Dr. Peter J. Meyers says, “It’s been over two years since Google launched Featured Snippets, and yet many search marketers still see them as little more than a novelty. If you’re not convinced by now that Featured Snippets offer a significant organic opportunity, then today is my attempt to change your mind. If you somehow haven’t encountered a Featured Snippet searching Google over the past two years, here’s an example (from a search for “ssl”): This is a promoted organic result, appearing above the traditional #1 ranking position. At minimum, Featured... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “Search engine optimization is incredibly important for marketers. When you optimize your web pages — including your blog posts — you’re making your website more visible to people who are looking for keywords associated with your brand, product, or service via search engines like Google. But it can be a pretty tricky tactic to master with Google’s copious algorithm updates. How do you know what matters and what doesn’t? What are today’s blog SEO best practices, and what’s considered “old-school”? How on earth can... [...]

Clay Cazier says, “Many times, those choosing a new enterprise platform to serve their website to the world are not well-versed in today’s SEO requirements. Systems integration and indexation are the focus of many IT-minded project managers. CMS features will often be key to marketing directors’ and CMOs’ decision-making. Even for savvy marketers, some platform requirements may slip under the radar in their due diligence. To support all of those tasked with selecting a new website platform, let’s recap the top elements to consider when vetting different solutions. Platform SEO requirements In... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, ““This is the best outcome marketers could have hoped for in the industry. This acquisition puts AOL on solid ground as the third platform CMOs must take a meeting with behind Google and Facebook. Balance of power is good,” said Jay Friedman, COO of programmatic media agency Goodway Group, of the pending Verizon deal to buy Yahoo for $4.8 billion. Whether a Yahoo acquisition can lead to even a modicum of “balance of power” in digital advertising is the big question. Yahoo plus AOL, which Verizon bought last May for $4.4 billion, would give Verizon, the largest wireless... [...]

Leslie Ye says, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. And when that first impression is made via email, it’s even harder to come off the way you want to. Without the benefit of an in-person interaction, you can’t exactly build rapport or pivot your strategy if something you’re saying doesn’t resonate. So it’s imperative that you get that first email right. While you can’t control whether your email garners a response, you can control everything else — and you should. If the core of your email is an insight or resource, think of your writing as the... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “The day has come: Google has officially launched expanded text ads. The extra-long ads with double headlines began rolling out across devices Tuesday morning. The rollout comes along with the availability of device bidding and responsive display ads for native that were first announced at Google Performance Summit in May. Expanded text ads rollout begins As Sundeep Jain, who oversees text ads at Google, told the audience at SMX Advanced in June, existing standard ads will continue to run alongside expanded text ads (ETAs). As of October 26, 2016, however, advertisers will... [...]

Kevin Donnelly says, ““How do I drive more traffic to my online store?” That thought crosses the mind of every ecommerce entrepreneur at some point. Maybe you’ve just sunk time and effort into painstakingly setting up your store, only to open up shop and wonder where your sales are. Maybe you’ve seen steady growth over the past 6 months, but just hit a plateau. Or maybe you’ve built a million dollar business and now you’re setting your sights on your next big goal. Whether you’re trying to attract your first customer or your 10,000th customer, generating more traffic to your... [...]

Marina Hoffmeier says, “Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re here because you know email marketing is essential and you want to learn how to incorporate it in your marketing strategy. You’re one smart cookie. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding which email service provider (ESP) is going to help you launch or grow your business. So don’t feel rushed. To help you reach your final decision, here are some things you should consider: Establish goals for your email marketing strategy What are you looking to accomplish with email marketing? The answer to this question is... [...]

Jai Rawat says, “Acquiring customers is good, but it’s just the beginning. You only win big if you can nurture them into loyal customers. According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, it costs six to seven times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain current ones. Or consider this: According to Harvard Business Review, increasing customer retention by five percent can increase profits by 25 percent to 95 percent. When merchants engage users at every touch point of their journey on their website, merchants deliver users a satisfying emotional experience, thus creating... [...]

Ray Lane (He calls himself Ray the Video Guy) has been exploring a new Facebook feature that competes with Google Hangouts, called Facebook Live. This is a new Facebook feature that builds engagement and brings in sales for savvy marketers who use it. He has created FB Live Handbook , a straightforward checklist that helps you get started with this exciting new marketing tool. Now, you can discover how to get started with Facebook Live and how to get grow your business using this powerful tool. The elite personalities of our culture are already using it, people like movie and music celebrities... [...]