Tag Archive for: Google Search

How to Set SEO Goals (And Achieve Them)

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for boosting visibility and driving traffic to your website. However, successful SEO requires more than keywords and backlinks—it starts with setting clear, actionable goals. Without these objectives, tracking progress or aligning your strategies with meaningful business outcomes is challenging.

In this blog, we’ll explore why setting SEO goals is essential, how to align them with your business’s needs, and the steps to create a strategic roadmap for impactful results. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Setting SEO Goals Is Important

SEO goals ensure you stay focused and results-oriented. When your SEO efforts are tied to specific targets, it’s easier to track what’s working and pivot when necessary. According to a recent study, 61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority. Here are some key reasons to set SEO goals for your business:

  • Clear direction: Goals guide your strategy and help align with broader marketing objectives.
  • Performance measurement: They allow you to evaluate your SEO campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
  • Better ROI: With specific goals, resources are used efficiently, maximizing the return on investment.

It is important to avoid setting unrealistic goals. For example, you shouldn’t expect to rank #1 for highly competitive keywords within a month. Focus on aligning your SEO efforts with user intent to attract the right audience. Don’t overlook long-tail keywords; they offer less competition and drive more targeted traffic. Lastly, regularly track progress to stay on course and make data-driven adjustments as needed. Let’s take a look at key SEO goals to consider.

1. Increase Organic Traffic

Driving more organic traffic is a fundamental goal. According to a study, organic search drives over 53% of all website traffic, making it the most critical channel for inbound marketing. Track performance using:

  • Google Analytics to monitor traffic growth.
  • Google Search Console to evaluate ranking improvements and clicks.

2. Boost Keyword Rankings

Identify core keywords relevant to your business and focus on improving their rankings. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to help track keyword movement and adjust your strategy as needed. Studies show that pages that rank in the top three positions on Google get 54.4% of all clicks, emphasizing the importance of high keyword rankings.

3. Improve On-Page SEO

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual pages for better rankings. A one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7% and negatively impact rankings. Key metrics to monitor include:

  • Page speed (via Google PageSpeed Insights).
  • Title tags, meta descriptions, and header structures.
  • Mobile-friendliness and user experience (UX).

4. Enhance Backlink Profile

Building high-quality backlinks is essential for improving your site’s authority and search engine rankings. A strong backlink profile signals to search engines like Google that your content is valuable, trustworthy, and relevant, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search results. Websites with a strong backlink profile rank higher than those without 91% of pages that get no organic traffic because they lack backlinks.

 Use tools like Moz or Ahrefs to track:

  • Domain Authority (DA) and backlinks acquired.
  • Referring to domains over time.

5. Increase Conversions from Organic Traffic

SEO isn’t just about driving traffic—it’s about turning visitors into paying customers or leads. Attracting the right audience is crucial, but the ultimate goal is encouraging them to take meaningful actions, such as purchasing, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter. Key metrics include:

  • Conversion rate (CVR) from organic sources.
  • Goal completions in Google Analytics (form submissions, purchases).

Steps to Achieve SEO Goals

1. Audit Your Current SEO Performance

Before setting new SEO goals, conducting a thorough audit of your current performance is essential. An SEO audit helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, ensuring your strategy is data-driven and aligned with best practices. Perform an SEO audit to understand where you stand. Use tools like:

  • Google Analytics for traffic data.
  • Google Search Console for keyword insights.
  • Screaming Frog or Ahrefs for site health analysis.

2. Conduct Keyword Research and Content Planning

Thorough keyword research is the backbone of any effective SEO strategy. Focus on a blend of high-volume keywords for broad visibility and high-intent keywords that capture your audience’s needs. After identifying your keywords, integrate them into blog posts, product pages, and landing pages that address your audience’s pain points and interests. Here are some tips to maximize your keyword research and content planning:

  • Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to discover keywords that align with your target audience’s search habits.
  • Group your keywords into themes or clusters to improve SEO and user experience by interlinking related topics across your site.
  • Consistently updating your content can improve rankings and build long-term trust with your audience.

