Category Archives: Search Marketing

“Getting found on Google” – how does Google think?

[Note: This post was originally published on September 5, 2017 and is updated with a new image and some edits on March 31, 2021 due to the interest of our dear readers. We also published a new post Google results are not organized alphabetically on March 31, 2021 given reader interest in the topic]

Instead of trying to second guess the latest algorithm that reportedly contains over 200 factors, it is far easier to intuitively understand the business of Google. And that’s not a secret and reading the Google founders story makes things clear and here are some quotes from the story- with some explanation

Educating the customer is a central task for marketers

The days of information asymmetry are over. Information is no longer power. And Google and other search engines are just getting started. The notion of the used car salesman trying to sell a “lemon” is a relic of the pre-internet era. Today, the entire history of a used car is available to consumers through servicesContinue reading “Educating the customer is a central task for marketers”

Landing Pages for SEO vs Landing Pages for Advertising

Your web visitor could be a prospective customer looking for your solution or an existing customer looking for customer service. Your customer can get to your web-page or landing page in two ways a) through your content based SEO or b) Paid advertising (like Google AdWords, Email marketing).

If they haven’t Googled about the problem you solve …

You are making sales calls and some customers are unresponsive even after initial conversations. It is quite possible that these people do  not have the problem that your business solves. They haven’t yet Googled about the problem you solve! For people are looking for solutions to their problems and all businesses exist to solve customerContinue reading “If they haven’t Googled about the problem you solve …”

Trump Effect: Five reasons why CEO’s will become more involved in Marketing and Supply Chain

The Trump (@realDonaldTrump) effect in Marketing and Supply Chain is that CEO’s worldwide will take more interest in the operational decisions in marketing and supply chain. While Chief Marketing Officers (CMO’s) being rainmakers have more visibility in organizations, the supply chain folks tend to be sidelined. The CSO (Chief Supply Officer/Head of Procurement/Purchasing) typically reportsContinue reading “Trump Effect: Five reasons why CEO’s will become more involved in Marketing and Supply Chain”

Why web advertising for e-Commerce is different from Brand Building

It’s useful to think about paid web advertising (eg.Google AdWords, Facebook advertising) as Brand Building vs. e-Commerce.

[ Note: This post was originally published on December 7, 2016. Due to the great interest of our dear readers the post is updated as of February 27, 2021.}

To recap the sales funnel is seen as Awareness, Consideration, Conversion in Google Search Advertising. The sales funnel before Internet was also known as the AIDA funnel. For simplicity, it’s good to think of the sales funnel as a three stage funnel of awareness,consideration and conversion. See how this three stage funnel is really quite similar to the four stage AIDA funnel and the buyer’s journey.

Don’t have a mobile website? Why the new iPhone7 should make you worry

The iPhone 7 launched yesterday. The biggest buzz is about the wireless headphones and the removal of the headphone jack.One more urgent reason to make your website mobile friendly. (plug your website URL to the Google Mobile Friendly Test tool to see if you are already mobile friendly). But first more about the iPhone 7Continue reading “Don’t have a mobile website? Why the new iPhone7 should make you worry”

Why consumer marketers always do field visits- and digital marketers should too

If you noticed, all consumer marketers do market field visits-all the time. Let’s say that a CMO or a marketer turned CEO is in town for a board meeting. You’ll find that CMO making the rounds of retailers and distributors. This after getting all those market research and insights syndicated reports. These reports break downContinue reading “Why consumer marketers always do field visits- and digital marketers should too”

Are they looking for an answer to a problem, a specific service or your business?

Business owners tend to be fighting so many battles that they don’t seem to have the resources to figure out how their customers find them on Google. This post helps you understand your customer’s journey.

Five tips for screening sales leads for high value products and services

You start a Google AdWords campaign and you start getting leads. Lots of leads. But as you start talking with the leads they don’t seem to pan out. Worse, down the line after signing up many of the customers are really unhappy with the customer experience and tell their friends, post on social media and do great damage to your brand. Your brand that you built literally brick by brick or byte by byte- if you are a digital only brand.