Well, from the digital marketing standpoint, there are many strategies you can use. Content marketing and SEO can make your business rank higher in search results; Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can place your products in front of the people who are most likely to buy them; and content marketing builds your search rankings via blogs, news articles, press releases, and killer, keyword-rich web pages. 

But today, we’re going to deviate a little from our usual menu of digital marketing advice, and talk about the human aspect of it all: how you—just you—can work your network and convert more leads into solid, paying clients.

In no particular order…

7. Establish a Comfort Zone—or Get Out of Yours

We are in the business of growing businesses. As such, we see a lot of companies with the same basic problem: they either haven’t narrowed down their target customer, or have narrowed it down too much. If you’re having trouble expanding your customer base, it might be that you are casting your net so wide that no one feels like they belong in it. Obviously, you want to secure as many leads as possible. But, if your answer to “who is your target demographic?” is “everyone,” you might be attracting…no one.

Then, of course, there’s the opposite problem: a focus so narrow that it misses potential opportunities. If you’re struggling to attract new customers, maybe it’s time to consider alternative routes, try something different, and go against the grain. Remember, too, that today’s consumers respond much more to authenticity than sales pitches. Put your primary focus on earning trust, and the rest will follow.

6. Leverage Your Network

You’ve likely heard it since you were in school: network, network, network. You might even be sick of hearing it. But the reason networking is usually the #1 tip on these type of lists is simple: it works. That’s because a third-party recommendation is usually more reliable than none at all. If your friend says that someone is trustworthy, well, that’s one neutral-party voucher for that candidate, and 0 for all the others. Your friend has no stakes in the game, and doesn’t want to harm your relationship by suggesting a bad hire.

The same goes for clients choosing companies to work with. Referrals from your existing network can be extremely powerful. If you don’t have a good network, you’ll have to build one. For example, if you sell bikes, join as many cycling-related groups as possible. Don’t think of it as a hobby or a waste of time. Having a social life is actually good business sense.

5. Speak at an Industry Event

We know, we know—public speaking isn’t for everyone, and for some people, it can be downright terrifying. But if you’re up for the challenge, speaking authoritatively on an industry-related topic can give you a big boost in visibility. By sharing your experience and getting involved in your community at a local level, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your connections, as well as your reputation as a thought leader in your industry. Sometimes the best way to prove that you know what you’re talking about is to teach it.

4. Engage Content Marketing Techniques

Okay, we said we wouldn’t dwell too long in the nitty-gritty of digital marketing. But since we’re talking about growing your customer base quickly, we’d be remiss to leave content out of the equation. Content marketing is a great, relatively affordable way to position yourself as an industry expert, in a way that will last long after your physical body has left the podium. If you speak at an event, you’re only presenting your information for an hour or so. But blog posts, articles, white papers, social media posts, and newsletters will essentially last forever in the digital space.

Content marketing can also reach a much broader audience. To use our workshop example again, if you speak at an event, you will probably reach about 20 people who had the time, energy, and commitment to make it out and find parking. But if you post content online and on social media, you’re reaching anyone with access to a keyboard. For that reason, content marketing is one of the most powerful ways to build your client base while at the same time improving your SEO rankings. 

3. Offer Free Stuff

People love free stuff. Free trials of your product; free consultations; free SEO audits: All of these things don’t cost you anything but time, and can usually rope you, at the very least, a good referral or testimonial. Offering free services is also a great way to test-run a new idea, process, or product on someone who won’t be too mad about imperfect results. 

If you want to go the free-physical-stuff route, our number one tip is to distribute things people want to keep. A heavy, high-quality pen; a business card that’s too beautiful to throw out; a handy something-or-other that sticks to the fridge: all of these have long lifespans and, as such, will keep your name around long after your interaction with a potential lead is over. Don’t make the mistake so many businesses make of handing out cheap pens, ugly paperweights, or candy wrappers that will just get chucked in the trash. (We highly recommend office desk toys like this one.) 

2. Do Charity Work

There’s nothing like good old-fashioned PR. Donating your time and energy to something like St. Baldrick’s Brave the Shave will make you look good and, as an added bonus, make you feel good!

You could also join any a local civic club/organizations, like your local Rotary club. Rotary is an international, non-denominational organization which gathers business leaders together to provide humanitarian services to the world. There are 34,282 member clubs worldwide, and 1.2 million members. I’ve been involved with Rotary since 2008, when I lived in South Charlotte, and am currently the President of the Cary MacGregor Rotary Club in Cary, NC. Donating my time, energy, and money is a great way to break away from my work life, and is also a great way to meet so many other like-minded individuals, from business owners and managers, to retirees and community influencers. 

Work doesn’t have to all be about hustling 24/7—sometimes it’s nice to give back to the community and build word of mouth about your business while doing it!

1. Build Your Business with Whiteboard Digital Marketing

If you need help acquiring new customers, Whiteboard Digital is here to help you every step of the way. We have over 13 years of experience helping local businesses grow through digital marketing techniques like SEO, PPC, content marketing, PR, and social media. Interested in partnering with us? Let’s grab coffee and plot our next victory.   

