Hourly Pricing Model (Pros and Cons)

Hourly pricing charges clients based on the number of hours an agency spends on a project. It’s straightforward and transparent, making it easy for clients and agencies to understand.

Advantages:

●Transparency: You pay for the exact amount of work done, which builds trust and clarity.
● Flexibility: This option is ideal for projects with unclear scopes or clients needing minor edits or changes to a website or design.
● Simple Bookkeeping: It is easy to track and manage hours worked.

Disadvantages:

● Client Pushback: Clients may question the efficiency and time spent on tasks, possibly leading to disputes. Not all work is $150 an hour work.
● Profit Limitation: The agency’s profit depends on hours worked, not the value delivered.
● Scope Creep: Projects can grow beyond initial estimates, leading to extra unpaid work.

Alternatives to the Hourly Pricing Model

Project-based pricing charges a fixed fee for the entire project. This fee is estimated by considering the required hours and adding a buffer for unexpected costs.

Advantages

● Predictability: You know the total cost upfront, making budgeting easier.
● Defined Scope: Clear deliverables and timelines are established, reducing the risk of scope creep.
● Potential for Higher Profit: Efficient project management can lead to higher profits if the project finishes under budget.

Disadvantages

● Inaccurate Estimates: Early cost estimates need to be more accurate, causing potential losses for the agency.
● Limited Flexibility: Changes in project scope can be challenging without renegotiating terms.
● Risk of Overwork: Agencies may work more hours than initially estimated without extra pay.

Point-based pricing is similar to a monthly retainer but assigns a point value to each service. Clients buy points each month and use them for the services they need.

Advantages

● Flexibility: Adjust services each month based on needs.
● Transparency: Clear point allocations make understanding what you’re paying for easy.
● Value Focused: Emphasizes the value of deliverables over the time spent on them.

Disadvantages

● Complexity: Clients must understand the point system and allocate points effectively.
● Subjectivity: Point values for each service can be subjective and might need frequent adjustments.
● Overemphasis on Tasks: The focus might shift to completing tasks rather than achieving broader business goals.

Which Pricing Model Works Best?

● Hourly Pricing: Best for small projects like website edits or large projects with uncertain scopes, such as creating a multifunctional app. It offers flexibility but might lead to disputes over efficiency and time management.
● Project-Based Pricing: Ideal for well-defined projects with clear deliverables, such as website development. It provides predictability but can be risky for agencies if initial estimates are inaccurate.
● Point-Based Pricing: Suitable for ongoing, retainer-based relationships where flexibility in service allocation is needed. Perfect for comprehensive digital marketing programs requiring SEO, Google Ads, social media, and email marketing to generate leads. It emphasizes value but requires clients to understand and manage the point system effectively.

In short, project pricing is the best option for building a website. A points system or retainer is the best option if you are looking for a monthly lead generation program. An hourly program is the best bet if you need minor edits to a website.

If you want to discuss a potential digital marketing project, please get in touch with Power Marketing for a free consultation.

The post Should I Pay My Digital Marketing Agency Hourly? appeared first on Power-Marketing.

It would be an understatement to say we were dumbfounded. The Power Marketing team has managed 8-12 Google Ads accounts without an issue. We thought Google’s new advertiser verification policy would be simple since we’d been using Google Ads (a.k.a pay-per-click) for years, and we viewed our team as model internet citizens. After effortlessly having the first eight accounts verified, we thought we were in the clear, and then we received this message:

Your Google Ads account was suspended for violating our Circumventing Systems policy. Suspended accounts are prohibited ads in all locations.

The notice went on to describe all the ways an advertiser can “circumvent”:

● Posting similar ads to ones that have been disapproved
● Redirecting visitors to non-compliant content
● Submitting false information on the verification process
● Billing/Payment Issues
● Unauthorized usage.

The notice ended with:

The suspension will be permanent unless you successfully appeal within five business days.

The First Appeal

The paperwork was standard. We told Google about our website security measures and long-term use of Google Ads. We documented the excellent site health of the landing page and website. It was a simple mistake by Google. Surely, a quick review of our account would show we were legitimate.

5 days later – APPEAL DENIED!

The Second Appeal

Obviously, the alleged violations were more complicated than we thought. For the second appeal, we changed our strategy. Since we had no idea what the violations were, we would put our team on the phones to find a live person at Google Ads. After several hours of making calls and being hung up on, a team member spoke to a Google Ads specialist. The specialist told our person she didn’t have access to the reason our account was suspended. Our man persisted and eventually was pushed to a manager who told us there was suspicious traffic on the website. The suspicious traffic appears to be from a Google Analytics issue with Poland (nothing to do with Power Marketing). So, our “A-HA moment” was here. We figured it out and submitted a new appeal.

