Google’s Latest Quality Rater Guidelines: A Comprehensive Look into E-E-A-T and What it Means for Your Business

As a business owner, staying up-to-date with the latest developments in SEO is crucial, especially if you want to improve your website’s online visibility. Google’s search ranking algorithm is continually evolving, and understanding the latest updates can be critical to your business’s success.

In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines hold significant importance. These guidelines outline the standards that Google’s team of human evaluators use to assess the quality of search results. Recently, Google made several serious updates to these guidelines, focusing on the E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) of web content.

These updates have far-reaching implications, especially for businesses that rely on online visibility to expand their reach and attract customers. As such, business owners must understand the significance of these changes and how they affect how Google evaluates its content.

What is E-E-A-T?

One of the most crucial updates to Google’s quality rater guidelines is the addition of an extra “E" for experience in the E-A-T acronym, which stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This update, known as E-E-A-T, is essential for businesses looking to improve their online visibility and increase organic traffic to their website.

How Google’s Quality Raters Evaluate E-E-A-T

Google’s quality raters review the web page content and assign a rating based on how well it meets the E-E-A-T criteria. This quality rating is done by focusing on the page’s authors, topics covered, and sources or citations of information.

The quality rater must be able to clearly identify who wrote the content and determine if they are an expert in the topic. Additionally, quality raters will assess the sources’ trustworthiness and evaluate whether or not the content meets quality standards.

What This Means for Business Owners

E-E-A-T is an integral part of Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines and majorly impacts businesses looking to improve their online visibility. So, business and website owners must understand the importance of E-E-A-T to create high-quality content and score well with Google’s Quality Raters.

For business owners to continue increasing their online visibility by following these new guidelines, they should ensure that an experienced content creator can produce relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy material pertinent to their website’s niche.

Today, businesses must strive to go to the source, use reliable sources in their content creation process, and ensure that any information used is accurate and up-to-date.

Why E-E-A-T Matters for Your Website?

Google’s E-E-A-T update is essential for businesses because it can impact your website’s search engine ranking. Google’s search algorithm aims to provide users with the most helpful and relevant information available. By improving your website’s E-E-A-T, you can also increase traffic and the chances of your business’s online content ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This means more organic traffic, potential customers, and sales for your business.

Working to improve your website’s E-E-A-T can be a time-consuming and challenging process. However, the potential benefits of improving your website’s ranking make it well worth the effort. By understanding how important a high E-E-A-T is to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, businesses have the opportunity to get more customers and gain an advantage over their competitors.

E-E-A-T Relating to YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) Sites

The E-A-T update is especially important for websites that offer medical, financial, or legal advice. These websites are known as “Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) websites and are held to a higher standard by Google because users’ decisions because their information could significantly impact their health, finances, safety, or overall well-being.

With Google emphasizing expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, it is more important than ever for websites to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content and building a robust and trustworthy reputation. Failure to do so could significantly impact your website’s traffic and rankings.

Improving Your E-E-A-T

Improving your website’s E-E-A-T requires a combination of expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness, and experience. Here are some tips for improving your website owner E-E-A-T:

Create High-Quality Content That is Original, Informative, and Helpful to Users.

Make sure your content in social media posts is factually accurate, up-to-date, and well-researched. This means avoiding plagiarism and using credible sources to back up your claims.

Establish Authority in Your Field by Creating Content that Demonstrates Your Expertise.

Share your personal experiences and knowledge to show your readers that you are a trusted, authoritative, or trustworthy source of information. This means using a professional tone, providing detailed explanations of complex topics, and avoiding making false claims.

Use Trustworthy Sources and References to Back Up Your Claims.

This will help establish the trustworthiness of your own content too. Citing authoritative sources like scholarly articles, government websites, digital marketing agencies, and reputable news outlets can help boost your E-E-A-T organically.

Optimize Your Website for Local SEO.

Optimizing your website for local search terms is essential if you’re a business in high-competition areas like NYC or Charleston, SC. This means using strategic local SEO, such as adding your business to local directories, google search, and creating relevant content to search queries from your local audience.

Engage with Your Audience on Social Media and Other Platforms.

Respond to comments and questions, and use social media and digital marketing, to promote your content and establish your authority in the digital world of your field. This means using a consistent voice, sharing relevant content, and responding promptly to inquiries.

Partner with a Professional SEO Company.

A professional SEO company like Fudogmedia.net can help you improve your website’s E-EAT and rank higher in local search results. A reputable SEO company can also help you create high-quality content, optimize your website for local search engines, establish authority, and develop a positive reputation in your field.

How to Track Your Website’s E-E-A-T Score

Once you have taken steps to improve your website’s E-E-A-T, it is vital to track your product review progress. Fortunately, several online tools can help you measure and track your website’s E-E-A-T score.

Google Analytics is one of the most popular online tools for tracking website performance and SEO metrics. With Google Analytics, you can track a website’s performance on individual pages, as well as overall website traffic and user engagement. You can also use Google Analytics to monitor your website’s SEO rankings and organic search traffic over time. This will allow you to determine if changes or improvements to your E-EAT have positively or negatively impacted your website’s search rankings.

Monitoring metrics like bounce rate, time on page, organic search, and volume search quality can also help you determine if changes or improvements to your E-EAT have the desired effect. If your website’s organic search traffic is increasing, but its quality of it has not improved, this could indicate that your efforts to improve your website’s low E-E-A-T score have been unsuccessful.

You can also use online tools like MozBar or SEMrush to measure specific SEO metrics, such as domain authority and keyword rankings for different websites. This can give you a better understanding of how your website performs in various SERPs and how changes or improvements to your E-EAT score affect those rankings.

Ultimately, tracking the appropriate performance level of your website’s E-EAT score is essential to the success of your SEO efforts. By using the right tools and tracking relevant metrics, you can effectively measure your website’s E-EAT score over time and make tweaks where necessary. This will help you create an effective SEO strategy that generates long-term results.

Key Takeaways

It is clear that E-E-A-T is a critical factor in Google’s search engine optimization algorithm, and business owners should begin to understand its importance. Improving your website’s E-E-A-T requires a combination of expertise, authoritativeness, adequate expertise, trustworthiness, and experience. By creating high-quality, informative content and establishing your authority in your field, you can improve your website’s search engine ranking and drive more traffic to your site.

As a Charleston, SC SEO company, Fudogmedia.net is committed to helping businesses improve online visibility and rank higher in search engine results pages. We understand the importance of E-E-A-T in SEO.

We can help you optimize your website for local search terms and target keywords, establish your authority in your field, and provide high-quality, informative content that resonates with your target audience.

Contact us today for a free consultation and learn how we can help take your site traffic to the next level.

3 Reasons Your Business Needs a Multichannel Marketing Approach Including Google Ads and Local SEO

For small businesses in South Carolina, the ability to reach potential customers is more important now than ever before. As competition has risen, so have consumer expectations for online experiences. That’s why having a multichannel marketing approach – one that includes PPC and SEO – is essential for success.

At Fu Dog Media in South Carolina, we understand that PPC and SEO are two of the most efficient digital marketing channels available. PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, allows you to quickly and easily reach customers through Google Ads and other platforms. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a long-term strategy designed to improve your website’s rankings in organic search results over time. By combining PPC and organic search efforts, your business can be more effective and efficient in reaching customers.

Here are three reasons why PPC and SEO should be party of your digital marketing approach:

Reach More Customers

PPC provides an immediate opportunity to reach potential new customers. Through PPC you can target specific keywords that fit with your products and services. PPC helps to put your business at the top of search engine results, ensuring that your website is seen by a larger audience. Through PPC, you can also gain insights into which keywords are performing best so you can optimize campaigns.

Drive Conversion

PPC and SEO both help drive conversions on your website. PPC helps you to quickly drive traffic to your website and ensures that potential customers find it more easily. SEO helps to link relevant content on your website with searches, driving organic traffic over time. Both PPC and SEO offer opportunities for conversion optimization by testing different campaigns and targeting the right keywords.

Increase Brand Awareness

PPC and SEO can help you establish your brand and increase awareness of your company. PPC can be used to target new markets, while SEO helps bring more organic traffic to the website – both of which help boost your visibility and credibility in the marketplace. PPC also helps to create brand recognition through targeted ad campaigns that are seen by potential customers.

At Fu Dog Media in South Carolina, we understand how powerful PPC and SEO can be when it comes to marketing your business. PPC and SEO provide an effective way to target new customers and increase conversions on your website. With PPC and SEO working together, your multichannel marketing efforts can help you reach greater success.

If you’re looking for help with PPC and SEO, contact Fu Dog Media. We’ll work with you to develop a multichannel marketing strategy tailored to your business and its needs. Let us show you how PPC and SEO can help you reach more customers, drive conversions, and increase brand awareness.

It’s Not Just a Contact Form – 10 Reasons It Is SO Much More!

We talk a lot about the importance of a website and how it is by far one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal, but have we discussed the contact form? A contact form is just a formality that allows people to inquire if they are interested…right?

Nope! Let’s rephrase that. A contact form is way more than a formality IF you use it correctly. Very few business owners understand that a contact form can be a useful tool for security, marketing, convenience, and quantifying and qualifying your audience. If you maximize all that your contact form can do, you will be amazed at the power it holds!

10 Gifts Stemming From a Properly Created Contact Form

Defining Your Audience

When creating your contact form, you get to choose what fields you want to collect. Companies that use more fields to get information learn more about their potential audience. For instance, just a simple “message” field box will give people an avenue to share their thoughts, preferences, experiences, and other opinions that can then help you to shape your business practices and target your audience more proficiently.

Security

Having a contact form will help to weed out spam messages and scams. Why? On a contact form, you don’t have your physical email address published for the world to see. The consumer simply sees a button that says “submit” and it goes directly to your email address. By hiding your email using a contact form, it will reduce the risk of spam and scams!

Email Gathering

Contact forms are an excellent way to gather data and information for marketing tactics. Simply compiling emails will give you a database that you can use for marketing, advertising, and promotions. The more emails you gather, the bigger your audience becomes. Being successful is all about having multiple pathways to reach potential consumers on as many platforms as possible.

Convenience

No one wants to pick up a phone to contact a business anymore. In fact, many people will bounce to another site or competitor if they have to do more than click a button. For convenience’s sake, a contact form spells it out for an audience with a decreasing attention span. Users don’t want to have to search your site to find out how to reach you, and they probably won’t take the additional step of calling you. Patience is a hard commodity to find these days, so don’t test your potential clients’ patience…it won’t get you very far!

Maintains High Degree of Communication

Not only do you make it easier for potential clients to reach out to you; you have one place to receive and organize emails and data, which will help keep you on track. In an age where we are all shifting gears constantly, having everything you need in one place is a godsend.

Cut to the Chase

The fewer steps that it takes for a consumer to get what they need, the more likely they are to follow through. The problem with most contact forms is that they are open-ended, meaning that if all you collect is someone’s name and email, it doesn’t provide you with the information that you need to really “help” probable consumers.

If you add more depth to your contact form and weed through commonly asked questions and standard things that you need to know, you cut back on the steps to hooking them. Using categories to sort and define are a great way to cut to the chase and reduce the risk you will lose them along the way from visitor to consumer.

Personal Data Isn’t Required

Putting your name, phone number, or email on the internet can be a recipe for spam and scam disaster. By using a contact form, you control how people get to contact you and the information they have. When used properly, a contact form gives you all the information you need about your consumer while keeping most of yours under wraps.

It Makes Responding Easier

When you lay out your contact form properly, it makes EVERYTHING easier! Nothing is a bigger time-waster than going from one thing to the next or continually searching for pieces of information that you need. By designing your contact form and collecting all that you need in one place, all you have to do is click to respond and it’s done. In today’s busy world, we all know if we don’t do it NOW, it usually won’t get done – so make it as easy for yourself as possible!

Professionalism is Everything!

A contact form says to potential consumers that you are “official and interested.” What do we mean by that? Not using a contact form is like showing up to class without a pen and paper. It may send an impression to your consumer that you really aren’t that “into” them. No one wants to have to chase a business down, so don’t make them. When you have a contact form front and center, it is like standing at the front door – all ready and waiting!

