SEO Archives - Digital Storyteller

Social Impressions vs. Social Signals: What’s the Difference

Digital marketing runs on acronyms and metrics that sound interchangeable until you’re the one explaining them to a partner asking why last quarter’s “reach” didn’t turn into new client meetings.

For financial services firms in particular, this distinction carries real weight. Your audience is skeptical by nature and slow to trust. A big impressions number can look like momentum on a dashboard while telling you nothing about whether the right people are paying attention. Social signals are what tell you that.

So let’s break it down clearly: social impressions vs. social signals, what each one measures, and which one should actually be driving your strategy.

What Are Social Impressions?

A social impression is the number of times your content is displayed on a screen, whether or not anyone acts on it or even reads it. Impressions measure every instance your post appears on a screen, whether or not the viewer acts on it.

Impressions get confused with reach constantly, but they measure different things. Reach is the total number of unique users who see your content, while impressions are the total number of times your content is displayed, including every repeat view from the same person, regardless of whether it was clicked. One person scrolling past your post three times generates three impressions but counts only once toward reach.

“Confusing reach and impressions doesn’t just skew your reports, it derails your social strategy.” — Sprout Social

What Are Social Signals?

Social signals, more commonly called engagement, are the actions people take after they’ve seen your content. Engagement is the total number of interactions users have with your content, including likes, comments, shares and clicks.

This is the metric that actually tells you something about content quality. Engagement rate, the percentage of people who engaged relative to your reach or impressions, is the metric that ties all three together. A post with 10,000 impressions and 500 engagements has a 5% engagement rate, and that number tells you more about content quality than either reach or impressions alone.

For a financial services brand, this is the number worth defending in a strategy meeting. Ten thousand people scrolling past a post is a vanity metric. Five hundred people stopping to comment, share, or click through is a business signal.

Impressions and Signals by Platform

Every platform defines these terms a little differently, and the differences matter when you’re comparing performance across channels.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn doesn’t use the label “reach” in its native dashboard. Instead, it reports members reached, the number of unique people who saw your content, making it the equivalent of reach on other networks. LinkedIn impressions count how many times a post, video, article or update appeared in a user’s feed, and LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards engagement, so posts with more likes, comments, reposts and shares naturally earn more impressions.

LinkedIn is the platform where financial services firms should be spending the most attention, and the 2026 data backs that up. If you’re still building out your presence there, How to Leverage Your Business Using LinkedIn covers the fundamentals. The finance and insurance sector reached 3.2% average engagement in 2025-2026 on LinkedIn, a figure shaped by regulatory environments that limit how much creative latitude firms have. Separately, Finance and Insurance posted the largest year-over-year engagement gain of any B2B sector, climbing from 1.9% in 2025 to 2.6% in 2026.

Format matters more than most firms realize. Multi-image carousel posts lead LinkedIn engagement at a 6.60% average rate and generate roughly 2x higher click-through rates than single images, a format that excels at storytelling and step-by-step education without overwhelming the reader.

Instagram

Instagram calls reach “accounts reached,” the total number of unique accounts that saw your content at least once, and for Reels, accounts reached includes any unique account that had the video appear on screen, regardless of whether they played it. Instagram impressions count total views, including multiple views from the same account. Engagement on Instagram covers likes, shares, saves, and Story replies.

For financial services content specifically, Instagram tends to work best as a culture and trust-building channel rather than a lead-generation one. Casual, human content performs here in a way it doesn’t on LinkedIn.

X (formerly Twitter)

X doesn’t natively track reach. The platform defines impressions as any time a user sees your post in their feed or search results. X engagement includes likes, reposts, replies and clicks on your posts.

X is a high-impression, low-interaction environment by design, and the benchmarks reflect that. A tweet with 50,000 impressions and 12 engagements sits at a 0.024% engagement rate, which in 2026 functions as an algorithmic red flag: it tells the platform’s ranking system you had your shot at a large audience and almost nobody acted, so next time the system is less generous with impressions.

Facebook

Facebook impressions track total displays across three categories, organic, paid, and viral, viewable in platform reporting dashboards. Facebook engagement covers likes, comments, shares, and clicks.

Facebook is a difficult channel for financial services specifically. Financial services organic engagement on Facebook sits at just 0.04%, dramatically lower than local-service categories like real estate or legal, which see engagement roughly 35 times higher due to community-driven, older-skewing audiences. If your firm is active on Facebook, treat it as a paid-support channel rather than an organic growth engine.

YouTube

YouTube impressions measure how many times at least 50% of your video thumbnail was visible on screen for at least one second, and impression click-through rate shows how often viewers watched after seeing it. Engagement includes likes, comments, shares, watch time, and subscribers gained.

For a “how-to” or explainer-heavy content strategy, YouTube rewards clarity over polish. Videos built around specific search terms your audience is already typing tend to outperform generic brand content.

Which Matters More: Impressions or Signals?

Both matter, but they answer different questions. Use reach to measure visibility, impressions to measure exposure, and engagement to measure resonance. No single number tells the whole story, but together they show where to optimize next. For a deeper look at how organic reach compares to paid amplification, see Paid vs. Organic Social Media: A Complete Guide.

For an established audience, impressions matter because repetition builds recall, and that connects directly to the marketing rule of seven: people generally need multiple exposures to a brand before they act on it. But for a firm still building its audience, particularly in financial services where trust is earned slowly, social signals are the better early indicator that your content is actually landing with the right people.

The direction to watch is the ratio, not either number in isolation. High reach with low engagement means your content got seen but didn’t connect. High impressions with lower reach signals the same audience is seeing your content repeatedly. Strong engagement confirms your message landed.

What This Means for Your Firm

If your team is reporting impressions without engagement context, you’re only telling half the story. A financial services audience is skeptical, deliberate, and slow to convert. The number that predicts whether they’ll eventually trust you enough to have a conversation is the one measuring who stopped scrolling, not how many times your post loaded on a screen. If you’re rethinking how your firm shows up across channels more broadly, Brand Storytelling: Beyond the Basics is a good next read.

FAQ

What’s a good engagement rate for a financial services company on LinkedIn? Recent benchmarks put the finance and insurance sector between 2.6% and 3.2% average engagement on LinkedIn, depending on methodology and company size. Company pages should benchmark against firms of similar size and industry rather than platform-wide averages, since larger accounts consistently see lower engagement rates than smaller, more niche ones.

Do impressions affect how my content performs later? Yes, particularly on LinkedIn and X, where the algorithm treats early engagement as a signal to extend or restrict future distribution. Low engagement relative to impressions can actively suppress how far a post travels.

Should I prioritize impressions or engagement in my reporting? Report both, but lead with engagement when talking to leadership. Impressions without an engagement rate attached is the classic “great numbers, awkward follow-up question” scenario.

Which content format gets the highest social signals on LinkedIn? Carousel and multi-image posts consistently outperform text-only and single-image posts, generating close to double the click-through rate and the highest engagement rates on the platform.

Sources: Sprout Social, “Reach vs. Impressions vs. Engagement” (2026); Oktopost, “LinkedIn Benchmarks by Industry” (2026); Meet Léa, “LinkedIn Engagement Benchmarks by Industry” (2026); ContentIn, “LinkedIn Engagement Benchmarks” (2026); FMax, “Twitter Impressions vs Engagement” (2026); Improvado, “Social Media Benchmarks by Industry” (2026).

October 20, 2026/by Digital Storyteller Team

Content Marketing, News, SEO

What Is Cornerstone Content and Why Does Your Website Need It?

If you’ve ever Googled “how do I show up on the first page of Google,” you’ve probably come across the term cornerstone content. It sounds technical, but the concept is actually pretty straightforward — and once you understand it, it changes the way you think about everything you publish on your website.

What Is Cornerstone Content?

Cornerstone content is the most important content on your website. These are the pages or blog posts that best represent what your business does, what you want to be known for, and what you most want to rank for in search engines.

Think of it as the foundation your entire website is built on. Everything else — your supporting blogs, your social content, your videos — points back to it.

Cornerstone content typically shares a few characteristics. It is longer and more in-depth than a standard blog post. It is evergreen, meaning it stays relevant over time and gets updated regularly. And it is the content you are most proud of, the pieces that most clearly and thoroughly explain your expertise.

Most websites have somewhere between four and ten cornerstone pieces. Any fewer and you are not covering enough ground. Any more and you risk spreading yourself too thin and competing against yourself in search results.

Why Does Cornerstone Content Matter for SEO?

