Retargeting can be beneficial, as it may be easier to attract a person with awareness of your brand as opposed to a new customer. However, if your retargeting efforts are ultimately unsuccessful, you’ll increase your spending without any benefits. Here are some steps to help you retarget without blowing up your ad budget.  

Consider Email and SMS Campaigns 

Targeted ads are excellent for getting the attention of a new customer, but they might not be necessary with people who’ve already interacted with your brand. In cases where you have contact information for a customer, use email and SMS to re-connect. For example, you can send information on a product a customer started to buy but abandoned during the purchasing process.  

Develop Effective Messaging 

The messaging used to initially attract consumers to your brand isn’t going to be effective the second time around. Instead, develop messaging that addresses potential misgivings about a service or product, which may have played a role in why the person never completed their transaction. Messaging can cover: 

• Discounts, free shipping, and other perks available with purchase 

• Limited time offers to create a sense of urgency 

• Customer reviews and testimonials to show the product or service has merit 

Segment Your Audiences 

Audience segmentation can help you direct your retargeting efforts more effectively. Categories vary based on the needs of your brand, but common segments include cart abandoners, people who’ve engaged with your brand over the last three months, people who’ve watched your videos on social media, and other groups.  

Full Service Marketing, Decades of Experience: SonicSEO 

Our marketing team at SonicSEO can do it all. From social media marketing to PPC ad management, we’ve spent decades helping businesses all over North America get noticed online. Schedule a consultation by calling 505-821-2000 today. You can also contact us to learn more. 

EXIF Data and Search Engines: A Complicated Relationship

In theory, geolocation data seems like it would be valuable for online rankings, particularly when it comes to local searches. For instance, an image with data linking it to a particular city could conceivably boost ranking local searches because that location data would establish relevancy.

In reality, search engines don’t do much with the EXIF files where geolocation is contained. According to Google, the search engine (along with others) does not consider EXIF data when ranking sites. Additionally, this data is removed from images posted to a Google My Business profile, which is a crucial tool for ranking in local searches.

Trusted Ways to Enhance Your Search Rank

When it comes to geolocation data, the best course of action is to leave it as is for the time being. It’s always possible that Google and other search engines will change their practices in the future, which could mean that geolocation data does become relevant. In the meantime, here are some ways you can increase your visibility online:

• Use relevant keywords
• Create unique, high-quality content
• Use social media to connect with your target audience

These strategies are proven to work, so they deserve most of your attention when it comes to SEO.

Your Trusted Partner in SEO and Internet Marketing

With decades of experience behind us, SonicSEO.com has helped clients all over North America improve their ranking in Google and other search engines. We understand the ins and outs of SEO and we take the time to communicate the best practices to our clients.

Contact us today to learn more or call (505) 821-2000 to schedule a consultation with our marketing team.

While AI tools are indispensable these days, you must be careful when using these tools to create content. Here are a few guidelines you can use to ensure your content continues to rank online.

Perform Fact-Checking

As helpful as AI systems are, they’re not completely infallible. For instance, there’s a chance that information featured in content generated by AI isn’t fully factual, which can land you in trouble with readers and ultimately impact your search ranking if web visitors click away from your site. That’s why fact-checking is so vital with AI-generated content, as you can catch and correct any errors before you hit publish.

Give AI-Generated Content the Human Touch

Along with fact-checking, you should also edit AI content before publishing to ensure it meets your readers’ standards. No matter how impressive a program is, it can’t match the artistic flair evident in the human mind. By editing content on your own, you can ensure that it’s factual and a pleasure to read, which will keep your audience coming back for more (and maintain your high search rank).

Implement Your Own Keyword Strategy

Some AI tools can place keywords in your content to help with your search engine ranking, but it’s better to perform this essential task on your own. By applying your own keyword strategy, you can avoid detractors like keyword stuffing, which can lower your ranking in search results. Similarly, developing your own keyword strategy ensures that you choose the most relevant words and phrases.

We Can Help You Leverage the Power of AI

SonicSEO.com has helped countless businesses throughout North America implement effective SEO strategies. Our extensive digital marketing knowledge allows us to implement new technology like AI without negatively impacting our clients’ ranking in search results. Call (505) 821-2000 to schedule a consultation or contact us to learn more.

Use Images Wisely

Blog posts featuring images are more likely to attract the attention of readers, who might overlook a post consisting of text alone. However, the quality of the images you use can make or break the interaction, as outdated, low-resolution images may turn off a prospective reader. Images can also serve an important SEO function when optimized correctly, so be sure to include relevant alt tags to help with search engine indexing.

