As a user of the internet, you see ads all the time–-in a Google search, on Instagram, when hunting for jobs on LinkedIn–and you think, “those must be working for somebody.” You might be interested in trying digital ads for your business for the first time or you’re already running ads but their value is yet to be seen. Any investment into a new marketing tactic is a risk, and it’s only fair that you want to know, how long will it take before I know my ads are working?

Look out! Typical marketing answer incoming in 3…2…1… It depends!

All jokes aside, digital advertising is like a science experiment, and you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions without collecting data first. Let’s discuss the different variables that impact success and timelines for ad campaigns, plus specific intel on channels like Google, Meta, and LinkedIn.

What is the “Learning Phase”?

Digital ads platforms like Google, Meta, and LinkedIn use complex algorithms to automatically bid on and purchase ad space. While advertisers have some control over the bidding process, for example by defining a target audience or selecting keywords, much of the ‘when’ and ‘where’ ads appear is a result of the platform’s hidden data-driven rules and machine learning.

Keyword: data-driven. The platforms put your ads out in the world and then make minute adjustments to bidding based on the data returned. As you might imagine, when there’s a brand new ad or campaign, the first bit is a little like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. The platform evaluates the patterns and goes back to the ad marketplace with more specific parameters.

This spaghetti period is called the “learning phase,” and whether they tell you or not, every digital advertising platform has one.

What happens during the learning phase has a huge impact on the long-term success of your ads. Platforms will identify the best placements, audience behaviors, creatives, etc., shaping your ad strategy and stabilizing performance when the campaign exits the learning phase.

It’s important to note that new campaigns aren’t the only time you will go through the learning phase. It can also be triggered by major edits to your ads and budget or long periods of dormancy for the campaign/advertising account as a whole.

Ok, but how long is the Facebook ads learning phase? Google? LinkedIn?

Of course, it depends , but as a general rule of thumb, your campaign will need to reach a threshold of 50 conversion events before it exits the learning phase. Those “conversions” could be clicks, video views, leads, purchases, etc. Typically, this lasts 7-30 days, but it can go longer if your conversions are sporadic. For example, you’ve generated 50 conversion events but only 1 or 2 every week.

What to Do (and NOT Do) While You Wait Out the Learning Phase

Here are some tips for how to avoid getting stuck in the learning phase:

Do:

• Fund the goal you picked… now is not the time for a $1/day budget.
• Set up tracking on your website so the advertising platform can receive conversion data.
• Check results and look for patterns.

Don't:

• Make frequent, large edits like bid strategy swaps, big budget swings, or major targeting changes.
• Rotate in meaningfully different creative.
• Pause the campaign or remove ads.

5 Variables That Impact Ramp Time

Even after you make it through the learning phase, the success of your ads can still fluctuate. The amount of time it takes for results to become stable is impacted by 5 key variables in the campaign setup.

Budget: Digital ad buying is a game of math. A smaller budget means the platform can run fewer experiments at once, therefore extending the time it takes to learn and stabilize performance. A larger budget means a greater collection of signals, not only making learning faster but also making your data more statistically significant. Every business and its advertising objectives are different, but it’s important to provide a healthy budget for these early stages, even if you plan to reduce it later.

We typically recommend that our advertising clients start with no less than $1,500 per month. It’s not impossible to have success with less, but your timeline may be longer and your results less consistent.

Objective: What is the goal of your ads? Impressions (aka eyeballs) are much easier to get than purchases. Typically, the further down the funnel your objective is, the longer you will need to run your experiment before you’ve collected enough data to conclude success. 

While the most successful advertising accounts run concurrent campaigns for each stage in the user journey, starting at the top of the funnel is a good way to “teach” the platform about your ads and audience in a short time. Brand awareness campaigns can gain enough data to stabilize in as little as 2 weeks. Most objectives fit into one of 3 stages:

1. Brand Awareness: impressions, reach, video views
2. Traffic & Engagement: link clicks, likes/reactions, phone calls
3. Conversion: leads, adds-to-cart, purchases, downloads

Audience Size: Every unique individual within your audience parameters is an opportunity to gain data. The smaller your audience, the smaller the resulting data set the platform can use to adjust strategy and vice versa. If you’re going after a very narrow audience, like parents of pre-schoolers in a 5-mile radius of your town, you can expect it to take longer for ads to stabilize.

That doesn’t mean your audience should be massive and broad either. A broad audience will successfully gain data faster and exit the learning phase sooner; however, the quality of your results is likely to be lower. It’s easy to maximize “eyeballs” on an ad, but if they aren’t the right eyes, you are wasting ad spend.

Instead, take the middle ground, ensuring you use the most essential audience attributes without getting too deep into the details. Most platforms show an estimated audience size as you build out parameters. Aim for at least 10,000 users and know that you can always narrow or broaden later.

Competition: Some industries, like financial services, law, or hotels, tend to have a lot of competitors bidding in the ad space, which means you may win fewer placements and therefore get less data. There are a few ways to solve this.

One is with patience. If you’re in a competitive market, it will just take longer for your ads to be shown enough times for the platform to exit the learning phase, and that’s ok. Another is by out-bidding your competitors (aka increasing your budget), but this isn’t always realistic. The last is to find the niche your competitors aren’t using yet. For example, if your Google Ads competitors are all going after the keyword “hotels in Maine,” then you go after “hotel with an indoor pool.” The search volume may be lower but with less competition, you’re more likely to win ad space.

Signal Quality: We’ve mentioned data a dozen times in this article already, but it can’t be overstated how important data collection is to ad performance. For signals that happen within the advertising platform itself, like impressions on Google or likes on Instagram, data will automatically be collected and used to improve ad strategy. But anytime your ad takes the user away from the platform, most commonly to your website, you’ll need to make sure the right data is getting returned back to the platform. How long are users staying on your site? Are they engaging? Are they converting? It’s hard to optimize for a specific action if you can’t see it happening!

Depending on the platform you’re advertising through, you’ll need to install a Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, or Google Tag in your website’s code. This is best done through Google Tag Manager so all your data collection code can be managed in one place. Take it to the next level by creating custom events that you can use as objectives in your ads or create retargeting audiences.

But Really, How Long Does it Take for Ads to Work?

There’s a reason why our minimum advertising contract for new clients is at least 6 months. Yes, we might be experts in Google, Meta, and LinkedIn ads, but importantly, we can’t predict how the humans seeing those ads will respond. You may be able to exit the learning phase in less than 30 days, but that doesn’t guarantee the results you’ll see at day 31 will be similar to what you see at day 101.

Just look at how long it took for the Cost Per Click to stabilize for this Meta Ads client. They were a brand new local business, so we had to make a lot of educated guesses around what types of offers would work well and which audience demographics would perform best for them. At the same time, Meta was continually collecting data, understanding minute details like time of day to serve ads, what other content to serve them alongside, and what kind of social behaviors indicated a good match.

For the first seven months, CPC fluctuated greatly, only leveling out by month eight. Meta was learning, and so were we as the advertisers. But the patience has paid off, and at the two-year mark of their advertising, they hit 370% return on ad spend.

All that said, we recommend running ads for no less than 3 months when you’re starting out, and ideally more. That doesn’t mean you can’t adjust during that time, but don’t abandon ship (or set it and forget it).

How to Measure Success with Your Digital Ads

If it isn’t already clear, data is huge. And we won’t lie, digital ads aren’t the right choice for every business. So you need to know the indicators that say onward and the ones that say time out. The most important indicators will change as you get deeper into your advertising, but here are some metrics to think about during each phase.

Early signs: In the first two weeks of a campaign, focus on delivery. Are my ads getting out in the world? Impressions or reach are the main KPIs for this question. If the volume of eyes on the ads is low or sporadic, it’s a good sign your budget is too low or your keywords aren’t right. 

Middle phase: After 2 weeks, start looking at action rates like click-through rate, engagement rate, or conversion rate. While not always the best long-term tool for measuring success, Wordstream offers industry benchmark data for most advertising platforms that you can compare your metrics to. Most importantly keep an eye on how these metrics increase, decrease, or plateau over time. Remember we’re looking for things to level out so we can decide, “I’d be happy if things continued like this,” or “I can’t picture this working for the long term.”

Optimization phase: Keep tracking the above metrics but after 3 months have passed, you can begin thinking about value through metrics like Cost per Click, Cost per Lead, Return on Ad Spend, etc. You know your business’s finances best, so decide what your unique thresholds are for success. Tweak ads and watch for changes. If by 6 months in, you don’t feel like meaningful progress has been made, it might be time to set ads aside or head back to the drawing board with a new campaign.

Plan, Experiment, and Analyze Ads

So, how long do ads take to work? Long enough that you need a plan.  

The learning phase is the messy–but necessary–part where the platform (and you) gather enough data to make smarter decisions, and the timeline is heavily influenced by your budget, objective, audience size, competition, and signal quality.

If you take anything from this, let it be this: don’t judge a brand new campaign by day-three results, and don’t keep a bad campaign running purely out of hope. Define your risk tolerance upfront, give the experiment enough runway to collect meaningful data, and use clear guardrails to decide whether to optimize, pivot, or start a new test entirely.

Sometimes ads fail, and that’s not a crisis—it’s data The marketers who win at digital ads are the ones who stay curious, measure honestly, and keep iterating until they find the message, audience, and offer combination that finally sticks.

No one is an overnight success at online advertising.

If you’d rather not run these experiments solo, flyte new media can help. We build ad programs  with solid tracking, smart testing, clear guardrails, and the patience to let the data do its job.

Izzy Siedman - Digital Marketing Manager, flyte

Izzy joins flyte after moving to Portland in 2020, a city that is affably similar to her beloved Burlington, Vermont, with the added benefit of ocean air and fresh seafood. With a degree in English and a background in the nonprofit sector, she carries a curiosity for all things communications. From social media and email newsletters to website management and SEO, Izzy is involved. Reach out to Izzy today!

The post How Long Do Ads Take to Work? appeared first on takeflyte.

A great name does more than sound good. It supports your brand, builds recognition, and sets the tone for how people think and feel about your company.

Your name can instantly communicate credibility, professionalism, or personality. It can inspire people curious to learn more, engage with the brand, and become loyal customers.—or make them instantly forget you. In a world where attention spans are short and first impressions are digital, your name might be the difference between someone clicking in or scrolling past.

It also becomes part of your long-term brand equity. When done well, your name becomes an asset that gains value over time, earning trust and recognition at every interaction.

Ryan Goan – Naming - Creative Director, flyte

"The company name is the cornerstone of the company brand. It is intrinsically tied to the brand and its reputation."

~ Ryan Goan, Creative Director, flyte

Key Qualities Of A Great Name

1. Memorable and sticky. A great name is easy to recall after a single exposure and leaves a mental imprint that helps your brand stand out in crowded markets.
2. Relevant to the brand or offering. The name should connect logically or emotionally to what the company does, what it believes, or the value it delivers.
3. Simple and easy to spell/pronounce. If people can’t say it, spell it, or search for it, they may not talk about it. While the flyte name has posed some SEO and spelling challenges over the years, we have been able to overcome them by leveraging the names memorability, simplicity, and uniqueness to help build our own unique brand.
4. Unique and distinctive. A strong name clearly separates you from competitors and avoids blending into a sea of similar-sounding brands.
5. Flexible enough to grow with the business. The best names allow room for expansion, new offerings, and evolution without forcing a future rebrand.
6. Available (legally and digitally). No matter how strong a name sounds, it must be usable in the real world—free of major trademark conflicts and reasonably available online.