3. Optimize On-Page and Technical SEO

On-page and technical SEO are vital for enhancing your site’s visibility and providing a seamless user experience. Prioritizing mobile-friendliness is essential. Recent studies show that 58.67% of global website traffic now comes from mobile devices. Ensuring your site performs well on all screen sizes can significantly impact engagement and rankings. Here are some key areas to focus on:

  • Enhance page speed and mobile usability for faster, smoother navigation.
  • Ensure each page has optimized meta titles, descriptions, and structured data.
  • Use internal linking to distribute page authority and effectively guide users through your content.

4. Track and Analyze Progress Regularly

Regular tracking and analysis are essential to help ensure your SEO efforts are on the right path. Monitoring performance lets you identify what’s working, spot issues early, and make data-driven adjustments to improve results. Here are some tools that can help you track your progress:

  • Google Analytics to monitor traffic trends.
  • Google Data Studio will be used to create SEO performance dashboards.
  • Ahrefs or SEMrush for competitor analysis.

How Onimod Global Can Help You Achieve Your SEO Goals

SEO is an ongoing process that requires regular review and adaptation based on performance insights. Every few months, assess your strategy to pinpoint what’s working and where improvements can be made. If a tactic isn’t yielding results, try experimenting with new approaches, such as refreshing older content or revamping link-building efforts.

Achieving significant SEO results can be challenging without expert guidance, and that’s where Onimod Global steps in. We provide comprehensive SEO services tailored to businesses of all sizes, helping them grow their online presence and achieve specific goals. Here’s how we can support your success:

  • Comprehensive SEO Audits: Our team conducts in-depth audits to identify gaps in your SEO efforts. We analyze your site’s health, keyword performance, and competitors to provide actionable insights.
  • Tailored SEO Strategy Development: Our digital experts develop customized SEO strategies to help align with your business goals
  • Advanced Keyword Research and Content Optimization: We optimize all your pages to help improve search engine rankings.
  • Ongoing Optimization and Support: We continuously refine strategies based on the latest trends and algorithm changes to help your site maintain top search performance.

Achieve SEO Success with Onimod Global

Setting SEO goals is essential for tracking progress and driving meaningful results. Your SEO strategy will stay focused and effective by focusing on key areas like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions. At Onimod Global, we specialize in helping businesses define, implement, and achieve their SEO objectives through customized strategies and expert support.

Contact us today to discover how we can help you grow your online presence and reach your business goals.

Optimizing Responsive Search Ads in 2024

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Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are nothing new to the digital marketing landscape. Still, recent AI adaptations and updates now provide additional capabilities for RSA assets, such as the option to serve a single headline.

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), Google’s dynamic ad format, have evolved as a cornerstone of digital marketing over the past few years. And in 2024, RSAs are not just an option; they are the default text ad format. 

Google just launched substantial updates to asset management and creation for Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), including:

  • The ability to display a single headline.
  • Associate up to three headlines and two descriptions at campaign level.
  • Implement account-level automated assets.

Google utilizes AI technology to predict which of the above capabilities could enhance your campaign performance, determining the most suitable approach for your ad. Before we head more into the recent AI updates, here are our top three actionable strategies to optimize your RSAs and boost campaign effectiveness in 2024.

1. Harness the Power of Asset Label Analysis

Venturing deeper into the optimization of Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), we strongly advocate for a meticulous examination of Google Ads‘ asset labels. These labels, meticulously assigned by Google, serve as invaluable indicators, offering a comprehensive breakdown of the performance of individual headlines and descriptions within your RSAs. Through a methodical two-week monitoring period, you gain a profound understanding of which assets excel and which may fall short, ensuring that decisions are rooted in robust insights rather than momentary fluctuations.

Following this observation period, we recommend a proactive approach to replace underperforming assets. This strategic move aims to maintain the highest level of relevance and engagement in your RSAs, optimizing them for peak performance. By continuously refining ad components based on granular analysis, marketers not only enhance overall campaign quality but also help ensure that advertising budgets are directed towards elements proven to drive results. This meticulous examination of asset labels provides a transparent window into campaign intricacies, empowering marketers to make informed decisions for continuous improvement and efficient resource allocation in the dynamic landscape of digital marketing.

