4 Warning Signs to Look Out For When Choosing a Digital Marketing Agency

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Choosing the right digital marketing agency can be a difficult decision, especially since you are trusting an organization with your marketing budget that consists of thousands of dollars. It’s critical to find an agency that understands your business style and knows what’s going on in your industry. Listed below are some warning signs to look out for when in the process of choosing the right digital marketing agency for your business.

1. Unprofessional Website
Coming across a digital marketing agency with a website that is clearly unprofessional and lacks effort is one of the first noticeable red flags. How is an agency supposed to offer superior digital services if their own website looks poor? Some specific aspects to pay attention to when going through an agency’s website include: inconsistent brand images, old copyright date, poor mobile responsiveness, no custom domain name, lack of contact information, and having an overall poor design.

2. Unrealistic Promises
It’s surprising how many agencies are out there who make promises with prospective clients that are too good to be true. Hearing comments like “we guarantee first page rankings tomorrow” or “we have inside sources at Google and other major corporations who work with us” are huge warning signs. Any good agency knows that effective digital marketing strategies usually take time in terms of planning out, implementing, execution, and analysis. Moreover, an agency that guarantees amazing results in a short period of time is most likely unrealistic and probably won’t deliver on the promises.

3. Lack of Communication and Transparency
Communication and transparency are huge when it comes to digital marketing and client satisfaction. According to an article from Forbes, they interviewed members of the Forbes Agency Council and they found that “the biggest calls of distress we heard from potential clients was poor communication from other agencies they hired.” Transparency is also critical, as agencies should always be open to sharing data and whatever else clients want to see that involves their marketing investments. If an agency refuses to give you access to AdWords and Analytics accounts then something is wrong. Also be sure an agency is truthful and has the capability to back up data with legitimate results.

4. Weak Portfolio
Who are the agency’s current clientele and what kind of work have they accomplished for them? Be sure to look out for any references or testimonials and if they’re legitimate or not. Also, when evaluating an agency’s portfolio look for important data like percent increases in page views, leads, organic rankings, conversions, and any other metrics that may be important. However, one of the most important aspects to research in portfolios or case studies is finding out if clients returned a positive ROI. Also try to find out how many clients an agency has and what their retention rates are. In the end, a digital marketing agency that portrays a weak portfolio is one that should be avoided at all costs.

Contact Us
At Onimod Global we are a proven digital marketing agency and know what it takes to fulfill the needs of every client. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

4 Digital Marketing Skills Every Professional Must Have

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Digital Marketing is a very broad term that consists of many important areas for professionals to master, and is also a fast growing industry for employment. SEO, SEM, social media advertising, email marketing, and data analysis are all critical aspects that every digital marketing expert should have experience with. Besides knowledge of these key areas, what are some other important digital marketing skills professionals should have?

1. Copywriting and Content Development 
Being able to effectively communicate and deliver persuasive messages is one digital marketing skill that can never be overlooked. Content is one of the most important components of every advertising campaign, and is a major factor when it comes to SEO and ranking for certain search queries. It is crucial that every blog post, Google ad, commercial, and company website contains relevant and powerful content. Driving home the “big idea” to every potential consumer is how you get your name out there, and why others should do business with you. Ultimately, content development is a skill that more and more marketers are being asked to master.

2. Website Development Knowledge
Some people confuse digital marketing and website development as two completely separate fields. In some ways this could be the case, yet having website development knowledge will greatly benefit an individual’s digital marketing expertise. Being able to understand the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and how to operate within a content management system (CMS) are all important. Another thing to keep in mind regarding website development knowledge is that it goes hand in hand with SEO, and understanding how to achieve good organic rankings on search engines. Moreover, the more website development knowledge a digital marketing professional has, the better.

3. Research and Strategic Planning
Staying current with the latest digital marketing trends and updates will only set yourself apart from the other digital marketers in the industry. Taking 30 minutes out of your day to read up on articles from Search Engine Land, Forbes, AdWeek, and Search Engine Journal can be extremely beneficial. Effective research can sometimes require more than simply “Googling things” like understanding the industries of clientele and who their target audiences are. In addition to research, strategic planning is also very important. This refers to analyzing past data and knowing how to deliver better results in the long run.