Here is the key thing to understand about SEO: search engines do not rank websites. They rank individual pages.

That means if you want to show up when someone searches for a specific topic, you need a specific page built around that topic. Cornerstone content gives Google a clear signal about which pages on your site are the most authoritative and important for a given subject.

When you build supporting content — blogs, articles, videos — and link them back to your cornerstone pages, you are essentially telling Google: “This page is the hub. This is where the best, most complete information on this topic lives.” Over time, that internal linking structure builds topical authority, which is one of the most powerful drivers of organic search rankings.

Without cornerstone content, your website is a collection of disconnected pages. With it, your site becomes a structured, intentional resource that Google knows how to read and reward.

How to Identify Your Cornerstone Content

Start by asking yourself: what are the two to five topics my business absolutely needs to rank for?

These should be the topics most directly tied to your core services, the ones your ideal clients are actively searching for, and the ones where you have the most expertise to offer. Each of those topics deserves a cornerstone page built around it.

From there, every blog post you publish, every video you create, and every social caption you write becomes an opportunity to support one of those cornerstones and send more authority back to the pages that matter most.

Cornerstone Content Takes Time, But It Works

Ranking on the first page of Google does not happen overnight. But cornerstone content is one of the most reliable, proven ways to get there. When you commit to building a strong foundation and consistently creating content that supports it, the results compound over time.

The businesses that show up at the top of search results are not there by accident. They have a content strategy built around the right topics, structured in a way that search engines understand and reward.

If you want to build that kind of strategy for your business, our team can help. Learn more about our SEO and content marketing services and let’s build something that actually ranks.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cornerstone Content

How is cornerstone content different from a regular blog post? A typical blog post is focused and timely, covering one specific angle on a topic. Cornerstone content is broader and deeper. It’s the definitive resource on a subject, updated regularly, and designed to serve as the central hub that other posts link back to.

How many cornerstone pages does my site need? Most websites do well with four to ten cornerstone pieces. Fewer than that and you’re not covering enough ground; more than that and you risk competing against yourself in search results.

Does my cornerstone content need to be a blog post? Not necessarily. It can be a dedicated page on your website, a comprehensive guide, or a long-form article; whatever format best showcases your expertise on that topic. What matters is that it’s thorough, evergreen, and positioned as the go-to resource for that subject.

How long does it take for cornerstone content to rank? There’s no fixed timeline, but SEO in general is a long game. Cornerstone content is a foundational strategy; results build over months as you publish supporting content that links back to it and reinforces your topical authority.

What makes a good cornerstone topic? A strong cornerstone topic is closely tied to your core services, actively searched for by your ideal clients, and something you can speak to with genuine depth and expertise. If you can’t write 1,500+ words on it without padding, it may not be the right choice.

What happens if I already have a blog post on a topic I want to make a cornerstone page? You can expand and elevate it. Update the content to be more comprehensive, optimize it around your focus keyphrase, and start building supporting posts that link back to it. Existing content can absolutely become cornerstone content with the right investment.

August 12, 2026/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

Why You Should Conduct Site Audits

You See a Doctor Every Year, Shouldn’t Your Site? The same way that your own health sometimes requires a little TLC or a trip to the doctor’s office for extra attention, your site does too.

SEO Isn’t the Only Game Anymore. Here’s What You’re Missing.

For years, the playbook was straightforward.

Rank on Google, drive traffic to your website, and convert that traffic into pipeline.

That system still plays an important role in how companies grow, and strong rankings continue to create meaningful visibility. What has changed is how buyers actually search for information and how many environments now influence their decisions before a conversation ever happens.

Today, your audience is not relying on a single platform to evaluate options. They are moving across multiple systems, each with its own way of filtering information and deciding which companies deserve attention.

When your strategy is concentrated in just one of those environments, your visibility is inherently limited.

How B2B Buyers Are Actually Searching Today

The modern search journey no longer happens in one place, and it rarely follows a predictable path.

Buyers are gathering information across platforms, asking more specific questions, and looking for answers that help them move forward with confidence. They are not thinking about channels or tactics. They are trying to reduce uncertainty.

That process now consistently shows up in three environments.

Google: Where SEO Still Sets the Foundation

Google remains a primary entry point for research, especially when buyers are trying to understand a topic, explore options, or compare providers at a high level.

It rewards content that is structured, relevant, and supported by strong technical performance. Rankings are built through consistency over time, and they signal a level of authority that still carries weight early in the process.

If your website is not appearing on the first page for your core keywords, your visibility is already constrained. Buyers may still find you, but the path becomes less direct.

SEO continues to set the baseline for discoverability, and without that foundation, everything else becomes harder to build on.

AI Search Platforms: Where Citation Shapes Credibility

Platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are reshaping how information is delivered.

Instead of presenting a list of links, they generate answers by synthesizing information from multiple sources. In many cases, they cite those sources directly or reflect patterns across them.

When your brand is included in those responses, it places you inside the answer rather than outside of it.

Generative Engine Optimization

This is where Generative Engine Optimization becomes increasingly important.

Your content needs to be structured clearly, grounded in real expertise, and detailed enough to be considered a reliable reference. When those elements are in place, your content is more likely to be pulled into generated responses.

If you are not being cited or reflected in these answers, your perspective is not part of what buyers are consuming in that moment.

Conversational AI: Where Recommendation Drives Consideration

Buyers are also using tools like ChatGPT and Claude in a more direct way.

They are asking specific, decision-oriented questions and expecting a response that helps them narrow options. These conversations often move quickly into evaluation.

Answer Engine Optimization

This is where Answer Engine Optimization comes into play.

Your brand becomes visible when your content consistently communicates expertise, clarity, and relevance across the topics your buyers care about. Over time, those signals influence whether your company shows up in recommendations.

If your brand is not being mentioned in these conversations, it is not entering the consideration set in a meaningful way.

Most Brands Are Still Playing One Game

Many companies still focus the majority of their effort on traditional SEO.

That work continues to deliver value, but it only addresses one part of how buyers are searching today.

The gap becomes clear when you look beyond Google.

A company may rank well for a keyword yet never appear in AI-generated answers. It may publish consistently and still not show up when someone asks for recommendations.

That disconnect limits how often the brand shows up in the moments that influence decisions.

A Simple Way to See Where You Actually Stand

You do not need advanced tools to understand your visibility.

Start by searching your main keyword on Google and evaluating where your website appears.

Then ask an AI platform a direct question about your solution and your target audience. Pay attention to which companies are mentioned or cited and how those answers are structured.

Repeat the same question across different tools.

Three searches will give you a clear picture of where you are visible and where you are not.

In most cases, brands find they are present in one environment and largely absent in the others.

Visibility Is Now Multi-Platform by Default

Buyers form opinions long before they engage with your team, and those opinions are shaped by repeated exposure across different platforms.

Each interaction builds familiarity and influences how credible your brand feels when it finally enters a conversation.

When your company appears consistently across these environments, the decision process becomes more efficient because your presence feels established.

What It Takes to Show Up Across All Three

Expanding your visibility is less about chasing platforms and more about strengthening how your content communicates.

Clear structure makes it easier for your content to be indexed, cited, and surfaced. Depth and specificity make it more useful in real decision scenarios. Consistency reinforces the signals these systems rely on over time.

When those elements are aligned, your content starts to perform across multiple environments.

The Opportunity in Front of You

The companies gaining traction right now are aligning their strategy with how buyers actually search and evaluate options.

They show up in Google results, in AI-generated answers, and in direct recommendations.

That presence compounds over time.

Each mention builds familiarity. Each interaction reinforces credibility. Each touchpoint moves the buyer closer to a decision.

Where to Go From Here

Start by understanding where you currently stand across these environments and where gaps exist in your visibility.

From there, your focus can shift toward creating content that answers real questions, supports real decisions, and shows up where those decisions are being shaped.

If you want a clearer picture of how your brand is performing across Google and AI-driven platforms, connect with the Digital Storyteller team.

June 4, 2026/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

Understanding Keyword Search Volume: How It Works and Why It Matters

So, you’ve picked out your top keywords. But how do you know which ones will actually make a difference for your site?

That’s where keyword search volume comes in.

Keyword search volume helps you understand how often people are searching for a term. It gives direction to your content strategy, but it should never be used in isolation. In modern SEO, search volume is a supporting signal, not the deciding factor.

Used correctly, it helps you prioritize opportunities, understand demand, and build content that aligns with how people actually search.