As with everything else, the best way to improve your search engine rankings on Google is to study the best of the best, copy what they’re doing, and hopefully, eventually go a step above and beyond. Here are some of the biggest brands that are doing content marketing right.

Domino’s Pizza Content Marketing

With clever content marketing concepts such as a Wedding Registry (you know, for couples who really love pizza), an autonomous pizza robot, and an order-via-emoji feature, Domino’s has set the bar high for content marketers in terms of creativity and pure gutsiness. There is a method to the company’s madness, though: in 2018, Domino’s swept the title of “largest pizza company in the world” from Pizza Hut, after generating a cool $12.3 billion in global revenue. According to AdAge, over half the pizza company’s sales are made through digital channels and social media. 

Domino’s dive into tech began in 2008 with its “Pizza Tracker” feature. The moved marked Domino’s transition from being a pizza company that happens to sell pizza online, to an e-commerce company that happens to sell pizza. “When more than half of your sales are coming through your digital channels, you are, by default, an e-commerce company,” Domino’s Chief Digital Officer, Dennis Maloney, said of the change. 

“Domino’s shifted gears from the traditional quick-serve restaurant marketing model over the past five years, where…it was a never-ending revolving door of new products,” he added. “We’ve moved more into actually launching into technologies that we expect to be around for a longer period of time.” Among those products are artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous vehicles, and voice technology.  And that’s no doubt just a slice of what’s coming.

Denny’s Content Marketing

We can’t talk about modern content marketing without mentioning Denny’s. The humble breakfast diner chain boasts one of the most incredible turnaround stories in brand history, almost all thanks to its bold, brave, and often downright-silly marketing strategy. In 2009, Denny’s was at the tail end of several years’ worth of declining foot traffic, especially among the younger demographic. In hopes of changing its fortunes, Denny’s paid $3 million for a Super Bowl ad spot, an filled it with a humorous clip that showed a serious, mob-style conversation about “finishing the job” that was interrupted by a friendly Denny’s server spraying whipped cream into a smile on a plate of pancakes. The next day, lines wrapped around Denny’s locations across the country, and 2 million Grand Slam breakfasts were given away during the ensuing promotion.

Since then, Denny’s has committed to a content strategy that is quirky, bizarre, and seemingly-brandless. It launches social media posts that are designed to appeal to millennials’ Dadaist sense of humor, wherein the more nonsensical the content, the more entertaining it is. In era where authenticity is a rare, precious commodity, Denny’s proves that its no-fake-smiles approach actually does successfully generate real ones. 

Taco Bell Content Marketing

Taco Bell is a serious contender for the title of Best Content Marketing-Using Brand. The Tex-Mex fast food chain has built a huge, active presence on almost every social media platform, unparalleled by any other fast-food—or even non-food—brand (except, perhaps, those listed in this article, and Wendy’s). To do it, the brand pursued a content marketing strategy that engages with its consumers in a fun, personable fashion, essentially lifting the veil that separates major companies from their consumers. Like Denny’s, Taco Bell crafted a witty, unapologetically sardonic sense of humor designed to appeal to its youth-based demographic.  

Writer Steven Tulman points out that Taco Bell’s success is notable, because many companies attempt to attract a youthful demographic, yet fail to do so. This is because the younger generation will always naturally be more social-media savvy than its predecessors, and can easily sniff out inauthenticity. In order to get their demographic’s attention, Taco Bell’s strategy was simple: hire millennials. Taco Bell also listens to its demographic through consistent, constant engagement. By listening and engaging, Taco Bell isn’t just tapping a like button or copying and pasting a blurb, they are responding in a humanistic way that’s laced with enough playfulness that it instantly warrants a share from the recipient.

Whole Foods Content Marketing

One way to nail content marketing is to create content based on what your customer wants, not necessarily what you have to sell. That’s a strategy Whole Foods Market has pulled off extremely well. The company’s health-themed blog, “The Whole Story,” dispenses recipes; an inside look at some of the company’s brands; information on dietary supplements; and tips on living a healthier, more wholesome life. The blog also targets parents (as it should, seeing as they make up a large chunk of the Whole Foods shoppers’ demographic) by making content specifically for people with children, like “After School Snack Ideas,” and “Easy Back to School Breakfasts.” 

Though the Whole Foods blog does provide information about the company and products, it doesn’t display that information front and center. In fact, the consumer has to actively look for it; it’s located in a small left-hand sidebar menu. In summary, the company’s strategy proves what SEO experts tell our clients time and time again: if you want to increase your search rankings, stop thinking about what you want to sell, and start thinking about what your client wants and needs from life. 

Pack a Punch with Your Local Brand’s Content Marketing

So, what are the takeaways from this article? Be brave; be consistently engaged; and be unafraid to “drop the curtain” between corporation and human—and you can reap some big rewards. If you’d like to learn more about how content marketing can help boost your search rankings (and your bottom line), contact Whiteboard Digital today for SEO help in Cary, Apex, and Raleigh, NC.