4. Account Management
Having proper account management skills and understanding how to effectively interact with clients is huge. Demonstrating strong account management means you have a firm grasp of execution, planning, strategy, budgeting, data analysis, and more. Being flexible and customer service-oriented is important as well. Campaigns consistently need monitored, problems arise, and some clients experience their best business outside of the typical Monday-Friday 9-5 hours. In the end, account management is huge in digital marketing, and certain “soft skills” often times get overlooked.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

Google Set to Launch new “Google Stamp” Platform Soon

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It’s been reported that Google is set to launch their new “Google Stamp” platform in the near future with intentions to compete with Instagram’s stories and Snapchat’s Discover features. Although the exact launch date of the new Google platform is unknown, there has been plenty of speculation about the full capabilities of this tool. This post will explore what is known so far about the Google Stamp and its future marketing implications.

Google Stamp Overview
Back in August, news was released from the Wall Street Journal that Google has been developing their new Google Stamp product as a direct competitor to Snapchat’s Discover feature. The Discover component is one of Snapchat’s most lucrative and popular features, which enables users to view stories of breaking news, sporting events, celebrities, and every other important thing happening in the world. According to an article from Search Engine Watch, the Google Stamp platform is “expected to function in a similar manner to Snapchat Discover. Users will be able to view difference pieces of content with a healthy mix of video, images, and text to keep readers engaged.” Another interesting aspect to point out is the meaning behind the Google Stamp name. Stamp is a combination of the “St” as an abbreviation for stories and the “amp” acronym for accelerated mobile pages.

Advertising Implications
With the implementation of Google Stamp coming in the near future, this raises the questions of advertising implications and what this will mean for brands looking to get involved. The Search Engine Watch article points out that “advertisers should not view this as a traditional media purchase, as there will need to be close collaboration between content creators and content promoters to ensure that ads are contextual.” As for the campaign format, it’s thought to be similar to launching a campaign on Snapchat or Instagram. The article mentions how “the same team who handles AdWords campaigns would have to integrate new skill sets to make the most of this opportunity to effectively advertise on Google Stamp.” Ultimately, it will be interesting to see what advertising options become available on the Google Stamp and how brands choose to utilize them.

Unanswered Questions
All of the information released so far about the Google Stamp leaves plenty of unanswered questions, as a lot is still unknown about the product. The Search Engine Watch article lists numerous questions that will be important to answer once the Google Stamp officially launches. Listed below are some of the critical questions the article mentions.

– “Which types of queries will trigger Stamp results?”
– “How frequently will Google Stamp be featured in search results?”
– “Will users migrate over to Google to use what seems likely to be a very similar product to Snapchat Discover?”
– “What options will be open to advertisers? Will Google introduce innovative new formats to maximize Stamp’s potential?”

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

Top Qualities of a Successful Digital Marketing Agency

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What separates a successful digital marketing agency from a mediocre one? Numerous agencies claim they provide the best digital services available and will always go out of their way for client needs, but is this really the case? Listed below are some essential qualities that every digital marketing agency should possess in order to be successful in today’s industry.

Flexibility
Is your current agency available for any needs that arise outside of standard office hours (9-5)? From our perspective, digital marketing is a 24/7 operation and any agency that thinks otherwise is not providing the best service possible. Problems arise, campaigns need monitored, and some industries experience their best business outside of the typical Monday-Friday 9-5 hours. Therefore, flexibility is huge when it comes to digital marketing and if your agency isn’t fulfilling your needs then it may be time to make a change.

Experience
Evaluating the previous experience of an agency is a major factor when determining their success. Does the agency have a proven track record? Are their clients legitimate and relevant to your business or industry? Will they address your specific needs? Always be sure to analyze an agency’s portfolio and case studies to determine if their experience matches your needs. View our Case Studies at Onimod Global and take a look at our credible experience in all aspects of digital marketing.

Transparency
When it comes to digital marketing and working with clients, transparency is a huge quality that clients desire and often expect. An agency demonstrating transparency refers to the clarity of billing, accuracy of data, how campaigns are actually performing, and what’s happening in general. Working with a digital marketing agency that is trustworthy will ultimately lead to better results in the long run. Moreover, transparency is a quality that can never be ignored when evaluating an agency. It separates successful digital agencies from the mediocre ones.