Key Takeaways

Search volume shows interest, not guaranteed traffic
High search volume does not automatically mean high clicks, conversions, or rankings.
Relevance, intent, and competition matter just as much
The best keywords align with user intent and your business goals, not just popularity.
SEO tools provide estimates, not exact numbers
Search volume should be used comparatively, not as a precise measurement.
Evergreen and seasonal keywords serve different roles
Both are valuable when used intentionally.
Ongoing monitoring is essential
Search behavior changes, and keyword performance should be reviewed regularly.

What Is Keyword Search Volume?

Keyword search volume is an estimated average of how many times a keyword is searched within a specific time period, typically monthly.

This data helps marketers and business owners understand relative demand. It does not predict how much traffic a page will receive, how well it will rank, or how many conversions it will generate.

Think of search volume as directional insight, not a promise.

Why Keyword Search Volume Matters

1. It Helps Gauge Interest

Search volume indicates whether people are actively searching for a topic. This can help validate content ideas and identify gaps worth targeting.

2. It Supports Smarter Content Planning

Understanding which topics have demand allows you to prioritize content that aligns with audience needs rather than guessing.

3. It Provides Context for Competition

High search volume keywords often come with stronger competition, more ads, and more search results features that can limit organic visibility. Lower volume keywords can offer clearer opportunities, especially for niche or B2B businesses.

Factors That Affect Search Volume

Search volume fluctuates based on:

Seasonality
Industry trends
News cycles and events
Changes in consumer behavior

This is why historical trends matter more than a single snapshot number.

Evergreen vs Seasonal Keywords

Evergreen Keywords

Evergreen keywords maintain relatively consistent interest throughout the year. They support long-term traffic and foundational content.

Examples:

“how to file business taxes”
“what is product liability insurance”

These keywords are ideal for cornerstone content and ongoing lead generation.

Seasonal Keywords

Seasonal keywords spike during specific times of year or around certain events.

Examples:

“open enrollment deadlines”
“year-end tax planning”

These keywords work best when paired with timely content and promotional planning.

A strong strategy uses both, with evergreen content providing stability and seasonal content capturing short-term demand.

Why Search Volume Alone Is Not Enough

Search volume does not account for:

User intent
SERP features like AI summaries, featured snippets, ads, or local packs
Click-through rate
Conversion potential

Many high-volume keywords now produce fewer organic clicks due to AI-generated answers and paid placements. In contrast, lower-volume keywords often signal clearer intent and stronger readiness to act.

This is especially important for service-based and B2B businesses.

The Value of Low-Volume Keywords

Low-volume keywords are often overlooked, but they frequently:

Indicate stronger intent
Convert at higher rates
Attract more qualified traffic
Face less competition

For many businesses, a keyword with 50 to 500 monthly searches can outperform a keyword with thousands of searches if it aligns closely with what the user actually wants.

What Is a Good Keyword Search Volume?

There is no universal “good” number. The right search volume depends on your industry, goals, and authority.

General Guidelines

The keyword should attract relevant users
Competition should be realistic for your site
Intent should align with your offering

For Larger, Established Websites

Higher-volume keywords may be attainable due to stronger authority and resources.

For Smaller or Niche Websites

Lower-volume and long-tail keywords often provide better ROI. These keywords are more specific, easier to rank for, and frequently closer to a buying decision.

The goal is not maximum traffic. The goal is meaningful traffic.

Factors to Consider When Evaluating Search Volume

1. Competition

Higher volume usually means more competition. Lower volume keywords often provide faster and more sustainable ranking opportunities.

2. Relevance

Traffic only matters if it aligns with your business. Irrelevant keywords may inflate visits but weaken performance and trust.

3. Intent

Understanding whether users are researching, comparing, or ready to take action is critical. Keyword intent should guide content format and messaging.

Balancing these factors leads to a more effective and realistic SEO strategy.

How to Find Keyword Search Volume

Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner provide search volume estimates, trend data, and related keyword suggestions.

It is important to remember:

Each tool calculates volume differently
Numbers are often rounded or averaged
Tools are best used to compare keywords, not to chase exact figures

Search volume is a guide, not a scorecard.

Final Notes

Keyword search volume is still an important part of SEO, but it works best when paired with intent, relevance, and strategy.

Start by reviewing the keywords you already target. Then look for opportunities where demand, intent, and competition align with your business goals.

SEO continues to evolve, but understanding how to use search volume correctly keeps your strategy grounded and effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Does higher search volume always mean better SEO results?
No. High search volume does not guarantee clicks, rankings, or conversions. Many high-volume keywords face heavy competition and limited organic visibility.

Q2: Are low-volume keywords worth targeting?
Yes. Low-volume keywords often indicate stronger intent and can drive more qualified traffic, especially for B2B and service-based businesses.

Q3: Why do different SEO tools show different search volumes?
Each tool uses its own data sources and estimation methods. Search volume should be used comparatively rather than treated as an exact number.

Q4: How often should keyword search volume be reviewed?
At least quarterly. Industries, trends, and user behavior change, and keyword performance should be monitored regularly.

Q5: Should search volume matter more than intent?
No. Intent should always take priority. A keyword with clear intent and lower volume often outperforms a vague, high-volume keyword.

Need Help Building a Smarter Keyword Strategy?

Search volume is only one piece of the SEO puzzle. Knowing which keywords to prioritize, and why, is what drives real results.

Digital Storyteller helps businesses build organic content strategies grounded in intent, relevance, and long-term visibility, not just traffic for traffic’s sake.

If you want help identifying the right keywords and turning them into content that actually performs, we’re here to help.

January 16, 2026/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

Domain Authority: Your Key to Long-Term Google Rankings (Without Paying for Every Click)

You want to come up first when someone googles what you offer. We all do. One way is to pay to play. Google Ads are the fastest way to get in front of people who are searching for what you have to offer. We recommend a robust PPC strategy including Search Ads, Display Ads and Remarketing Ads in conjunction with an aggressive organic content strategy. They support each other.

How? You ask… Well, I’ll tell you.

Top Seven Categories of Digital Marketing

How They Work Together

The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving. (We know you know this because we remind you of this in nearly every piece of content we push out!) There are, however, a handful of tried and true marketing efforts under the larger umbrella term of ‘digital marketing.’

Because let’s be honest, not all marketing efforts are created equal. Here we will discuss the top seven categories of digital marketing and how they work together. These seven categories of digital marketing are fundamental to the success of your business’s content marketing strategy.

So, let’s get started.

Content Marketing

First, what is content marketing? Content marketing is the bread and butter of what we do at Digital Storyteller.

Content marketing is “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action,” as put by the Content Marketing Institute.

Today, the traditional sales pitch style of marketing is decreasing in value every day. Instead, content marketing approaches prospective clients by providing useful, relevant content to help solve problems or answer questions. Furthermore, content marketing aims to build trust with your prospective clients rather than simply complete a sale.

Effective content marketing utilizes the “creating and sharing [of] relevant articles, videos, podcasts, and other media.”

This type of marketing helps to establish expertise and increase brand awareness. The goal is to make sure your business is at the top of your prospect’s mind when the time to purchase a product or service comes.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is another crucial pillar in terms of your digital marketing strategy. SEO, in simple terms, is what allows your content to be found.

For our friends who love definitions, SEO, according to Moz, is “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.” SEO is how marketers tailor their content to appeal to search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

For example, you might search ‘affordable chardonnay near me’ on Google. The way that Google then provides results based on your search is determined by SEO. SEO is the tool that tells Google, “Hey! This is what information my website has, this is what I’m talking about, and these are the types of people that would find my website interesting!”

One of our favorite SEO tools to use at Digital Storyteller is Semrush. Semrush is an online tool that collects research on your business’s SEO, pay-per-click (PPC), content, and social media efforts. It can also help you identify keywords you are currently ranking for or targeting.

If you didn’t know, information about ranking keywords is critical to making your way up the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

For more on all things SEO, check out this article for 10 tips to maximize your SEO efforts, this article we wrote on why SEO is important, or one of our more recent articles on how to effectively combine SEO and content marketing!

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Parallel to SEO, we have SEM. You guessed it, another crucial piece of digital marketing.

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing, which is, according to Optimizely, “a digital marketing strategy used to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).”

In the past, SEM typically encompassed both organic and paid search. Today, however, it almost exclusively refers to paid search advertising.

SEM is “the act of using paid strategies to increase search visibility.” Every day, businesses pay big money for their ads to rank first on search engine results pages. Hint: You can tell when businesses are using SEM by the bold “Ad” text that accompanies a search result.

