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Tag: SEO

“The Sky Is Falling” – Why Most SEO’s Freak Out When Algorithm Updates Hit

The internet is ever-evolving, and this should not be breaking news to anyone. Updates, AI, and constant change keep most SEOs on their toes. One thing I’ve tried to teach myself and my clients over the years is that core algorithm updates happen, and these days, they happen more often than ever before.

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As content becomes more accessible and easier to create, thanks in part to artificial intelligence sources like Chat GPT, Gemini, and countless others, search engines have been adjusting how and what ranks well due to the tsunami of published content. While most beginner SEOs genuinely aren’t capable of publishing good, quality content with a simple AI prompt, the fact that so many websites are pumping out garbage content makes search engines like Google have to make adjustments. Like the “helpful content” algorithm update, search engines are slowly but surely catching on to content solely designed to help a website rank higher organically but provide little to no informational value to the reader.

As a rule of thumb, when organic search rankings get volatile, it’s sure that a big core algorithm update is on its way, as I have seen in the past few weeks. The trick with SEO is that if you’re not ahead of what’s coming, you end up scrambling to try to “fix” what Google, Bing, or other search engines ding your site(s) for. That’s never a good idea because it usually involves a complete content makeover, which is not only time-consuming but also a waste of time and resources when it should have been right the first time. At Web Force KC, we don’t “freak out” anymore when rankings fluctuate because we know that the content we publish for our clients is solid, timely, relevant, and informative as it pertains to whatever industry they are in. I guess the point of this blog is that keyword-jamming a ton of blog posts with AI isn’t a viable option anymore, nor is it an effective marketing strategy. Of course, I use AI to help with tasks that would otherwise take a ton of time, but publishing trash content just to rank for a few low-value keywords is not part of Web Force KC’s game plan.

Until next time. 🍻

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August 22, 2024
There Are No Mic Drops In Marketing

Like Han Solo said in Star Wars, “You know sometimes I amaze even myself,” I, too, like putting together clever content, sitting back and patting myself on the back. But the reality is that there is no ‘mic drop’ in marketing of any type. Every day, an effective marketer must create engaging content that strives to beat and outsmart their clients’ competition while at the same time educating and compelling their potential customers to act. More importantly, a consistently effective content marketer’s goal should be to not only outdo their clients’ competition but also to outdo themselves. From photography and graphic design to social media posts and blog/website content, keeping things fresh is a chore, but the rewards are worth it for the client, and it also tends to keep my job interesting.

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Over ten years ago, my biggest fear wasn’t whether or not Web Force KC would succeed but rather if I would eventually run out of ideas for content. After all, most of my clients’ services don’t change for the most part, which means that I would be required to continually describe the same things differently and repeatedly for years potentially. Sure, the messages and call to action remain relatively the same, but as I developed more strategic and time-relevant content, it all changed for the better. While there have been many blog and social media posts I’ve done that weren’t exactly Pulitzer prize-winning material, the goal has always been to remain consistent and not dwell on a writer’s block type of day because, well, they can and do happen. Like in any creative process, there will be highs and lows, and I’ve found that the key to making the most of the highs is to bang out as much content as possible when I know I’m riding that wave. Oftentimes, what ends up happening is that I learn a new angle to an old concept that I can take and use moving forward until the next bright spot appears. The idea that I’ll one day write THE golden piece of content that is so good I’ll never have to type again is non-existent at this point, and I find that if I just put my fingers on the keyboard, the ideas will start flowing sooner or later. Sometimes a little good old-fashioned research can get the gears moving, or checking out what the competitors are up to can lead to an effective piece of content, but it’s never enough in the world of SEO. To put it plainly, the goal is not necessarily to write the best piece of content I’ll ever do on any given day, but it is to write something better than I have previously, even yesterday. So far, so good, as I have clearly not run out of ideas after publishing over 10,000 blogs and website pages since I started Web Force. If I do happen to get wrapped up in the moment thinking I’m super-cool for a solid piece of content today, I may drop the mic but knowing full well that I’ll have to pick it back up tomorrow and do it all over again. That’s why I love doing what I do.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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June 2, 2022
Same Concept, Different Blog

Content marketing can be tough especially when the business you’re writing for doesn’t really change that much. However, I’ve learned to find ways around getting into a writer’s slump primarily by realizing and accepting that no matter how much you’ve written about a given subject, product, or service, there is always more that you can do but it doesn’t always come easy.

