• 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

So You Want Growth? Take Action!

“Maybe next year‚” These three simple words have done more to stop businesses from growing than almost any other. While vision casting and planning for the future are great, if you don’t start taking steps in the direction you want to go now, you’ll never get there. One of the most common questions I get from new clients is “How soon will I see results?” While the standard answer is three to six months, what I really try to convey is that SEO and Inbound are about building sustainable growth over time. But you’ll never see this growth if you don’t take action.

Everyone wants to grow, but few are willing to put in the work and time it takes to get there. (tweet this) While there are ways to get “quick wins,” consistent growth takes time and a little bit of grind. The hardest thing for most people is to just get started. I get it. I’ve been there.  There is something comfortable in talking about what you want, but when you start working toward it you begin to feel extremely vulnerable and unsure. Let me share 3 lessons I’ve learned on my journey regarding how to push back against excuses and begin to work toward growth.

The Viral Myth

There is this common misconception that all you need is one piece to go “viral” and then you’re set. Here’s the issue. Most viral pieces have a very short lifecycle. While some viral pieces have stood the test of time and continue to generate traffic and conversions, most of the time they have more in common with “one-hit wonders” than anything else.

Like any other “overnight” success story, it takes consistent work to get lasting results. This isn’t to say you can’t get quick wins, because you can. I’m also not suggesting that having something go viral is a bad thing. If you know how to capitalize and build off what worked, you can benefit greatly. What I want to caution against is the lie that “going viral” is the end all be all.

Do the Work

Another question I get asked all the time is “Where do you find the time to run your agency and write.” My answer, I make time. If you want to see results, you have to do the work. Do I always want to get up and write? Nope. But I know that if I want to continue to provide value, grow my business, and extend my circle of influence, writing is part of what I have to do.

One of the ways I have been able to find time to do the work necessary for growth is by batching my time. Each night before I go to bed I set my schedule for the next day. I batch time for writing, email, agency work, meeting prep, or whatever else I have to accomplish the next day. Batching time lets me focus my attention on the tasks at hand and has resulted in increased productivity and more work getting shipped. To help me plan, here is the planning method I use.

Trust the Data

We live in a pretty amazing time. We have more access to data than ever before. The problem is many either ignore the data or aren’t sure how to use the data to help them create better content and marketing strategies. Free tools like Google Analytics, can give you a ton of information about what is working and what is not working on your site. This information can be used to help you create more focused content and improve your site engagement.

Under “Audience” in Google Analytics, you can learn about the people visiting your site. By enabling demographics and interests, you can begin to learn about the gender and age of your users as well as their interests and affinities.

To open the Demographics and Interests reports:

  1. Sign in to your Analytics account.
  2. Navigate to your view.
  3. Select the Reporting tab.
  4. Select Audience > Demographics or Audience > Interests.

Learn more about these amazing features here.

Another great section in Google Analytics that’s full of powerful data can be found under “Behavior.”  Here you can get a clearer understanding of how your users are using your website, what type of content they like, and what type of content is causing people to leave your site. To see your best-performing landing pages just click Behavior > Site Content > Landing Pages.

Learn more about these features here.

So, now that you have this data, how can you use it? If you want to engage your audience you have to speak their language. While I recommend doing deep buyer persona research and development, this information alone can help get you started in the right direction. Both demographics and interest data can be used to contextualize your marketing efforts.

These are just a few recommendations to help you get the most out of your marketing this year. If you want to see results you must put in the work, trust the data and focus more on shipping your work instead of hoping for everything to go “viral.” Setting goals and planning is great. But it’s an action that leads to results!

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