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5 Elements that Are Impacting Your Organic Click-Through Rates

Click-through rates are a key metric involved with optimizing Pay-per-click ads (PPC). Click-through rates are not interchangeable with PPC or paid search ads.

You probably think that your organic search results are simply a consequence of your current ranking position. However, you have much more control over this. Click-through rates can be optimized to return a massive number of extra clicks.

Ads that gain more click-share will generate leads that will ultimately increase sales. While there are several ways to boost your organic click-through rates, here are 6 things that can be changed right away.

Keyword Selection

Keyword SelectionWhen it comes to increasing your organic click-through rates, picking the right keywords is the place to start. Your keywords are directly related to the relevance of searches, and they will determine how you frame titles for blogs, articles, and descriptions.

When picking keywords, it’s important to focus on highly relevant ones that relate to the product you’re selling or the content you’re writing about. If you’re writing a blog post about a certain product, choosing words that are commonly used in the industry are ideal.

The more the keywords in your blogs and ads relate to those of your business, a user is more likely to click on it after searching your keyword phrase.

Captivating Titles

Captivating TitlesWhen creating a title, you must have two goals in mind: to grab the reader’s attention and to entice them to click your link.

SEO is more than just rankings. Different skills in marketing, such as copywriting, can go a long way. A title that captures your audience’s attention is one of the ways to increase your click-through rates for the SERPs.

Always keep the keyword in the title, but save everything else for intrigue. A good title possesses a self-interest and newsworthy component. Titles that convey information quickly and spark curiosity in the searcher will have people flocking to your website.

Meta Descriptions

Meta DescriptionsA meta description is the snippet of words that appear under a search title that basically summarizes the content of the page.

After the title, meta descriptions are one of the first things a searcher will see when they are looking at search engine results. Here is where creative copywriting comes in once more to attract clicks.

A meta description that will increase click-throughs should contain

  • Your chosen keyword(s)
  • Related phrasing to your chosen keyword(s)
  • Clear and concise wording about your topic

A searcher should be able to get the gist of what the landing page is about based on the meta description.

Call to Action

Call to ActionContent that has a strong call to action can convince a reader to come back to your content or even look through more. Relating your posts with “read this” or “click here” broadens the scope of your content and their search.

With a call to action, searchers will spend more time on your website, rather than on the search engine. With more content and keywords, you have that relate to your product or service, you can increase your organic click-through rates.

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsWhen a person is scouring the SERPs, articles that contain a table of contents will include a “jump to” link. Rather than search through several results, searchers will gravitate towards the “jump to” link for convenience because they know your website has something relevant to their initial search.

Sitelinks

SitelinksIt is true that you don’t have control over the assignment of Google’s site links. However, you can control which site links you don’t want to be seen when a person searches your keyword phrase.

You can easily go into the search appearance settings of your website and “demote” the links that you don’t want to appear.

When a searcher is scrolling through the SERPs, it’s very easy for them to associate the site link with your brand name. Websites with an easy to use interface and clear navigation will have better site links.

Taking control of how your website fares in the search engines is essential to internet marketing success. To learn more about how you can increase your organic click-through rate, or to find out more internet marketing tips, check out my done-for-you system below.

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Building Trust with Social Media

One thing that stands out today in the social media world we live in is that it’s important to develop a sense of trust with your followers. This is especially true for small and medium-sized businesses since the amount of trust between business and follower will only serve to build customer loyalty.

Trust is essential to building your brand, and even the best marketers in the world won’t be able to sell a product without first establishing trust with their customer base. They must create stories that offer a connection with their consumers.

But how do you go about building that trust?

 

Use Your Content

Use Your ContentUsing content is the most reliable method you have for developing trust with followers. Create insightful, meaningful content that will provoke emotion and establish a connection with your consumers.

 

 Next, convert the data into graphical form

Next, convert the data into graphical formFor this, you should invest in professional graphic design. There are some designers and websites that focus entirely on infographics. Look through a few portfolios and choose a designer who makes attractive-looking, useful infographics. Keep in mind that there are many ways to represent data outside of attractive pie-charts and graphs.

Turn your data over to your designer to be converted into an infographic. Make sure that your website is incorporated into the design. You’ll want to use the infographic for back-linking purposes.

Transparency

TransparencyFollowers want to see that you are a real, live person, not a faceless brand with which they’re doing business. They want to see your thoughts and your suggestions and learn more about you as a person. Consumers care less about the money and more about the relationship.

Take the time to develop and nurture the relationship you have with your consumer base. Show them the real you, and how you arrived at your current destination.

Pictures

PicturesPictures are powerful. Consider the previous point and be sure to post pictures of your daily life. Followers want to see the real, unfiltered life you live. Share your daily routine with your consumers, on a regular basis so that they know who you are and what you’re doing.

Mind Your Manners

Mind Your MannersBeing polite and courteous goes a long way. Even though we may not give these words a second thought, the person we offer them to will remember them. When someone shares your post, make sure you thank them. If you need something from someone, make sure you ask them with a, please.

