Recent Search Engine Marketing & Social Media News
Often, methods to improve SEO aren't complicated. Learn 15 common SEO mistakes to help get your SEO game on track: bit.ly/15seomistakes
No matter what industry you're in, developing a strong, personal brand for your business is essential in order to connect with audiences, stand out from the crowd, and establish relationships. Check out this helpful list from Social Media Today to learn seven ways to build and enhance your personal brand: bit.ly/7personalbrandtips
The unprecedented challenges of 2020 impacted all industries and sectors, and search engine marketing was no exception. Check out the article below from Search Engine Land to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 and the different ways that SEO adapted and rose to the year's many challenges. bit.ly/seo2020review
When it comes to social media, 2020 has been filled with updated features, changing functions, and new tricks for brands and marketers. Check out Social Media Today's predictions for social media marketing in the coming year, and get caught up on some of the exciting new tools: bit.ly/social-predictions
ADA compliance isn't just for buildings—did you know websites are legally required to be ADA compliant, as well? Search Engine Journal provides insight on ensuring your site meets accessibility requirements: bit.ly/website-ada
Looking for inspiration for your marketing and visual design? This Infographic provides insight on trends for 2021: bit.ly/2021graphicdesign
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are all reporting revenue gains in Q3, reflecting marketers investment in digital marketing and eCommerece. A recent article in Marketing Dive provides insight on what to expect as 2020 comes to a close: bit.ly/digitalmarketingq4
Email plays an essential part in all of our daily routines, both personal and professional. If you're looking for a way to reduce stress and maximize productivity, check out these 22 Gmail Hacks from Search Engine Journal to transform your Inbox from clutter to clarity: bit.ly/22gmailhacks
With COVID-19 presenting unpredictable consequences for our economy, the 2020 holiday season may be even more important for many small businesses. Hopefully your business has already started making a list (and checking it twice) of everything you'll need for a successful holiday shopping season - and this article from SearchEngineLand provides some helpful marketing tips: bit.ly/smbholidays
In an unexpected shift for marketers and businesses, Facebook has removed its 20% text limit for ad images, which may create new possibilities for advertisers. Search Engine Journal explains everything you need to know about the latest update to Facebook ads: bit.ly/facebook-text-limit
As of September, search queries without a "significant" amount of data will no longer show in Google Search Query reports. What does this mean for your site and program analysis? Check out the link below to find out: bit.ly/searchquerydata
The holiday shopping season is just around the corner—is your e-commerce site designed to attract more visitors? Learn the latest tips to optimize your site for maximum sales and opportunity over the coming months: bit.ly/holidays2020-seo
Developing an effective online presence is more important than ever before, and with so many digital marketing tools and apps to choose from, it can be hard to know what's right for your brand or business. From keywords and blogs to banners and messenger bots, click below for a list of 15 need-to-know tools for today's marketers: bit.ly/marketing-infographic-2020
Directing traffic from social platforms to your website is a constant effort for today's brands and marketers. If you're feeling stumped on how to make it happen, this article from Social Media Today features six easy and efficient tips to help your followers take the next step: bit.ly/socialtraffic2020
2020 has thrown all of us for a loop, and the marketing world is no exception. As the industry tries to remain flexible and prepare for what's next, CMO's offer their expert opinions on what the future of marketing might hold. Read more below: bit.ly/cmopredictions
While sometimes left out of the social media conversation, LinkedIn is an essential tool for brands, businesses, and marketers. To help you get the most out of this versatile platform, LinkedIn has published a new guide on how to most effectively use its many tools for engagement. Click below to check it out: bit.ly/newlinkedinguide
Virtual events have become an increasingly prevalent marketing strategy through the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the country slowly opening up, can we expect these kinds of events to stick around? According to experts, it seems likely. Learn more from Marketing Dive: bit.ly/futurevirtualevents