Naming Do’s And Don’ts

A few guidelines to keep your process focused:

Do:

1. Keep it short, clear, and easy to say. Shorter names are easier to remember, easier to share, and more likely to stick in everyday conversation.
2. Think about how it will sound in conversation. Your name should feel natural when spoken aloud, whether someone is recommending you or answering the phone.
3. Make sure it fits your brand’s tone and reinforces your positioning. The name should immediately support how you want your brand to be perceived—e.g. serious, friendly, innovative, premium, etc.
4. Check legal availability before falling in love. Early trademark and domain checks can save you from costly changes and disappointment later in the process.
5. Tell a story or spark curiosity. The strongest names invite interest and give you something meaningful to build your brand narrative around.

Don’t:

1. Get too clever for your own good—clarity beats complexity. If a name needs to be explained every time, it’s creating friction instead of recognition.
2. Pick a name that boxes you in too tightly. Overly specific names can limit future growth, new services, or market expansion. Think eToys vs. Amazon.
3. Choose the flavor of the month. Think of all the companies that wanted to signal they were forward thinking by including “dot com” in their names. Those that survived spent a lot of money and resources dropping that suffix. Next up: companies with AI in the name.
4. Skip the legal or domain checks. Falling in love with a name before doing due diligence. Ignoring due diligence can lead to legal issues, forced rebrands, or confusion with existing companies.
5. Choose based on personal preference alone. A great name should be chosen strategically, based on business goals and audience perception—not just what the founder likes best.

The Naming Process: A Step-By-Step Checklist

Naming isn’t magic—it’s methodical. The best names are the result of a clear, intentional process that balances creativity with strategy. This is the framework I use when guiding clients through naming, whether they’re launching something new or rethinking something existing.

Step 1: Clarify the Brand

Before you start naming, you need to be clear about what the name needs to do.

Who is the company trying to reach? What problem does it solve? What does it stand for beyond its product or service? And just as importantly—how should people feel when they encounter the brand?

Tone matters here. A name for a fintech startup should feel different than one for a wellness brand or a law firm. Are you aiming to sound bold, friendly, premium, disruptive, trustworthy, or understated?

Without clarity at this stage, naming becomes subjective and chaotic. With clarity, it becomes focused and intentional. Every good naming decision depends on the answers you define here.

Step 2: Set Goals for the Name

Not all names are meant to do the same thing.

Some names are designed to be immediately clear and descriptive. Others are meant to spark emotion (Weight Watchers), curiosity (Rocket Mortgage), or imagination (Apple). Some are intentionally literal (The Container Store). Others are abstract by design (Spotify).

Before you brainstorm, decide what you want the name to accomplish. Should it clearly explain what you do, or leave room for interpretation? Should it feel established and authoritative, or modern and energetic? Should it blend in within your category—or intentionally stand apart?

When your naming goals align with your business and brand goals, it becomes much easier to evaluate ideas objectively and avoid getting distracted by names that sound clever but don’t serve the bigger picture.

Step 3: Explore Name Types

There’s no single “right” type of company name—only the right type for your brand.

Descriptive names offer clarity but can feel generic or limiting. Evocative or metaphorical names create emotional resonance but often require more brand-building. Invented names offer maximum ownership and flexibility, but they must still feel natural, intuitive, and easy to use.

Exploring multiple name types early in the process prevents you from narrowing too quickly and missing better options. It also helps you understand what styles of names feel most aligned with your strategy—and which ones don’t.

The goal isn’t to force a category. It’s to discover the naming territory where your brand feels most authentic. 

Step 4: Brainstorm Broadly

This is where creativity earns its place—but structure still matters.

Effective brainstorming is expansive, fast, and judgment-free. Use word associations, mind maps, metaphors, industry language, cultural references, and even unexpected sources to generate ideas. Push past the obvious. Push past the “safe” options.

Most great names don’t show up in the first ten ideas. They show up after you’ve exhausted the predictable ones.

This is also where collaboration helps. Different perspectives often surface connections and ideas you wouldn’t reach on your own. The goal isn’t to find the name yet—it’s to build a deep pool of possibilities worth exploring.

Step 5: Shortlist & Vet

Once you have a long list, the work shifts from expansion to refinement.

Start narrowing. Say each name out loud. Use it in sentences. Imagine it on a website header, a business card, or an email signature. Pay attention to how it sounds, how it feels, and what it unintentionally suggests.

This is where weak names reveal themselves. Difficult pronunciation, confusing spellings, unintended meanings, or names that feel too similar to competitors should be flagged early.

A strong shortlist doesn’t just include names you like—it includes names that work.

Step 6: Legal & Digital Checks

Even if a name feels perfect, it won’t work if it’s already taken. This step often eliminates favorites—and that’s normal. It’s far better to lose a name here than to discover legal issues, forced compromises, or expensive rebrands later.

Practical constraints don’t weaken great naming—they sharpen it.

Legal Checklist:

1. Trademark conflicts in your country. Search existing trademarks to ensure your name won’t infringe on another brand or expose you to legal challenges.
2. Domain availability (ideally a clean .com). Your domain should be easy to remember, easy to type, and closely aligned with your company name whenever possible.
3. Social media handles (or reasonable variations). Consistent or closely related handles across platforms help reinforce brand recognition and prevent confusion.

This step often kills some favorites—but it’s better to find out now than after a costly rebrand.

Step 7: Selection & Validation

When you’re down to a small group of finalists, it’s time to pressure-test them.

Share the names with trusted advisors, internal stakeholders, or even prospective customers. Ask what the name makes them think of. Ask how it feels. Ask whether it sounds like a company they’d trust or want to engage with. Pay attention not just to their opinions, but to patterns.

Selection Checklist:

1. What does this name make you think of? This reveals whether the name communicates the intended message—or sends unintended signals.
2. Is it easy to say and remember? If people hesitate, mispronounce it, or forget it quickly, the name may create unnecessary barriers.
3. Does it feel like a fit for what we’re building? The right name should align with both your current vision and where you see the brand going long-term.

Then make the decision with confidence. A great name should be grounded in strategy, validated by feedback, and supported by instinct. When the process is solid, the final choice tends to feel less like a gamble—and more like a natural conclusion.

Great Company Name Examples

Here are a few of my favorite company names, and why I think they are so successful.

• Apple – An approachable, unexpected name in the tech industry. Memorable, simple, and human.
• Ben & Jerry’s – Feels local, friendly, and authentic.
• Google – Invented from “googol,” suggesting massive data; unique and memorable.
• Lyft – A playful twist on “lift”; modern, fresh, simple, and informal.
• PayPal – Suggests friendly, uncomplicated online payments.
• Robinhood – Suggests democratizing finance; personal and emotionally resonant.
• Whole Foods – Describes the core offering: natural, unprocessed groceries.
• Zoom – Simple, fast-sounding, unique, memorable, and perfect for a video platform.

Conclusion

Naming is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when building a brand. It’s not something to rush, outsource to chance, or treat as an afterthought. Your name becomes the foundation upon which everything else is built—your identity, your reputation, and your long-term equity.

The best company names aren’t just clever or creative. They’re clear, intentional, and aligned. They grow stronger over time as the brand delivers on its promise and earns trust.

By following a thoughtful process—and balancing creativity with strategy—you give yourself the best chance to create a name that doesn’t just sound good today, but continues to serve your business well into the future.

A great name isn’t discovered.
It’s built.

If you’re ready to build a great name for your company–or rename your company or product–but want some outside guidance, we’re here to help. Contact us today and let’s get naming!

Ryan Goan - Creative Director, flyte

Ryan is responsible for working with clients to help them design a successful web presence. Working in design studios from New York City to Portland, Ryan brings over 24 years of design experience to flyte. His diverse design background brings a fresh approach to each new project.

The post How to Name Your Company: A Proven Naming Process for Memorable Brands appeared first on takeflyte.

In this article I’ll show you exactly how to create AI Assistants, an umbrella term that covers CustomGPTs, Gemini Gems, Claude Projects, and even Microsoft Copilot. I’ll be using the terms Custom GPT or GPT as a catch-all, but you can use any of the LLMs (large language models) to create your own AI Assistant.  

By the end you’ll be ready to create your own GPT for wide variety of activities, for marketing, content creation, coaching, and other elements of your business.

Why Isn’t Prompting AI Good Enough? 

The first time I used ChatGPT it was magic. I asked a question: how much should I sell my PS4 for? and it provided a thoughtful, helpful answer. I was suddenly on an episode of the Jetsons. Despite the nuanced response, that might be considered a simple prompt.

Over time I realized that both the voice and the output was pretty vanilla. Perfectly fine for getting a price to sell my PlayStation for, but not great for consistent, branded content. That’s when I discovered strategic prompts.

With strategic prompts, you provide a framework that fine tunes the AI to provide better, more branded response. You might give it contextual information such as:

• What your brand voice is all about: authoritative or rebellious, whimsical or down-to-earth 
• Information about your audience: pain points, fears, aspirations
• Constraints around the response: length, format, etc
• Examples of desired outputs

As you can imagine, the strategic prompt will give you a much more specific blog post for an identified audience. 

Of course, none of this answers the question…

What’s the Difference Between a Prompt and a CustomGPT?

TL;DR: A prompt is a one-off command. A CustomGPT is a persistent assistant trained on your voice and audience.

If you want to simply cut a board in half, a handsaw will do you just fine. But if you want to cut a board so that you have 4 pieces of wood that are of the exact same length—say, for table legs—a miter saw with a stop block is your friend. 

While it might take a few minutes longer to set up, it creates more consistent, reliable results tailored to your needs.

That doesn’t mean that a CustomGPT is always the right solution, just like a miter saw isn’t always the right tool. Prompts are still the right tool for jobs like:

•     Ideation
•     Exploration
•     High-variability creative work

Custom GPTs are best for:

•     Recurring tasks
•     Branded content
•     Ensuring brand voice, especially among team members
•     Coaching and mentoring 

Even within Custom GPTs you’re going to be using prompts to create unique outcomes.

Elements to a Successful Custom GPT

A Custom GPT includes the following: 

• Instructions: What your GPT is supposed to do
• Knowledge documents: Things like your brand voice, ICPs, and content examples
• Prompt: The specific task you want the GPT to run this time
• Testing and iteration: Try it out, tweak it, and try again. (And again.)

Custom GPT Instructions vs. Prompts

Now you may be thinking: instructions and prompts sound a lot alike. (I know I did when I first started constructing GPTs.)

Here’s how to think about it: instructions are like the NFL rulebook. They lay out the rules of the game: the size of the field, the number of players on each team, what’s considered a penalty, you have four downs to move the ball ten yards, and so on. Every team must play by these rules.

A prompt is like an individual play call. You can run, pass, or kick the ball, as long as you obey all the rules in the rule book.

Knowledge Docs Examples

You can upload almost any type of documents to create and fine tune your GPT: Word or Google Docs, spreadsheets, PDFs, image files, the list goes on and will only grow over time. 

These might include blog posts, survey results, buyer personas, brand voice documents, brand guides, photos, organization charts, and more. But there are two documents I include in every GPT I create.

How to Make Your CustomGPT Sound Like You

The first “required” GPT is a brand voice document. This ensures that your GPT “speaks” like you do. 

Start by feeding your LLM of choice examples of your writing: blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, and your website. You can either attach documents or provide links. Ask it to summarize your brand voice.

Once you get your result, review it. Is it on point? Does it do a good job of describing your tone, attitude, sense of humor, metaphors, and use of the Oxford Comma? If not, provide feedback. 

• • We don’t just use short sentences, we like to mix it up.
  • Trust is important in our industry, so our copy needs to sound authoritative.
  • We always address the reader as “you.”

In short, iterate. Once you feel confident, ask your AI to write this up as a brand voice document you can use with LLMs. Then, take it out for a spin!

Start a fresh chat, upload your brand voice doc, and ask the AI to write a service page, an email blast, or a LinkedIn post based on the brand voice.