2. Diversify Your Headlines for Maximum Impact

Broaden your ad’s reach by incorporating various headlines in your RSAs. The more headlines, the better, as this strategy allows you to target a wider range of keywords, thereby reaching more potential customers. While increased Click-Through Rates (CTR) may occur, it’s crucial to note that this doesn’t automatically translate to a boosted conversion rate. On the upside, more headlines lead to increased total impressions, offering Google the flexibility to craft the ideal ad for diverse situations.

3. Embrace Smart Bidding Automation for Targeted Results

Optimize your RSAs by embracing smart bidding automation, a powerful tool for preventing ads from reaching irrelevant audiences. If manual bidding exposes your RSAs to less likely converting audiences, it can adversely impact your Search Engine Advertising (SEA) budget. Smart bidding, coupled with Google’s automatic ad delivery, helps ensure your ads reach the right audience efficiently. Leveraging machine learning systems, we suggest that future-proofing your search ads involves making the most of Google’s automation capabilities, leading to approximately 20% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion, according to Google’s search data.

2024 Updates to Utilize

Utilizing Google’s AI for campaign strategy prediction can amplify engagement and performance, though it entails ceding more control to Google. It’s crucial to acknowledge that while AI is potent, it isn’t infallible, leaving room for potential inaccuracies in performance forecasts.

  • Headline Enhancement: Responsive search ads now offer the option to display a single headline for optimized performance, with the potential for headlines to appear at the start of description lines. This feature was implemented following observed testing by advertisers last year. Assets assigned to specific positions will maintain their placement. To evaluate headline frequency or positioning, consult the combinations report.
  • Campaign-Level Updates: Advertisers can now associate up to three headlines and two descriptions at the campaign level, with the ability to fix them to designated positions. For time-sensitive promotions, such as sales, advertisers can schedule start and end dates for these assets. Once added, headlines and descriptions become eligible for display in all responsive search ads within the campaign.
  • Account-Level Automated Assets: Opting into account-level automated assets allows leveraging Google AI to generate assets such as dynamic images, sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets. AI-generated assets will replace manually created ones of the same type when predicted to enhance performance. This marks a departure from the previous precedence of manually created assets.
  • Google’s Statement: A Google spokesperson emphasized that these updates aim to enhance the effectiveness of RSAs, aligning with the goal of delivering the most relevant ad to the right audience at the right time. Changes will be reflected in advertisers’ combinations reports, and the pinning mechanism will remain available.

Final Thoughts

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead of the AI curve requires not only adapting to current trends but also foreseeing future changes. Trust Onimod Global to guide you through the evolving world of digital marketing and help you achieve your goals.

Beyond RSAs, Onimod Global is dedicated to sharing insights on general Search Engine Advertising (SEA) and other digital marketing strategies. With extensive knowledge in SEO, social media advertising, and digital marketing, Onimod Global is your partner for online brand success. Have questions or want to learn more about RSA optimization? Contact us today.

3 Essential Strategies to Elevate Your Google Maps Ranking

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A prominent Google Maps ranking is crucial for a local business, especially SMBs. Missing out on ranking in these searches means losing significant opportunities to boost lead generation, drive in-store traffic, and, ultimately, enhance conversions and revenue.

Are you aware that an incredible 80% of local searches result in conversions? Utilizing Google Maps for marketing can significantly enhance the impact of your local search. Continue reading to discover our recommended digital marketing strategies and learn how to improve your Google Maps ranking to boost lead generation and increase revenue.