SEO, SEM, why so many acronyms?! While these two may seem like the same thing, they are actually quite different. Learn more about the difference between the two in this article.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is not dead. It has, however, become increasingly difficult to grab the attention of clients and prospects through their inboxes.

Email marketing, as defined by MailChimp, is “a form of direct marketing as well as digital marketing, that uses email to promote your business’s products or services.”

Email marketing can be used to promote your latest items and offers, or it can assist with lead generation, brand awareness, relationship building, and customer engagement.

The biggest challenge with email marketing is breaking through the noise. The best email marketing experts:

Craft compelling campaigns
Understand optimal audience outreach
And analyze customer interactions and data

Email marketing software companies, including HubSpot, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, and more, help perfect your email marketing campaigns by providing automated email workflow options as well as in-depth email marketing data (i.e. open rates and click-through rates).

Data Analytics

Marketing without data is merely speculation—a guessing game of what you hope will land with your prospects and clients.

At Digital Storyteller, we recognize that data is a crucial part of your digital marketing strategy. When it comes to our analyses, we use Google Analytics (primarily for website data), Semrush (for keyword analytics), and additionally Metricool (to look at social media performance).

Design and Website

As far as design goes, making sure your brand is consistent across all digital and print platforms helps clients and prospects recognize your brand immediately.

Contrary to popular belief, design—whether for marketing collateral, social media, or a website—is more than just pictures and drawings. Venture and Grow state, “Graphic design is the art of communication that requires creativity and a systematic plan to solve a problem or achieve specific objectives.”

So, what makes effective design in digital marketing?

Effective graphic design “highlight plans to discover what makes [content] genuinely stand out and get shared.”

Additionally, top-notch design helps:

Build trust
Increase brand awareness
Influence the customer decision-making process

Don’t underestimate this component’s power in your digital marketing strategy. After all, you could have amazing content that gets swept under the rug because of poor presentation.

Speaking of design, let’s take a moment to chat about your website. Your business’s site isn’t just an opportunity to showcase your branding and design. Whether or not your site is easy to navigate and structured properly has a huge influence on how (and IF) clients and prospects will interact with your brand.

So, take a minute to ask yourself these questions: Is my website easy to navigate? Is it nice to look at? Does it lead people on a journey to find out more about my business?

Of course, social media is a huge pillar in your digital marketing strategy. The platforms that you use (and that are essential to your digital marketing strategy) depend heavily on your target audience. Ask yourself where your prospects spend the most time, and where they are most likely to be influenced to trust a brand.

To learn which social platforms your business should be on, read our article “Financial Services Companies: Which Social Media Platforms Should You Be On?”

Social media marketing includes any content that is released via a business’s social media channels. When it comes to a business, however, it’s not all fun and games. Crafting the perfect social media marketing strategy to fit into your larger digital marketing strategy is more complicated than posting on your own Instagram or LinkedIn.

Social media marketing is integrated and strategic. It takes hard work. Everything that pushes to social media must mirror the messages that are used throughout your business.

Analytics are also crucial to your social media marketing.

This data can help you discover what types of posts do or don’t do well and why. With this data, social media marketers can better tailor their strategies for their business’s benefit.

Digital Storyteller is Here to Help

We know, there is a lot that goes into a successful digital marketing strategy. At Digital Storyteller, we like to think of your digital marketing strategy as a giant system of gears working together. Content is at the heart of this system and drives all of the marketing components like SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and so on.

The system would fail without each gear in place. So, how does your digital marketing strategy measure up? Read on to learn how to measure the success of your digital marketing strategy. You might be surprised by how your business is really doing.

June 9, 2025/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

7 SEO Challenges (And How to Overcome Them)

Let’s be real: SEO can feel like trying to win a race while the finish line keeps moving. It’s not easy, and there’s no magic formula. From getting your boss to understand why SEO is important, to keeping up with Google’s ever-changing mood swings, SEO presents plenty of roadblocks.

But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. In this blog, we’re breaking down the biggest SEO headaches you’ll face and offering up some simple, actionable tips to help you tackle them head-on. So grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s dive into the world of SEO challenges (and how to kick them to the curb).

1. Getting Buy-In From Stakeholders

SEO can work wonders for business, but getting your higher-ups on board is often easier said than done. Why? Because results take time, and some people just don’t get how SEO makes an impact.

How to Overcome It

Here’s your strategy: Speak their language. Talk about how SEO impacts things like revenue, customer acquisition, and market share. Show how your efforts align with business goals (who doesn’t love a good business goal?).

Give them a timeline and measurable KPIs (key performance indicators) like organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, and conversions. These are numbers they can get behind.

And hey, if all else fails, point to the competition. We’ll be honest: your competitors are likely optimizing their websites (and you should be too). Don’t believe us? You can use a tool like SEMrush to check it out.

2. Keeping Up With Google Algorithm Updates

Google’s algorithm updates feel like that friend who’s constantly changing their mind. You think you’ve got it figured out, and then—bam—another update rolls through. These changes impact your SEO strategy and can make or break your search visibility.

How to Overcome It

Stay ahead of the game by following reputable SEO news sources like Search Engine Land or Google’s own Search Central Blog. When a new update drops, keep an eye on your site’s performance. Drops in traffic or rankings could signal that the update has affected you.

Use Google Search Console or Semrush’s Position Tracking tool to keep tabs on how things are shifting. Pro tip: Set up alerts to track keyword rankings in real time, so you’re never caught off guard.

Don’t panic when things dip! Give it a few days to see if the fluctuation is temporary. If it doesn’t bounce back, take action. Identify the pages that took a hit and compare them to the pages now outranking you. Review Google’s guidelines for the latest update, revise your content, and fill in the gaps.

3. Standing Out in a Sea of Similar Content

Google search results are like a crowded party, and everyone’s shouting the same thing. You’ll find a ton of content covering the same topics, often in a very similar way. It’s like trying to stand out at a karaoke bar with the same old song everyone else is singing.

How to Overcome It You need to make your content pop—and that means offering something different. Here’s how:

Focus on Information Gain: Do original research, provide in-depth analysis, or include expert commentary to give your content that extra edge.
Find Your Unique Angle: Go beyond the basics. Offer a fresh perspective, or dive deeper into the topic. Ask, “What’s missing here, and how can I fill that gap?”
Satisfy the Search Intent: Answer the exact questions users are asking. If you understand what they want, your content will hit the mark.
Visual Appeal: A picture is worth a thousand words—so add infographics, videos, and even GIFs to keep things interesting.

4. Adapting to Zero-Click Searches

Zero-click searches are the SEO equivalent of a party crasher. Google now answers many queries directly on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page), so users don’t have to click through to your site. Goodbye organic traffic, right? Well, not necessarily.

How to Overcome It

Zero-click searches may sound like a nightmare, but there are still ways to snag attention. Google’s AI overviews and SERP features (like featured snippets and People Also Ask boxes) are great opportunities if you know how to play the game.

For featured snippets, structure your content in a way that’s ready to be snatched up by Google. If it’s a paragraph, give a concise, direct answer. If it’s a list, use bullet points. If it’s a table, make sure it’s well-formatted and easy for Google to pull.

Don’t worry about AI overviews. Just follow Google’s regular search guidelines, and you might just get your content featured in those handy overviews.

5. Earning Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are like the currency of the SEO world. But for newer websites, it can feel like you’re a broke college student trying to find the best deals. Earning quality backlinks from trusted sites is tough, especially when bigger sites have the resources to attract them effortlessly.

How to Overcome It

You’ve got to get creative. Create “linkable assets” that people want to link to. Think original datasets, in-depth guides, or interactive tools. These types of content are perfect for grabbing the attention of other websites that want to reference your work.

Once you have a solid resource, be proactive. Reach out to other relevant sites and tell them how your resource can benefit their audience. Tools like Semrush’s Link Building Tool can help you identify potential link opportunities.

6. Effectively Using AI

AI tools like ChatGPT are a game-changer, but let’s be real—not all SEO professionals are using them right. Sure, AI can churn out content, but often it’s generic and, let’s face it, a little boring.

How to Overcome It

Use AI tools as a creative partner, not a content generator. For example, have AI generate a draft, but then add your own unique insights and edits. Fact-check everything (because AI is not always accurate) and make sure the content fits your brand voice. If you’re using AI for keyword research, always double-check search volumes with a tool like Semrush’s Keyword Overview.

AI can help with brainstorming, generating content outlines, or even rephrasing text to match your tone. But remember, AI is just a tool—your expertise is what makes your content shine.

