGPT help with content. You will want to use a lot of the same concepts for the blog workflow, don’t just try to do it all in one prompt break it up:

Step 1: Personalized Subject Lines

Start by feeding ChatGPT some key information about your audience and campaign goals. Let the AI work its magic to generate a variety of attention-grabbing subject line ideas. Choose the one that aligns best with your campaign objectives and resonates with your target audience.

Step 2: Compelling Email Introductions

Crafting captivating email introductions is essential to hook your readers from the start. Share the essence of your message with ChatGPT, and it will help you compose compelling and personalized introductions that captivate your audience's interest, encouraging them to read further.

Step 3: Engaging Body Content

With your email introduction set, leverage ChatGPT to expand on your ideas and provide valuable information to your readers. Whether it's product updates, promotional offers, or informative content, the AI can assist in generating engaging email content that keeps your audience hooked.

Step 4: Call-to-Action (CTA) Optimization

A strong CTA can significantly impact your email's conversion rates. Provide ChatGPT with the necessary details, and it will help you experiment with different CTAs. Fine-tune the wording, tone, and placement to create a compelling CTA that encourages your readers to take action.

Step 5 and 6 is the same as the blog workflow. Always remember, AI is your ally, but your creativity and human touch are what make your content truly exceptional.

A True Improvement in Efficiency and Time Management

By leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper, small businesses can revolutionize their content creation by shaving tons of time while still enhancing the content’s quality. You still need the human element, and it is not yet advanced enough to do quality research. It is just a fact that it will never know all the ins and outs of the industry like a good agency like us do. With that being said, it is becoming more and more clear that these tools are becoming essential for saving businesses time and money.

You guessed it - Yelp!

Those star ratings and reviews can make or break your business, turning potential customers into loyal fans or sending them running for the hills. So sit tight because in just the next few minutes, we'll dive into the rollercoaster world of Yelp reviews and how to handle them like a champ!

Understanding Concerns about Negative Yelp Reviews

Let's face it, negative Yelp reviews can send chills down any business owner's spine. And why wouldn't they? Your reputation is on the line, and in the age of the internet, word spreads faster than wildfire.

Prospects Read Reviews Before Buying

Look at the table below for search terms for a website that sells direct-to-consumer dental mouthguards. People are searching for reviews about this business. And they are searching for review for your business, too.

But the common worries that plague businesses regarding negative Yelp reviews are many and varied. Some fear the potential loss of customers, others dread the damage to their online reputation. There's also the worry about a single negative review tarnishing years of hard work and dedication. And let's not forget the concern that competitors may be behind those scathing reviews (more about how to report a fake review in a bit).

But here's the real kicker: 

The ramifications of NOT addressing these concerns can be far more damaging. Ignoring negative reviews doesn't make them disappear; it simply makes your business appear indifferent to customer feedback.

A bad review left unanswered can create a snowball effect, deterring potential customers who might think you don't care about their experiences.

In the end, it's not just about the negative review itself, but how you handle it that counts.

So, instead of losing sleep over those one-star ratings, let's roll up our sleeves and turn them into opportunities for growth and improvement. It's time to embrace the challenge head-on!

How to Get Bad Yelp Reviews Removed

The semi-bad news is that regardless of whether or not you’re a Yelp advertising customer or not, the only way you can get rid of bad Yelp reviews is if the review itself is inappropriate and violates the Yelp TOS (terms of service), in which case you can report the review to Yelp and it will be reviewed for possible removal.

Here’s the actual process…

Reporting a Review on Yelp for Takedown

Not all reviews are created equal, and sometimes, they may violate Yelp's Content Guidelines. If you come across a review that seems inappropriate or fake, you can report it to Yelp for possible removal.

Here's what constitutes a violation of Yelp's guidelines (you can read more about Yelps guidelines here):

If you have a review violating these guidelines on your Yelp profile, follow these steps to report it (you will have to have claimed your page and logged in to report it):

After you report a review, Yelp's moderators will evaluate it against their guidelines. If it's found to be in violation, it may be removed. But often, they leave reviews in place. 

So what can you do if Yelp refuses to take down a bad review?

Other Actions You Should Take

When crafting your response, keep these guidelines in mind:

Example

Now, let's look at a case study that perfectly illustrates the power of an appropriate response. 