Maximizing Local Search Through Google Maps Marketing

Google Maps reigns as the most preferred map application in the U.S., boasting over 150 million active users. With countless daily searches for services and businesses, a high ranking on Google Maps can significantly enhance your local market presence. Here’s how:

  • Enhanced Engagement Opportunities: A top Google Maps listing offers numerous ways for customers to interact with your brand. It allows potential customers to easily find your location, view photos of your business, and read about your offerings before they even set foot in your store. Moreover, a prominent listing facilitates quicker decision-making for consumers by providing essential information like operating hours, contact details, and direct links to your website. 
  • Local Visibility with High Ratings: Being visible in local searches with good ratings is vital. High ratings not only attract more customers but also build credibility and trust in your brand. They act as social proof, influencing potential customers’ decisions and enhancing your online reputation. Moreover, consistently high ratings can significantly improve your search rankings, making your business more visible to those searching for your services or products.
  • Boosted Business Visibility: Higher rankings directly translate to increased business visibility. This elevated visibility is not just a number game; it’s about being the first choice when potential customers are searching for your services or products. A prominent position on Google Maps means more eyes on your brand, leading to a wider audience reach and potentially a broader customer base.

Strategies for Achieving a Top Ranking on Google Maps

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is a critical step in enhancing your online visibility. The key to this process is ensuring the accuracy and consistency of your business information across various platforms. By maintaining uniformity in your business name, contact details, and operating hours across your Google Maps listing, website, and social media platforms, you significantly improve your visibility in search results. This not only makes it easier for potential customers to find and trust your business but also adds credibility to your brand. Customers often rely on these listings for accurate information, so a well-optimized profile is indispensable in boosting your digital presence.

Transitioning to the recent updates from Google, businesses now have an excellent opportunity to further enhance their listings. The ability to showcase products at the top of their Google Maps listing is a game-changer. This strategic placement significantly increases visibility to potential customers, capturing the attention of those actively searching for your products or services. By effectively utilizing this product placement feature, you create a direct link between what you offer and the needs of your audience. This not only drives traffic to your business but also leads to increased engagement, higher click-through rates, and ultimately, more conversions.

Lastly, the importance of customer reviews in shaping your digital reputation cannot be overstated. Actively managing and responding to both positive and negative reviews is crucial in public perception of your brand. Demonstrating that your business values customer feedback and is committed to quality service builds trust and transparency. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, and thoughtfully addressing any negative feedback, enhances your business’s reputation. This approach not only contributes to higher rankings but also fosters a loyal customer base, making it a vital component of your overall digital marketing strategy.

Final Insights from Onimod Global

As a certified Google partner and 15 years of knowledge and experience in Google’s evolving landscape, Onimod Global offers comprehensive digital marketing solutions, including optimizing your Google Business Profile and enhancing your overall digital presence.

Our partnership with Google provides us with unique insights and advanced tools, allowing us to tailor our strategies effectively. Our digital marketing knowledge spans from SEO, social media marketing, to paid media strategies, all meticulously crafted to propel your business to new heights. This collaboration helps ensure that we are always at the forefront of digital trends, providing you with cutting-edge solutions that are both innovative and effective.

If you’re looking to enhance your digital presence, contact us today.

Google Ads Tips for Start-Ups and SMBs

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Navigating the online advertising landscape can be daunting for small business owners. Yet, it’s crucial for boosting your brand’s online presence.

65% of clicks on Google are driven by paid campaigns. This statistic highlights the potential of Google Ads in propelling your business forward. If you are new to the world of Google Ads, here are some tips on taking advantage of the advertising giant and getting it working in your favor.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads stands out as a highly effective tool for enhancing your online presence. This platform operates on a paid advertising model, enabling you to craft a variety of online ads tailored to resonate with distinct segments of your audience.

By strategically bidding on keywords and phrases that align with your brand and audience interests, you can significantly improve the likelihood of presenting your ads to potential customers precisely when they are most receptive. The platform’s integrated analytics tools allow for seamless management of your campaigns and real-time tracking of their performance.

For businesses aiming to elevate their brand recognition and actively engage with customers to boost sales, Google Ads offers an indispensable solution.