If you’re happy with the results, great! If not, go back to the previous chat and continue iterating.  

• • We never use the words “admittedly” or “actually.”
  • There are too many aviation puns; I need you to dial that back.
  • The copy is too dense. It needs shorter paragraphs and more bullet points.

Again, iterate. This is incredibly important to the success of your GPT, and you can (and will) reuse this in most if not all of your GPTs. Once you’re happy with it, save it and set it aside.

How to Make Your GPT Speak to Your Audience

The second “required” knowledge doc is your ICP (Ideal Client Persona) or Buyer Persona. You can create as many ICPs as you need, and keep them separate or put them all in a single doc.

That simple prompt might get you an output that looks something like this:

The full version might also include: 

• Buying triggers
• What Alex values
• Objections before buying
• Decision drivers
• Preferred content & channels, and
• What converts Alex

This will definitely help our CustomGPT create content that’s in alignment with our ICP, and if you’re happy with it, great! But most of the information in this ICP is based on publicly available information, best practices, and a certain amount of guesswork. 

If you really want to dial in your ICP you should include your own first party data, including:

• Transcripts from customer interviews 
• Surveys
• Social media engagements
• Analytics
• Online reviews
• And more.

You can just upload these as documents and ask the AI to refine the ICP based on this additional data.

Once you feel that your ICP is dialed in, download it and set it aside.

Other Knowledge Documents for Your GPT

Depending on the type of Custom GPT you’re creating, there may be other knowledge documents you’d like to include:

• Blog posts
• Drip campaigns
• Sales letters
• Social posts
• Grant proposals
• And so on.

You may be saying, but didn’t we include blog posts (or social posts, or sales letters) when we created our brand voice doc? Why are we doing that again? 

It’s been my experience that providing specific, successful examples is the best way to get your GPT to create successful outputs. Your brand voice doc outlines how you should sound, but I feel something is lost in translation. By having your GPT also read through examples of what looks like success, you’re guaranteeing better outputs.

Assembling Your First Custom GPT

This process will work on any major LLM; in fact, I will often create the same GPT on multiple platforms and then have them perform head-to-head to see if there’s one that outperforms the other.

In this example I’ll use ChatGPT. Keep in mind that like most major LLMs, ChatGPT requires a paid version to create CustomGPTs.

Visit ChatGPT

From the ChatGPT home page you should see “Explore GPTs” in the left nav, which will take you to the GPTs page. In the top corner click on “My GPTs.” Here you’ll see all of your GPTs (if you have any), and a “Create a GPT” option at the top of the list. Click on that and let’s get started!

Create or Configure Your CustomGPT?

Should you “create” or “configure” your GPT? Creating means that you just have a back and forth conversation with ChatGPT and it writes the instructions for you. Configure means that you’re going to write the instructions yourself.

When you first get started, using Create as a “wizard” to help you write the instructions makes sense, and can help you get up and running more quickly. After you have a few GPTs under your belt you may decide that you want to write your own instructions in Configure. 

Keep in mind that you can use Create to get you started, but still go into and manually adjust the instructions to your liking. Also, there is a trend of experienced AI users who prefer to use Create; they feel that AI is in the best position to write instructions for AI. 

While I prefer Configure, I recommend you try it both ways and see if there’s a clear winner in terms of output.

H3: Create Your GPT

In this chat I started by explaining what I was looking for, and ChatGPT got to work:

To refine the GPT I can continue chatting with it until it sounds like what I’m looking for. I can also test drive my GPT in the Preview pane on the right to get a better sense of how it will perform.

If I want a little more control, I can switch over to Configure to see the fields and alter them by hand.

ChatGPT has created:

• Icon: An image for our GPT (which we can keep or replace)
• Name: The name of our GPT
• Description: What our GPT does
• Instructions: The rules our GPT follows
• Conversation starters: One-click buttons for common tasks
• Knowledge: This is where we can upload our knowledge docs
• Recommended Model: I generally leave this as is, and let the user decide
• Capabilities: Update as necessary, although I usually keep it as is
• Actions: Advanced stuff. Skip it for now.

Important note! Once you upload a document, a new item will appear below Actions: Additional Settings. You have to scroll down to see it, then you have to toggle it open. (OpenAI really doesn’t want you to find this!) 

After you toggle it open, you’ll see a pre-checked box that reads “Use conversational data in your GPT to improve our models.” Basically, it allows ChatGPT to use your data to train its models. I always uncheck this box. I’m not sure that it really prevents them from training their models on my stuff, but it can’t hurt.

Launch Your Custom GPT

As always, it’s important to test and iterate your GPT. Once you’re satisfied, click the Create button and you’ve got your GPT! You can keep your GPT private just to your account, share it with select others by sharing the link, or post it to the GPT Store for anyone to use.

Editing Your GPT

Even after publishing your GPT, you can continue to iterate and improve on it. It may be that you have new knowledge docs to add, or want to tweak the instructions, or things have changed in your business or the industry and your GPT needs to be updated. 

Go back to the My GPTs page and click the edit icon (the pencil) next to your GPT to bring it back to the Configure screen.

Types of Custom GPTs You Can Create

There’s really no limit to what you can create when it comes to Custom GPTs, and the GPT Store is a good example of that.

Here are a few examples of GPTs I’ve created that I use regularly:

• Podcast Assets Producer: Takes the transcript from a podcast interview I’ve done and creates the show notes, a supporting blog post, pull quotes, social media posts, and more, all in my voice. 
• Proposal Assistant: Takes a transcript of a sales call and updates our proposal template with specific objectives and pain points that were discussed on the call to better tailor our offering.
• The Remarkability Formula: Helps brands uncover what makes them stand out from the competition, using my soon-to-be patented framework of Find, Focus, Forge, and Frame.
• Presentation Coach: Helps me take an idea and turn it into a framework for a presentation, including the structure of the talk, visual metaphors for slides, and more.
• The Optimized Rich Brooks: An AI version of myself without all of my hangups! It knows who I am and where I want to go. I use it as a coach to help me make better business decisions that are in alignment with my goals.  

For me, it’s important that anything generated by AI is touched by a human. That’s why, even with all the guardrails I’ve built in, I still tend to have my GPTs stop at frameworks, outlines, or rough drafts. However, that’s a personal choice and you may decide to have your GPT put out final drafts all day long.

Next Steps

A Quick Overview: 

• Define what your GPT should do
• Upload your brand voice, ICP, and related documents
• Test it with realistic prompts
• Refine the instructions as needed
• Launch and keep improving 

Hopefully this guide gave you the direction you need to start creating AI Assistants that will help you create better outcomes in less time, with more consistency. 

While creating a Custom GPT initially takes more time—especially compared to a simple prompt—they pay dividends when you apply them to recurring tasks. Further, they help you stay on brand keep your ICPs front and center when it comes to creating blog posts, writing email newsletters, and developing out service pages that turn visitors into customers. 

Ready to build your own Custom GPT but you’d like a helping hand? We’ll help you launch one that speaks in your brand voice and gets results… reach out and we’ll create something amazing together.

Rich Brooks - President, flyte

Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for 25 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media.

He founded The Agents of Change, an annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He recently co-founded Fast Forward Maine, a podcast and workshop series for growing Maine businesses.

Rich is the author of The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing, a popular and well-received book that helps entrepreneurs and marketers reach more of their ideal customers online.

The post How to Create a CustomGPT (AI Assistant) for Marketing appeared first on takeflyte.

Once you’re past the beginner stage, you need more than speedometer-level insight. You need to know what’s happening under the hood, how much fuel you're burning, and whether you’re even driving on the right stretch of road.

That’s where the lesser-known metrics come in. They help you understand where your campaigns are thriving, where you’re leaking efficiency, and how to tune things up so you can get farther on the same tank.

What are the best hidden Google Ads metrics?

Here are five underrated PPC metrics that reveal campaign health and performance:

1. Impression Share & Lost Impression Share
2. Top of Page Rate & Absolute Top of Page Rate
3. CPA vs. Conversion Value
4. View-Through Conversions
5. Search Absolute Top Impression Share

1. Impression Share (IS) and Lost Impression Share (Budget or Rank)

Impression Share is the share of the road your ads actually got to drive compared to the full stretch they could have traveled. It shows the percentage of impressions you received out of all the impressions you were eligible to receive.

Eligible impressions = every auction where Google would have shown your ad if:

• Your budget was enough
• Your ad rank was strong
• Your targeting matched
• Your ad and landing page met performance thresholds

So Impression Share doesn’t tell you how many people searched something in total, it tells you how many auction opportunities Google allowed you into and how many of those you didn’t miss.

Lost Impression Share (Budget)

Lost IS (Budget) shows how often your ads would have shown if your fuel tank didn’t run dry. It means your daily budget couldn’t cover all the impressions you were eligible for.

Real-world example: there were 1,000 highway miles you could have driven today. You only had gas for 600. The missing 400 came from a budget-limited tank.

Lost Impression Share (Rank)

Lost IS (Rank) is different. This isn’t a fuel problem — it’s a horsepower issue. Your budget’s fine, but your ad simply isn’t powerful enough to outrun competitors.

High Lost IS (Rank) often ties back to:

• Low bids
• Lower CTR
• Less relevant ads
• Underperforming landing pages

What These Metrics Reveal

• High IS + Low Conversions: You’re showing often, but not moving people to act. Maybe the road is right, but the destination isn’t appealing.
• Low IS + High Conversions: Great efficiency with room to scale once budget or rank is improved.

How to Use Them Together

• Fix Lost IS (Budget) by increasing your budget, but only if your CPA is stable.
• Fix Lost IS (Rank) by improving ad relevance, tightening keyword alignment, or optimizing landing pages before increasing bids.

Takeaway: Impression Share tells you where you could have shown up. Lost IS reveals where you fell short and how to fix it.

Bonus Tool: Use Quality Score diagnostics to understand why your rank may be slipping.

Google gives every keyword a Quality Score made up of three components:

• Expected CTR – how likely Google thinks people will click
• Ad relevance – how closely your ad matches the keyword
• Landing page experience – how useful and relevant the page is

When you click into a keyword in Google Ads and hover over its status (or look in the Quality Score columns), you’ll see each component labeled as:

• Above average
• Average
• Below average

Those labels are the Quality Score diagnostics.

2. Top of Page Rate and Absolute Top of Page Rate

When Google retired Average Position, these became the new markers for how visible you are on the results page.

• Top of Page Rate: How often your ad appears anywhere above the organic listings.
• Absolute Top of Page Rate: How often your ad lands in the coveted first position.

What These Metrics Reveal

• Low Top of Page Rate: Bids aren’t competitive or relevance is low.
• High Absolute Top Rate + Low Conversions: You’re paying premium tolls for a scenic view that isn’t converting.

How to Combine Them

• Top of Page Rate + Conversion Rate: High visibility but low conversions? You might be attracting the wrong traffic.
• Top Rates + CPA: If CPA climbs as position improves, you may be overpaying.

Bonus Tool: Use Auction Insights to see how aggressive your competition is.

Takeaway: High visibility doesn’t always equal high performance. Balance position and payoff.

3. Cost/Conversion vs. Conversion Value and Why ROAS (return on ad spend) Should Join the Conversation

Cost/Conversion tells you what it costs to pick someone up. Conversion Value tells you how much that person is worth once they’re on board.

Key Scenarios

• High CPA + High Conversion Value: Expensive but profitable.
• High CPA + Low Conversion Value: A mismatch that needs a strategy overhaul.

How to Combine Them

• If CPA > Conversion Value, you’re losing money.
• Use CPA + ROAS for better context on revenue per dollar spent.

