Filtering Posts by Month: August, 2016

One of the quickest and most surefire ways to boost your SEO is—DUN DUN DUUUUN!—videos.

I know, I know. Writing a blog post once a month is hard enough. Who has time to create and post videos on a regular basis?

Before you throw this idea in your brain’s Recycle Bin and press “Delete,” consider this: Videos now show up in 70% of the top 100 results across all searches.

Basically, videos are to Google what candy is to kids; Google gobbles them up with the fervor of a 10-year-old on Halloween.

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to be the next Steven Spielberg to create videos that search engines go gaga over.

The kinds of videos I’m talking about are geared specifically toward boosting your SEO. They don’t have to be big-budget productions that eat up a ton of your time; they could be something as simple as product demonstrations and customer testimonials. This blog entry I wrote gives you some ideas for simple yet powerful, SEO-friendly videos.

Trust me, even simple videos can be a HUGE boost for your SEO efforts.  Here are three reasons why:

1. Ensures your website is crawled and indexed consistently: Google tends to crawl websites more often when the sites frequently add new content. If Google always finds fresh and relevant content—like videos—when it crawls your website, it will put your website in a higher spot in its index.
2. Keeps visitors on your site (lower bounce rate): People have loved watching “moving pictures” since that wacky A Trip To The Moon movie was made in 1902. The reason is that 90% of communication is visual—it’s biologically hardwired in us to be fascinated by videos. That’s why videos keep people on your website longer and reduce your bounce rate (which has been shown to increase a website’s ranking).
3. Helps off-page SEO: When you optimize your website’s videos for sites like YouTube (tags, keywords, descriptions, transcriptions, and so on), you bolster your search engine rankings by building links to your site. Also, consider that Google owns YouTube. Do you think Google might show a tiny bit more favoritism toward YouTube-optimized videos than non-YouTube-optimized videos? Gee, I wonder….

If you don’t have the time or inclination to create your own videos, but you want the hearty piece of SEO pie it dishes up, we’ve got you covered.

Our SEO package includes one video (script and production) per month. These videos are loaded with keyword-rich content and coding that is 100% geared toward boosting your search engine rankings.

Click here for an example of our SEO videos in action. They are deceptively simple on the surface. But underneath the modest exterior lies a smorgasbord of SEO-skyrocketing mechanisms.

Are you curious to know if your SEO as a whole is the equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster… or a straight-to-DVD dud? Click here for a free SEO audit, and we’ll tell you if Google thinks you’re “red-carpet worthy.”

We’ll perform an extensive analysis of your keywords, your on-page SEO, and your off-page SEO—basically, all of the mission-critical elements that Google and other search engines look for when they decide which websites get the top search engine spots.

Get to it!

-Rich

P.S. If you want high-end videos with amazing production values, we can help with that too. We provide massively engaging videos, TV commercials, and whiteboard-style Explainer Videos. Putting these bad boys on your website will not only boost your SEO, but they’ll also significantly augment your website’s professionalism and credibility.

Quick update…

On 8/11/16, I told you about Fortenberry Roofing, an MYM client who went from SEO Skeptic to Google Powerhouse in 28 days with our SEO services. (Read the incredible story here.)

When I first told you about Fortenberry’s ridiculous SEO success, we had 98% of their keywords ranking on page one of Google. Well, as of 7/30, we have 100% of Fortenberry Roofing’s keywords ranking on page one of Google.

Take a look…

Fortenberry Roofing’s keyword rankings as of 8/20. (Note: Small fluctuations in rankings are common.)

Not only is Fortenberry “batting a thousand” with their keywords, but they’re doing it consistently. As you can see from the chart above, all of their keywords are still in the top 10 as of 8/20.

What this says is that once MYM takes you to the top of Google, we keep you there FOR GOOD.

Even though Google constantly tinkers with its algorithms and probably keeps their metrics in an underground vault with more security than Fort Knox, we’re always on top of the latest changes.

