Category: Website

If you’ve spent any part of the last five years in any field of marketing and you’ve likely heard about the wonders of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to promote your business. Though with the fast moving pace of today’s hyper-connected digital world, the power of SEO is quickly fading into more focused and strategic methods.

Just as Google has changed over the last half decade, introducing newer algorithm updates and mobile first initiatives to make searching better for users, so too do businesses need to adapt to get their message and content across. The ability to adjust is the benchmark for which businesses will either thrive or falter. Brand content must engage with and convert potential clients and customers on the platform and device that they spend the most time on.

To stay ahead of the momentous shifts in the digital world, it’s important to understand and tailor your approach in a more forward-thinking manner.

Shifting the focus from SEO to content convergence

Content alone doesn’t ensure successful conversions, just as SEO alone doesn’t ensure that your audience will engage with your content. As the fields of data and analytics grow, they offer a greater opportunity for businesses to understand their consumers and create more intelligent content to deliver a successful campaign.

Content should be based on clearly defined data of audience, engagement, and conversion metrics which are all trackable. Using both organic search opportunities and social content is also often a more strategic way to boost visibility and engage with a relevant audience.

Creating more shareable and higher achieving return on investment content such as videos, infographics, and articles also allows you to capitalize on current trends and stand out from the crowd while still giving you opportunities for site links, shares, tweets, and others.

Make it mobile

In today’s world mobile has surpassed the desktop and your business must be ready to meet users where they are: on mobile devices.

In this mobile-first world you should have a good understanding of mobile user behavior and purposes in order to tailor your experience to exceed those expectations.

Having a fast loading website is half the battle in winning in the mobile field. The majority of mobile users usually take to their smartphones to do research – whether it is to find a restaurant or to look up a topic – make sure that your business meets them there and can then use that content to convert into sales.

Understanding these key frameworks and adapting them to your business is the true key to success in this vibrant and connected marketplace.

Want to learn more about how content marketing could work for your business? Contact Us or set up a Complimentary Consultation for more information!

You made a website. Now what? There was a time when that effort alone would have been enough to make you look shiny and new to consumers. Those days are long gone, however, and if your visitors are bouncing away as soon as they arrive — or worse, they’re not arriving at all — you’re probably committing one of the cardinal sins of web design and content creation.

Here are a few reasons your site may be sending people in the opposite direction:

1. Your Site’s Confusing. Flashy pages, cluttered sites, and confusing navigation will lead people away long before they learn anything about you. Keep it clean and easy.

2. You Talk About Yourself Too Much. Your website needs to tout your amazingness, and your content does, too, but you have to find the line between boasting and bringing value. People don’t so much care how great you are; they care how you can help them. Make sure you’re offering tips, tricks, and reasons your consumers should learn more about you. Don’t forget to engage in shares and retweets from others knowledgeable in your industry!

3. You Don’t Know What’s Not Working. You can’t just put stuff out to the world and expect it to make online magic happen. Content procurement is an ongoing process, filled with testing, analytics, and re-vamps. Once you know what works well — or what’s not working at all — you can optimize your strategy.

Need a little help creating an attractive website that draws visitors in? Zebra Marketing Solutions has you covered! Our website design services will keep customers coming your way! Reach out to us to learn how we can help you!

When it comes to finding your place in the world, some people argue you’re either a left-brained (analytical) or right-brained (creative) personality type. While science can support or debunk positions on either case, Google has stepped in to create a whole new argument: the RankBrain.

Before you try to digest everything that comprises the Google universe, it’s important to understand that’s impossible. Once you’re okay with that, you can take in small tidbits of information and make them work for your own unique needs.

Meet RankBrain

RankBrain is Google’s newest invention. It’s a machine learning system that facilitates Google’s search processes, helping consumers find the right results. Machine learning, by definition, means the tool gets smarter each time it’s used, helping users gain more valuable information while you find yourself in front of people who are most likely to love your business.

Make Friends with RankBrain

Because you’re not dealing with a human-based interface, you’ll need to look at RankBrain a bit differently.

• Test & Tweak. You can no longer put things out to the universe and hope they work out. Optimize your content strategy by employing tools that help you perform proper A/B testing before you publish.
• Hone-In on Your Focus. RankBrain expects you to speak to specific audiences. In order to do so, you have to tighten up your content such that it speaks to the people you’re trying to reach.

Every successful business needs a little outside expertise once in a while. If Google’s algorithms have got you down, it’s time to turn to our team at Zebra Marketing Solutions! Book your complimentary Strategy Session today, and let’s get started improving your rankings!