Pro Tip: Even if you're not ready for value-based bidding (when you assign a dollar value to your conversions and let Google optimize toward the highest total value, not just the highest number of conversions), assign values to different lead types or funnel steps to give Google better signals.

Takeaway: Combining CPA, Conversion Value, and ROAS tells you if your campaigns are not just converting, but converting profitably.

4. View-Through Conversions (VTC)

View-through conversions happen when someone sees your ad, doesn’t click, but converts later. Think of them like road signs on a highway — not acted on immediately, but influential.

What This Metric Tells You

• High VTC + Low CTR: Strong awareness, weak immediate action.
• High VTC + Low Direct Conversions: You’re influencing, but your creative might need stronger CTAs.

How to Combine

• Pair VTCs with assisted conversions.
• Analyze path length and time lag to understand buyer behavior.

Takeaway: Even if people don’t click right away, your ad may still be driving action later — don’t underestimate its influence.

5. Search Absolute Top Impression Share

This metric shows how often you claim the number one spot when eligible.

What This Metric Reveals

• Low Absolute Top IS: You’re not winning top placement.
• High Absolute Top IS + High CPA: You’re paying a premium that may not be worth it.

How to Combine

• Absolute Top IS + Conversion Rate: High placement but low conversions? Intent might be off.
• Absolute Top IS + CPA: Determine if the top spot is strategic or just bragging rights.

Pro Tip: Break this down by device. Phones have fewer ad slots, so top placement carries more weight.

Takeaway: The top spot may look good, but make sure it’s actually driving results.

Additional Supporting Metrics Worth Checking

• Search Terms Insights to validate keyword intent
• Audience performance across demographic or in-market segments
• RSA asset performance to see what messaging lands

Putting It All Together

Google Ads optimization isn’t about chasing a single number. It’s about reading the whole dashboard and knowing whether the engine, the fuel, the tires, or the route is responsible for your best or worst days.

Example:

• Clicks drop
• CTR rises
• Conversion rate improves
• Lost IS (Budget) climbs

This tells you: better traffic is coming in, but your campaign is running out of fuel too early. If CPA stays stable, increasing budget lets you capture more of the right traffic.

Final Thoughts

Metrics like CTR and CPC are important, but they only tell you how fast the car is moving. To really understand your campaign, you need the gauges that show fuel efficiency, engine power, road conditions, and who else is driving alongside you.

When you combine Impression Share, Lost IS, Top of Page metrics, VTCs, Click Share, and Auction Insights, you get the full view of what’s happening.

And once you see the road clearly, your optimizations stop being guesswork and start becoming strategic choices that get you farther, faster, and with a lot fewer unnecessary pit stops.

Want help making sense of your metrics? Let’s chat about how we can help you optimize your Google Ads strategy for real results.

Rachel Burgard-Kelly

Rachel was born and raised in southern NH, and became an official Mainer in 2016. With an academic background in psychology, she brings to flyte a passion for people and a fascination with what motivates them. This, combined with her artistic skillset, made the decision to pursue a career in marketing a no-brainer.

With a big sense of humor and sentimental nature, she becomes the “morale booster” of whatever group she’s in.

Outside flyte Rachel can usually be found doodling in her sketchbook, doing spot-on impressions (if she does say so herself), or binging the latest Netflix competition show.

The post Unlocking Hidden Insights: Lesser-Known Google Ads Metrics You Should Be Watching appeared first on takeflyte.

Luckily, I’ve moved past the stage of panic and into a place of understanding and, hopefully, growth. We now have real data to show how search behaviors and organic traffic have changed since AI entered the picture. Which means we have evidence on which to make some predictions about AI and the future of SEO.

Shall we take a peek into the crystal ball?

TL;DR (SEO Isn’t Dead, It’s Evolved)

Generative answers are accelerating zero-click behavior and shaving CTR when they appear, but SEO isn’t dead—it’s broader. Treat SEO + AI search optimization as one practice: write for people, structure for machines, and reinforce your entity across channels to grow AI visibility, branded search, and conversions.

What’s Actually Changed in Search?

Once upon a time, “big blue links” were at the center of SEO–everything you did was in an effort to rank #1, where the vast majority of organic clicks were made. Now, search engine results pages (SERPs) are far more dynamic and varied than a list of title tags and meta descriptions.

For years, we’ve watched answers creep into the results— featured snippets, People Also Ask, shopping results, maps, and knowledge panels. AI Overviews and other generative snippets are simply the next mile marker.

These features are designed for the same purpose as traditional ranking algorithms: to help the searcher find what they’re looking for faster and more easily. Less vetting of sources, less fumbling for the right term, less time spent clicking on results and then going back to square one.

The effect of these AI features is familiar but louder: at least 19% of keywords now result in AI Overview, which can cause CTR to wobble by up to 34%. Overview or not, 60% of all searches now result in “zero-click” as more questions are resolved right on the search engine results page (SERP). All in all, less organic search traffic for your website.

What Is a Zero-Click Search?

A zero-click search happens when the search results answer a user’s query without the need to visit a website. For example, if I search “what is the population of Maine,” Google will provide the answer in a knowledge graph or featured snippet. Sorry Wikipedia! The terms that are associated with zero-click are most often informational, meaning the primary goal of the search is to learn something.

Goodbye Google, Hello LLM

Of course, AI Overviews and other Google-integrated features are only a small part of how AI is impacting search. 38% of users in the US now use an LLM like ChatGPT or Gemini to search directly, and these platforms are even releasing their own AI search engines like Atlas. The generative engines offer a similar result as Google: curated answers and links for the user’s question, but with the addition of deep personalization and synthesized information. 

You can type a longer question, with more detail and context–as you might in conversation with a customer representative or subject matter expert–and receive a response tailored to your specific needs and even conversation style.

So, Is SEO Dead?

Perhaps this feels like dire news to you, but let’s be clear, SEO is far from dead. First and foremost, we have to consider scale when we look at these AI performance metrics.

Organic search still accounts for more than half of all web traffic and drives 210x more visits than all the AI platforms combined. 8.5 billion searches are conducted on Google every day, and 95% of people who use LLMs to perform searches do so in tandem with traditional search engines. 

Yes, AI has inflated zero-click search results, but it has also created high-intent, conversion-ready users. Businesses like Ahrefs have noticed that AI website traffic converts 23x better than traditional organic search traffic. The total traffic volume may be small, but the proportion of conversions is growing rapidly.

There’s no doubt that SEO is different today, but this isn’t the Vine shutdown of 2017 and abandoning this important channel now will only leave you further behind. The bar for earning a click is higher, and the way users arrive on our site “organically” is more diverse, but it’s still SEO.

So, what now? 

Prediction 1: Search not Search Engines

There’s a lot of “redefining SEO” going on right now. But to be honest, I don’t care much about the differences of SEO vs GEO or whether there’s a new kid on the block called AIO. The problem with Search Engine Optimization is the middleman, the engine. Whether we’re talking about Google or LLMs, too much of SEO puts emphasis on how we should create and alter our content for the machines.

Screw that! If you want to successfully grow your organic traffic, you need to optimize for the search itself.

What does the user need, and how are you going to get it to them in a way that’s better than your competitors? Until the industry can make this shift in its thinking, it will always be stuck chasing search algorithms and AI optimization tricks.

There are no tricks! The man behind the curtain is just a man, and he needs to know where to find some good quality slippers that can stand up to his 8pm trips to the grocery store!

Prediction 2: Long Live Keyword Research

One of the biggest differences between search in the Before Artificial Intelligence Era (BAIE) and now is personalization. The algorithm that produces an answer, whether on Google or in ChatGPT, is not homogeneous. It accounts for previous searches, demographics, AI chat history, the subtle differences in question phrasing, and countless other unmeasurable variables to create a unique response.

How do we understand and then optimize for these hyper-personalized search experiences? What happens between you and ChatGPT is (mostly) private, so we can’t wait around for neat and tidy data on what people are searching for in large language models.

What we do have is keyword data, straight from the source, like Google Keyword Planner.

Humans are, well, human, and our needs are still much the same, even if we’re learning to use different tools to express them.

Keywords are still the best proxy for what those needs are. Good keyword research has little to do with figuring out some misshapen sentence that can use “shoe store near me,” and everything to do with your audience’s pain points.

• Search volume helps us understand the level of demand for that product/service/piece of information.
• Current ranking data helps us evaluate what content is landing well with our audience.
• Keyword difficulty lets us know how crowded the market is.
• Related and matching phrases uncover the language that our audience is using and how it might differ from our internal lexicon. 

Plus, LLMs use these very same keywords when they perform “query fan out” to provide you with an answer.

Prediction 3: SEO is Omnichannel

For a long time, SEO was all Google this, Google that. I say no more!

We can agree that when you take on an SEO campaign (or hopefully, a long-term SEO program), your goal is to increase your visibility on search–aka show up and rank well on Google. Well, I have news for you. The Internet is all connected ~~(ʘoʘ’)~~ and to show up in one place, you have to show up in others. 

Your website is not the only source of information that Google or LLMs reference when deciding to cite your brand for a query. Like any good researcher, they cross-reference other sites to make a more informed decision about the quality and authority of your brand.

For example, Google Business Profiles might use Facebook or Yelp to pull data around business hours and address. YouTube videos are scraped to help serve relevant video content in search. Reddit and, more recently, Instagram are indexed by Google, showing up sometimes even above #1 organic results. And industry-specific directories like Houzz, Better Business Bureau, Clutch, and the Knot supply important data like customer reviews.

What is Omnichannel Marketing?

Omnichannel marketing delivers a consistent, connected customer experience across every touchpoint—search, social, ads, website, and beyond. For modern SEO, that unity matters: search engines and LLMs reward coherent, consistent entities and amplify sites that align messaging, technical structure, and UX with what users encounter in ads, social, and email. In short, strong omnichannel = stronger authority and better odds of being featured in AI answers and Google’s SERPs.

A recent report by Yext analyzed 6.8 million citations across different LLMs and broke down the types of sources used to generate answers. Review this data and how it differs by industry to understand the most relevant digital channels for your brand.

The modern SEO strategy cannot exist in a vacuum. It needs to account for and integrate with all platforms that your audience engages with. Start by understanding where your audience hangs out on the Internet, then optimize content across all those touchpoints.

Prediction 4: Don’t Discriminate Against Direct Traffic 

As the strategy of SEO shifts, so too does the measure of its success. Can we really expect organic traffic to perpetually grow in a search landscape that favors zero-click experiences? Maybe not.

If we adopt an omnichannel approach to SEO, we accept that our website may not be the first, or even second or third place that a user encounters our brand. Thanks to AI and evolving SERPs, users often have a wealth of information about our company before they ever become a website visitor.

If we’ve done a good job with SEO, an LLM may have served them our name in an answer, they may have checked out our Instagram profile, seen our listing on a directory site, or read about us on a Reddit thread. And finally, perhaps they go to Google with our brand name on their lips or they type our domain directly into their browser.

Direct traffic is a black hole of invisibility, and branded search queries are boring and predictable, but they could very well be the best indicators of a fruitful SEO strategy. They demonstrate improved brand authority, recognition, and trust–what more could a business hope for?

Conclusion 

Zero-click searches keep rising, AI Overviews can dent CTR, and more people are using LLMs in addition to traditional search. Yet, the common denominators for “ranking” on either LLMs or traditional search are authority, clarity, and usefulness.

So, what should you do? Structure content so humans get answers fast, make it easy for generative engines to parse and cite, and connect your SEO to an omnichannel footprint that earns branded search and direct visits.

And if you need a partner ready to go boldly into the SEO future with you, get in touch with the flyte team. We tailor SEO plans to your unique business and always go beyond “best practices” to find new, innovative ways to improve your visibility and authority on the web.

