• 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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How to Write Content Based on Topic Clusters

Topic clusters are an effective way to improve your website’s rankings around its main subjects. With the recent search engine updates, content strategists have found that a strategically developed topic cluster has the potential to improve both user experience and relevant organic traffic. This is because when you write content based on topic clusters you help search engines and users understand the context of your content.

To optimize your pages for search and create the best content marketing strategy around topic clusters, focus on three parts: the pillar page, topic clusters, and internal links. 

Pillar Page

Pillar pages should present a comprehensive and detailed discussion about broad topics. This long-form content will focus on one keyword for a product or service per page and then shorter blog articles will link to the page with supporting information about the same subject.

Each grouping of blog articles is a cluster of similar content about one topic. The pillar page serves as your topic cluster’s primary topic or your core topic. Most businesses will use this to introduce a service or product and provide short answers to important questions. Your website will likely have more than one pillar page.

Learn more about pillar pages here: What are Pillar Pages & How do They Impact Your SEO Strategy?

Topic Clusters

Topic clusters are the blog posts that expand on the topic the pillar page presents. Each of the articles in a content cluster focuses on one subsection of the pillar article in further detail. The posts also link internally to the pillar article.

Internal Links

Internal links are essential hyperlinks in a topic cluster content strategy because they connect the pillar article to the content clusters and connect others to relevant articles. Internal links add context for search engines and make it easier for users to navigate your site. Additionally linking pages internally may boost your search rankings because it shows Google that you have a lot of information on the same subject which indicates you are an expert on a particular topic.

Now that you know what pages you need to build and the order to create them, it’s time to discuss the best way to choose the content your target audience is looking for.

Content Creation for Topic Clusters

As you build a content strategy around your core topic, each piece of content will focus on a long-tail keyword that relates to the pillar page core topic.

Here is an example of a topic cluster:

content marketing pillar page and topic cluster example

Do Keyword Research Around Search Intent

Topic clusters are powerful because they allow you to dominate entire keyword verticals in search engine results pages (SERPS). Volume is important, but it’s not the only thing to consider when choosing your long-tail keywords. You need to think about how to serve your target audience best. What are the problems potential customers might want to solve? How do people search for solutions? As your ideal buyers move through the funnel, their questions change. They search with different intents and they’re likely to take various actions at each stage.

You will need to create four types of content to meet your audience at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Informational Content – Users search to find an answer to a specific question.

Navigational Content– Users search for a specific page, site, or physical location.

Commercial Content – Users want to investigate brands or services.

Transactional Content – Users want to complete an action (conversion).

You will need a list of keywords to work from as you create content. There are hundreds of strategies to find the best keywords and just as many experts who have opinions on everything from the best search volume ranges to evaluating competitive keywords.

Of course, it’s always great to rank on the first page of Google, but if your website is ranking for terms that aren’t relevant to your business, you aren’t likely to convert your website users to buyers. You need to keep your ideal buyer in mind as you choose keywords. Don’t be afraid to answer the questions asked. If they ask them, others likely have the same questions!

You may discover that your competitors are not writing about a subject that you use to differentiate yourself. As you write the content, make sure you think about search intent and how that blog post will link back to the pillar content.

You can learn more about researching keywords for search intent here: Finding Intent-Based Terms For Your Search Marketing Funnel.

Once you’ve identified your priority keywords, create a list that helps you organize the keywords. We like to note intent, volume, keyword difficulty, and whether the word is currently trending up, among other factors. These data points help us prioritize the keywords to focus on.

Conduct a Content Audit to Identify Content Gaps

A content audit gives you a detailed list of all the content you’ve already published on your digital marketing channels. Once you’ve sorted your content by subject, you can group pieces that focus on a particular topic together.

The best way to start seeing tangible results in your organic rankings with the help of topic clusters is by reviewing the pieces of content you have. As you audit each piece, evaluate the monthly search volume, content quality, topical authority, and SEO.

Then match the content around the list you’ve developed through your keyword research. You may find that you can focus on updating content you’ve already published or spend time on search engine optimization by adding a video or updating links and images.

After matching each cluster page to one pillar post, you will uncover the content gaps on your site. Then, start writing content for every long-tailed keyword where there is a gap.

keyword list content gaps

Your goal is to create a blog post for your cluster that answers every question your ideal buyer is searching for in order to establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

Writing content based on topic clusters takes strategic keyword research, creativity, and an understanding of your industry. If you’re looking for a team to partner with to elevate your content marketing strategy, contact SMA Marketing.

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