A local café received a scathing review about their slow service during peak hours.

Instead of ignoring the review, the café owner responded promptly. He apologized for the long wait, explained that they were short-staffed that day, and invited the reviewer back for a complimentary meal. This response showed their commitment to customer satisfaction, transparency, and willingness to accept responsibility.

The result? 

The disgruntled customer revised their review, praising the café for their excellent customer service, and became a regular patron.

Remember, a negative review isn't the end of the world. It's how you respond that counts!

Use AI Chat to Write Review Replies

In the fast-paced world of online reviews, responding swiftly and effectively is essential. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) chat can come into play, helping you craft professional, personalized responses in a timely manner. You can use any number of free AI Chat services, including Chat GPT. 

Example Prompts You Can Use for AI Chat (i.e., Chat GPT):

Using AI chat to craft professional responses to negative reviews can be as simple as providing the right prompts. Here are a few examples and explanations on how to guide the AI in adopting your preferred tone and style.

Example 1:

Prompt: "AI, draft a response to this negative review: 'The service at your restaurant was extremely slow, and the food was cold when it arrived.' Please write in a polite and empathetic tone."

By specifying the tone as "polite and empathetic," you're instructing the AI to approach the situation with understanding and respect, while remaining professional.

Example 2:

Prompt: "AI, respond to this negative review: 'Your product broke within a week of purchase.' Write in a confident and solution-oriented style."

In this case, you're asking the AI to exude confidence in addressing the issue, focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on the problem.

Example 3:

Prompt: "AI, craft a response to this review: 'I found your staff to be rude and unhelpful.' Use a sincere and apologetic tone."

Here, you're directing the AI to acknowledge the customer's dissatisfaction and offer an apology, conveying sincerity in the response.

Remember, the key is to be explicit about the tone and style you want the AI to adopt in its response. This will help ensure that the AI's output aligns with your brand's voice and values, while effectively addressing the customer's concerns.

Benefits of using AI Chat:

Limitations when using AI Chat to write your responses:

Best Practices:

AI chat can be a valuable tool for managing your Yelp reviews, but remember, it's a tool, not a replacement for genuine, human interaction. Use it to assist and enhance your response efforts, but always keep the human touch front and center.

A final word of caution about requesting reviews.

Yelp's heavy-handed algorithm buries many reviews that never see the light of day. Nobody knows precisely what this algorithm is looking for, but I do know if reviews are unnatural, they will be hidden and not shown. 

For example, if too many reviews come in too quickly or at a pace that is unnatural, they will likely be flagged and not shown.

If Yelp can't confirm if the person actually was at the location, the review might not be shown.

There are hundreds of reasons why reviews will not be shown. So, proceed with caution and at your own risk of encouraging reviews. Often the best course of action is to ensure you have great customer service and a great product to start with. And use your reviews as feedback to improve. 

Let me know what your experience has been with Yelp reviews in the comments below.

Below this line chart in Google Trends is a section for Related Queries.

Let's say the owner notices there's a growing trend for "microneedling" after searching “Chemical peels.”  They now have valuable insight that they can capitalize on.

Here’s what that looks like in Google Trends - you can see the breakout topic of “how much is microneedling.” And additional terms that are growing significantly in interest as well. 

The primary benefit here is the ability to make data-driven decisions.

The med spa owner could decide to promote mirconeedling treatments more heavily or even create a special offer around this service, knowing that there's growing interest in it.

By using these insights, your business can ensure it offers the treatments that customers are actively interested in, increasing the likelihood of booking appointments.

Additionally, the med spa owner can create content around "how much is microneedling" - blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, etc., which can improve med spa SEO efforts and drive more organic traffic to their website.

Keep in mind the following:

Firstly, trends can change quickly. What's popular today might not be popular in a few months. So, there's a risk that if the spa invests heavily in promoting a specific treatment, the interest may wane.

Secondly, Google Trends provides an overview of search interest but doesn't provide specific numbers or volumes. So, while it's helpful for spotting trends, it shouldn't be the only tool used for making significant business decisions. But it gives us a great place to start.

As they explore Google Trends, they might notice rising interest in a related query like "vegan cake mix," as shown below. The search phrase, vegan cake mix, has seen a 250% increase in interest! This represents a new keyword that perhaps the owner hadn't previously considered.