Expertise 
Every agency should be an expert when it comes to SEO, SEM, Social Media, Data Analysis, Website Development, and every other critical component of digital marketing. Is the agency a Google Partner? Are the employees certified in Google AdWords and Analytics? These are important questions to consider when evaluating whether an agency is legitimate or not. All successful digital agencies in today’s industry demonstrate many if not all of these capabilities and always be sure to check out previous work/case studies for reassurance.

Contact Us: At Onimod Global we are a proven digital marketing agency and know what it takes to fulfill the needs of every client. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

Yahoo Sues Mozilla for Replacement of Firefox’s Default Search to Google

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It was announced earlier this week that Yahoo’s parent company (Oath) has decided to sue Mozilla for “breach of contract.” Oath claims that Mozilla “terminated a long term strategic agreement with Yahoo” in November. Mozilla recently launched their upgraded Firefox Quantum browser and has implemented Google as their new default search tool. It was approximately 3 years ago when Yahoo and Mozilla signed an agreement that Yahoo would be the default search engine on Firefox.

According to Greg Sterling in an article from Search Engine Land, the lawsuit “seeks unspecified money damages and interest from Mozilla, but Mozilla claims they have the right to terminate the relationship under the contract.” Mozilla’s Firefox browser lost market share to Chrome during the 3 year period with Yahoo. Mozilla blames this lose in market share largely on Yahoo search. Yahoo/Oath argue that “issues with the browser experience (speed and performance)” were to blame instead. Sterling points out that “the truth probably lies somewhere in between.”

Implications Moving Forward
Mozilla switching from Yahoo to Google as their new default search tool is huge. As if Google’s market share in search engine providers wasn’t large enough, this move will expand their share even more. The article states that “Firefox’s market share is about 13 percent to Chrome’s nearly 59 percent. Yahoo search market share is roughly 12 percent to Google’s 63 percent.” Ultimately, it will be interesting to see where Firefox’s market share goes from here, as the reactions to the upgraded “Firefox Quantum” browser appear to be positive thus far.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing expertise and news, visit the Onimod Global Website. We look forward to hearing from you!

How To Maximize Your Company Blog To Improve Overall SEO Results

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It’s evident that blogging is important in a digitally dominated space, yet many organizations don’t fully understand the SEO implications that effective blogging can have. It seems every company has implemented a blog to their site at this point. However, many fail to take advantage of blog content to increase overall organic search rankings. Listed below are some ways in which companies can maximize their blog content to enhance overall search engine optimization (SEO) results.

Always Optimize Content
Continually generating new content is usually a good practice, but that doesn’t mean existing blog posts should be ignored. Going back to previous posts and reviewing keyword phrases, media, tags, and other parts of a post to help rank better for desired search queries is an effective method. Paying attention to basic “on page” SEO components is another aspect that can’t be ignored. Header tags, meta descriptions, image titles, alt text, internal link building, and having an SSL certificate are all important when it comes to ranking well.

Define Audiences
Blog content should never be randomly created with no specific audiences in mind. Each post should always be produced with intentions to reach segments of your target audience. This means content should be filled with meaningful keyword phrases related to what your consumer base is searching for. For instance, if you’re in the sports bar industry you want to blog about content related to big upcoming games/events geared toward sports fans to draw in as much traffic as possible. Ultimately, creating content for specific target audiences is a key aspect to blogging and will contribute to increased SEO rankings.

Blog Title
The importance of having a creative and appealing blog title a lot of times gets overlooked. Many organizations use titles like “Blog” or “News” for their company blog, which isn’t the best practice for optimization. Creativity and being descriptive are two solutions to better blog optimization. “What audiences am I trying to reach?” and “What are important keyword phrases related to my industry?” are a couple of critical questions to use as a basis for the title of a blog. Moreover, it seems like a minor detail, but coming up with a good title for your company blog is something that should never be ignored.

Social Media Engagement
Sharing blog content on multiple social media platforms is a simple method to increase overall visibility. Utilizing channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and Google My Business to share content should always be one of the final steps in the process. Be sure to include keyword rich descriptions with social posts as well that way your content has a better chance of ranking. Additional benefits to sharing blog content on social media include the ability to reach new audiences, keeping social media platforms relevant, and the chance of increasing referral traffic.

