Tag Archive for: Google
Learn A Quick Trick to Getting Your Local Business Found Online
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Worried about being found on Google? Don’t have a lot of time nor money? Have you lost control of your Google My Business listing? Join the Newport Interactive Marketing networking-learning community to hear fast-track your way to getting found with Google’s version of the Yellow Pages. Mr. Local SEO Mark Collins will walk you through how to get found online by creating your Google My Business Page or tuning up your existing one.
Did you know that 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information? In fact, 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else. Today more than ever consumers are turning towards search engines like Google to guide their purchasing decisions.
50 years ago, if a business didn’t exist in a phone book, consumers wouldn’t even know that your business existed– In a modern world… if you don’t exist on Google, you’re missing out on an entire local audience of motivated buyers.
Other things you’re missing out on:
- Use Google My Business to increase traffic and conversions
- Monitor how customers search for your business
- Learn how to take advantage of key Google tools
NIM is here to help make sure that for local businesses there is no barrier to enter and ways that you can make Google work harder for you. Taking advantage of online tools will give you an edge over your competitors, both online and local, and connect you with potential customers.
Join #NIMRI for Learn A Quick Trick to Getting Your Local Business Found Online on Thursday, February 20, 6-8 P.M. at Parlor Bar & Kitchen.
Meet Mar
k Collins
OnWebLocal (DBA Advisortech.biz) was founded by Mark Collins, a UMASS Marketing graduate with over 4 decades of sales, marketing, and technology experience. During this time, Mark found his transition to digital media (from traditional sales management and marketing) and Search Engine Optimization to be a natural process. Based on his affinity for both technology and content writing, Mark provides SEO services to small to medium-sized regional businesses and national firms. His key to success has been to develop a constantly updated local SEO formula that incorporates original content creation on the website as well as the publication of the site into reputable, high authority domain websites. Services range from ongoing organic SEO campaigns to ongoing blogging support.
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Future-Proofing Your Digital Marketing: SEO, Content & Social
April 2019
Rather than chasing algorithms, why not invest in future-proofing your digital marketing efforts?
What can you do now that will pay off in the future: to keep Google happy, customers & prospects engaged & stay ahead of competitors?
Wondering what’s coming next in digital marketing? Seeking to lay the groundwork ahead of your competitors? What small efforts can I make now that will reap greater impact for my brand in 6 months? a year? 5 years?
At this #NIMRI webinar you learn:
- How machine learning will change search forever (or not)
- Getting found on Google now & in the future
- How to recognize and avoid crackpot SEO ideas
- Creating longtime value content for your site in 2019 & beyond
- Leverage visual search as a current opportunity for long-term results
Want to go even deeper?
NIM is offering discount codes for the Next10x daylong conference in Boston. Use discount code NIMRI19 to receive the discounted rate of $450!
Click here to read more about the conference
Click here to register for the conference
Leave your competitors in the dust & adapt your digital marketing efforts to reflect the newest trends with SEO, content, and social. Join #NIMRI for Future-Proofing Your Digital Marketing: SEO, Content & Social on Wednesday, April 17, 12-2 P.M. via Zoom.
Meet Eric Enge
Eric Enge is General Manager of Perficient Digital, a full-service, award-winning digital agency. Previously, Eric was the founder and CEO of Stone Temple, also an award-winning digital marketing agency, which was acquired by Perficient in July 2018. He is a prolific writer, researcher, teacher, and a sought-after keynote speaker and panelist at major industry conferences.
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Web marketing specialists welcome traditional marketers, small businesses, and beyond for quality education and great networking … right here in Newport!
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sponsored by Angles & Insights & Designated Editor
Turn Your Web Traffic Into Foot Traffic: Help Google Help Your Business
Fact for small- to mid-sized business: Up to 30% of visitors to your website find you from Googling aka unpaid or ORGANIC search
Don’t leave your 30% to the competition! Learn from a local expert on how to get local businesses found on Google at this FREE #NIMRI event. Learn:
- Your next steps to make your business easier to find on Google, Yelp, Bing, TripAdvisor & more.
- How Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO aka getting found online) differs from national or global SEO.
- How you can tell if you (or someone you’ve hired) is helping or hurting your business
- Which data points matter and add up to real revenue.
- Which free online tools can help edge out competitors.
Learn the exact steps you need to be on Google’s Page 1
Meet Mark Collins
Owner of OnWebLocal.com, Mark Collins, assists clients to define their product or service niche as it relates to serving a specific customer need in the marketplace. Additionally, he develops website, blog, video, and social media content with a convincing call to action. Also, Mark works with web designers and agencies to get client(s) website to generate sufficient traffic. This can be achieved by attaining organic page one Google Local search rank. He has an experienced track record of success for getting increased traffic to small- medium-sized business websites. Hence, what makes him the ideal speaker for this presentation.
Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!
Become a NIM $upporting member, if you aren’t already, for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch from your device at your convenience.
Gain Google Traffic Now & In The Future
How Machine Learning Will Transform Search & Create New Opportunities
Gain Google traffic right now with the right types of quality content and be prepared for the coming changes.
Machine learning is an advanced computer programming methodology that is being used by major companies such as Google and Facebook to improve the quality of their products. This means that how SEO works is evolving in significant ways. This creates new threats to your SEO traffic, but it also creates new opportunities as well, ones that you can take advantage of immediately. In this session, we’ll show you how to adapt and prepare, and better still, take advantage of the coming changes.
You will learn
- What machine learning is and why Google and other search engines are using it.
- The ways content quality is evaluated by Google, and how to create better content on your site.
- How the value of links will evolve, and how to adapt your marketing strategy to benefit.
- How SEO must adapt and change in the era of machine learning and search.
Meet our expert speaker, Eric Enge!
Eric Enge returns for his third NIM talk! An internationally sought-after speaker, you’d normally spend thousands to hear his insights.
Eric was the 2016 US Search Awards Search Personality of the Year, and 2016 Landys Search Marketer of the Year. Also, he publishes on a regular basis in The Digital Marketing Excellence blog, Search Engine Land, Moz, and elsewhere.
He is the co-author of The Art of SEO, along with Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin, and Jessie Stricchiola. Eric speaks at many industry conferences, including Search Marketing Expo, Pubcon, State of Search, MNSearch, and many more. Additionally, Eric is the CEO of Stone Temple Consulting, a 70+ person digital marketing agency based in Massachusetts.
Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!
Become a NIM $upporting member, if you aren’t already, for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch from your device at your convenience.
How Google Analytics Can Boost Your Business
Google Analytics has quickly become one of the most helpful tools for any business with an online presence. However, learning how to make it work for you can be tricky.
At this #NIMRI FREE event, you will learn about:
- Google tag manager, a system that makes it easier to manage your digital marketing. You will see a quick demo that will answer all your GA questions.
- Data Studio, a new dashboard tool that’s easy to use and makes it simple to pull data from multiple sources. A well-built dashboard shows how your website and online marketing are performing. This way your focus is on improving instead of pulling reports.
- How to get more timely and relevant interactions to boost your online traffic as well as your business!
Meet Jay Murphy
Jay Murphy works with large and mid-sized organizations to successfully convert business imperatives to effective marketing results. Strategies include delivering analytics, website development, social media strategy, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and display advertising. These are all optimized with measurable results. He has worked with organizations including GE, Harvard University and Janus Mutual Funds.
Additionally, Jay worked at Sapient Corporation as a director of program management. He led projects in a variety of industries including higher education, financial services, and energy. As for his education, he holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Northeastern University and an M.S. in Electric Engineering from Tufts University. Also, he was awarded a Draper Fellowship to attend Tufts University and took doctoral level coursework at MIT in Aerospace Engineering.
As a project leader on any web-based initiative, Jay brings an understanding of every technical nuance with an understanding of web-based marketing you just don’t find every day.
When he is not tweaking a website, Jay can be found cheering on his sons at baseball games or racing his sailboat.
Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!
Become a NIM $upporting member for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch from your device at your convenience.
Strategize Your Content for Maximum SEO and Social ROI
Trying to get to the top of Google? Seeking social media followers? Don’t miss this crucial #NIMRI talk, not just about SEO/social but HOW to maximize your marketing.
Keywords are out, long-form, expertise-showcasing content is in, not to mention infographics, images, and more.
“It’s all about repurposing creatively and squeezing all the value you can out of limited efforts – and – budgets.” – Ted Ives
Once again, a fellow #NIMRI member is graciously sharing insights THAT WORK – insights that folks paid $THOUSANDS$ to hear at the SMX conference.
Hear and ask:
- Why content is vital for marketing online and off
- How to market across multiple channels
- Top ways to be more effective and efficient.
Whether you’re a writer, photographer, marketer, or a “technophobe,” this non-techie talk will spark ideas and help get content flowing.
Meet Ted Ives!
Ted Ives has deep experience at technology companies ranging through every layer of the information technology stack (including Apple, Microsoft, APC, and National Semiconductor), previously served as Vice President of Product Management at The Search Agency, and currently helps enterprises to scale up online marketing efforts through custom engagements tailored to their unique situations.