Collect Feedback

Nothing helps a business keep up with the demands and preferences of their customer more than feedback. Feedback is a helpful tool to enhance your service or product. If you ask for people’s feedback, they are usually more than happy to provide it. But…you do have to ask!

We talk about the importance of a website all the time, but it isn’t an entity; it is a series of tools that all need to be maximized for their full potential. Thinking “It’s just a contact form” is like saying the Titanic just hit a little block of ice! If you ask, you shall receive, and if you approach your contact form with that in mind, you can keep your mind in the game, increase your lead generation and bottom line, and increase your favorability with both existing and potential consumers.

Fu Dog Media is committed to providing you with all the tools, hacks, skills, knowledge, and savvy you need to dominate the web. We have so many ways that we can take your business to the next level, we don’t even know where to start. Oh wait…we do: at the beginning! Contact us today and let us help you use every bit of your website resources. Together, we can do some really amazing things!

Four Surefire Ways to Hire the Right SEO Company

Although anyone can technically call themselves an SEO pro, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they actually are. With COVID behind us and the economy returning to full speed ahead, now is an excellent time to increase your presence on the internet. That takes more than a do-it-yourself approach to SEO. It takes hiring an SEO company in Charleston, SC that not only knows what they are doing, but has a proven track record for getting results.

Do you know the signs to look for that you are hiring the right SEO company in Charleston, SC? Knowing what to look for can make the difference between mediocrity and mastery.

The Benefits of Hiring an SEO Company in Charleston

Many business owners dabble in SEO practices. Why dabble? Just like every other part of your business practices, SEO is one of the most critical components to gaining local exposure on the web. Outsourcing your SEO means that you don’t have to pay someone full-time, and it also means that you are hiring a company that specializes in one thing: doing SEO right.

Any smart business-minded person knows that the key to success is doing what you do best and delegating the rest to the best in their respective fields, which includes SEO. When you hire an expert SEO company in Charleston, they can:

  • Begin implementing a targeted and highly effective SEO campaign from day one
  • Save money by spending your resources only on strategies that get the most for your advertising and marketing money
  • Broaden your brand’s online reach by using all channels available
  • Prevent the potential of being flagged by Google or other companies for SEO errors that can end up with huge penalties
  • Explain what your analytics mean in practical and useful terms that translate
What Are the Best Tips for Hiring an SEO Company in Charleston?

As with any service you need, the key is finding a true expert. Sometimes that is harder than it might seem. Many SEO companies claim to be the best, but the proof is in the results, statistics, and leads or sales. Actions and results speak way louder than words, so make sure that your SEO company can deliver what they say they can!

Online Reviews and Ratings are Real

Often people wonder if online reviews and ratings are real or if there is some way to fabricate them. Sure, you can go to some pretty great lengths to mess with online reviews and ratings, especially those generated by Google. But an SEO company, however good they are, is still guided by the same rules as everyone else, and there is really no way to manipulate what customers are saying, have said, or will say besides by doing a good job and earning good reviews and for people to actually rate you highly.

As any SEO professional will tell you, it is critical to build your reputation online, and that can only come from doing the legwork, putting in the hard work, getting results, and above all, making good on promises. If an SEO company is rated highly, it is because they are getting their clients the traction and exposure that they promised.

Is the SEO Company Ranking Highly?

Following this logic, if the key to hiring an SEO company is for them to rank you highly so people see you first, what does it say for them if you can’t even find them through an organic search? An SEO company that knows all the ways to gain exposure and get their clients ranked highly would definitely do SEO for their own website.

Statistics tell us that 98% of all internet searchers will not go beyond page one to find what they are looking for. If you have to be the 2% that goes to page two to find them, then you might want to rethink your choice of SEO companies. Fu Dog Media not only tells our customers that we can increase their rankings so that they can be found on the first page; we are front and center ourselves.

We not only help to teach our clients by getting them testimonials and reviews to drive rankings and using content and other mediums to enhance exposure; we also do all of those things ourselves because we know that they work. If an SEO company tells you how to do something, but it isn’t working for them, find a company that has proven results. They are easy to find – on page one!

Ask for Client References

Charleston might be a highly populated city, but we are a close-knit one that likes to stay local. In the end all you have is your reputation, whether it is online or verbal. If you know that someone is crushing it in their internet process, look at the bottom of their website to find out who designed it. Better yet, reach out and ask who is doing their SEO marketing.

As a business owner your time might be limited, but really take the time to investigate who you hire to outsource your SEO. Often, SEO companies that want to gain exposure for themselves as well as the clients they serve will put video testimonials online so that you can hear from real-life customers – not just about how they liked the company that they worked with, but how their business profited and gained the exposure they needed to take it to the next level.

Also, if an SEO company is putting testimonials on their own page, they understand the value of video and letting people tell the story, which is an emotional grab that works every time! Don’t just assume they have the playbook; check out their actual playbook.

Case Studies and Portfolios

It is always good to see how something has played out. An excellent SEO company can show you how they took a small business from the ground floor to some amazing heights. They do that not just through testimonials, ratings, and reviews, but through real and quantifiable numbers.

SEO companies should be able to tell you how much exposure there is in real numbers, traffic conversions, keyword target results, and Google analytics. When all is said and done, people might be able to bend the truth, but numbers don’t lie.

Hire the Right SEO Company in Charleston

SEO is one of those industries where claims can be easy to make but harder to prove. The best way to know how good an SEO company in Charleston is, and to know if they are the right one for you, might take a little legwork – but if they can produce the right results and gain you exposure, then the time and energy putting into seeking them out will be well worth it.

At Fu Dog Media, we don’t just throw out vague promises or generalities about what we can do. We provide the case studies, reviews, testimonials, and analytics of our success stories so you can see what we can do for you. Contact us today to discuss how we can far exceed your SEO goals.

Top SEO Trends for 2022 – How Well Are You Keeping Pace?

Many things are beginning to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, but some things will forever be changed. The internet is just one of them. The internet has continued to grow as the leading source that people use to research everything from medical conditions to hair and makeup products, which is mind-boggling when you think about it.

With millions of different sites out there to compete with, you need as many tips and tricks as possible to get your page seen. In a new post-COVID age, what businesses quickly learned is that SEO services in Charleston are where the biggest chunk of your marketing energy and budget should go. Sure, having a user-friendly website is part of it, but if no one ever uses it, what’s the point?

According to recent statistics, search engines are responsible for as much as 69% of all digital traffic. Although Google is continually changing algorithms to stay ahead of the SEO cat-and-mouse game, SEO remains the most valuable tool that you have at your disposal to win. These are the seven biggest trends to try for your SEO strategy for the rest of 2022 and beyond from our top SEO services in Charleston, SC company!

Optimize Search Intent Using Long-Form Content

One of the most important aspects of your SEO campaign is going to be your content. Ranking for the correct keywords is the only way to push higher up in the rankings. Quality content has always been a must, but long-form content is the focus now.

Long-Form Content Has Many Benefits

  • Higher Conversion Rates – Calls-to-action, when strategically placed, can help to generate more leads that ultimately lead to a better conversion rate
  • More Social Shares – If you have value-added content, it is more likely that people will share it with others
  • Higher Website Authority Rating – When you provide in-depth and value-added content, you make yourself a trusted and authoritative voice within your industry, which helps to further your EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)
  • Enhanced Visibility Online – Long content pieces of 2000 or more words rank higher in SERPs than shorter pieces
  • Better Opportunities for Link Building – When visitors find your content useful, they are more likely to reach out with backlink opportunities

The key is to optimize your content for search intent. User or search intent is a phrase that is used to describe the purpose of the visitors’ search online. There are four different types of intent searches:

  • Navigational – This is where the user is in an awareness phase. They are not really exactly sure what they are looking for or what specific things are called
  • Informational – Users utilize informational intent just in the interest phase of their search. The more they search, the more refined their keyword search becomes
  • Commercial – This is where the intent of the user is to make a decision. They are aware of the solution they need and they are comparing one against another
  • Transactional – Users in this phase are ready to act by either starting a transaction, purchasing, or subscribing (starting free trials, requesting demos, etc.)

When you understand the difference in what your content is targeting and at what phase, you can use the right keywords to increase your SEO rankings.

User Experience

In 2021, the new kid on the block became Search Experience Optimization, which is continually growing in significance. Google’s Page Experience Update, a US update, is meant to measure the experience that users have when they interact with a website in more depth than just purely informational.

Google Page Experience Update Factors:

  • Metrics of Core Web Vitals
  • Mobile-First Design and Optimization
  • Popups and Ease of Use Related to Interstitial Behavior
  • The Security Measures of the Site

One of the most essential elements of Mobile-First Indexing is Search Experience Optimization (SEO). It is expected to continue growing in importance. Because on-page visitor experiences are a direct signal that Google uses to rank websites for their SERPs values, a user’s experience is even more important on platforms such as User Engagement Metrics in GA4 and User Stickiness in Google Analytics.

What Does That Mean for SEO Services in Charleston?
  • Optimize videos and images
  • Your website should have operational Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
  • Implement lazy loading
  • Optimize CSS code
  • Optimize the execution of JavaScript
  • Allow for dimensions of embeds and images
  • Speed your server up

Users having a good experience on your page doesn’t override the quality of your content and link building, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay attention to it, especially as it grows in significance. Improving your Core Web Vitals score is even more critical if you have competing pages with content that is similar to yours and you are vying for the number-one position. Optimization of your mobile performance and page engagement are going to be trends to continue to watch.

Internal Linking and Content Framework

Internal linking, the flow of authority, and informational architecture will be more heavily weighted for ranking factors as authority competitiveness becomes more challenging. One of the things to watch for is topic optimization over keyword optimization.

What is Content Framework?

Although it’s a catchphrase, all “content framework” really means is better organizing your content with a full strategy. You want content that is sensible and easy for users to navigate, while also attracting Google’s automated page-crawling tools.

Google not only works to match search results with keywords; it also tries to find contextual meaning and intent to deliver the best-matched results. A good content framework should have an effective mapping strategy for keywords. It is no longer about putting keywords on a page; they have to be mapped related to topics, and topics have to be structurally organized.

And it all needs to be tied to an internal linking strategy that has an authority flow to the correct pages with content that makes sense. Therefore, content frameworks have to be topic-relevant with an authority flow of internal linking. If you can manage that, you will have a powerful strategic SEO campaign.

Search Accessibility

SERP features are not new, but recently they have grown in significance. Accessibility settings and features were recently added to Android’s platform, along with ways to help people with disabilities; some are Talkback, Live Transcribe, Sound Amplifier, Live Caption, and others.

Bing, now the third-largest search engine, has added the snippet, which is a feature for people with disabilities to interact with a search engine’s content by using voice search for the vision impaired and annotations posted on video for the hearing impaired.

Currently, websites get additional ranking for SERP features that are inclusive for more users. So including them on your website is just one more way SEO services in Charleston can help with your overall ranking campaign.

Inclusion and Diversion in Charleston SEO Services

There is a new metric being introduced into the accessibility field, which is language inclusivity. Being more socially and politically inclusive with your content is gaining traction and is something to keep in mind with your content. When writing, be careful of using gender-specific labels like “gentlemen,” “ladies,” and “sir.” Instead, use inclusive labels like “friends,” “everyone,” etc.

Conversational Voice Search

Google’s new BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) was added in 2019 and was an update targeting the relationship between search intent and words. It aided Google with searches that were voice assisted by giving more credence to conversational speech. There is a continual move to semantic search with AI over simply keyword matching. That AI technology will only grow. New algorithms will support result and query processing by using:

  • Multitask Unified Model (MUM), which is a new language processing tool slated to be 1000 times better than BERT. It can analyze images, video, and 75 languages by answering complex search questions
  • Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), which has human-like modeling for speech

Google is targeting algorithms that evolve to be more like how we actually communicate with one another by using increased intuitiveness and communication skills. They will aid in targeted long-tail keywords when using speech recognition for searches. In 2017, only about 15% of searches used long-tail keywords.