We quickly adapt to whatever new SEO curveball that Google throws, whether it’s Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, or whatever the next animal-themed algorithm update is. (Polar bear? Platypus? Puggle?)

How do we do it? Through skill, experience, and good old-fashioned passion.

Our crack team of SEO experts eat, sleep, and breathe everything related to search engine optimization. They know things about Google before Google does. Keywords, title tags, and meta descriptions fill their dreams at night.

Their level of obsession kind of scares me.

But while my team’s love affair with SEO freaks me out, it should thrill you.

Think about it: You know from running your own business that your best installers are the ones who love the craft.

It’s the same with SEO—when you have passionate people (aka, obsessed geeks) running your SEO campaign, you’re 200 times more likely to see great results.

Just ask Fortenberry Roofing.

-Rich

P.S. Our SEO nerds would love to “peak under the hood” of your search engine optimization. Take advantage of our free Website Visibility Audit, and our team will do a deep dive into your keyword rankings and perform an exhaustive OnPage and OffPage analysis of your SEO efforts. We’ll then provide you with a comprehensive report and go over exactly how to improve your search engine rankings.

Satisfy our team’s insatiable craving for SEO sustenance—and start your journey to the summit of every major search engine today. Click here for your Website Visibility Audit.

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Angie’s List is finally opening their private, gated community to the public.

Yep—leaving and reading reviews on Angie’s List is now free for everyone.

I figured this would happen sooner rather than later. Google, Yelp, and Facebook dominate the online-reviews industry, and one of the biggest reasons why is that they’re free. Angie’s List’s “pay to play” model couldn’t compete anymore, so they are now giving non-paying AL members access to reading and leaving reviews.

Here are three ways Angie’s List giving the general public the “key to their city” radically affect your online reputation:

1.  Google will likely index your AL rating: You know how Google loves showing reviews from third-party websites on their results pages? It’s only a matter time before your Angie’s List profile starts popping up on page one. You want your AL profile locked and loaded with five-star reviews when that happens.
2.  One more avenue to add credibility: Angie’s List is one of the most respected and well-known names in the online reviews industry. Having great customer reviews on their website gives your online reputation a big boost.
3.  Your risk for negative online feedback increases: On the flip side of number 2, negative reviews on a popular site like Angie’s List can be noticeable blight on your online reputation. And since customers who have felt that they’ve had bad experiences are 50% more likely to leave a review, AL’s new review process makes you that much more vulnerable to profit-stunting negative feedback.

Bottom Line: Angie’s List is now incredibly important—I’m talking Yelp-levels of important—to your online reputation.

Start building a winning reputation on Angie’s List today with our Online Reputation Management. We can drive more customers to leave great online reviews on the websites of your choosing (Yelp, Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor—the list goes on and on). We can also help prevent negative reviews from ever seeing the light of day and alert you to any poor feedback already out there on the 170+ different review sites.

The result is a pristine online reputation that enhances your company’s credibility, which can cause a wild upsurge in your profits. (Studies show just a one-star rating increase on sites like Yelp can boost revenue by as much as 5% to 9%!)

Click here and fill out the form at the top of the page for a free instant Online Reputation Report of your business. You’ll see how your reputation stacks up on all of the most influential third-party review websites.

Discover the cold, hard facts about your online reputation today… and find out exactly how to make it generate tons of extra cash for your company.

Thanks!

-Rich

P.S. Think it’s impossible to turn an angry customer’s “frown upside down”? Think again. Here’s how an HVAC company ingeniously converts 80% of its negative reviews into five-star reviews. Their fostering of a “five-star culture” is a big reason they’re one of the top companies in their entire industry. Emulate their method, and watch your online reputation—and profits—reach a brand new level of awesome.

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If we were to compare Pay-Per-Click campaigns to Olympic athletes, here is what a “winning” PPC campaign would look like:

And here’s what the average contractor’s PPC campaign would look like:

It’s true while plenty of industries see “Usain Bolt on PEDs” levels of PPC success, contractors are like the guy who trips over his own feet as soon as he hears the starting pistol.