7. Growing Competition

The SEO battlefield is more crowded than ever. Whether you’re in a niche market or a highly competitive industry, chances are your rivals are gunning for that top spot on Google. And they probably have bigger budgets, dedicated SEO teams, and more resources at their disposal.

How to Overcome It

While you can’t eliminate competition, you can make sure you’re playing the game smartly. One key strategy is to focus on long-tail keywords. These more specific phrases may have lower search volume, but they also come with less competition and are easier to rank for.

Next, analyze your competitors. You can use a tool such as Semrush’s Organic Research tool to spy on their top-performing keywords and pages. If they’re ranking for keywords you haven’t targeted, it’s time to step up your content game. Create better, more relevant content, and watch those rankings rise.

Need a Little Help With Your SEO?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all this SEO talk? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, if Google were easy, everyone would be ranking number one!

Enter Digital Storyteller.

Our outsourced digital marketing agency is here to help create content, optimize your site, and make you more relevant to search engines on all social fronts. To develop an organic content marketing strategy with the SEO you need to make your business thrive, reach out to our diverse team of marketing experts today!

Any questions? Check out our guide to SEO, here.

February 2, 2025/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

WTF is SEO?

Who doesn’t love a good, long acronym, right? But what the f#$% is SEO, and why should you care? It’s true, that people often try to sell SEO as this incredibly complex concept, but let’s break it down to its essence.

Amanda Rogers, Owner and Chief Creative Officer, and Andrew Marr, Owner, and CEO, dive into all the details in the video below:

Read on to learn what the F*#% SEO is, why you should care, and how you can use it.

First, WTF is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). In simpler terms, it’s about making your website more visible to users searching for relevant topics on search engines like Google.

At its core, SEO involves various techniques and strategies aimed at improving your website’s relevance, authority, and user experience. From keyword research and on-page optimization to technical SEO and link building, there are numerous factors that influence your website’s performance in search results.

Why Should You Care About SEO?

Today, nearly 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. So, having a strong SEO strategy is essential. Here’s why:

Increased Visibility

Ranking higher in search results means more visibility for your website, leading to increased organic traffic and potential customers.

Credibility and Trust

Websites that appear at the top of search results are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users, boosting your brand’s reputation.

Cost-Effective Marketing

Unlike paid advertising, SEO offers long-term benefits without the ongoing costs. Once you’ve optimized your website, you can continue to attract organic traffic without additional investment.

Better User Experience

SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines; it’s also about enhancing the user experience. By optimizing your website for SEO, you’re creating a seamless and intuitive browsing experience for your visitors.

How to Use SEO: A Practical Guide to Optimizing Your Content

So, you want to leverage SEO to enhance your online presence and attract more visitors to your website? Let’s dive into practical steps to help you maximize your SEO efforts effectively.

1. Understand the Core Concept

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, boils down to creating content that resonates with your audience and structuring it in a way that search engines can easily comprehend. It’s about writing relevant content and optimizing it for search engines to find.

2. Craft Relevant Content

Start by producing content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your audience is searching for, and incorporate them naturally into your content.

3. Organize Your Content Effectively

Structure your content with clear headings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3 tags) to enhance readability and navigation. Utilize descriptive headings to outline the main topics and key points of your content.

4. Optimize Meta Tags

Craft enticing meta titles and descriptions that accurately represent the content of your page and encourage clicks. Incorporate relevant keywords into your meta tags to improve your page’s visibility in search results.

5. Prioritize User Experience

Ensure your website offers a seamless browsing experience for visitors. Optimize page speed, enhance mobile responsiveness, and prioritize intuitive navigation to enhance user satisfaction.

6. Build Quality Backlinks

Acquire backlinks from authoritative websites within your industry to enhance your site’s credibility and authority. Focus on fostering relationships with other website owners and producing high-quality content that naturally attracts links.

7. Monitor Performance

Regularly track your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Analyze key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of your SEO strategies.

8. Stay Informed and Adaptive

Stay updated on the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes to remain competitive in the digital landscape. Continuously explore and experiment with new strategies to optimize your website’s visibility and performance.

Need a Little Help With Your SEO?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all this SEO talk? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, if Google were easy, everyone would be ranking number one!

Enter Digital Storyteller.

Our outsourced digital marketing agency is here to help create content, optimize your site, and make you more relevant to search engines on all social fronts. To develop an organic content marketing strategy with the SEO you need to make your business thrive, reach out to our diverse team of marketing experts today!

January 12, 2025/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

What Are Algorithms—and How Do They Work?

If you have social media of any kind, chances are you’ve heard people talk about “algorithms” pretty regularly. When someone posts content and it performs poorly, whether they be a business, an influencer, or your Average Joe, you might hear them blame it on the algorithm.

“Oh, the algorithm hates me… I can’t figure out the algorithm… The algorithm is always changing, I can’t keep up!” And so on and so forth.

At Digital Storyteller, we recognize that there is some truth in these statements. Algorithms are always changing. But first, what are algorithms—and how do they work?

What is an Algorithm?

While the word “algorithm” is thrown around a lot today, it can be hard to fully grasp what this term even means.

Kristien Matelski at Vizion puts it perfectly. An algorithm “is a pattern or set of rules that problem-solving operations (especially computers) use to make calculations.”

Let’s dive into what this definition means for Google and social media specifically.

The Google Algorithm

The Google algorithm is “a complex system that allows Google to find, rank and return the most relevant pages for a certain search query.”

Like we mentioned, algorithms are constantly changing. In fact, Marketing Whiz Neil Patel shares on his blog that Google makes minor changes to its algorithm daily!

Google “might even release multiple updates in 24 hours,” says Patel. “These changes are usually small, and you probably won’t notice a drop in search page rankings due to these updates alone.”

However, knowing that the algorithm can literally change overnight (and multiple times at that!), it can feel impossible to keep up. (We know our social team at Digital Storyteller works hard every day to stay fresh with new updates and trends you can’t ignore.)

Google holds over 70% of the search market share and therefore, is the most popular search engine, according to Hubspot. This considered, how can you use the algorithm to your advantage? What does the algorithm take into account when ranking content?

Well, you’re in luck! According to an explainer video posted by Google titled “How Google Search Works,” there are hundreds of factors that go into determining what pops up on a search engine. Here are a few.

Keywords: Keywords play a significant role in the optimization of your content. You want to ensure you’re paying close attention to the keywords you choose to use. For example, if you own a smoothie bar in downtown San Diego, you probably want to rank for “good smoothies San Diego” or “downtown San Diego smoothies,” as opposed to keywords like “pizza” and “tacos!” For more on keywords, visit our article on how to optimize your content for search.

Meta Descriptions: Keywords aren’t the only thing Google looks for when curating a search engine results page (SERP). Meta descriptions, sometimes called a meta description attribute or tag, “is an HTML element that describes and summarizes the contents of your page for the benefit of users and search engines,” according to WordStream. Write meta descriptions carefully, as you only get about 155 words to show off what your content is about!

Images and Alt Text: Google LOVES images, and so do humans! Think, if you’re looking up a recipe on how to make the ‘World’s Best Lasagna,’ would you be more likely to click on the recipe with or without photos? Alt Text, or alternative text, is also important. It’s a short written description of the image that Google can read to help rank your page.

Title: Your title needs to be well thought out and something people would actually search for. Your title should summarize your content and include your target keywords.

Meta Tags: “Meta tags are invisible tags that provide data about your page to search engines and website visitors.”

Backlinks: The Google algorithm also looks for backlinks. Backlinking is the action of linking back to another external site on your own and is an extremely valuable tactic to use in sharing your site content. Backlinking helps position you as a trustworthy, authoritative source. For more on backlinking, visit our blog titled “PR vs Backlinking Strategies: What’s the Difference?”

Site Health: A site with a score of 80% or above is typically considered “good” site health. Site health is determined by the number of errors and warnings found when your site is crawled.

Site Authority: Google also cares about your site authority score. Authority is built slowly over time but is determined by your site’s backlinks and organic keywords. For more on how to build your domain authority, visit our article to get the secret sauce behind improving organic search rankings.

For our friends who are interested in watching Google’s quick explainer video for more information on how Google search works, here it is.

So, what’s a social media algorithm? “A social media algorithm is the mathematical calculation that sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and [Snapchat] use to understand user habits and to customize the social experience,” says Matelski.

“Social media algorithms work seamlessly behind the scenes, optimizing the user experience without them knowing the system is at work.”

