• 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.

  • Contact

Using Empathy Mapping to Make Your Marketing More Personal

Using Empathy Mapping to Make Your Marketing More Personal

Marketing is about making connections. It’s about starting a conversation and listening to your audience. When you create messaging that resonates and helps your target audience find the best solution, you improve the overall customer experience and strengthen trust with your brand.

Customer empathy mapping is a powerful exercise to help you and your team better understand the people in your target audience. While demographics are important, empathy mapping can help uncover psychographics which is essential to creating a more personalized user experience.

Do you know your customers? In order to effectively market your business to the right audience, you have to step outside your worldview and enter theirs. Customer empathy maps are a powerful tool when it comes to developing the story you want to share about your business online. The old adage, “The customer is always right,” is 100% percent true. In a world filled with noise, it’s essential to know your audience so that your message gets heard.

When it comes to internet marketing, a majority of business owners go for what they like themselves or what they see their competition doing. This, in my opinion, is a dangerous move. Sharing an authentic story online is important. But you have to think about your audience. Your story has to connect with your audience and help them understand how your business will solve their problems. This is where empathy and understanding your buyers play a huge role in crafting a message that gets to the heart of your audience.

The information below comes from an awesome tool called the Empathy Map, which was developed by the visual thinking company XPLANE. What I plan to do is walk you through the steps to help you understand how to use the Empathy Map to give you a better understanding of your buyer personas. (Download your Empathy Map from XPLANE here)

Ways to Incorporate Empathy Mapping

Customer empathy mapping is a helpful way to gain deeper insights into your ideal client at every stage of the buyer’s journey. When you have a clear understanding of user needs, you’ll develop stronger marketing messages. Additionally, you will:

  • Develop new products or services that solve your customers’ pain points.
  • Sharpen your marketing message for your ideal customer.
  • Narrow down your products or services, eliminating unnecessary bloat.
  • Clarify user behavior and better anticipate buying trends.
  • Refine product designs based on customer insights.

Questions to Ask When Developing an Empathy Map

What Does She See?

This first question dives into what your current and potential customer sees in their environment. Force yourself to step into her world and see what she is experiencing. This will allow you to get a better idea of not only the type of marketing she is exposed to but also who are the others influencing her life. Understanding what she sees and what attracts her can give you ideas on how to frame your story to better fit her visual reality.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What does it look like?
  • Who surrounds her?
  • Who are her friends?
  • What types of offers is she exposed to on a day-to-day basis?
  • What are the problems she encounters?

What Does She Hear?

People are influenced by what those around them say. Each of us has people in our lives that, when they speak, we listen. But they aren’t the only ones who have access to our ears. Everything communicates. From the music she listens to, and the types of media channels she exposes herself to, every one of them says something about her and to her.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What do her friends say? Partner? Spouse?
  • Who really influences her, and how?
  • Which media channels are influential?

What Does She Think and Feel?

Here is where really tapping into empathy is key. These are the thoughts and feelings she’s afraid to share. The things that are really going on inside her head. The truth is, we all have these. So taking a moment to connect with yourself is a good idea before jumping into this. This is the place where your customer or prospect will ultimately decide whether or not to trust and engage with your business. So take some time and don’t rush this part.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What is really important to her? The stuff she won’t say out loud.
  • Imagine her emotions. What moves her?
  • What keeps her up at night?
  • Try describing her dreams and aspirations. What are they?

What Does She Say and Do?

The key here is to look at what she says and then compare it to what she does. Many of us have the tendency to say things that we really don’t mean or back up with our actions. By better understanding what she says and how she acts, you can frame your message to speak to the “real her”.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What is her attitude?
  • What could she be telling others?
  • What are the conflicts between what she says and what she may truly feel or think?

The next two things to consider are pain and gain. Here we can establish the main issues that our persona is facing and the possible solutions we can provide to them.

What is the Customer’s Pain?

Pain causes change. As humans, we can only deal with pain for so long until we start to look for a solution. Identifying, understanding, and empathizing with their pain is essential when creating a story that resonates with your audience. Try to feel their pain. Place yourselves in their situation and imagine what it’s like to experience their frustration.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What are her biggest frustrations?
  • What obstacles stand between her and what she needs or wants to achieve?
  • What risks might she fear taking?

What Does the Customer Gain?

Now that you understand the pain, you can begin to present the solution. Remember, success is measured on the customer’s terms, not yours. They have to be convinced that your solution will meet their desired outcome. As business owners, it’s not our job to force our solution but rather expose the pain and offer a solution that meets the customer’s desired outcome.

Some Questions to Ask Are:

  • What does she truly want or need to achieve?
  • How does she measure success?
  • What strategies might she use to achieve her goals?

By asking yourself these questions, you can harness the power of empathy to help you better understand your customers’ wants and needs at a deeper level. This will help you to create an online marketing message that resonates and adds value to your audience and help attract the right type of customer. Then you will be able to create better solutions that actually meet their needs. As Seth Godin says, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

An excellent way to increase your customer base is by creating detailed empathy maps. Learn more about using empathy mapping to develop a deeper understanding of your buyer persona here:

Search by Topic

  • All Resources
  • SEO
  • Digital Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Web Development
  • Major Structure Data Updates From Google

    Major Structured Data Updates From Google

    As technology advances, so do the algorithms and updates from search engines like Google. A major update that has caught the attention of website owners and SEO professionals is the…

    How and When to Claim Your Google Business Profile Blog Image (1)

    How and When To Claim Your Business on Google 

    One of the first things we do at SMA Marketing when working with a local SEO client is look for the company’s Google Business Profile. Occasionally, we work with a…

    The 4 Fastest Ways To Contact Google Support

    The 4 Fastest Ways To Contact Google My Business Support

    Your Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly called a Google My Business profile, is an invaluable free tool for local businesses. That said, what can help your business visibility can also…

    Small Business SEO Tips from 10+ Years of Experience

    Small Business SEO: Tips from 10+ Years of Experience

    SMA Marketing has a long history of helping small businesses attract customers through effective search engine optimization. SEO is the foundation of our marketing strategy, enabling us to create a…

    6 Local SEO Tips to Improve Your Local Rankings

    6 Local SEO Tips To Improve Your Local Rankings [Infographic]

    From small businesses to larger enterprises, you need local SEO if you own a brick-and-mortar or online local business. Though local SEO (search engine optimization) is a long-term strategy that…

    What Is an SEO Agency?