Moreover, they could create specific marketing campaigns or special offers around "vegan birthday cakes," knowing there's growing interest in this area. This could lead to increased sales and customer engagement.

There are several trends here that are apparent. 

First, peak interest is in the summer months of June - August. Then, from later summer into the fall, interest drops to its lowest point each year (represented by the red arrows). Then interest picks up again in the late fall and grows every month until the following summer. This cycle happens like clockwork every year. (Related posts here on Google Ads for beauty salons and Facebook Ads for Beauty Salons)

The Covid year stands out here as that big drop, but we can discount that as an anomaly. 

How Can I Use A Chart Like This for Better Decision Making?

Limitations of Using Google Trends

While Google Trends is a valuable resource, its insights should be used in conjunction with other tools and data for a complete understanding of market trends and customer behavior.

Summary

Overall, use Google Trends as a regular tool in your marketing toolchest. I use it daily and find it invaluable for providing broad direction and ideas around topics.

Like a crystal ball revealing the consumer's mind, Google Trends grants you backstage access to what's hot and what's next.

So, my entrepreneurial compadres, seize this golden insight to outpace competitors, align marketing campaigns to upcoming trends, optimize web content, and forge deep connections through relevance. 

Onward!

Content Marketing and SEO are two essential components of a successful digital marketing strategy for small and medium businesses. A Content Marketing strategy helps businesses increase brand exposure, build customer relationships, and generate leads, sales, and, most importantly, more profit.

Prefer to watch a video of this content? Just click below.

Increased Brand Exposure 

By creating valuable, informative, and engaging content optimized for search engines, your business can increase its visibility to potential customers. Your content can be shared on social media, forums, or other online platforms where your target audience spends time. This increases the chances of reaching more people, positions your business as an authority in the industry, and improves brand recognition.

Building Customer Relationships 

A well-crafted Content Marketing strategy helps you build stronger relationships with your existing customers and attract new ones. 

You will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by producing and sharing personalized content that addresses your customers’ needs, pain points, concerns, and interests.

This results in:

Additionally, by sharing new content, you will grow engagement with customers through comments, social media, or email, which leads to more trust and improved customer retention.

Generating Leads 

Creating high-quality content optimized for search engines attracts potential customers searching for your products or services. 

And by including clear calls-to-action (CTAs) in your content, such as signing up for a newsletter or downloading a helpful PDF document, you can capture these leads and nurture them through emails and text messages until they are ready to purchase (using marketing automation). Over time, this leads to increased revenue and growth for your business.

And developing a Content Marketing strategy optimized for search engines through SEO strategies will significantly impact the success of your small and medium business. By increasing brand exposure, building customer relationships, and generating leads, businesses can grow their customer base, improve customer satisfaction, and increase revenue and profit.

The Role of SEO in Content Marketing

In the world of digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Content Marketing are two sides of the same coin. SEO is critical in Content Marketing by ensuring your content is found and ranks highly within Google and Google Maps. 

The Definition of SEO 

SEO is the practice of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords. SEO aims to improve the quality and quantity of traffic to your website from organic search engines like Google and Bing. But let’s be honest, it’s all about ranking in Google as Big G has 93% of ALL search traffic. (A related post here on What is Local SEO.

How SEO and Content Marketing Go Hand-in-Hand 

SEO and Content Marketing work together to achieve the same goal: driving qualified traffic to your website. 

Without SEO, potential customers searching for relevant information through Google or other search engines may never find your content. 

And, without high-quality, informative, and helpful content, your SEO efforts may be in vain since visitors will quickly leave your site if they don't find what they're looking for.

Creating high-quality content optimized for search engines will attract more visitors to your website, engage them with valuable information, and increase the likelihood of conversion. 

And by producing content about valuable topics with targeted keywords, optimizing meta tags, and improving website structure, you will improve your chances of ranking higher within Google’s search results and reaching a much wider audience.

Benefits of Optimizing Content for Search Engines 

Diversifying Your Content Distribution Channels

Creating high-quality content is only half the equation for a successful Content Marketing strategy. 

The other half is ensuring that your content reaches your target audience where they are. Diversifying your content distribution channels is crucial for small and medium businesses. 