Advantages of Google Ads

Google Ads offers a combination of wide reach, user-friendliness, enhanced brand visibility, and cost-effectiveness, making it a highly attractive tool for businesses looking to expand their online presence and connect with a broader audience: 

  • Wider Reach: Google Ads provides unparalleled access to a vast audience. As the most popular search engine, Google processes billions of search queries daily, offering a unique opportunity to position your brand in front of a diverse and extensive audience. 
  • User-Friendly Interface: One of the key strengths of Google Ads is its user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it accessible even for those new to digital marketing. The platform guides users through the setup process, offering helpful tips and straightforward tools for creating and managing campaigns. 
  • Brand Visibility: Through Google Ads, businesses can significantly enhance their brand visibility. By appearing in search results, on partner websites, and in video ads on platforms like YouTube, your brand gains exposure to a wider audience. This increased visibility helps in building brand recognition and recall, making it easier for potential customers to find and engage with your business online. 
  • Cost-Effective: Google Ads is known for its cost-effective approach to advertising. The platform operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This approach allows for better control over advertising budgets, as you can set maximum bid amounts and daily spending limits. 

Getting Started with Google Ads Advertising

To embark on your advertising venture with Google Ads, the initial step involves setting up a Gmail account and creating a Google Ads Manager account. Once your account is active, you can start exploring potential keywords to target. The Google Ads Keyword Planner Tool is a vital resource in this process, enabling you to:

  • Analyze search volumes for specific keywords and phrases.
  • Calculate the cost-per-click for bidding on chosen searches within your Google Ads.
  • Identify new, potentially more effective keywords for your ad campaigns.

Next, you can decide on the type of ads to run, aligning them with your marketing objectives. Here’s an overview to guide you in selecting your ad formats:

  • Search Ads: These are text-based ads displayed on Google’s search results pages.
  • Video Ads: Create video ads to appear on YouTube and within Google search results.
  • Shopping Ads: Showcase your products through listings, usually in a carousel format, at the top of Google search results pages.
  • Display Ads: Utilize image-based ads or ad content across a variety of websites, apps, and platforms within the Google Display Network.
  • Discovery Ads: Engage users with visually striking ads in their feeds across the Google Display Network.
  • Local Ads: Tailor your ads to specific regional audiences for more localized reach.

This guide aims to streamline your ad selection process, ensuring that your Google Ads strategy is well-aligned with your business goals.

Developing a Winning Strategy for Your Google Ads

A significant advantage of Google Ads is the flexibility it offers in bid management, catering to different budget sizes and campaign strategies. You can choose between automated and manual bidding. For those with tighter budgets, manual bidding allows you to set limits on your cost-per-click (CPC), ensuring you stay within your financial boundaries. On the other hand, automated bidding is ideal for saving time and works well if you have a more adaptable budget, allowing for optimization across various campaigns.

The effectiveness of your ad hinges on its ability to capture the attention of your audience. To make your ad content truly stand out, consider the following elements:

  • Craft Compelling Headlines: Your headline should be attention-grabbing and relevant, enticing users to engage with your ad.
  • Engaging Body Copy: Utilize a conversational tone that echoes your brand’s unique voice, making the ad relatable and engaging to your target audience.
  • High-Quality Visuals: Incorporate striking graphics or video content that enhances the appeal of your ad, making it more visually engaging for viewers.

These strategies are essential in creating Google Ads that not only draw attention but also resonate with your target audience, leading to better engagement and results.

Working With Onimod Global

Designing a successful online marketing campaign is a strategic process, essential for attracting the right customers and fostering business growth. Navigating this landscape can be challenging, especially if you’re not fully versed in the latest marketing trends and techniques.

Google AdWords, while being a potent marketing tool, can also be a significant investment. At Onimod Global, we are trusted Google Partner. Our vast digital experience and tailored advertising solutions focus on optimizing your returns while ensuring efficient use of your marketing budget. Our work spans various sectors, from SMBs to global corporations, enabling us to leverage this diversity to enhance your campaign’s effectiveness and drive sales.

If you have any inquiries about Google Ads or wish to discover more about Onimod Global and our Digital Marketing services, feel free to reach out to us today.

