When running ads for your business, where you target potential customers is just as important as who you target. Search engines like Google generate more direct sales because people searching there generally already know what they’re looking for.

Alternatively, with Facebook the key is to impress your potential customers by first getting them to know, like, and trust you. Too often businesses think if they just send ads out to everyone, then they’re bound to generate some business.

But the smarter way is to niche down and target only the most ideal audience for your business. That’s what’s going to help you both stand out and survive.

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You understand the importance of SEO for your business and its online visibility. But just throwing up a bunch of blog posts and articles isn’t nearly enough to get the job done in today’s crowded, competitive marketplace. Instead, think quality over quantity. Carefully crafting – and curating – your online content is vital to how Google perceives you and helps determine if your offerings are valuable to the people searching online. This includes adding quality links from well-respected and trustworthy sources, and being smart and calculated with your keyword research.

https://www.theagentsofchange.com/262

The importance of building high quality links has never been greater. But you can’t fool Google…grabbing any and all links will not boost you in the search rankings.

You need to prove to Google that you’ve earned the spot by seeking out the ones from more authoritative and trusting sources. And when you research and contact these trusted sites, you need to take care with how you pitch them. Sending out a generic copy in a pasted email to a hundred people is only going to ensure your request hits the spam box or the trash. Instead, make sure you’re creating a pitch through thoughtful outreach. Include a subject line that compels people to open your email - that shows you’ve done your research and that this impacts their business directly.

https://www.theagentsofchange.com/261

Local SEO is an effective way for businesses to promote their products and services to local customers online at the exact time they’re looking for them. By following a strategic formula that incorporates both original content and reputable curated content, as well as the often overlooked value from videos and reviews, your content will create a buzz that Google and other search engines and directories are looking for. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/260

If you’ve been in the business world and have a website, chances are you’ve been told the importance of good SEO. It’s also no secret that crafting a successful SEO strategy takes a great deal of time, research and effort, and many feel it’s a job best to hire out to a professional. But even if that’s your game plan, it is still highly recommended that you at least know some of the basics yourself. A smart and successful SEO campaign will help you choose the most profitable keywords, understand what the search engines are looking for, be able to hone in on what your competitors are ranking for so that you can compete better with them, have a powerful link-building strategy, and of course, create compelling copy that not only educates your customers but sends them further along in your sales funnel. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/259

Search engine optimization has this reputation for being a mysterious and difficult job, though a very important one. But in reality, a savvy DIY-er can learn to do this effectively themselves if they just put in just a little bit of time to learn it and dig in. Even if you do decide to hire out for your SEO needs, every business owner should at least know how to find where their website ranks, which keywords are and aren’t working for them, and what kind of content is both valuable to the search engines and effective at helping to grow their online footprint. It’s all about prioritizing usability and keeping content and keywords fresh. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/257

We’ve all thought at one time or another, if I could just come up with a great idea, it will sell itself and I’ll be rolling in money. Well, it’s not quite that simple. Sure, the idea is the impetus of the plan, but the process that you use to keep it moving forward – through a sales funnel – is what will determine your success or not.

Once you’ve got your big idea, make sure you’re being intentional with the content that you’re creating around it. An initial free guaranteed offer is a great way to earn trust and continued interest. And from there it’s creating a continuous system that funnels your customers from one step to the next with continued opportunities for them, and continued revenue for you.

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Many small businesses offer their products and services to a specific geographical market. To be successful, they need to make sure they’re being found quickly in search engines. That’s why incorporating strategies specific to local search and SEO is an important part of creating a well-rounded and comprehensive online marketing strategy.

To help increase your chances of getting found by customers, you can start by implementing local search strategies such as creating localized content for your website, claim and optimize your Google My Business page, obtain online reviews from customers, and claim and manage local listings and citations.

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After 21 years in business, I finally decided to take a sabbatical. If you’ve been wondering if you can take a sabbatical, or how to make it happen, I’ll share my process in this episode!

And, if you’re not sure why you should take a sabbatical, I’ll share with you why I’m taking mine, and maybe it will resonate with you.

https://www.theagentsofchange.com/255

As a business you always want to be building loyalty and trust from your clients and prospective clients. The best way to do that is by telling stories that they can relate to personally.  You should think of storytelling as tribe building.  And if you put out your story, you’re going to attract like-minded people for your products and services. And the clearer you are with story and the better you can tell that story, you’re going to continually attract the kind of people who are going to grow your business.

https://www.theagentsofchange.com/254