SEO and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

I write a TON of content for my clients and it’s really easy to get burned out but thankfully I’m never really short on ideas (most good, some not so good.) As I’ve acquired more clients and my older clients have grown, I’ve had to find new ways to market them and, honestly, some weeks it goes as smooth as silk and others it’s like pulling teeth. Look at it this way: for one of my oldest clients, I have written and published over 1,800 blog posts and hundreds of website pages and while their business never really changes much with the exception of adding new products to their retail store, the content I write on their behalf has to be ever changing, unique, engaging and relevant in order for it to be effective. Sure some content is better than others but the key has been to be consistent with regularly publishing blog posts and making adjustments to the overall page structure of their website(s) when necessary for all of my clients to help them grow their businesses.

A few weeks back, I was in burn out mode and started thinking about examples in my life and the world I observe of how individuals are able to take the same concept(s) and re-imagine them over and over again without getting sick and tired of doing it. At the time, I was getting back into old school Metallica and I thought, “Boy, they must be so over playing the song ‘One’ at every single show for weeks and months at a time.” The thing is that ‘One’ (one of my least favorite Metallica songs) was a massive hit and there are likely fans in the audience every night they play that are only there to hear that one (no pun unintended) song. Having seen Metallica live (among other metal bands) many times over the years, I noticed they always find ways to change things up a little bit in their biggest songs but overall the singalongs and melody remains constant which is cool for the audience but probably also good for the band that has played these songs hundreds if not thousands of times. It made me realize that even though I may feel like I’m writing about the same products and services for my clients over and over again, I have to find new and innovative ways to change it up for my audience as well as for myself so I don’t go insane or get severely burned out. It’s not that there won’t be days when I’m just not feeling it and the words don’t flow like a river but realizing that this is the way that artists, marketers, and people that are just good at what they do have to make changes and adjustments to keep their audiences’ and their own interest focused. Content marketing probably isn’t as cool as a Metallica song but it felt good to connect the two and whatever makes me think, makes me better at what I do. That’s what Web Force KC does (for itself and) for our clients.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for effective web design and online marketing in the Kansas City area.

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July 17, 2020
Shoot Yourself In The Foot Marketing

We all have opinions and beliefs which is fine and good but dragging divisive opinions and beliefs into your marketing strategy could cost your business big time. Don’t get me wrong, I personally have some pretty strong beliefs and opinions that I am more than will to stand up for but I have refused to incorporate them into my business’ or my clients’ marketing strategies and for good reason.

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Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

At the time that this blog is being written, Kansas City (and our entire country for that matter) is polarized on a variety of issues. Civil unrest is a daily news blip and with elections on the horizon in November, there is no shortage of back and forth banter among opposing opinions both online and offline. The funny thing about all of the chaos and insanity is that marketers are finding ways to still get into your head and plant the seeds of their products or services but they are doing it very, very carefully so as not to cut themselves off at the knees. Let me explain: a few weeks back I published a blog titled Marketing In The Age Of COVID-19 where I briefly touched on making sure your marketing efforts don’t piss off 50% of the people you are trying to get to. But I feel like this needs to explored even more particularly in light of some recent campaigns I’ve been following closely that are failing in a major way. If you are from the Kansas City area and you listen to the radio or watch TV, you may have noticed that a very prominent plumber in the area has decided to throw his hat into the ring and run for senate in Kansas. What’s odd is that his hilarious political ads are often followed by or preceded by his ads for his plumbing business. To be fair, I learned that he no longer actually owns the plumbing business but is still the “face” of their marketing campaigns. It’s a free country and more power to a guy that started out as a plumber that ends up running for public office once he sold his company but his rhetoric is highly divisive and word on the street is that the plumbing company is suffering as a direct result of it. You can watch for yourself as the train wreck happens in real time but it is no mystery as to why the plumbing business in which he’s still the “face” of is drowning. Any time you drag politics, polarizing opinions, or beliefs into your marketing efforts you should expect repercussions from those on the opposite side. Republican vs Democrat. Pro-life vs Pro-Choice. Pro police vs anti-police. Etc. Etc.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