Google Revamps Search Ads 360

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Google has revamped Search Ads 360, a search management platform, the company announced on February 8th. This update and refresh of this platform includes support for some newer Google Ads features such as Discovery campaigns and Performance Max, search engine support for other brands, a new interface for the platform as well as workflow improvements. The refreshed UI will start rolling out over the next few months. Google plans to share the timeline of migration as the year goes on.

What is Search Ads 360?

Defined directly by Google, “Search Ads 360 is a search management platform that helps agencies and marketers efficiently manage some of the largest search marketing campaigns in the world, across multiple engines and media channels.” The pros of this platform has been streamlined workflow and reporting features that enable buyers to run their campaigns more efficiently, and automated bidding is included as well to improve campaign performance. Built-in integration with the Google Marketing Platform allows buyers to manage and track digital campaigns across a single platform, enabling rich, cross-channel buying, reporting and attribution.

What’s new in Search Ads 360?

Supports new Google features. The new version of Search Ads 360 was redesigned and relaunched using the same technology that powers Google Ads, the newer platform between the two. Having this common technology as the foundation enables support for most new Google Ads features, such as Performance Max and Discovery campaigns.

Support for other search engines. One of the main selling points for the updated 360 platform is the ability to manage your ads across different channels, including other search engines. Search Ads 360 allows Google to add support for more features from other search engines.

For example, the updated platform now supports additional Microsoft Advertising features, which includes responsive search ads, call extensions, and additional Microsoft audience types like customer match. Support for Yahoo! Japan’s Dynamic Ads for Search and sitelink extension scheduling are also now available.

Google will continue to add more features and channel support in the coming quarters.

New advanced features for enterprises. In addition to support for existing features, Google is also rolling out completely new features for Search Ads 360.

“For instance, the new Search Ads 360 takes enterprise workflows to the next level by giving you new ways to centralize and scale your day-to-day tasks and key activities — like campaign management, automated rules and labels — and you’ll now be able to make these changes across multiple advertisers at the same time,” Google said in the announcement.

The company is also making upgrades to existing features: The “Performance Center,” which will become available later this year, is touted as an improved budget management planner with support for enterprise planning capabilities, like improved forecasting across search engines.

And, the existing inventory management and ad builder tools will be unified into one feature, which will be called “Templates.” Templates is also expected to become available later this year.

Refreshed UI. Google also updated the interface of Search Ads 360, borrowing elements from the Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising UIs. This may make navigation more efficient since advertisers may already be familiar with it.

More from Onimod Global

More information on the update can be found in Google’s update. In addition to Google news and other digital marketing updates, we will continue to share case studies and the latest SEO updates to help you drive your business. Our goal is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success.

At Onimod Global, we have endless experience and expertise when it comes to all things SEO, general social media advertising, and digital marketing. Got questions about Facebook advertising or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today.

Google Introduces New Search Console URL Inspection API

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Yesterday Google introduced the new search console URL inspection API. This will give programmatic access to URL-level data for properties you manage in Search Console.

According to Google’s news release on the topic, “the Search Console APIs are a way to access data outside of Search Console, through external applications and products. Developers and SEO tools already use the APIs to build custom solutions to view, add, or remove properties and sitemaps, and to run advanced queries on Search performance data.”

Google will be providing a new tool with the new URL Inspection API for developers. The tool will assist in debugging and optimizing their pages. You can request the data Search Console has about the indexed version of your URL. The API is going to then return the indexed information currently available in the URL Inspection tool.

 

How to use the new URL Inspection API

In order to learn how to use the new API, Google also has provided the developer documentation for the API which you can find here. The request parameters are a combination of the URL you are wanting to inspect from yours or your client’s site, and the URL of the property as defined in Search Console.

The response includes analysis results containing information from Search Console, including AMP, index status, rich search results and the mobile-friendliness of the URL.

The Google release also explains how “once you make the API call, you will get a response with all relevant results. If the request fails you would receive an error message instead. If a specific analysis result is missing from the response, it means the analysis was not available for the URL inspected. Here’s an example of the response you’ll get from the API.”

