1. Your Domain
   Your domain is your address. It’s the “yourdomain.com” part.
   You register it through a company called a registrar. GoDaddy is one of the most common.
   Owning a domain doesn’t mean you have a website. It just means you own the address.
2. Your DNS
   DNS stands for Domain Name System. Think of it as a settings panel that tells the internet where to find your website.
   Here’s why it exists. Humans navigate the web using domain names like “yourdomain.com.” But computers navigate using numbers, called IP addresses. An IP address looks something like 142.250.80.46.
   DNS is the translator. It takes your domain name and points it to the right numeric address.
   These settings usually live at your registrar. But you can also manage them through a third-party DNS provider like Cloudflare, which some people prefer for performance or security reasons.
3. Your Hosting
   Your hosting is where your website actually lives. It’s a server, which is just a computer somewhere that stays on all the time and stores your website files. These days, that “computer” likely lives in the “cloud” and isn’t actually a single server somewhere.
   That server has an IP address. Your DNS settings point your domain to that address. When someone types your domain into a browser, DNS says “go to this IP address,” and the server delivers your website.

A critically important word about ownership
Your domain is arguably the most valuable piece of this whole setup. It’s your address on the internet. If you lose it, you lose everything connected to it: your website, your email, your Google rankings, all of it.
This happens more than you’d think.
Domains expire if nobody renews them. If your registrar has an old credit card on file, or renewal notices going to an inbox nobody checks, your domain can lapse. Someone else can register it the same day or shortly thereafter.
Sometimes the person who originally set up the domain leaves the company. Or the agency that built your site registered it under their own account instead of yours. Now you don’t control it. You have to ask nicely, or fight for it.

And then there’s the hostage situation. You decide to move to a new website provider. Suddenly the old one is slow to respond, drags their feet, or makes transferring the domain as difficult as possible. It’s not common, but it happens.
I’ve seen it.
The fix is straightforward. Make sure your domain is registered in your name, with your email address, under an account you control. Not your developer’s account. Not your old agency’s account. Yours.
Log in once a year. Confirm that auto-renew is on. Make sure the contact email is one you actually check.
That’s it. Five minutes of your time, once a year. It could save you an enormous headache down the road.

Why does any of this matter?
Because at some point, you’ll need to move your website to a new host. Or your DNS will need to be updated when something changes. Or you’ll want to add Google Workspace email to your domain.
And when that day comes, someone is going to ask you: “Who is your registrar? Where is your DNS managed? Who is your hosting provider?”
If you don’t know and you don’t have access, you’ll be stuck.
The good news is you only need to know three things. And now you do.

The post Boring as Heck, But You Need to Know this if You Manage a Website appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Your Homepage Has One Job: Build Instant Trust
Think about what happens when someone gets referred to you. The person making the referral has
already vouched for your credibility and explained why you’re a good fit. By the time that potential
client calls you, half the sales process is already done.
Your homepage needs to accomplish that same trust-building, but without the benefit of a personal
introduction. Here are the essential elements that make this happen:

Professional and Attractive Branding
This one seems obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: your website is often the first professional
interaction someone has with your business. If it looks outdated, cluttered, or amateurish, visitors will
assume your services are too.
You don’t need to spend a fortune, but your site does need to look like it belongs in 2025 and reflects
the quality of work you actually deliver.

Clear Explanation of Why You’re Their Best Choice
This is the element that’s missing from almost every service business website we review.
Most sites list what they do (“We provide legal services” or “We offer accounting solutions”) but never
explain why someone should choose them over the dozens of other options available.
Your visitors need to understand not just what you do, but why you’re uniquely qualified to solve their
specific problem. This might include:

• Your years of experience in their industry
• Your track record of results
• Your specific approach or methodology
• Credentials or specializations that matter to them
• Awards or recognition that demonstrate your expertise

Personal Connection Through Team Information
People hire service providers they feel comfortable with. That means showing the human side of your
business through professional photos and brief bios of key team members.
This doesn’t mean sharing your life story, but giving enough information that visitors can get a sense of
who they’d be working with. A friendly, professional headshot and a paragraph about your background
and approach can make a huge difference in building that initial connection.