7 days later – APPEAL DENIED!

The Third Appeal

Back to the drawing board! We had no idea why we were suspended or what to do next, so we turned to online forums, continued our phone call campaign, and had our senior developer review the website for any functionality that could be causing the issue.

Through the online forums, we read about issues with plugins and pixels, collecting information about website visitors. Our senior developer removed any pixels or plugins that might fall into this category. We scheduled another meeting with a Google Ads Specialist Manager to review the changes. We submitted the third appeal with extremely detailed descriptions and images showing all the hoops we jumped through to be compliant.

3 days later – APPEAL DENIED!

Then, suddenly, 27 days after we submitted the information to verify our account, we received this message from Google:

Your Google account has been reactivated.

What We Did Wrong

Thinking It Was a Simple Mistake—We lost over a week because we thought a simple email would fix the problem on the first appeal instead of submitting a more thorough case. When dealing with a massive corporation like Google, be extra diligent and remember to overwhelm them with the tactics you’ve executed to fix the issue.

Believing Someone Would Tell Us the Problem—If you have high blood pressure, dealing with Google’s support won’t help. The initial support person told us she didn’t have access to the reason our account was shut down. Once we moved up the ladder to speak with a manager, he stated the website had suspicious traffic, which we may or may not have been accurate.

What We Did Right

Insisting to Speak with a Manager—We will never know what pushed our case over the top. I think the multiple calls and subsequent meetings with managers at least showed we wouldn’t give up and that this was a fixable issue.

Deep Dive into Online Forums—Oddly enough, the resource we found with the most recent and thorough answers was Reddit. In the Reddit discussion, we followed a detailed step-by-step strategy that worked for another person with the same problem. The description included information on the appeal, timeline, and the job title to connect with at Google Ads to get answers.

All Hands On Deck Approach—Once we realized the depth of the issue, we organized our team members with different responsibilities. One person made phone calls to Google, two did online research and reached out to Google Ads experts, and a developer audited the website. Ultimately, we had no idea why our account was reinstated, so one of the elements corrected the issue.

Keep Meticulous Records—We used a shared spreadsheet to document every effort we made to make the website compliant. Documentation saved a lot of time when adding information on the appeals and was a great reference if our person making phone calls reached someone.

Didn’t Give Up—One common theme appeared in our research. It will take about a month, and you must make multiple appeals. Without that information, we may have given up after the second appeal and moved the money to social media.

Google is the 600-pound Gorilla in the room, and we must play by its rules. If you need help reinstating your Google Ads account, don’t hesitate to contact Power Marketing for a free evaluation.

The post My Google Ads Account Was Suspended: One Advertiser’s Journey to Reinstatement appeared first on Power-Marketing.

Dealing With Reviews: The Good

Positive customer feedback is more than just a pat on the back; it is an authentic testament to your commitment to excellence. Plus, it helps your local SEO too. Once you receive a positive review, take these steps to magnify it:

Give It a Personal Touch: Nothing beats a personal touch. Include the person’s name (if you know it) in your response. Also, reference any personal interaction a salesperson, designer, etc., may have had with the reviewer. Make them feel like they’re getting a high-five from a friend. Of course, being this specific may be more difficult if you are a larger homebuilder. But at least aim to get away from templated or one-sentence responses.

Keep It Professional, Keep It Fun: It’s all about blending that professional tone with a bit of sparkle. The customer must see you’re serious about the feedback but also that you’re excited about their positive input. Also, give that reply a quick once-over for any mistakes. A neat, error-free message adds to your shine. Keep the response professional, but have fun with it!

Address Any Concerns: Positive reviews may include minor concerns or suggestions. Take this chance to address it and assure the customer that their feedback is valued and will be considered. This interaction can turn a potentially negative issue into a positive one. You are showing your commitment to constantly improving for your customers. When you respond, you also address potential customers who might read it later.

Share the Love: If you receive positive reviews on any of your platforms, amplify them through other channels. If you see a positive review on your Google My Business profile, share it on Twitter and Facebook. If someone leaves glowing glowing praise on LinkedIn, add it to your Google My Business feed. This sharing will increase potential customers’ opportunities to check out your work.