Ted writes for his blog and also SearchEngineLand on a variety of online marketing topics with a special emphasis on Paid Search and SEO.
Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!
Become a NIM $upporting member, if you aren’t already, for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch from your device at your convenience.
Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use: Part 2
As promised here is Part 2 of our “Travel Blogger’s Secrets You Can Use” blog post! If you missed Part 1 be sure to click here and check out all the amazing blogging tips we covered in last week’s post. This week we’re talking about the best marketing, monetizing, and travel tips our lovely panelists, Tamara Gruber of We3Travel, Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”, and Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris, shared at our August #NIMRI event. So let’s get started!
Top 8 Marketing/Monetizing Tips
1. Soliciting Sponsors: The emphasis should always be on the content you’re creating. “Write it, and they will come,” said Priscilla sagely, “Produce high-quality content, and they will come.”
The Official “Work with Me” section of We3Travel’s About Page
2. Doing Business With Brands: There are a few ways a blogger can work with a brand: being contacted by people to place ads, contacting people to place ads, sponsored posts, or, if you’re lucky, a sponsored trip.“If I work with a brand or do a sponsored post, it has to be something I believe in. Once your audience doesn’t believe you, you’re done,” Priscilla warned.
“Native Advertising, which is when you have content that is already successful and then work with advertisers who would complement that content, can work very well,” said Lillie.
3. Navigating Negativity: It can be very difficult to figure out what to do when you have a bad experience as a blogger, particularly if the trip is a sponsored one. It is especially tricky because, depending on the country’s laws, you could potentially be sued for a negative review. “Contact the PR people and be sure to start with the positive things and then talk about the disappointments,” advised Priscilla, “I always give them a chance to fix it. If they do, I won’t write a bad review. If they don’t, I will offer to not write about it.”
“Steer away from negative content, even though it can be very effective. Everyone gets fired up over a bad review and they like to share it, but it doesn’t reflect very well on you and can get you into trouble,” offered Lillie.
4. Create a Community: “Facebook has become a pay-to-play platform. You can pay $5 to promote a post (and I do that sometimes), but you won’t see a big difference in your analytics. What’s really powerful is to form alliances and private Facebook groups, not just with other travel bloggers. People who like wine, food, lifestyle, even interior design share readers. The cross-pollenization that happens helps everyone grow,” Priscilla said.
5. Know Your Worth: “It depends on your reach and your demographic,” reasoned Tamara, “I have a group of travel blogger friends, and we share that information.”
“This is why you need the group mentality!” proclaimed Priscilla, “Building your blogging network is key. Whatever you do, don’t write a post for someone for free – it brings the rate for everyone down to $0. You’re time is worth something.
“I would argue that there is a value in giving content to high-traffic sites, so it can be OK to do something like that for free as long as there is some ROI. It’s a value to your resume,” Lillie said.
We3Travel on Pinterest © Photos by Tamara Gruber
6. A Photo’s Worth a Thousand Shares (nope, still not right): “For me, Pinterest is very important. It drives traffic to my site, often more than google,” Tamara shared.
“Be sure to link all of your photos: photos on Google and Pinterest should link to your website and have descriptions,” Priscilla said.
“Selling your photos can also be another source of income,” Lillie pointed out.
Here’s a look at the Newport Interactive Marketers’ Hootsuite dashboard
7. Tally Your Toolbox: “Don’t be afraid to automate! Hootsuite can schedule your posts at the best time for your demographic. You could write the best blog post ever, but if no one ever reads it, it won’t matter,” explained Lillie. To find out when the ideal time for your demographic is, be sure to check out Tweepi.
“The Tail Wind app is great for automating Pinterest,” shared Tamara, “Paying a little for the right tools can be worth it.”
“Google trends is an invaluable SEO tool,” said Priscilla, “In WordPress there is a feature where you can try a bunch of different options and put them in Google Trends to see where you are in searches.”
Snapchat! If you want to learn more about using Snapchat as a blogger, check out AdventurousKate
8. Socialize, Socialize, Socialize (your media, that is): “Learn and get busy on all social media sites and thank everyone who follows (NOT by direct message),” Priscilla advised.
“The biggest mistake people make is to just stop for an extended period of time on social media,” Lille said, “Be consistent and don’t be afraid to self promote!
“Snapchat is the newest thing people must be on, although it does appeal to a younger demographic,” said Tamara, “Its important to know who your audience is and where to find them.”
Top 3 Travel Tips
“Use Trivago or another trip-cost comparison site to look for the lowest fare. Then, take a screenshot and call the hotel. They will always match it, and it’s always better to book through the hotel because they tend to have a better cancellation policy and you also will be eligible for upgrades,” advised Priscilla.