What’s worse is that many contractors have zero clue as to why their PPC campaigns are a bust. So they chalk it up to the same false conclusion: “PPC just doesn’t work.”

That’s a load of hot garbage.

• If PPC didn’t work, companies wouldn’t spend a total of $43 billion a year on Google AdWords.
• If PPC didn’t work, a large HVAC company we work with wouldn’t pump $50,000+ a month into its PPC campaign.
• If PPC didn’t work, MYM sure as heck wouldn’t offer it to our clients.

So, what’s the real reason PPC doesn’t work for you?

It’s basically the opposite of George Costanza’s “It’s not you, it’s me” routine. When it comes to your failing Pay Per Click campaign, it’s not PPC… it’s you!

Here are five possible reasons you’re running dead-last in the PPC Olympics:

1.    You’re Missing Phone Calls

I make this the first reason because a lot of companies (even outside of the remodeling industry) think all they have to do is launch a PPC campaign, kick back, and wait for the wads of cash to roll in.

PPC doesn’t work that way. In marketing terms, PPC leads are the “hottest of the hot.” But they can go from scorching to ice cold within a matter of minutes. If you don’t pick up when they call—or get back with them extremely quickly—they move on to the next company.

For your campaign to reach its full potential, you should answer 90% or more of your calls during business hours. (If that is difficult for you, we can refer you to an amazing live phone-answering service. Just reach out to us, and we’ll provide you with the info.)

2.    You Aren’t Relentlessly Following Up

Although you’ll lose a lot of PPC leads if you don’t pick up the first time they call you, you can still turn some PPC leads into appointments by following up quickly and often. Like I said, PPC leads are actively seeking a contractor right now. You lose them when you don’t get back to them immediately.

If possible, call back leads who leave you voicemails within five minutes. If they don’t pick up, leave them a voicemail and call them every day until you get a response. You’ll scoop up some of the leads you missed the first time they called.

3.    You Aren’t Spending Enough

PPC is a “spend money to make money” endeavor. You probably don’t want to hear that, but think of PPC like this: It’s like investing in a surefire stock—the more money you put in, the more money you make.

If your PPC campaign is under budget, you’re killing your impression share (i.e., how often you show up in the paid ad section on the results page). Companies that outbid you get the primo spots and show up more often, while you’re relegated to the dusty, cobwebbed-covered back corner of Google’s basement.

4.    You Don’t Have Online Chat

If you haven’t figured it out from the 17 times I’ve already said it, you have to act on PPC leads FAST. And the absolute fastest way is online chat.

I’ve already detailed why online chat is amazingly effective for a PPC campaign. To reiterate, online chat is a fantastic engagement tool. It’s an immediate “ice breaker” and a no-pressure way for a prospect to get their questions answered quickly.

5.    Your PPC Company Stinks

Honestly, a lot of PPC companies just aren’t that good. These companies do what I call “anglerfishing”. They lure you in with shiny-looking reports, technical-sounding jargon, and talk of how low of a Cost Per Click they can get for you (which means nothing—Cost Per Lead is the only metric that matters).

If this sounds eerily familiar to the PPC company you’re working with, you may want to say “sayonara” sooner rather than later.

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And there you go: Five common reasons contractors can’t clear Hurdle One in the PPC Olympics.

If you are having zero success with PPC, and none of these reasons apply to you, don’t panic. This is not a complete list.

Your PPC campaign could be a dud because your website is not pulling its weight. Or because your PPC ads aren’t effective. Or something else entirely.

Whatever the problem is, we can find it… and show you exactly how to fix it.

Click here for a free Lead Generation Audit. We’ll perform an in-depth examination of your PPC, SEO, and website. Then we’ll provide an extensive report of our findings, so you can see what you need to do to transform your company into the Michael Phelps of marketing.

Until next time.

-Rich

P.S. This brief blog post I wrote a few months ago tells you why MYM uses Cost Per Lead as the one true measure of a successful PPC campaign. It’s an eye-opening revelation for companies obsessed with Cost Per Click, which—frankly—means jack squat.