Dealing With Reviews: The Bad

We all receive negative reviews. It happens. Negative reviews can damage your reputation and spread faster than positive reviews; according to Hubspot, a person with a negative experience with your brand or service will tell twice as many people about their bad experience as someone with a positive experience. Even more troubling, customers with a negative experience are 26 times more likely to leave an unsolicited review. So, complainers love to complain. But, sometimes, those complaints are legitimate. So take these steps:

1. Respond Promptly: When a negative review pops up, it’s usually right after the issue occurs. Responding quickly not only shows you care but also helps mitigate any fallout.
2. Respond with Care: Besides speed, it’s crucial to value every piece of feedback, particularly the negative ones. Such insights can pinpoint where your service might be lacking and offer a chance to improve.
3. Be Honest in Your Reply: Nobody’s perfect, including businesses. Admitting mistakes can turn a negative experience into a positive one, building trust and loyalty.
4. Maintain Professionalism: No matter how harsh a review may be, always respond with kindness and professionalism. An apology can go a long way in maintaining your brand’s integrity.
5. Personalize Your Responses: Show customers they’ve been heard by crafting personalized responses. It demonstrates empathy and genuine care for their experience.
6. Avoid Personal Attacks: Keep responses professional and focused on the issue, not the individual. Personal attacks can only harm your business’s reputation.
7. Move the Discussion Offline: Try to continue the conversation privately. This approach can help resolve issues more effectively without escalating publicly.
8. Express Gratitude: Appreciate all feedback, even the negative. It provides an opportunity to address issues and improve your service.
9. Follow-up: If you’ve addressed their concerns, see if they agree with the response. Happy customers might even remove their negative reviews.
10. Offer Compensation When Needed: In cases of significant inconvenience or loss, offering compensation can help soothe frustrated customers. Make the deal privately; otherwise, you risk former customers asking for similar deals even if it’s not warranted.

Dealing the Reviews: The Ugly

Not all reviews are legitimate. Some fake reviews can be from Bots, random people causing problems, or competitors spamming your reviews. Unfortunately, review platforms have different rules for removing fake reviews. So, even if they are fake, most platforms don’t allow you to delete them.

Identify the Fake Review: Reviews will have a person’s profile associated with them. Check out the profile and review the activity. If there is no activity, someone likely created the profile to leave a negative review. Below is an example of a legitimate Google My Business profile that left a Power Marketing review. You can see other reviews they’ve made for other local businesses.

You can also cross-reference reviews with your customer database. Compare the reviewer’s name and details with your customer records.

Look for patterns with the posting of the review. Are the reviews at the same time each day? Do they use the same language in each review? These patterns can indicate a bot is creating the reviews.

Respond to the Review Quickly: Publicly respond to the review on Google and call it out as fraudulent. This shows other customers that you take feedback seriously and the review doesn’t represent your business.

Flag the Review as Inappropriate: Websites with reviews will give you a section to report fake reviews. In Google My Business, go to your Google My Business listing, find the review, and click the option to report or flag it as inappropriate. Google will then review the report to determine if the review violates its policies. On Facebook, go to the three dots in the right corner of the selected review and click Report Post.

Document Everything: Keep records of your interactions and reports with Google, as well as any evidence that supports your claim that the reviews are fraudulent.

Consider Legal Action: If the fake reviews are damaging and persistent, consult a legal professional to discuss your options.

BONUS: Companies that Claim They Can Remove Bad Reviews
In the 10+ years I’ve been in digital marketing, I am still looking for a company that can remove a bad review. The bottom line is unless the comment violates the platform’s rules, the comment will not be removed. If there is a company that can provide this, I have yet to find it.

The post Homebuilders and Dealing With Online Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly appeared first on Power-Marketing.

Here’s what these changes mean for business owners and how to ensure your emails are more likely to land in the right place.

Understanding The New Rules

Demanding the Sender to Authenticate

Google and Yahoo will enforce email authentication protocols—like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—for all sent mail. This is tech talk for confirming your identity to providers and protecting your reputation by showing you are a real company and not sending out suspicious emails. It’s the digital equivalent of an ID check for every message you send.

Zero Tolerance for SPAM

Mailbox providers are battling a tidal wave of spam that erodes user trust. By making authentication mandatory, they provide a shield against scammers, ensuring that the floodgates to user inboxes are managed, not melted.

The Why Behind the Changes

Protecting User Privacy and Experience

The digital landscape demands that providers like Google and Yahoo be the keepers of the gates, ensuring customer inboxes remain pristine. These changes are a direct response to the overwhelmingly negative effects of unsolicited, fraudulent, and pesky emails.

