By now you probably know the difference between SEO and content marketing, and how they work together to help you get found online. But just because there is plenty of content, and even if it’s been tailored to specific, relevant key phras...

Google My Business during COVID-19

With efforts to reduce office gatherings and to protect the safety of their team during these unprecedented times, staffing for Google My Business has been limited. As a result, there are temporary delays and support to review inquiries. Features are limited or are currently removed altogether during this unprecedented COVID-19 situation.

If you have paid anyone to handle your digital ads for you, I’m willing to take a bet that you would prefer they handle the nitty-gritty, tiresome task of making sure the ads do well. Especially with search advertising, also known as SEM, this can translate to a lot of nerdy, data-heavy work. So why in the world would you need to own that account from the start of the relationship?

The money you spend on your SEM efforts is an investment into learning what works for your unique business. If one day you need someone different to manage your Google Ads, and you do not own the account and data, you will need to make the exact same investment again. Even if you already know the language that best resonated with your customers, there is a machine learning component to the search algorithm that cannot be replicated in a new account. Unless you set yourself up to own your Google Ads account data from day one, you are at risk of losing thousands of dollars of your investment.

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Ask A Content Writer

"Content is king!" There, we said it. It's a mantra echoed in every corner of the marketing universe, from freelance professionals to large marketing agencies alike; it's earned its cliché. Content's rise to the throne as King was swift, but you'd have to go back over a decade to understand how it came to rule organic search strategy. That's another blog all to itself, but here's a clue from an old Google Webmaster Blog post that explains Google's pivot away from using keyword meta tags as a ranking factor. What that meant for website owners was simple; don't tell us your content is worthy, prove it. The bar was set. It's a measure that continues to tower over content creators today. In part three of this series, we give technology professionals an inside look at what it takes to create content that dominates online search by interviewing our team of professional Content Writers.

Fact:  All staff Writers at One Firefly are rigorously trained on all manners of the Residential Custom Integration channel, and only write for this industry. They have mastered the delicate craft of writing content that is all together technically accurate yet easy to read, persuasive, and, most importantly, effective. Every month, our writing team regularly cranks out over 400 uniquely tailored articles on behalf of Custom Integrators throughout North America. That's a nice setup to say; their insight is priceless (in our slightly humbled opinion). Read on to get the inside scoop.

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How Google Maps Pinpoints Your Ideal Customers and Lets Them Find You

For decades, the question marketers and growth-minded businesses have asked themselves is, “How do I get to the top of Google?” Because of the influx of algorithm updates and the elusive hacks it takes to work your way to that enviable position, the answer to this question has been a moving target since it was first pondered. And now, Google Maps is becoming a bigger piece of marketer’s objective than before. As you’ll find later, one of the new goals might be, more specifically, “Why should I show up in Google Maps?”

Part of the reason for this is because the way we use the internet, and what we use it for, have evolved. In 2010, just 5% of the world’s web traffic was attributed to mobile. Today, the number is tenfold -- more than half of all traffic comes from a mobile device. As mobile use exploded, Google responded by changing the way the search engine results page is organized.

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Backlinks are an essential part of any well-planned Search Engine Optimization strategy.  When one website links back to yours, you have gained a backlink. Often called inbound links, they are a signal to search engines that other websites trust you as a resource on a certain topic. The more quality backlinks you have to your website, the more search engines will be willing to show your website in search results.

If you are aiming to increase your website’s visibility on Google and other search engines in 2020, we at One Firefly recommend increasing the number of high-quality backlinks to your website. Backlinks from reputable domains that have demonstrated themselves as resources to web users will deliver more value to your website than others, so keep in mind that quality matters.

So, where do you begin?

In this blog, we are going to highlight three easy opportunities for you to add quality backlinks to your website. Just keep reading below to find out more!

SEE ALSO: Are You Hurting Your Search Results With Outdated Practices?

Build Your Online Presence With Stellar Work & Happy Customers

You do great work. Your customers like the projects you’ve completed for them and tell their friends about your great work, too. According to HubSpot, 90% of people believe brand recommendations from their friends, so word of mouth is undoubtedly an effective trust indicator for your potential customers. But how can you further encourage your customer prospects to trust in your brand and move through the buyer journey from awareness to consideration and finally to deciding to purchase your services or products? It’s simple – online reviews!

So, why do reviews matter? Because online reviews are part of the modern decision-making process. In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 61% of Americans divulged they sometimes or nearly always post an online review of a product, service or restaurant. 8 in 10 Americans consult those online reviews and ratings before making a purchase.

Keep reading to learn how online reviews can influence customers you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet and how to establish your business as an authority in your service region. 

SEE ALSO: 3 Simple Tips to Expand Your Business’ Reach Online 

Increase organic traffic to your website by staying up to date on the latest SEO best practices Everyone wants their website to rank on the first page...

Every day across the world, millions of people run billions of web searches. These inquiries range from the banal to the abstract. For example, “Why is the sky blue?” is one of the most common questions on Google, but you’...