“Tuesday is the best day to book airlines usually,” shared Tamara.
“People would pay a lot of money to stay in your home in beautiful Newport so rent it out on Airbnb to get money for travel and also find places to stay in yourself!” Lillie suggested.
All-Time Favorite Hotel
Balcony view from the Phoenix Resort in Belize © Photo by Lillie Marshall
Lillie’s Pick: The Phoenix in Belize “No better place for a babymoon!”
The now closed Kona Village Resort in Hawaii © Photo by Tamara Grub
Tamara’s Pick: Kona Village Resort in Hawaii “Unfortunately, after 45 years, this resort was forced to permanently close their doors after the March 2011 tsunami.”
The gorgeous Bitter End Resort in BVI © Photo by Priscilla Pilon
Priscilla’s Pick: The Bitter End in the British Virgin Islands “I’ve never been sponsored to stay at this hotel, but I visit every year!”
And, of course, we had to ask about their favorite place in Newport!
Castle Hill Inn from the sea © Photo by Priscilla Pilon
Priscilla’s Pick: Castle Hill Inn “They have the best lunch and the best views!”
The beautiful Hotel Viking (#NIMRI venue sponsor for our annual networking event!) © Photo by Lillie Marshall
Lillie’s Pick: Hotel Viking “This is the place to go to feel like royalty!”
Here’s what #NIMRI members were saying on Instagram and Twitter:
Great turnout at #NIMRI! A photo posted by Suzanne McDonald (@newportinteract) on
Here for #NIMRI (@ Parlor in Newport, RI) https://t.co/vWovYdNjrV — Kevin T Vine (@KevinTVine) August 12, 2015
Welcome to our panelists for @NewportInteract‘s meeting at Parlour on Broadway! #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/VRCF4huXid — Mia Lupo (@MiaLupo) August 12, 2015
Learning about travel blogging at #NIMRI at @ParlorNewport. #NewportRI A photo posted by The Newport Blast (@thenewportblast) on
#NIMRI Newport Interactive Marketers .. #education #business #rhodeisland @NewportInteract always informative — 02809 Photography (@02809Photo) August 13, 2015
Bravo, ladies! @sue_DesigEditor @sue_DesigEditor @WeekendInParis @tgruber @WeekendInParis #nimri #travelblogging #girlpower — Newport Stylephile (@NewportSTYLE) August 13, 2015
Many thanks to our venue sponsor Parlor Kitchen & Bar
Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use: Part 1
Wow! We covered so much incredible information at our August 12 event, Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use. Our three amazing panelists, Tamara Gruber of We3Travel, Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”, and Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris shared invaluable insights about blogging, marketing, monetizing, and, of course, traveling. We wanted to put together a couple of posts summing up all the best tips for any of you who might not have been able to make it or any #NIMRI members who want to refresh on what they learned. Part 1 will cover a little bit of background about our panelists and their top blogging tips. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!
How They Got Started
Tamara Gruber of We3Travel and her daughter, Hannah, visiting a breathtaking waterfall in Iceland
Tamara Gruber: “After a family trip, I was telling a friend everything I’d learned about traveling as a family, and she said ‘you should share this,'” explained Tamara. And thus We3Travel was born. Tamara Gruber’s blog centers around family travel and her family of three have traveled all over the world, from the cathedrals of Europe to the rainforests of Costa Rica. We3Travel was recently named one of the Top 20 Family Travel Blogs in 2015 by Holiday Lettings (a company owned by TripAdvisor). “I try to research trips and make itinerary suggestions that everyone can get something out of,” said Tamara, “Showing kids the world is a gift that we give to them.”
Lillie Marshall, of Around the World “L”, enjoying a stunning view in Turkey
Lillie Marshall: “I started at age 27, sleeping in $10 broom closets because I wanted to travel the world,” said Lillie. Around the World “L” which began in 2009, has covered everything from nomadic budget traveler trips to luxury family travel, now that its creator, Lillie Marshall, is married with a young son (and another on the way! Congrats Lillie!!). She works as an English teacher in Boston, and runs TeachingTraveling.com, a blog that interviews “Teacher-Travelers.” Lillie has one of the largest social media followings of any teacher in the world and Around the World “L” has been consistently selected for Top 100 Travel Blog rankings. She was also recently invited to attend White House Travel Bloggers Summit on Study Abroad and Global Engagement.
Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris (left) sharing a few drinks with her friend, Leah, in the Alps
Priscilla Pilon: “When I first started writing my blog I didn’t realize other people could see it. I made it for my friends and family. The first time I got a comment from a stranger, I was like ‘who is this?!’,” laughed Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend In Paris. Priscilla has traveled the world, but is an admitted Paris addict. In addition to her own blog, she is the Travel Editor for The Daily Basics (the editor of which she actually met at a #NIMRI event!), as well as a contributor for Upscale Living Magazine, The Daily Meal, and Travel Squire.
Top 6 Blogging Tips
1. Preferred Platform: Lillie, Tamara and Priscilla all recommend WordPress as a blogging platform. “You can really create your own identity since there are so many themes to choose from and they’re so easy to customize,” said Lillie, “and there are so many useful plugins!”
2. Traversing the Themes: Sifting through the bazillion or so WordPress themes can be a bit intimidating but it helps if you know want you want it to look like. Magazine-ish? Newspaper-ish? Word-driven? Photo-driven?
“Your theme must work with Google Analytics. Some older themes don’t,” Priscilla warned, “So, to be safe, don’t choose one that’s more than 3 years old. It also must be mobile responsive. If it isn’t it will be downgraded by Google.” In addition, 80% of internet users access the web through their smartphone. That is big chunk of your target audience who wouldn’t be able to access your website. However, if you already have an older WordPress site you don’t want to change, or you totally fall in love with an older theme the WP touch plugin can make it mobile responsive.
3. Camera of Choice: Priscilla uses a Nikon D5300, but many bloggers, including Lillie and Tamara, are moving from a big DSLR to smaller mirrorless cameras. Lillie chose the Sony Alpha 5100, and Tamara has both a Mirrorless Olympus and a Go Pro. “I also love to use my iPhone!” exclaimed Tamara.
One of the 8,000 photos: Morrells Boutique Estate in Johannesburg © Photo by Priscilla Pilon
4. A Word For Every Thousand Pictures (wait, that’s not right) : “People are captivated first by a photo,” Priscilla explained, “I like to pick the pictures first, then write the story. I took 8,000 photos on my recent trip to Africa and narrowed that down to about 20 for my article. Obviously you can’t fit all of your pictures in one post, but it is nice to build up a big media library so you can share the other photos on social media or in a later article.”
5. Feelings on Freelancing: “I think freelancing can be a little bit dangerous because you are putting all of this effort into someone else’s site. However, it’s different for everyone, and some people get a lot out of it,” Lillie said.
“I focused first on building my own blog and my own presence before moving into freelancing,” explained Tamara.
“You can get some street cred if you’re writing for other sources, but you have to have a thick skin. I was sending out 20 pitches and getting 19 no’s and 1 positive response. It makes you doubt yourself, but once you get going and they know your reputation, you’ll get 19 yes’,” shared Priscilla, “Just make sure you promise appropriately and over-deliver. Also, be on time!”
Geo-tagging on Instagram © Photo by Lillie Marshall
6. Share with Care: It isn’t a good idea to post things live in case of stalkers, and never post pictures of children without their parent’s permission. “I write about family travel, but for the longest time I didn’t use my daughter’s name,” shared Tamara, “Finally, it became too awkward writing ‘my daughter’ over and over, but it is something to be cautious about.”
“Make sure that what you’re posting is not traceable to you or where you live, and that it’s appropriate,” advised Lille, “Beware of geo-tagging!”
Next week our travel bloggers top marketing/monetizing and travel tips!
Many thanks to our venue sponsor Parlor Kitchen & Bar
What’s New with Google Analytics
Third-time presenter and BU’s Google Analytics Instructor Jay Murphy shared his tips on how to use Google’s recently overhauled Google Analytics. Newport Interactive Marketers learned about why businesses should be using Google Analytics and how to use the site’s new features.
Meet Jay Murphy
Jay Murphy works with large and mid-sized organizations to successfully convert business imperatives to effective marketing results by delivering analytics, website development, social media strategy, search engine marketing, search engine optimization and display advertising all optimized with measurable results. He has worked with organizations including GE, Harvard University and Janus Mutual Funds.
Jay previously worked at Sapient Corporation as a director of program management and led projects in a variety of industries including higher education, financial services and energy. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Northeastern University and a M.S. in Electric Engineering from Tufts University. He was awarded a Draper Fellowship to attend Tufts University and took doctoral level coursework at MIT in Aerospace Engineering.
As a project leader on any web-based initiative, Jay brings an understanding of every technical nuance with an understanding of web-based marketing you just don’t find every day.
When he is not tweaking a website – Jay can be found cheering on his sons at baseball games or racing his sailboat.
Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!
Become a NIM $upporting member, if you aren’t already, for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch from your device at your convenience.
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