Does your marketing team have all the right skills to develop successful campaigns, create compelling content, and connect with the right audiences? Search Engine Journal explores the 11 most important hard and soft skills for today's marketers: bit.ly/11marketingskills
While marketers are often quick to focus their efforts on youth engagement, it's essential to not overlook older demographics, as well. As the number of Americans ages 65-74 is growing, it's important to examine opportunities with this high-income age group. Learn more below: bit.ly/babyboomermarketing
In the digital age, the importance of effective brand messaging cannot be understated. From text copy to graphic elements, this quick and helpful infographic covers all the essentials for developing consistent content for your brand or business: bit.ly/brandmessagingbasics
COVID-19 has forced brands to think hard about what the future of marketing looks like. While much remains uncertain, one thing seems certain: social media is more important than ever before. Check out this article from Social Media Today to learn what experts predict the future of social media marketing to look like: bit.ly/futuresocialmediamarketing
Curious to learn more about the myriad of factors impacting your search rankings on Google? Business 2 Community explores a wide range of on-page factors that could be determining whether or not your search performance is successful. Check it out here: bit.ly/googlerankingseo
Search Engine Journal's Hamlet Batista dives into the latest advances in natural language generation, to explain how how computers are able to generate new content and distinguish between what's relevant and what's spam: bit.ly/naturallanguageseo
Choosing the right keywords and key phrases could be the secret to improving your search ranking. Instead of guessing, strategically utilizing keywords can yield positive changes in your search performance. Business Matters explains how to better understand keywords and key phrases when it comes to SEO: bit.ly/keywordchoice
Thoughtful use of stock images can lead to more clicks and increases in customer conversion. Learn more from Search Engine Journal: bit.ly/stockphotoseo
As brands and businesses continue thinking about how to move forward, it's become more important than ever to speed up your transition into digital operations. From customer experience to internal communications, Forbes examines how businesses can most effectively respond as life becomes increasingly more digital: bit.ly/forbesdigitaltransformation
While all generations respond uniquely to different marketing strategies, Gen Z has created entirely new challenges and opportunities for brands and marketers. This report from the Pew Research Center dives into what drives Gen Z and examines how this young demographic engages with their world: bit.ly/understandinggenz
An economic downturn is on the horizon, and with SEO rated as the top-performing channel for marketers last year, organic search is expected to become even more important going forward. Check out this article from Marketing Land to learn more about the vital role of SEO in the forecasted global recession: bit.ly/seodownturn
Did you know that slow load times could be steering customers away from your website? When it comes to site speed, especially on mobile devices, minor improvements in performance can have an impact. Search Engine Land explores why it's essential for marketers and web developers to optimize page load speed: bit.ly/page-speed-marketing
It's no question that COVID-19 has deeply impacted all of our lives, and when it comes to marketing, experts predict permanent shifts in the relationship between brands, businesses, and consumers. Marketing Dive explores how the advertising world has responded to global and national crises and how things may continue to change in the future: bit.ly/marketing-after-covid
Interesting summary of how social media sites are responding to the Black Lives Matter protests: bit.ly/blmsocialresponse
As COVID communications fatigue sets in, brands and marketers are starting to think about where to go next. In this article, Search Engine Land offers helpful insight on how marketers can continue to connect with audiences amidst the current climate: bit.ly/covid-marketing-whats-next
If you weren't able to attend this week's Business Council of Westchester webinar "New York is Reopening Now What?", it will be well worth your time to check out the video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yER8Nd6teos. Great information provided by Tom Morley of the Small Business Development Center.