No two algorithms are identical but they all use similar structures to determine what content you see, to organize the way you see it, and when you see it. Here are a few elements to consider.

Social Signals: Social shares, likes, tweets, and pins on search engine rankings have been shown to increase SEO through several case studies. Social sharing helps boost your SEO ranking significantly if you stay consistent with organic content and ask people to share your content. For two more content marketing SEO tips, read on here.

Hashtags: Hashtags help categorize your content and will help users discover your business. Using hashtags in your social posts can also place your content higher in SERPs.

Captions: While it may be trendy to keep your captions simple (*cough cough* influencers who write one-word captions or only use emojis!), this is not the best practice for SEO and algorithm purposes. Great captions are engaging, SEO friendly, and memorable. Great captions take time and effort. Don’t underestimate the power of a great caption!

Video Content: We all know that video content is the number one media being pushed right now. So, get your business ready to push out some awesome video content if you haven’t already—Instagram reels, TikToks, explainer videos, testimonials, culture videos, the list goes on. Bonus tip? Use trending music in your videos to rank higher!

For those of you whose business is ready to take advantage of the benefits of video content, check out our article on Instagram Reels to learn how video content supports your social strategy.

At Digital Storyteller, digital marketing is our specialty, and we know that staying ahead of algorithms can feel like a full-time job. Whether it’s Google or social media platforms, algorithms determine how your content is ranked and seen.

Understanding and adapting to these changes is essential for success. From keywords and backlinks to hashtags and video content, each platform has its own rules—but we’re here to decode them for you.

If you’re ready to take your digital marketing to the next level, reach out to our team.

Interested in learning more? Check out our guide, The Linkedin Algorithm Explained: How to Make it Work for You, here.

December 6, 2024/by Digital Storyteller Team

Financial Services Companies, SEO

Local SEO for Financial Services: 7 Tips to Drive More Clients to Your Door

Want more local clients? Of course you do! Local SEO, a powerful and often underutilized tool, can significantly boost your visibility to nearby potential customers.

Imagine your potential clients Googling “best tax advisors near me” or “top financial planners in town.” You want them to find you, right?

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s how you can use Local SEO to make sure your website gets noticed and more clients show up at your door.

What Is Local SEO And How Does It Work?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is all about improving your online presence to attract more local customers. Think of it as a way to help your business get noticed when people search for services near them. For example, if someone types “best financial advisor near me” into Google, you want your business to pop up.

Here’s how it works:

Google My Business Signals: This is your business’s resume on Google. Make sure it’s up-to-date with your name, address, and phone number (NAP).
On-Page Signals: This is your website’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m local!” Include your NAP and sprinkle in some local keywords.
Online Reviews: Good reviews are like gold stars for your business. They help you climb the Google ranks and attract more clients.
Citations: These are like shout-outs about your business on other websites. Make sure they mention your NAP.
Behavioral Signals: Things like how often people click on your site or call you from their phones.
Social Signals: All the likes, shares, and comments on your social media help, too.

Why Local SEO Is Important For Your Business

Local SEO is a big deal because it helps your business shine in local searches. When people search for financial services nearby, they’re usually ready to pick someone fast. By getting your Local SEO game on, you’ll attract these eager clients, boost your foot traffic, and see those sales numbers rise.

7 Easy Tips to Master Local SEO

Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
- Claim Your Listing: If you haven’t done this yet, go to Google My Business and claim your listing.
- Complete Your Profile: Add all relevant details like your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours.
- Choose the Right Categories: Pick categories that best fit your services.
- Add Photos and Videos: Visuals can make your listing more engaging.
- Encourage Reviews: Ask happy clients to leave reviews and make sure to respond to them.
Optimize with Local Keywords
- Conduct Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find local keywords for your business.
- Incorporate Keywords Naturally: Use these keywords in your site’s titles, descriptions, and content.
- Create Location-Based Content: Write blog posts or create pages focusing on local topics.
- Add Local Schema Markup: This helps search engines understand your business’s location better.
Build Local Citations and Listings
- Submit to Local Directories: List your business on directories like Yelp and industry-specific sites.
- Check for NAP Consistency: Ensure your business details are the same across all listings.
- Use Data Aggregators: Tools like Moz Local can help manage and update your listings.
Create High-Quality Local Content
- Blog About Local Events and News: Share insights on local happenings relevant to your industry.
- Highlight Local Customer Stories: Feature testimonials or case studies from local clients.
- Develop Local Resource Pages: Create guides or pages with useful local information.
Optimize for Mobile and Voice Search
- Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Make sure your website works well on mobile devices.
- Focus on Local Intent Keywords: Optimize for keywords used in voice searches, like “near me” queries.
- Speed Up Your Website: A fast-loading site improves user experience and rankings.
Leverage Social Media for Local Engagement
- Engage with Local Audiences: Connect with local clients and participate in community discussions.
- Promote Local Content: Share local blog posts and events on social media.
- Use Location Tags and Hashtags: Tag your location and use local hashtags to increase visibility.
Monitor and Measure Your Local SEO Performance
- Use Google Analytics: Track how local search is driving traffic to your site.
- Check Google Search Console: Monitor your site’s performance and fix any issues.
- Track Rankings with Local SEO Tools: Tools like Moz or BrightLocal can help you keep tabs on your local SEO success.

Summing Up

Local SEO can be a game-changer for bringing clients into your financial services business. Follow these tips, boost your online visibility, and watch as more clients find their way to your door.

Need a Little Help With Your SEO?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all this SEO talk? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, if Google were easy, everyone would be ranking number one!

Enter Digital Storyteller (that’s us.)

Our outsourced digital marketing agency is here to help create content, optimize your site, and make you more relevant to search engines on all social fronts. To develop an organic content marketing strategy with the SEO you need to make your business thrive, reach out to our diverse team of marketing experts today!

November 24, 2024/by Digital Storyteller Team

Digital Marketing, News, SEO

Google’s New Generative AI Experience: How it Works and What it Means for Marketing

At Google’s recent Marketing Live event, the tech giant flaunted its strides in generative artificial intelligence (AI). According to data BrightEdge, “An estimated 84% of queries on Google Search will be boosted by generative AI, eventually impacting more than $40 billion per year in ad revenue.” Yep, you heard that right. This is a big f*cking deal for Google, marketers, and users alike.

But amidst all the hype, many businesses and marketers are left scratching their heads, asking, “What the heck is Google up to with AI now? What’s in store for me?”

Let’s dive into what we know for now.

First, Let’s Talk Google’s AI Overviews

Before we dive into the exciting world of AI ads, let’s discuss Google’s latest innovation: AI Overviews. You might have already spotted these summaries at the top of your search engine results pages (SERPs). They’re hard to miss and look a little something like this:

So Google is rolling out new tools for marketers, but the real headline? Ads are about to slide right into those AI Overviews you’ve been seeing at the top of your search results.

Now, these AI Overviews have had their fair share of critics, but Google’s not backing down. They’re betting big on AI-driven search, and they want advertisers to hop on board for the ride. Picture this: you’re searching for tips on removing wrinkles from clothes, and alongside those quick answers, you’ll spot ads for wrinkle-release products from top brands, seamlessly integrated into your search experience.

But that’s not all. Google’s revving up the shopping game with some seriously smart features. Think virtual try-ons and 3D views powered by—you guessed it—generative AI. So, when users browse “summer tops,” they might stumble upon an ad for the perfect blouse from Levi’s, complete with options for different sizes, models, and even body types.

And it’s not stopping there. Google’s exploring all sorts of innovative uses for generative AI in advertising. Take storage space, for example. Imagine users snapping a few pics of your living room and getting personalized ads for the perfect storage unit—all thanks to smart tech making ads more personalized and helpful than ever.

Now that we’ve covered what these changes will look like for consumers, let’s chat about what marketers can expect.

What Marketers Can Expect with AI-powered Ads with Google SGE

Let’s hear what Google has to say about these changes for marketers:

“These new experiences will make Search smarter and simpler, and Search will continue to be a jumping-off point to the best of the web, including your business.” This indicates a significant evolution in Search, with implications for businesses and advertisers.”

The introduction of the Search Generative Experience (SGE) within Search Labs is particularly intriguing. This feature will serve as a platform for accessing Google Search experiments. Google demonstrated that ads will now appear both above and below this new experience.

Just like other digital advertising platforms, Google is pushing advertisers to embrace generative AI for creating ads. They’re making it easier for advertisers to stick to strict brand guidelines by allowing custom colors, fonts, and specific image references in Performance Max campaigns. Plus, Google is beefing up its AI-powered image editing tools, letting marketers seamlessly add new elements like a classy oil painting to their ads.

