Landing pages are still somewhat of a mystery to many marketers. In theory they sound simple, but it may feel like there are secrets or some mystic formula that has to be cracked in order to be successful. Now you not only need a website that is filled with stellar content and optimized for […]
The post Behind the Curtain: 4 Tips for Creating Landing Pages That Convert appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.
Live streaming video services have finally hit the mainstream market, and are beginning to pick up steam. Many might compare their use to Dave Egger’s 2013 novel, “The Circle,” which explores the beginning of a transparent society in which politicians, public servants, and private citizens “go transparent” by wearing body cams and live streaming every […]
Companies in the B2B space from IBM to HubSpot have been actively and effectively engaging prospects with longer sales cycle content for years. Like many competitive environments, a lot of emphasis for marketers has been about creating “more” content. More blog posts, videos, infographics, social messages, emails, and so on. But here’s the thing about “more content” […]
The Periodic Table of Social Media – There’s a science to social media. From content and metrics to terminology, here’s a fun way to test and verify your social marketing experiments. Direct Marketing News New Direct Messaging Comes To Twitter – With today’s changes, the ice cream shop can opt to receive Direct Messages from anyone; so you […]
Internet users are spending more time than ever on their smartphones, which means Content Marketers must adjust their strategies to create a better user experience for those drawn to the small screen.
The release of Google’s new mobile-friendly update, aka “mobilegeddon”, has drawn a firestorm of attention to the need for improving website responsiveness and user experience on mobile devices.
There’s a good reason for this: A recent study by ComScore and Millennial Media found that approximately 56% of digital content is now consumed via smartphones. Knowing that a large portion of your audience likely searches, consumes and interacts with content on their mobile device should inform how you execute on your Content Marketing initiatives.
The good news is, despite the apocalyptic headlines on many blogs, Google has stated that the new mobile-friendly update only affects:
Even so, mobile content discovery and consumption is universal and it’s more important than ever to optimize for search and user experience with content on all devices. To help you save the day, we’ve compiled a list of 4 essential tips for content marketers to take a more mobile-friendly approach to content. Make Google happy. Make your customers happy. Everybody wins!
Google has provided a very handly (albeit not 100% accurate) tool that can be used to quickly check to see if any website is mobile friendly. If you pass the test you’ll be shown a snippet of how Googlebot see your page as well as some additional resources on creating mobile-friendly web pages.
If your website fails the test, Google will provide reasoning for the failure as well as recommended steps for making the website mobile-friendly. Below is an example from Moz of a website that unfortunately did not pass the mobile-friendly test. In fact, this blog did not pass the test until recently, thanks to the efforts of Evan and Howie on our team to update our WordPress template.
The third way you can assess if a website is mobile-friendly is by simply typing a query in your smartphone on Google. If the website is mobile-friendly it will be indicated just prior to the web page meta description.
Google doesn’t make purchasing decisions, your customers do. So while it’s important to follow the guidelines that Google sets forth, your customers should always be top of mind when determining your Content Marketing strategy.
Rely on your data and what you know about your audience to help form the changes you will make to content in order to meet Google’s new mobile-friendly requirements.
Between smartphone apps, email and mobile web content, consumers are constantly inundated with digital content on their mobile devices. This means your window of opportunity to grab and hold their attention is very small. When crafting your content headlines, focus on:
How your audience consumes and interacts with your website content on a mobile device can be much different than your desktop users. Keep in mind that your website must serve both mobile and desktop users in a way that is relevant. How can you make your website experience more meaningful for mobile users?
Google’s new mobile-friendly update shouldn’t be seen as an Armageddon-esque threat, but as an opportunity to better serve your online audience with content that is easy to find, consume and act on with mobile devices.
Hopefully the tips provided above take some of the fear, uncertainty and doubt out of the process and have provided a clearer path for making your content marketing efforts more mobile-friendly.
I am curious to know; What type of content does your mobile audience typically respond best to?
Photo: Shutterstock
One of the most exciting parts of life is uncertainty. You never really know where the decisions that you make will lead you. Sure, you have a rough idea of where you may end up but there are always unforeseen factors outside your control.
