We’re constantly honing and upgrading our SEO efforts to improve our clients’ search rankings.

One of our newest SEO developments is that we now include whiteboard video creation in our SEO package.

Every month, our SEO clients receive one fully produced, fully SEO-optimized 30- to 60-second video.

These videos used to be primarily “talking head videos” (someone looking at and talking into the camera).

But now, we’re also offering our clients the choice between a talking-head video OR a gorgeous 30-second whiteboard video each month.

We’ve offered whiteboard explainer videos as a standalone service for about two years. They are up to three minutes long and encapsulate a client’s Identity with an engaging script and beautiful hand-drawn animation.

Our whiteboard explainer videos became such a hit with our clients—and provided such a big jolt to search rankings—that we just HAD to create a more concise version we could offer to our clients as part of their monthly SEO subscription.

Here’s an example of a whiteboard video our SEO clients can now get each month:

We haven’t included these videos in our SEO package just because they look cool. We’ve done it because videos (especially whiteboard videos) provide a number of benefits:

• They captivate prospects’ attention and keep their eyes glued to your website for a longer period of time.
• They reduce your website’s bounce rate (very helpful for SEO).
• They relay information in a way that’s easy for your prospects to understand (the visuals help this greatly).
• Studies show that people are better able to remember what’s in a whiteboard video as opposed to a “talking head” video (i.e., someone looking into the camera and reading from a script).
• Studies also show that videos in general are 53 times more likely to rank on Google’s first page.

Bottom line: Whiteboard videos are great for both SEO and increased prospect engagement.

We really had no choice BUT to include them as part of our SEO package.

Another cool thing about our SEO whiteboard videos: We’ve made the video-creation process ridiculously easy on our clients’ end.

Clients fill out a quick 10-minute online questionnaire each month. We use the info they provide to create high-quality, SEO-optimized whiteboard videos that go on their websites and YouTube channels.

It’s that simple.

If you want more info about our SEO whiteboard videos, reach out to us at (817) 416-4333 or start a chat with one of our customer engagement representatives live on our website. Our whiteboard-video creation is so hot-off-the-presses new to our SEO package, it’s not included on our official SEO services page yet.

(This makes you one of the first people to know about it.)

If you’d like more information about our stand-alone whiteboard video services, however, visit our Explainer Video page. You can see pricing details, get answers to your questions, and peruse a whole bunch of samples.

P.S. To recap: What’s the difference between MYM’s stand-alone whiteboard videos and the whiteboard videos that are included in our SEO package?

Big Difference One is our stand-alone videos are up to three minutes long, while the SEO videos are about 30 seconds long. This is because the main function of each type of video is different. Our SEO whiteboard videos are primarily meant to improve your search rankings, while our stand-alone whiteboard videos intended to showcase your Identity.

Big Difference Two is that the stand-alone whiteboard videos are just that—you get the one video. The whiteboard videos in our SEO package are freshly delivered to you every month.

The great thing is that both types of videos are engaging and enhance search rankings. So no matter what, you boost SEO and captivate your prospects.

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So a few weeks ago, we were finishing up a new contractor website.

Before we launch a website, our SEO department runs an automated audit of over 300 items SEO-related items (keyword density, meta coding, etc.). This ensures every piece of the SEO puzzle is there and nothing has slipped through the cracks.

If the audit comes back with a “warning,” it means we missed something, and we MUST fix it before launching the website.

Typically when we run the SEO audit, we either get just a handful of warnings or none at all. So we were confident that everything was going to be hunky dory to take the website live the next day.

Here’s how that process went:

1. We ran the SEO audit.
2. We awaited the results, so we could fix any last-minute issues and launch the site the following day.
3. We received the results.
4. We had a collective heart attack.

SEO Audit Result: 450 Warnings.

This is the part of the episode where Scooby-Doo says, “Ruh-roh.”

Somehow, we forgot to implement the metadata for 450 images on this client’s website (a really important “behind-the-scenes” SEO step). This is usually either already done or almost done by the time the website is ready to launch.

Sure, our SEO audit catches anything that slips through the cracks. But this was less of a “slip in the crack” and more of an “8,000-foot plunge into the Grand Canyon.”

Image metadata takes us 7-10 days to complete. And the website absolutely HAD to launch the next day.

Long story short…

We had to condense 56 to 80 hours worth of work into 14 hours.

To make matters worse, you can’t automate quality image tags. Every single tag must be MANUALLY written. That leaves a TON of room for spelling errors, punctuation errors, and duplicate tags.