EAT (Expertise, Authority, & Trust)

EAT is not a new concept; it came from the update to Google’s algorithms in August 2018. The theory of EAT has its origins in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEGs), which are used to rate SERPs’ page quality. In a nutshell, EAT is a score of how well a website provides value to a visitor. The best way to enhance your EAT is:

  • Back up your content with facts and statistics
  • Give author bios
  • Get great reviews
  • Provide backlinks from credible sources
  • Give ways to get in touch

Conclusion

Despite all the different ways that Google has changed the rules and factored in other things for SEO, organic traffic is still one of the major ways that customers find businesses, which is why SEO is critical to help your potential clients find you. When you factor in all of these different ways to enhance your SEO rankings, it might seem a bit overwhelming. The good news?

You don’t have to worry about your SEO if you find an SEO services company in Charleston, SC like Fu Dog Media to take the guesswork out of it. If you hire us to be your SEO expert, you can sit back and focus on the bigger picture: your bottom line. Contact us today to get started.

Fu Dog Media Announced as a 2022 National and Local Excellence Award Winner by UpCity!

For more than a decade, UpCity’s mission has been—and continues to be—to help businesses find B2B service providers they can trust. The UpCity Recommendability Rating was developed to determine a service provider’s credibility and recommendability, giving UpCity the confidence to recommend them to the more than 2 million businesses that visit their site.
Each year, UpCity analyzes and scores more than 70,000 service providers based on their UpCity Recommendability Rating and acknowledges the top national and local providers with an UpCity Excellence Award. The results are in, and we won!
We are proud to announce that Fu Dog Media has been recognized as not only one of the best B2B service providers of 2022 in the Charleston area, but also one of the top B2B providers in the United States by UpCity!

Dan Olson, CEO of UpCity, had this to say about Fu Dog Media:

“Being a dependable and trustworthy company is something that we take very seriously at UpCity. Fu Dog Media’s customers have spoken and we listened. This is a team that embodies the same values as ours, which is why we’re thrilled to award them with a 2022 National and Local Excellence Award.” —Dan Olson, CEO, UpCity

This recognition has been driven in large part by our 5-star review rating on UpCity. Here are a few of our favorite pieces of feedback we’ve received from our incredible customers:
  • “Jyles and Ben are the real deal! Very easy to work with, they take the extra steps to make sure that you are comfortable with their work and always deliver great work. Highly recommend.” – Rachel D., August 2021
  • “The entire Fu Dog team is amazing. Like many small businesses, we threw together a website on our own just to get “something” online. We knew we needed a revamped site, but it never seemed like a high priority. Business was thriving and redoing our site just kept getting pushed to the side. When we decided to finally move forward and stumbled onto Fu Dog's website, we were incredibly impressed. As the cliche goes, if you want to hire a landscaper, drive by their house to see their own yard. If you want to hire a web designer/developer, look at their own website. Fu Dog's site is simple, concise, convincing, strong, and current. Working with Ben and his team was effortless. We completed a short survey outlining what our vision for the site was, and outside of providing some of the content wording, we were hands-off. Ben provided frequent updates, all of which far exceeded our expectations. We feel our site is awesome, and we have kicked ourselves for not engaging Fu Dog sooner. We cannot recommend their service enough. You won't be disappointed.” – Dustin B., November 2020

We would like to thank UpCity, our family, our friends, and our customers. Each of you supports us in a different way, and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you.

Learn more about the UpCity Excellence Awards.

Tips for Increasing Your Presence on a Local Search

Never before has your presence on the internet been so critical. If there is one thing that the pandemic taught us, it is that virtual is everything. Whether we will have to go through shutdowns again or in the future, or not, your local SEO is highly critical not just to the growth of your organization, but to its survival. The good news is that there are many things that you can do, which take very little time and no money, but make a huge difference!

As a 5-star rated SEO company in South Carolina, we thought we’d dish out some useful tips so you can supercharge your local SEO campaign.

Create Consistent Listings Using NAP

Many businesses have more than one listing on the internet. All of your business listings must be consistent. There will be some who will find you on Facebook, others that might find you doing a Google search, but wherever you find them, you want to ensure that they have the right information! When checking through the many places where you give information, make sure to:

  • Get your NAP correct, what we mean by NAP is your name, address, and phone number. These three keys are what you need to have the same everywhere, period.
  • Keep inventory of what directories your business is listed or appear on using a spreadsheet, that way, you have a record in case some of your information changes about where you have to go
  • If any portion of your NAP changes, then you have to change it on all forums that your business appears

Don’t only focus on the places that drive the most business and ignore all of the areas where your business is listed. Although one might bring more wealth, that doesn’t mean that you should forget the others. Every loss of a potential customer is just that. Also, if you frustrate one, that could lead to a bad review, which is always a bad thing!

Optimize your Google My Business

If there is one King of the Mountain for local SEO optimization, it is Google My Business. It is a business listing that is the most important to focus on. If you haven’t yet claimed your Google My Business account that is the first step and you should do that NOW. When you sign up, you can alter the way that your listing appears on local searches. If you aren’t involved, other people can likely add comments about your business and represent your store, and that is not what you want. You want to control your brand!

By being active on Google My Business you can:

Share Hour Changes

If you are going to be open seasonally for additional time, Google my Business is where you will want to make sure to list all of your open times and days. Whenever someone Googles your business or looks for a product or service that matches your area, they will see your store hours, making sure that they are correct year-found.

List Your High-Quality Image

If people are one thing, these days, it is visual! When you control your GMB page, you can add high-quality images and enhance your brand identity. For industries like hospitality and restaurants, it is going to be key to show off what your establishment and/or food looks like in real-life!

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Nowadays, your reviews are your word of mouth and form your reputation. Although you want to avoid a bad review, when you use GMB, you can start a conversation if someone does rate you a little lower than you would like. Being open to criticism and addressing it in a public forum is the best way to turn what could be a negative into a positive!

Book Appointment Functions

No one wants to go the extra step to pick up a phone anymore. If you use GMB to add a “book” function, you are more likely to create a call to action where people will follow through. You can add a button right onto your Google my Business page for people to “get it done”.

Posts With a Call to Action

Speaking of a call to action, when you use your Google my Business account, you can post special promotions, and images of your latest projects or products and provide useful tidbits that will make people feel like they are getting value-added! Being active is highly critical for your call to action and the reaction that it receives.

So Much More…

Google My Business is constantly looking for more resources and tools for business owners to enhance their local brand and presence. When you actively take part, you get to use all of the many functions they provide to put you in from the right audience to increase sales and your bottom line!

Entice Reviews From Your Customers

Reviews have more power than nearly every other form of digital advertising when it comes to swaying opinions and getting people to act. The best way to improve your local SEO is by encouraging your clients to review and rate you on Google. Some business owners get fearful that a bad review could lead to some severe consequences, so they almost think no reviews are good reviews, but that is not the case.

Most internet users like to see that you are active in the community, and if there are some not-so-good reviews, then you can use the power of control to comment and make the situation right! Let your customers provide feedback not just to better your business, but also to bring people in who trust that you are transparent and do the best you can for customer satisfaction, even if it might not be 100% all the time.

Add The Right Keywords With The Correct Density

Keywords are the key-words that your site and all of your content need to have to signal Google about how to match organic searches correctly. Adding local keywords is critical for Google to know where you are located, physically. Even big companies recognize the importance of being “local”.

Conglomerates such as Walmart, list each of their store’s addresses independently so that they have a local presence. If they are taking the time to input the data, you should too! Go through your current site and see where you can sneak in your location throughout so that you are found locally on a search and correctly!

Pimp Yourself For Local Press

It might sound disingenuous to go for the gratuitous press, but it can help your presence tremendously! Receiving recognition from local newspapers and features will greatly enhance your SEO. If you get news coverage, all the better. Put yourself out there and make it easy for a journalist looking for a story to make you theirs! Make sure that you add a contact us button prominently and let it be known that you welcome the press!

Next, utilize the press release! You can add relevant stories about your promotions, changes, and news-worthy events locally and spotlight your business. Journalists love a tale to tell, so give them one. Once you get a journalist on board, you will likely be on the press circuit and receive more attention just from breaking in.

Conclusion – Local is Where it is At!

If there is one thing that your small business needs, it is local SEO. These are super quick, easy, and free things that you can do to make a big difference. If you are having a hard time gaining traction, then let Fu Dog Media help! We are the leading SEO Company in South Carolina and we will help you dominate your local market! Contact us today to get started.

YouTube’s Growing Impact as an Awareness & Remarketing Channel – Are You Taking Advantage?

Digital marketing has completely overhauled the way that businesses market their products and services. Just a decade ago, Facebook was the hottest new forum for people to build their brand and gain the best exposure for marketing and remarketing. As we enter 2022, however, YouTube is quickly gaining as the best network to tout your company. It is currently the second-largest social network on the internet, with over one billion hours of video watched daily by over two billion online viewers.

According to statistics, 90% of internet users find new brands and products via YouTube, which is why businesses need to consider using it in their marketing campaign strategy. 62% of companies already report using it to post videos containing relevant content to further their brand identity and familiarity.

Are you using YouTube to post your organic content? If not, you are missing out on an excellent way to engage YouTube users to increase your sales. To really gain the most benefit, you can combine your posting capabilities with the power of YouTube ads. Then, you can use retargeted ads to generate the highest rate of return for your marketing dollar.

YouTube’s Impact on Retargeting Success

When a viewer watches your organic YouTube videos, you can retarget them by creating a specialized audience classification that includes those who have already viewed your material. Retargeting is also a practice that you can implement on both Facebook and Instagram, but YouTube presents a better quality audience.

On Facebook, viewers who stick it out for just three seconds are added to your retargeted efforts, while YouTube sections out only those who watch the entire video or up to a maximum video length of 30 seconds. That means you can section out only those who were interested enough to watch more than just a blip.

In reverse, that can limit the number of people that you retarget to include only those who watched your entire video as a custom audience. Facebook also gives you options to add those who watch a percentage of the total length of the video, while YouTube does not.

The Advantages of YouTube

The advantages of YouTube, however, are that it gives you several targeting options to fine-tune your marketing campaign, such as only choosing those who view a video on your channel specifically.

YouTube also allows you to target viewers according to any ad view or a specialized parameter. The best way to make sense of the views is to section out those who watched a specific video; that way, you can use targeted advertising that contains relevant offers according to the content contained in the video that interested them.

For the best results, you can post some organic videos promoting engaging, entertaining, or educational content that relates to your products or services. Once they run for a while, you can selectively choose only those that performed the highest according to the most views, comments, and likes, and use that information in your ad campaign strategy.

The result is a targeted way to retarget those viewers with precise ads that will lead to higher conversion rates. You can also use the data that you gather by quantifying engagements and views to better fine-tune your ads for higher ROAS.

If it sounds complex, it really isn’t. Creating engaging video ads and organic videos is easier than ever, but the key is to make them high-quality and professionally stunning, which is why Fu Dog Media is here!

Video Engagement and Retarget Channel

Other types of interactions besides views can be quantified on YouTube for remarketing purposes. Interactions you can also include are viewers who add your video to a specific playlist, share your video on your channel, like a video and leave a comment, visit the homepage channel, or subscribe to a specific channel.

Including numerous types of interactions like sharing, commenting, or liking can better pinpoint a broader range of consumers to retarget. Only those viewers who took the time to read the content will take the steps to interact in those three ways.

Since you know their behaviors ahead of time, you can retarget them using educational video content with a CTA asking them to become subscribers. Although a subscription does not automatically mean that you will make a sale, it is a much easier process than launching a product promotion or asking them to sign up via email. Once they subscribe, you can continue to provide free information related to your product using avenues like in-feed posts, videos, and stories.

Subscribers via Email

YouTube ads also allow you to target your viewers via email subscriptions. Unfortunately, unlike Facebook, there is no integration service between email and YouTube, so you’ll need to input the information manually, which can be time-consuming. Email marketing service providers typically allow you to download a spreadsheet of subscribers, which means that you can use Google Ads. And if you are already using Google Ads, you can target your YouTube subscribers in the same manner.