But here’s the catch: generative AI works best with top-notch inputs and careful monitoring. Google is launching Google Ads Data Manager to help small businesses manage their data better. This tool is designed to assist advertisers in handling various data sources and vendors more efficiently. With this move, Google is making AI-powered advertising more accessible and manageable for everyone.

According to Marketing Dive, “Healthcare, e-commerce and B2B technology industries are estimated to be impacted the most by the technology.”

How can marketers respond to Google SGE? Let’s take a look at some options.

Impact of Google SGE on Search Ads and Marketing Strategies

The introduction of Google SGE is set to shake up search ads and the wider world of digital marketing. With its advanced search capabilities, ads can now be finely tuned to match both the keywords and the context in which they appear. This level of detail means we can create ad campaigns that really speak to each individual user, potentially boosting conversion rates and the overall effectiveness of our online advertising efforts.

For marketers, this means a change in approach is needed. We have to think not just about the keywords themselves but also about the reasons behind a search when crafting our ads. It also puts a greater emphasis on producing top-notch content that genuinely aligns with the interests and needs of the user. As SGE makes search smarter, simplistic or generic ads won’t cut it anymore. Audiences now expect ads that are highly relevant and personalized to them.

Further, the real-time performance analysis and adjustment capabilities of Google SGE will allow us to fine-tune our advertising strategies more efficiently. By making smart use of these new tools, we can ensure our ads not only hit the mark but do so in a way that’s both resource-efficient and highly impactful.

Need Help with Your Marketing?

If you’re eager to stay ahead in digital marketing and make the most of the latest technologies like Google SGE, reach out to Digital Storyteller.

As a digital marketing agency, we know firsthand the challenges and opportunities that businesses face when it comes to budgeting and executing effective marketing campaigns.

We bring fresh, innovative ideas from our kick-a** creative team, all rooted in a relationship built on trust. Because that’s the essence of digital marketing – it’s not just about numbers and algorithms; it’s about connecting with your audience authentically and leaving a lasting impact.

Interested in learning more about us? Let’s chat.

Then, read on to learn The Four Main Types of Ads and What Works for B2B Businesses.

July 7, 2024/by Digital Storyteller Team

Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, News, Outsourced Marketing, SEO

Your Guide to Marketing KPIs

SEO, CTA, KPI … The list of terms you need to know for your marketing strategy seems to go on and on. We’re here to help break it down and make it easy for you to understand. Keep reading for our full guide to marketing key performance indicators (KPIs).

What is a KPI?

KPI stands for key performance indicator. They are a way to measure performance over time. Following certain metrics over time can help your business reach milestones, gauge processes, and provide insight to make better business decisions.

What Marketing KPIs Should You Track?

Tracking the right key performance indicators can provide a holistic view of how your business is performing.

We, like Semrush, believe that these are some of the best KPIs you should be tracking:

Conversions: How many of your site visitors are qualified leads? How many of them convert to closed sales?
ROI: Return on investment is a metric that tells you how profitable an investment is/was, in this case, likely how profitable your marketing investment was.
Organic Visibility: How are people finding your site? Are you showing up through organic search?
Organic Sessions: How many users are finding your site through an organic search?
Bounce Rate: How quickly are users leaving your site after visiting? If your site is not user-friendly, loads slowly, or doesn’t provide the information your users are looking for, they might exit the site after viewing only a single page.
Average Time on Page: How long are your users spending on your site pages? Pages with more content, such as blogs or videos, typically tend to drive longer time on-page.
Organic CTR (click-through rate): Does your site have clear calls to action (CTAs)? How often are users clicking buttons or links on your site? Which buttons/links are you driving them to click?
Backlinks: Sites with higher authority are more likely to see increased backlinks. If your site provides valuable, authoritative information that users find helpful, and useful, they may be more likely to link to it from their own sites. This helps drive referral traffic to your site and continues to support authority improvements.
Keyword rankings: Keyword rankings are the primary driver of organic search traffic. Targeting specific keywords relevant to what your business does is critical to increasing organic search traffic. It’s important to track keywords in two ways: total ranking keywords, and keyword ranking positions.
Branded vs. Non-Branded Traffic: Branded keywords are directly related to your unique business. For our brand, this would include keywords such as “Digital Storyteller,” “Digital Storyteller marketing agency,” “Andrew Marr,” etc. Non-branded keywords are those that your site ranks for that are not specific to you, such as “digital marketing,” “social media management,” and “search engine optimization.”
Page Speed: Page speed is a huge determinant of how your site performs. According to backlinko, the average page loading speed is 10.3 seconds on desktop and 27.3 seconds on mobile. If your site takes longer than this to load, chances are your user won’t wait and will instead visit a competitor’s site instead. Safe to say we’ve become a pretty impatient society …
Coverage Issues: Performing site audits can ensure that your site is functioning properly and that Google is indexing and reading your site as it should be. Google Search Console is a critical tool in identifying coverage issues and can help you solve any issues that you find.

How to Develop your Marketing KPI Strategy

Your business’ marketing KPI strategy should be unique to your business needs. Sure, you can glean ideas from other similar business models, but tailor yours to help guide you where you want to go.

Here are a few tips on how to develop your marketing KPI strategy.

Define your KPIs- Which specific KPIs will your business track? How will you collect the data and how often will you track shifts?
Use the SMART Method- KPIs should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. For example, “Onboard 7 new clients in the next 12 months.”
Keep your KPIs clear- Your team should understand your KPIs and how to act on them to make decisions that ultimately lead to reaching your goals.
Revisit your plan- Sometimes plans need to change. Revisit your KPI strategy to make sure the strategy is still working for you. Maybe you need to adjust a few action items based to keep propelling forward in the right direction.
Don’t overdo it with KPIs- Try to avoid doing too much, too quickly. With access to a plethora of data, it can be easy to try to measure every little thing. We recommend using the information to stay on track with your most important targets- however you define them. This will help you avoid KPI overload.

See an example below of how we at Digital Storyteller keep track of the important KPIs to our business strategy.

August 14, 2022/by Digital Storyteller Team

Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, News, SEO, Social Media

Digital Marketing Trends for the New Year

And just like that, it’s 2022! We hope your New Year is going wonderfully.

In celebration of the New Year, we’d like to address some digital marketing trends for the new year. We know… Digital marketing trends are always changing. It can be hard to keep up! But it’s crucial to identify current trends and strategies for your businesses, and we’re here to help.

Let’s get into it.

Video Marketing

We’ve written about it time and time again. Video marketing is, and will continue to be, an absolutely critical part of your digital marketing strategy in 2022.

Not convinced? Research according to Hubspot shows that video will account for nearly 82% of consumer internet traffic. Wowza!

For those of you who flinch at the word ‘video’ or the idea of crafting one yourself, don’t worry. We promise it’s not as scary (or expensive) as you think. All you need is a quality camera and a microphone. (Even a smartphone can work in most cases!)

To increase search traffic to your website, HubSpot recommends you:

Make sure your video contains useful information to solve your ideal customer’s problem
Optimize your video on YouTube using relevant keywords

The title of your video is also important. For example, someone would be more likely to click on “how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs” over “how to cook eggs.”

The bottom line about video marketing is: Video is the preferred form of content by all social platforms right now: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube (of course), you name it.

Don’t be discouraged if there is already content out there that is similar to your video (in fact, we guarantee that there will be). The most important thing is finding a way to make your content stand out, says HubSpot.

Honestly, we could talk your ear off about video (and we probably have…) We’ve written about how Instagram reels support your social media marketing strategy and how to connect with your prospects using video. What’s that? You haven’t read those articles yet? Finish this one and then get to it!

SEO

It’s time to brush up on your SEO skills. Search Engine Optimization is still as important as ever. Quality, thought-out SEO is the bread and butter of increasing traffic to your site.

Search engine algorithms, however, are always changing. In fact, a really awesome feature that Google’s algorithm has now adopted is the ability to differentiate between search and intent.

What does this mean? (Aside from a very happy SEO manager on our team…) Google search intent, according to Yoast, is “the term used to describe the purpose of an online search. Google wants to rank pages that best fit the search term someone is using, as well as the search intent behind the search query.”

Because of this new feature, it is crucial that you “segment queries that you want to rank for and make competitor analysis a big part of your SEO strategy,” according to HubSpot.

