The Ever-Changing SEO Landscape

May 18, 2024 Aaron Belchamber Leave a comment

No matter any organization’s size, we only have so much time and resources to operate a business. Most people agree that an effective website and web presence could make the difference between growth and stagnation, a sale or losing a lead or opportunity to a better-positioned competitor. It could impact future growth to the point to be the difference between survival and going out of business.

My Elusive Search for Ranking “Video Production in Jacksonville Florida”

AI and our ability to have conversations with bots to get more succinct and detailed information has already changed the SEO landscape in very profound ways which at the moment are hard to measure. That said, I am still operating my website under the premise that these bots are still using under the hood using some form of the search algorithm that we became so accustomed to.

Focus on search terms that will convert!

If a person in the Jacksonville area types in “Jacksonville video production”, “video production in Jacksonville”, or “Video production services Jacksonville” or something close to that effect, I would like to be found on the first page. Even though I have global clients I edit videos and provide 3D animations for, this is just a local challenge for me. The reason I will find this beneficial as a video producer is that it will enable me to work more closely with local businesses for on-site video shoots. I have helped remotely direct shoots but it’s not the same as being hands-on and on site. Also, closer proximity means being more accessible and available to local clients which can strengthen business relationships.

Search engines want businesses to not worry about their algorithms

Over the years I have learned a lot about digital marketing, content strategy, SEO (search engine optimization) and CRO (conversion rate optimization). Something I had suspected about content strategy that I believe has been confirmed not only by paid consultants but from my own experience is that businesses should not focus too heavily on SEO and conforming to every little detail. The act of being found in improving your web presence comes down to the quality of your content. Videos are by far the most effective web content with the most proven impact.

Google definitely is the leader in search right now, so taking their advice is paramount to becoming successful. One of the national leaders in search engine optimization and speaker at many Google Next events as a consultant repeatedly states that search engines do not want companies to focus heavily on SEO. Search engines do not want to get in the way so they recommend focusing on creating useful content that will be valuable to your organization and web visitors. Search engines recognize that being transparent will likely encourage more organic and natural content as opposed to influencing content creators to artificially “hack” the search engines ranking systems.

Content is king… still

It’s all about content and quality content is king! It is possible to be over optimized which also partly weighs towards your overall SEO performance which can affect your search page rankings. There are two reasons for this, one is an obsessive focus on SEO diverts resources from improving your website and making quality content. The other reason is that search engines are suspicious of companies with pristine SEO scores.

There is a real opportunity cost diverting your time, talent and resources massaging your content through SEO.

Do not fall into a profile where the search engines may subject you to higher standards and scrutiny. You don’t want your web reputation to fall into the spam and click farm crowd, I have seen this happen. I have also seen a well seasoned website fall and never recover once it is flagged as low quality or spam.

Dedicate no more than 10% towards SEO efforts

There is a real opportunity cost diverting your time, talent and resources massaging your content through SEO. For your business by all means pay attention to the SEO basics but don’t let it divert more than 10% of the resources you would usually use to actually create quality content. In a perfect scenario, no business would have to worry about SEO at all. Perhaps AI is already changing that and will positively influence a movement towards complete invisibility. However, until then, I prefer a balanced approach but if it comes down to time and resources remember CONTENT IS KING.

“Pendulum” – A fascinating book, if not always on the mark

January 4, 2019 Aaron Belchamber Leave a comment

I just finished the book “Pendulum: How past generations shape our present and predict our future“. It’s macro guide with micro strategic implications that could help a business become more profitable.

It’s an interesting read about the natural 80-year cycles of society’s shifts in attitudes and tastes and how best to capitalize on these tidal changes from a marketing perspective. Since marketing is mostly an appeal to emotions, it helps provide general guidance about regional societies’ changing tastes, norms, and preferences that can shape marketing strategies and help make decisions for advertising and calls to action based on emotional appeal.

For instance, should marketing and public messaging appeal to a more individualistic or common, nationalistic sentiment? “Pendulum” kind of looks at the tea leaves in its sometimes too-rigid 80-year cycle context. At times, though the authors seem to struggle to fit past major events tightly into it’s 20-year pendulum movements to justify their findings, its greater service is how it raises awareness and helps marketing strategists be more cognizant of the phenomenon of society’s macro shifts in human emotions and behaviors.