Izzy Siedman - Digital Marketing Manager, flyte

Izzy joins flyte after moving to Portland in 2020, a city that is affably similar to her beloved Burlington, Vermont, with the added benefit of ocean air and fresh seafood. With a degree in English and a background in the nonprofit sector, she carries a curiosity for all things communications. From social media and email newsletters to website management and SEO, Izzy is involved. Reach out to Izzy today!

The post The Impact of AI and the Future of SEO (My Predictions) appeared first on takeflyte.

Measurement is often overlooked and is only considered after a campaign has concluded. I strongly believe this mindset needs to change, and marketers need to incorporate marketing measurement into the planning stage of any campaign.

How to Build a Strategic Marketing Measurement Plan

No one builds a house without a blueprint. Before diving into tools or dashboards, let’s get clear on what you want to learn and why it matters.

• What are you measuring?
• Who are you reporting to?
• What decisions will the data drive?

A strong measurement plan starts with strategy, not software. Think of it like building your playbook before the season begins. You're setting the tone for every move your team will make. Your strategy should include plans for any reasonable outcome:

• What will you do if your campaign falls flat out of the gate?
• What if it overperforms?
• What are the “tripwires” for changing course mid-campaign?

Starting with a plan ensures you’re marketing with intention, so you’re not just reacting when things go off the rails. If you’re continuously reacting to the data, you’ll never have that “aha” moment to make the campaign successful.

Can you run your campaigns based on reactive behavior? Absolutely! But does your mental health really need that constant rat race? Probably not. If you're the one wearing every hat, the last thing you need is data-induced burnout.

Answering measurement questions before starting a campaign

Getting the entire team, leadership, or board on the same page before the campaign goes live will help set expectations for you as the measurer. Here are the questions you should be asking, and a potential answer for each:

• What platform are you using for the campaign: Meta Ads
• What type of campaign are you running: Traffic campaign
• What is the campaign goal: Link clicks to the website*
• Who are you reporting to: Leadership team
• What decisions will the data drive: how to optimize the landing page for more conversions

*This is the most important question to answer. As many who don’t understand the digital marketing landscape will question, “Why aren’t we getting leads?”

Use the Right Tools, Not More Tools

You don’t need more analytic tools, just the right ones working together. GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Looker Studio are core to accurate tracking and reporting. Add Microsoft Clarity for visual insights into user behavior. These tools are your training equipment, reliable (more or less ), purpose-driven, and designed to deliver results when used well.

But here’s the catch: while nearly every marketer we surveyed had GA4 installed (92%), very few felt confident in what they were seeing. In fact, one responder said, “GA4 is thorough but requires expertise to navigate and understand.” When you set up GA4 “out of the box”, it’s helpful to an extent. The more you continue to evolve your skills with Google Tag Manager, the more powerful your GA4 property can be.

Most teams aren’t using the tools needed to turn raw data into actionable strategy. The result? GA4 is running quietly in the background while marketers are still making decisions blindly. If you know what you’re looking for and how it’s measured, GA4 isn’t the big bad wolf in this data story; it’s the huntsman coming to save the day.

Focus on Meaningful Engagement Metrics

Forget vanity metrics. The real question is: are your users engaging with your site? Are they staying, clicking, and converting? Our engagement metrics should reflect the quality of interaction, not just the quantity of visits. Don’t just track who showed up, track who stayed and took the desired action you planned for at the site.

From our survey, we saw that most teams are still stuck in “basic reporting” mode, if not worse. Some even admitted they weren’t sure if anyone was looking at the reports at all!

One issue is that the typical analytics dashboard is built with an overwhelming amount of numbers, charts, scorecards, and so on, bloated with unimportant vanity metrics.

Another problem is that a dashboard is useless if no one believes the numbers on it, and right now, most teams are second-guessing their data, or worse, pretending it makes sense. This often happens when the report data being provided tells the wrong story.

When trust breaks down, so does decision-making. Without confidence in your reporting, you’re not optimizing your marketing, you’re just hoping for the best.

Map the Customer Journey

Good measurement tells you more than what happened, it shows when and why it happened. To achieve that goal, you’ll need to map your customer journey across Awareness, Consideration, and Decision stages, then align your metrics to each phase to better understand performance.

Understanding which metrics to track at every phase helps your entire organization understand the “why” and “how” of the campaign being run.

Metrics to Measure by Customer Journey Step

In our survey, marketers expressed frustration over missing events and broken paths. Without a clean funnel or proper tagging, answering basic questions—like “Did this work?”—becomes guesswork. The data might exist, but without a marketer scouring over the data every month, it becomes harder and harder to spot the trends and patterns.

Make Analytics Optimization a Habit

Measurement isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it task. Use the insights you gather to continually test and refine your campaigns. Ongoing optimization should be baked into your plan, not tacked on later.

As you optimize, use forecasts and expectations to set goals. Then compare those goals to real outcomes. This lets you identify what’s working and where adjustments are needed. It also allows you to communicate effectively with your management team on how the campaign did. You should never leave management in the dark before, during, or after a campaign; getting their buy-in is crucial to the lifecycle of media campaigns.

Our research uncovered another critical gap: teams are creating reports, but they’re not using them to steer the strategy. Copying metrics into spreadsheets isn’t enough, you need a process that translates stats into plays. Too often, marketers feel stuck maintaining dashboards that don’t help them win.

Data Visualization for Smarter Decisions

Spreadsheets have their place, but when it comes to fast, confident decision-making, static rows and columns often fall short. That’s where visualization tools like Looker Studio come in. Instead of sifting through endless tabs of raw data, you get clear, automated dashboards that bring your key metrics to life.

With a well-designed dashboard, you can instantly spot performance trends, diagnose bottlenecks, and pinpoint opportunities.

• Are your conversions up after a recent campaign tweak?
• Is one traffic source consistently underperforming?
• Are there daily or weekly trends that might impact ad spend?

These insights should stand out to you, rather than requiring a deep dive. Visualizations give you that quick-glance intelligence you need to make sharp calls under pressure.

What Makes a Marketing Measurement Plan Effective?

You don’t need to track everything, just the right things…that’s why they call them Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). From our work with clients across a wide variety of industries, we’ve found that successful plans share a few core traits:

• KPIs that tie directly to business goals
• Streamlined reporting with tools like GA4 and Looker Studio
• A consistent cycle of strategy, setup, and ongoing optimization

Whether you're reviewing campaign performance or refining broader marketing metrics, the goal is always clarity. Measurement marketing is about having the right tools, questions, and mindset to move forward with confidence.

Let’s Get You the Data You Need for Better Decision Making

Ready to simplify your data and grow with clarity? Book a measurement check-up with flyte today. It’s time to take control of your measurement strategy and report with confidence!

Want to see how you measure up against our analytics survey respondents? Or get more insight into how others are measuring campaign success? Download the full report now!

John Paglio

John comes to the flyte new media team with a motivation to help clients grow their business and online presence. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and a positive attitude to flyte’s marketing department. He is Google Analytics and Google Ads certified which is where his true work passion lies, SEO, Local SEO, and paid search. He can be kind of a data nerd but that’s never a bad thing.

An avid sports fan, a day doesn’t go by where John doesn’t catch that game, that score, or that highlight play. He continuously joins way too many fantasy sports leagues but don’t worry, his win percentage is still very high. John can also be found adventuring with his wife, their daughter, and Goldendoodle, Harper Lee.

Reach out to John today!

The post Build a Smarter Marketing Measurement Plan appeared first on takeflyte.

Brace yourself: that tool exists, and you’ve probably even heard of it.

All day long, every single day, all over the world, billions of people pull up the Google search bar and ask for help finding something they want… right now. Using AI to ask more questions, making it even more imperative that your keywords align with customers’ intent to convert.

99,000 searches per second.

5.9 million searches per minute.

355 million searches per hour… and over 8.5 billion searches per day.

No matter what your business does, I guarantee you that some of those searches are for a product or service or knowledge that you provide.

“Ah, aren’t you clever, Rachel”! you say. But it’s not so easy, is it? I’m competing with nearly 2 billion other websites in the world. Out of all of the potential products and services available on the web, how can I make sure Google serves up mine?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

One Way: Organic Search

We turn to Google because they consistently provide relevant answers to our searches. Their massive data operations analyze (or “crawl”) the web and use a complicated algorithm (math!) to sort and rank all the results, and they do this very, very well.

We know some things about this algorithm—mostly what Google shares with us—but no one outside of Google has the “teacher’s edition” with all the answers to why one site ranks higher than another.

Google continues to roll out regular updates; some small, some game-changing. In the last two years they’ve released several core updates, including a significant shift toward helpful content, more focus on AI-generated and reviewed material, and changes to how site reputation affects rankings. Even for people who eat, drink, and breathe this stuff (like me!), the algorithm’s ways can still be both mysterious and mercurial.

If you want to dominate Google’s organic results, you’ll need to either invest a good portion of your own time learning SEO and keeping up with constant changes, or outsource it to an SEO expert. This can help improve your rankings, traffic, and conversions—but even that may not be enough to guarantee top-of-page-one visibility due to AI overviews, shopping ads, and other items that can push even the top organic result way down the page.

And here’s why.

The Guaranteed Way: Paid Search

Google is a business, and like any business, it needs to remain profitable. When Google identifies a search as having “commercial intent,” it will display ads at the top of the results page, often pushing organic results below the fold.

What is commercial intent? It’s the difference between searching for “how to start yoga” (informational) and “buy yoga mat near me” (transactional). Google is terrifyingly good at recognizing the difference, and places ads accordingly.

Add to that the increased use of Local Services Ads (especially in industries like home services, law, and healthcare), product listing ads, and AI-powered Shopping suggestions, and it’s possible for the first screen of search results to be entirely ads and local listings.

Paid Search Results Surpass Local and Organic Results

If you want to appear at the top of a high-intent search, you’ll likely need to engage in Google Ads (previously Google AdWords).

Whenever someone enters a search with commercial value, the results are split into paid ads, local/map pack results, and then organic results, often in that order.

I’ve spoken with many business owners over the years who tell me they don’t believe in the power of Google Ads because: “I never click on those ads.”

Maybe you feel the same.

Well, Google made $65.5 billion from ad clicks in Q1 of 2025 alone, and that number has grown steadily every year.

According to recent data from WordStream, around 70% of all clicks for commercial-intent searches now go to paid results. So even if you’re not clicking those ads, your customers probably are.

Are You Saying I Have to Pay for My Clicks?

Probably.

Do me a quick favor: pull up Google and type in any search phrase that relates to your business. Now, scan the first page of results. (Don’t worry, I’ll be right here when you get back.)

Did you get lots of organic results but no paid ads? Great! Either your niche is underserved, or the search terms you’re targeting don’t show commercial intent.

If so, you may be able to focus more on organic SEO and get meaningful traffic without spending ad dollars.

But if you saw ads plastered across the top of the results page, you’ll need to budget for PPC if you want to rank there, and make sure your sales funnel is set up to support it.

Okay, You’ve Convinced Me. How Can I Use Paid Search to Connect With Potential Customers?

Google Ads is built to be user-friendly, anyone can run ads. But that’s a little like saying anyone can enter the Boston Marathon. It doesn’t mean the results will be the same.

You’ve got three options:

1. Go it alone. Plenty of YouTube videos, online courses, and Google’s own Skillshop certification can teach you how to start running ads.
2. Hire an expert or agency. A good one should be able to get you a positive ROI within a few months, and save you money on costly mistakes.
3. Go hybrid. Get help setting up or optimizing your campaigns, and then manage them yourself with some coaching or oversight.

Here Are a Few Critical Tips to Make the Most of Your PPC:

Choose keywords carefully and budget wisely

Some keywords now cost $100+ per click in industries like law, finance, or insurance. Don’t get discouraged, niche and localized keywords are your friends.