Classify your varying audiences by factors like those who purchased already, those who have repeat purchases, and those who have signed up but have not followed through, just yet to keep things straight. That will help you better target your ads for higher ROAS numbers.

Mobile App Users and Website Visitors

By adding Ads to your mobile app and website, it is possible to successfully retarget those viewers who use your app or visit your webpage. That will also allow you to create targeted ads according to where the viewer visited, like blog posts or various pages. In doing so, if someone puts an item in the cart, but does not follow through, you can go back and retarget them by adding an incentive, like a promotional price, for them to purchase later on.

Four Tips For Successful Remarketing

Hopefully, you now understand the power of YouTube marketing and why you should add it to your overall digital marketing campaign. Try using these four tips to get the most out of your efforts!

1. Don’t Over-Retarget!

Remarketing takes a fine balance for it to be successful. If you overdo it, you will likely end up paying more on YouTube than need be or irritating your viewer. Setting the best frequency for viewers will gain you the highest ROAS. Begin by using three daily impressions for thirty days, and then reduce the number of days as you see fit. The number of times you should repeat your impressions will depend upon the product you are selling. Some will require more than others.

2. Create Both In-Display and In-Stream Ads

For YouTube videos, you have the option of both in-display and in-stream ads. In-display ads will appear at the top and right of the video. Or, you can overlay an ad so that it will display directly in the video itself.

3. Use Skippable Ads to Begin With

YouTube gives you the option of not being able to skip your ad, but when you are just beginning, it is wise to allow viewers to skip. By giving them the option, you can better estimate which videos are engaging and which are not according to the percentage of viewers choosing to watch.

Once you have a high percentage of those who choose to stay instead of skipping, you can be more assured that you are engaging the audience in a positive way that will lead to results. After you have pinpointed exactly what your audience is likely to want, you can run ads that do not give allowance to skips. Just be aware that they are more costly than the skippable ones.

4. Chart View Percentages

YouTube allows you to set percentage parameters according to benchmarks such as 25, 50, 75 percent, or the entire video. By sectioning out the videos with the highest percentages of views, you are more likely to increase your conversion rates for better sales.

Which YouTube Remarketing Scheme is Best For You?

For the best ROAS, these are the different ways that you can use remarketing tactics. The right one for you depends on whether you want to increase your views and subscriptions or generate higher sales. Those who want to take their internet marketing and remarketing to a whole new level can integrate their YouTube marketing with Google Ads, thereby retargeting people who are already engaged with you via Google Ads and vice-versa.

YouTube is quickly becoming the best forum for remarketing purposes to increase overall sales and social media engagement. And since people are spending more time than ever before watching it, it is an excellent idea to add it to your digital marketing and remarketing campaign.

It is still an inexpensive forum to gain exposure and build your brand. The key, however, is to have videos that are both professional-looking and engaging. Let Fu Dog Media help you with your digital marketing both producing high-quality videos and then getting them in front of the right audience to convert viewers to customers today!

Seven Benefits of SEO for Pest Control and Pressure Washing Companies

As the internet impacts just about every part of our daily lives, it is becoming increasingly important to make your online presence known, regardless of the industry you are in. I get many variations of the same question a lot: “Why do I need SEO for my pressure washing company? We are a small operation.” If there is one lesson to learn about the pandemic era, it is that the World Wide Web is our window to the world, both figuratively and literally.

Back in the day, we had the Yellow Pages, where our fingers did the walking. Now they walk along the keys of our keyboards. Statistics tell us that 87.3% of the American population uses the internet. And 81% of the American public uses the internet to search for a product or service.

Of that 81% of those looking for a product or service, only about 25% will go to the second-page listings, so if you aren’t coming up first, you might as well come up last. SEO might be a long-term strategy, but it is an essential one for your company’s visibility. These are just seven of the benefits of having an SEO campaign for your pest control or pressure washing company.

What is SEO?

Some of our clients know what SEO—others give us a puzzled look. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to your website by ensuring that the site appears high on search engines such as Google and Bing.

Anytime that you ask Google a question or a keyword or phrase, it quickly goes to work matching your words with websites to find the best results for what you are looking for. Google takes the words and content on your pages and then ranks them according to how helpful they are to internet users, which leads to the search engine results page (or SERP).

When someone Googles something related to pest control or to pressure washing, a SERP pops up, and if you are not on that page, it’s pretty likely you will not get a call. If you are on the second page and beyond of a SERP, again… you might as well be on the last.

There are over 200 different characteristics that Google uses to classify where you rank, including:
  • Bounce rates – the percentage of visitors to a particular website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page.
  • Security – Do you have any security risks on your website that can pose a risk to anyone who visits?
  • Site activity – What are internet users doing when they go to your page?
  • Mobile-friendliness – Can an internet viewer see your website as well on their mobile device as they do on a computer?

Not all these characteristics are equally critical, but they do all work together to form your placement. The key is to maximize all that you can to launch yourself to the top SERP, where your customers can actually find you. After all, you can have the best-designed, most visually stunning and highly informative website on Earth, but all the effort is wasted if no one ever sees it.

7 Benefits of SEO for Pest Control and Pressure Washing Companies
1. Enhancing User Experience

There was a time when advertising was all about having the loudest voice, being the most in someone’s face, and forcing yourself into someone’s daily lives via spam emails, etc… According to the polls, that is exactly what people don’t want. All of those attention-seeking avenues that we once thought were vital? It turns out they turn people away! SEO is about being more targeted and selective and reaching out to people who are already searching for you. SEO tactics are aimed at making the user experience better, not being in their face whether they want you or not. When users are happy, they are more likely to have a favorable opinion of you, and they are more likely to call and schedule an appointment!

    2. SEO Brings Qualified Leads, Not Just Leads

    SEO is a tool that has your customers coming to you, not the other way around. Your leads from an SEO strategy are people who are already either looking for or needing your service. It doesn’t make much sense to spend resources trying to reach people who may or may not need a service, when you can easily target those who are already in the market and ready to make a decision.

      3. Helps You Close Sales!

      When you have more qualified leads, and a website built to convert, it leads to more sales – for real. 50% of internet shoppers report that they do a Google search before reaching out to a service or buying a product. When you have a well-planned SEO strategy, you have a greater likelihood of being front and center. Not only does this breed familiarity with you as a brand or service; it can lead to loyalty, meaning you have a customer for life – it’s a win-win.

        4. Spend Less and Get More

        Pay-per-click ads and pay-per-lead strategies are no doubt effective, but are costly and are never-ending. Once you stop ads, that traffic also stops. SEO gives you organic search rankings that will generate revenue for the long run. SEO takes some time to build (so don’t stop advertising altogether), but increasing your visibility for an organic search will help to decrease the amount that you have to spend on attracting customers to your service through paid ads or traditional marketing.

          5. Builds Awareness and Credibility

          The higher you rank on Google, the higher you will be on the SERP. When you show up first, it is almost as if Google is endorsing you – whether they see it that way or not, the customer does. But Google is smarter than you know. They aren’t just looking for technical stuff like having the right keywords and backlinks; they want to know what customers’ actual experiences are. That is where online reviews come in. Your reviews and reputation are going to affect how Google views you too. 5 star reviews on your Google Maps page and high ranking on 3rd party review sites like Yelp or Homeadvisor are essential to your SERP rankings.

            6. Boosts All of Your Other Marketing Endeavors

            It isn’t that you shouldn’t spend money on things like billboards or promotional materials to send to customers, but they aren’t going to be visible when someone is sitting in front of their computer looking for a service. All those things that you do outside the internet are great to build brand familiarity and loyalty so that when your website does pop up they recognize you. But the reality is without a good mix of both, you likely are just spinning your wheels. Like anything else, marketing is a balancing act that requires you to target your customers from all angles, but SEO is one of our favorite ways to drive revenue.

              7. Decreased Customer Acquisition Costs

              The numbers don’t lie: SEO can help drive more leads for less money than all other forms of marketing. It might take longer and need a lot of persistence, but once you reach that top spot, you will begin to appreciate its power. And the results will last longer than other advertising and marketing tools that you have tried.

                Struggling with an effective SEO campaign for your pest control or pressure washing company? That is where we come in!

                If you are ready to put your marketing resources into a long-term strategy that will drive more leads, give you more visibility, and cost you less, then we are ready to help you dominate the web. Contact Fu Dog Media today to get started!

                  The Values of SEO: Working Effectively Behind the Scenes – “Working” Being the Operative Word!

                  Digital marketing is an industry that is not well understood by many business owners. I hear from customers all the time that they get frustrating cold calls from random solicitors about SEO, and that it all sounds very unnecessary. Usually, we are asked “Is local SEO expensive?” I like to answer that it is only expensive if you DON’T do it! SEO might not make an immediate impact, but the long-term game can make a huge difference.

                  Is Local SEO Expensive?

                  When we approach new clients, their first question – and rightly so – is about how much our services cost. And we understand that smart business decisions are all about weighing the costs versus the benefits. However, most people get so stuck on the price of SEO services that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

                  We can see where it might be difficult to put your faith in our promise that over time, we can enhance your local presence and your bottom line, but we both also know that sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and put in some sweat equity.

                  Local SEO is a prime example. You might have to put some money out for the first couple of months that might not show immediate results, but we know that your sweat equity in this case will build your business in the long run. Your savvy competitors are already on board with digital marketing and SEO, and if slow and steady wins the race, you better get at it!

                  If You Aren’t on Page One, You Won’t Be Seen

                  Statistics tell us that 90% of search engine users will only go to first page results when doing an organic search for a product or service. Most of the time, we have no problem getting our customers to understand the value of updating and redoing their website to be more “mobile-friendly,” easier to navigate, and more appealing.

                  What they might not understand, however, is that you can spend thousands redoing your website to make it eye-catching – but it won’t catch anyone’s eye if they never see it.

                  90% of Search Engine Users Will Use Only the First Page Results

                  If you aren’t found on page one of an internet search, then you are really throwing money away on a new website because the only person that will probably appreciate it is you and the customers who you have already captured.

                  Throwing the money into making your website spectacular and then letting it sit without the use of local SEO really makes very little economical sense. If you understand the value of your online presence, then it stands to reason that putting in the extra amount to ensure your investment in a new design is well worth it.

                  In Practical Terms

                  Sometimes the only way to illustrate the point you are trying to get across is to put it into practical terms. So let’s say you have your mindset that local SEO is a waste of your monthly marketing budget, but let’s do the math…

                  How much money do you gain from earning just one client or sale per month? For most industries, if local SEO drives just one customer your way, or entices one to reach out and buy your product, you have recouped all the money you put into monthly local SEO.

                  How Does Local SEO Work?

                  A study done by the highly-respected Forrester Group found that when you invest in local SEO, you can increase your revenues by as much as 400%. But is that really realistic? Let’s see how it works.

                  Traffic

                  When it comes to revenue, driving more traffic to your website is not the only way to increase your sales and leads. If someone is merely attempting to land more people on your website indiscriminately, that is probably useless. But that doesn’t mean that driving traffic isn’t a vector for increased sales.

                  50% of all of your website views comes from people clicking on your link from an organic search result. Those who engage in local SEO are getting more than 50% of all the traffic on the internet, and those who aren’t are sharing the remaining 50% amongst themselves. If you rank on page one, you are being seen 90% of the time; therefore, you are getting 90% of the 50% if you come up on the first page.

                  The question then becomes not whether SEO is expensive, but whether you can afford not to use it as a resource to enhance your visibility and your bottom line. How many jobs are you currently missing out on because you aren’t being ranked in the top spot when people are searching for your product or service?

                  What I can tell you is that sometimes in an effort to save pennies, we end up throwing away dollars. If you aren’t doing some form of local SEO, you are probably missing out on a large portion of traffic and revenue.

