Hello from the team at Stukent!
Every month, we’re on the lookout for digital marketing news and tips to help keep you up to speed in this incredibly fast-moving world.
Things like this:
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- Google just announced an impending change to the search algorithm
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- Checking the number of followers may not be the best criteria to judge an influencer
- Most mobile marketers are missing out on something really simple
We’re going to cover those points and more in this issue of Stukent’s News You Can Use.
Let’s go!
1. ARE YOU READY FOR THE GOOGLE SPEED UPDATE?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight]
Key Point: Google says digital marketers should make sure their sites are prepared for a mobile algorithm update – coming to a smartphone near you in July 2018. Rather than look at the technology behind your site, the “speed update” will measure page load time. Hasn’t Google been doing that already? On desktop, yes, but not yet on mobile.
We have two quick tips: First, use Google’s new Mobile Speed Scoreboard to check your site performance, then read the rest of the story: The Google Speed Update.
[line]2. HOW TO DO AN SEO AUDIT
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO | Ecommerce[/highlight]
Key Point: Speaking of SEO, paying attention to the SERP is something every digital marketer should do. SpyFu noticed their search performance was headed south last year, so they dug down to find out why. Turns out the culprit was a robots.txt bug, and the write-up of their experience reads better than a Rod Collins detective novel.
So … how long has it been since you’ve conducted an SEO audit? Get brushed up on the process and find out how the team at SpyFu turned their situation around. Here’s that link: SEO Audit.
[line]3. INFLUENCER MARKETING MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
Topics: [highlight type=”dark”] Social Media Marketing | Ecommerce[/highlight]
Key Point: All you need for overnight success is an influencer to help spread the word, right? After all, look at what Apple evangelist, Guy Kawasaki, did for Canva and the traffic that Instagram influencer, Danielle Bernstein, drew for Fiji Water.
Influencer marketing works.
Writing for Adweek, Richard Wong agrees with the concept but points out the potential pitfalls. Should you choose influencers based on how many people follow them? Is it possible to measure ROI for influencer marketing? Is the tactic advisable for consumer brands only?
Discover the answers to those questions and more … right here: Influencer Marketing.
Topics: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Here’s a good point from Google: hardly anyone realizes (or cares) that booking.com is based in the Netherlands. The moral of that story is you can (and maybe should) expand the vision for your business to a global reach.
Towards that end, Google prepared an Official Guide to Expanding Internationally with AdWords. It lists tools like Market Finder and provides case studies to point out international marketing best practices. “It’s a small world,” says Google. Get geared up for going global.
[line]5. BACK TO BASICS FOR MOBILE MARKETERS
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Ecommerce | SEO[/highlight]
Key Point: A new Forrester report says it’s easy for digital marketers to get distracted by all the shiny new tech gadgets aimed at helping them grow business – so much, in fact, that those gadgets are keeping them from maximizing reach and profits.
The report predicts online ad spend will increase by almost $49 billion this year, and over 90 percent of that will be generated by mobile. Unfortunately, though, marketers aren’t up to the challenge and much of that ad spend is wasted.
Find out more in this MarTech article: Get Back to Basics.
6. WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT VIDEO?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Ecommerce | SEO[/highlight]
Key Point: You don’t need a research study to prove this point, though there are plenty around to draw from: cable television viewing time is on the decline, while video streaming is on the way up. Viewers love the freedom to determine what to watch, when to watch, which device to watch it on, and where they want to watch the content they choose.
What does the video revolution mean to marketing? Plenty. How can you adjust your marketing strategy to keep up with the trend? It’s simple.
Think with Google outlines how you can “win in the new video landscape.” Read all about it, right here: 4 Things You Can Do.
[line]7. HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR LANDING PAGE
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO | Ecommerce[/highlight]
Key Point: Maybe it’s “back to basics month.” Optimizing a landing page is simple, right? As it turns out, many marketers are forgetting the fundamentals and ending up in the weeds.
Google to the rescue (again), with the Official Guide to Optimizing Landing Pages for Digital Marketers. From taking advantage of the “Landing Pages” page in AdWords to creating AMP versions of your pages, it’s well worth the read – even for seasoned marketers.
[line]BONUS STORY: HOW TO CONDUCT A/B TESTING
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Ecommerce[/highlight]
Key Point: We’ll leave you with one more tutorial on covering the bases. Writing for HubSpot, Lindsay Kolowich begins with “What is A/B testing?” – then she pushes all the way through to what to do after you’ve finished a test.
Whether you need A/B primer or polish, this article will fit the bill: How to Do A/B Testing.
[line]Don’t Stop Learning
At Stukent, it’s our great honor to be part of something crucial to business success: keeping the focus on learning. Like never before, a company that doesn’t keep up is sure to fall behind.
Turns out, though, the flipside of that coin is that digital marketers who don’t maintain a firm grip on the fundamentals are likely to lose their way in the race.
You need both: the old and the new.
Never stop learning.
See you next month!
When you see an article or announcement you think should be covered in News You Can Use, let us know. Be a Stukent field reporter!