Contact Us: At Onimod Global we specialize in SEO, content creation, and every other aspect of digital marketing. Check out Our Work to see what digital marketing solutions we have to offer!

Benefits of Pursuing a Digital Marketing Career

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It’s no surprise that career opportunities within the digital marketing industry continue to grow, especially in the larger U.S. cities. With digital marketing being the heaviest advertising route used by most organizations today, these career opportunities are flourishing. Many individuals from previous generations are unfamiliar with concepts like SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Website Development, and other important aspects of the digital industry. Listed below are some benefits as to why pursuing a career in digital marketing is a good move.

Variety of Career Options
As mentioned previously the digital marketing industry is comprised of many areas, in which there are plenty of career options available. Many marketing organizations not only consist of SEO/SEM strategists, they include graphic designers, business development executives, content writers, social media specialists, and other opportunities. Deciding on which route to enter can come down to multiple factors, yet it should ultimately depend on what what your top interests and skill sets are. In the end, digital marketing is a versatile industry and that means there’s opportunities for numerous career choices.

In Demand Profession
The demand for digital marketing professionals is increasing at a rapid rate. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, “It is anticipated that there would be around 150,000 digital marketing jobs at the end of 2020 and not enough professionals to fulfill them. there will also be a rise in demand for digital marketing professionals by about 38% this year.” Because of this increasing demand for digital marketing careers, entering the digital industry will provide job seekers with a huge competitive advantage in the job hunt.

Salaries Rising
It’s evident that the demand for digital marketing experts currently exceeds the supply, so how does this affect salaries? Entering a growing industry with a shortage of skills makes digital marketing professionals a commodity. This gives leverage for better salary negotiations and higher starting wages than most first jobs right out of college. According to a study from Prosperity in 2014, “digital salaries are rising faster than in the previous five years, and the pace of growth is set to fasten in the future.” Moreover, as salaries continue to climb within the industry, this presents a clear benefit to becoming an expert in the digital marketing field.

Advancement Opportunities
In addition to the great job outlook for digital marketing careers, the opportunity for advancement in the field is also promising. Entry level positions out of college typically consist of SEO/SEM strategists, social media specialists, content developers, etc. If you’re able to catch on quick and continually learn more about the digital marketing world then advancement to an upper level position is very reachable. Digital marketing managers, director of digital, or a VP of marketing for example are all respectable and reachable advancement opportunities.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

4 Digital Marketing Trends to Pay Attention to in 2018

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The scope of the digital marketing industry is constantly changing, so being able to adapt to these changing trends is a must. So far in 2017 we have seen new technologies like the IPhone X, Google Home, and other innovative products that continue to change the dynamic of marketing. Listed below are some digital marketing trends that organizations need to watch out for as we approach 2018.

1. Voice Optimization
With technologies like Siri, Google Home, and the Amazon Echo becoming popular, marketers must understand the importance of optimizing content for voice search queries. According to Google, “in 2016 more than 20 percent of online searches were conducted through voice search. And by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 50 percent.” Therefore, with an increasing number of voice searches, optimizing for longer keyword phrases and “conversational language” is an SEO strategy that should be implemented moving forward.

2. Instagram’s Value Increasing
The continued growth of Instagram is a trend that all marketers should be paying attention to. This year Instagram announced that “about 800 million users are active on the platform each month.” They also noted that their updated story feature is now “more popular than Snapchat.” Because of their focus on images/videos and appeal to younger generations, it’s no surprise that this platform continues to gain popularity. Some marketers like Deep Patel even believe that Instagram is “poised to become the go-to channel for brands interested in social media marketing.”

3. Twitter on the Decline
Contrary to Instagram’s continued growth, Twitter is a social media platform that has seen a decline in activity so far in 2017. It appears as if Twitter has put little effort towards their advertising platform compared to their wants of acquiring more users. Moreover, advertisers have allocated more time and money to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat as a result. In the end, this trend of decline is expected to continue for Twitter and according to Patel, Twitter is “dying a quiet death.”

