No matter how much SEO evolves, backlinks remain the primary “currency” for Google when ranking websites. In fact, a November 2016 study from First Page Sage found that backlinks are still the number one overall ranking factor in Google’s algorithm: And I seriously doubt this will change any time soon. Of course, there are other critical [click to continue…]
The evolution taken in place in digital marketing over the last decade is amazing. We’ve gone from horrendous keyword stuffing and “spray and pray” campaigns to incredibly smart and efficient strategies that maximize ROI. This evolution has largely been fueled by data and predictive analytics. And what I love is the power that small-scale marketers [click to continue…]
I don’t need to tell you how big trust in business and marketing is. Trust is everything. You can pull every clever trick in the book, invest thousands of dollars in slick, sexy advertising and work tirelessly on conversion optimization tactics. But at the end of the day, it’s trust that leads to sales. That’s [click to continue…]
Google is a treasure trove for marketers. Currently (2017), it “processes over 40,000 search queries every second!” This “translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.” And just look at how much Google use grew between 2000 and 2012: It’s ridiculous! And this all means one thing. Google can [click to continue…]
Trust has always been important from a marketing perspective. But in my opinion, it’s never been more important than it is today. That’s because so many consumers have an underlying cynicism about brands and companies. And why wouldn’t they be skeptical? Marketing communications account for 70% of today’s spam complaints. Just think of all the scam [click to continue…]
One billion hours of video. That’s how much content is viewed each and every day on YouTube! That translates to 46,000 years of content annually. Another amazing thing about YouTube is the amount of time users spend on it. Believe it or not, the average YouTube session is 40 minutes. That dwarfs the amount of time people [click to continue…]
I remember when having a personal brand was reserved solely for big-name celebrities. Back in the 90s, you had to be an Oprah-level figure to have your own discernible brand. But the Internet has changed that. It’s made personal branding viable for pretty much everyone, provided you put in the time and energy. That’s why [click to continue…]
The majority of people have the attention span shorter than a goldfish. When it comes to your website, it’s probably hurting you. According to HubSpot, “55% of visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on your website.” You’d better grab their attention in a hurry. But how do you do that? By placing the most important [click to continue…]
Facebook is closing in on nearly two billion monthly active users! There was even an 18% increase from 2016. If you think about the sheer size and scope of Facebook, it’s mind-boggling. And when you consider the fact that one in five pageviews in the United States occurs on Facebook, the power of this social media [click to continue…]
Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Periscope. All the major social platforms are integrating live streaming in some form. Several up-and-comers, like Meerkat and MeVee, are also creating buzz. And this all means one thing: Live video is hot. Scorching hot. It seems everyone is now using live video in some fashion to connect and interact with [click to continue…]
Did you know Gmail alone has more than one billion monthly active users? That means roughly one in every seven humans on the planet has a Gmail account. And that’s what I love so much about email marketing: the fact that it’s so universal and allows you to reach such a huge audience. Just think about [click to continue…]
Instagram recently announced it reached 700 million users! Of those users, 100 million signed up in the last four months, marking the platform’s fastest-ever growth rate. If you’re wondering how it stacks up against other major networks, see for yourself: It’s currently the third most popular social networking site and has a commanding lead over Twitter. Here’s [click to continue…]
I’m a curious person by nature. I find myself constantly doing research on nearly every topic under the sun. If I’m chilling at a restaurant with friends and someone wonders about a current event or mentions a fact, I’m Googling it on my phone. (Yeah, I’m that guy.) A lot of my Google searches begin [click to continue…]
Copywriting, when compared to other forms of writing, is a different kind of animal. It’s not necessarily about writing well. It’s about writing persuasively. It doesn’t matter if you’re a world-class wordsmith or a literary genius. If you can’t effectively move readers through the proper sequence of steps and ultimately convince them to buy, your [click to continue…]
“I got 99+ endorsements, and they all help prove my proficiency in key areas.” That’s what Jay Z might say if he was optimizing his LinkedIn profile. Hopefully you get the reference. But seriously, LinkedIn endorsements are really important. In fact, they’re one of the most effective ways to prove your expertise and back up [click to continue…]
