Digital marketing insights.

Google has announced that they'll be penalizing sites that use an interruptive pop-up, especially those that cover a significant amount of content.

Often, the business owners getting these calls are excited – Google is taking time out of its busy schedule to help me get better results! Or, they get a bit skeptical about the work my company has done for them. As in, why do they need Google to “fix” my account if they’ve been paying for you to help them rank all along?

In September 2015, Google's Mobile Algorithm launched. It was a game changer for Google and small business owners alike.

Not long ago, I posted a piece of unconventional advice: that you shouldn’t necessarily assume every small or local business needs search engine optimization. Despite what a lot of “experts” will tell you, there are some times when it just doesn’t make sense to devote your attention, energy, and resources to achieving a higher Google ranking.

Recently, I talked about the hidden costs of PPC management and the companies that deploy a managed/commissioned approach to them. The art of attracting paid search traffic is a huge topic, though, and there is another side to the coin. Use AdWords intelligently, and you can discover a useful tool for bringing valuable visitors to your website.

Ever since Mark Schaefer coined the term “Content Shock,” along with the concept behind it, we’ve been getting steady news of its ever-increasing creep. Can’t get search traffic or engagement on your articles? It must be content shock, so there’s nothing you can do…

If you are like most marketers we meet, the idea of managing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns on top of your marketing duties might seem a bit overwhelming. So you'll be forgiven if you choose to delegate the task to an PPC/SEO firm. And, you probably have plenty of other things to do, right? (Not to mention the fact you may not feel confident that you can get the same kind of results a professional would.)

To make the most of your marketing efforts for 2016, you'll want to focus your efforts on your very best prospects – the ones who are most likely to do business with you soon, and keep buying from you well into the future. Gain insights into what your prospects are looking for with this free tool from the people at KAYAK.

At a time when social engagement is becoming more crucial than ever before, at every business level, automated social posting and updating tools are increasingly responsible for the posts you see on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +. And even though it’s all being done in the name of “convenience,” I would argue that these types of interactions aren’t convenient, helpful, or meaningful to anyone. More often than not, they’re just a waste of time.

In a perfect world, your social connections would be within arm’s reach of a smartphone, eagerly anticipating your next post or comment. And, anytime you wrote something brilliant or insightful, there would be multitudes of readers ready to jump in, comment, and add their own thoughts.

Fill in the blank: “If I were just able to use a ______________ tool, my problems would be solved in an instant.”

Sometimes, the most important lessons you can learn about online marketing – and indeed, dealing with people – aren’t the ones you get from blogs, surveys, or brainstorming sessions. In fact, I was recently reminded how important things like perspective and insight are from a simple cup of tea.

How often do you think about the reading level of the men and women who read your web pages, blog posts, and downloadable offers?

Summer's here and people are taking to the water, whether it's rafting down a slow creek or getting out the waterskis. If you're avoiding the sun by staying in the office, there's a take-away we marketers can learn from the people splashing around at the lake: there are the skimmers, and there are divers.