May 10, 2024
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This Week's Top Marketing News

Localized SERPs: Winning Traffic and Leads with Service Area Pages

Local SEO city pages could be the missing piece in your local SEO strategy. Local city pages are specific content created for the city where or near your business is performing services. They are meant to capture the “Painting services in CITY” or “Landscapers in CITY”. Usually, the headlines, URLs, and content contain the city and the keyword.

Google said a while back that city pages don’t work. We didn’t listen to Google, nor should you, in this case. Google now says these pages work and are not flagged for duplicate content.

This great overview and dive in from Search Engine Land points out optimization and best practices for these pages, including:

• Adding customer reviews
• Case studies and jobs completed
• Unique photos + videos
• City-specific statistics
• How to prioritize the cities you create service area pages for

Fish Food:
We’ve seen the rewards in higher traffic and SERPs these pages can bring websites. They also convert. A form on these pages gives potential customers looking for your services in your area a great place to start their research. Businesses can boost their visibility in local searches by optimizing their local SEO pages with targeted keywords and "near me" phrases.

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​People Can't Stop Laughing At The Canadian Army's New Logo Design

Asking for public feedback, sometimes, you get the answers you’re looking for but sometimes, things can take a turn quickly. The Canadian Army debuted its brand-new logo and asked for feedback. Some comments include:

• It looks like a moose getting a prostate exam
• It looks like a Minecraft character milking an elk
• Wait, Canada has an army?
• A sock puppet with a maple leaf on the head?
• You’ve achieved two things: embarrassing yourselves… and making me want to play Atari 2600

U.S. vs. Google Antitrust Trial: Everything You Need To Know

Google paid Apple as much as $20 Billion in 2022 to be the primary search engine on Apple devices. There are additional instances of Google paying massive amounts for the same privilege to wireless carriers and other device makers. Why would Google do this? To control the market, of course. The Justice Department is putting the finishing touches on a case that began years ago, claiming “Google illegally monopolized the online search industry through payments like the kind it’s made to Apple”. Google argues that consumers choose to use their search engine because it is the best and nothing prevents Apple from choosing another search provider. DOJ attorneys ask why spend all that $$ if there’s no clear benefit. A decision by District Judge Amit Mehta is expected later this year.

How to Write World-Beating Web Content?

There is so much information available that most readers don’t read every single word on the page; they scan it. Scannable text refers to content structured for easy reading. Users adopt various patterns like the F-pattern, layer-cake, spotted, zigzag, and lawnmower when scanning. To optimize, keep paragraphs short, vary sentence lengths, employ bullet points, and provide clear headings for improved readability and user engagement.
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A Simple Guide To Content Marketing For Small Businesses

It’s a common misconception that a content marketing strategy will turn the same results as other branches of your overall marketing strategy. You write a few blog posts and wait for the traffic to flood in…and then it doesn’t. What are you doing wrong?

Nothing.

If you make the right moves, you’ll see the ROI you’re looking for…but you must follow a direct plan, be patient, and provide value.

This guide outlines a comprehensive framework for small businesses:

Step 1: Identify Your Ideal Customer

Step 2: Identify The Best Content Channels

Step 3: Create A Content Publishing Calendar

Step 4: Create Relevant Content

Step 5: Collaborate With Other Local Businesses and Influencers

Step 6: Measure Results and Double Down On What Works

Fish Food: ​
Content marketing is a long game play. You may have some one-off pieces that may see a traffic spike, but steady traffic, increasing over time is the long play you want for your website and your business.

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16 Great Examples of Welcome Emails for New Customers

Welcome emails are your business's first point of contact with a potential customer. Effective welcome emails include engaging subject lines, personalized content, special offers, and clear opt-out options. You can create impactful welcome emails by following a simple formula—enticing subject lines, clear value proposition restatement, onboarding guidance, aha moments, helpful resources, contact info, and a strong call-to-action. Remember, a strong first impression sets the stage for lasting relationships. Check out these creative examples and templates in the article.

14 Ways to Use AI in Marketing That Works

With AI tools, marketers can learn valuable insights from past campaigns to shape future strategies and conduct thorough competitive analyses. From delving into customer sentiment through roleplay scenarios to streamlining project management tasks, AI can offer a wealth of possibilities. It aids in generating compelling thought leadership content, optimizing SEO audits, and even simplifying the process of crafting engaging social media posts and personalized marketing campaigns.

How to Use Interactive E-Books in Your Content Strategy

Your readers don’t want a plain, boring PDF anymore. They want interactive content and there is data to back it up.

Some market data highlight the power of interactive content:

• Interactive pages receive three times more likes and shares. (Source: Hubspot)
• Interactive experiences convert two times more likes and shares. (Source: Demand Metric)
• Eighty-four percent of customers expect brands to produce content that entertains, provides solutions, and creates experiences. (Source: Meaningful Brands Report)

There are several Different Types of Interactive Elements for E-Books:

• Click to Expand - This is often used to show user profiles or resources on a topic. These elements are usually in lightboxes.
• Sliders or Flows - They showcase testimonials or condense heavy text into something more digestible.
• Tabbed or Collapsible (Accordion) Content—This is a great tool for splitting dense content and helping identify which information catches the user’s attention the most.
• Engagement Questions - Used to collect information about your audience or help them find the right product or service.

Fish Food:
​If you currently have an ebook, the first step might be to create a pillar page from it. Start adding interactive elements (as necessary) to see how your audience engages with your content and work from there.

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