Authentication isn’t just about managing access; it’s about building trust. These initiatives aim to elevate the standards for legitimate senders, ensuring their messages are less likely to be confused with spam.

How It Impacts Your Business

The Line in The Sand: Legitimate vs. Spam

With these new requirements, your email’s ability to reach your audience is at risk. Mislabeling as spam—or worse yet, being filtered or blocked altogether—can devastate your communication strategy and, ultimately, your bottom line.

The Credibility Equation

Your ability to satisfy these demands speaks volumes about how your business is perceived. If you can’t—or don’t—meet these minimal requirements, you might signal to providers (and, in turn, their users) that your email may be suspect.

Optimizing for Enhanced Deliverability

Revising Your Email Sending Strategy

Actively revising your approach to emailing is crucial. From tightening your permission policies to focusing on high-quality content, every email choice matters more than ever.

Technical Compliance

Ensuring your email systems are technically compliant with these new requirements is non-negotiable. This might involve updating your email-sending infrastructure or configurations. Tools like HubSpot can guide and automate much of this process.

Engagement as a Conscientious Sender

Ensuring your audience is engaged with your content signifies to providers’ algorithms that your emails are wanted. Practices like regular list pruning and providing clear unsubscribe options are as important as ever.

Monitoring and Adapting

Will My Emails Reach Their Destination?

You may be left in the dark. If your emails are bouncing or blocked from a recipient, your email provider will notify you. But, if your emails are going to SPAM, it may take you some time to figure it out. Suppose you have a CRM system such as Hubspot or Salesforce. In that case, you can more easily monitor your deliverability, adjust your strategies based on performance, and ensure you stay in the good graces of mailbox providers.

Continuous Improvement

As the email environment changes, so must your approach. Staying informed of best practices and provider policies will help you evolve and fortify your emailing strategy over time.

Conclusion

These new email authentication requirements are significant steps in the battle against spam. They also allow business owners to reaffirm their trustworthiness in the digital space. By embracing these changes wholeheartedly, you’re not just securing the delivery of your emails—you’re also ensuring your place as a conscientious and reputable member of the online business community.

Remember, this is not just about technical compliance; it’s about demonstrating the integrity of your business and the value of your communications. So, take the time to understand and implement these changes. Your customers and your bottom line will thank you.

If you want to learn more about the new email requirements, contact Power Marketing for a free consultation.

The post The New Email “Epidemic”: Google and Yahoo Change the Rules for Email Delivery appeared first on Power-Marketing.

Whatever happened to calling a lead?

Depending on Automation

In the digital age, businesses have started to rely heavily on automation. While it offers substantial benefits in terms of efficiency and scalability, too much dependence on automation can lead to losing a personal touch in dealing with potential customers. When a lead submits a request, they most likely seek a human resource, which a quick phone call can provide. Waiting for an automated email response to learn more about the potential customer or to a meeting could potentially lose you a lead.

Time is of the Essence When Making a Phone Call

According to Hubspot and Salesforce research, the first five minutes following a lead’s submission is the “golden period” to establish a connection and maximize conversion rates.

• Response Within 5 Minutes: Leads contacted by phone within five minutes of submitting a form are 100x more likely to connect and 21x more likely to qualify than if contacted 30 minutes later. In addition, conversion rates can jump more than eight times if a lead is reached within the first 5 minutes compared to waiting between 5 minutes and 24 hours.
• Response Within 30 Minutes: Calling a lead after 30 minutes is 21x less effective than responding sooner.
• Response Within 1 Hour: Companies that respond within an hour are almost 7x more likely to have meaningful conversations with decision-makers than those who take longer.​​
• Response After 1 Day: Even reaching out within one hour of a query or form submission makes a company 7x more likely to qualify the lead than those trying to contact the customer even an hour later. The likelihood diminishes drastically for companies that wait 24 hours or longer to reach out.

The Importance of Calling within Five Minutes

The effectiveness of calling a lead within five minutes leverages the principle of immediate engagement. According to Google, 35% to 50% of sales are won by the vendor that responds first. Also, remember that the person submitting the request has also probably contacted two to three of your competitors. When a potential lead submits a request or is interested in your company, their attention is focused on your products or services. This part of their day is the prime time when their curiosity is piqued, questions are fresh, and they are more receptive to communication. As time passes, the lead’s focus can shift to other daily concerns, like bills, work tasks, or their children. Their initial interest may gradually fade.