The image metadata process goes like this:

1. Analyze images
2. Write tags
3. Edit tags the 1st time
4. Edit tags a 2nd time
5. Implement tags
6. Final tag edits

After our SEO team recovered from their initial panic attacks, they regrouped, got down to business, and pulled an all-nighter. The Diet Coke and coffee flowed freely.

Fast-forward 10 hours.

The rooster crowed to signal the morning.

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon.

And our red-eyed, sleep-deprived SEO team had created and implemented all 450 image tags.

Not only that, but they did it near perfectly.

For typical website projects, our SEO team makes modifications to 30% to 50% of image metadata code during the editing phase.

When they finished implementing the 450 image tags for this website, they achieved an error rate of less than 10%. That’s like LeBron scoring 50 points on 90% shooting.

The result of the MYM SEO team’s Herculean effort?

The contractor’s website launched on time… and our SEO team took a long, well-deserved nap.

Here’s the thing…

These kinds of rush jobs are NOT standard practice at MYM.

But if an unexpected fire is raging, we’re equipped to go “all hands on deck” to put it out… quickly and for good.

It all comes down to having the proper processes in place (like our SEO audit) and people who are passionate about their clients’ success.

When you have a marketing company like that in your corner, the sky is the limit for your success.

Head on over here to learn more about our SEO services and see a comprehensive list of behind-the-scenes “nerd stuff” that goes into every contractor’s website. You’ll be surprised at how involved it is.

P.S. Prior to this post, you may not have realized the importance of coding image tags. To see if the image tags on your website are “up to snuff”—along with the rest of your SEO and online marketing efforts—take advantage of our Lead Generation Audit. You’ll get an exhaustive analysis of your internet marketing efforts, along with how to improve the areas in which you’re lacking.

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So, I have a bet going with my COO, Bryan Bauman. Winner gets a hundred bucks.

Bryan says our recent Yext Certified Partner status is a good selling point to advertise.

I say prospects won’t give a flying fig because most contractors don’t know what the heck Yext is.

I’m confident I’ll win the bet, even though I don’t really want to.

I’ll explain.

Yext is a program that allows you to manage and optimize your local business listings across 100+ websites (Google, Yellow Pages, BBB, CitySearch, and so on).

It’s a great tool for companies that want to grow their business. Stanley Steamers, Ben & Jerry’s, Pep Boys, T-Mobile, Meineke, and a whole bunch of other big names use Yext because IT WORKS.

Yext is just as effective for contractors, too. At MYM, we use Yext to build our SEO clients’ local brand awareness, enhance rankings, and drive more traffic to their websites by managing their info on these business listing sites.

Unfortunately, most contractors fall into one of three camps:

A) They don’t know about Yext (many don’t even know which business listing sites they’re on!).

B) They know about Yext but don’t get how it can benefit them.

C) They know about Yext, know what it can do for them, but can’t budget the time or labor for it.

Make no mistake—optimizing and managing your online business listings is heavy-duty work.

You need to ensure your listings are correct, fix any inconsistencies across business listing websites (Google hates inconsistent listings), put your company on all the sites where YOUR prospects are looking, continually optimize your listings to improve search engine rankings… and a dozen other things.

If you were to manage your business listings yourself, you’d need to dedicate a full-time person to it, which would cost you thousands a month.

The Ben & Jerry’s and T-Mobiles of the world bank hundreds of millions of dollars every year, so they can afford to do that.

The average contractor? Not so much. Creating a new position with a five-figure-per-year salary isn’t possible.

MYM clients, though, don’t have to worry about any of that. They get our Yext Certified services as part of their SEO package.

Our clients have certified experts (i.e., us) managing and optimizing their business listings round-the-clock… for literally a fraction of the cost it would take them to do in-house. As a result, they get more web traffic, more brand awareness, and a serious SEO steroid shot that shoots their local rankings through the roof.

Our SEO clients also get to take advantage of our Yext Certified Partner status. We know absolutely everything there is to know about Yext and how to ensure your online business listings. That means we squeeze every last bit of mileage out of the service for them, AND we get access to new Yext features for clients before they’re made available to the public.

This gives our clients such a giant leg up on local competitors, it’s almost unfair.

Want to know more about all of the advantages MYM SEO clients have over the competition? Visit our SEO page.

So, yeah… having a Yext Certified Partner managing your online business listing is a HUGE benefit. Many contractors aren’t even aware of (which means I’ll likely lose that $100 bet).

But now that you ARE aware of the importance of managing your online business listings—and the huge profits at stake—what will you do about it?