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Messaging
Although artificial intelligence (AI) exists today, it’s future implications on digital marketing can’t be ignored. According to the Entrepreneur article, Deep Patel mentions how “artificial intelligence is taking over website messaging.” More and more businesses are now utilizing AI live chat programs to communicate with their consumers. Essentially, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve with messaging platforms, marketers must be able to adapt and learn how to most effectively communicate with consumers online.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise and news, visit the Onimod Global Website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Google My Business Posting Update: How This Impacts Search Results

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Google has recently announced that there is a “posts function” now available to businesses registered with their Google My Business program. There appears to be plenty of benefits with the addition of this function, especially for local businesses who frequently compete for higher search rankings. Essentially, this post will explain the importance of Google My Business for local businesses and how this new posting update can impact organic search results.

Google My Business Overview
Google My Business from a general standpoint is a program that gives businesses the capability to be found by visitors on the Google Maps system. In more technical terms, Google describes their Google My Business program as a “free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying business information, you can both help customers find you and tell them the story of your business.” Some major benefits of utilizing this tool include interaction with customers, expanding presence, information management, and mobile responsiveness. Therefore, Google My Business clearly helps local businesses increase their online visibility and is ultimately a small investment that can lead to high rewards.

Posts Function Information
With the implementation of this new posts update in Google My Business, there are multiple ways businesses can take advantage of this tool. According to an article from Search Engine Land, this update will give businesses the ability to “share daily specials, promote events happening, showcase top products, and provide more options to connect with customers directly.” Users also have the capability to add images and call to action buttons to help increase post engagement. It should also be noted that posts have the potential to show up in both the Google search and map results.

Impact on Search Results
One of the more important aspects of this Google My Business update is it’s correlation with better search results. According to a case study analysis from a Search Engine Land article, “Posting on Google My Business was found to have a mild impact on rankings and do help improve local SEO for small businesses.” It was also found that since it’s launch, posting on Google My Business has been “surprisingly underutilized by businesses and agencies,” but that pattern is expected to change soon. In the end, using this new posting feature on Google My Business appears to be a “no brainier” for any local business out there. And at Onimod Global we have been implementing this practice with some of our clients, as their organic search rankings have started to increase over time because of this feature.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

Optimizing Ecommerce Shopping Carts for Search and the Google Merchant Center

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Many organizations with Ecommerce websites are concerned with how well their products are ranking organically on Google, Bing and Yahoo. That is, without any assistance from paid advertising networks. There is no doubt that these rankings are incredibly important to the organization and their product’s success, but it is not the only factor to consider.

It is all too common to get swept up in organic search rankings and ignore other ecommerce-related platforms like the Google or Bing Merchant Center. The Google and Bing Merchant Centers help organizations by uploading their products and immediately transforming them into Shopping ads. All of these add up to generate more and more exposure for your products. These efforts also combine to create better rankings through Google, which can definitely lead to big results on your sales.

 

Data Feeds

The only way to have your products listed in Google and/or Bing Shopping is to create an XML data feed file. As defined by Google, a feed is, “a file made up of a list of products which use groupings of attributes that define each one of your products in a unique way.” Basically, it is a single file that organizes all of your product listings in a way that allows you to the display your products in the Google Shopping network through the Adwords platform.

 

Creating A Feed

Creation of a data feed is very technical. First, you want to make sure that you are using a feed format that is supported by Google or Bing, such as text (.txt) and XML (.xml). Once you have chosen your preferred format, you will then use the Merchant Center add-on and provided feed template to build out your product listings.

It is still critical to pay close attention to the attributes chosen to describe your products. All of the best guidelines are provided by Google via the Product data specification. These specifications will direct you in finding the most relevant ways to describe your products.

 

Supplemental Data Feeds

There are also supplemental feeds that may be added at this point in the data feed creation process. Supplemental feeds help to provide additional data that can be combined with existing data in the primary feed.

The supplemental feed reinforces the primary feed, and works to ensure that your product listings are displaying all of the most relevant information possible to users searching for products like yours. The more relevant your listing, the more positive attention it will receive from Google.

 

Conclusion

Good organic rankings on Google are important to every business. Ecommerce companies can better their product listings in more than just this one way. It is important to remember that the Google Merchant Center also has an impact on the ranking of Shopping ads and even organic listings.

The more that any organization can integrate themselves and their products and services with Google, the better. By creating and implementing a data feed through the Google or Bing Merchant Center, Ecommerce vendors can give themselves a leg-up on the competition, and help themselves to achieve better rankings and sales through the major search engines.