Too many business owners let their websites languish online, untouched and un-optimized. Here’s the thing, though: your website can be a sales conversion powerhouse if you just follow a few simple tips. Here are some digital marketing strategies that can help you realize your website’s full potential.

Make Your Website SEO Friendly

We’re an SEO company, so of course the first thing we’re going to talk about is your website’s optimization. If you’re not already familiar with SEO, it’s simply the process of making a website or a web page more indexable to search engines like Google, so their algorithms can increase your ranking.

When the search engine can read your website easily and quickly, and when you have strong, keyword-rich content, it will award you more authority in search engines. And since the top 3 search results get the vast majority of clicks, SEO is an effective way of getting more traffic—and more clients.

If you don’t have the time or SEO expertise to optimize your website yourself, don’t worry—we’ll do it for you! Our digital marketing company will:

• Research keywords which are being searched the most in Google that could generate more traffic, and insert them into key places throughout your content
• Create blogs and other content to keep your website fresh and relevant to search engines
• Optimize images with names, captions, and alt tags
• Implement internal and external links to gain more site authority

If your business is in the Raleigh area, and you have more questions about SEO and how it works, let’s schedule an in person meeting. If your business is out of the Raleigh area, we’d love to talk over the phone.

Make Your Website Responsive

Research repeatedly shows increases in the vast majority of searches occurs on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. That makes sense—most people aren’t carrying around desktop computers in their pockets.

To help improve your visitors’ user experience and encourage them to keep returning, make sure your website and mobile versions are aligned and synchronized. Or confirm your website converts to a display that’s friendly and adaptive to any users’ device from iPhones and iPads to Androids and other tablets. This means that browsing your website on a mobile capable device should be as fast, easy, and visually similar as browsing it on a desktop.

A responsive, unified website doesn’t just help with customer satisfaction; it also boosts your SEO results. Responsive websites make it easy for visitors to share your blogs and content on social media, which informs the search engine that what you have to say has value. It also improves your overall website speed, which is a critical SEO ranking factor.

When more visitors remain on your website longer, it also decreases your bounce rate, which further helps your search rankings. And finally, when you don’t have to pay to support two versions of the same website, you definitely save bundles of cash, which you can then spend on other digital marketing strategies. It’s a win-win all around.

Make Your Website More Attractive  

Yes, attractive. We know that is a subjective term, but we all know if a website looks nice, compared to one that looks like it was made in the 80’s. If it does, it probably was. 

You may think that having an aesthetically pleasing website is for frou-frou artsy types, but it’s actually vital to building visitor engagement. It’s pretty simple: humans like pretty things. They like to stay in, interact with, and return to, nice places—even virtual places. Strong website design, complimentary colors, a sleek, modern logo, and other design details can impress your customers, instill trust, and sell them on your products and services.

A good web designer or web design company can help make your website more appealing with:  

• Simple, clean design styles and shapes that don’t go overboard (no annoying Flash, pop-ups, or music necessary)
• Clear, intuitive navigation structures which guide users effortlessly from page to page in the direction you want for them to call you, fill out a form, or interact with something on the site you want them to see
• Legible, easy-to-read typography (please, no white words on a black background)
• Professional, non-stock photography that’s unique to your site alone

Make Your Website Engaging

We’ve written before on the importance of having a blog on your website. To save you a click, it’s because the blog area of the website is where fresh content is consistently added (as opposed to your webpages, which usually stay pretty static.) Fresh content informs the search engine that your website is relevant and active as well as providing an open invitation back to the site to crawl and index the new content regularly with your submitted sitemap in Google Search Console; it also allows you to leverage trending keywords and topics as they occur. The next time there’s news in your industry that has everybody talking, you can post a blog about it, and enjoy the popularity boost.

Another word for all this is “content marketing,” and it’s another service that we specialize in here at Whiteboard. A professional content marketing company writes for search engines and humans, so your content will demonstrate your industry knowledge; build trust; and assist with improving your SEO rankings through more relevant and indexable content by Google. It’s a strategy that tends to be pretty effective—in fact, research shows that businesses who use blogs receive 67% more leads than those who don’t!

Make Your Website Customized

By customized, we mean that the website changes based on the interests or past behaviors of visitors. For example, when a visitor arrives at your website for the first time, they’re greeted with default, non-targeted content. The next time they return, however (or if the visitor becomes a customer), the content becomes personalized based on that customer’s specific interests. This type of engagement boosts your user experience, and genuinely does increase your leads and conversions. Some examples of these types of websites could be more eCommerce focused, like Amazon or Macy’s. Smaller brands are creating these intuitive websites as well, though. So, it’s not completely out of the question for start-ups or growing brands.