 

Final Thoughts

The entire release of the new URL Inspection API can be found on Google’s blog. In addition to Google news and other digital marketing updates, we will continue to share case studies and the latest SEO updates to help you drive your business. Our goal is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success.

At Onimod Global, we have endless experience and expertise when it comes to all things SEO, general social media advertising, and digital marketing. Got questions about Facebook advertising or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today.

Google Now Shares What Factors Impact Specific Rankings

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Google now shows why it ranked a specific search result. The new ‘About This Result’ feature shows searchers information about some of these most important factors used by Google Search to connect results to their queries. Read more

How to Improve Your Local Search Rankings on Google

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Do you feel like your business’s visibility on Google is lacking? If your business isn’t showing up for relevant searches in your area, it’s time to reevaluate your local SEO strategy, specifically your efforts on Google My Business. This is one of the simplest tools you can use to improve your local Google ranking and quickly. 

If you don’t already have a robust Google My Business strategy, here are some things you can do to up your game. 

1. Enter Complete Data

Businesses with complete and accurate information are easy to match up with the right search queries. This is why it’s crucial to consistently keep your information up to date, especially if you’re making changes to your business. You want users to be able to easily tell what you do, where you are and when they can visit. Be sure to always have your address, contact information, business category and attributes filled out on your profile and up to date. 

2. Verify Your Location 

Verifying your location will make it more likely you show up in Maps and Search on Google. The simplest way to verify your location is through a postcard. To do this, all you have to do is request Google to send you a postcard to your business address. Before you request, be sure you have the following steps completed: 

  1. You have a standard Google Account for your business. 
  2. You have a Business Profile. 
  3. You have a Google My Business account.
  4. You’ve claimed your Business Profile. 
  5. You’ve verified ownership of your business. 

They usually arrive within 2 weeks. Once you’ve received the postcard, you’ll notice a verification code. You’ll enter this into your Google My Business profile and your location will be verified. 

3. Keep Your Hours Accurate 

Accurate hours let customers know when you’re available and give them confidence you’ll be open if they take the time to travel to you. Accurate hours are also another factor Google uses in determining if your business is legitimate, ranking your relevancy for each query accordingly. Be sure to update your hours regularly, including when you open and close and if you have special hours for holidays or events. 

4. Manage and Respond to Reviews 

One of the most critical factors to online rankings are customer reviews. A large number of genuine reviews lets customers know you’re a real and reputable company. To grow your number of reviews, frequently ask for customer feedback through email, on social and in person. Be sure to link your Google My Business Profile so they know where to leave the review. Responding to reviews can be just as important as getting them. This shows you listen to your customers and value their feedback. Google also highly favors business with a large number of positive reviews when it comes to relevant searches. 

5. Add Photos

To showcase your goods and services, and to tell the story of your business, add photos to your Business Profile. Accurate and appealing pictures may also show shoppers that your business offers what they’re searching for. These images may also appear in Google search results if a user is searching for your products or about your industry. Thus, growing your brand awareness and increasing your overall reach. 

Final Thoughts

At Onimod Global, we’re a trusted Google Partner. Meaning we specialize in all Google Ad areas including: 

  • Search Advertising 
  • Mobile Advertising 
  • Video Advertising 
  • Display Advertising 
  • Shopping Advertising 

If you need assistance in any area of Google Ads, SEO or SEM in general, contact us today. 

More from Onimod Global

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

Why Google Ads Plans To Limit Search Terms

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Google has started to alert advertisers that it will soon stop showing search queries that triggered their ads when there is not “significant” data.

What is exactly changing?

On Google’s Search Terms Report support page they state, “Starting September 2020,  the search terms report only includes terms that a significant number of users searched for, even if a term received a click. You may now see fewer terms in your report.” In simpler words, advertisers will have reduced visibility into which search queries trigger their ads, even if they register a click or conversion.

Google’s statement from Search Engine Land. “In order to maintain our standards of privacy and strengthen our protections around user data, we have made changes to our Search Terms Report to only include terms that a significant number of users searched for. We’re continuing to invest in new and efficient ways to share insights that enable advertisers to make critical business decisions,” a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land Wednesday.