Can’t afford “Maine destination wedding”? Try “Maine beach wedding” or “York coast elopement packages.”

Do your keyword research

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Ubersuggest to find the right balance of search volume, intent, and cost.

Use negative keywords

Don’t want to pay for clicks that aren’t relevant? Add negative keywords. For example, a bakery not offering gluten-free items should add “gluten free” to its negative keyword list. It can also be a good practice to add the w’s (who, what, where, when, and why)

Time it right

Use ad scheduling to show ads when your ideal customer is searching. B2B services may convert better during 9–5 hours. Restaurants? Thursday–Saturday evenings might be prime time.

Watch for “pogo-sticking”

If users click your ad and immediately bounce back to the search results, that’s a bad sign and can mean that your site is loading too slowly, or that your landing page content doesn’t align with what your users are searching for. This affects your Quality Score, which can drive up your ad costs and lower your rankings.

What is a Google Ads Quality Score?

Think of it as your ad’s “credit score.” Google uses it to determine how relevant and helpful your ads are. Higher scores = lower costs and better placements.

Google evaluates:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Ad relevance
• Landing page experience
• Keyword to ad match
• Historical performance

According to WordStream, CTR is the #1 factor. If your ads get clicked more often than others, Google rewards you with lower costs per click (CPC).

Use Ad Assets (formerly ad extensions)

Extensions make your ad bigger and give users more ways to click. Some common ones in 2025:

1. Sitelink assets – extra links to pages on your site.
2. Call assets – click to call directly from your ad.
3. Location extensions – for brick and mortar locations.
4. Image extensions – yes, images!
5. Promo/price extensions – self explanatory.

These take up more space in the results and can improve click-through rates.

Landing Pages Matter (A LOT)

Sending users to your homepage instead of a targeted product or service page? That’s a wasted click.You want your landing page to be as focused as possible to keep users there so they will perform your desired action (purchase, form fill, etc.).

Make sure the page you link to:

• Matches your ad copy
• Focuses on one clear call to action
• Reflects the search intent
• Loads quickly and looks great on mobile
• This directly impacts your Quality Score and conversion rate.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Google Ads is accessible, but competitive. We use industry-leading tools and data to optimize every campaign. If you don’t have the time or budget to do all the heavy lifting (strategy, setup, A/B testing, tracking, refining), we’re here to help.

Whether you love or hate that Google prioritizes paid ads, the reality is clear:

Businesses have always paid for visibility, and in 2025 that visibility starts with search. Paid ads, when executed properly, are one of the most measurable, flexible, and scalable ways to drive new business. You can test, pause, and scale your campaigns—something you can’t easily do with organic SEO alone.

Looking for some additional guidance before getting started? Here are a few resources:

• Google Ads for Beginners: 10 Key Terms to Know Before Launching Your First Campaign
• The Last Guide to Google Ads Account Structure You’ll Need
• 8 Expert Tips to Improve Your Landing Pages

Not sure where to start—or just want to get it right the first time? Let’s talk. We’ll help you set up, optimize, and take off with a campaign that actually converts. Let’s set up a time to chat! 

Rachel Burgard-Kelly

Rachel was born and raised in southern NH, and became an official Mainer in 2016. With an academic background in psychology, she brings to flyte a passion for people and a fascination with what motivates them. This, combined with her artistic skillset, made the decision to pursue a career in marketing a no-brainer.

With a big sense of humor and sentimental nature, she becomes the “morale booster” of whatever group she’s in.

Outside flyte Rachel can usually be found doodling in her sketchbook, doing spot-on impressions (if she does say so herself), or binging the latest Netflix competition show.

The post Do Google Ads Really Work for Small Businesses? appeared first on takeflyte.

So, ready for takeoff? Here's your quick-and-clear guide to the Google Ads lingo you need to launch with confidence!

Google Ads Campaign Setup

1. Campaign Types

A Google Ads campaign is the overall structure you create to organize and run your ads on Google. Each campaign should focus on a specific goal, like getting more website visitors, sales, or leads, and contain settings such as budget, location targeting, and audience.

Within a campaign you’ll create ad groups and ads that work together to reach the right people at the right time. Think of it as the “home base” for all the ads tied to one specific marketing objective.

Search Campaigns

Google Ads search campaigns feature traditional text ads that appear on Google’s search results page when a user types in a relevant query. These ads are ideal for targeting users who are actively searching for specific products, services, or solutions, making them great for capturing high-intent traffic.

By selecting relevant keywords, you can ensure your business shows up when customers are ready to take action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or seeking more information.

Best Used For: Businesses looking to reach customers who are actively searching for specific products, services, or solutions.

AI Max For Search Campaigns [Beta]

Google’s new Search Max campaigns are a simpler, AI-powered way to run search ads without needing to worry about long keyword lists. Instead of you choosing every keyword your ad should show up for, you just give Google the basics—like your business goals, headlines, descriptions, and a sense of your target audience. From there, Google’s AI figures out when and where your ad should appear, automatically matching it to the right searches and optimizing bids in real time. This makes it easier for businesses to reach more potential customers and get better results, without having to manage all the details that traditional search campaigns require. These ads appear as regular search ads on Google.

Best Used For: These ads are ideal for businesses that want to capture demand quickly, allowing Google’s AI to do most of the heavy lifting.

Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max (or “PMax”) campaigns have replaced Smart Shopping campaigns, offering a more advanced, AI-driven approach to driving sales across all Google platforms. Unlike regular Shopping Campaigns, which focus solely on showcasing product listings in search results, Performance Max uses a variety of ad formats, including Display, YouTube, and Gmail, to reach customers across Google's entire network. This allows for broader reach and more automated optimization, while still leveraging product data from the Google Merchant Center.

CHANGE IMAGE

Above is an example of a PMax Gmail ad

Best Used For: Performance Max campaigns are best for businesses that want to maximize conversions by reaching customers across all of Google’s channels—like Search, YouTube, Display, Maps, and Gmail—with one AI-driven campaign.

Demand Gen Campaigns

Combines image and video ads, now part of the latest focus for Google as a video-first ad format, targeting the right audience across YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. Unlike Performance Max, which optimizes across all Google properties with a focus on conversions, Demand Gen is geared towards capturing demand earlier in the funnel, focusing on interest and awareness rather than direct sales.

Best Used For: Demand Gen campaigns are best used for driving interest and consideration by reaching new audiences with visually engaging ads across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.

Above is an example of a Discover feed ad in a Demand Gen campaign

Display Campaigns

Google Ads display campaigns show visual ads (such as banners, images, or rich media) across Google’s Display Network, a massive collection of websites, apps, and videos that partner with Google to display ads.
These ads are designed to grab attention and build brand awareness by reaching users while they’re browsing their favorite websites or apps. Display Campaigns are particularly effective for targeting potential customers earlier in the sales funnel and for retargeting users who have previously interacted with your website or ads.

Best Used For: Building brand awareness, retargeting visitors, and reaching new potential customers across a variety of sites.

Shopping Campaigns

Shopping Campaigns are tailored for e-commerce businesses, featuring product images, prices, and detailed product information. These ads are directly linked to your Google Merchant Center, which syncs with your online store to showcase relevant products to users searching for similar items.

Shopping Campaigns help to drive conversions by presenting potential customers with visually engaging ads that match their search queries, making it easier for users to view and purchase products directly from the ad.

Best Used For: Retailers who want to promote specific products and drive sales directly from search results.

Video Campaigns

Video Campaigns are ads that run on YouTube and other partner sites across the Google Display Network. Video ads are highly engaging and work well for building brand awareness, educating customers about a product, or showcasing testimonials. They are also great for reaching a wide audience and delivering more personalized, story-driven content.

Best used for: Building brand awareness and engaging audiences by telling your story in a visual, memorable way.

App Campaigns

App Campaigns are specifically designed to promote mobile apps across Google's vast ecosystem of properties, including Search, YouTube, Play Store, and the Display Network. These campaigns automatically optimize ads using your app’s information to target users who are most likely to install the app or engage with it. App campaigns can include ads in the form of text, image, or video, and Google’s machine learning helps drive more efficient results by automating bid strategies and targeting.

Best Used For: Promoting mobile apps and driving app installs or in-app actions across Google’s platforms.

Learn more about the different Google Ads campaign types here.

2. Conversions

A conversion in Google Ads happens when someone clicks your ad and then completes an action of your choosing, such as making a purchase, submitting a contact form, or downloading a guide.

Smaller actions like newsletter sign-ups or page visits are micro conversions. These help you understand early engagement, but should not be your only focus. It’s important to properly set up conversion tracking in Google Ads (and using other tools like Tag Manager, GA4, and the more recent G Tag) to ensure data accuracy.

3. Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases that determine when your ads appear based on user searches. Keywords are divided into the three match types below:

• Exact match: Exact match shows your ads only for searches that share the same meaning or intent as your chosen keyword. This option offers the highest level of control over who sees your ad, but it will capture fewer searches compared to phrase or broad match. To set an exact match keyword, place it inside square brackets, for example, [marketing agency].
• Phrase match: With phrase match, your ads can appear for searches that contain the meaning of your keyword, even if the wording is slightly different or more specific. This allows you to capture more traffic than exact match while keeping your targeting narrower than broad match, ensuring your ads show for searches closely related to your product or service. To use phrase match, place quotation marks around your keyword, for example, “marketing agency”.
• Broad match: This match type allows your ads to appear for searches related to your keywords, even if the exact words are not included. Broad match can help you reach a wider audience, reduce time spent building keyword lists, and focus budget on what performs best. Google considers factors like recent searches, your landing page content, and other ad group keywords to match your ads with relevant searches. Broad match keywords are not designated with any special symbols.

4. Google Ads Assets

IGoogle Ads assets (formerly ad extensions) are handy add-ons that make your ads more clickable and compelling—without costing extra. They help improve visibility, give potential customers more reasons to click, and can boost performance without increasing your cost per click.

Types of Google Ads Assets

• Sitelink Assets: Sitelinks allow you to display links to pages outside your ad’s landing page, like links to your blog library, “About Us” page, events pages, etc.
• Call Asset: With more and more people searching on smartphones, click to call saves users time and lets them contact you right from your ad.
• Callout Asset: What makes you stand out? Use examples like “Free shipping,” “24hr customer service,” and other unique aspects of your business. Consider this your elevator pitch in bullet form.
• Location Asset: Connect directly with your Google My Business location and display your address, distance from the user’s location to your address, or mapped directions to your address.
• Structured Snippets: Google provides 13 header options like “Amenities”, “Brands”, and “Courses” that highlight specific aspects of your products/services, which you’re able to follow with a short list of custom values you choose.
• Price Asset: Showcase your specific products and pricing within your ad by clicking on these Assets your customers are taken directly to the product/service.
• Message Asset: Allows users to message you directly from your ad
• Promotion Asset: Display your business’s special sales and offers.
• Affiliate Location Asset: Designed for those who sell their products through retail chains, these assets help users find nearby stores that sell those products.
• App Asset: Advertise your downloadable app to prospects.
• Lead Form Asset: Enables users to provide their contact information directly through your ad, allowing you to collect leads directly.
• Image Asset: Display a small photo next to your text ad on the SERP.
• Headline & Description Assets: Assets give you the ability to associate up to 3 headlines and 2 description assets at the campaign level.

Read our blog post all about Google Ads asset types here.

Ongoing Optimization for Google Campaigns

5. Bidding Strategies

In Google Ads, a bidding strategy is the approach you choose to decide how Google should spend your budget to get the results you want. Each Google Ads bidding strategy focuses on a different advertising goal, such as driving sales, increasing website traffic, or boosting brand visibility. Choose the right type of bidding strategy to ensure your budget works toward your specific objectives.