Appropriate Calls to Action
Your homepage needs to guide visitors toward taking the next logical step, but visitors arrive at different
points in their decision-making process. That’s why most effective homepages need multiple calls to
action.
Some visitors are ready to move forward immediately and want options like “Schedule a Free
Consultation,” “Get a Quote,” or a prominent, clickable phone number. For a service company with
multiple offerings, having links to their most popular service areas is critical. Others need more
information first and might click through to learn about a specific service, read case studies, or
understand your process better.
The key is offering appropriate next steps for visitors at different stages without creating unnecessary
friction or overwhelming them with too many choices.

Lightning-Fast Response to Inquiries
Here’s the element that might be the most important of all: how quickly you respond when someone
does reach out.
Research consistently shows that response time dramatically affects your chances of winning new
business. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that respond to leads within an hour are
nearly 7 times more likely to qualify that lead compared to those who wait just two hours.
Think about that from the visitor’s perspective. They’ve probably contacted several service providers.
The one who responds first and most helpfully is likely to win their business, even if they weren’t
necessarily the “best” option on paper.
This means you need systems in place to monitor and respond to web inquiries quickly. Whether that’s
email notifications, a dedicated phone line, or a team member assigned to handle incoming leads, fast
response time can be your competitive advantage.

The Bottom Line
Search marketing success isn’t just about getting found—it’s about converting visitors into clients. That
requires your website to do the trust-building and relationship work that happens naturally in face-to-
face networking.

The good news is that most of your competitors probably aren’t doing this well either. By focusing on
these essential elements, you can create a significant competitive advantage in attracting and
converting online prospects.
If you’d like help evaluating how well your current website handles these critical elements, as well as
technical and competitive factors and how you stack up in the growing area of AI Search (AI Engine
Optimization), we’re happy to provide a complete web presence review at no charge. Just reach out
through our contact page and we’ll take a look.

The post Essential Elements for Online Success in Search Marketing appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Client Spotlight: Aestheva Medical Aesthetics

Serious Skin Science. Effortless Confidence. The Art of Aging Gracefully.

In the heart of Victoria’s Fort Street district, Aestheva Medical Aesthetics offers an experience that blends clinical expertise with calm, refined care. Led by Dr. Helen Ross—a respected ER physician and educator—the clinic is built on the belief that aging is a privilege, and that the best aesthetic outcomes are subtle, natural, and deeply personal.

Clients come to Aestheva for the science-backed treatments—but they stay for the trust, integrity, and results that speak for themselves.

A Clinic That Listens

At Aestheva, every treatment starts with a conversation. The team takes a thoughtful, individualized approach—offering guidance grounded in both medical knowledge and aesthetic restraint. They’re just as comfortable recommending against a treatment as they are performing one.

The clinic offers a carefully curated range of services, including neuromodulators, dermal fillers, RF microneedling, advanced skincare treatments, and hormone balancing support. Each service is delivered with a focus on long-term health, subtle results, and total client confidence.

Their core philosophy—“Aging is a privilege. Perfection is a myth. Skin is a science.”—is felt in every consultation, every outcome, and every review.

“I couldn’t be happier with Dr. Ross. Her skill and expertise is remarkable, resulting in natural-looking and outstanding results.”
— Google reviewer

The Vision Behind the Brand

While Aestheva is very much a team effort, Dr. Helen Ross sets the tone. With an active role in emergency medicine at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals, and as the founder and former Program Director of UBC’s Emergency Medicine residency program on Vancouver Island—where she served for 11 years—Dr. Ross brings a clinical mindset and a deep respect for safety and ethics to every facet of the clinic.

But what clients appreciate most is her warmth, precision, and the quiet confidence she instills. The result is a space where clients feel heard, cared for, and empowered to age with intention—not hesitation.