Make Your Website Social

We’re not huge fans of social media, because we know from our years of experience that other digital marketing strategies, like SEO and PPC, tend to give clients a lot more bang for their buck. However, there’s no denying that social media is a huge part of the modern world, and for clients in the restaurant, fashion, retail, and lifestyle industries, it can be a cornerstone of a strong marketing and branding strategy.

Therefore, make sure that you at least consider the social image you’re providing to the world, and integrate it with your overall digital strategy. By which we mean—place share buttons on every page! Share buttons make it easy for visitors to share your content and spread the word about your expertise (which is another factor that helps your SEO scores.)

Note: With all that said, Social Media Paid Search like Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and LinkedIn Ads usually generate a ton of traffic when implemented correctly, and are typically very budget-friendly, too! 

Make Your Website a Smashing Success with Whiteboard Digital Marketing

When its’ built correctly, your website can function as your best salesperson–24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Your website handles more tasks and greets more visitors in one day than a human salesperson ever could, whiles serving as the first consumer touchpoint for your brand.

If your web content marketing and web design aren’t up to scratch, your website isn’t a marketing tool—it’s just a very fancy business card that tells customers where they can reach you. It doesn’t tell them why they should contact you, or why you’re better than the competition. 

If you need help improving your search rankings, or just getting more leads and conversions, Whiteboard Digital can help. We’ve got over 10 years of digital marketing experience, as well as a team of professional web designers, web developers, marketing strategists, and content writers who can help you make the most of your business. If you’d like to learn more, just give us a call!

It is! But, this is something even better. And, it’s been around for years (shh!).

Let us explain.

When you type a business name into Google, the very first thing you see is the Google Business Profile, taking up almost half the right side of the page.

Like so.

Traditionally, the Business Profile contains only a business’ address, phone number, hours of operation, and reviews, as well as a few photos. Previously, this simple layout didn’t leave much opportunity for business owners to communicate about their offerings and services. Now, though, Google is allowing businesses much greater creative control in the form of Google Posts.

Google Posts are just like Facebook or LinkedIn posts, except they’re visible to a massive audience, not just your social media followers. You can use Google Posts to promote a sales event, announce a new product or service, advertise a recent accomplishment, or anything else. Obviously, this is a tremendous opportunity for small businesses to communicate with clients and prospects alike. Read on to learn everything you need to know about Google Posts.  

What types of Google Posts can I make?

As with other forms of marketing, the sky’s the limit in terms of what kind of content you want to share with your followers. You could use the Google Posts section to promote flash sales and events; showcase bestselling products; celebrate company milestones; advertise an open position; and much more. Some more Google Post examples include:

• A school posting an emergency weather update. 
• A hair salon showing off some of the previous week’s happy customers.  
• A doctor’s office encouraging people to book an appointment.
• A marketing company welcome a new employee to the team.
• A coffee shop showing a video of a latte being made.

Google Posts last for about a week, and you can have up to ten of them running simultaneously, so there’s (almost) no limit to what you can do.

How can Google Posts help my local SEO?

Google likes Google stuff. This simple fact has been known to SEO consultants almost as long as SEO has been a thing. All of your Google Posts will be indexed by, guess who? Yep, Google!

Google’s algorithms tend to give a high search value to things that Google itself created, like the now-defunct Google Plus (may it rest in peace). For that reason alone, it’s a smart idea to make Google Posts a part of your overall SEO strategy, whether or not the posts are actually being indexed. It never hurts to play on the winning team. And with 93% of the global search market in its palm, Google’s the undisputed search winner.

Google Posts also offer a great opportunity to drive traffic to your website. If you post about an event, job opening, or sale and link it back to your website, your website will be indexed as more popular, and Google will elevate it in search rankings.

What about traditional SEO methods?

At this point, you might be asking yourself, why should I make content that drives people to my website, when I could use traditional SEO to direct traffic to the website itself? Using Google Posts may seem like adding an unnecessary middle man to get the same end result.

The thing is, fewer and fewer people are consulting Google’s text search results when they’re looking for a business. Think about the last time you were driving around, looking for a nearby restaurant. If you’re like the vast majority of people, you were probably interacting with the Helpful White Box, not Google’s text search results page. And it’s no wonder: With all the important information condensed into one place, Google My Business is far more convenient to mobile users on the go. Long story short? Since that’s where your customers are going, that’s where your content needs to be.

Of course, we’re not saying that traditional SEO is a waste of time—you should also focus on getting organic rankings from search results. The best SEO strategy is one that reaches both mobile users and desktop users, and adding Google Posts to your SEO arsenal is a great way to do that.

Can I measure my Google Post engagement?

Yes, you can, very easily. Google Posts’ reporting data is called Insights, and you can easily access it from your Google My Business page. You’ll be able to see each post’s views, clicks, and overall engagement percentage in a weekly or monthly time period. You’ll also be able to see data from the previous week, and compare it to the current week’s results.

You will also be able to track engagement by adding a coupon code to a certain post. If a visitor makes an online purchase using the code, you will know via Insights that they came from Posts. 

How do I make a Google Post?