By reaching within the first five minutes, your company can capitalize on this window of concentrated attention, providing immediate answers and building a connection. This swift response positions your company as a resource or even an attentive guide in the lead’s mind, increasing the chances of a successful conversion.

Call Hesitancy and the First Five Minutes

I occasionally get blowback from people responding to leads within the golden period, “I don’t want them to think I am stalking them” or “Our price points are very high, so the five-minute response time doesn’t apply to my company.” Most of our clients have price points over $500,000 at Power Marketing. They will tell you it’s more about becoming a resource for the client than your pricing.

‘If you are reluctant to call because you are worried about being perceived as rude, find someone to make the call. In 10 years of following this process, I’ve yet to have a negative response to calling in the first five minutes. The most common response is, “Wow. That was fast.”

It also helps to have an initial statement memorized when the person answers the phone (and they almost always answer the phone). Such as “Hi, this is Scott with Power Marketing. I was in the office and saw your request come in and wanted to reach out. Is it a good time to talk?”

Are You Institutionally Ready

Interestingly, a lack of understanding or preparedness to respond to leads promptly and effectively hinders many companies from setting up an effective marketing plan. These companies must be more institutionally ready, as they fail to grasp the significance of responding swiftly and effectively to leads. They often underestimate the value of the ‘human touch’ in their response, resulting in missed opportunities and potential revenue loss.

Implementing a documented strategy that combines the efficiency of automation and the personal touch of human interaction can significantly increase your lead conversion rates.

The post Why Won’t You Make a Damn Phone Call? appeared first on Power-Marketing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Game-Changer

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the field of digital marketing, making it easier and more efficient for home builders.

Here’s how AI can shape your marketing strategy:

AI and CRM Management – AI can simplify analytics in your CRM and create campaigns or reports in a fraction of the time it used to take. With a single prompt, AI programs like ChatSpot or Salesforce Einstein can break down website visits by day, week, month, etc. Want an analysis of the sales pipeline by geography? A simple command and ChatSpot will make that report.

Image Creation – AI programs like DALL-E 3 can reduce your dependency on expensive photography or stock images. Say you’ve finished a blog and want a picture of a family hiking in the woods. Create a specific prompt in DALL-E 3, and the program will create multiple images to select from based on your request—no more searching for pictures.

Video Scripts Written by AI – If you plan to make a video, AI programs like Jasper can produce high-quality video scripts tailored to specific demographics based on customer profiles. This enables you to save time and resources and ensure a consistent message across different platforms.

AI in Content Development – Probably the biggest time saver for marketers and clients is content development. Several companies can create content like Bard or ChatGPT. But Bard and ChatGPT also have other high-level functions. Jasper is one of the few AI programs explicitly designed for creating content. Jasper AI can generate content such as blog posts, articles, and social media posts and reduce the time needed by almost 75% (personal experience) while maintaining consistent quality. Also, content programs can check your writing for plagiarism across the web and provide corrections to your grammar.

Repurposing Content for All Channels – The second biggest time saver in AI for marketing is repurposing content. For example, you can post a blog and prompt the AI program to “create five Facebook posts from this blog” or “rewrite this blog as a press release .”Again, this is a huge time saver.

The Impact of AI on New Home Construction

AI is here, and it will change almost every aspect of the marketing industry for marketing for all industries. With AI, marketing for home builders becomes targeted, efficient, and hassle-free. It’s not just the future of marketing; it’s the present.

Do you need guidance on navigating the new AI landscape? Let’s embrace this technology and build a better marketing plan. After all, the future of construction is digital. Don’t get left behind – contact Power Marketing today!

The post The Future of Selling New Home Construction is Artificial Intelligence (AI) appeared first on Power-Marketing.

The CEO and founder of the Marketing AI Institute, Paul Roetzer, compares the existing AI tools to a team of skilled interns for any task that can do large parts of the legwork to increase your overall efficiency.

Essentially, digital marketing is too nuanced to be replaced by A.l., but AI can make digital agencies more efficient in executing strategy.

Here are the four significant limitations of AI in the digital marketing space:

AI Makes Mistakes
Artificial Intelligence can make mistakes. Understanding that AI is not perfect and prone to errors is crucial. AI is designed, trained, and maintained by humans who are not infallible. The algorithms used in AI systems are focused on large amounts of data, and if this data is biased or incorrect, the AI will make mistakes. The AI systems also learn from their experiences and improve over time, meaning they are subject to trial and error.