P.S. Next post, I’ll inform you of the hidden cash-sucking parasite that could be costing you thousands of dollars… without your knowledge.

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Ever notice how there are approximately 129,347 different diets, programs, pills, products, and scams for weight loss?

Heck, you probably have someone on your Facebook friend list who’s become a “representative” for some multi-level-marketing company and the latest fat-loss fad product (stomach wraps, magical diet pills, etc.) they’re hocking.

Even though 99.9% of these flash-in-the-pan remedies don’t work, people buy ‘em up by the millions. The prospect of a getting a killer beach bod while exerting zero effort is just too tempting to pass up.

Deep down, though, everyone knows—but won’t admit to themselves—that there’s really just one simple three-step process to losing weight:

1. Lay off the Big Macs.
2. Hop on the treadmill.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you get the result you want.

This method is GUARANTEED to work, but it takes time and energy. That’s why everyone always flocks to the latest bogus “solution” that promises instant results.

It’s the same with SEO.

Contractors don’t want to put forth the required time and effort to get good results. So they fall for all the gurus promising magic solutions that launch your site to the top of Google Mountain with no effort or time.

In the back of your mind, though, you know it’s a load of crap.

But in case you don’t, I present 3 SEO “Magic Pills” that are actually poison for your rankings:

Magic Pill #1: Keyword Stuffing

Shoving a bunch of keywords and geographic locations on a webpage might get you immediate results, but your ranking will gradually decrease as Google realizes that no one likes your website.

Example: “We are expert replacement window installers for Dallas TX, Fort Worth TX, Richardson TX, Mesquite TX, Garland TX, Plano TX, Irving TX, Balch Springs TX, and Farmers Branch TX.”

Would you ever say this to a prospect face to face? No. They’d never buy from you.

It’s the same with your internet prospects. If your website reads like it was written by Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, people will click away faster than you can say “Captain Jean-Luc Picard.” As a result, your rankings will sink at warp speed.

Bottom Line: Prospects who visit your website are humans, too. So don’t write for Google; write for PEOPLE (while tossing in the occasional keyword in logical places).

Magic Pill #2: Spammy Links

Having a ton of outside sources linking to your website SOUNDS like a great SEO-boosting strategy. But it only works if the places linked to your website are worth a dang.

Read the comment section of this webpage for an example of links Google hates. This is called “forum spam,” and Google will destroy you if they catch you doing it.

For a comprehensive list of link spam, click here.

Bottom Line: Quality links to your website = good. Spammy links to your website = bad. REALLY BAD.

Magic Pill #3: Emphasizing Quantity Over Quality

Having 400 blog posts on your website is useless if they are poorly written, boring, thin on content, and irrelevant to your market.

If you spend less time on your blog posts than it takes to nuke a Hot Pocket, you’re who I’m talking about. If you want a smorgasbord of examples, Google just about any type of service in your town. You’ll see a ton of keyword-stuffed blog posts with wafer-thin content.

Bottom Line: Google will hurt your rankings something good if they discover your webpage content is awful. (And Google WILL discover it sooner rather than later.)

To sum all of this SEO talk up:

To achieve true SEO success, you have to do things the RIGHT way.

There is no “magic pill” that takes you to page one instantly. If someone tells you otherwise, remember all of the worthless weight-loss products that deliver ZERO results.

The truth is that it takes at least 6 to 9 months to start seeing quality SEO results.

When MYM is in charge of your SEO, that’s about the amount of time it’s going to take. We do NOT promise you overnight SEO success. What we do promise is that we’ll use ALL of the right methods to get you to number one.

This means:

• writing engaging content.
• creating relevant back links (and Disavowing the bad ones!)
• inserting the right keywords in the right places. “nerd coding” your website to take advantage of Google’s latest algorithms
• ensuring your business listings are consistent, (and that duplicate listings are suprressed!)
• optimizing your Google My Business page and other social media details are optimized
• marking your website up with “schema” (a special language that Google reads on how to show your website in search results to get more traffic.)
• auditing your website once per month to catch any broken links, broken pages, or error codes in your site
• creating high quality service area landing pages so that you can rank for cities other than where your office is located
• and so. so. much. more. (Here’s a mostly complete list of the things we do for our SEO Clients).

Sure, this takes time. But it’s the ONLY way to get the results you want.

The good news is that it takes no effort on your end—kick back and let us handle the hard work for you.

Check out more details about MYM’s Search Engine Optimization.

P.S. For some amazing client SEO success stories, click here, here, here, here, and here.

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