                  Results-Driven

                  At Fu Dog Media, we don’t just throw out opinions or projections; we deliver real-life results based on analytics and reports. If you are worried about seeing any change, we provide facts, figures, and analyses about the difference we are making. But most of all, you will feel the difference our efforts make in your sales, leads, and wallet – so my question to you is, how expensive is not engaging in local SEO for your business? Contact us today and let’s start dominating the web together!

                  Web Design, SEO & PPC for Your Power Washing Company – The Benefits of Hiring Specialized Experts

                  When it comes to SEO and PPC, sometimes the practices we use in the industry don’t vary much. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not important to find a professional who understands the specific nature of power washing SEO and how to best drive traffic to gain tangible results for your business. At Fu Dog Media, we specialize in helping power washing companies gain a competitive edge, more leads, and increased revenue through the use of PPC and SEO.

                  See How It Works
                  Gain Exposure – Book More Power Washing Appointments – Increase Revenue!

                  Increasing your exposure and sales is all about having a vivid, video- and image-packed, mobile-friendly, navigation-friendly website. Your website isn’t just a place card for your business information; it is a tool that, if laid out properly, converts visitors into booked appointments.

                  How does your current website stack up against the competition? Pressure washing is a competitive business in most areas, so if you don’t grab them first with your website, someone else definitely will!

                  Case Studies

                  Helping Our Clients Wash the Pressure Washing Competitors Away!
                  3 case studies….

                  What We Do Best for Pressure Washing Companie

                  At Fu Dog Media, our goal is not just to drive more traffic to your site, but to also drive targeted views that will convert to sales. Our proven methods will help you book more appointments and grow your business using strategies that work.

                  We insist on making a good impression via your website so you book more pressure washing appointments and increase your rankings, so people see you more than the competition.

                  Are You Getting Noticed?

                  Our website design team understands the importance of first impressions – after all, you only get one shot. We design sites that represent your brand and expertise, while providing vivid imagery and videos to keep visitors engaged.

                  Mobile-friendliness is one of the most important components of your Google ranking. We ensure that your design looks just as amazing on mobile devices as it does on computers by using our mobile responsiveness test.

                  And we also ensure that your customers have ease of use and navigational tools to contact you without the inconvenience of having to search. If someone has to go more than one step to find you, they probably never will.

                  Does your site perform that way now?
                  Improve Your Visibility

                  Statistics tell us that 90% or more of Americans use the internet to find products and services, like pressure washing companies, in their area. They also tell us that only 10% of those searching will go to page two to find what they are looking for. Therefore, if you aren’t seen on page one, you will most likely not be seen at all. Investing in a dynamic and innovative web design is critical – but not if no one sees it!

                  Search engine optimization may seem a bit overwhelming, and the long-term nature of it can be a little hard to swallow – but just like most things, slow and steady wins the race.

                  Our pressure-washing SEO practices are targeted to not just gain you more exposure, but also to keep you at the head of the pack. It isn’t just about ranking for keywords; there are over 200 factors that Google uses to rank businesses. We work as comprehensively as possible to increase as many factors as we can simultaneously!

                  Do You Know Where You Rank?
                  Compare your pressure washing ranking

                  See how your site performs when you compare your company to other local competitors

                  Enter your website URL
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                  Online Pressure Washing Booking

                  When asked, 72% of Americans would rather book their appointments online. In fact, many reported that they would book another company over their current one if they had the option to use the internet to schedule appointments. Also, think about it: you can book appointments in your sleep – literally!

                  Fill Your Appointment Schedule

                  Booking online gives people the ease of not taking another step to picking up a phone to reach out. All they have to do is click a button. They also don't have to worry about getting an answering machine and whether someone will call them back.

                  Potential and current customers can look for a time and day that works, and book it themselves. Not only does that cut down on your need to hire appointment setters to be available when people call; it will help to fill up your calendar quickly and consistently.

                  At Fu Dog Media, we can integrate your scheduling system so that your customers can see what you have available in real time, which gives them just one more reason to choose you over another pressure washing company. That means more growth for your business and your wallet.

                  (Request a demo)

                  Boost Your Google Ranking

                  Whether you found out that you rank highly or not, we can help take your pressure washing business to a whole new level of domination. We have the specialized skills in the pressure washing marketing industry to rank you on page one and keep you there.

                  It is simple math: more exposure = more traffic = more appointments = more revenue – and we have the proof that our system works!

                  The Benefits of SEO for HVAC and Plumbing Companies

                  Plumbing and HVAC companies have a lot of competition when it comes to being found on the internet. In a post-pandemic world, the internet has become an even greater source for the average homeowner, with nearly 80% of all businesses found by doing an organic search. Statistics tell us that 90% of all internet users will only go to the first page of a search, and only 10% go to the second page, which is why your rankings are so critical to your bottom line.

                  Having an amazing HVAC/Plumbing website is definitely important – but only if you are doing what’s necessary for people to find it to begin with. SEO is a must to generate organic leads in the plumbing and HVAC world, and in this blog, you’ll find seven reasons that SEO is critical to your success.

                  Of that 81% of those looking for a product or service, only about 25% will go to the second-page listings, so if you aren’t coming up first, you might as well come up last. SEO might be a long-term strategy, but it is an essential one for your company’s visibility. These are just seven of the benefits of having an SEO campaign for your pest control or pressure washing company.

                  What is SEO?

                  As a business, you want to retain your customer base, but chances are that you are always looking for new ones, too. In the same way, customers are looking for a company that they can trust. It can be frustrating and difficult with so many options to choose from. How do consumers even know what services a company offers or how to find the right company for the service they need?

                  They Go to Google!

                  In the old days, the way to find a company was the Yellow Pages. Now people simply turn to the internet. They go into the browser and they type their search to find a match in their area. SEO impacts the way that search engines rank your company for an organic search. Let’s say that a homeowner has a water heater that isn’t heating. They would likely type “water heater repair” or do a voice search for “water heater repair near me”.

                  What comes up are the companies that Google deems a great match. How do they know? They use things like keywords and key phrases that are located on websites in the local area. When an internet user types in what they want, Google identifies the sites that have matching content and then up pops the ones that are relative according to Google’s algorithms.

                  Keywords are important because they tell the search engines which products and services you offer. If you don’t have the correct keywords or key phrases, then Google might not match you with homeowners, and you will probably not come up on the first page of a search result.

                  As mentioned above, if you don’t come up on the first page, you are missing 90% of internet traffic!

                  What Other Things Does Google Look For?

                  It isn’t just about keywords and keyphrases, although they are highly critical. Google also uses algorithms to quantify how relative a site is to an internet searcher, as well as things like:

                  Bounce rates – How long do viewers stay on your website before they “bounce” to another one?
                  Security – Does your website pose any security risks that Google might see as a threat to viewers?
                  Site activity – What are internet viewers doing once they get to your site?
                  Mobile-friendliness – Can people view your website as easily on a mobile device as they do on a desktop or laptop?

                  There are over 200 other ways that Google classifies your website – some more important than others – but it is a combined total that gets you to the top spot when someone is searching for your product or service. If you don’t know what those are, you could be making yourself invisible to the people who need to see you in the front and center.

                  7 Benefits of SEO for Your Plumbing or HVAC Business

                  It is a simple math equation – the more consumers you reach, the more likely it is that they will reach out; the more sales you make; the more revenue you take in.

                  1. SEO Provides a Better User Experience

                  There was a time when advertising was all about the company advertising their goods or services. The key focus was to get their attention through any means possible, like emails and other pop-up strategies. What we have found is that irritating the consumer does not attract them; it turns them off.

                  SEO differs because it isn’t about who shouts the loudest. It is an inbound versus an outbound strategy. It gives your consumer a more targeted approach, and singles out the people who are actually looking for you. If you offer your plumbing and hvac services to people who need it and are actually looking for it, you are more likely to be attractive to them – they are waiting for you already! Better favorability = they’re more apt to reach out!

                  2. SEO Brings QUALIFIED Leads

                  Leads are great if you have the time and resources to follow them up, but let’s be honest: it is much easier when the customer comes to you first – when someone is searching for your product and service, that is a qualified lead because they need you.

                  3. SEO Closes More Sales

                  The more exposure you have on the internet to people searching for your product or service, the more probable it is that they will have brand familiarity and choose you. Statistics tell us that 50% of internet shoppers use Google before they buy or decide to call a service provider.
                  When you use SEO to enhance your ranking, you are more likely to pop up an internet search – and more exposure means more opportunity to close the deal!

                  6. Boosts All of Your Other Marketing Endeavors

                  It isn’t that you shouldn’t spend money on things like billboards or promotional materials to send to customers, but they aren’t going to be visible when someone is sitting in front of their computer looking for a service. All those things that you do outside the internet are great to build brand familiarity and loyalty so that when your website does pop up they recognize you. But the reality is without a good mix of both, you likely are just spinning your wheels. Like anything else, marketing is a balancing act that requires you to target your customers from all angles, but SEO is one of our favorite ways to drive revenue.

                  4. SEO Allows for Better Advertising Spending

                  When you properly initiate a good SEO strategy, then you don’t have to rely so much on other paid advertising methods, like pay-per-lead or pay-per-click ads. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should get rid of paid advertising altogether, but it does mean that over time you will get a lot of traction for free, and be able to cut back on your advertising budget.

                  5. SEO Builds Brand Familiarity and Credibility

                  If you come up first on a Google search, it is almost as if Google is giving you a recommendation of credibility. Getting Google to find you credible isn’t just about inbound and outbound links; it is an entire strategy of SEO that deems you as trustworthy due to things like online reviews, social media marketing, backlinks, and other tools. Also, more people are using Google maps and Google listings than ever before, so if you can get Google to trust you, then you have it made already with the consumer before you even step into their front doors.

                  6. SEO Enhances Your Other Marketing Methods

                  It isn’t an “either/or” thing: SEO works with your other marketing methods to enhance your bottom line. If you do advertise using other mediums, it will only further foster your brand recognition and loyalty. When customers continually see your name and logo, they feel as if they already know you, and that is great advertising. Unfortunately, when their hot water heater quits on Monday morning, they aren’t going to Google your business name, which is why both are necessary!

                  7. SEO Lowers Customer Acquisition Costs

                  Cost-benefit analyses tell us that SEO is a much less expensive way to lower your lead costs than other marketing strategies and tools. Although it is a long-term endgame, it does work. And when you got it, you got it! When we get your SEO up and running and WORKING – it is the most cost-effective marketing option available!

                  Dominate with Fu Dog Media

                  If you aren’t making full use of SEO strategies, you are losing out. Your website can be as spectacular as possible, but it doesn’t matter if no one ever sees it. A lot of our customers ask us if SEO really works and if our results are real – YES! Contact Fu Dog Media today to discuss how we can take your plumbing or HVAC company to a whole new level!

                  Want to Expand Your Website Conversion? Three Secret Ways Revealed!

                  A website is your best tool to reach your customer base via the internet. But even if you go through all the expense and time of building an awesome website design, use SEO tools to drive traffic, and update frequently, that doesn’t necessarily mean that getting visitors there means converting them to act and become a customer. There are three industry secrets that are the quickest and easiest ways to expand your website conversion to turn viewers into customers!

                  Leverage Your Social “Accolades”

                  One of the biggest keys to building credibility for visitors to become customers are reviews. If you are lucky enough to have people blow up your social media pages with positive feedback and reviews, use it to your advantage. Sure, you can toot your own horn and claim to be the best, but having customers attest to your greatness is an invaluable tool.

                  Pay very close attention to your reviews on various sites such as Google, Yelp, and any other social media platforms. They serve as proof to potential consumers that you aren’t just saying you are the best – you really are the best!

                  Another way to lend more credibility to your proven results is to become a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. Also, seek any accolades or certificates that paint you as an authority in your field! The key is to make potential consumers feel confident in your service or product – enough so that they want to take action to become a client or to purchase your goods. That way, you will convert visitors to customers at a greater rate and realize a windfall of business and profits!

                  Chat Functions are a MUST

                  Communication has changed significantly over the past decade. People are no longer interested in picking up a phone to get information or reach out. If they have to find your number, make a call, sit on hold, or punch in a number to get the right extension, you have a greater probability of losing them!

