• 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

How Bloggers Can Benefit from a Personalized Strategy

When I started exploring expanding my writing opportunities I discovered that I was automatically removed from consideration in some situations because my social media reach was not as large as others. As I explored building my social media platform one thing became clear, everyone had a theory. Further research revealed that at some point a financial investment would be necessary. With limited funds as well as limited time I realized the more I could learn on my own the better off I’d be. Ultimately I began to wonder if a cookie cutter process hundreds of others were paying for was worth my financial and time investment.

When I joined the SMA Team almost 9 months ago I knew very little about the terms surrounding Inbound Marketing, but the strategies were easy to catch on to. They were the same ones I’d been exploring for my own blog. The difference was that Ryan was taking the time to align different strategies for each of his clients. I learned behind the scenes that with SMA there wasn’t a one size fits all approach, even with similar results obtained. That’s when I realized I’d been on the right track wanting to avoid a cookie cutter process.

“At it’s core personalized marketing is about connecting individuals to resources and solutions that meet their specific needs.” For a blogger this can be the difference between being lost on page 8 of a Google search and catching the eye of the person you are trying to reach.

Writers write because they are compelled to present a message in a unique way. Whether a blog is aimed towards helping someone, presenting an idea, or selling a product the goal is the same. To reach the people that will most benefit from reading the words. Blog content can be harder to produce when a writer is stretched thin. Many bloggers aim to be compensated for their hard work. If this is the category you fall into, then a personalized marketing strategy could be the key to your success.

There are so many aspects of developing a solid blogging platform it can be easy to overlook key steps. I’m going to highlight a few of the aspects to developing a personalized blogging strategy.

Developing a Personalized Blogging Strategy

Persona Development

Having directions to your destination will make any trip go smoother. Persona Development falls into this category. Narrowing down your audience will help you to create focused content as well as help you structure your writing for the people you are trying to help.

A focused message is an important aspect of developing a relationship with your readers. When they know what you will be writing about they know how to resource you.

A Great Website

Strong content is key, but if it’s hard to find on your website your reader can become frustrated and move on to the next blogger.

I love Alli Worthington’s suggestion to do a “Kid Test” with your webite. “Find a child age 7-12 and show them your website, don’t scroll down at all, just ask them what the website is about.” Her point is that if they can’t tell you what your website is about in general terms you have room to improve things.

A Social Media Strategy

When it comes to having a digital job like being paid to run a blog, social media is an unavoidable aspect. Taking the time to figure out what social media channels your persona prefers as well as the best times to post in order for them to see your content will help you to maximize your time and efforts.

Your social media interactions should include promoting others work as well as your own and replying to those that take the time to connect with you.

For more information on social media strategies check out this post 

Strong Content

Strong blog content is a subject that I don’t think can be covered enough. Clear, relevant content will keep your readers coming back. No one wants to have to re-read a blog post for clarity. Further, when you are competing with over a billion websites every post matters.

Part of stong content should include strategic sentences and phrasing that will help Google find your content. This post on Keywords vs. Topics was really helpful to me in understanding this further.

Analytics

I’ve already confessed that analytics is probably my least favorite part of blogging. That may be true for you as well. If so, you might consider investing in a consultation. Getting outside help on a short term basis can be an investment that extends well beyond your invested time.

Still, there are a few free tools you can begin with. As Ryan explained “With free tools like Google Analytics and Search Console available to all website owners, there is no reason not to be tracking your efforts. Using the data will help you make smarter decisions that will yield real business results.”

For a better explanation check out this video The Importance Of Analytics

Expand Your Team

In the few years I’ve been blogging I’ve discovered that for as many people that start blogging each week there are just as many who become overwhelmed and stop. In an ideal situation you will be able to focus on the aspects of your blog you love and delegate others. This might not always be possible financially. It may be a goal to work towards, or maybe not. The great thing about a personalized strategy is that you get to decide when and where your money is spent.

Understand Results Will Vary

Your team should include online resources from people willing to teach you how to expand your reach. Utilize the free tools and resouces on this blog as well as those referenced. Go to a blogging conference, watch webinars, join a writing group, and network. You may discover that you have a skill you can trade for a skill you need. Even with all of these tools and training results will vary. With over a billion websites and counting it will take work to get your words seen. Sometimes this is unavoidable without financial investment. In this case, having teammates who are maximizing your financial investment can be the best addition to your personalized strategy you can make.

Are you frustrated with your current blog or website? Let us help! We are in the business of growing businesses and that includes yours.

New Call-to-action

Search by Topic

  • All Resources
  • SEO
  • Digital Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Web Development

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

SMA Marketing Digital Marketing Agency Giving Back to Kiva Making Loans