First, you’ll need a Google My Business account, which you can access either online or through the Google My Business app. Once you’re logged in to your Google My Business Account, go to your business listing and click on “Posts” in the left-hand menu. 

Now, all you have to do is write your content, keeping it under the 300 word limit. You can (and should) upload an eye-catching image or video to accompany it.

Finally, you can add a call to action button (like “book an appointment” or “buy here”) that leads back to your website. You can submit up to ten posts, and visitors will be able to view them either by scrolling from left to right, or in list format.

You will also have the option to create an event, in which case you’ll be prompted to enter the start/end day and time. The post will expire when the event is over. Everything else will expire after 7 days, giving you the opportunity to continuously add fresh content.

Need help creating local SEO content for your business? Contact our search engine optimization consultants today.

If “continuously adding fresh content” sounds like “something else that I, in no way, have time for”, give Whiteboard Creations a call or submit an online form to schedule a meeting. With more than 13 years’ experience as a search engine optimization and digital marketing company, we know how to make powerful, click-worthy content that’s relevant and engaging. Oh, and outranks your competition!

Let us take your content writing, social media marketing, paid search advertising, and local SEO tasks off your hands, so you can focus on running your business.

Click here to set up a free SEO consultation by submitting your project needs and we’ll schedule a free consult.

Gap, Inc. Closing 230 Stores

Once known for being the height of cool, sporty fashion, Gap couldn’t survive a market that changed drastically in its 50-year history. The brand announced that it will be shutting 230 stores this year, splitting into its still-steady Old Navy brand and another, still-unnamed company.

The Lesson: Keep the “Cool Factor”

Gap once had a strong “young and trendy” brand image, which it maintained through high-end ad campaigns fronted by the likes of Madonna and Missy Elliot. Over the years, though, Gap lost its awareness on what the young and fashionable want, as the demographic gravitated towards cheaper brands like brands Zara, H&M and Forever 21. The lesson? Pay attention to your target audience, and try to keep up.

Victoria’s Secret Closing 53 Stores

L Brands’ Victoria’s Secret is planning to shut 53 stores this year, as the lingerie retailer struggles to appeal to women. The once-popular brand closed 30 stores in 2018, and has been closing roughly 15 stores each year. Meantime, up-and-coming lingerie brands like Adore Me and Lively have taken the market share that Victoria leaves behind.

The Lesson: Adjust to a Changing Climate

The Victoria’s Secret Angels may have been stunning icons of femininity when the concept was new, but after the novelty wore off, the brand was plagued with controversies about body image, diversity, sexism, and objectification. The Victoria’s Secret business model didn’t adapt to fit the #MeToo era, and its declining sales reflect that. The lesson? No matter what your personal opinions may be, it’s good business to keep an ear open to the political climate that surrounds your shoppers.   

Pier 1 Closing 45 Stores

Pier 1 closed out 2018 with an unimpressive holiday shopping season that saw sales drop 13.7% from the previous year. The company has been identified as one of a dozen retailers that could be on its way to bankruptcy in 2019, a projection encouraged by the fact that in March, the retailer hired attorneys and consultants to help it with debt restructuring.

The Lesson: Assess Your In-Store Experience  

As companies like Amazon, Walmart, TJ Maxx, and Wayfair continue to expand into the home goods category, it’s getting harder for Pier 1 to compete. Industry insiders like the company’s former CEO, who stepped down in March, have noted Pier 1 shoppers describe it as being cluttered and overwhelming. Today’s customers are accustomed to finding what they need immediately, and Pier 1’s store layout doesn’t accommodate that experience.

Need More Business Help? Our Apex Digital Marketing Company Has Your Back. 

If you’re a small business owner interested in growing your business through SEO, PPC, and other digital marketing services, call Whiteboard Digital. Our Apex digital marketing company has been in business for over 10 years, helping companies just like yours get the most out of their websites. Get in touch with us to learn how we can help you rank higher in search engine results.

Prove yourself

Entrepreneurs often get wrapped up in selling their idea, and forget another crucial component of roping in investment dollars: proving that they know what they’re doing. Your pitch should demonstrate that you’re not just another dreamer, but a solid, proven businessman or woman who is capable of bringing your idea to life. Show off any notable successes, accomplishments, and milestones you’ve had in previous projects, and note how you’ll be able to achieve the same in your new venture.

Keep it short & sweet

As much as you’d like to show potential investors every step of your thought process, try to pare your pitch down to the essentials. It’s also a good idea to time yourself while practicing your pitch. If you promise your audience that you’ll only take 20 minutes of their time, be sure that you really do. You should also keep it simple–there’s no need to dress up your pitch with tech speak and industry jargon. Your language should be just as accessible to your local repair man as it is to an industry executive.

Be reasonable

Don’t try to impress your audience by throwing around huge numbers and growth projections. Most investors will be inclined to roll their eyes, and you’ll look more naïve than inspiring. Instead, provide fact-based, responsible projections that are grounded in research. Share information like your current cash flow, your past performance data, and your industry/competitor analysis in order to demonstrate that you have a firm grasp on reality. 