The goal of marketing your business is to get the word out about what you do, how your do it, where you do it, and why someone would choose you to do it for them and I’m having a hard time thinking of an instance where political or philosophical beliefs would come into play as a means of enhancing a marketing message aside from, well, political marketing. The truth is that anyone opposed to your opinions will likely be opposed to your business because in this day and age, we have a hard time seeing other points of view which makes marketing with politics or any mildly controversial subject matter dangerous and likely ineffective. I’m not saying don’t stand up for your beliefs and ideals but make sure that you consider whether or not they have anything remotely to do with what you do and who you might piss off to the point that they don’t want to do business with you. Sadly, we have all become more easily offended and triggered and it likely won’t get any better anytime soon. We recommend you focus on what you do and/or sell and let the idealists fight it out on social media because the fact is that you won’t change anyone that has already made up their mind as to what they believe. Keep your marketing neutral and go after everyone instead of having people come after or boycott you and your business based on your personal beliefs. You can’t please everyone but you’re marketing efforts will be phenomenally more effective when you focus more on what you do, not how you personally think. Sure it’s hard to appeal to everyone but that’s why my clients pay Web Force KC to do it because it is far from easy. That’s just one of the things we do for our clients.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for effective web design and online marketing in the Kansas City area.

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June 26, 2020
What You DO and What You Are DOING

Photo credit Carl Heyerdahl

I’ve built quite a few websites over the years and have written thousands of blogs for my clients. When I first meet them and they decide to hire me, I initially found it difficult to explain what I was doing for them and why I was doing it. With web design it’s pretty cut and dried that they need a place for their potential customers to find them online, get in contact with them and/or get directions to their business but blogging is different. When I first started Web Force I struggled to explain in simple terms what on earth I was doing creating constant content but over time I realized that there is a simple way to do it so here it is.

Web Design and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

A website’s pages are quite simply what you DO, WHO you are, and WHERE you do it. Ideally, each page of a website should explain one component of what you do, what you sell, and why you do it better than your competition with the home page being a summary of everything you do or sell. That’s what you DO and your business likely does it all day, everyday which means that in most cases your website pages never really change much unless your business does. What you are DOING works a little bit different. Avenues like social media are a great way to show off what you are DOING like your latest projects, products, sales, or specials however using your website’s blog can make showing what you are DOING even more powerful. Unlike your website’s pages that are direct and to the point about what you do or sell, your blog posts can be used to show the lighter side of what you do, highlight seasonality in your products or services, flex your industry knowledge, discuss changes in your business or whatever you want so long as it’s relevant. As discussed in our previous blog, keeping your blog posts current and relevant will do wonders for you in terms of attracting the attention of the search engines and will keep your readers engaged as well. Personally, I treat every blog I write like I’m adding a page to a website only less structured and certainly less formal but nevertheless informative. The subject matter could be making light of something my clients see all too often that drives them nuts to something way out of left field like providing tips for smokers and vapers during the COVID-19 era. (FYI: I work with a lot of smoke and vape shops.) The point is that you can use your website to showcase what you DO while using your blog to show what you’re DOING and humanize your company so that your potential customers can get a glimpse of who you are and why they should do business with you. It’s tough to do at first but just like anything else, the more you do it the easier it becomes. Web Force KC builds websites that effectively showcase what businesses and do and what they doing. If you have questions about web design or using your blog as a tool, feel free to contact us.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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May 21, 2020
The Art Of (Online) War

Photo credit Felix Mittermeier

All industries have competition and that not only applies on the ground but also online. The goal of any marketer should be to position their clients to give them the advantage over their competition and, of course, make them money while they do it. At Web Force KC, we’ve seen our share of competitive industries and have successfully marketed them to help them grow but not without a fighting a few battles along the way and having to declare all out war on their competition. It’s not a simple task because there really is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for online marketing because the internet is an ever changing landscape and each industry presents its own marketing challenges. The ultimate goal is to get our clients’ websites onto the first page of the search engines, more specifically Google as it sees 92% of all search traffic because once you show up there for what your business does, people can easily find and more importantly contact you to do business. It is all out war in marketing and the competition is always looking to get an edge on you and your marketing strategy.