Q&A With Dr. Helen Ross

Q: What inspired you to open Aestheva Medical Aesthetics, and how has your journey as a physician influenced the clinic’s approach?

A: I worked in the aesthetics field for a number of years before opening Aestheva. I wanted it to be a place where every single person feels welcomed, valued, and empowered—somewhere that reflects my core values of autonomy, integrity, growth, and collaboration. I believe aging should be viewed as a positive part of life, experienced on our own terms.
My medical career has always been rooted in science, evidence-based medicine, education, and transparency. With 14 years of post-secondary education and nearly 30 years on the front line of acute care, I’ve developed an efficient, safety-first approach to patient care. I know anatomy inside and out, I’m confident saying no when needed, and I will never over-treat or follow fleeting trends.

• • •

Q: What sets Aestheva apart from other aesthetic clinics in Victoria?

A: Our ethos is simple—we want to support and inspire patients so they feel empowered, confident, and genuine. In an industry often driven by unrealistic perfection and filtered marketing, we focus on education, authenticity, and individualized care. Aestheva has more of a boutique feel, where each treatment plan is tailored to the patient’s goals, ensuring they feel comfortable, welcome, and secure.

• • •

Q: How do you help clients feel confident and safe when considering treatments for the first time?

A: Education, education, education. I personally conduct every consultation so patients meet me directly, ask any questions they like, and feel comfortable with me as their medical provider. Transparency, full disclosure—including risks—and a foundation of trust are essential. Aesthetics is medicine, and the provider–patient relationship should be treated with that same respect.

• • •

Q: How do you stay current with the latest techniques and technologies in medical aesthetics?

A: I read the studies, follow the data, and actively teach injection techniques across Canada. As an educator for Aesthetics Training Canada, I collaborate with highly skilled injectors who share decades of experience and knowledge.

• • •

Q: What’s something you’re most proud of about Aestheva’s growth?

A: Aestheva has grown almost entirely through word of mouth, which is my favourite way to meet new patients. I want people to come to me because someone they trust recommended me, not because they saw a polished social media reel. That trust is earned through integrity, transparency, and consistent quality care.

• • •

Q: What has it been like working with What Works Marketing — and how has marketing supported your clinic’s growth?

A: I’m so grateful for their patience and clarity. They’ve taken a world I’m not skilled in—SEO and digital strategy—and made it manageable and understandable. They listen, respect my values, and have helped us increase website traffic and welcome new faces into the clinic.

• • •

Q: What’s one goal you have for the clinic in the next year?

A: We have exciting plans ahead, including expanding our team and collaborating on some fun projects. Above all, we’ll continue to support our patients and stay true to our ethos of authenticity, education, and safety.

What It’s Like to Work With Aestheva

Supporting Aestheva’s growth has been a privilege. Dr. Ross’s clarity of vision, dedication to excellence, and trust in the collaborative process make every project feel purposeful. From local SEO strategies to website content and profile optimization, our goal has been to amplify their voice—without ever diluting what makes them special.

We’re honoured to support a clinic that is redefining what aesthetic care looks like: clinical, honest, graceful, and deeply client-centered.

Learn More

Curious about Aestheva? Explore their services, philosophy, and stunning Victoria clinic at aesthevaclinic.ca.

The post Client Spotlight: Aestheva Medical Aesthetics appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website so it appears prominently when people search on Google for topics relevant to your business.

Some businesses sell products nationally or internationally, so their actual business location is more or less irrelevant to Google.

However, Google understands that many in-person services and businesses (like restaurants, chiropractors, etc.) depend on their physical location being critically important to searchers.

This is where local SEO comes in.

If your location matters to your customers (and Google), there’s a specific set of SEO activities you need to address to maximize your search traffic.

Let’s explore the elements that make up a local SEO strategy.

Google Business Profile, Citations, and Social Profiles

Google Business Profile (GBP), citations, and social profiles are foundational to building a strong local SEO strategy and improving online visibility.