    What is an SEO agency and what do they do? Learn how hiring an SEO agency will effectively drive traffic to your site and grow your business.

    What Is an SEO Agency?

    What is an SEO agency and what do they do? Learn how hiring an SEO agency will effectively drive traffic to your site and grow your business.

    What is SEO

    What Is SEO?

    The term SEO has a variety of meanings and is often understood. Learn what SEO is and how SEO works to improve a website’s visibility in search results.

    5 Ways To Convert SEO Leads Using Web Design

    5 Ways To Convert SEO Leads Using Web Design

    Learn how your web design impacts the conversion rate of you SEO leads and how a great design can grow your business online.

    SMART SEO & Content Marketing How Your Message Impacts Rankings [Infographic]

    SMART SEO & Content Marketing: How Your Message Impacts Rankings [Infographic]

    A SMART SEO strategy begins and ends with the development and marketing of awesome content. See how content marketing and SEO are connected.

    Why Design a New Website

    Why Design a New Website

    There are a few different ways to refresh your website. Learn the benefits of designing a new website as a part of your digital marketing strategy.

    Web Design and Development Services How To Find the Right Agency for Your Business

    Web Design and Development Services: How to Find the Right Agency for Your Business

    Learn the tips & importance of working with a digital marketing agency to find the right web design and development services for your business.

    • 6 Proven Methods To Improve Your Customer Experience Strategy

      Extend your relationships with customers beyond their initial purchase and create loyal fans with these methods for improving your customer experience strategy.

      Differentiating SEO vs. SEM

      SEM and SEO are digital marketing strategies that align to accomplish the same goals but consist of different execution. Learn more about SEM and SEO.

      What is Content Marketing?

      Excellent content marketing cuts through the noise of unhelpful information to attract the right customers. Read more from SMA Marketing.

      What Is Internet Marketing?

      Internet marketing is a powerful tool for businesses! Learn about digital platforms, tools, and content delivery systems to reach new customers.

      Guide to Search Engine Marketing

      Looking to expand your digital marketing portfolio? It may be time to explore search engine marketing. Learn more from SMA Marketing.

      7 Content Marketing Strategies You Can’t Ignore

      We’re highlighting 7 content marketing strategies you can’t ignore. A well-rounded content strategy helps you connect with your ideal buyer.

    • The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Google Business Profile

      Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Google Business Profile

      Developing a diverse Local SEO strategy for companies with brick-and-mortar addresses or clearly defined service areas includes establishing and optimizing a Google Business Profile (abbreviated GBP for this article).

      Does Blogging Still Work

      Does Blogging Still Work?

      In the latest episode of Hack My Growth we’re going to look at blogging and what role it plays in marketing in the year 2021 and beyond.

      YouTube SEO Best Practices

      YouTube SEO Best Practices

      Did you know that YouTube receives 14.3 billion visits per month? That’s more than Facebook, Wikipedia, Amazon, and Instagram. Businesses and brands all over the globe are creating YouTube videos…

        6 Proven Methods To Improve Your Customer Experience Strategy

        Extend your relationships with customers beyond their initial purchase and create loyal fans with these methods for improving your customer experience strategy.

        What is Content Marketing?

        Excellent content marketing cuts through the noise of unhelpful information to attract the right customers. Read more from SMA Marketing.

        7 Content Marketing Strategies You Can’t Ignore

        We’re highlighting 7 content marketing strategies you can’t ignore. A well-rounded content strategy helps you connect with your ideal buyer.

      • 5 Ways To Convert SEO Leads Using Web Design

        5 Ways To Convert SEO Leads Using Web Design

        Learn how your web design impacts the conversion rate of you SEO leads and how a great design can grow your business online.

        Why Is User Experience Important in Web Design

        Why is User Experience Important in Web Design?

        Learn more about user experience (UX), why it is important for your website to have a good UX, and the benefits of having a good UX on your website.

        Why Design a New Website

        Why Design a New Website

        There are a few different ways to refresh your website. Learn the benefits of designing a new website as a part of your digital marketing strategy.

        Web Design and Development Services How To Find the Right Agency for Your Business

        Web Design and Development Services: How to Find the Right Agency for Your Business

        Learn the tips & importance of working with a digital marketing agency to find the right web design and development services for your business.

        Looking for a Web Designer? 10 Things to Keep In Mind

        Looking for a web designer but not sure where to start? Your website is your digital front door. Here are 10 things you need to look for in a designer.

        The History of Website Design: 30 Years of Building the Web [2022 Update]

        The History of Website Design. We’ve come a long way in 30 years of building the world wide web. Take a look at web design’s past, present and future.

      Get Up-To-Date Digital Marketing Tips Delivered Straight to Your Inbox!

      SMA Marketing Digital Marketing Agency Giving Back to Kiva Making Loans