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Photo credit Birmingham Museums Trust

At Web Force KC, we take these battles personally which is why we constantly monitor, track, and analyze our clients’ competition. We do this for several reason which I’ll explain in a moment but in the initial stages of putting together a marketing plan, it’s more to get an feel for how the industry works, what the common keywords are, and ultimately learn about the business itself so that we our content writers can speak to it and write about it confidently. We’ve seen our clients’ competition blatantly stealing website content, product images, keyword strategies and their overall marketing plan which sucks but it’s just part of the game. Web Force KC has had to go so far as to install anti-copyright software on many of our clients’ website due to repeated incidents of copyright infringement which, to be quite honest, was somewhat flattering when it first happened but is quite infuriating now (PSA: we have filed suit and will continue to sue for copyright infringement when we find it). Unfortunately, there’s not much that can done legally when our clients’ competitors use a keyword strategy we create or revamp their entire marketing plan to keep up with ours unless of course they slip and accidentally copy content word for word. No one really owns the rights to any keywords or keyword sets (unless perhaps they contain a business’ name which is not a wise idea) so it then becomes a matter using keywords more effectively to win. Tracking how our clients rank for specific keywords and keyword sets on Google that apply to their business is a way to show progress and performance but we also track the competition as well to keep ourselves in check. Slowly but surely as our marketing plan unfolds, we topple the competition that are sometimes huge companies with massive marketing budgets that have no idea what happened until it’s too late which is exactly where we want them: scrambling on the defense. We exploit the competitors’ online weaknesses using our strengths and protect our clients’ rankings and online presence with a continuous assault of content and adjusting strategically when necessary.

It’s not all out war in a traditional sense but it has become more and more apparent that many of our clients’ competition have had to make dramatic adjustments to their marketing plans due to our efforts which we take a lot of pride in and thoroughly enjoy. It’s not a matter of working harder on a clients’ marketing campaign by producing more content more frequently but instead it’s working smarter, more strategically, and always being one step ahead of the competition. When our clients’ competition is trying to play catch-up and we continue to relentlessly move forward, that’s a win and that’s what Web Force KC does. Winning the war online against your competitors will better enable you to win the war on the ground which is what effective marketing should do.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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April 23, 2020
Marketing In The Age Of COVID-19

Photo Credit: CDC

It’s been a bit since I’ve published a blog for Web Force KC, and with the dramatic changes we’ve all had to adjust to in the last month or so, I thought I would share some insight as to what we’ve been seeing with our clients. There’s no getting around it: COVID-19 has and will forever change the way our city, country, and world operates and how we use online marketing is certainly no exception. Here are a few of the things we’ve seen and helped our clients implement over the last few weeks to help them adjust to the new normal:

Be Upfront

There’s no tip toeing around the fact the COVID-19 is having an effect on businesses and individuals so approach it head on. We’ve likely all seen companies continuing to market with tone deaf messages that are oddly outdated and hearken back to a time that is no longer present or relevant (at least for the foreseeable future). Rather than dance around the fact that there is an elevated amount of fear, stress and in some cases, panic, let your customers know that you and your business are not immune to what’s going on but you’re still there and ready to serve them while putting their safety at the forefront. Obviously most businesses are no longer “business as usual” in any way, shape, or form but explaining how your business specifically is adjusting to the COVID-19 crisis will help your customers understand that their health and safety will not be in jeopardy when they do business with you.

Be Honest

Every business owner thinks that their business is essential and they are not wrong as it puts food on their table and pays the bills. However, most cities and states clearly spell out which industries are essential and which ones are not. While it may be tempting (and probably pretty easy) to keep a non-essential business open during a stay at home order as there really is not any clear enforcement that we’ve seen thus far, it could backfire badly. As stay at home orders get extended until who knows when, people are probably going to start getting pissed off from being cooped up and seeing a non-essential business that is blatantly open and doing business is an really easy target. We are by no means experts on law but from what the city of Kansas City (where Web Force KC is located) has stated that they are not playing games with non-essential business violating the order. If you get caught, you might get closed down for who knows how long. Maybe even beyond the city or state’s stay at home order which will be great for your competitors but not so great for you or your business.