A Google Business Profile is like your digital storefront on Google Search and Maps. It provides critical information such as your business name, address, phone number (NAP), hours, and customer reviews. Optimizing your GBP ensures potential customers can easily find and trust your business while signaling relevance and authority to Google. Regular updates, engaging posts, high-quality images, and user reviews can further boost engagement and search rankings.

Managing reviews and your online reputation through your Google Business Profile and other relevant platforms is critically important to your overall SEO efforts.

Google Business Profiles are often the most prominent results on the search page. They also consider the searcher’s proximity to your business—meaning the closer a searcher is, the more likely your profile will appear.

Citations are mentions of your business’s NAP details on other websites, such as local directories (e.g., Yelp or Yellow Pages), industry-specific sites, or social media profiles. Consistent and accurate citations build credibility and help search engines confirm your business’s legitimacy and location.

A key part of managing citations is ensuring your NAP information is as consistent as possible across every citation and profile you create.

Meanwhile, social profiles (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram) extend your brand’s reach and provide additional trusted signals to Google. Active, well-maintained social profiles create opportunities for customer interaction, drive traffic to your site, reinforce brand recognition, and boost your prominence in search results.

Together, these elements form a foundational framework that helps search engines validate your business, connect you with your audience, and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Basic SEO

Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves optimizing the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website to make it easier for search engines like Google to find, understand, and rank your content. Think of your website as a house you’re inviting Google to explore—technical SEO ensures the house is well-built, easy to navigate, and free from barriers that might confuse or frustrate your visitor (in this case, Google).

Key areas of technical SEO include:

• Crawling and Indexing: Search engines send out “bots” to crawl (scan) your website. Technical SEO ensures they can easily access all your important pages by fixing broken links, creating a clear sitemap, and avoiding “dead ends” (like pages with no way out or hidden content).
• Website Speed: A slow website annoys visitors and makes Google less likely to rank your site highly. Technical SEO focuses on optimizing images, reducing unnecessary code, and ensuring fast server response times.
• Mobile Friendliness: With more searches happening on mobile devices than desktops, search engines prioritize sites that look good and work well on phones. Technical SEO ensures your site is responsive and user-friendly across all devices.
• Security: A secure website (using HTTPS instead of HTTP) protects your visitors’ data and signals to Google that your site is trustworthy.

In short, technical SEO creates a strong foundation for your website so search engines can easily access, understand, and rank your content—ultimately improving visibility and driving more traffic.

Structural SEO

Structural SEO involves organizing your site so it works well for both Google and your potential customers.

This includes:

• Creating individual pages for each service, along with a Services overview page that links to them all.
• Highlighting your location(s) and contact information prominently on the site.
• Setting up staff pages or sections (if relevant).

An essential part of structural SEO is ensuring your site provides an excellent User Experience (UX). A site that’s easy for people to navigate and helps them find the information they need will also score points with Google.

Website Copy SEO

Content SEO focuses on strategically incorporating keywords—the words and phrases your potential customers search for—into your website. This involves:

• Page Titles and Meta Descriptions
• Headings
• Content
• URLs

A strong internal linking structure is also critical, as it helps Google understand which topics and pages are most important on your site.

With these best practices in place, your website will have a solid foundation. In less competitive industries, this might be enough to rank prominently. However, in more competitive industries, advanced SEO tactics will likely be necessary.

Advanced SEO

Competitor Analysis

SEO is often highly competitive. To succeed, it’s essential to analyze your competitors to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This insight helps you develop a plan to outperform them or focus on areas where they aren’t as strong.

Content Marketing Strategy

A content marketing strategy involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. For local businesses, this often means content tailored to nearby customers, such as blog posts, videos, or updates about local events and services.

Content marketing helps search engines understand what your business does and who it serves. For instance, a landscaping company might write articles like “Top Plants for Summer in [City Name]” or “How to Winterize Your Lawn in [Region].” Hyper-local content like this strengthens local relevance and boosts your rankings for local searches.