It’s crazy to think that Google is now smart enough to interpret why you are searching for what you’re searching for.

Optimize Content for Voice Search

This is a trend we mentioned back in November in our top five digital marketing trends you can’t ignore article. And guess what? It’s still relevant.

Thanks to AI-powered voice assistants (like Siri, Google, Alexa, and Cortana), millions of people every day search for things online without even touching or being near their phone or computer. User experience and web accessibility today are so important.

This considered, it has become all the more important to optimize your content for voice search. Start 2022 off with a bang by doing so. Not sure where to start? Contact our team today.

Truth be told, it feels a little silly to even have to mention social media on this list of digital marketing trends. You’re ten steps behind your competitors if your business is not:

Active on social media
Providing engaging and informative content on a consistent basis
Interacting with prospects and clients

We recommend our clients have profiles on at least:

Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

The platform that you place the greatest amount of attention on will depend on your business’s unique goals and target audience. For example, if you’re selling branded hoodies to Gen Z, Instagram is likely your best bet. If you are an insurance broker, however, you might opt for the more professional nature that LinkedIn offers.

Still don’t believe in the power of social media? According to DigitalMarketing.org, “3.96 billion people use social media today, which accounts for roughly half (51%) of the global population.” Wow!

Think: This is a huge loss for businesses who opt out of a well crafted social media marketing strategy. If they want to stay relevant, the more traditional companies (who are fearful or overwhelmed by social media) need to learn how to adapt.

Rentech Digital recommends that businesses use social media to not only attract prospects but also to retain them. Remember, the more frequently a prospect sees your brand, the greater opportunity to build a trusting relationship with them—and ultimately to convert them into a client.

For those of you who are interested, read on to learn which social media platforms your business should be on and why.

What Is YOUR New Year Resolution? (Marketing Edition!)

Will you outsource your marketing this year? Get your team on a weekly Instagram reel to boost social engagement? Take a course on SEO? Let us know your 2022 New Year Resolution, and if there’s room for our team to help!
Read on to hear our team’s 2022 New Year Resolutions. Cheers!

January 9, 2022/by Digital Storyteller Team

News, SEO

SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to digital marketing, the number of three-letter acronyms is so high, that sometimes we find our heads spinning! But don’t worry.

Enter SEO and SEM.

So, let’s get started with SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

What is SEO?

First things first, let’s individually define the two. At Digital Storyteller, we talk a lot about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). For those just now getting on the SEO train, let’s start with the basics!

According to Moz, SEO is “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.” SEO is how marketers tailor their content to appeal to search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

For example, you might search ‘coffee shop near me’ or ‘coffee shop open late’ on Google. The way that Google then provides results based on your search is determined by SEO. SEO is the tool that tells Google, “Hey! This is what information my website has, this is what I’m talking about, and these are the types of people that would find my website interesting!”

For more on SEO, meta descriptions, title tags, SEO strategy, link building, ranking factors, and so on, check out this article for 10 tips to maximize your SEO, this article we wrote on why SEO is important, or one of our newest articles on how to effectively combine SEO and content marketing!

What is SEM?

Now let’s talk SEM. We promise, it’s not as scary as it sounds, and definitely not as scary as STEM!

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. And what’s search engine marketing, you might ask? SEM, according to Optimizely, is “a digital marketing strategy used to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).”

In the past, SEM typically encompassed both organic and paid search. Today, however, it almost exclusively refers to paid search advertising.

If you’ve begun to put the puzzle pieces together, you might be thinking to yourself, “Huh… That sounds a lot like pay per click, or PPC.” Well, if so, congrats! SEM, paid search, and PPC are all used interchangeably.

Take it from our Team:

“A lot of people consider SEM as part of an overall umbrella of SEO, but they’re actually pretty different. Most generally, SEM features the paid side of search engines.”

“SEM includes anytime that you’re doing paid search, display ads, etc. SEM is a really great opportunity if you know you want to rank for a very specific keyword. You can pay the search engines to rank your content first.”

It’s also important to note that paid search is short-term. As soon as you stop paying for the paid search ad, your traffic is going to stop too.

In a final attempt to provide clarity for you, SEM is “the act of using paid strategies to increase search visibility.” Every day, businesses pay big money for their ads to rank first on search engine results pages…

Hint: You can tell when businesses are using SEM by the bold “Ad” text that accompanies a search result! Example below.

Similarities vs. Differences

Let’s first start with a bullet list of similarities. Both SEO and SEM:

Use keyword research
Help your business appear in search results
Increase traffic to your website
Only work if you have a specific target audience and keywords
Require ongoing effort (i.e. optimization, monitoring)

Here are some differences between SEO and SEM:

SEO search results include featured snippets whereas SEM search results might include phone numbers, additional links, or callouts.
SEO takes time, but once you reach a high ranking on a search engine, you typically stay there. SEM, on the other hand, is rather immediate, which also means that your ranking is not permanent.
More people are likely to click through organic SEO results in comparison to SEM.
As previously mentioned, SEM includes the bold “Ad” text in a search result.
Every time someone clicks your SEM result, you are charged. Hence the term, “pay per click.”
SEM is easier to experiment with.

So, What’s Best for Your Business?

We know, we just dumped a lot of information on you! (But it’s golden, so you’re welcome!) Now that you have a grasp on SEO and SEM, their similarities and differences, it’s time that you explore making an informed decision about which to use for your business.

Consider the following:

Do you know your industry yet?
Typical cost per click in your industry
Is your business relatively new? What is the overall health of your website?
Your client buying cycles
Who is your competition?

These questions can help inform how you compare to the competition as far as search goes.

What is Your Ultimate Goal?

It’s important to remind yourself of what your ultimate goal is.

At Digital Storyteller, we focus on organic search overall as a whole. Why? We want to ensure that our clients’ content ranks and persists over time.

This considered, at Digital Storyteller, we believe that the focus on SEO is a lot more important than the overall focus on SEM specifically. If you want to run paid ads, it’s a really great addition to your overall marketing strategy (but we believe it’s a slice of the pie, not the whole pie!)

Still not clear on which is best for you? Learn more about how to optimize your content for search. After all, investing time and resources into content development is in a sense useless if not properly optimized.

October 17, 2021/by Digital Storyteller Team

What Are Social Impressions?

What Are Social Signals?

Impressions and Signals by Platform

LinkedIn

Instagram

X (formerly Twitter)

Facebook

YouTube

Which Matters More: Impressions or Signals?

What This Means for Your Firm

FAQ

What Is Cornerstone Content?

Why Does Cornerstone Content Matter for SEO?

How to Identify Your Cornerstone Content

Cornerstone Content Takes Time, But It Works

Frequently Asked Questions About Cornerstone Content

How B2B Buyers Are Actually Searching Today

Google: Where SEO Still Sets the Foundation

AI Search Platforms: Where Citation Shapes Credibility

Generative Engine Optimization

Conversational AI: Where Recommendation Drives Consideration

Answer Engine Optimization

Most Brands Are Still Playing One Game

A Simple Way to See Where You Actually Stand

Visibility Is Now Multi-Platform by Default

What It Takes to Show Up Across All Three

The Opportunity in Front of You

Where to Go From Here

Key Takeaways

What Is Keyword Search Volume?

Why Keyword Search Volume Matters

1. It Helps Gauge Interest

2. It Supports Smarter Content Planning

3. It Provides Context for Competition

Factors That Affect Search Volume

Evergreen vs Seasonal Keywords

Evergreen Keywords

Seasonal Keywords

Why Search Volume Alone Is Not Enough

The Value of Low-Volume Keywords

What Is a Good Keyword Search Volume?

General Guidelines

For Larger, Established Websites

For Smaller or Niche Websites

Factors to Consider When Evaluating Search Volume

1. Competition

2. Relevance

3. Intent

How to Find Keyword Search Volume

Final Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Need Help Building a Smarter Keyword Strategy?

How They Work Together

Content Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Email Marketing

Data Analytics

Design and Website

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Analytics

Digital Storyteller is Here to Help

1. Getting Buy-In From Stakeholders

How to Overcome It

2. Keeping Up With Google Algorithm Updates

How to Overcome It

3. Standing Out in a Sea of Similar Content

4. Adapting to Zero-Click Searches

How to Overcome It

5. Earning Quality Backlinks

How to Overcome It

6. Effectively Using AI

How to Overcome It

7. Growing Competition

How to Overcome It

Need a Little Help With Your SEO?

First, WTF is SEO?

Why Should You Care About SEO?

Increased Visibility

Credibility and Trust