                  Today’s consumer wants to either text or chat through your website directly. They don’t want to wait for someone to answer or go through any additional steps. By having a chat function on your website, you won’t run the risk of losing them – you have them captured. If you have a team member available to answer questions or help with check-out, you will be amazed at how quickly your conversion rate will increase dramatically.

                  Don’t Leave It to Chance – Have a Minimum of Three Ways to Convert!

                  Obviously, the more conversion tools that you use, the likelier it is that your conversion rate will increase and you will entice consumers to act! But what are the options available?

                  A Visible Phone Number

                  Although a phone call might not be everyone’s first choice, it should always be an option. It might not be as efficient, but you want to cover all of your bases and ensure that you are reaching outliers who aren’t the norm.

                  Chat Function

                  Again, having a chat feature is a highly convenient way for people to contact you. And it makes it less likely that they will put it on their “to-do-later” list. If they do wait, you are likely to miss them!

                  Always Make Sure Things Match Up

                  Google ranks businesses according to the consistency of the information. Because of this, it is critical to ensure that your business name appears the same on your dashboard as it does on your listing. For example, if your company name is Southwest Healthcare System, any other variation – like “SW Healthcare System” – will hurt your ranking.

                  Make sure that your business name is exactly the same throughout all of your information. That means everywhere your name appears, including things like Facebook, Yelp, and other forums. Also, pay close attention to your address; the same goes for any street name abbreviations.

                  A Dispatch System

                  For people who don’t want to pick up a phone, the ability to schedule an appointment is invaluable. If you give your existing and potential customers the ability to book an appointment online, they are really likely to do so — now! Allow them to conveniently pick the time and day, and then make sure to give them the option for a confirmation email or call so that they can confirm or reschedule, if necessary.

                  Can You Implement These Simple Tools on Your Website?

                  Adding a chat function, a scrolling review banner, and the ability to book online is a quick and easy fix. If you want to know more about how to increase your conversion rates, customer base, and bottom line, we are here to help. Contact Fu Dog Media and let’s dominate the web together!

                  How to Optimize Your Google Maps Listing

                  If you haven’t yet discovered the power of Google Maps marketing, you are missing out on a windfall of free advertising! Google Maps helps customers find you; it sets you apart from the competition, and it can dramatically increase your bottom line. And the best part is — it is all FREE. But most people incorrectly assume that Google will automatically drive traffic to their business just because they are in a specific location.

                  Physical location is only one of the ways that Google Maps identifies and ranks a business. There are several other things you can do to increase your visibility, but it takes a little bit of work on your part. However, if you do put the time in, the rewards can be well worth it.

                  Why You Should Rank Higher on Google Maps

                  According to recent studies, Google Maps is used by 67% of all online consumers. And of that 67%, there aren’t many who will go past the first couple of listings when doing an internet search. That is why it is so important to increase your visibility by being one of the first to show up.

                  We know that consumers land where they do based on the keywords they’re searching. Keywords help to match consumers 84% more than when they type in a business’s actual name. So embedding the right keywords is one of the best tools to alert Google to match relevant searches with your business.

                  You also want to rank in the top three Google Maps listings because you get a prominent place just below the map where your information and ratings are displayed. Anything past the top 3 gets hidden under the “more places” tab where consumers need to search further.

                  How to Rank Your Listing Higher on Google Maps
                  Adding Yourself to Google Maps

                  The first step to ranking your business higher on Google Maps is to claim your listing. If you aren’t sure if your listing is visible, or you have not added your business to Google Maps:

                  • Go directly to the Google Maps app or google.com/maps and search your company’s name
                  • If you find it in the drop-down menu, then you are all set
                  • If you can’t, use the drop-down menu to find “add a missing place” and click on it
                  • You will be prompted to add your business name, location, and category

                  Anyone can add a business, so there is a chance that even if you haven’t added yours, someone else might have. The good news is that even if someone else has added your listing, they have no way of altering your Google Maps listing or adding information to it. The only time you can do so is if you are the one who added it, and you can prove that you are the owner of a business.

                  Claiming Your Google Maps Business Listing

                  Next, to rank higher on Google Maps, you need to claim the listing. When claiming, you have to provide more than just the name, location, and category; more details are needed. The more that you provide, the higher you will rank. But enhancing your listing can only happen after it has been claimed.

                  You will need to have a Google My Business account to claim your listing. If you already have an account, simply click on “own this business?” or “claim my business,” then follow the instructions.

                  Adding More Information to a Google Maps Listing

                  Once your Google My Business and Google Maps business listing are linked, you are ready to begin priming it for more visibility. Remember: the more information you provide, the higher Google will rank you. Log in to your Google My Business account and your dashboard will appear with several tabs.

                  Click on the “info” tab. It will have your address, service area, name, category, special hours, hours, website, products, phone number, description, and services. Use these tools to optimize your listing to rank higher on Google Maps.

                  Always Make Sure Things Match Up

                  Google ranks businesses according to the consistency of the information. Because of this, it is critical to ensure that your business name appears the same on your dashboard as it does on your listing. For example, if your company name is Southwest Healthcare System, any other variation – like “SW Healthcare System” – will hurt your ranking.

                  Make sure that your business name is exactly the same throughout all of your information. That means everywhere your name appears, including things like Facebook, Yelp, and other forums. Also, pay close attention to your address; the same goes for any street name abbreviations.

                  Add a Local Phone Number

                  Google is not a fan of 800 or 877 numbers because they are often linked to spam listings. Always use a local number with the area code included. It is a simple way to rank higher, and it also helps searchers verify that your business is actually located locally.

                  Include Your Main and Tracked Number

                  If your business uses call tracking, always use the tracking number as your primary and your main secondary. That way, you can track the calls that generate from Google Maps to see how well your listing is driving organic traffic. Providing both numbers serves a dual function. You can quantify the consumers that are being driven via your Google Maps listing, but Google also has the main number to compare with your website for credibility.

                  Keep Hours Updated

                  As we start to recover from COVID, hours will likely change for many businesses. Make sure that you keep up with your hours listings. Or if you were temporarily shut down, make sure that you update your listing so people don’t assume you are still closed for business. Also, when you keep your hours of operation up-to-date, Google assumes that you are an active business.

                  Another reason you always want to make sure that your hours are listed correctly is if someone goes to your establishment due to your posted hours and you are not open, that is likely to leave a poor impression. And it might provoke them to leave a negative review, which can severely impact your Google Maps listing.

                  Write a Description

                  Make sure to provide a detailed description of your business listing and all attributes that apply. When writing it, stay on-brand to build brand awareness and to create consistency. Keywords will be a critical part of your description, because Google Maps ranks according to your business’s name and also your services or products.

                  Categorize Your Business Correctly

                  The way that your category is listed is essential to visibility. Use the primary category to describe the core of your business. Then, check to see if any secondary or additional categories might apply. There isn’t an option to add your own category, but as you type a prearranged set of categories will show in a drop-down menu, which can sometimes be useful.

                  Add Images

                  Both consumers and Google love images! It not only signals to Google that you are active; Google is starting to use images that show in local searches. One thing to keep in mind is that Google typically loves what consumers do, and potential customers want to see what you have to offer in real life. If you don’t add photos, your image will appear completely blank and unexciting.

                  But only use high-quality and engaging photos. Go to the “Photos” tab in your dashboard and look for a blue circle with a plus sign. Once you click on it you can drag your photos and drop them. The same is true for videos. Your goal should be to add a new image or video daily to really increase your Google Maps visibility.

                  Reviews are a Must!

                  Consumers want to know what people think about your business, and so does Google. When you open your Google Maps listing up, Google automatically allows people to add reviews. But having the ability to add them – and actually getting people to – are two separate things. Make sure to ask your customers to review your business on Google Maps. When – or if – someone leaves a poor review, you need to respond.

                  Customers want to know that you care about the quality of your service or product, and answering a negative review is the best way to show that you do. It can seem risky to ask people to review your business in case someone isn’t exactly pleased. But the good reviews typically far outweigh the not-so-good, if you care about your customers’ experience.

                  Only Have One Google Maps Listing

                  There are occasions where there will be multiple listings for your business. Make sure to verify that you only have one. If you find more than one listing, make sure to consolidate and delete all but one. And then go over the information to verify that it is all correct.

                  Post Regularly!

                  Posting to your Google Maps business listing is one of the best ways to enhance your visibility and ranking. It shows Google that you are active, and it also gives consumers more information about your business.

                  Using Your Website to Rank Higher on Google Maps

                  There is a lot of crossover from your business listing to your website. Therefore, your website can be a great tool to enhance your listing.

                  Your Website MUST be Responsive!

                  A responsive website functions the same on any screen size or device. Google Maps business listings have a link that goes directly to your website. And research tells us that as many as 60% of internet searchers use a mobile device. A consumer looks unfavorably on websites that make them pinch and zoom, are slow to load, or have broken links. If they have to work harder to see your info, then that can decrease your ranking significantly.

                  Keywords are Critical on Your Website

                  If you are a local business, use targeted local keywords to boost your ranking. It will also help to rank your website higher. Using location-specific keywords on your landing pages is important. Incorporate them into your About Us page, homepage, Contact Us page, and even blog post pages. Don’t just add them to your page titles, but also your image tags, URLs, body text, headings, and captions for maximum effect.

                  Include an Embedded Google Map on Your Website

                  On your contact page – or elsewhere – make sure to add a Google Map. It is an excellent way to tell Google where your business location is. Just make sure that your address matches your Google Maps listing. The way to embed a Google Map is to first search your company’s name in Google Maps. Then, click “share” and then “embed a map.” Simply copy and paste the Google Maps link to your contact page.

                  Google Maps listings are quickly becoming the most common way that people find a business. It is a place where they not only find you, but they can find out about you. If you are diligent about posting and follow the above tips, you will likely find yourself in the top 3 and gain a lot of advertising, and all for free. For more great tips on how to increase your traffic and bottom line, contact Fu Dog Media — we want to help you dominate the web!

                  Fu Dog Media Announced as a 2021 Local Excellence Award Winner by UpCity!

                  For more than a decade, UpCity’s mission has been—and continues to be—to help businesses find B2B service providers they can trust. The UpCity Recommendability Rating was developed to determine a service provider’s credibility and recommendability, giving UpCity the confidence to recommend them to the more than 1.5 million businesses that visit their site.

                  Each year, UpCity analyzes and scores more than 70,000 service providers based on their UpCity Recommendability Rating and acknowledges the top national and local providers with an UpCity Excellence Award. The results are in, and we won!

                  We are ecstatic to announce that the Fu Dog Media team has been recognized as one of the top B2B service providers of 2021 in the Charleston area by UpCity!

                  Fu Dog Media is a leader in Web Design, E-Commerce Websites, Social Media Marketing, SEO, Graphic Design, Logo Design, and more. We create digital experiences for brands and companies who desire to dominate. Through an in-depth consultation, we find out what makes you light up, what you like, and what your goals are for your project, then create a comprehensive digital strategy to make it happen. Cutting edge design and superior customer service are paramount at Fu Dog Media.

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                  Dan Olson, Founder & CEO of UpCity, had this to say about Fu Dog Media:

                  “Through their many reviews from delighted customers, it’s easy to see that Fu Dog Media provides high-quality solutions to each and every project. Congratulations to Fu Dog Media for winning a Local Excellence Award!”

                  – Dan Olson, Founder & CEO

                  This recognition has been driven in large part by our 5.0-star review rating on UpCity. Here are a few of our favorite pieces of feedback we’ve received from our incredible customers:

                  “Ben and his team at Fu Dog Media were professional and did fantastic work. They guided us through the process and helped us put together a fantastic website! Would definitely recommend!”
                  – Fu Dog Media customer

                  “Working with Fu Dog Media has been a great experience from the very beginning. Jyles & Ben took our vision and our goals for our business and were able to make an amazing and cohesive logo and website that truly represents our brand. If you are looking for professional, talented web designers, these guys are it. We are excited to continue working with them for SEO services!”
                  -Justin and Lauren Photography, Fu Dog Media customer

                  We adopted the Fu Dog name because we believe your business is sacred and we want to help you protect, grow, and nurture it like we do our own. This philosophy has allowed us to become one of the top digital marketing companies in South Carolina, with the help of our customers’ support. Thank you to the UpCity team and our Fu Dog Media customers over the years for this award!