Also, remember that ChatGPT’s data was cut off in 2021, meaning the knowledge database doesn’t include news or events that have occurred since then. Therefore, ChatGPT doesn’t know about specific events, news articles, scientific advancements, or real-world developments after this date. Bard’s cutoff date is unknown, but current information is not in the knowledge database. Eventually, up-to-date information will be part of the model.

Expertise
AI will make digital marketing agencies leaner. Estimates are between 10% and 33% of knowledge-based workers will be displaced by AI But, GDP should increase by 7%. The digital marketers who are left will be able to put out more work more efficiently. Digital marketing agencies are staffed with specialists who have honed their skills in various areas, including SEO, Email Marketing, Content Development, CRM Management, Hosting, and Social Media.

AI can create an SEO plan, write and schedule social media posts, and help website developers with coding. Still, AI doesn’t understand the importance of trends in social media. For example, AI can’t keep up-to-date with the SEO algorithm, which is adjusted daily, and significant changes occur annually. AI can streamline some aspects of CRM management, like data entry and analysis. But building customer relationships, addressing complex issues, and strategizing for customer retention requires a human touch. In addition, developers need to review code on websites as there can be mistakes (see previous section).

Creativity and Emotion
Over-reliance on AI technology can lead to less collaboration and creativity among marketers. AI can create efficiencies in the development process and create images and content from only a prompt. But working with people gives a human touch to creativity that AI doesn’t have. Humans are unique in their capacity to feel complex emotions and translate those feelings into connections, an area where AI still needs to improve.

Ethical Concerns
There needs to be increased transparency in how AI gets its information. The creators of these services need to tell us how their models make decisions, which algorithms it uses, and how it processes data to create marketing strategies. This secrecy can lead to issues of accountability and trust.

The overuse of AI can lead to the potential misuse to manipulate emotions. For example, AI could deliver tailored messages that feed off a person’s insecurities or fears to convince them to buy a product or service. As a result, digial marketing companies depending on AI without human oversight may unknowingly operate deceptively.

The post With the Rise of AI, Do I Need a Digital Marketing Agency? appeared first on Power-Marketing.

The Core Elements

Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on optimizing the code underpinning the site to help ensure that Google and other search engines can efficiently crawl and index the website’s pages. Technical SEO includes (but is not limited to):

● Optimizing website speed

● Mobile performance

● Submitting information to Google correctly

● Implementing structured data markup

A technically sound website is crucial for effective SEO since it helps search engine crawlers understand and index its content accurately. Developers and SEO specialists handle a large portion of these tasks.

Onsite SEO

Onsite SEO, also known as on-page SEO, is an ongoing process involving optimizing the content and structure of a website’s pages to rank higher in search engine results. Onsite SEO, sometimes referred to as backend SEO, encompasses various factors, such as creating the website tagging structure of the unseen back end of the website based on Google’s best practices and internal linking of pages. In addition, adequately optimized content relevant to the user’s search query helps ensure higher rankings in search engine results.

Off-site SEO

Off-site SEO, or off-page SEO, focuses on building the website’s authority and credibility through external factors such as backlinks, social media marketing, and content such as blogs or press releases. Off-site SEO aims to improve the website’s visibility and reputation in search engine results by demonstrating the website’s relevance and authority in the industry. For example, backlinks to blog articles, pages of your website, or images from reputable and authoritative websites signal to search engines that the website has valuable content, resulting in a higher search engine ranking.

Eight (8) Key Questions To Ask An SEO Company

Question #1 

Do you have similar SEO clients in your local area? 

The Logic 

An agency working with competing SEO clients in the same market can be problematic. Your strategy to increase traffic/leads should be unique compared to your competitors. The same SEO professional will most likely work on both accounts if it’s a smaller company. 

Question #2 

Is your SEO specialist on-staff or outsourced? Is your SEO person also a web developer, social media strategist, content writer, etc.? 

The Logic

Typically, a company without a dedicated SEO team or specialist is not focused on SEO. Occasionally, you will see an SEO person who builds websites, handles social media, or manages email marketing. However, SEO is a hyper-competitive element of digital marketing and requires a dedicated person to stay updated with trends, the best software, and Google algorithm changes. Finally, external vendors may not have access to your website to perform necessary technical SEO adjustments.    

Question #3 

What are two examples of websites you manage with a similar SEO retainer? 

The Logic

Website examples can determine if the SEO elements are in place. For example, are the onsite SEO tags completed or written using Google’s best practices? Of course, if you are a novice at SEO, you won’t know how to gauge these elements. However, Ubersuggest offers a great free tool that can give you easy-to-understand information about the quality of SEO on a website. Also, the examples give you an idea of the content the SEO company created for its websites. 

