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Google AMP Helps You Make Stunning Web Experiences. Here’s How.

Technical SEO
June 5, 2020/by
Google AMP Helps You Make Stunning Web Experiences. Here's How. Earlier today, I learned about a type of page that would load "almost instantaneously." Well, with a rap like that, I had to test this out for myself. So, I went to Tasty, a cooking website, on my desktop and on my phone to test the loading times for each. The homepage for both took one second to load and display. That was impressive. Source When comparing the mobile homepage and desktop homepage, I saw that the images and layouts were optimized perfectly. This checked off another item on my list. Source And finally, when clicking on a recipe, I was greeted with a video demo, in perfect quality. This was unexpected and entirely welcoming. That was the moment I regarded Google AMP as an awesome tool for sophisticated, compelling websites. Google AMP pages can help you design ecommerce pages, compelling advertisements, and thrilling mobile experiences by hosting pages that load almost instantly. For instance, Gizmodo found their pages loaded three times faster and Mashable saw a 200% increase in average CTR. Source As a user, my experience with Google AMP pages was spectacular. So, let’s dive into AMPs: How they work, what they are, why they're amazing for businesses, and how you can create one of your own. Unlike other AMP, Google's integrates with the website's many channels, such as Search, AMP Cache, and Analytics. As well as being able to integrate with Google's channels,...
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How Dynamic Content Makes Your Marketing More Personal

Smart Content
June 4, 2020/by
How Dynamic Content Makes Your Marketing More Personal The first time Amazon introduced me to the perfect book for me via their recommendation engine, I was completely awed. The idea that a website could not only recognize a return visitor, but also discern their interests and alter their site experience accordingly felt like nothing short of magic. For instance, when I check Amazon's site, I can find numerous personalized recommendations just for me, and it still feels like a delight, every time. Since then, data-driven personalization has become more common, though not entirely pervasive in the marketing space — perhaps due to a lack of understanding around how it really works. I mean, just what drives all this highly adaptive content? More than that, how does adaptive content affect a lead's decision-making process? That's what we'll go to in this post. I'll break down the concept of "smart," or "dynamic" content, explain what it is, how it works, and give you some strategies for incorporating it into your marketing. First, let's explain what dynamic content is and why it's important to use for your business. What is Dynamic Content? Smart content delights customers. When you utilize data-driven content, you can influence a lead's buyer journey. Let's talk about what exactly dynamic content means. Dynamic content creates an experience that's customized specifically for the visitor or reader at that moment. One of the most well-known examples of smart...
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How to Master Content Marketing on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Marketing
June 4, 2020/by
How to Master Content Marketing on LinkedIn There are a few different avenues for sharing information on LinkedIn, but which one is the best method? And what if you're not ready to invest in paid advertising? There has to be another option, right? The good news is that there is another option. In fact, there are a couple of ways that marketers can leverage LinkedIn's platform for content distribution without having to pay for it. Looking to send out short, digestible content? Engage with a status update. Have something long and poignant to say? Publish an article.  To help you get a better handle on where and how to execute a content marketing strategy on LinkedIn, keep reading. I've covered everything you need to know from tips on content you should (and shouldn't) share to how to determine the right frequency for posting.  How to Distribute Your Content on LinkedIn 1. Publish quick status updates. One of LinkedIn's most underutilized features is the “LinkedIn Status Update” (also called your “Network Update”) in your LinkedIn Profile. This is one of the best ways to stay in front of your target audience on a consistent basis. And when used correctly, these little messages pack a big punch.Your status update “block” is a white box located just below your picture on your homepage. Whenever you share an update, your message is then broadcast to all of your network connections.  You can also control the visibility of your posts before sharing. This means...
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How to Audit Your PPC Campaign & Identify Metrics for Success

