You First SEO and Marketing

01/12/2026

Google will soon update Gemini to allow in app product purchases.

If you sell products and you aren't optimizing for AI search then is the wake up call.

If you sell services consider this your wake up call as well. It won't be long.

Google is preparing its AI products for a more e-commerce-like experience. Retailers can also add options for special discounts and checkouts.

11/27/2025

Google will be rolling out anonymous Google reviews.

People will be able to leave reviews while keeping their identity private.

This could open the door for more fraudulent reviews but it will be a huge boost for industries like therapist/counselors with sensitive information.

11/19/2025

SEMRush has been acquired by Adobe 🤯

10/05/2025

For many prospective customers your website will be their first impression.

It forms the foundation of all of your digital efforts.

So when it comes to building your website, why are you looking for the cheapest option?

When people call or email your business and they say they just want the cheapest option what do you think?

09/29/2025

If you run Google Ads it's important to remember Google's suggestions are good for Google, not necessarily your campaign.

Don't run performance max on a small budget.

Don't go all in on broad match keywords on a small budget

Do create very tight keyword clusters and align your landing page with that cluster.

09/23/2025

Here's a list of ways you can gain new customers. I hope this helps someone and gets the creative marketing ideas flowing:

Foundational Online Presence

Google Business Profile (GBP) - Your free profile on Google Maps and Search. Optimizing this with photos, posts, and encouraging customer reviews is one of the most powerful ways to attract local customers.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - The long-term strategy of optimizing your website to show up on the first page of Google. It builds trust and brings in consistent traffic over time, but requires patience. SEO results are measured in months.
Blogging & Content Creation - Writing articles, creating videos (YouTube), or making social media content that answers your ideal customer's biggest questions. This positions you as a trusted expert.
Email Newsletter - A direct line of communication to your most interested leads and customers. Use it to build relationships, share value, and announce offers, rather than just selling.

Paid Advertising

Social Media Ads (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) - Allows you to target potential customers based on their interests, demographics, and online behavior. Great for visual products and services.
Google Ads - Paying to appear at the top of Google search results for specific keywords. This allows you to capture people who are actively searching for a solution you provide.
Radio & Traditional Ads - A classic way to reach a broad local audience. Can be effective for businesses that serve a wide demographic in a specific geographic area.
Direct Mailers - Sending postcards, letters, or flyers to specific households. Can be very effective for local service businesses when targeted to the right neighborhoods.

Direct Outreach & Networking

Networking Events - Attending local Chamber of Commerce, One Million Cups, or other industry meetups to connect with people in person. The key is to build genuine relationships, not just hand out business cards. Oftentimes these events are filled with people also looking to talk about their business and not buy something so be careful this doesn’t turn into a time waster.
Cold Calling & Cold Emailing - Proactively reaching out to potential clients who have not yet expressed interest. This requires thick skin and a solid script but can yield immediate results.
Door-to-Door Sales - A classic, in-person approach that works well for certain local services.
Community Involvement - Volunteering for a local cause or joining a community board. It’s a way to network with a servant's heart and build a positive reputation naturally.

Building on Relationships & Trust

Referral Programs - Actively encouraging and rewarding your existing customers for sending new business your way. This is powerful because the recommendation comes from a trusted source.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials - Proactively asking for reviews on Google, Yelp, or your website. Positive reviews are "social proof" that new customers rely on to make decisions.
Collaborations & Partnerships - Teaming up with a non-competing business that serves the same audience (e.g., a home painter partners with a realtor). You can cross-promote each other to generate warm leads.
Influencer & Affiliate Marketing - Partnering with trusted voices in your niche to promote your product or service to their audience, often in exchange for a commission on sales.

Positioning Yourself as an Expert

Lead Magnets - Offering a free, valuable resource (like a downloadable guide, checklist, or webinar) in exchange for someone's email address. This is the primary way to build your email list.
Hosting Workshops & Webinars - Teaching your audience how to solve a problem related to your industry. This builds immense trust and attracts high-quality leads who see you as an authority.
Guest Appearances - Being a guest on someone else's podcast, YouTube channel, or blog. This allows you to borrow their audience and credibility to grow your own.
Public Relations (PR) - Getting your business featured in local news, magazines, or online publications. This "earned media" can provide a huge boost in visibility and trust.

09/22/2025

Google Business Profile Mini-Guide:

Fill out as much info as you can.

Regularly update images. Set a reminder to monthly or quarterly upload a few new images.

Add your services and descriptions.

Fill out the FAQ section of your profile. If you don't know what people are asking use Google's "people also ask" feature to figure out what questions you should answer.

Make post on the Update section of your profile somewhere between weekly or monthly. You can use a free Buffer account to schedule them out in advance.

Don't leave reviews up to chance. Make gathering reviews part of your ongoing business process/workflow.

Bonus tip: you Google's keyword planner to find what people are searching for and add those into your service descriptions, FAQs, and updates.

09/20/2025

A couple weeks ago I posted about the importance of having a strong brand voice.

As this article points out it drives a lot of engagement.

It drives engagement because people tend to either strongly agree or strongly disagree.

That what your business needs.

There's a saying in sales. "No, is the second best answer."

You need a strong yes or no. "Maybe" "Kind of" "I'll get around to it." are killers.

They stall. They keep you on the hook for a future that may never come.

You need people to encounter your ad, website, or social content and say, "That's exactly what I am looking for." "These people get me!"

Or "This isn't for me at all."

Otherwise you're just another realtor, plumbing company, resurant, ECT.

I don't like being controversial for the sake of being controversial but more and more I am moving my clients to strong company positions that genuinely align with who they are.

The results have been phenomenal.

One client has picked up a new customer every single day this month for reoccurring services.

If you need help crafting a strong identity that will attract the right people and remove the time wasters, send me a message.

09/19/2025

Posting "call us for a quote" in a business group isn't marketing.

That's like picking your vacation by closing your eyes and throwing a dart at the map.

You need a PLAN for consistent leads.

CONSISTENT leads come from showing up when and where people are looking for the solutions you offer.

Consistent leads, lead to consistent growth.

AI is changing how the game is played but not the game itself.

09/18/2025

If you're running ads to a landing page you have to make sure your ad copy and landing page are tightly aligned.

Translation:
If your ad talks about how fast your service is your landing page should reinforce that.

If your ad talks about how experienced your staff is your landing page should reinforce that.

Your ad sets the customer's expectations.

Your landing page closes them on the same idea.

Don't try to have your landing page reinforce too many ideas.

Better to create a different landing page.

Most website platforms allow you to copy a page and tweak it so you aren't starting from 0.

09/17/2025

If you sell B2B and are looking to generate high quality low cost leads here's an idea for you:

Use a tool like Outscrapper to grab company contact info from their Google Business Profile. (You can sort by industry.)

Use a tool like Smartlead.ai to set up email cadence without hitting spam folders.

Run Meta ads to retarget the leads that went to your website from your emails but didn't convert.

Highly targeted commercial leads for a couple hundred dollars.

09/17/2025

Keywords aren't ingredients you have to stuff into content.

Keywords are clues to what people are looking for.