Question #4 

What type of software do you use for SEO strategy? Is it the paid version? 

The Logic

The key here is the paid version. The software can make a five-hour job take one hour. Furthermore, anyone can get a limited amount of information from free versions of software. But to create a real strategy, a company needs paid software packages from products like SEMrush, Ubersuggest, SpyFu, or Moz. A single software is good, but multiple versions are better. 

Question #5 

Is Directory Management part of your SEO package? If so, what software do you use? Are you using the paid version?

The Logic

Consider using directory management software for Local SEO to improve your listing on online directories. This software syncs all your company info, such as an address, business hours, and phone number, with the top informational and review sites on the Internet (e.g., Facebook, YP.com, Yelp.com, Bing, etc.). Managing review listing can lead to a nice boost in your local search value. An SEO company claiming to handle directory management manually or using a free version of directory management software will have little to no effect on your SEO value. Here is a link to a free analysis of any company’s directory management: 

https://www.yext.com/s/3439733/partnerDashboard?b=3439733 

Question #6 

Do you use any software for reporting? When do you send out reporting? How often do I get a review and strategy meeting? Monthly, Quarterly? 

The Logic

It’s vital to have easy-to-read reporting. But, at the same time, be sure that the reporting is not simply duplicating Google Analytics and that your agency defines it as “reporting.” Google Analytics is the primary website reporting metric on almost every website. The insights are helpful and can help you make educated decisions on creating website traffic. But, Google Analytics should be the baseline reporting. More advanced reporting tools from companies like Agency Analytics (link) and AHRefs (link)can create reports that are more insightful and easier to read. 

Also, you will want reports monthly with a quarterly review meeting to measure progress and adjust strategy. 

Question #7 

Where is my website hosted? Is it on a private server or a shared server? What company do you use to host? How often are security updates, core updates, and plugin updates? 

The Logic

Your choice of hosting provider can increase your SEO value considerably. A private server compared to a shared server is like the difference between living in a gated community and an apartment building. For example, private servers only have the agency’s clients on them. Therefore, the agency can control security and be alerted if a website has been breached. 

On the other hand, shared servers are shared and have around 100+ clients from different companies with different security protocols. So, the company next to you on the server may have little to no security protocols. If another website on the server gets breached, it can also attack your website. Also, shared servers share traffic resources. So, if there is a large website on a shared server with a lot of traffic, the server will direct resources to that website by slowing down your website during peak demand times. No matter the case, Google will diminish your SEO value on a shared server due to security and speed issues. Accordingly, the company you use for your website hosting is vital to your SEO strategy. 

Finally, be sure the SEO company or website development team updates your website’s plugins, security, and core theme. These updates should occur every month or at least every quarter. Regularly updating these items will make your website more secure, run faster, and increase your SEO value. 

Question #8 

What software do you use for performance website audits? How often do you audit the websites? If elements appear malfunctioning, broken, etc., is there a charge to fix them? 

The Logic

If a website page malfunctions, a notification isn’t sent to the person managing the website. The only way to know and track issues is to audit the website using third-party software. These audits should take place a minimum of once a month. The paid versions of Screaming Frog, SEMRush, and UberSuggest do an excellent job of finding performance issues and recommending fixes. As discussed in #4, paid versions of software do a more thorough and cost-effective job of reviewing websites

If you want to discuss SEO or digital marketing elements, contact Power Marketing today.

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In the Summer of 1998, a South Korean technology company, Saehan Information Systems, launched the MP3 mobile player into the U.S. market. In the early 2000s, the popularity of the MP3 format exploded as more people began downloading the sharing music. Roughly two years later, Apple released the iPod. Similar to the potential battle between BARD and Chat GPT, Apple had significantly more resources to draw from. By 2006, iPod had 70% of the mobile player market. By 2012, MP3 players were less than 10% of the market. But that wasn’t the end of MP3 technology. MP3 files store music for widely used applications like Spotify and Apple. In addition, many Podcasts are distributed in MP3 format, and audiobooks use the technology. In short, MP3 technology found its place in the market.

