• 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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The Art of SEO Lead Generation

The Art of SEO Lead Generation

One of the most fundamental keys to success with search marketing is having a solid SEO strategy that generates high quality leads. This doesn’t just happen by accident. Every company and buyer persona is unique and in order to effectively reach them, a personalized strategy is needed. While SEO seems like a very technical term, the process is a lot more like creating a painting than it is like mindlessly typing commands into a computer. By looking at your SEO lead generation strategy from an artistic perspective, you will begin to create a campaign that attracts and encourages your ideal leads to connect with you.

SEO is an art form. The ultimate goal is to create compelling content and deliver that content through the correct channels in order to encourage your buyers to connect. Just like business owners and marketers, great artists have a process. The process is essential to helping them create pieces of art that touch our emotions.  When developing an SEO lead generation strategy, it can be so easy to get caught up in the system that we forget about the people. The system is for the people we are marketing to, and if it doesn’t move them, then the system is worthless. Embracing SEO as art will help you create a system that is geared toward your buyers and their needs. When you expose their pain points and offer compelling solutions, you have found your sweet spot. But how do we get there?

Applying the Base Coat

SEO Lead GenerationOne of the things I learned in my college fine arts classes was the importance of the base coat. When staring at a blank canvas, the possibilities are endless, and the desire to jump right in and start creating is very enticing. But the base coat is the foundation for all of the work done on top, and without it, the whole piece would be in jeopardy. The same law applies to SEO lead generation. Your website is the foundation for your entire search marketing strategy. If your website does not meet the needs of your users, then your success will be very, very limited. When it comes to generating SEO leads, your website needs to have the following.

  • Great User experience: This is the first place many of your leads will ever come in contact with your company. Because you may only get one shot, make sure it’s a good one. A few must-haves for a great user experience:
  1. Fast load time: No one likes a slow website
  2. Clear Direction: Make the navigation clear and simple
  3. Mobile-friendly: More searches are now done on mobile, so this is a must!
  • More & Better Content: You need quality and quantity in order to really move the needle in today’s search world.
  • On-Page SEO: This is where the more technical stuff comes in. On-Page SEO is all about communicating with search engines. Remember, they are robots, so don’t make them guess. Just tell them what your page is about. Structure of internal links and adding schema is a must!

Layering Creates Depth

When painting, layering is essential to creating depth of field and to bringing the elements to life. Often early in the process, the painting looks dull. But as each layer is added, more and more of the elements come to life. This is true when it comes to developing an SEO lead generation strategy as well. Everyone wants a quick fix, but “quick fixes” never produce lasting results. Add new and fresh content regularly that speaks directly to your buyer personas. Build on the lessons you learn from their interactions to determine where you need to focus on more. This will help you build a better lead-nurturing process to make sure the leads you get are being nurtured into customers!  Maybe you need to blog more or post on social more, you’ll never know until you start building the layers. This takes time and effort, but the payback is huge!

Splash of Color

SEO Lead GenerationWhat makes art so awesome is that every artist has a way of setting themselves apart. Different styles speak to different movements and time periods, color schemes create different emotions, and brush strokes can create movement in still pieces. Your company is unique. There is something about you that no one else has or does. The question is, do you know what it is? If you do, are you using it? Everything you do needs to have your color added to it. That is what is going to set you apart and attract your buyer persona. You may be wondering how you can get creative and add color to the SEO process. I’m so glad you asked.

  • Content: Whether it’s your website pages or blog, create content from your perspective. Be yourself and let your readers know who you are. This creates a more “human” experience and lets your users interact more naturally. When you use your long-tailed keywords, do it naturally. Don’t just stuff them into a page wherever you can. This creates an awkward experience for your readers, and Google knows what you’re doing. Be you, be natural, and you’ll reap the benefit.
  • Infographics: People can process visual content up to 60,000 times faster than reading text. Images are powerful. With the rise of infographics, spammers and bad marketers have found a new way to trash the internet. Don’t let them stop you. Infographics can be a powerful tool for your link-baiting strategy. Before creating and promoting your image, make sure that it adds value and not noise.
  • Video: This is a powerful way to create a strong emotional connection with your audience. Again, the key here is to be yourself. Use humor, education or motivational pieces to draw your viewers in. Video is becoming a big SEO lead generation tool, especially on Facebook. Their new search algorithm places more emphasis on video because that’s what their users want. So use it to boost your interactions!

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Leonardo da Vinci

SEO LeadsWhen it comes to creating art, there is always more you can add. This is why I believe da Vinci made this statement. You need to know when to continue and when to let the piece just be. For SEO lead generation, too many people quit too early, and others are stuck using outdated tactics. Side note, if you want to see what you should be doing, check this out. Search marketing is a long-term strategy that takes persistence. It took Leonardo da Vinci 12 years to paint the lips on the Mona Lisa, 12 years! But his persistence paid off, and his painting is now one of the greatest works of art ever produced. Don’t quit before your leads start flowing in.

SEO lead generation is a form of art. Your business and your prospects are unique. In order to connect with them in a meaningful way, having a strategy and process geared toward them is essential. Remember, it all starts with the base coat. Create a great user experience wrapped in great content, and make sure your SEO fundamentals are being applied. Next, add layers to the process to see how your leads are moving in the buyer’s journey. Use your uniqueness to set you apart from the competition. Your content, infographics, and video are all great ways to accomplish this. Lastly, don’t quit too soon. It can be very frustrating to put a ton of work and energy into the strategy and only see minimal results. Trust me, I know what that feels like. But you’re so close! Push through, and you will reap the benefits of your hard work!

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