Practice out loud

Practice your pitch until you can do it in your sleep. More importantly, practice it out loud—in front of a mirror, friend, pet, or stuffed animal (hey, we’re not here to judge). Since your pitch will be delivered orally, practicing orally will help you iron out any quivers, “likes”, and “ums”. It can also be extremely helpful to record yourself—most smartphones come with a free recording app—and listen to how you sound.

Tell us a little about yourself.

It’s often said that investors invest in people first, ideas second. In fact, it’s entirely possible to stumble in your pitch, yet still be so likeable that an opportunity opens up anyway.  Don’t be afraid to mention who you are, your driving passions, and your reasons for starting the project—just be brief.

Launch your business with Whiteboard Digital SEO

When you’re ready to grow your next venture, Whiteboard Digital can help with SEO (Search Engine Marketing) services, PPC (Pay Per Click) and other digital marketing techniques. To get in touch with us, give us a call.  

Let’s share why having a blog is a crucial part of boosting your search engine results, and integral to your overall marketing strategy.

Websites Aren’t Static

Most business owners (and non-SEO people in general) think of a blog as a place for a teenager to post selfies, for a foodie to post recipes, or for a traveler/farmer/parent to post thoughts and observations about life. From an SEO standpoint, though, a blog is really a tool to post constant, fresh, relevant content, full of trending keywords and topics of interest.

The thing is, websites aren’t set-it-and-forget-it, especially when it comes to search engines. Since the world around us is constantly changing, the topics that attract views and clicks are constantly changing, too. Like a little boat on the ocean, you (or to be more specific, we, on behalf of you) have to constantly struggle for rank against a tide of competing content.

Once they’ve been posted, your website landing pages (like your Home page, About Us page, and Services pages) will usually stay the same for months or years. With minor exceptions like adding new employee profiles, adding new locations, or altering your service options, your basic description of who you are and what you do will remain unchanged. That’s where the blog comes in, as an opportunity to upload new, dynamic text, images and videos as often as you’d like with a goal to attract Google’s attention to index a new URL vibrant with keyword rich, topical content.

Content Marketing: A Cost-Effective Solution

This process—the deliberate creation of fresh, new, keyword-optimized blog posts, articles, social media posts, funnels, e-newsletters, press releases, and miscellaneous content—is called “content marketing.” One of the biggest benefits of content marketing is that it’s cost-effective. Unlike paid search advertising, you don’t have to pay for the number of clicks you receive.

In fact, content marketing is unlike most forms of print and digital advertising in that you don’t have to pay for the place where your content appears. However, you can still reap the benefits as people who are searching for answers on Google are attracted to your website. This increased traffic helps boost your website’s rankings overall. Moreover, your content marketing efforts build more trust with searchers and your website visitors to improve conversions for a phone call, web form submission, product purchase, or a direct email. What business doesn’t want more leads?!

Need Content Marketing Services in Cary, Raleigh, Or Apex NC?

So, why are we divulging all our secrets to clients who can just type up their own blogs at their leisure? Because we’ve worked with enough small businesses to know that your leisure is limited. You’re too busy running your business, making sure the day-to-day operations get done. Or, that time is allocated for stress reducing activities with your personal hobbies and family.

That’s why we’re pleased to offer and have built a business for the past 10 years around content marketing, digital marketing, and SEO services in Raleigh and the surrounding areas. We take over the task of making and publishing content so that you don’t have to worry about it. We’ll help raise your website’s search rankings, bringing you more clicks, leads, and clients—all while you run your business such as a salon, or professional contractor, or dental office. To learn more about who we are and what we do, check out our services here, and to schedule a meeting with us, contact us here.

In the modern era of digital communication, it is imperative that any successful business, big or small, have an online presence. However, it is not as simple as it once was to get your name out there on the web. There are dozens of techniques and strategies that businesses use to digitally market themselves. Some of these include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, Pay Per Click, Paid Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Website Design, and more. The digital marketing process for small businesses can look a little different than bigger corporations due to smaller budgets and specialized company needs. The most popular techniques used by small businesses are SEO, Google Analytics, and Strategic Website Design.

Benefits of Search Engine Optimization

The first and most useful digital marketing technique for small businesses is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. SEO is an incredibly useful tool for getting your website noticed by Google. According to Search Engine Land, SEO is defined as “the process of getting traffic from the ‘free’ or ‘natural’ search results on search engines.” There are a few different ways you can optimize your search engine results. One of the ways is by utilizing keywords in your descriptions and throughout your website. Strategically placing target keywords in blogs, pages, and meta descriptions is key to directing traffic to your website. Going another layer deeper, there are many different strategies to choosing keyword. The main one utilized for small, local businesses is city plus service. This means you state the city you are targeting plus the service you are selling. For example, if I live in Apex and I need a new garage door, I may type “apex new garage door” into my search engine. Assuming local businesses are practicing city plus service SEO, their business will ideally appear top of the list. SEO has become extremely refined as time has passed, so reaching out to an expert is recommended for optimal digital marketing success.