In my first stint at TopRank Marketing, I was the agency Marketing Manager. This was a unique and very creative position that allowed me to work closely with our CEO Lee Odden. In that time, In that time I focused on being a sponge and soaking up as much as I could from the years of digital marketing knowledge contained within the walls of the TopRank office.
Eventually, I decided that I wanted to pursue building up some of my foundational skills. Since my departure, I’ve worked for companies large and small, ranging from workplace wellness to Digital Marketing. We all go through different phases in our careers where we are searching for what really drives us and makes us happy.
After a couple years of searching, what lessons did I learn that drew me back to TopRank and how can you apply them to your career?
Always Surround Yourself with People That Are Smarter Than You.
Over the last few years I’ve learned to truly listen and learn from the people that I work with. I consider myself to be extremely self aware of my strengths and weaknesses. This has led me to the conclusion that I need to rely on other people whose strengths compliment mine and that I can learn from.
Luckily, TopRank is flush with a dedicated, smart and talented digital marketers that all bring unique perspectives to the table. Some are old friends, others I look forward to getting to know and work with.
Passion For The Business Is Essential & Has to Start At the Top.
Being in a leadership position is always challenging, and especially when you work in an industry where change is eminent and constant.. Working with an upper management team that immerses themselves in the industry and has a true understanding of the in’s and out’s associated with everyday execution is one of the essential keys to success.
One thing I have always appreciated about TopRank’s leadership team was that they each brought their own “something special” to the table. Lee Odden is an authority on Content Marketing and is very generous in sharing information, Susan Misukanis is an idea machine and Jolina Pettice is an expert at driving change.
Upper management sets the tone for the rest of the team and TopRank is approaching it from the right angles.
Continue Your Own Education.
As I mentioned before, I try to surround myself with people who are more knowledgeable than I am. While it’s true that in some cases I may be considered the resident “expert”, it’s always important to gather input from others that have a different or complementary understanding of the challenge at hand.
Secondly, I am a person that craves knowledge. If there is one day that passes and I didn’t learn something new (no matter big or small), I am disappointed.
TopRank has always focused on ongoing internal training to make sure that their clients are getting the latest and greatest. Additionally, TopRank has done (in my opinion) a fantastic job serving as a training and education source for the online marketing community through daily posts on TopRankblog.com and industry events.
Trying & Failing is Ok As Long As You Try.
Sometimes we become so crippled by the fear of failing that it’s difficult to take the first step. Personally, I feel that I’ve learned just as much from my failure as my success.
Testing and innovation is always encouraged at TopRank. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get every single detail right the first time or that there won’t be hiccups, but it provides a breeding ground for new ideas that ultimately impact the level of service and quality of deliverables for TopRank clients.
I Want to Be Part Of Something Big.
In the time since I’ve been away from TopRank I’ve learned some very valuable skills and life lessons. I think this experience has made it possible for me to join TopRank at this juncture and be truly impactful.
TopRank is poised for enormous growth over the next few years. I mean this in terms of company size, range of services, areas of expertise, creativity of deliverables; the list could go on and on.
You never know where life will lead you, but that’s part of the adventure. With every passing day comes new challenges, lessons and opportunities. Re-joining the TopRank team is sure to bring all three of these in spades, but it’s a new chapter of life that I’m excited and truly honored to embark upon. What lessons have you learned throughout your career (long or short) that you carry with you on your journey?
To learn more go to http://www.anthonyssalonspa.com/about-us/
When faced with the seemingly insurmountable odds of information overload, 63GB per person per day in the USA, how can brands, let alone enterprising individuals stand out? Be the best answer wherever customers are looking. And how do you do that? By creating authority across channels and media from search to social to wherever content […]
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Who is Jerod Morris? I think that’s an important question and one deserving of a public answer because if you’re in the online marketing and especially, the podcasting world, you need to know Jerod. So let’s get started. Jerod (@JerodMorris) is part of a small team that plans, produces, and markets the content for Rainmaker.FM, […]
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