The Importance of Reaching Your Target Audience Where They Are 

Reaching your target audience where they hang out online is critical to the success of your Content Marketing strategy. You want to avoid pushing content out in channels your target audience is not using. 

How Do I Identify the Platforms, Channels, and Formats Your Customers Prefer?

Overview of Different Distribution Channels 

There are many channels that your business can use to distribute its content. Here are a few to consider. Your list will vary depending on your business and who you’re trying to reach. 

Social media marketing is one of the most common channels, as it allows businesses to reach a large and diverse audience through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 

Email campaigns are another highly effective channel, allowing businesses to deliver targeted, personalized content directly to their subscribers' inboxes. And by utilizing marketing automation and lead nurturing, you can skyrocket lead generation. And most importantly, email has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing channel.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, like Google Ads, is another option, allowing businesses to promote their content to a specific audience based on factors like demographics, interests, search keywords, and search history.

Best practices for Effective Distribution and Engagement

To effectively distribute your content and maximize engagement, it's essential to follow some best practices. 

Examples of Businesses Successfully Using Content Marketing and SEO

Except for the Kids Are Great Cooks example, these are large companies with significant sales. But don’t let that discourage you if you’re a smaller company. You can take parts of any of these companies' strategies and implement them at a much smaller local level. 

Lessons Learned from These Examples 

These success stories offer several critical lessons for small and medium businesses looking to implement Content Marketing and SEO strategies. 

Developing a Successful Content Marketing Strategy

Developing a successful Content Marketing strategy requires careful planning, execution, and measurement. Here are some key steps to consider when building your strategy:

• Content management systems like WordPress
• Social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer
• Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or a marketing automation platform like Keap
• Analytics tools like Google Analytics (GA4) which is free

Using these tools, you can create, distribute, and track your content across multiple channels and measure the impact of your efforts.

Final Actionable Thoughts and Takeaways

Alright, business owners, listen up!

Here are the key takeaways for your business:

It's time to start creating high-quality, personalized content that speaks directly to the needs of your target audience. By optimizing your content for search engines and promoting it through multiple channels, you can increase your visibility, attract more traffic, improve engagement, and drive conversions.

If you're not already implementing a Content Marketing and SEO strategy, you're leaving money on the table! These two marketing tactics are essential for driving traffic to your website, building brand recognition, and ultimately generating more sales.

In conclusion, if you're serious about growing your business and beating your competition, it's time to start implementing a killer Content Marketing and SEO strategy. Don't be left behind - take action now and watch your business soar to new heights!

Your Next Steps

Prefer to watch a video instead?

Why This Strategy Is Essential

First, let’s start with the facts about your website traffic. 

It’s a fact that the MAJORITY of your website visitors do NOT convert to paying customers on a first visit regardless of how they got to your website (i.e. Google search, link in an email, social media, etc). This is not your fault, it’s just consumer behavior. 

People don’t convert on a first visit to your website for various reasons - they were interrupted, they need to do more research, consult with a significant other, and dozens of other reasons. And the timeframe from a prospect’s first interaction with you to the time they purchase is called the sales cycle. Each industry is unique from this standpoint. Some sales cycles last a day, others are months long. 

So, what do we do? Let these site visitors leave, never to be seen again?

No! 

That’s where this strategy comes into play. Our goal is to convert as many as possible of your website visitors who left without buying, calling you, or submitting a form. 

And here’s how we do it…

Examples of Successful Lead Magnets in Various Industries

The ideas for lead magnets are almost endless. 

Here’s an example of a lead magnet on my own site:

On the right-hand side, I provide a “Download Now” button to receive this free Workbook. When someone clicks the button, the below popup shows. 

After someone enters their first name and email, we automatically send them the pdf guide. 

And at this point, we’ve got something in their hands that they wanted and is valuable. We’ve built trust and started a relationship with them. So now we need to continue to deliver value to them over time and work on converting them to a paying customer. 

What Is An Ideal Lead Magnet for My Customers?

To determine the best format for your lead magnet, consider your objective, target audience, and niche focus. Here are a few popular formats:

Step-by-Step Process to Creating an Effective Lead Magnet

Now you could stop right here with your lead magnet. We’re certainly better off now than we were without any lead magnets or lead generation tactics. And certainly, you will close more sales now. 