Experts anticipate that the COVID-19 crisis and quarantine will have lasting impacts on human behavior. Marketing Dive explores several recent consumer behaviors, which are expected to impact brands and marketers for the foreseeable future. Learn more: bit.ly/pandemic-consumer
The retail landscape has changed drastically as a result of COVID-19, with online sales experiencing significant highs. Search Engine Land explores recent trends in e-commerce to help us understand how these shifts can predict future consumer behavior: bit.ly/april-ecommerce
By now, your brand or business is probably utilizing social media—but is there more you could be doing to increase engagement and improve your digital presence? In this helpful infographic, Social Media Today offers 5 easy tips to help you take the next steps in elevating your social media strategy: bit.ly/five-social-tips
In this day and age, almost every brand or business is actively incorporating social media into their marketing strategy—which means you'll need a social media crisis management plan. In this infographic, Andrew Hutchinson takes us step-by-step through how to effectively manage a PR or social media crisis: bit.ly/socialmediacrisisplan
Feeling a little unsure about where to steer your email marketing? This helpful infographic from Social Media Today offers five tried and true tips for elevating your emails during the pandemic: bit.ly/emailmarketinginfographic
In addition to changing the way we live, the COVID-19 crisis has also changed the way we search. From dramatic increase in hobby-related search terms to shifts in pet-related inquiries, Search Engine Land explores recent changes in search trends: bit.ly/consumerbehaviors-covid19
While engagement continues to grow across all major social platforms, Instagram appears to be taking 2020 by storm. Search Engine Journal explains which platforms are seeing the most significant growth and why: bit.ly/instagramgrowth2020
Each generation uses social media differently, and understanding the preferred platforms of different age groups is essential if brands and marketers want to see the best possible ROI on their digital campaigns. Check out this article from Social Media Today to learn how different generations, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, are tapping into social media: bit.ly/socialmedia-generations
As consumers remain home due to the COVID-19 crisis, more retailers are moving their stores online. From shifts in buying patterns to adjustments in business strategies, Digital Commerce 360 explores the changing relationship between retailers and consumers during the pandemic: bit.ly/covid-online-retail
In 2014, Search Smart Marketing was selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business program. It was an invaluable experience that continues to pay dividends. Here is an Infographic summarizing the results of their recent COVID-19 Small Business Impact Survey: bit.ly/goldmansachs-covid
When it comes to Facebook advertising, a more strategic approach to digital marketing may be the secret to more successful campaigns. Check out this article from Search Engine Land to learn several strategies that can lead to drastic improvements in your Facebook ad performance: bit.ly/Facebook-abtesting
With digital media usage at an all-time high and advertising costs across social platforms relatively low, now may be an optimal time to expand your reach. Social Media Today explains how the current climate has produced new advantages for digital marketers: bit.ly/advertising-during-covid
With marketers navigating new and unfamiliar terrain, Twitter conducted a user survey to shed light on what people want from brands in their communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what they found: bit.ly/twitter-covid-marketing
SEO was the top performing online channel for businesses in 2019, and a survey by Conductor shows that SEO will be the primary focus for marketers during the economic downturn. Read more from Search Engine Land at bit.ly/34yt6O0
Email communications can be an essential component of any digital marketing strategy, but with so many different metrics to track, it can be tough to interpret performance. Check out this helpful breakdown from Mailchimp, which covers benchmark data across different industries, to help you build stronger email marketing programs: bit.ly/34hg1rW
With more people working from home than ever before, there have quickly been profound shifts in the way we search, shop, and interact online, as well as changes in the devices used to perform these tasks. Learn how to make the most of these changes in consumer behavior with these helpful tips from Search Engine Land bit.ly/3dQKYI7
As we continue navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, brands need to be sure their marketing treads lightly and respectfully. What are the most effective strategies for marketing your brand during these unprecedented times? Check out this article from CNBC to learn more https://cnb.cx/2ypBDH1
Concerned about canceled events due to COVID-19? To help make-up for some of the lost exposure, try shifting your focus to digital strategies and online marketing. Learn more in this recent article from ClickZ. bit.ly/2QT7N47
Google announced that they will make $340 million available in ad credits for small & medium-sized businesses. Learn more at bit.ly/2yfDz4F Details will be available soon but to be eligible, businesses will need to have had active Google ads accounts since Jan. 1, 2019. We'll be providing details to our clients shortly. If we can be of help, please let us know.