Other than the first mover advantage, ChatGPT has some unique leverage. It’s trained on billions of words and data points to create human-like conversations based on the user’s input. These data points make it helpful in answering search questions, interacting with humans in products like chatbots, and analyzing and creating text for items for functions like emails (note: the functions of ChatGPT are vastly more complex and numerous, but in the initial stages the majority of users are focused on these aspects). Additionally, ChatGPT is highly flexible and adaptable. In other words, it keeps learning as more user input accumulates, allowing it to understand and improve over time. Also, keep in mind the version of ChatGPT is only a portion of the overall functionality developed by its creators, Open AI. Admittedly, the company has put “guard rails” to Chat GPT until the depth of its functions is more understood.

But lurking in the background are other AI programs similar to or better than ChatGPT, most notably Google’s product, BARD. Despite ChatGPT’s strengths, there are some areas in which ChatGPT may not compete with BARD. For example, Google has access to enormous amounts of data from its products, such as its search product. This data gives Google a significant advantage in training its algorithms and improving their accuracy.

Another area where ChatGPT may struggle is in the development of Application Program interfaces (APIs) and custom applications. Google has a wide range of APIs, such as Google Maps, Google Translate, and Google Places, and custom applications like Google Documents, Google Slides, and Google Analytics, allowing businesses and organizations to integrate AI technology into their operations seamlessly and efficiently. While ChatGPT is highly flexible, it may need to be better suited to these kinds of APIs and custom applications to become the leading player in AI.

The first significant shots have been fired in the battle for AI. The following 12-18 months will be pivotal in the fight for market dominance. ChatGPT is a game-changing tool, but can it survive the onslaught of competition? It may end up leading the market, it may end up finding a niche, or it may become obsolete.

The post Will ChatGPT go the way of the MP3 player? appeared first on Power-Marketing.

Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content is an outstanding source of content for your social media channels. UGC
includes content already created by your audience, such as photos, videos,
testimonials, and reviews. Sharing UGC on your social media channels helps to build your
community and shows your audience that you value their input and opinions. It’s also a
compelling way to grow engagement and broaden your reach on your social media channels.
Your fans/followers are already doing most of the work for you. Use that to your advantage.

Post Educational Content

Posting educational content is an excellent way to position your company as a thought leader and
expert authority in both your industry & your market. Educational content includes how-to
guides, tutorials, infographics, and other informative content that provides value to your
audience. It’s also a great way to highlight preferred vendors and partners. Plus, by
tagging them many times, they’ll also share it on their channels. By sharing educational content, you’ll not
only help your audience learn something new, but you’ll also increase your credibility and
authority in your industry.

Share News and Updates

Sharing news and updates relevant to your industry or niche keeps your audience
informed and engaged. News and updates can include new products, company announcements,
industry trends, and other pertinent information your audience may find interesting. By sharing
timely and relevant news and updates, you’ll show your audience that you’re staying up-to-date
with the latest trends and that you care about keeping them informed. By incorporating this
information, you’ll earn a position of trust with them. Positioning you as the company they think
of when they need a new home.

Highlight Your Culture

Sharing behind-the-scenes content is an excellent way to highlight your company culture and
build a connection with your audience. Behind-the-scenes content includes photos and videos of
your team at work, office parties, company outings, birthdays, and other candid moments that
give your audience a glimpse into your company’s personality and values. Sharing this targeted
content will humanize your brand and make it more relatable to potential home buyers.
They’ll feel like they know you after some time.

Create Polls and Quizzes

Creating polls and quizzes is a fantastic way to increase engagement and gather valuable insights
from your audience. Polls and quizzes can gather feedback on new products,
services, or content or spark a conversation around a specific trend. By creating polls and
quizzes, you’ll also show your audience that you value their opinions and create opportunities to
engage more with your potential audience.

Host Contests and Giveaways

Hosting contests and giveaways is a fun way to increase engagement effectively, generate buzz
around your brand, and reward your audience for their loyalty. Contests and giveaways should
also be considered to encourage user-generated content, grow followers, or drive traffic. Also, hosting a contest or giveaway will create a sense of connection and anticipation among
your audience. It’s also a great way to showcase partners in your community, which can also tap into new audiences.

Repurpose Existing Content

Repurposing existing content is an excellent way to save time and effort while providing value to
your audience. Repurposing can include:

• Turning a blog post into a social media post.
• Creating an infographic from a brochure.
• Creating a slide deck from a webinar.

By repurposing existing content, you’ll be able to connect with a broader audience and nurture
them with content that’s both informative and engaging.

Generating and posting ideas for social media can be challenging. Still, you can create engaging and compelling content by
leveraging the consistent scheduling of these ideas. Content that your audience looks forward to. Remember to keep
your audience in mind and provide them with relevant, informative, and helpful content.

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