But to seal the deal over the entire sales cycle timeframe and skyrocket leads and sales, you must move to lead nurturing. 

Stay with me here…

It's crucial because it helps you maintain engagement with leads who aren't yet ready to make a purchase, preventing them from slipping away or turning to your competitors.

And a lack of lead nurturing can result in lost opportunities and wasted marketing efforts, as valuable leads may not convert into customers if they don't receive the right information and support at the right time.

What Are the Key Components of an Effective Lead Nurturing Sequence?

Lead nurturing typically takes the form of emails and/or text messages that deliver more valuable content over time. Some of these sequences can go on for weeks. Here are a couple of examples for you. 

Lead Nurturing Example #1

A 16-day email lead nurturing sequence. This sequence was for a giveaway that people entered via a form on the website. After they provided their information in a form on the website, we delivered a series of valuable emails. What the chart below shows is alternating time delays (green circles), followed by an email (green squares). In this lead nurturing sequences we delivered 6 emails over 16 days. 

So at this point, we have significantly increased the likelihood that we’ll convert some of these website visitors to paying customers. 

Lead Nurturing Example #2

Here’s another example of a lead nurture sequence that is 120 days (17 weeks) long! A continuous feed of helpful content that addresses the prospect’s pain points and needs. 

This sequence is for a mortgage broker who captures leads from a downloadable PDF guide on his landing page - all the leads are funneled into this sequence of emails dripped over time. 

Each email delivers valuable information for mortgage buyers and helps them with a pain point or need. At the same time, in each email, there are options to convert these leads into paying customers. So while we’re delivering valuable content that the prospect needs, we also make sure to include appointment links, links back to the website, click-to-call phone numbers, and more. 

What to avoid in lead nurturing sequences: What you don't want to do is pitch your services constantly. Nobody wants to be sold. Strive first to provide value, then the selling and closing becomes easier. 

Without these lead nurturing sequences, chances are high that we’d never hear from most of these prospects again. But now we have them. Now, we need to build rapport, trust and deliver value to them with lead nurturing. 

And it is this area where most businesses bleed lost sales. They focus on traffic strategies with Google Ads, Social Media, and other traffic-generating strategies, but do nothing to capture leads from this traffic and build relationships. 

Apps and Technology You Will Need

Opt-ins for Capturing Contact Information:

If your website is on WordPress, there are many optin plugins. Two that come to mind are Optin Monster and Thrive Leads. I have used both and both are tools I highly recommend. 

Lead Nurturing - Marketing Automation Solutions

Here's a list of marketing automation platforms that are well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses, ranging from simple email platforms to more advanced and robust solutions. I have used a couple of these and the rest I’ve known about for some time.

Advanced and Robust Platforms:

More Simple, Less Robust Platforms:

Summary

In conclusion, implementing these unstoppable lead-generation techniques and utilizing lead nurturing, you can significantly boost your growth and success.

By carefully selecting the right tools and strategies, you'll be able to engage your target audience, nurture leads, and convert them into loyal customers.

Your Next Steps

This might be interesting for branding, but this is a horrible landing page for reasons we’ll discuss below. This page has very poor alignment with the ad for hair services and what the landing page offers. 

Remember this with advertising, friends: the first goal is always to sell and maximize profit, not to brand. The Internet is a direct response advertising medium. People are goal-oriented on the web and seek to accomplish a goal, not leisurely browse. 

Prefer to watch a video? Click Below.

Now, let us venture further into the realm of landing pages that align with Google search ads - this is where true conversion magic awaits. These powerful strategies hold the key to unlocking unparalleled conversion rates, trumping the mere redirection of users to a homepage. 

For landing pages, we must create a seamless user experience, crafting pages that not only enthrall but also align perfectly with the ad that brought them there. Imagine a seamless transition that leaves your prospects in awe, eager to take the next step toward conversion. Where every hesitation to buy your product or service is removed by your landing page.

Why is landing page alignment essential for Google Ads campaigns?

Landing page alignment is important for Google Ads campaigns because it ensures that users who click on your ads are directed to a highly relevant and informative landing page that fulfills their search intent. This leads to a better user experience and increased likelihood of converting users into customers, which all leads to more sales, increased profit, and better margins.