Types of Bidding Strategies

• Conversion-Focused Bidding: Designed to get the most sales, leads, or other valuable actions for your budget. Google automatically adjusts your bids to target users who are more likely to take the action you want.
• Click-Focused Bidding: Prioritizes driving as many clicks as possible to your website. This can be a good option if your main goal is to increase traffic or gather data for future campaigns.
• Impression-Focused Bidding: Aims to show your ads to as many people as possible to boost brand awareness. These strategies often focus on getting your ads in high-visibility placements.
• Engagement-Focused Bidding: Optimizes for interactions like video views, ad clicks, or engagement with interactive formats, often used in video or display campaigns.
• Manual Bidding: Gives you full control over how much you bid for clicks or impressions, allowing you to fine-tune performance based on your own data and goals.

Choosing the bidding strategy that suits your goals and your business is crucial to the success of your Google Ads campaign. For a deep dive and additional expert advice, this guide will help.

6. Negative Keywords

Negative keywords function just like regular keywords—but in reverse. Instead of telling Google which search terms you want your ads to appear for, you're telling it which ones to avoid.

While you can add some broad negative keywords right away, most are added over time as you review the search terms triggering your ads and refine accordingly. Common examples include terms like “free,” “cheap,” competitor names (unless you’re intentionally running a Competitor Campaign), and the five W’s—“who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “why”—which typically indicate informational rather than commercial intent.

Google Ads negative keywords will vary by industry, but the examples above are often low-converting and worth filtering out early.

*Terms in red represent searches that would not trigger an ad to show

Reporting on Google Ad Campaigns

Reporting allows you to see just how well your ads have been performing, and what areas need attention.

7. Impressions

These refer to the number of times your ad is shown on a search result page or another site within the Google Network. An impression is counted each time your ad appears, even if the user doesn’t click on it.

8. Click-through-rate

Click-through rate (or “CTR”) is a vital metric to the success of your PPC campaign, and measures the rate at which users click your ads compared to the number of times the ad is viewed. CTR is calculated using this formula:

CTR = (Clicks on ad) / (Total Impressions)

9. Quality Score

Google Ads Quality Score is a 1–10 rating that measures the relevance and quality of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. It’s based on three main factors:

1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR) – How likely your ad is to get clicked when shown.
2. Ad Relevance – How closely your ad matches the user’s search intent.
3. Landing Page Experience – How useful and user-friendly your landing page is for people who click your ad.

A higher Quality Score can:

• Lower your cost-per-click (CPC)
• Improve your Ad Rank
• Help your ads appear more often and in better positions

In short, Google rewards advertisers who create helpful, relevant, and trustworthy ad experiences with better performance and lower costs.

10. Ad Rank

Google Ad Rank is the value Google uses to determine where your ad appears on the search results page—and whether it shows up at all.

It’s calculated using a mix of factors, including:

• Your keyword bids (how much you're willing to pay per click).
• Ad Assets and formats like site links or call buttons.
• Context of the search, such as location, device, time, and competition.
• Your quality score.

Even if you bid more than a competitor, your ad won’t necessarily rank higher—a strong Quality Score can help you outrank competitors while paying less per click.d

So, What Next? 

If you’re feeling like you’ve got a solid grasp on the realm of PPC–go ahead and dive in!

Looking for some additional guidance before getting started? Here are a few resources:

• How to Use Google Ads: A Crash Course
• The Last Guide to Google Ads Account Structure You’ll Need
• Your Guide to Google Ads (by Google)
• 8 Expert Tips to Improve Your Landing Pages

Not sure where to start—or just want to get it right the first time? Let’s talk. We’ll help you set up, optimize, and take off with a campaign that actually converts. Let’s set up a time to chat! 

Rachel Burgard-Kelly

Rachel was born and raised in southern NH, and became an official Mainer in 2016. With an academic background in psychology, she brings to flyte a passion for people and a fascination with what motivates them. This, combined with her artistic skillset, made the decision to pursue a career in marketing a no-brainer.

With a big sense of humor and sentimental nature, she becomes the “morale booster” of whatever group she’s in.

Outside flyte Rachel can usually be found doodling in her sketchbook, doing spot-on impressions (if she does say so herself), or binging the latest Netflix competition show.

The post Google Ads for Beginners: 10 Key Terms to Know Before Launching Your First Campaign appeared first on takeflyte.

Joel Klettke

There's no claim you can make that a customer can't make better than you can on your behalf. It's one thing to say, 'we care about customers.' It's another thing for someone else to validate and affirm it by sharing their experience and going on the record.

-Joel Klettke, Conversion Rate Expert

If you’re looking to generate more leads and business from your website, and you want to see how testimonials can help, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll examine the psychological reasons why testimonials are so powerful, how to optimize them for SEO and CRO (conversion rate optimization), the best ways to gather them, and provide some powerful examples along the way. 

But first, many people conflate testimonials with reviews. That’s not surprising, as they’re often used interchangeably, but here’s how I split them up: 

We’re going to be talking about testimonials: solicited, positive feedback that you can control and put on your own controlled media to help you grow your business. So let’s dive in!

The Psychological Power Behind Testimonials

If you’re wondering why testimonials are so powerful, it’s because they tap into a powerful psychological concept called “social proof” which was popularized by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his seminal book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. (I bet you didn’t know you were going to read the word “seminal” today, but here we are. )

Social proof is a phenomenon where people assume the actions of others are correct, and follow their lead or example. It’s especially powerful when we’re in a situation where we don’t have a lot of experience or knowledge. The visitors to your website might find themselves in that situation: they’re looking to purchase their first RV, investigating day care providers, or considering a direct mail campaign for their business. 

Most times, they arrive not knowing much about your business, and you only have a few seconds to convince them to stick around. Social proof–in the form of testimonials–is one powerful tool we have to persuade them. Or, as Dr. Cialdini called it: a weapon of influence.

But not all testimonials are created equal, and there are ways to make the testimonials you collect and display work harder for you.

Specificity Matters in Website Testimonials

There are two things going on here: the specificity of the customer and the specificity of the message. Let’s start with the customer. 

Although you would never invent a customer to get a testimonial, your site visitor doesn’t know or trust you yet. The more you can do to “anchor” this customer into the real world, the more likely the site visitor will believe in them. 

Joe M., with no other identifying features, doesn’t seem as “real” as Mrs. Santarino. Using her full name, town, along with a photo of her in front of her house with the previously mentioned solar panels (with her permission, ‘natch,) gives her testimonial more weight than Joe’s.

Sorry, Joe. 

The second important factor is the specificity of the testimonial. Remember: testimonials and social proof work best when we don’t have a lot of experience in a given area. Jane’s concern that she was hesitant to hire anyone because of cost and results likely mirror a lot of people who are considering a solar panel cleaning. But it worked for Jane, so maybe it will work for me, too!

Joe’s testimonial, however, is vague and doesn’t mention the services he received. Without that specificity we don’t know if Joe’s problems are the same as ours, and the testimonial falls flat.

Talia Wolf

When it comes to testimonials the biggest mistake brands make is using generic quotes and the "customary" logo bar as social proof. High-converting and persuasive social proof is one that dismantles prospects' hesitations or concerns and shows your audience that people just like them were able to solve their biggest problems using your solution.

Your goal should be to identify the biggest concerns or questions people have before choosing your solution and to use your testimonials to feature your best clients that faced similar situations / hardships / concerns that were immediately solved by your solution.

For example, if one of the top concerns people have with your solution is that it's super technical and will be hard for them to use, you should highlight a story by a customer that was worried about this exact same thing, and how excited they were to discover it wasn't, OR how much assistance and support they received from the team. Instead of just saying "it's easy to use" you now have a direct quote and proof to address this concern.

-Talia Wolf, Founder & Chief Optimizer at GetUplift

The SEO Power of Testimonials

The client testimonials on your website can do double duty by helping you rank higher at the search engines, too. 

When you place customer testimonials on relevant pages–like your product or service pages–and those testimonials include specific keywords you’re targeting, it can improve the relevance of that page in the search results.

Here are a few ways testimonials can improve your search visibility and drive more qualified search traffic to your site:

• They reinforce topical relevance. If your client writes, “Your car detailing team did such a great job that you never would have guessed I spilled gasoline in the backseat,” that’s a keyword-rich endorsement Google can’t ignore.
• They increase time spent on page. Engaging testimonials keep site visitors on the page longer, signaling to search engines that you’ve got high quality, relevant content on your website.
• They create opportunities for internal linking. You can connect a testimonial quote to a related blog post or case study for even more SEO juice.
• They support featured snippets. If formatted properly—especially using semantic markup or schema—your testimonials can show up as rich results in search.

How to Make Testimonials “Pop!” on Your Website

Effective testimonials shouldn’t put the burden on your site visitor; they need to get the point across quickly, otherwise even the most glowing recommendation won’t have any effect.

Some recommendations:

The testimonials should stand out on the page. Give them a consistent, special treatment throughout the website that might include a special font, icon, or formatting. Include relevant imagery or bright colors.

Grab the best bit and use it as the headline. Forget “What Our Clients Say” and replace that H2 or H3 tag with a quick, relevant, keyword-rich header, like: “My Chronic Back Pain Disappeared Overnight.”

Edit for brevity. People’s eyes glaze over when looking at big blocks of text. While there’s a place and time for long-form testimonials (they’re called case studies), most should be short and to the point. I often receive long, sometimes rambling testimonials. I’ll thank my client, then provide an edited version and ask them if it’s OK if I use this shorter version. No one’s ever said no.

Highlight the good stuff. Whether using bold, italics, or a literal highlighter effect, draw people’s attention to the most sensational parts of the testimonial.

Your testimonials can and should do double-duty as engaging page visuals or a way to break up sections of copy on a webpage.

Andy Crestodina

Avoid making the most visually prominent part of the testimonial block (the H2 subhead) vague and meaningless ("What our clients say"). Instead, make the subhead the juiciest 6 words from the testimonial. Your visitor is more likely to read it as they scan down the page.

-Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder, Orbit Media

Where to Place Your Testimonials for Maximum Impact

Many businesses make the mistake of putting all of their testimonials on a single page–even including “Testimonials” as a primary navigation item. 

However, it’s been my experience that testimonial pages are often the least visited pages on a website, rendering them virtually worthless.

Instead, distribute your testimonials throughout your website where they are most relevant. If a customer gave you a testimonial for your Ski & Bike shop that talks about your great selection of snowboarding boots, make sure that goes on your snowboarding page, not the page on e-bikes.

Here are some key pages where your testimonials will have the most impact:

• Your Homepage: This is likely the most visited page on your website, so a strong testimonial that reflects your business as a whole can do wonders here.
• Landing Pages: For any page that’s receiving targeted traffic from ads or other campaigns, a relevant testimonial can help seal the deal and get your prospect to keep moving forward.
• Product/Service Pages: As mentioned above, use testimonials that speak to the content on that page.
• E-Commerce Checkout Pages: Have you discovered a leak in your e-commerce funnel? Find a relevant testimonial that speaks to your high quality product, your quick delivery and turnaround, your support after the sale, or whatever will help reduce the fear of buyer’s remorse. 

Common Mistakes with Testimonials

How to Get Great Testimonials

I’m going to skip over the obvious part about “doing great work.”

Joel Klettke

People can be terrified to ask anything of customers. Oh, we don't want to take their time. We don't want to put them on the spot. I'm nervous they'll say ‘no’…when really it should be an opportunity to make them look great and you look great.

It should be a celebration of a relationship and that you've done great work for a client. Most importantly--if you've been proactive about building a relationship-- talking about the result won’t be an alien concept.