Make Skimming Easy

Readability is a major consideration when it comes to engagement. Including things like numbered lists and bullet points allows the reader to easily skim content, which makes it more enticing overall. It’s best to keep bulleted lists short and sweet to make the content easy to digest. Also, odd numbered lists are preferred, as odd numbered lists tend to bring in more traffic than even numbered ones.

Create Compelling Headlines

The headline is the first thing a potential reader will see, so it must be strong enough to pique their interest to get them to keep reading. Including numbers within headlines is often impactful, as is creating a knowledge gap (which will hopefully be filled in by the remainder of the content). The use of action words is also beneficial, as it can create a feeling of excitement in the reader.

Target the Topic to Your Audience

Focusing on a target audience when developing online content is better for your marketing budget, and it also improves the chance of people reading the blogs you create. If you’re not fully sure of the wants and needs of your target audience, consider the following questions:

• What does your ideal reader do for fun in their spare time?
• Where do these individuals work (and how much money do they make)?
• What motivates your target audience to purchase products or services?
• What sort of websites/social media content do these people prefer?

Having a good understanding of your target audience is crucial not just for blog posts but can also benefit other forms of online content.

Master the Art of Engagement With SonicSEO.com

Are you seeking an effective internet marketing strategy that incorporates blogging along with other proven practices? If so, our team at SonicSEO.com have just the services you need. We provide a range of SEO services, including the creation of blogs intended to entice and engage readers. Schedule a consultation by calling 505.821.2000 today or contact us to learn more.

Improved User Experience

Thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices, most consumers these days prefer using mobile apps instead of websites when interacting with businesses. Apps offer a streamlined approach to service scheduling and product purchases, as every action can be performed within the app itself. Additionally, mobile applications also allow users to find information quickly and efficiently, which is not always the case when viewing a website on a mobile device. The better the user experience, the more likely it is that a person will return to your business again and again.

Constant Connection to Consumers

Apps are also a highly efficient marketing tool. Consider that customers who download your app will be connected to your business 24/7. As a result, you can send updates about new products and services, provide information on deals and specials, or remind a customer that their favorite item is once again in stock. Push notifications are an essential feature in most mobile apps, as they ensure that consumers remember your business and all that it has to offer, even when they’re away.

Enhanced Customer Service

Most mobile apps these days use chatbots to provide assistance and answer questions. For example, if a customer has a question after hours, the chatbot can provide information to ensure they can take the necessary actions. In addition to making certain that consumers have access to important information regarding your business at all times, chatbots reduce the need to have a staff member providing the same service to customers. As a result, you can streamline costs while still offering the best possible experience.

If you’re ready to pull the trigger on a mobile application, SonicSEO.com is poised and ready to assist you. We offer traditional app design, as well as efficient and affordable website to app conversion, which uses your existing website to build the content of the application. Contact us today to discuss our app development services and how they can benefit your business.

As a result, your Instagram strategy must be carefully created to ensure success. Here are a few key principles of developing an effective marketing campaign.

Determine the Goal of the Campaign

Every good marketing strategy should have a solid plan in place, and all great plans begin with a goal. Some businesses want to boost their profits through social media, while others are mainly focused on growing their user base. You might also be in search of an outlet to promote new products or discounts. Take some time to consider your top priority for Instagram to help hone your marketing strategy.

Decide How Often to Post

Most businesses utilize content calendars to plan out their posts over a certain period of time. Monthly content calendars are quite common, but they can comprise any time period that feels appropriate to you. They also allow you to precisely plan your posting schedule, which has a big impact on success.

Posting too much will turn off followers while posting too little may drive them away from your page. In general, one post per day works for a lot of businesses, but you can increase or decrease post frequency according to your needs.

Create Compelling Captions

In addition to sharing interesting photos and videos, you must also create engaging captions to accompany them. Keep in mind that much of the caption will be hidden until expanded, so you must make that first sentence count. You also want to get readers thinking, which can be achieved by asking compelling questions. Finally, adding value in the form of educating or informing the reader also makes a big impact.

Don’t Forget Your Hashtags

Hashtags help your profile appear in more searches, so they’re another integral component of effective marketing. The best strategy for selecting good hashtags is to use a combination of terms. Super popular hashtags show up in searches but are highly competitive. As a result, they should be combined with niche hashtags that are associated with your business or industry.

Many businesses see great results when they use 15 to 20 relevant hashtags. You can definitely use more, but keep in mind that only 30 of your hashtags will actually appear in user searches. Any hashtags used beyond that will not be linked to your business in searches.