PPC
June 4, 2020/by
How to Audit Your PPC Campaign & Identify Metrics for Success If you manage a Google AdWords account to supplement your organic SEO efforts, you know there are a plenty of metrics available to track and analyze. Sometimes it can be confusing and overwhelming. Since we all have limited bandwidth, it’s a good idea to narrow down the key metrics that really give you meaningful insight into what’s working -- and what isn’t -- in your paid search campaigns. Before we dive into the key metrics to track, let's review a checklist to look over when you're auditing your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. 1. Check your location and target settings. When you're auditing your PPC campaigns, the first step should be to check your location targeting settings. To do this, ensure that you've properly set up the regions that your business serves. Keep in mind that you can also exclude locations where your company doesn't have stores or can't deliver to. Additionally, you can review geo-reports to see what locations perform best. By doing this, you can prioritize your ad budget by location. 2. Evaluate your ad compared to your landing page. After reviewing your analytics, you might realize that your PPC ads aren't converting. When this happens, it's time to look at your ads and see if your landing page follows through on expectations. For example, if an ad markets a "Free CMS," but your landing page is focused on an inbound marketing...
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How to Create a Landing Page: The Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Conversion Rate Optimization
June 3, 2020/by
How to Create a Landing Page: The Simple Step-by-Step Guide The other day, I was reading a blog post about using Twitter for marketing. While reading through the post, I noticed an offer for a free ebook about the same thing, and by clicking on it, I was taken to a new page. This page let me know what was in the ebook, how to download it, and the benefits of this content. I also noticed a few things that separated this particular webpage from others. Source First, I noticed that this landing page was simple. It wasn't terribly busy, and the design seemed to directly support the ebook. Second, I noticed that all of the copy was nicely organized and made the ebook sound like a must-have. And finally, I learned that I could obtain this ebook just by entering my name and email address. To me, this was a pretty sweet trade. I could access even more information about using Twitter for marketing — for free. I thought devoting an entire page to this offer was a pretty smart idea; That way, it could focus solely on communicating the usefulness of a guide. This is the glory of using a landing page, which we'll get into in this post. We'll also go over how to create a landing page of your own, step by step. To start, let's talk about what a landing page is and how it can be a useful asset for...
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9 Ways to Crush the End of a Blog Post

How to Write a Blog Post
June 3, 2020/by
9 Ways to Crush the End of a Blog Post When I graduated from college a few years ago, there were a couple of lessons that stuck with me. First, as a journalism student, I was taught to never write a conclusion for an article. While this became a habit, it's something I've had to unlearn as a marketing writer because you need to write a conclusion in your blog posts. Second, in my screenwriting class, I learned that every sentence you write should either move your story forward or reveal information. As a blog writer, this second lesson is the standard I hold myself to. With conclusions, it's no different. Conclusions are a necessary element of your blog posts because they guide your reader on what to do next. Below, let's review the top ways to absolutely crush the ending of your blog post. 1. Write a summary. Unlike a journalism article, when you're ending a blog post, writing a summary is a great way to go. That's because your reader most likely forgot a lot of the points you made throughout the piece. A summary conclusion should list the key takeaways from the article. Keep in mind that you shouldn't just reiterate your points, but draw actionable conclusions that will educate your audience. Additionally, it's important to remember that your summary conclusion shouldn't contain any fluff. That means all the information should be relevant and tie everything together. 2. Ask a question. When I write a...
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The Tactics HubSpot Used to Rank #1 for More Than 34,000

SEO
June 2, 2020/by
The Tactics HubSpot Used to Rank #1 for More Than 34,000 People are hungry for immediate answers. Luckily, it has never been easier to find the information you're seeking via search. A lot of marketers want to know: how does HubSpot optimize for search? I talked to our blogging team to find out, and put together a series of insider tips we're eager to share with you. Check out the tactics below, and start maximizing organic traffic to your own blog. 1. Embrace complex clusters. Search algorithms are ever-evolving, and in 2020 they're as smart as ever. Search engines are now capable of recognizing connections across search queries. This has big implications for marketers. Gone are the days when the searcher typed in simple keywords. Searches today are complex, putting the heavy lifting back on Google and other search engines to connect the dots. For example, if you type "movie about doctor clown" into Google the first result will be the movie Patch Adams, despite the fact that there is no overlap in the search terminology. The takeaway: search engines are incredibly intuitive. Google recognizes exactly what the searcher wants without the searcher explicitly stating their question. At HubSpot, our blogging team realized this shifting behavior, so they altered our blog strategy to focus on topic clusters, instead of specific keywords. To do this, they first identified what topics to prioritize. Then, they aligned our existing blog posts into the aforementioned clusters and generated tons of new...
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What is N testing? (In 100 Words or Less)

A/B Testing
June 2, 2020/by
What is N testing? (In 100 Words or Less) During summer, my favorite time of day was when the ice cream truck would drive on our street. Usually, I didn't know what I wanted. If I had saved enough money, I'd order a push-up (am I dating myself, or is this still offered?), the rocket popsicle, and an ice cream sandwich. Little did I know, I was actually conducting an A/B/n test. I wanted to taste several flavors -- not just two. As a marketer, I've encountered the same problem with split testing. When I was working at an agency, I'd usually write four to five headlines for a landing page. To taste all the flavors, so to speak (as I did with my ice cream), we'd conduct A/B/n tests. Below, let's review what N testing is and tools to help you get started. Now, you might be wondering, "How does this differ from multivariate testing?" It's a good question. Multivariate testing is usually more comprehensive than A/B/n tests. For example, an A/B/n test will test one element of a web page, while a multivariate test will test multiple variables at once. For instance, an A/B/n test might test the color of a CTA button, while a multivariate test is testing the headline, button, and image. So, now that we understand what N testing is, let's examine why you should implement an A/B/n test in your campaigns. Why should you implement A/B/n testing? Sometimes when you're creating a...
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