                  Do You Need SEO? The Numbers Don’t Lie – Tried and True SEO Stats!

                  As we head into another year, if there is one thing we’ve all learned is that things can change in a heartbeat. And, unfortunately, the most socialization that we have been able to have in 2020 is social media. But that isn’t all bad, especially for your business.

                  Although all might have seemed lost for some small businesses when the pandemic dug in its heels, what many learned is if you adapt and find new ways to market, advertise, and offer your product or services in the face of adversity, it is possible to not only survive but to thrive. If you aren’t yet convinced that SEO is critical to your overall bottom line, read these hard and true statistics!

                  It Takes In-Depth Content to Rank Highly

                  It used to be that a solid content page on Google for ranking purposes was somewhere around 500 to 700 pages. According to Google, the average length is now 1,890 for top ranking web pages. How are you keeping up? And it isn’t just about word count; you don’t need to drive people to your website, you need them to stay! People want to absorb useful information broken up into sections that are easy to peruse.

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                  It is All About the Reviews!

                  According to Forbes Magazine, 80-90% of all online shoppers read the reviews before making their purchasing decisions. Online reviews are the key to building brand credibility. That’s why making it easier for your customers to add comments can really help your bottom line. Put in the time to follow up with customers to make sure not only that they had a pleasurable experience, but also ask if they’re willing to share.

                  Make Every Impression Count

                  The average time a person will spend on an internet search per item is about one minute long. That isn’t much time to captivate them, which is why you have to make your impression count! Finding information has become so liberal that most of us take for granted the wealth that we can consume in just one minute. That also means as a business that your time is ticking. Whatever you have on the internet has to grab attention and do so quickly.

                  Blogs are Essential

                  Inside Views reports that business-to-business marketing gains 67% more leads if they use blogs in their campaign. Blogs used to be a way that people expressed their opinions and ideas for the reader. Blogs have a dual purpose now. They not only are meant to engage the reader and provide value-added, they are a signal to Google about the credibility of your site. If you have blogs that readers find useful, it can do incredible things for your ranking and internet traffic. If you don’t, then you are telling Google that you really don’t have much to offer. Blogs are essential, but the quality and relativity of them is even more so.

                  Long-Tailed Keywords are Getting Longer

                  Wordstream found that 50%, or half, of all search queries, use four or more words. Tyson Media reports that If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, 40% of internet users will skip you and search again. Long-tailed keywords were gaining popularity years ago. Now, statistics say that more and more people are using voice recognition to do their internet searches. Since it is much easier to say what you want to find, people are using more words than ever before to better pinpoint what they are trying to find. So the more you can incorporate more detailed and target keywords into your content, titles, and meta descriptions, the better.

                  Google Updates Daily, and you Need to too

                  Hubspot counted that Google works to change its algorithms about 500-600 times annually. So what worked yesterday, likely isn’t working today. Just when you think you’ve got the rules figured out, the game changes. Google is constantly changing how they classify websites and webpages to remain relative. So watching for new trends and simple algorithms upgrades are essential.

                  Company Names That Include Strong Keywords get Noticed Locally

                  Businesses that use a strong keyword contained in their company name are spotted 1.5 times more in search engine results according to the Local SEO Guide. Local SEO differs from national, and it is all about location and keywords. Never before is it more important to use strong keywords in your company name. In previous generations it was all about finding words that come first in the alphabet because companies were listed alphabetically, those days are long, long gone.

                  YouTube Giving Google a run for its Money

                  Google might be a mainstay, but new data released by Mushroom Networks indicates that YouTube is now a close second for search engines around the globe. More and more people are choosing video streams over content. That doesn’t mean that you don’t need quality content on your site, but it does mean that you have to have a healthy mix between the two. YouTube is where you captivate your audience; your website is where you drive them.

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                  Don’t Underestimate Facebook

                  Merkle found that there are over 2,000,000,000 search queries on Facebook on any given day. Facebook might be the elderly social media platform on the block, but don’t underestimate it. Although most people downplay how often and how much they rely on Facebook – the stats tell us differently. Keep your presence strong by using the right keywords when you are posting to social media.

                  Click-Throughs Matter!

                  19.3% of organic search click-throughs go to the top listings. Ranking highly on an organic Google search is still critical, but getting there isn’t as easy. It takes a good mix of ads with the right content and campaign to get the most click-throughs possible.

                  Organic Searches are Still a Priority

                  Marketers say that 60% of their efforts are focused on enhancing their SEO and organic presence on the internet. After decades of things changing on the internet, there is one thing that remains the same – organic search efforts are still a number one priority. It takes approaching your SEO and SEM marketing from many fronts to push your website higher on an internet search.

                  Content Remains King

                  55% of marketing experts believe that quality content creation is their number one priority. People are looking for information that hasn’t been cut and pasted. They want something outside the obvious, which is why pages that have 1,890 words or more are leading the charge. The more people get, the more they want. Content isn’t just what drives your organic traffic it is what converts them to become a customer.

                  People pretty much lived on the internet pre-COVID, now that is where we all live, play, and shop. As we head into a new year, hopefully, full of prosperity and health, now is an excellent time to revamp your website and social media presence. The numbers don’t lie – you can do some amazing things with very little effort if you know the facts.

                  At Fu Dog Media, we stay ahead of the changing internet tide to consistently provide targeted and effective means to get your company noticed. Contact us today to discuss how we can take your business to the next level and have you dominating the web!

                  Dominating Google With a Local SEO Company – What You Need to Know

                  Never before has local SEO been so critical to help drive potential customers to your website. The best way to enhance your organic traffic is to increase visibility by knowing how to attract potential customers. SEO is a fantastic marketing strategy for any company or business who is serious about their web presence.

                  Local SEO is a type of targeted search engine optimization that focuses on attracting attention in a specific location, typically where your business resides. The first critical step to maximizing your website’s exposure is knowing where your customer base lies. Are you trying to target consumers nationally, regionally or just locally? Once you figure out where to throw the net, the rest becomes a whole lot easier.

                  Hiring a Local SEO Company to Help You Dominate

                  When you have a brick and mortar, your physical location becomes super important to your overall sales. 97% of customers look for a local business online before they follow through to purchasing. Therefore, if you don’t come up when they do an internet search, there is very little probability that you will get the physical sale. Statistics also say that about 50% of customers who do a Google search to find a business visit the store that day.

                  The best way to enhance your local exposure is to hire a local SEO company that is focused on making sure your services are seen in a specific geo-targeted area. Most medium-to-small businesses need to be seen online in their locale, not on a grand scale. So focusing more concentratedly is going to gain you better results.

                  The advantages of local SEO
                  • It tends to be less expensive than national SEO
                  • The competition for ranking is lesser
                  • You target potential consumers by using keywords that your niche market will be using to find you. The keywords used have very high conversion rates
                  • Ranking locally usually takes much less time
                  • It is usually easier to stay within your overall marketing budget
                  Local Search Engine Optimization Marketing Services

                  Local SEO is an excellent way to get ahead of your competitors, but it is not a once and done type of marketing and advertising plan. To be successful with an organic Local SEO campaign, you have to be persistent – it is a long end game.

                  The benefits of hiring a local SEO company
                  • You will receive more leads, sales, and website visits from local consumers
                  • It will increase your visibility over your competitors
                  • You can implement more concise geographically targeted campaigns

                  According to Google, 43% of searches are geographically oriented with 50% of mobile searches using local intent. Local SEO is one of the most effective ways to increase your location-specific presence to drive sales. It is also one of the most critical marketing tools that you have as a locally owned small or medium business.

                  The key to a successful SEO campaign is that you understand who your customers are, where they live, and what they want. Search engines are continually and constantly changing their algorithms, so you have to know how to evolve with them and update your site and SEO accordingly. A local SEO company should use every tool at their disposal to improve keyword rankings.

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                  Local Video SEO

                  Are you currently using video as a part of your marketing campaign? If not, you are missing a huge opportunity. People prefer videos over text and find them to be highly engaging and entertaining. Statistics show that 17% of internet users, on average, will leave a website within four seconds. But if they have a video, users will stay closer to two minutes to watch it. Video marketing helps to engage those who you drive to your website to want to stay and learn more. And that reduces bounce rates, which will boost your website ranking.

                  YouTube marketing is quickly becoming just as powerful and important as other Google marketing strategies. It is the third-highest visited site, and the second largest search engine used. YouTube can be a great contributor to the success of your local SEO campaign because:

                  • There are over one billion searches done on YouTube daily
                  • Creating a video is pretty inexpensive
                  • Mobile users would rather watch a video than reading content on their mobile phones
                  • Videos help increase your Google ranking
                  • 46% of consumers will usually act immediately following watching a video

                  So the best campaign for local SEO is one that combines website and video SEO into one coherent strategy. Contact Fu Dog Media today to discuss local SEO strategy. We can work with any company in the USA for local SEO.

                  6 Critical Benefits of Adding Live Chat to Your Website or E-Commerce Site

                  One of the biggest trends in customer expectations is having immediacy to speak with a customer service agent around their schedule, instead of just from nine to five. Studies show that over 69% of consumers expect to talk with a customer support specialist in real-time and of that, 60% believe that the relationship should be connected. For example, if a customer leaves a message via a social media site like Facebook, they expect that the customer service agent who follows up should have all the information they need from the get-go.

                  The desire that consumers have requires a multi or omnichannel approach to your customer service support. One of the most critical components of such an “omnichannel” approach is having Live Chat support. Live Chat support software allows customers to reach out and have their questions answered without having to leave an email to be returned or to find their phone to call.

                  Customer service agents are available in real-time so that they can address whatever question a customer has about a product, service or issue they are having.

                  Live Chat offers many benefits for businesses that are looking to enhance their customer satisfaction. But these are the six most critical ones.

                  Live Chat is the Preferred Support Channel for Consumers

                  A recent study found that 41% say that live chat functions are by far their favorite means of communication. Whether it is used to foster sales or to give people real-time support to trouble-shoot, customers enjoy having the instantaneous response that it provides:

                  • Not many customers want to chase down their phone, and then a number, and then wait on hold
                  • A Live Chat function makes a running transcript of the conversation so if it is interrupted, you can go back to exactly where you left off
                  • When combined with other features like voice call options, screen send or share screenshots, it makes resolving issues easy and efficient.

                  Live Chat Connects the Customer

                  Not all people have the capacity to or want to directly speak with a customer satisfaction agent. There are all sorts of reasons that someone might not be able to speak directly with an agent such as hearing issues or heavy accents that can get in the way of communicating. A live chat function can bridge any logistical ways that conversations can get lost in translation, literally.

                  Live Chat Leads to More First Contact Resolution Results

                  Live Chat is an excellent way to help people with their smaller and less complex problems. That way, the lines to speak to someone to get answers to more challenging issues are available when you need them. Live Chat frees up your customer service team to better use their time and resources. A study involving the cleaning brand Vax, showed that using live chat increased their first contact resolution from 78% to 87%. It also helped to reduce the time needed for consumers to reach out to the phone line by going from 81% to nearly 77%.

                  Live Chat also helps with improving tools for analysis by improving the customer service agent’s experience by:

                  • A transcript is provided for each interaction – it records theme, keyword, sales channel, customer type, and support ticket results
                  • You can spot common themes according to questions asked that help with navigational problems related to your support content
                  • It feeds consumer data directly to your CRM, which allows for a 360 degree perspective for your customers
                  • The data you receive can help to generate content about the most frequently asked questions, which enhances the consumers' ability to self-service
                  Live Chat Software

                  Live Chat Helps to Build Trust

                  By giving the consumer the ability to reach out to you when they need you most, it helps to build trust in your company and brand. Allowing the consumer various streams of contact, depending on what they are most comfortable with, gives the impression that you are responsive and care about what your customers want.

