Page 1 Domination is the Most Effective Internet Marketing Strategy. Period.

When searching for a local digital advertising agency, the majority of internet users will search a term such as “internet marketing Peoria IL.” Within seconds, the browser is populated with tons of results. Of course, showing up on Page 1 at all is a win on its own. However, put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers. As you scroll down the page of authoritative search results, are you more inclined to select a company whose name only appears once or the marketing firm who shows up in the ads, the map listings and a couple more times down the page? That is the premise behind Page 1 Domination.

On a more personal note, let us tell you how this discovery came about. It started when WebDesign309 was running several campaigns to increase traffic to our Schaumburg IL office. After noticing our paid ad click-through-rate was particularly low for what we were paying, we decided to pause our ads and focus on local and organic search engine optimization. Then, something happened that none of us expected. Our SEO scores plummeted! Come to find out, many users were clicking on our Google Maps and organic listings because they had already seen our name at the top of Page 1. Those expensive and seemingly useless Google Ads were building our reputation within seconds so that by the time the searcher made their way down the page, they had already seen our name 3 or 4 times. Lesson learned. And that is why we’ve decided to pass this knowledge onto you.

Does Google’s Opinion Matter?

The short answer? Yes, it does. In fact, Google processes over 90% of searches from users across the world (Visual Capitalist, 2018). That percentage accounts for well over 60,000 searches on Google every second (iMPACT, 2018). If you want to capitalize on opportunities for your business to grow through online marketing, Google is a must. But like the businessman sitting in the corner alone at a networking event, just showing up isn’t enough. Page 1 Domination is the goose’s golden egg in this story.

Page Two; What is it Good For?

Absolutely nothing. If you want to hide a dead body without getting caught, bury it on the second page of Google. That’s because Page 1 results eat up an astounding 95% of search traffic (Hotjar, 2012-2018).

Round 1: Go Au Naturel with Search Engine Optimization

Between 20% and 25% of organic traffic converts to a lead (SEO Expert Brad, 2018). That’s an incredible conversation rate! There are many tools, search engine optimization experts use to rank higher in organic search results. These are the 4 main categories of SEO strategy:

• Technical Optimization – ensuring your site can be crawled by Google’s robots and site pages are being indexed correctly.
• Content Writing – creating relevant and meaningful content that is keyword heavy and frequently updated with unique text and images.
• On-site Optimization – keeping your website consistent with standards laid out by Google, the World Wide Web Consortium and other authorities on best practices.
• Off-site Link Building – building authority with Google, so your site is deemed relevant and worthy of a coveted spot on Page 1.

Google changes their search algorithms several times each year, so this is an extremely difficult industry to keep up with. The process is also extremely time consuming and at times, tedious. That is why many businesses choose to outsource their SEO services to qualified marketing companies rather than hire someone in-house or manage it themselves.

Round 2: Pay to Play with Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing (SEM), the first and last appearance on Page 1 of Google, is known by many names, such as:

• Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
• AdWords Management
• Google Ads
• Paid Advertising

Truth be told, only a mere 10% of Google searchers click the ads on Page 1 (Protofuse, 2014). So, what’s the attraction to search engine marketing services? The first and usually most attractive feature is that you only pay if your ad is clicked, regardless of impressions. The second draw is that paid ads can be stopped or started at the drop of a hat. However, as our personal story highlights, we urge you to be cautious with this freedom. Thirdly, PPC takes many forms. These include:

• Search advertising
• Display advertising
• Site retargeting
• Geofencing
• Facebook retargeting
• Google Local Search ads

Search marketing can be a particularly valuable strategy for business that offer services, such as lawyers, roofers, general contractors. Product oriented businesses such as car dealerships, software developers, and eCommerce websites have also seen much success from well-managed SEM campaigns.

Round 3: Join the Local Pack with Social Media Management and Local SEO Services

On average, about 72% of internet users who searched locally, using geographic terms such as “near me” or “in MyCity IL,” ended up at a store within 5 miles of their location (WordStream, 2016). Of these searches, 28% result in a purchase (HubSpot, 2018). Currently, these social media platforms are consistently dubbed “most important” across most industries:

• Google My Business
• Google+
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

In addition to routine and effective social media promotion, we recommend claiming and verifying your local business listings, as well as keeping them up to date. By presenting the same information about your business across the web, you are creating canonical data. The most important data is your business name, address and phone number, commonly referred to as NAP information. Down to commas and capital letters, Google looks at this to determine whether your business data is accurate and up-to-date, and therefore, relevant.

