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Overcoming Common Web Development Pitfalls
Redesigning a company’s website is an exciting time for all involved. For management it represents the opportunity to refresh the company’s image online. For marketing it’s a chance to build a site that not only looks fresh and modern but is built with the latest search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) tools and best practices. The goal is to create a finished product that conveys the company’s unique value to both customers and prospects. Although exciting there are many steps between project approval and site launch that can encompass the full spectrum of emotions from joy and elation to disappointment and frustration.
Read More →Increasing Your WordPress Website Speed
The load time of a website is an important consideration that Google and other search engines make when determining site rank position. While it may sound ridiculous, most people will not wait more than a few seconds for a website to load. In fact, studies suggest that if it takes more than five seconds for a site to load, a user will simply hit the back button and move on with their search.
Read More →The Importance of Great Content
As more and more companies enter the world of search engine marketing the web has become saturated with content, content and more content. Depending on the search term(s) one can observe there are multiple search results featuring articles and videos that provide essentially the same information. In some cases, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the parcels of content because they provide virtually identical information. In essence, there are only so many ways that certain concepts can be explained, regulations dissected, and information conveyed. Sure, there are different ways to present the information but it’s rare that subject matter changes much from industry to industry.
Read More →How Do I Get My Firm to Show at the Top of Google Maps?
Many companies and professional service firms invest time and resources building up their website content, implementing and enhancing on-page SEO and engaging in social media. The focus on creating a content rich website that serves customers, clients and prospects is essential for success in search engine marketing (SEM). Since this requires a great deal of effort and consistency, it often draws attention away from other important tasks. Recently a client asked, “How do I get my firm to show at the top of a Google Maps search?” The question highlighted the importance of being found in Google Maps and of not overlooking the small items when managing your firm or company’s SEM efforts. The good news is that there is a set of steps that any marketer can follow to increase their ranking in Google maps. The unwelcome news is that it takes time and effort to optimize to get your listing to move up the list.
Read More →What is the SEO Value of a Microsite?
From time to time we work with companies that have microsites that focus on a specific area or niche the company serves. The thinking is that the company’s expertise can be prominently featured and not have to compete for prominence as it does on the main site. For accounting firms, it’s common to have microsites that are industry focused (i.e. real estate, construction, technology) designed to attract prospects within a specific niche and geography. While this approach has proven successful in the past, many marketers are wondering if there is still SEO value to building microsites. The challenges involved in using microsites are various including the cost for initial development, technical maintenance, content update requirements, developing calls to action as well as establishing other methods to drive engagement.
Read More →What is a Google-Friendly Site?
When building a new website or launching a new web campaign many marketers are faced with the task of examining their website to make enhancements that will improve their ranking in Google. There is no shortage of information on the web about what one needs to do to make a site attractive to Google (and other search engines). The latest trend is on quality content and before that it was having a mobile (responsive) site and prior to that it was about keyword selection and ranking. The truth is that Google regularly changes/adds criteria to their ranking formula which makes it difficult for a marketer to be in complete compliance with these standards. However, this doesn’t mean you should not consider what Google is looking for from a website. Google has issued several guides, blog posts and videos that when reviewed together provide a general framework for how marketers can do well with the search engine.
Read More →What Does Google Say About Duplicate Content?
A key concern that many marketers are faced with is duplicate content. The reality is that it can be difficult to generate custom content for your company’s entire website. Even for those firms that have robust and time-testing content marketing plans there is often the need to use content from syndicated services to fill the gaps or address issues or topics that internal writers can’t react to fast enough to create the needed information for publication. Whatever the reason it’s sometimes necessary to use duplicate (or syndicated content) for your website. When this happens, marketers are concerned that Google will penalize them for doing so. After all, there’s a lot of information floating around the web that states Google will penalize the website or worse. While there are situations in which Google will penalize a company for using duplicate content, this is only under very specific circumstances. To help clients, prospects and others understand Google’s policies, FlashPoint Marketing has summarized important insights about Google’s treatment of duplicate content.
Read More →What is Structured Data?
Keeping current with search engine marketing and search engine optimization trends can be a challenging task. After all, most marketers are responsible for more than just the company’s website. Other priorities need your attention and in the blink of an eye Google can make one change that can impact how your website is ranked and displayed which impacts traffic, conversions and new business. A relatively recent change that was announced by Google (as part of a joint effort with other search engines such as Bing and Yahoo) was structured data. This is a new type of data that website marketers can provide to search engines that allows certain parcels of content to be displayed with more information including photos and other details. It’s an important development that marketers in every industry need to be aware of, and where appropriate, work with their SEO and digital marketing provider to implement. To help clients, prospects and others understand the impact of structured data on their marketing efforts, FlashPoint Marketing has provided a brief summary of key details below.
Read More →Why Your Company Needs a Content Marketing Strategy
Professional service firms have a unique challenge in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) because the nature of their work is selling intangible services rather than products that someone can touch, smell and experience. While it does change the dynamic, it doesn’t mean that success is out of reach. It simply means that additional time is needed to create the optimal SEM approach which includes a robust content marketing strategy. For many this has proven to be a challenging task due to the number of moving parts and individuals that need to be involved across the firm including staff, managers and partners. While the challenges exist the benefits to developing a strategy are clear. According to the 2017 B2B Content Marketing Study conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, companies that adopt comprehensive content marketing plans experience increased ROI in marketing efforts.
Read More →Developing Your Content Marketing Plan
Most accounting marketers understand the need for quality content in order to drive traffic, develop engagement and establish new leads through the firm’s website. For years it’s a message that has been drilled into the collective heads of all marketers by Google and other sources. The challenge that most face is how to generate the needed content to attract Google’s attention while creating interest and demand for the firm’s expertise and services.
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