“Pendulum” also explains why and how public sentiment can seem to shift so quickly, making the case that Marketing must be fluid and the only constant when dealing with human behavior and audiences is that they will inevitably change. Armed with Pendulum’s insights, these changes in public sentiment may become more predictable and less jarring to companies who may be reeling from a sudden loss in web traffic or audience response.

Looking at current events and recent events in the past I find in a lot of ways it’s not too far off the mark identifying certain apexes of public sentiments where the authors show the inevitable swing towards new attitudes and norms were predictable if people paid attention to certain markers. The hair bands of the ’80s and the swinging ’20s actually do have many things in common.

For marketers, this is an excellent base for starting research and breathing fresh air into marketing plans as they look for new approaches to reach their target market audiences. It offers a unique 40,000 foot perspective about the natural ebbs and flows of society while providing general guidance in predicting public sentiments to help shape future communication and marketing strategies down to the type of imagery that would be more impactful on your website and corporate materials.

It certainly offers some very credible explanations about why certain marketing tactics and messaging work then fall out of favor. As a software developer who appreciates systems and the building blocks and patterns on which everything functions together, the insights about the 80-year cycles of societies aren’t profound as much as they help raise awareness of the herd mentality of societies.

Overall, “Pendulum” is a very interesting read that will inevitably welcome new perspectives and questions when deliberating future business and marketing strategies.

Aaron Belchamber

Screenshot Restoration Advertising New Restoration Services TV Spot For Sale

3 tips from a decade of experience helping disaster restoration companies market and grow their businesses

August 8, 2015 Aaron Belchamber Leave a comment

RestorationAdvertising.com was a site I launched in 2003 and since then we have helped over 25 disaster restoration companies increase their phone calls and sales through impactful and memorable advertising that helps smaller remediation and repair companies stand out in their local market with ready-to-go TV commercials and websites. Our “Super Hero” TV commercials alone have aired in New Hampshire, San Francisco California, Georgia, Florida, New York, Virginia, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota and Canada.

For small restoration companies on a budget, we help them stay consistently in public view through strategic marketing initiatives based on costs per impressions, traffic measurements and other market research. We’ve created local marketing campaigns that included super hero billboards, post card mailings, signs and fleet truck graphics.

No one plans to use you, nor do they ever want to

No one plans on needing to call a disaster cleanup (sometimes referred to as “kleenup”) company because people just can’t plan on a disaster like a home flood, fire, storm damage or an infestation of mold.

TIP #1: Since such events can’t be scheduled, you have to market your company all year round and be sure you are easy to find online and get hold of on any mobile device.

This puts companies who offer services like home water remediation, water clean-up, mold remediation, storm and wind damage repairs in a unique marketing situation that is often challenging. So how do you stay top-of-mind so when a person discovers their house was flooded they’re going to want to call YOU first? You may have other questions we can help answer, like how much investment will penetrating your local market and staying on top require?

You have to assess your infrastructure then prioritize

Before spending a dime on advertising and marketing initiatives, you need to make sure your current infrastructure, especially when it comes to handling inbound calls and customer service. Is your team trained and diligent?

TIP #2: The most important question before you try to get your phone ringing more through marketing is: Do you have enough people to answer incoming calls and respond to any web estimates promptly? Don’t bother increasing your market presence if your answer is ‘no’ — fix your customer service first!

Our “top-of-mind advertising strategy” is simple: Stand out and be memorable

This is a simple solution we’ve applied to many different businesses in many different markets. Sometimes, in certain markets it only takes $1,000 per month TV advertising budget and another $300 on radio to maintain a market presence and at least be in the conversation if not top-of-mind for people in your market. In other markets, the cost can be substantially higher, it just depends.

We have the experience to work within your advertising budget and as experienced media-buyers we can arrange the optimal TV and radio schedules for you.

Your marketing strategy starts on TV and radio, but the web is growing in influence

Especially mobile! Over 50% of your inquiries come from people on their smart phone. Is you website mobile-friendly? If not, the number of calls and web estimate forms you will receive will be substantially reduced!

TIP #3: Fix your website and make it mobile-friendly before putting money in TV and radio advertising! Learn more by visiting Restoration Advertising’s Get A Website page.

To learn more about Restoration Advertising and how they can help your disaster restoration, mold remediation and storm repair company, visit their website at www.RestorationAdvertising.com.

To view our latest TV commercial we produced for disaster restoration companies, click here.

Video Production Jacksonville – Aaron Belchamber's Portfolio

Category: Marketing Strategy