By combining these services, WebDesign309 is able to boost your website in the Google Maps, the second piece of Page 1 Domination. There are only 3 spots in the initial Maps view on Page 1. Since 33% of users select the first listing in this oft-overlooked section of search results, we highly suggest making sure your business is up there.

So, Which Service is Better?

Ah, the trick question the best marketing agencies dread. As it turns out, this question is a perfect lead into the summary of this article. For the secret that seems to have been locked away since the dawn of the internet age, Page 1 Domination is the key. While many businesses tend to pick and choose, we find our most successful and happy customers have, at one time or another, invested in all 3. Back to our story about the Jones’, each appearance on the first page played a part in the accumulated number of clicks.

If you don’t have time for all that work, as is the case with many business owners, let us take the load off. To learn more about Page 1 Domination services, contact WebDesign309 today!

When you are planning to advertise your company, the best places for your ads are the places where your consumers will see or hear them, but how do you figure out where that is? Before, if you wanted to advertise your company to consumers where they were listening to music, you had to advertise on local radio stations. Radio advertising can still be valuable, however fewer people are listening to the radio than just a few years ago. Now, Internet-based radio stations are becoming more popular, and Pandora advertising is on the rise.

Pandora vs. Traditional Radio

The Advantages of Advertising on Pandora

Pandora Radio has many advantages over traditional radio, and can help you advertise only to potential consumers. The advantages include:

• Targeting by Region: Pandora Radio may not be local, but the consumers who see and hear your ads will be. You can target your audience by counties or zip code, meaning your ads will only reach potential customers.
• Targeting by Age: Are you trying to attract more millennials or appeal to an older crowd? Just tell us the age range you want, and Pandora will only display your ads to those users.
• Knowing Their Lifestyles: Do you run a veterinary clinic and only want pet owners to see your ads? Pandora, unlike traditional radio, knows exactly when a pet owner is listening to Pandora and will display your ad on their screen!
• Shorter Commercial Breaks: Pandora listeners won’t get tired of commercials, because usually there is only one or two between a set of songs. Pandora keeps their commercials short so their listeners stay engaged, including your consumers.
• And Much More!

Talk to Us About Your Pandora Advertising Today!

At WebDesign309, we are a Pandora partner and have experience getting our clients the best results on Internet radio. Call us today at 309-213-9398 or contact us online. Our marketing experts are available to sit down with you and discuss everything Pandora Radio has to offer.

 

Choosing where to advertise your company can be stressful. You want a return on your investment, but there are no guarantees. However, what if you knew there was a way to promote your business where over a billion people could see your ads everyday? With Facebook advertising, your ads can not only reach more people, but they would reach the right people for your business!

How to advertise your business on Facebook

Most companies have their own Facebook page because their owners know the value of social media marketing. At WebDesign309, new clients regularly ask us what they can do to get more Facebook likes and reach potential customers because Facebook is a powerful tool if utilized properly.

Creating a Facebook page isn’t enough, and neither is adding a button to your Facebook page on your website. You now must post regularly and invest in actively promoting your page. Also, companies can use Facebook to advertise directly to their core audiences and we encourage all of our clients, from local businesses to large corporations, to invest in Facebook advertising.

What makes Facebook advertising different?

Before customers started going to Google to find the products and services they need, everyone used the Yellow Book. At the time, this was the most effective way to market your business. This is no longer the case.

Now, users turn to the Internet. Online advertising is everywhere, but Facebook advertising is unique because you can:

• Target the customers right for your business,
• Enter the demographics, behaviors, locations and interests of the Facebook users you want to see your advertising,
• Create a radius around your store to receive more walk-ins,
• Connect with current customers to foster stronger relationships with them
• And more!

If you know your customers, then you can use Facebook to find potential customers similar to them by using Facebook’s advanced targeting tools. On top of that, Facebook has insights that can help you learn even more about your customers so you can continually improve your advertising.

Take the next step towards more customers!

Not only is Facebook popular, but it’s a powerful marketing tool. This is why we not only encourage our clients to create a Facebook page, but to create Facebook posts regularly and use Facebook’s advertising services.

At WebDesign309, we are experts at creating social media posts and ads targeted towards your specific audience. To learn more about how Facebook can help your business grow, contact us online or call us today at (309) 213-9398.