Email marketing has been an effective way of reaching out to a targeted audience. Improve your email marketing and attract more of your audience with these tips from Search Engine Watch.
Ever wonder how a computer sees gender? Learn more about how computers use vision tools like facial recognition and take part in an interactive challenge from Pew Research to see how these tools work. https://pewrsr.ch/3bnAQEq
Time is valuable and nobody likes to be kept waiting when it comes to a slow web page. Read more from Search Engine Watch on the ten silent killers that can affect your website and how it can be solved. https://bit.ly/3a3ggZX
How familiar are you with digital topics? Test your knowledge with this quiz from Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/quiz/digital-knowledge-quiz/
Social media has become one of the most effective ways to connect with your target audience, create more leads, and raise awareness. Take your social media platforms to the next level with these helpful tips from Socialnomics. http://bit.ly/2IBYLnC
Digital marketing can help businesses get new customers and build brand loyalty. Here are six ways to get the most out of your digital marketing campaigns from this Search Engine Watch article.
The Westchester Business Expo has been rescheduled for June 8th from 1pm-5pm at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook. Always a great opportunity to see colleagues and connect with over 180 vendors. For more information about the event and to attend, please visit www.wbxpo.com
If you know someone switching careers or who wants to improve their Digital Marketing skills, Fordham University is offering a terrific comprehensive certificate program. Founded and directed by our colleague and friend Robin Colner, I will be teaching the Search Engine Marketing section which begins April 22nd. http://bit.ly/2VdgOI0
As Instagram use continues to grow, many marketers are finding it to be effective in reaching their audiences, such as young adults or those with specific interests such as travel or dining. Learn more in this recent Socialnomics article: bit.ly/2OZAlYH
When it comes to measuring your website performance with Google Analytics, there are a number of long-held metrics that are now considered debunked. This Search Engine Watch article provides key metrics and useful suggestions for how to better decipher your Analytics data: bit.ly/2SjjEJH
Congratulations to our friends at client Robison Oil, on winning the 2020 Hall of Fame Family Owned Business Success Award from The Business Council of Westchester. And as a long-time Robison Oil customer, I can attest to what a well-deserved honor this is. Purchase your tickets to the Awards Ceremony: http://bit.ly/2uDhNGG
Check out these tips from MOZ on the top indicators for SEO ranking:
https://moz.com/search-ranking-factorsCongratulations to our friends at client STEP Home Care who were awarded an amazing THREE prestigious national home care awards, highlighting agencies that have consistently achieved exceptional Client and Caregiver Satisfaction Scores. Learn more: https://blog.stepshomecare.com/steps-home-care-awarded-3-top-national-home-care-awards
Search Smart Marketing was proud to present "10 Digital Marketing Activities Anyone Can Do To Generate Quick Wins" with IMPACT Branding & Design LLC Founder & CEO, Bob Ruffolo. Please find the presentation on Slideshare .
10Do to Generate Quick Wins
We've graduated! Search Smart Marketing is proud to join the diverse community of Goldman Sachs alumni. Check out our founder, David Hoffman, in the Cohort 8 video by The Booth. The video was created as part of the graduation festivities for participants in this year's Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative.
Search Smart Marketing is honored and excited to announce our acceptance into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative at LaGuardia Community College. Companies who apply to the program are evaluated on a range of criteria and the selection process was competitive, as we were up against a strong pool of candidates from throughout the tri-state area. Program participants dedicate hours both in and outside the classroom to developing a growth plan that will benefit their business and help create new jobs. More details to follow next week's orientation. Read more about the 10,000 Small Business Initiative and previous participants here.
Search Engines are often “challenged” but it's not by choice; they'd love nothing more than to fulfill their SEO mission of accurately indexing web sites, videos, blogs and news stories.
Search Smart Marketing helps companies by setting up and managing optimized PPC campaigns that are cost-effective and reach their objectives.
While creating a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page is fairly simple, their ROI is pretty low unless you have a well-thought out plan to incorporate them into your business communications.