                  Live Chat also allows people the ability to talk in real-time outside regular business hours like evenings and weekends, when most call centers are closed. The idea of Live Chat is that you are addressing the consumer around their schedule and for their direct needs.

                  Make sure that your Live Chat agents are well-versed and experienced in Customer Service. And also make sure that they know the different demands that might be associated with a Live Chat versus a phone call. Look for employees who are proficient on the computer and who can type quickly. Also make sure to find someone who speaks well and writes concisely understanding that people want a friendly answer via chat, with the same niceties that they get from talking with someone in person.

                  Live Chat Can Help to Enhance Sales

                  Live Chat is typically thought of as a part of help desk software, but that doesn’t mean that it should be limited to just customer support. Statistics continue to show that it is viewed very favorably by consumers, which means that it can play a significantly positive role as a sales tool as well. The study done by Vax, also resulted in a 26% increase in their year to year sales via their internet. When you use live chat for more than just customer support and in targeted ways, you can:

                  • Reduce high drop-out rates throughout the checkout and sales process. A live Chat agent can helpfully walk the consumer through the process of completing the sale
                  • If you notice that analytics tell you that there is a high volume of customers that go to the website, yet don’t follow through to buying, a live chat agent can be responsible for targeting them, asking and answering questions, and handling things at the moment so they don’t drop out before they buy.

                  best live chat software

                  AI Chatbots versus Live Chat Software

                  One of the ways that companies have tried to enhance their customers' experience is through using AI chatbots. But AI chatbots are not the same as live chat software, and they might be cheaper, and they can help with smaller problems and tasks.

                  A website that uses an AI chatbot works by using natural language processing and machine learning to help generate responses. It is an excellent tool for things like updating the order of a shipment or finding a sales receipt. Therefore, it is revolutionizing many industries' processing.

                  The benefits of AI chatbots are just now starting to inundate the market. And many companies are starting to use them to save time so that their agents can handle the more complex questions. It has also increased customer satisfaction because there are lesser wait times for customer’s concerns to be addressed. There is little argument that AI Chatbots are becoming an integral part of efficient and effective customer service teams.

                  Live Chat is one of the biggest things taking over the website world for a good reason; they cater to the customer. Not only do they allow customers to get their questions answered immediately, even when call centers have closed, they are also helping to drive customers to purchase where they might not have followed through. So, from everything to customer support to sales, live chat and AI chatbots are becoming a critical part of updating your customer experience and getting ahead of the competition. Ready to sign up? Click here.

                  What is White Label Web Design and is it a Good Choice for Your Agency?

                  In the age of the internet, website development is a highly critical component of a business's presence, branding, and marketing. And, as such, your clients are right to demand that their websites function and look cutting edge and exactly as they want them – even though, for most, they have no clue what that actually is. If you are spending more time updating and redesigning than is economically advantageous, then a white label web design might be the ticket to freedom for your time and your budget.

                  What is a White Label Web Design?

                  A white label web design is a website that is created by a web development company for another agency or company. The beauty of it is that there is no business or name attached to it, so you can add any name or branding you want. So even if your company is not well versed in web design or development, the right white label partner can give you an awesome service to add to your company's offerings.

                  Picture this… You have a client who comes to you and wants the whole package, a new website, social media advertising and marketing, and SEO services for their new endeavor. Once you have the details worked out, you reach out to us and give us the full project description, we agree on a price for the website, and then you resell it to the company who first approached you. That way, you are free to work on the other components promised, and focus on what you do best – the rest.

                  What’s Awesome About White Label Web Design?

                  We don’t attach our name to it, so you get all the credit, and we are okay handing it over. Best of all, you don’t lose the rest of the marketing, advertising, and SEO work that is on-going because you choose not to pay an in-house developer. You'll have the full support of our agency for ongoing website maintenance and support.

                  Who is White Label Web Design Ideal for?

                  There are a vast number of businesses that could benefit from this outsourcing of website design practice, and they aren’t all in the web design business. They are organizations who want to stay competitive in other areas of internet and digital marketing, but focus solely on the parts they do best, which might not exactly be web design. Perfect examples are:

                  • Digital Marketing Companies – Currently your strengths lie in SEO or content marketing, but you keep losing to the competitors who take it from start to finish. If you white label web design, you get the project from the start and focus right out the gate on what you do, while we work on the design.
                  • IT Consultants – As any programmer will tell you, just because you know how to create a website, that doesn’t mean you should. It takes a design eye and a web design background to take a concept from start to finish. But an IT consultant is the best person to take the site and hit the ground running and protecting it once created. Web design can be a great add-on service for IT professionals to add to their arsenal.
                  • Ad Agencies – Ad agencies work with clients on getting their business out there via various mediums of advertising. If your ad agency doesn’t offer web design, it might be time to add it to your services. It will fit right in with your other services and you can add value to what you already do!

                  What are the Advantages of White Label Design?

                  We know you probably have the imagination to think about all the advantages of having someone else do the design work for a website and then reap the benefits of creation, but we thought we would spell them out –

                  Time to Do What You Do Best!

                  Any smart businessman knows that it is better to focus on the things that make your business successful that you can do, and then delegate the rest to the best. Why spend time designing a mediocre site while your competitors are getting the edge? Focus on what you are good at and let us handle the rest.

                  You Have More Than You Can Handle

                  Sure, you know how to do website design, but the profit is found in quantity. When your cup runneth over with too much work, don’t turn clients down, let us pick up the slack!

                  Stop Trolling for Quotes

                  You know how time-consuming it is to get a quote for every website that you have to do. If you have a price set in stone, you don’t have to wait for a third-party to make your bid – bid away!

                  Quality is Key

                  Win businesses over for the long-term by providing the most outstanding and spectacular websites possible. Anyone who sees it will think you did it, and they will be lining up for you to “do” it again!

                  What are the Possibilities for a White Label Website?

                  The best part about white label websites is that they can be used for whatever you want without limitations. We provide you with the proofs that are nondescript in prototypes and test sites, and you are the go-between to create with your customer without them ever knowing that it is coming from elsewhere. And it can be whatever you need it to be.

                  You are the liaison who gets all the information, document requests, and graphic approval say. Although, if you want, we can do that too. We are really flexible. At Fu Dog Media, we can be your secret, or your secret weapon, to help with the client on the approval side too.

                  Once it is complete, it is all yours. You have full rights and have paid for it. Go ahead use it as an example or present it in your portfolio! You can begin an entire website design company without having to lift a finger to actually design. We provide the canvas, you paint it as you want it.

                  Why Fu Dog Media?

                  At Fu Dog Media, our mission is to make you look as good as possible. We want your business to succeed as much as you do! We are a one-stop-shop that helps with as little or as much of the design and development process as you need. We work with you to create beautiful websites to sell to others as your own. And once you approve it, it is ready to go.

                  Once we get your site up and running, we will be here every step of the way. Our team is here for you long after it goes live. If something needs to be changed or revised, we’ve got you. 

                  How Much Can Your Business Make From White Label Design?

                  The answer is that it is up to you. You get to decide what you want to charge your clients over our agreed-on base price. And if you are a real go-getter, the more sites you sell, the more you make. Yes, it really is that easy!

                  How do I get Started?

                  Are you ready to begin a new endeavor or see the endless monetary potential for offering website design to your existing business? What are you waiting for? Contact us today and let's get on it. It only takes a few minutes to discuss how we can mutually do some really incredible things…. Give us a call or contact us today!

                  10 Reasons You Need a Digital Marketing Strategy to Dominate

                  The way to market your service or product has changed significantly since the introduction of the internet. And where once it was all about advertising in a one-way stream of messages, the new age of digital marketing is about communication between you and your customer base. Sometimes the hardest part about a digital marketing campaign is knowing where to even start, and then trying to figure out how to get where you want to go.

                  Do You Currently Have a Digital Marketing Strategy?

                  Over the past decade, the number of small businesses incorporating a digital marketing strategy has increased significantly from about one-quarter to about 45% of companies hopping onboard. Although that is a great improvement, that still means that over half of businesses are missing the boat.

                  Traditional marketing and branding is still a highly necessary part of your overall success, but digital marketing differs because it is more interactive and communicative. If you aren’t employing both types of ways to reach your niche market, you are missing out on a huge percentage of potential.

                  Ten Reasons Why you Need a Digital Marketing Strategy

                  1. You Have No Direction

                  It is nearly impossible to get where you are going if you don’t know where that is or the path to get there. Digital marketing isn’t about throwing everything out there and hoping something works. It is a targeted way to devise an overall campaign so that everything you do is relative and works in combination to get to your end-game. If you aren’t analyzing what is working and what is not, or haven’t a clue even how to, you are likely throwing time, money, and resources out without getting much for it.

                  2. You Haven’t Clearly Defined Your Audience or Niche Market

                  The key to a successful digital marketing campaign is knowing who your audience is. Clearly defining what niche market you serve is integral to using targeted marketing to interact with them.

                  3. Your Competitors are Doing it Better

                  When devising a marketing campaign, you have to know who your competitors are and analyze what they are doing right and wrong to differentiate your company. If you aren’t learning from the competition to get and stay ahead, they might leave you in the dust.

                  4. You Don’t Have a Clear and Concise Message

                  For content purposes, you must have a clear and concise message that states who you are, what you are about, and what your philosophy or brand stands for. A clear message across all mediums is important to establish not just brand familiarity but also brand loyalty through the message that you send. Once you find your message and your voice, use it consistently across all forms of digital marketing like social, email, and blog content.

                  5. You’re Not Staying in-Tune With Your Customers

                  Opinions change over time, and to remain relevant and successful, companies have to be in-tune with what their customers desire. They can only do that through the use of feedback to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Using feedback from clients, surveys and online reviews is the best way to be on the pulse of what your customers think and feel about your message, your products, and/or your services.

                  6. You are “Disintegrated”

                  A machine works best when all of its parts are in sync. If you have separated your traditional marketing from your digital marketing strategy, then you might find yourself disintegrated. Your online representation should have the same tone, brand, and message as your offline marketing. Consistency across marketing channels is key!

                  7. You Don’t Invest Enough Efforts Into Your Digital Presence

                  Digital marketing shouldn’t be an afterthought or something that you just “throw together”. Because the internet has changed the way that consumers find companies and products, if you aren’t investing your time and resources into digital marketing, you are making yourself obsolete.

                  8. You Aren’t Evaluating What Works and What Doesn’t

                  Just as important as it is to use all the digital marketing tools at your disposal, it is critical to not duplicate your efforts. Make sure that you are continually evaluating where your efforts are being spent so that you aren’t throwing money out by doing the same thing in ten different ways. Evaluate what all of your efforts are doing to look for any overlaps. Adjust or get rid of strategies that aren’t working and double down on the things that are.

                  9. You’re Not Staying One Step Ahead

                  The way to remain relevant is to make yourself important in the marketplace. For a successful digital marketing campaign, you have to be willing to diversify, stay ahead of the game, and continually look for holes in advertising and marketing to insert yourself. Your audience will likely change over time, so you have to know when things are shifting, and shift your message and campaign accordingly.

                  Coronavirus has really shown how important it is to adapt to the current market and has forced a survival of the fittest mentality on businesses.

                  10. You Aren’t Using All the Tools Available

                  There is an endless number of ways that companies can segment and reach potential and existing customers. You have to do both; retain your customer base and find new audiences. That takes using all the tools of digital marketing that you can. Those tools change rapidly though, and keeping pace is the only way to ensure that you aren’t missing opportunities to grow your business and your bottom line.

                  Most businesses understand the value of marketing and advertising. In the new age of the internet, marketing has changed. And it is no longer about placing an ad and hoping your niche market will see it and reach out. Digital marketing is about creating a two-way channel with your audience to find a strategy that works through communication and feedback, as well as refining your message and establishing your digital brand presence.

                  Are you doing all you can to use the powerful tools at your fingertips?

                  If not, let Fu Dog Media help you create a digital marketing strategy to achieve your business goals. Contact us today to get started.

                  Let's
                  Dominate

                  We’re just as excited about growing your business as you are.