-Joel Klettke, Conversion Rate Expert

There are a few ways to get enough high-quality testimonials for your website. If you have a high-volume business where you may not be able to follow up with every customer, (think coffee shop, e-commerce store, etc.), you may want to invest in some marketing automation that sends out customer surveys after the purchase.

As part of the survey you may ask for specific feedback around products the customer purchased, customer service, delivery times, value for the money, etc. You should also ask for permission to use the quotes in your marketing.

If you tend to have a low-volume business where you have longer-term relationships with your clients (like we do), having someone follow up after the work is done or after a set period of time has gone by is a good way to get feedback for future testimonials.

The bigger the scope of work, the deeper the relationship with your clients, the more you should use the personal touch.

Regardless of how many customers or clients you have, if someone goes out of there way to compliment your people, your products, your delivery time, etc., that’s a perfect time to ask if they’ll write you a testimonial that you can use in your marketing.

When I get a piece of unsolicited positive feedback, I’ll often follow up with an email asking if we can use what they said in a testimonial or would they be willing to write a testimonial for us.

For whatever reason, even if they agree to write a testimonial, the process can prove very difficult for some people, either because they’re too busy, they struggle with expressing themselves, or for some other reason. To make this easier on them (and to increase your chances of getting that testimonial,) you might:

• Remind them of what they specifically liked about your business: “You had mentioned how our event planner was able to get a replacement when the photographer called in sick on your wedding day.”
• Provide them with some keywords that describe your offering: “You were talking about how well our “energy-efficient, tax-deductable heat pumps” were to our technician.”
• (And, when all else fails) Write a draft for them: “Here’s what I heard you say, but I want to make sure I got it down correctly, so please let me know if I need to change anything.”

The last one is not my favorite, but I have had a client or two who really struggled to express themselves in writing. Just make sure you’re not putting words in their mouth, and you’re really just taking what they said to you in person (or over the phone, or during a Zoom call….)

Where Else to Use Testimonials

Your website isn’t the only place to use your hard-earned testimonials. After all, not everyone is visiting your website, and you want everyone to know how amazing you are! They can and should be repurposed for:

• Social Media: Make testimonials part of your regular editorial calendar.
• Email Marketing: If you’re sending out regular email newsletters or blasts, include testimonials here as well. 
• Digital Ads: Put them in Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, banner ads, and so on.
• Printed Marketing Material: There’s nothing wrong with printed collateral! Whether it’s a mailer, poster, or handout at a tradeshow, testimonials can work their magic just as well IRL!
• Proposals: Whether you deliver your proposals physically, in digital format, or via email, testimonials can help seal the deal at a critical decision making moment for your prospect.

Next Steps

Whether you’re gathering content for a new website, or trying to squeeze some additional sales out of your existing one, social proof–in the form of testimonials–is a powerful method to increase conversions and generate more business.

Keep these factors in mind as you’re gathering and placing your website testimonials:

• Don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials, and consider using an automated process for high-volume businesses. 
• With permission, include names and other identifiers with testimonials. 
• Place testimonials next to contextually-relevant content, reinforcing what you say about your offering with what your customers say.
• Make the testimonials pop visually and that they’re easy to scan.
• Make gathering and adding fresh testimonials to your website and other marketing collateral part of your workflow. 

Need help gathering your client testimonials, or making the ones you have more effective on your website? Reach out to flyte today!

Rich Brooks - President, flyte

Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for 25 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media.

He founded The Agents of Change, an annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He recently co-founded Fast Forward Maine, a podcast and workshop series for growing Maine businesses.

Rich is the author of The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing, a popular and well-received book that helps entrepreneurs and marketers reach more of their ideal customers online.

The post Using Testimonials to Build Trust and Generate Leads at Your Website appeared first on takeflyte.

However, like any new-to-you technology, if you’re migrating from a non-WordPress CMS, or are upgrading from a pre-Gutenberg WordPress setup, there can be a learning curve.

So to help you out, I'm going to highlight some of the more popular and important Gutenberg blocks, including:

• native blocks,
• 3rd party blocks, and
• even some examples we’ve whipped up when we couldn’t find one that did exactly what we wanted for ourselves or our clients.

In many of the examples below I wanted to show you what the backend admin for Gutenberg Blocks looks like as well as what the public facing side looks like. To that end, when you see an image with a red bar slider (like the one below), you can slide the bar back and forth to hide or reveal the two versions.

Classic Editor

Block Editor

Why Gutenberg Blocks Beats the WordPress Classic Editor for Business Websites

There are plenty of reasons to upgrade, but here are key reasons why Gutenberg Blocks work well for small marketing teams:

• Drag-and-Drop Ease: You can easily build and edit pages on your own without knowing the underlying code. Like how a block looks on one page? You can copy and paste it onto a new page!
• Design Flexibility That Won’t Break Your Website: Rearrange sections, swap images, or change colors, all without breaking your site. 
• Consistent Branding: Your reusable blocks and patterns ensure your brand consistency throughout the website.
• Responsive Design: Most blocks are built to look good on phones, tables, and desktops automatically.
• No Need for Page Builders: Don’t even talk to my developers about Divi, Elementor, or WP Bakery…unless you want to see their eyes twitch. They’ll tell you about page builders’ unnecessary features, page bloat, and slow load times. 

Now, that’s not to say Gutenberg blocks are perfect, and they certainly have their detractors, but the system has come a long way since it was first introduced, and is ready to take your website to the next level.

Core Gutenberg Blocks (and how to use them)

This first section looks at some of the “core” GBs–the ones that come standard–and how to best use them.

Paragraph, Heading, Image, List, Button, Spacer, Separator

These cover the basics of the content needs on your website. Fairly self-explanatory, with the Button block creating a button rather than a link for a high-impact CTA.

Use Cases: Everything. Service pages, About pages, long-form content, blog posts, you name it. These are your minions so put them to work!

Pro Tip: You can style these with CSS for consistency across blocks and pages. (But don’t get stressed! Your developer should set this up ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about it.)

Admin View

Visitor View

Cover Block: Visual Magic

The Cover block adds a background image or color with nested content on top. 

Use Cases: Great for hero sections that need a text overlay, callouts (such as testimonials or quotes,) as well as full-width CTAs (calls to action). 

Pro Tip: You can really make your content shine by adding parallax effects, gradients, or overlay opacity to the cover block.

Admin View

Visitor View

Columns Block: Side By Side

The Column block splits content into columns of varying widths, and each column can contain any other block, also known as “nesting.” 

Use Cases: Great for comparing features between tiers of offerings, but can be used anytime you want split layouts between blocks of text or images.

Pro Tip: Nest inside groups or cover blocks for more control over design and layout.

Admin View

Visitor View

Block Patterns

If you are using the same arrangement of blocks on multiple pages, block patterns can save them as templates. This helps streamline design, enforce brand consistency, and makes it easy for SMBs to manage their own updates.

Further, patterns can be synced so that when you make a change to the master pattern, all instances of that pattern are updated site wide! Not looking for side wide changes? No worries: they can also be used as stand alone templates or “kicking off” points for blocks with a shared structure but differing content. 

Use Cases: Best for complex, repeatable sections like sliders, pricing tables, or buttons.

Admin View

Visitor View

3rd Party Gutenberg Blocks

While the core Gutenberg blocks cover the basics, sometimes you need a little extra functionality…or flair! To fill this gap, 3rd party companies have created their own blocks. There are plenty of 3rd party block creators–Kadence, Otter, and Spectra to name a few–but here at flyte we gravitate towards GhostKit. 

When I asked our developer “Why GhostKit?”, his response was that GhostKit offers “a freemium block library that really does 90% of what you need. You can go pro, but the upgrades are generally only for heavy-duty users.”

You or your developer may have found the perfect block from another 3rd party, and good on you! I’m not here to “yuck your yum.” There are plenty of great block developers out there, but our business is to find ones that work best for SMBs, put them through their paces, and use the ones that are:

• Effective: They do what they promise.
• Easy-to-use: Our SMB clients should feel comfortable using them.
• Supported: Unless plugins are being regularly updated they can stop working or even become a security risk.
• Cruft Free: They don’t include annoying upsell nags or are “limited” until you upgrade to Pro. 

GhostKit Accordion Block

An accordion block allows you to hide or show features on a page, and then allows the site visitor to expand or contract each section. 

Use Cases: Great for FAQ sections where the question is visible but the answer is tucked away. Similarly, great for long pages with lots of detailed information that might not be of interest to every visitor. You can also use it for detailed product information, such as technical specs.

Admin View

Visitor View

GhostKit Button Block

Building on the core button block, this one is fully customizable, including giving you control over hover states and including icons. 

Buttons are great candidates for synced patterns. You can create a button library and use them on demand throughout your site. Some parts of synced patterns can be made editable (like the text and link URL) on a case by case basis without affecting the master pattern but currently options are limited.

Use Cases: Any place you want a fully stylized, eye-popping, branded call-to-action, this is your go-to tool.

Admin View

Visitor View

GhostKit Icon Block

Add visual appeal to your pages with iconography. You can insert any SVG icon or choose from libraries like Font Awesome.
Use Cases: Great for adding visual signage for different services, offerings, or audiences.

Custom Blocks by flyte new media

Sometimes we can’t find a block that does exactly what we’re looking for. Or maybe it does what we’re looking for, but something’s missing…or there’s something irritating we can’t get rid of! When that happens we spin up our own. 

Anyone (with the skills and know-how) can create their own custom blocks, and we encourage you to pursue your dreams (assuming your dreams are to build your own custom blocks.) But here are some home-grown solutions we use on our own creations.

AJAX Post Listing Block

When clients have long lists (products, members, blog posts, etc.) but they don’t want to use pagination, our AJAX block dynamically loads content as visitors scroll down the page, with a “Load More” button.

If that sounds complex, don’t worry! You don’t need to know your AJAX from your elbow. I don’t know how my car’s engine works, but I know how to drive it to and from work. 

Use Cases: Any time a client has a long list that would slow down load times, that’s a good opportunity for the AJAX block.

Admin View

Visitor View

Hero Slider

I know what you’re thinking: it’s some sort of sandwich thing. You’re not thinking that? Maybe it’s time for lunch then. 

In any case, the Hero Slider allows us to create a carousel with nested blocks for complex layouts.

Use Cases: Home pages looking for some visual pizzazz, landing pages.

Admin View

Visitor View

Stats Block

This block visually highlights important stats with rolling numbers as visitors scroll down the page.

Use Cases: Great for building trust with site visitors by highlighting data and results. While most people have short attention spans and won’t read your whole case study–no matter how lovingly it was put together–highlighting a 147% increase in conversions or 215 years of combined experience in your industry will grab anyone’s attention.

Admin View

Visitor View

People Block

This is a great way to highlight your team and start building trust with future clients. It includes an optional lightbox display. 

Use Cases: Perfect for Team or About pages, but could be used for any matrix of visual products or offerings.

Admin View

Visitor View

Final Thoughts

Gutenberg blocks are like Legos: with them you can build just about anything you want. However, you’ll get better results when you start with a strategy and a plan, and then identify the blocks that will best help you build a website that attracts and converts your ideal customers.

If you found this post and it gave you the background you need to build your own WordPress website, or to talk more intelligently to your web developer, great! 

However, if you’re looking for an experienced team to help you build your dream website–a site that grows your business–we’re here to help. Reach out to us on our contact form and we’ll get right back to you! 

Rich Brooks - President, flyte

Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for 25 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media.

He founded The Agents of Change, an annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He recently co-founded Fast Forward Maine, a podcast and workshop series for growing Maine businesses.

Rich is the author of The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing, a popular and well-received book that helps entrepreneurs and marketers reach more of their ideal customers online.

The post What Are Gutenberg Blocks? appeared first on takeflyte.