In addition to Instagram, SonicSEO.com is also familiar with many other social media platforms. We’ll develop a solid marketing strategy for each channel, while also ensuring that branding is consistent throughout. Feel free to contact us today to discuss your Instagram goals.

Even small businesses can learn important lessons from some of the most successful social media advertisers in the corporate world. Here are a few techniques to apply to your own campaign.

Emphasize the Trustworthiness of Your Brand

One would expect a world famous fast food establishment to only present only the best images of their products. A recent campaign from a popular chain instead emphasized their all-natural ingredients by showing their burgers covered in mold, which is a far cry from other chains and their seemingly indestructible menu items.

While showing unappetizing food flies in the face of every conceivable social media rule for restaurants, it’s an innovative and eye-catching way to show that your offerings are made using fresh, wholesome ingredients. It also builds trust with consumers because it’s a genuine gesture that is unconcerned with appearances.

Don’t Be Shy About Acknowledging the Competition

While there is definitely an art to friendly bantering between brands on social media, ignoring your competition or pretending they don’t exist is not the way to go. Your followers will be thinking about your competitors when making a purchasing decision, so using social media to make the case for your brand can help influence their choice.

You don’t necessarily need to tag other brands or direct posts towards them, but you can make comparisons between your products to establish what you have to offer consumers. And if you are close with direct competitors, a friendly back and forth can benefit both your brands.  

Know When to Be Casual

Social media is the place for businesses to present a more personal side to their brands. Establishing a relationship with your customers means interacting with them in a way you would with a friend or family member.

Social media is the right place for light-hearted jokes, memes, and other forms of personalized engagement. While posts must be easily understood by your followers, there is less of an emphasis on strict grammar and language conventions.

SonicSEO.com also recognizes the importance of creative, innovative social media campaigns for our clients. We can help you choose the best platforms, develop effective messaging, and create a posting schedule for maximum engagement. Let’s discuss your social media marketing needs today.

Google’s poor ad placement is creating an unsafe brand environment for many businesses, and big brands like AT&T, Disney and Nestle are yanking their ad dollars from Google as a result. If corporate giants like these are abandoning YouTube and Google Ads, does that mean your business should, too? Here’s a look at the present and future state of brand safety on some of the biggest advertising platforms.

The Now: Brand Safety at Risk

The most recent brand safety concerns on YouTube arise from recent observations that Disney and Nestle, kid- and family-friendly brands, were placed next to video content that via comments was being promoted among users with illicit agendas (i.e. agendas that exploit minors). In other words, the content became associated with obscenity, which created an advertising environment that jeopardized the kid-/family-friendly reputations Nestle and Disney have invested so much in creating.

This particular brand safety snafu is not the first; it’s actually one of many, which is why so many marketing professionals and brand managers are reporting higher levels of concern over brand-safe environments now than a year ago.

The problem underlying unsafe brand environments is underdeveloped AI. The ad algorithms Google is using on its platforms are just not sophisticated or robust enough to factor in all elements of the display environment—main content, intent of users seeking such content, comments, etc.—in order to ensure ads are placed next to appropriate relevant content.

The Future: How Google Intends to Deliver Better Brand Safety

Obviously, Google cannot afford to lose billions of dollars in ad revenue and keep its #1 position among competitors in the search and video content delivery space. Its plan to ensure brand safety hinges on deep learning—the implementation of algorithms that are able to learn and adjust in real time to the diverse and dynamic advertising environment.

The technology is already available—it’s what’s driving (pun intended) Tesla’s self-driving cars and allowing Google translate to continuously improve its accuracy. The technology is also already effectively being used by Amazon, considered the champion of brand-safe advertising and Google’s primary competitor in the online advertising arena.

Is Your Brand Safe on Google?

Google’s algorithm cannot currently assure brand safety, but the technology is there to improve the quality of the ad environment. So, what should you do?

If you are already advertising on YouTube and/or using Google Ads, pay more careful attention to your metrics. The nature of your business and the keywords being used by Google’s algorithm to place your ad may be working well enough to keep your ads visible next to safe content.

But, if you see plummeting ad performance, a surge of spam comments on your blogs or website or some type of backlash from consumers, inappropriate ad placement could be to blame. In the event that you have become a victim of advertising in an unsafe brand environment, it may be advisable to suspend ads on the platform and notify the platform administrator.

If you are not already advertising on YouTube and/or using Google Ads, consult with your online marketing professionals at SonicSEO.com for tips and advice on how to structure an ad campaign that could help you avoid poor ad placement while not missing out on the lucrative possibilities of ads run on the internet’s most-visited platforms.