Accept Criticism

 Accept CriticismThe harsh reality is that you and your business are going to be criticized. It comes with the territory of being truthful. Respond positively to critique. Allow it to be an opportunity for learning and growth. Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe, but have an open mind that you might be in the wrong. Followers will notice how you respond.

 

Have Fun

 Have FunThis is social media after all, isn’t it? You connect with thousands (if not more) of people from around the world in an instant, something never before possible in the history of our species. We have information about anything available at our fingertips. Enjoy what you’re doing. Have fun with it!

 

Be Adventurous

Be AdventurousDon’t be afraid to try something new or unique when it comes to your social media accounts. It may not work, but followers will see that you’re willing to take a chance on something innovative. Sure you might fall flat on your face, but there’s also the possibility that you’ll succeed.

 

Be Responsive and Respectful

Be Responsive and RespectfulResponding to comments on posts isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Some people simply want to watch the world burn. Be respectful to everyone. Sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to do, but it is the right thing. And as mentioned previously, followers and customers will see how you react, and the correct response now may lead to additional business in the future.

Trust is something you earn, not something that’s given. Your followers put their trust in you because they see the real you and the way you handle everyday life. Use the trust and loyalty others have in you to develop relationships and provide your customers a great experience.

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Managing Your Marketing Funnel

With the over whelming success of the Digital Marketing Age, you may think that the concept of a marketing funnel is now defunct. And, yes, what used to be a fairly direct route from drawing in leads to converting them into clients has now exploded into a multitude of micro processes.

However, the concept of a Marketing Funnel is still a good way to create a marketing plan that needs multiple levels of engagement to convert leads into clients. Today, in this era of social media and smart phones, we are definitely in a (sometimes) brave new world of marketing plans.  Even when we’re ready to run screaming from our computers after trying to make sense of all the rapid changes that have evolved.

If you use a marketing funnel plan, there are probably some adjustments that could be made to your process that will help you see even better results in lead generation and subsequently converting those leads into paying customers. Here are a few procedures to improve your marketing funnel and provide even more successful results quickly.

Carefully Research and Develop the Stages of Your Buying Process

Carefully Research and Develop the Stages of Your Buying ProcessOutlining the steps of the potential client’s process needs to be very specific. How you define a potential client gives you an idea of what key information can help you continue to perfect your marketing plans.

By converting your definitions to relate to buyer stages, your emphasis focuses on where the buyer is in the process. Using care when forming these definitions can be crucial so that the data you receive is actually what you want to know.

Utilize Coding When Tracking the Lead Process

Utilize Coding When Tracking the Lead ProcessThe information your team gathers as customers progress through your marketing is crucial.  This habit is a valuable resource, allowing you to follow what stage the buyer is in, where the lead originated, and which campaign produced the lead. Using detailed and accurate coding techniques to accomplish the tracking will tell you at the end of a campaign exactly where leads did and didn’t grow.  Additionally, they will inform you what factors successfully lead a buyer through all the stages of the funnel to a positive outcome.

Create a Process to Separate Your Quality Customers from the Rest of the Herd

Create a Process to Separate Your Quality Customers from the Rest of the HerdAlthough it would be a bad idea to refer to your customers as a herd of cattle, with the wide range that initial lead capturing plans cover, it’s important, as the stragglers weed themselves out, that you are able to start recognizing high-quality clients.

On the flip side of that idea, be aware of clients that may have a negative effect on your business.  These are the ones you will probably prefer not to do business with in the future.

When ranking your potential and actual clients, be sure to include definitions of what the mediocre and trouble clients may be like.  This way you can determine where they came from and decide if you should you remove your efforts from those venues to prevent more issues from coming up later.

Run Additional Metrics Reports When You Make Any Changes

Run Additional Metrics Reports When You Make Any ChangesUsually, key metric reports can be done only once a month, however, when changes are made you’ll want to get an immediate idea about how effective the changes are. During this time, it’s best to increase the reports to once a week.

Monitoring the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, check out my done-for-you system below.

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How To Use Targeted Ads To Generate Traffic With Facebook

With the billions of people who use Facebook all over the world, this platform represents a gold mine when it comes to reaching people and generating traffic for your online business. As an entrepreneur, you always have to be thinking about the most effective ways to raise the profitability of your business and this seems to be one of the obvious choices.

We’re not just talking about free advertising. Using the free method gives you a much smaller scope of reach than paid advertising would with Facebook. You can choose the frequency and the scope of your campaign, and also determine how to position if your business offering fits in with their advertising models.

How To Do It?

How To Do It?You have the option of promoting your business through posts made on your page, directing users to your website, and Facebook page promotion. What will prove most effective for you, is to have users directed to your website, which shifts the focus from your Facebook page and has prospects looking where the real action takes place. This is what will increase your chances of making an actual sale.

Through Facebook’s platform, you’d already have made choices as to the demographic you’re interested in reaching so each visitor is a potential client.  You’re already attracting the kind of traffic you’re looking for.

Develop The Art

Develop The ArtYou need to bear in mind that Facebook users in most cases are looking to connect with people they know or are seeking out acquaintances. Their primary focus tends not to be on making a purchase. You will find though that pages offering a service tend to do pretty well. You’ll, therefore, need to consider how to create a catchy ad, which will capture your audience’s attention and urge them to consider giving you more than passing glance.