So, from an marketing standpoint, if you have to temporarily close or you are able to remain open, use the numerous online tools available to let your customers know what’s going on with your business. If you have to temporarily close, let them know that you may be down but you are certainly not out. If you’re luck enough to be open, let them know what, if anything, has changed for your business due to the COVID-19 crisis. Google My Business, Yelp, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and many other sites that are tools for businesses have quickly added new functionality allowing business owners to update the status of their business specifically as it pertains to the COVID-19 crisis. Add how your business has changed to your website and make it highly visible so that anyone visiting it knows what you and your business are doing to adjust to the age of COVID-19. Use your online tools to your advantage.

Be Creative

Amidst all of the bad news we’ve seen in the past few weeks there are some good things that have come out of all of this. In fact, some businesses that creatively adjusted successfully will not soon be forgotten. Take J. Reiger & Co. for instance. They are a local Kansas City distillery that has reinvented themselves from an old, long gone brand to a vibrant locally sourced product and must visit destination that is pretty damn cool. (Their whisky kicks ass, too, according to the author of this blog.) As the COVID-19 crisis began to take shape it the Kansas City area, they switched their operations from distilling and distributing spirits to making hand sanitizer and lots of it! People lined up around the block at their distillery to get a bottle or jug of their hand sanitizer and, of course, the media was there to report on the whole thing. What’s interesting about J. Reiger & Co. and how they completely switched up their business model is that their hand sanitizer continues to pop up all over social media and news reports even weeks after they made the initial switch. They have donated their hand sanitizer to first responders, medical professionals and others on the frontlines and they’ve reaped the rewards with seemingly endless social media shares while also selling their product through unlikely channels like Shatto Milk Company’s delivery service. Speaking of Shatto Milk, they, too, began to really push their delivery service in the Kansas City metro as COVID-19 became a household name and guess what? Their deliver service exploded! With so many people stuck at home and the chaos going on at any given grocery store, it’s no wonder that a delivery service from a company that was already known for a quality product would be enormously successful.

The point is that you may be forced to reinvent how you do business to survive. Be creative with it and if how you adjust your business helps people, you’ll definitely get bonus points.

Photo Credit: Erik Mclean

Talk to your customers

With access to the entire internet in the palm of our hands , there’s really no excuse why you can’t connect with your customers. If your business has never really tapped into marketing to the search engines or social media then you are way behind the curve but now is probably a great time to jump in. What’s always been interesting from a marketing standpoint is how businesses continually have to remind customers that behind their brand and business are actual people. I spend more time trying to figure out better and more effective ways on how to humanize a business that I work with because when done correctly can be a very powerful force.

Talk to your customers in any way you can and in a way that they will understand. Whether you sit down and write a lengthy blog post like the one you’re currently reading or a quick social media post telling them you miss them, do something because chances are they are listening.

Health and safety

I spend a ENORMOUS amount of time online each day whether I’m working or not and I’m either lucky or unlucky enough to get to see both sides of any story, event, or topic. With that being said, this is not going to become a political or conspiracy theory post but the fact is that there are many people that believe the COVID-19 virus is a hoax. If they are right then I will stand corrected but as a business owner, your customers and staff are not just a means to profitability, they ARE your business and risking their health and safety is not only irresponsible but also a sure way to keep your business closed for good. During election season, I always like to remind my clients that posting political opinions or propaganda is essentially cutting yourself off from anyone with an opposing opinion. With the COVID-19 crisis in full swing, discrediting and/or ignoring it is essential the same thing as anyone that is fearful for their health isn’t going to do business with an anyone that blatantly ignores health warnings. Do the right thing for yourself, your staff, and your customers and alleviate any doubt or worry that doing business with you could effect their health and safety.

Web Force KC doesn’t have all of the answers to every question as we are continually adjusting what we do and how to better do it daily. We continually look for new ways to help our clients continue to push forward using online marketing as an effective tool of communication. If your business needs help, let us know. We’d be happy to help! Stay safe KC!

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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April 17, 2020