• 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

Google Update: The Great Index Divide

Google Update The Great Index Divide

The team over at Google Search is keeping us all busy to end the year! If September’s major updates to both the local and the core algorithm weren’t enough, now Google has let us in on their next planned update. The announcement came in the keynote from Gary Illyes at Google (basically the new Matt Cutts) on Thursday at Pubcon Vegas 2016. In the next few months, Google is planning on dividing its index between mobile and desktop. But here’s the kicker, the MOBILE index will be the primary index. Check out the video below to see what you can do to prepare.

Video Transcript:

Hey, what’s going on everybody? I’m Ryan Shelley, and this is the SMA Marketing Minute. We’re having another episode dedicated to a major update over at Google. That’s right. We got another one coming. Last time we talked about Possum – the release of the brand new local search algorithm update and what you need to do to prepare. We also saw, right after that, Google released Penguin 4.0, where they made Penguin a part of the live algorithm update. Well, we’ve got another update coming that’s going to be released in just a few months, and it’s Google dividing the indexes. The indexes right now are basically the same. You have one index that reads for mobile and desktop, but the adjustments are a little different depending on the device. Well now, Google’s actually going to separate and create two separate indexes. One for mobile and one for desktop, so now we’re going to talk a little bit about what that means and what you can do to prepare.

What is an index? Well, the Google index is really the rankings. It’s the list of sites that rank you for a particular term, or particular target, and it’s how they actually rank from top to bottom – from most relevant to least relevant. Up and to this point they’ve had one major index and then it slightly alters itself based on the device you’re using, your location, and who you are as an individual. Well now, Google’s actually going to separate them into 2 indexes. You’re going to have one that’s primarily dominated by mobile use, and you’re going to have another one that’s desktop. Here’s the kicker. The main, primary index for Google, is actually going to be the mobile index. This is where we really need to understand what we need to do to prepare and get ready for this separation in the index because the mobile index is actually going to refresh a lot more frequently now than the traditional desktop index.

About a year ago, it was March of 2015; Google talked about the mobile-friendly update. It was dubbed Mobilegeddon. A lot of people who hadn’t really brought their sites up to mobile-friendly status were a little bit scared and kind of rushed into a panic to make sure that they met the new qualifications. Well, after about a year of Mobilegeddon, Google released a statement saying that they’re getting rid of the Google mobile-friendly tab because most of the sites had made that switch, but they haven’t abandoned their focus on mobile. Mobile is still their primary focus because more and more people are continuing to search via their smartphones. This new switch to the mobile-first index is going to continue to put a primary focus on mobile sites. What you need to do is make sure that your site is not only mobile-friendly, but it’s optimized for mobile. That you’re targeting mobile customers. That you’re making it easier for those customers when they come on your site to take the action you need to close the sale.

The AMP project was released by Google and a few other large companies a few years ago to help bring developers into the conversation to make better mobile experiences for users. If you’re not using accelerated mobile pages now is the time to start doing that. More emphasis is being placed on the user, their behavior, and especially their behavior on mobile. We did a post about accelerated mobile pages you can check out, we’re going to provide the link, to give you a little more detail of what you need to do to get started and how to make sure that your pages are mobile-friendly and fast so that your users will not only find them but also engage with you once they do.

Well, that’s a wrap for this episode of the SMA Marketing Minute. If you have any questions or concerns about this new index split, please let us know. Send us a comment below. Shoot us an email. We’d love to help you out and figure out what we can do to come alongside you and get a strategy together to make sure that you’re not only ranking, but you’re driving in relevant traffic. We hope you have an awesome week and we’ll see you next time on the SMA Marketing Minute. 

New Call-to-action

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