The Value of Google Analytics

Another digital marketing tool that is very important for all businesses to utilize is Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool associated with any website. It is used to track how much traffic your website is getting, where that traffic is coming from, which pages are being visited the most, and much more. Google Analytics offers an assortment of data to be analyzed to better improve your rankings. Additionally, using Google Analytics signals for your pages to be indexed by Google, and therefore rank higher in searches. As it is free, this is an essential tool for small businesses to take advantage of.

Utilize Smart Website Design

The last digital marketing technique I want to highlight is smart website design. When creating a website design, it is important to keep in mind that it should be easily navigable, responsive, and full of great content. A website should be easily navigable, meaning that you can get to the content you need within 3 clicks. It should also be a responsive design, meaning that it will appear the same on any device, whether it is a computer, a smart phone, or a tablet. And it should be full of great content such as blogs and testimonials, riddled with keywords. A well designed website can be the factor that sets your small business apart.

Set Your Small Business Apart

Digital Marketing is an ever changing beast, but one that is worth wrestling with in order to achieve ultimate success for your business. Partner with Whiteboard Creations today to start utilizing these 3 techniques, you can start to set your small business apart, and on the right path to success.

It Sets Realistic Expectations

If you encounter an agency that says it will “guarantee #1 rank in Google!”, it’s probably too good to be true and they are breaking Google’s terms, as no SEO company or consultant can guarantee any rankings for any keyword. Ever! These are service providers to avoid.

Getting a website to become the first Google search result for a given keyword is no easy feat, and a knowledgeable SEO company knows that. No matter what product or service you want to rank for, the biggest brands in the world are also gunning for that top spot, and an agency that promises to get you there is kind of like a coach promising he’ll get your kid into the NFL. It’s possible, but it won’t be cheap, fast, or easy.

It Tells You What You’ll Be Getting, Up-Front 

No SEO company can outright promise that it will get you to the #1 spot on Google, but a professional SEO company should be able to tell you exactly how it’s going to improve your search rankings by clearly identifying and executing its deliverables.

Examples might include performing an audit of your site, homepage, content, or link profile; adding content to your page; or implementing internal (or “deep”) linking across your web pages. A quality SEO agency will also send you a report of your keyword rankings and KPI’s (key performance indicators) so you can see what kind of ROI you’re getting each month.

It Tells You the Truth

Some search engine optimization service providers’ mantra is to never tell clients what they might not want to hear. However, this strategy only works for so long. If your site is full of broken links, broken forms, and poorly-optimized content, you need to hear it. If all you receive is praise, you’re not getting the whole story—let alone the full value of a great agency can give you. At Whiteboard Digital, we pride ourselves on full transparency, especially with performing a website and SEO audit, to share our findings in a professional, education based manner. The good the bad and the indifferent are what is going to help your website be improved and outrank your competition.

It Functions as Your Partner 

There are things a good SEO agency will need from you in order to deliver the results you want—and not just the keys to your WordPress site. Mainly, it will need to have an ongoing, constant discussion with you about your business needs and goals. Your SEO agency should act as your ever-present partner, and be a part of your overarching business strategy. If all you’re hearing from your current SEO company is crickets, it might be time to switch.

It Improves Your Search Rankings

SEO is a lot like bodybuilding—it’s about building a strong, solid foundation over a long period of time. Just as you shouldn’t throw out your scale after a one-pound gain, you shouldn’t throw out your digital marketing company after a couple unimpressive weeks. As a general rule, results won’t start to show in at least three or six months depending on your market, your competition, and the keywords you’re wanting to rank. With that said, however, it’s an SEO agency, and its job is to ultimately improve your rankings. If six to eight months have passed with no sign of improvement, it might be time to start shopping around. You may even want to cancel your service contract, if you have one.

Need an SEO Company in Apex NC?

Whiteboard Digital offers results driven content marketing, digital marketing, and tried and true SEO service in Apex, Raleigh, Cary and the surrounding areas. We also work with businesses all across our great nation, too. We raise your website’s search rankings so that you can focus on running your business. Get in touch with us today for a free initial consultation about your online marketing needs. To learn more about who we are and what we do, check out our services here, and to schedule a meeting with us, contact us here.

The term “malware” covers all sorts of malicious software designed to harm a computer or network, and even a website. Malware can be installed on your machine without your knowledge, often through deceptive links or downloads posing as something desirable or out of fear.

For that reason, these days, you have to be very careful what you click and download.

Clicking unfamiliar links can expose you to malicious software and websites. This software could contain programs that scan your computer or track what keys you type, in pursuit of personal information and your passwords. We recommend that you only download from sources you trust, and hover over links to check the address before you click. When in doubt, use trusted bookmarks for important sites or browser scanning extensions like McAfee for Chrome.