The ideal approach is not to try to fill an already existing need; ads are full of this. You want to create a demand, which is more likely to get you noticed and followed. Of course, the objective is always to move the traffic to your website.

How To Properly Target?

How To Properly Target?Facebook offers you so many choices in terms of deciding which categories of individuals you want your ads to target. Among the most important categories are location, gender, age, and interests.

You really want to zoom in on the matter of the interest of your audience and we’re not just talking about their general interests only. While this may be somewhat helpful in determining what might be appealing to them, the real winner is the specific interests they’ve listed on their profile.

In looking at their specific interests, you also want to take it a step further by researching just how much those interests mean to them. This will allow you to really fine tune your target audience so that your likelihood of traffic generation and ultimately conversion, will increase.

Ad Structure

Ad StructureYou also want to give attention to the structure of your ads in order to target properly.  You can use original, purchased or (legally) free images to promote your ad. Choose carefully so that your image will speak to or resonate with your targeted audience.

Use clear and concise text with an easy to read and understand the message. This is where you’ll have to find your creative side, or draw on the expertise of someone, paid or otherwise, who can assist you with wording.

If you have a business model that will allow you to make effective use of Facebook’s advertising platform, then learning how to utilize it effectively will help you create targeted ads for the right demographic. Making use of the tips provided and taking the time to get familiar with the ins and outs of the advertising platform, will generate traffic and revenue for your online business.

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Online Marketing Myths You Probably Believe

Marketing online is already incredibly difficult. Sure, you have the entirety of the internet to appeal to, but it also means that you’re competing against countless other online marketers. The internet is a vast place and standing out against a sea of competitors isn’t an easy feat, but a successful online marketing campaign can easily bring you the customers you’re looking for.

Unfortunately, many marketers are far too misguided about what they think works and doesn’t work on the internet. Many marketers go barking up the wrong tree so to speak and end up wasting time and resources on fruitless endeavors. Here are just a few commonly held myths that end up hurting marketers:

Myth #1: We need to be on as many social media platforms as possible.

Myth #1: We need to be on as many social media platforms as possible.It’s true that you certainly want to get your message out to as many people as possible, but not all audiences equally deserve your attention. There are countless social media platforms to take advantage of–Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.—but that doesn’t mean you need to use all of them.

Each social media platform has a different audience and those audiences are all interested in different things. Do you think a company like Tastemade that markets by making cooking videos would have as much success on LinkedIn as they do on Facebook? Would a company for elderly people like Life Alert want to market on Snapchat where 71% of its members are under 34?

Rather than trying to spread yourself thin, choose the most ideal platforms and focus your efforts there. You can expand your marketing efforts when you can acquire more overhead, but it’s best to play to your strengths while still starting out.

Myth #2: My company needs to be #1 on SEO results for important keywords.

Myth #2: My company needs to be #1 on SEO results for important keywords.SEO can be a difficult game to play and it’s never easy to get to the top of a Google search for popular keywords. For example, if you are running a shoe store, it would be very nice to be the first result when someone types “shoes” into Google.

However, it might be more beneficial and realistic to aim for mastering long tail keywords—that is longer and more specific phrases. Long tail keywords make up 70% of Google searches and generally indicate that a consumer is more willing to convert and purchase than a short tail generic search.

For example, “shoes” is a short tail keyword that might be used for someone who’s simply browsing the internet while someone who uses long tail keywords like “black dress shoes,” “good running shoes,” “cheap sneakers,” or “sandals for summer” are probably ready to buy.

Myth #3: This other company is doing it, so, why can’t we?

Myth #3: This other company is doing it, so, why can’t we?It’s tempting to look at successful companies and try and imitate what they’re doing. Sometimes it works such as when Instagram copies Snapchat’s story features and ended up beating Snapchat at their own game. However, this isn’t always the case.

Take the example of the Amazon Fire Phone: Amazon’s short-lived attempt at entering the smartphone market. The phone’s multiple flaws and inability to stand up to Samsung or Apple means that its obituary was written rather quickly. On the other hand, Amazon has been instrumental in killing Borders and has companies like Sears, Macy’s, and Best Buy on the ropes.

The takeaway is that what works for one company doesn’t work for everyone else. If it did, every company would be doing the same thing. You have a different audience, different brand, different mission, and a different set of values. Find your own unique voice.

Myth #4: Email is dead. Long live the new social media king.

Myth #4: Email is dead. Long live the new social media king.Social media might be the new big thing, but don’t count out email just yet. Believe it or not, a study from McKinsey & Company found that companies acquire new customers via email 40 times more than they do on Facebook and Twitter combined.  The study also found that 91% of consumers check their email every day, make purchases three times more often via email than via social media, and that they order 17% more when ordering via email.

Clearly, there is a lot of misinformation in the air as to how online marketing should be done. Knowing what works and what doesn’t work can mean the difference between life and death for your company. For more handy internet marketing tips, check out my done-for-you system below.