What does this mean for you?

According to Seer Interactive, you will lose roughly 28% of your budget’s visibility for paid search.

Prior to the update

  • For every $100K you spent on Google search, you got search term data for $98,700 of it.
  • For every 100K clicks you got, you saw search term data for 98,300 of those clicks.

After the update

  • For every $100K you spend on Google search, you get search term data for $71,000 of it.
  • For every 100K clicks you get, you see search term data for 77,900 of those clicks.

That’s ~$27,000 worth of search term data unseen for every $100K you spend.

Why we advertisers care.

The purpose is to prevent advertisers from having the ability to use minimal query data to identify users or have access to any personally identifiable information users may include in their search queries. Protecting user privacy is important and should be prioritized. However, Google limited query data in Search Console for this reason before the update. The difference is that advertisers pay whenever a user clicks on an ad triggered by a users’ query. Losing this data will have severe financial impact on advertising budgets.

In addition to financial implications, there will also be an effect on the optimization of campaigns and negative keyword lists. Not having any access to this data means that advertisers won’t be able to determine if those queries should be added to negative keyword lists to make their campaigns more efficient.

Contact Onimod Global

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Tips for Making Your Content Stand Out

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Right now, everyone is shifting the focus of their content to COVID-19. Rightfully so, as it’s impacting everyone and everything around the world. People are looking for answers and businesses feel compelled to respond. This creates a new dilemma, however. The “market” of coronavirus content is now heavily saturated. Consumers are constantly being bombarded with new articles and updates around the situation everyday. From this arises the question for many marketers: Should I continue to create content around the same thing everyone else is?

This is a difficult issue and there’s no simple, one-size-fits-all answer. We do know that content is still essential for long-term SEO success and in a time like this, you don’t want to fall silent. The key is finding a balance between creating relevant content but also standing out among the masses. Here are some tips for doing that: 

1. Focus on your audience’s current and most pressing needs. 

Content marketing is really just about helping your audience solve their problems. Currently, everyone is facing unprecedented challenges. There are no pre-existing rules or guidelines for businesses in this situation, so we have all been continually adapting and shifting our strategies accordingly. Marketers need to closely monitor their audience members, what they’re asking, and what they need. 

Your main focus should ultimately be creating content that helps your current and potential customers. Every time you publish a piece of content, ask yourself “is this helping my customers?” If the answer is no, and you’re just putting out content for the purpose of putting out content, it’s not worth it. 

2. Incorporate reliable research and accurate data. 

There is always massive amounts of inaccurate information circulating around the internet. When sharing or creating content, make sure it’s based on real research. Users want science and data to help them make the best decision, especially during times like these. Having solid evidence that supports your claim is extremely important. 

3. Don’t ask for anything in return. 

The biggest mistake a brand can make right now is appearing like they are trying to capitalize on the pandemic. Strive to deliver value without asking for anything in return. Instead of focusing on promoting your products or services, your main priority should be bringing value to users. 

4. Continue to publish regular content. 

Businesses are concerned that posting regular content will make them come across as insensitive or tone-deaf. While you should be careful with what you’re posting, continuing with regularly scheduled content is important for multiple reasons. The first is that, during this stressful and chaotic time, it’s nice to have tid bits of normalcy or light-heartedness. As long as the content is still sensitive to the current situation, it’s more than ok if it’s not addressing or focusing on the pandemic. The second reason being that SEO is still extremely important, and content is key for SEO success. If you delay or stop altogether publishing content, you’re only hurting yourself. 

Final Thoughts 

Right now, times are strange. Everyone is constantly searching for answers, but comfort as well. Making yourself stand out in an extremely saturated market is difficult, but not impossible. The key is finding balance between relevancy and uniqueness, while still providing value to users. Accomplishing this isn’t easy, but we can help. At Onimod Global we’re experts in social media, SEO, and content marketing. We help brands connect with their customers where and when they need them the most. Take a look at how we’ve helped other companies, and learn more about what we can do for you.