• FAQs

          Search engine optimization (SEO) helps businesses drive visits to their website through organic search traffic. Given that the top organic search results receive a third of the clicks, a decline in ranking could be detrimental for your business. Implementing SEO best practices on your website will help to ensure that your web content is seen by as many potential customers as possible. The more visitors you have, the better your chances are of converting those visits into sales!

          Local search engine optimization (SEO) helps local businesses gain visibility by optimizing their local business listings for local search. A business that leverages local SEO will include its address, phone number, local opening times, and exact location in the form of a local citation. The goal is to rank for local searches which are usually performed by people in a specific geographical region looking for a business near them.

          We typically see results within the first 30 to 60 days, but when it comes to SEO, there are many factors at play. It's important to remember that SEO is a long-term strategy and results may not come as fast at you wish.


        • FAQs

          Digital advertising uses the internet to send advertisements to customers who are online through different websites and social media platforms like Google, Bing, LinkedIn and Facebook.

          The price for Google Ads management depends on the monthly ad spend. For accounts with $1,000 in monthly ad spend, the price is $550/month. Between $1,000 and $5,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $950/month. For $5,000 to $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $2,000/month. For more than $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $4,500/month.

          The price for Social Media Ads management depends on the monthly ad spend. For accounts with $1,000 in monthly ad spend, the price is $550/month. Between $1,000 and $5,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $950/month. For $5,000 to $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $2,000/month. For more than $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $4,500/month.


        • FAQs

          This depends on the complexity and size of a redesign and if eCommerce is needed. On average, it takes around 14-18 weeks from the web design intensive stage to launch.

          If your website experiences the following issues: it’s not responsive on all devices, has a slow loading speed, the design appears old and tired, users don’t spend long on the site, sales are stagnant, or your business is going through a rebranding - your website needs a redesign to boost your brand awareness and sales.

          Sometimes there’s no need to rebuild a website. Minor edits, refreshing page content and images, or restructuring page layout for SEO best practices can boost traffic and sales.


        • FAQs

          Semantic search launched in 2013 with the release of Google's Hummingbird update. Since then, Google's search engine has become more complex. The integration of machine learning, with RankBrain, and NLP, with BERT, has enabled the search engine to better understand the context of a query and deliver more personalized and targeted results. Semantic SEO is the process of creating machine-readable content using structured data and linked open data to help search engines better understand your content.

          On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page SEO refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals. From meta tags to page content, website structure, and HTML, on-page optimization services are focused on making your website more visible to search engines.

          Structured data refers to any organized data that conforms to a certain format, such as information in a relational database. When information is highly structured and predictable, search engines can more easily organize and display it in creative ways. Structured data involves using a piece of code that is laid out in a specific format easily understood by search engines. The search engines read the code and use it to display search results in a more dynamic way.


        • FAQs

          An SEO agency has experts in different areas of search engine optimization that may be out of the realm of your marketing team's abilities. SEO can be very complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, as search engine algorithms change it can be difficult to stay current on the latest ranking factors and strategies for improving online visibility. You will likely see a greater return on investment and better results from using a professional SEO agency than you would from tackling this on your own.

          As a digital marketing agency, SMA Marketing provides products and services in four areas: SEO, Local SEO, Digital Advertising, and Web Design

          We focus on building authentic, long-lasting relationships with our clients. We’re goal oriented and results driven and believe in doing good and making a difference in the world.

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An Analog Approach to Content Marketing: The Value of Visual Thinking

“In the digital age, don’t forget your digits.” ~ Lynda Barry

Content is the backbone of any good online marketing strategy. Creating content that not only clearly shares your message, but also connects with your audience takes time and effort. For me, this meant hours staring at a computer screen waiting for ideas to come. It wasn’t until I stepped away from the screen and began to use analog tools, like markers and a sketch pad, that my content started to come to life.

I stumbled on the approach by accident a few months ago. I was producing a ton of content for my website and felt like I was in a rut. I had a content schedule and a list of ideas to write about, but when I went to create content, nothing came. So I picked up the sketch pad on my desk and started drawing. I needed to break from the screen and thought drawing would help me disconnect. A funny thing happened. Ideas started coming together and before I knew it, I was creating better content than ever before.

Why Stepping Away From the Screen Works:

“The computer is really good for editing your ideas, and it’s really good for getting your ideas ready for publishing out to the world, but it’s not really good for generating ideas. There are too many opportunities to hit the delete key.” ~ Austin Kleon “Steal Like An Artist

It wasn’t until I read this line in “Steal Like An Artist” did my new approach to content start to really make sense. By stepping back and just letting ideas flow on paper, I was able to feel my way through ideas. Drawing sketches and other elements also helped me to visualize the thought before I had the right words to express what I wanted to say. The best part of using visual thinking is that it forces you to explore your thoughts further than you would if you were just using words. The reason is, we are visual creatures. Our ability to connect with and comprehend images is much greater than our ability to do the same with just text.

How To Do Visual Thinking

If you’re still reading this, you may be thinking, “OK, sounds nice but I can’t draw.”  I get it. But this process and the visuals you create aren’t for anyone but you. So relax. Your thoughts don’t have to become artistic masterpieces, they just need to be put down on paper. “People interpret simple stick figures far more easily than abstract concepts expressed in text.” (Business Model Generation) The key is to step back from your computer and only use non-digital tools. Here are a few suggestions.

  • Post It Notes: Draw simple pictures or write one word per a note and organize your thoughts on a wall. Rearrange as much as needed and add more notes as ideas begin to the flow.
  • Sketches: Think of a topic and then draw sticks figures and symbols on a piece of paper that represent your thoughts. Then add action words around the images to help them come to life.
  • Diagrams: This is what I use the most. Decide what type of diagram will help you visualize best and get to work. Below is a one of the diagrams I used to create a recent post. Everything goes! Even bad ideas can turn into great ideas once they are hashed out.
visual_guide_to_content_marketing.jpg

While I “discovered” this content creation method by mistake, after reading on the power of visual thinking I realized the science behind it. It’s easy to sucked into our word processors and just start typing. But, by stepping back and using your “digits” to help you create digital content, you will be able to explore your thoughts on a new level and create better content for your blog, website, social media campaigns and more.

Now it’s your turn. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts by commenting below!

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