Many websites suffer from malware quite often and most of the time it wasn’t something the owner of the website did wrong, the site just happened to get hacked through an open access point. So, be sure that you completely trust a website before clicking on it or downloading files from it.

Can Website Malware Affect My Computer?

YES!

Once a computer has been compromised by malware, cyber criminals can attempt to access your personal information by logging your keystrokes or monitoring your computer’s activity. Your computer could also be controlled to visit websites or perform other actions without your knowledge. The effects of malware range from brief annoyance to complete computer crashes with the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) to higher level identity theft occurrences.

The various forms of malware include, but are not limited to:

• Viruses
• Worms
• Spyware
• Adware
• Trojan horses
• Rootkit
• Backdoors
• Keyloggers
• Ransomware
• Redirectors

Malware can be tough to remove, and no single program is guaranteed to catch and clean up everything, so once again, you have to be extremely careful which sites you visit and what you download.

What Are Some Malware Warnings and How Can I Deal with Them?

To protect web surfers, Google is continually working to identify and blacklist dangerous pages and domains. Many popular applications (Google Search, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) use Google’s malware database to warn their users to keep away from potentially harmful sites.

The majority of blacklisted sites are in reality legitimate websites into which hackers have inserted malicious content by exposing a vulnerability and manipulating files or folders.

Often, the site owners are having difficulty, both in cleaning up their sites, as well as in removing malware warnings that seriously impact their sites’ traffic and reputation.

What If My Website is Under Google’s Blacklisted Sites? What Can I Do Now?

To find out what’s wrong with your site or any other site, you can simply consult a Google’s Safe Browsing diagnostic page. From the diagnostic, you first need to determine what Google exactly blacklisted. This information can help you narrow down your search to specific sections of your site.

If your site is blacklisted or marked as “This site may be hacked” in Google’s search results (SERPs), you can usually find additional details about your problem in the “Security Issues” section of Google Search Console, previously Webmaster Tools. The details may include web pages where Google detected malware or spam, type of malware and examples of the malicious code to locate and remove from the files.

How Can I Clean My Site From Malware?

Once you’ve identified the source of the problem, you need clean up your site and take action to prevent re-infection. The easiest way to clean a site is to backup a most recent restore point of the web files and database, place on a testing server and begin the cleaning process.

During this time is when you should be taking the much needed preventative steps to significantly reduce re-infection or re-injection of malware.

• Look for malicious files hidden deep in directories that may look legitimate
• Remove files that look suspicious (if you developed the site, then you will know right away)
• Remove any backdoor scripts that may be lingering in folders or parts of other files
• Before uploading the cleaned version of the website, begin changing passwords from any known access points, such as: database login, SSH/SFTP, FTP, CMS Admin logins for WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, etc
• If using a database or CMS like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla or Magento to name a few, make sure you have their core versions up to date, along with any of their extensions or plugins updated
• Overwrite the current infected website files and database with the new cleaned version
• Then change server level passwords for your cPanel and then your domain registrar and even your Mail IDs that may have a record of the old and/or new login details

Hackers use automated tools and can update malicious content on compromised sites every day. So, if you don’t secure the site, it may be blacklisted again very soon, or may not pass the initial malware review from Google.

It is important to investigate the issue and identify the security holes that left the website susceptible to attack. You will have a better grasp as to what caused your specific problem and what should be done to prevent it. Every case is different as these malware bots and hackers are evolving just as fast as the web itself.

My Site is Clean. How Do I Request a Malware Review from Google?

Once you clean your site it’s now time to request a formal review from Google. You will need to be logged into your Search Console account and on the left side, click on “Security Issues” in order to see the page as shown above with the malware listed.

Scroll to the bottom and check the box “I have fixed these issues” and click the red “REQUEST A REVIEW” button to get a small pop up window.

Be sure to detail your tactics in cleaning the website inside the description box and ask for Google to review the request as soon as possible. In our experience, if you or your developer has done everything right, then Google typically releases the blacklisting notice within the same day or by morning.

*SPECIAL NOTE* You will NOT receive a notice from Google letting you know the site has been released, so be sure to check the domain often. If it goes on for days with the notice still visible, try again.

If no malware is found, Google will remove the warning from your site.

These extra steps are required if you want to quickly have your site displaying online normally again for those browsing using Google Search and Chrome, FireFox and Safari.

Without the manual request, it may take several weeks before your site’s status is cleared when Google makes it way back to keep indexing new sites and pages published to the web every second.

Finally, You Must Act Quickly!

Malware can happen anytime, so it is important that you are constantly checking your website for any issues that may be present and, more importantly, keep your email associated with your Google Search Console account to receive notices as they are found.

If a website security issue were to rear its ugly head, be sure to take action as soon as possible in order to keep your site’s downtime to a minimum and Google happy to show your URL to your customers and potential customers.

For more information about Google’s malware blacklisting process or, worse, you need assistance with your hacked WordPress website, contact Whiteboard Creations today for immediate help.