Matching your landing page to your ads is crucial for maximizing conversions.

The Role of Landing Pages in Conversion Rate Optimization

Landing pages are designed to deliver a clear and concise message to the user, encouraging them to take a specific action. Landing pages are then closely aligned to the ads and keywords. 

By directing users to a targeted landing page, you can provide a relevant and focused experience tailored to the user's search and intent. This approach is more effective in driving conversions because it eliminates confusion and allows users to find the specific information they are looking for, leading to a higher likelihood of conversion. Remember, the internet is a direct response medium, and consumers are goal-oriented so help them achieve their goal!! (here's a related post: how to ensure your campaigns are delivering the most of conversions possible)

Home pages are typically poor landing pages. 

Home pages are general, not specific to one topic or keyword. When a prospect lands on your Home page, they have to click through menus and links to find what they are looking for, making them work harder to achieve their goal. 

Landing pages should reduce friction in the sales process, not create friction.

But how, you ask?

Relevance Between Ads and Landing Pages

When potential customers click on an ad, they expect a seamless transition from the ad's message to the landing page's content. Some refer to this alignment as “maintaining scent.” 

If your landing page meets some of the visitor’s expectations, you’re in the game. And the level of success now depends on how well your page aligns with the visitor’s expectations and how well your page sells.

Let’s review another example.  

Look at this ad for non-laser tattoo removal: 

The above Google Ad led users to this landing page:

So there’s a whole lot wrong with both the ad and the landing page. But lets focus on the landing page (The ad issues here are whole different blog post). 

Does this page have a good alignment with the ad? 

No!

The first thing that happens when a user lands on this page is a pop-up about Hydrafacial services. Was I looking for Hydrafacial? No!

This landing page is a jolt to the user. This page is not converting anywhere near as many site visitors as it could be, if it’s even converting any site visitors to leads or booked appointments. The conversion rate here is awful.

A lack of relevance between what the user sees in the ad and the landing page leads to confusion, disappointment, and, ultimately, a lost opportunity for a sale. 

Here’s another example.

This ad has an “Excellent” rating from Google. This means the ad has a high level of relevance and diversity (meaning many headline and description combinations that will appeal to a diverse audience). So far, so good. 

But hold on, take a look at these data

The two below keywords have extremely low-quality scores (QS) in this campaign. The quality score reflects the relevance of your Ads, keywords, and landing page to the intent of the search word or topic. Quality score is a on a 10-point scale with 1 the lowest, so this is Google's way of telling us that these keywords are not aligned well with the landing page. 

How quality score affects cost-per-click

Stay with me here….

The implication of low-quality scores are (any score below a 5)… 

All three of the above points will hurt your conversions leading to fewer sales, lower margins, and higher costs. 

Create A Seamless User Experience

Users who click on an ad expect a cohesive and relevant experience when they arrive at the landing page. Not like our example above for the non-laser tattoo removal that had an irrelevant pop-up for Hydrafacial.

Ensuring that the messaging, visuals, and offers from the ad are consistent with the landing page content helps to build trust with the user, encouraging them to take the desired action. A cohesive user experience also helps to reduce bounce rates, keeping users engaged and on the path to conversion.

Customer-First Copy and Personalized Content

By crafting landing page content that speaks directly to the user's unique needs, desires, and pain points, businesses can create a highly compelling and persuasive experience. 

Always remember any good strategy starts with the customer.

Personalized messaging and tailored content can take many forms, including product recommendations based on past behavior, dynamic content that changes based on user data, and targeted offers that speak to the user's specific interests. 

How To Create Customer-First Copy: Profile Your Ideal Customers

Start by writing down your ideal customer segments - you might have one, or you might have five or more. 

Let’s suppose you sell mortgage brokerage services (related post here on digital marketing for mortgage brokers/loan originators). Your VA customers are one set of customers, then you might have Millennial first-time home buyers as another. 

If you’re a med spa (related post here on digital marketing for med spas), you have women who seek age-related skin blemish services and men that seek laser tattoo removal services. 

If you’re a fast-casual restaurant (related posts on digital marketing for restaurants), perhaps you have the mother or father that’s too tired to cook for the family and wants a family pack to pick up during the week. And then perhaps you have a lunch-only business crowd.  

