• 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

Thinking About Shifting Blogging Directions? (Read this First)

After blogging for a while, you may find yourself looking to broaden your topics or pare down to focus on only a few subjects. Maybe you are feeling burned out in your niche, but also know you still have valuable things to say on other subjects. Although there is nothing wrong with shifting the direction of your blog, it’s important the transition isn’t disruptive if you desire to keep your current readers engaged.

Once you’ve established a reader base, you should always remind yourself that they found you to help them solve a problem, and they continue to read for a reason. The topic you are writing about is essential to your reader. To take it a step further, while you are far along on your journey, a new reader may be just beginning theirs. Finding your archives is like winning the lotto to a newbie.

So how do you balance meeting the needs of your audience with your desire to shift your blog content? The decision begins with asking yourself several questions.

If you are considering shifting blog directions begin by asking these questions:

  • Why do I want to add/delete content subjects?
  • What are my blogging pain points?
  • Will I ever want to focus on these subjects again?
  • Do I want to continue to serve my current audience or am I looking for a new one?
  • How will the content change help my core reader?

Take time to reflect on why you want to make a change. You will get clear on the direction your blog should take and whether or not a shift will help you accomplish your goals.

By answering these questions, you may realize your motivation to shift blogging directions is more about wanting to follow a trend or achieving a short-term gain. These motivations may not be best in the long run for your current blog readers and overall brand.

It can be tempting to repeat a “trick” or method a fellow blogger has completed successfully in order to increase blog readers, but if you aren’t attracting the right readers this won’t be helpful long-term. You could also discover what you really want is an updated website.

Check out  Principles Over Hacks: Why Short Cuts Often Lead to Failure for more on short-term vs. long-term blogging metrics.

I love this post from Rebecca Livermore who sums it up best, “And the bottom line is that if you’ve lost hope when it comes to your blog for whatever reason, it may be time to change the direction of your blog. Or it may not be.

If you’ve determined a blogging shift is the best thing for you there are several ways you can implement the change. Some are more extreme than others. There isn’t a timeline requirement for a blogging shift, so take it slow and be intentional with each decision.

Ideas for Shifting Blog Content Focus:

Add a Page

This might seem simple, but depending on your blog template, your blog niche, or even your website URL, it might not be as easy as it seems. Still, if you determine that keeping your blog intact is the best move forward, consider these steps to get going.

  • Write a blog post announcing the shift and why you are making it. (I love this example from Tsh Oxenreider.)
  • Change or update your blog template to accommodate the change.
  • Update your blog description and About Me sections to include all the subjects your blog will focus on moving forward.

Rebrand Your Blog

This version is more labor intensive, but rebranding is necessary at times, and you may find that it’s the best move for long-term viability. Consider changing the name of your brand to your name. Many authors find that once they publish a book, it’s easier to have a website with their name and separate pages for each book they publish. As a brand expands by adding a podcast or merchandise to sell, this format offers flexibility. Additionally, people searching for your website via Google will do so quickly with a name search.

As a side note, if you haven’t established a website yet consider if it is possible to use a broad term with an even more general description if you have long-term plans for brand expansion.

Create a Second Website

This is probably the most complicated solution, but in some scenarios, it might be the best choice. For example, if you have a niche blog for a small business and want to expand to also have a blog about parenting or an entirely different hobby than your business, having two separate spaces is best.

This may double your audience with little overlap, or you may find that readers follow you from one space to the other. Either way, keep business business and personal personal.

What is the Next Step?

Regardless of if, when, or how you shift your blogging content it’s important to take your time and make informed strategic decisions. If you decide you need a website facelift we suggest a Growth Driven Design approach for the best real-time analytics.  Most importantly, remember, there is no timeline for a blogging shift, so take your time.

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