Advanced Content Categorization

For businesses using blogging as part of their strategy, advanced categorization techniques—such as custom category pages and a “pillar content” approach—can help blog posts and service pages rank more effectively.

Building Author Expertise

Taking steps to build the “authority” of contributors to your site and blog.

Link Building

Links from credible websites are vital for improving your site’s authority, especially in competitive markets. Opportunities for earning links include:

• Suppliers
• Sponsored organizations
• Colleagues
• Clients
• Industry-specific citations

A strong content marketing strategy can also naturally attract links from other websites, further boosting your authority.

Schema

Schema is a type of code added to your website that helps search engines understand your content better. It provides extra details, such as what kind of business you are, what products you sell, or when events occur. For local businesses, schema can highlight details like your address, phone number, and hours, making it easier for people to find and trust you.

AI – LLMO Optimization

With AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini starting to crawl websites and be used in Search, optimizing for these tools is quickly becoming a serious consideration in our SEO planning. I’ll share a separate post on that topic!

Conclusion

SEO is a vast and complex field—and it’s different for every business and website. However, by addressing both foundational and advanced elements, you can greatly improve your chances of ranking well and attracting the customers you want.

The post Smart Strategies to Boost Local SEO and Win Customers appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Creating a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for service-based businesses requires a multi-faceted approach. 

You don’t need to do all of these things to succeed although some (like Brand Marketing, Strategy and Websites) are non-negotiable if you want to excel.

Below are the critical elements that should be considered for maximum effectiveness:

1. Brand Marketing

Brand marketing establishes the identity and values of your business. It shapes customer perceptions and differentiates you from competitors. Strong branding sets the tone for all your marketing activities and builds long-term trust with clients.

2. Strategy – Knowing How You Will Win Clients

A solid strategy defines how you will attract and retain clients. It involves understanding your target audience, their pain points, and how your service uniquely meets their needs. This strategic foundation is key to guiding all other marketing efforts.

3. Website

A well-designed, user-friendly website is the hub of your digital presence. It should not only look professional but also be optimized for conversions. Your website should clearly communicate your services, showcase testimonials, and include easy ways for potential clients to contact you.
Related: Service Pages: Why They Are Critically Important

4. Social Media

Social media platforms are critical for building engagement and brand awareness. Consistent posting and interaction on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram help humanize your business, foster community, and direct traffic back to your website.

5. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO ensures that your website appears in search results when potential clients are looking for services like yours. Effective SEO practices, including optimizing keywords, creating valuable content, and ensuring mobile responsiveness, increase your visibility and attract organic traffic.
Related: The 2024 (and beyond) SEO Playbook for Service Businesses

6. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool for nurturing relationships with potential and current clients. Personalized emails that offer value—such as industry insights, promotions, or service updates—keep your business top of mind and drive repeat engagements.

7. Search Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, particularly through Google Ads, allows you to target specific search queries related to your services. This ensures that your business appears in front of potential clients at the right moment, driving immediate traffic to your website.
Related: What is a Brand Ad in Google Search & Why Might You Need One?

8. Promotion & Brand/Awareness Advertising

Display ads, banner ads, and social media ads can build brand awareness and reach new audiences. These campaigns often focus less on immediate conversions and more on keeping your service top of mind for future client decisions.
Related: Direct Response vs. Brand Advertising: Discover the Best Strategy to Grow Your Law Firm

9. Content & Thought Leadership

Consistently publishing valuable content such as blog posts, whitepapers, or videos establishes your authority in the industry. Thought leadership positions your business as an expert, instilling confidence in potential clients who are researching service providers.

Together, these elements create a well-rounded digital marketing strategy, designed to attract, engage, and convert clients while building long-term brand loyalty for service businesses. Each component supports the others, creating a cohesive strategy that drives growth and client satisfaction.
Related: Why Is Thought Leadership the Best Content Strategy, Hands Down?

I look forward to fleshing out these topics in future posts!

The post Essential Elements of a Winning Digital Marketing Strategy for Service Businesses appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Are you curious about which type of advertising can drive better results for your law firm—direct response or brand advertising? Let’s dive into the key differences, benefits, and challenges of each to help you make an informed decision.

Direct Response Advertising – The Instant Gratification Guru

As the name suggests, direct response advertising is all about immediate action. Someone sees your ad and, ideally, responds right away. Remember the old Yellow Pages filled with full-page legal ads? That was classic direct response marketing. While Google has replaced the Yellow Pages, the concept remains the same.

Today, when people face a legal issue and don’t have a law firm in mind, they turn to Google. That’s where Google Search ads, prominently placed at the top of the search results, come into play. A well-crafted ad that addresses a searcher’s specific needs can prompt them to click and engage with your firm right away.

To succeed with Google Search ads, your strategy should focus on:

• Appearing prominently in searches relevant to your services, especially where the searcher shows intent to hire legal help.
• Writing compelling ads that resonate with potential clients.
• Ensuring your website makes it easy for visitors to reach out for consultations or answers.

However, some challenges with search advertising include:

• Complexity: Setting up strategic campaigns and tracking performance can be intricate and time-consuming.
• Cost: Ads can get expensive, especially in competitive markets.

Despite these hurdles, when done right, search ads offer one of the most immediate ways to attract new clients.

Brand Advertising – The Long Term Commitment

On the other hand, brand advertising is a long-term strategy that aims to build recognition and trust over time. Think of it as planting seeds that will grow into awareness. When your audience eventually needs legal services, your firm is already top of mind because of the steady exposure.

Brand advertising, made iconic by TV shows like Mad Men, revolves around crafting a memorable identity and message that resonates with a specific audience.

Effective brand advertising includes:

• Defining your target audience clearly, based on factors like geography, demographics, and interests.
• Creating a brand strategy that speaks to your audience’s needs and aspirations.
• Developing ads that consistently communicate your message and reinforce your firm’s identity.
• Running the ads frequently enough and for a sustained period to make an impact.

The two main issues with brand advertising are:

• Weak messaging that fails to engage or connect with the audience.
• Poor delivery, either by not reaching the intended audience or not running the ads long enough to be effective.

For smaller firms, brand advertising can feel overwhelming due to the significant investment and the fact that it often takes years to see a return. However, there are creative brand-building strategies—such as content marketing and thought leadership—that can be done on a modest budget, which we’ll explore in another post.

So, Which Approach Wins?

Is one type of advertising better than the other? Not necessarily. But for smaller firms looking for quick results, direct response—especially through search ads—tends to deliver faster wins.

In reality, combining both approaches yields the best results. Firms that invest in brand building typically see better performance with search ads, as people are more likely to click on ads from firms they recognize and trust—and more likely to become clients.

In summary, while direct response advertising can quickly bring clients to your door, brand advertising helps build a long-term presence that makes all future marketing efforts more effective. A well-rounded strategy incorporates both to maximize your law firm’s growth potential.

Curious about advertising for YOUR firm? Get in touch – we’d love to have an informative chat.

The post Direct Response vs. Brand Advertising: Discover the Best Strategy to Grow Your Law Firm appeared first on What Works Marketing.

Curious how to approach SEO for your service business? 

Look no further – we’ll lay out all the basic elements for you in prioritized order…

Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is arguably the most visible element you’ll have in Search. What’s more, because it’s heavily influenced by the searcher’s proximity to your business, even small businesses can compete against huge companies in their local market (unlike other parts of Search).

Visit the Google Business Profile site.

Pro Tip: The more fully you flesh out your Profile (and the more reviews you get), the more visibility you’ll get in your market.

Basic Brand SEO

To make sure your business is showing up properly in Google when someone searches for it you’ll want to register your business or create a business profile on as many sites as possible, including (as appropriate):

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Bing Places for Businesses
• Apple Maps
• All local and national directories you can access (Yellow Pages, etc)

Pro Tip: Make sure that your business name, phone numbers, addresses business categories are exactly the same (where possible) on all your listings and profiles.

Basic Technical SEO

There are a number of technical conventions that Google expects to see when it’s indexing your website. Following these basic conventions is or less a requirement if you want your site to show up!

Check out the Google Guide to Search

Services Optimization

Do you have multiple searches you want to show up for?

Create a unique service page for each one and optimize them following the guidelines at Google Search Central.

Also, check our our series on Service Pages.

Locations Optimization

Make sure that your location and contact information is featured prominently on your website. Consider having your information both in your footer and in a Contact or Location page.

If you have multiple locations, make sure that you have fully fleshed out Google Business Profiles for each. As well, ideally you’ll have separate and optimized locations pages on your website for each location.

Linking Structure on Your Website

Make sure that the most important services or pages on your website are linked to frequently on the site and from as high up on the page as possible. 

Because Google considers your home page the most  important page on your site, whatever pages you link to from high on your home page will be considered important as well. 

For instance, you might have links to your top 3 services from very near to the top of the page. This same logic applies throughout the site – don’t be stingy with links to your important pages (and include them high on the page)!

Links From Other Sites

While linking strategies have changed over the years, high quality links from legitimate websites are still seen as “votes” that your website is legitimate and credible to Google.

With all other things being equal, a site that has more quality links than another site will outrank it.

That said, it’s hard to get links. Also, paid link building services will generally harm more than help as they rely on low quality websites, which can result in Google “penalizing” your site.

So how can you get links? Here are a few ideas:

• Suppliers or partners who have resources sections or partner sections on their sites where they might link to you.
• Local groups that you sponsor.
• Other businesses in your area that refer people to you.
• Local news articles about your business.
• Other companies or individuals that you feature on your site or blog (they can link to you).

There are advanced linking opportunities if you have a content strategy and create great posts, although these strategies are usually beyond the reach of most smaller companies.

Content Strategy

To compete at the highest levels you’ll need a Content Strategy that supports your SEO. Generally this takes the form of a blog or news section where you regularly publish posts on topics that are relevant to your businesses and services.

It’s too big a topic to dive into here but the best content strategies involve creating valuable educational posts for your most important audiences and making sure they are well optimized. In addition to supporting your SEO, these boost your credibility, position you as an industry leader, and make you the logical company to choose for your services.

Competitive SEO

By leveraging tools like Moz or Ahrefs you can identify your top competitors, assess how they are ranking for important keywords and then dig in to find out what they are doing in SEO and how to beat them.

In fact, having a high level look at your competition before even starting on SEO might give you some insight on what you can expect to achieve in SEO and how much effort it will make sense to put into it.

We often use the MOZ’s Link Explorer to measure the Domain Authority of a website and then check on the Domain Authority of several of the competitors who are appearing on the first page of Google results. This gives us huge insight as to the payoff that SEO will bring:

• If a site has higher authority than some of the first page competitors, optimizing it will almost always allow them to rank there as well. In this case, SEO totally makes sense and should result in more traffic fairly quickly (within a few months).
• If a site has similar authority to the first page competitors, you’ll have to work a bit harder to beat them but SEO should result in more traffic in the medium term (within a year).
• If a site has dramatically lower authority than the first page competitors, it may take a creative approach or a long term (potentially multi-year) investment to get traffic. In this case it may make sense to invest resources in other places like sponsored Search Ads instead of SEO.

Closing Thoughts

While there are more advanced strategies, doing a great job on your SEO basics (all the elements before the Content Strategy above) will serve you well. The big thing to remember about SEO is it does take some time, but if you invest in doing it strategically it will pay off for you.

Curious about your SEO situation? Get in touch!

The post The 2024 (and beyond) SEO Playbook for Service Businesses appeared first on What Works Marketing.

The most insightful online marketing posts we’ve read in the last few weeks.

An Introduction to Google Tag Manager

The more data we can gather when it comes to our sites, the better. Using Google Analytics is a great place to start, but using it alongside Google Tag Manager is even better! Angela Petteys goes over the basics of Google Tag Manager, the benefits of using it, and more in her latest article.

Read More

Email Segmentation: Why it Matters and Effective Tactics

Have you been sending emails to clients and want to further improve your efforts? If you aren’t already segmenting your audience, this is a next great step. Segmenting your audience allows you to tailor the message to the different audiences, which in turn can lead to higher conversion rates. Neil Patel goes over his tips and tricks for email segmentation in an article from earlier this month.

Read More

What Is an Internal Link? The #1 Strategy You’re Overlooking

Internal links are vital for SEO, user experience, and more. Brody Hall goes over the importance of internal linking in his latest article. Hall goes over everything from SEO importance, user experience, types of internal links, and more in this easy to understand article.

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The post Digital Marketing Must-Reads: April 2024 appeared first on What Works Marketing.

What Is a Pillar Page? SEO Content Pillars Explained

One effective strategy to stand out is by leveraging pillar pages, which serve as comprehensive resources covering core topics. With these strategies from Brody Hall, you can enhance your SEO efforts, engage readers, boost rankings through internal linking, and more!

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The Ultimate List of Free SEO Tools

There are lots of free tools out there made to ‘help’ you with your SEO, but how do you know which ones are actually going to help you? Neil Patel has put together a helpful list of the best free tools to help you drive traffic, aid content optimization, perform competitor analysis, and more!

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What Is a Dynamic URL? From Basics to SEO Best Practices

If you have ever seen symbols like “?”, “&”, and “=” in a URL and have wondered what they mean, this article from Aaron Haynes is for you! Haynes answers questions like “What is a dynamic URL?”, “How can URLs personalize user experience?”, and more in their latest article!

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The post Digital Marketing Must-Reads: March 2024 appeared first on What Works Marketing.

If you’re lucky, your website might already show up first in Google Search when somebody searches your business name.

In this case, there’s no particular need to run a Brand Campaign.

However, in some cases like the example below, there may be competitor ads showing up ahead of your own website, which makes running a Brand Campaign worthwhile.

In this case, we can see a Sponsored Search Brand ad for the company that’s being searched. As there are actually 4 ads showing up, if they weren’t running this ad, their website would not be showing up until the 5^th result, far down the results page on mobile. This is obviously not ideal for them.

So, why are people’s ads showing up ahead of your website, which folks are searching for? There are a few reasons:

• A competitor may be paying to show up when your business name is searched for (this is allowed in Google Ads).
• Google’s broad “matching” policies may be having competitor ads show up even if the competitor is not specifically bidding on your name.
• The search query or company name includes a term that competitors are actively bidding on (in the example, there would be lots of competitors bidding on the “Plumbing Seattle” keyword. 

So, why are people’s ads showing up ahead of your website, which folks are searching for? There are a few reasons:

• A competitor may be paying to show up when your business name is searched for (this is allowed in Google Ads).
• Google’s broad “matching” policies may be having competitor ads show up even if the competitor is not specifically bidding on your name.
• The search query or company name includes a term that competitors are actively bidding on (in the example, there would be lots of competitors bidding on the “Plumbing Seattle” keyword. 

So, what to do about it?

The bad news is that if you want to appear ahead of these competitors, you’ll have to pay for your company to show up first, even though the searcher is looking for you.

The good news is that it’s quite cost effective to run Brand ads. While Google ads has a “bidding” model for your ad placement, the good news is that performance factors into your bid. 

Because searchers that will see your Brand ad come to Google to find you, your ad will dramatically outperform the competitor ads and that means you’ll typically appear highest but still pay way less than your competitors for your clicks. 

Curious or confused about Brand Ads? Looking for some help with Google ads? 

Drop us a line through our Contact form and we’ll answer your questions.

The post What is a Brand Ad in Google Search & Why Might You Need One? appeared first on What Works Marketing.