For each customer segment, ask the following questions (we refer to this as a persona worksheet):

Next, you distill what you learned in your persona worksheet to create a landing page that speaks directly to your customer segments, including your copy, images, offers, calls to action, and more.

We have a more in-depth persona worksheet that we have each of our customers walk through - this ensures we align our ads and landing pages to the customer’s needs and pain points.

What NOT To Do On A Landing Page: Textual Content

Avoid talking about yourself as much as possible. Always start with the customers' needs and wants first. For example, avoid adding content such as:

If those features didn’t come up in your persona worksheet as important to your customers, likely nobody cares. And they especially don’t care if that’s the first thing they see. If anything, put that type of content near the bottom of the page if you have to at all. 

Make sure you’re not just talking about yourself on your website. This is the equivalent of meeting someone for the first time and listening to them talk about how great they are - BORING. Customers want to know: What’s in it for them?

Designing Effective Landing Pages

Key elements for optimizing landing page design include:

Visual and Textual Consistency

Visual consistency with ad creative ensures that users are presented with a consistent and cohesive message from the moment they see the ad to the moment they arrive on the landing page. In the case of Google Search Ads, which are text, make sure the landing page content is consistent and seamless with the ad headlines and descriptions. If you have image extensions enabled on Google Search Ads, ensure he image used in the ad is the same or similar to what you have on your landing page. 

Calls To Action

A clear and compelling CTA helps to guide the user toward the desired action, reducing confusion and increasing the likelihood of conversion. Calls to action include things like:

Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile responsiveness is essential for your landing page. Depending on your niche, it’s likely the majority of your site visitors are on a mobile device. Thus, ensuring that landing pages are optimized for mobile ensures that users have a seamless experience, regardless of the device they use. 

Utilize Persuasive Design Techniques

Persuasive design techniques mean creating a website or landing page that is designed to encourage customers to take action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. 

This involves using design elements such as color, imagery, and layout to guide the customer's attention toward the desired action. It also involves using persuasive language and messaging to appeal to the customer's emotions and desires, encouraging them to take action. 

Examples:

Analyzing and Optimizing Landing Page Performance

Key metrics to evaluate landing page effectiveness include:

All these metrics are captured by Google Analytics which you likely have installed on your site. 

The conversion rate measures the percentage of users who complete the desired action, such as making a purchase, calling you, making an appointment, or filling out a form. For business-to-consumer services, typical conversion rates vary from 10% to 30% of traffic. 

The bounce rate measures the percentage of users who leave the landing page without taking any action. High bounce rates don’t always indicate a problem, but often they do. Compare bounce rates between pages to get a better understanding of where you should be.

Time on page measures the time users spend on the landing page, which can provide insight into user engagement and interest. 

Monitoring and refining landing page performance is crucial for ensuring ongoing success, as user behavior and preferences can change over time. 

Examples of Google Alignment of Google Ads with Landing Pages

Below is a wholesale patio furniture store. Notice the quality scores on these keywords - very high. With high-quality scores, Google will reward our client with increased exposure and lower cost-per-click for those keywords, which means more conversions at a lower cost and thus higher margins. 

And here’s the landing page the traffic was sent to. Remember quality scores on your keywords reflect the overall alignment of ads, keywords and landing pages. 

This landing page scored well for those keywords because of the following factors:

So what do I do with my low-performing keywords?

How To Improve Low Quality Scores (QS)

In conclusion, aligning your landing pages with your keywords in Google Ads is crucial for driving conversions and maximizing the performance of your campaigns. 

By ensuring that your landing pages are relevant, informative, and provide a positive user experience, you can increase the likelihood of converting users who have clicked on your ads.

The benefits of this process are many:

By following best practices for landing page optimization and continually monitoring and refining your campaigns, you can achieve ad-to-landing page alignment that maximizes the effectiveness of your Google Ads. Remember, by prioritizing relevance and user experience, you can drive more conversions and ultimately achieve your business objectives.

Next Steps

If you need help managing and running profitable Google Ads campaigns, please reach out to me directly. My team and I have been running successful Google Ads campaigns for over 15 years and can help you grow your sales and profit. 

Take the following steps: