Saba Digital Marketing

Retargeting: What It Is & How to Use It

First impressions matter, but they don’t always lead to conversions when it comes to website visits. In fact, only 2 percent of searchers actually take the desired action when first visiting a site. The other 98 percent either take a look around and leave or add a few items to their cart without completing the checkout process. Retargeting refers to a marketing strategy that targets your non-converting traffic. San Diego SEO professionals share the basics of this digital marketing strategy.

How Does Retargeting Work?

Retargeting works by using an unobtrusive piece of JavaScript code known as a pixel, which is a cookie-based technology that anonymously tracks visitors to your website after they leave. The code, which won’t affect your site’s performance, produces an anonymous browser cookie every time someone comes to your site. Your retargeting provider will use those cookies to know when to present ads to non-converting visitors as they browse online. The process works in the following way:

  • Potential customers come to your site
  • They leave without checking out
  • They search for other items online later
  • Your ad appears and reminds them of what you have to offer
  • They come back to your site and (hopefully) complete a purchase

When Does It Work?

Retargeting isn’t a standalone marketing strategy. While you may be able to increase conversions with retargeting, it’s not what’s going to drive traffic to your website in the first place. It works better when it’s part of a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes:

  • Organic search and SEO
  • Paid search with highly targeted keywords
  • Relevant content specific to your intended audience

A lot of businesses concentrate their efforts on attracting new customers. However, there are plenty of potential customers out there who already have some interest in what you have to offer. With some gentle nudging, some of those visitors can turn into happy customers. Don’t forget to pay attention to customers that already made purchases as well since marketing today is more about building relationships than simply making a sale.

If you need help retargeting potential customers, turn to Saba SEO, a leading web design company in San Diego. In addition to retargeting, we offer a range of solutions that can boost your online visibility, such as search engine optimization and paid marketing. Our experts can create a comprehensive digital marketing plan that can result in more clicks and conversions for your business and increase your online ranking. To learn about our premier SEO plans and packages, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

Performance Review: Facebook Advertising vs. Google AdWords

When it comes to online advertising, Facebook and Google AdWords are the two most widely used tools. While online advertising goals remain the same, there are some notable differences between the two methods. In broad terms, AdWords is paid search and Facebook is paid social media. Google uses targeted keywords to put ads in front of searchers likely to be interested in what’s being offered, while Facebook matches ads to users based on how they behave on the social networking platform. Experts at a reputed San Diego search engine optimization company share two case studies to help you get a better idea of the potential impact of Facebook advertising and Google AdWords.

Case Study Number One

In this case study, the company executives were already using AdWords, so efforts were focused on leveraging Facebook advertising. They ran an image campaign targeting potential customers within a 2-mile radius of their airfield.

They were able to reach approximately 7,000 to 19,000 people by targeting an audience interested in extreme sports on Facebook within their geographic area. Roughly 7 percent of their bookings came from Facebook and 10 percent came from Google. However, they paid more per click with AdWords (0.38 vs. $1.49 per click).

Ultimately, Facebook advertising turned out to be less costly and more beneficial for this client when other factors were considered. For instance, on Facebook their page received a sharp increase in comments and shares because of their targeted ads.

Case Study Number Two

This case study involved a kennel that also provides grooming and training services. They paid 33 cents per click and ended up with nearly 2,000 clicks to their website, within a month of Facebook advertising, with a click-through rate of nearly 2 percent.

With AdWords, they received fewer clicks with a similar budget. They ended up with a click-through rate near 4 percent and paid just over a dollar per click.

Their Facebook advertising produced the same percentage of bookings for services as what they were getting from organic traffic (about 25 percent). AdWords campaigns resulted in about 8 percent of their conversions.

Facebook and AdWords Pros and Cons

While Facebook seems like the clear winner here in both situations, there are many variables to consider with any form of online advertising. Here are some of the pros and cons associated with Facebook ads and Google AdWords:

  • AdWords gives you access to a larger potential audience and you can control your budget very precisely
  • Improperly managed AdWords campaigns can be costly
  • AdWords can produce immediate results if the right searchers are targeted (although Facebook can also give you an instant influx of traffic)
  • You have limited space with AdWords ads
  • Ads on both Facebook and Google are easy to track
  • Facebook ads are easier to set up than AdWords campaigns (which also require a lot of attention)
  • Facebook ads aren’t as effective in B2B markets (they’re better suited for B2C markets)
  • Cost per click tends to be lower on Facebook
  • Facebook allows you to target people early in the buying process, but this could negatively affect conversion rates if people aren’t ready to make a decision

As observed from these two case studies, there are pros and cons associated with both AdWords and Facebook advertising. While Google and Facebook are often seen as competitors, the reality is that most businesses can benefit from advertising via either platform. Even though AdWords campaigns can be more expensive, there are strategies you can use to minimize expenses and boost your ROI. The same is true with Facebook. What this comparison illustrates is the importance of exploring other forms of online advertising instead of automatically putting all of your eggs in the AdWords basket.

For high-quality paid or social media marketing in San Diego or any other city in the world, businesses rely on Saba SEO. For over a decade, our team has created catchy and compelling ads across several online platforms for a wide variety of clients. Whether you need focused ads on social media or budget ads on AdWords, we are here to help you. Talk to one of our digital marketing experts at 858-951-1717 and get started with creating high-quality ads.

How Links Can Impact SEO

Links are an important search engine ranking factor, but some links matter more than others. There are also some linking strategies you should avoid if you want your site to perform well on search rankings. San Diego search engine marketing professionals discuss how links affect SEO.

Links in the Content Matter More Than Links in the Footers

Links in the footer will always be on every page, but links in the content are specifically chosen and placed. As a result, content links usually carry more weight. Links in the primary navigation on the side or top of a page also carry more weight than footer links.

Links Impact Search Engine Rankings

Google’s algorithm seems to prefer links that are accessible to site visitors. Links in small fonts near the bottom of a page that most visitors will overlook won’t help you as much as large, obvious links in your content or on the top of your page. However, your top priority should be to create helpful and appealing content for your visitors so you don’t overwhelm them with several links.

Text Links Perform Better Than Image Links

Google tends to understand text links better than image links. Also, when two links on a page direct to the same URL, Google only considers the first link. In addition to image links, many websites also have keyword-filled captions that link to different webpages. Google will only consider the image link because it’s the first to appear on the page.

Using the Same Link and Anchor Over and Over Might Result in a Penalty

Just like keyword stuffing will get you penalized, spamming the same link and anchor text over and over on every page of your website can get you in trouble. It’s better to include links naturally than to stuff your site with links to try to manipulate SEO algorithms.

Successful online marketing in San Diego or any other city in the world involves more than just link building. It involves creating comprehensive SEO strategies, something Saba SEO specializes in. With a team of professional web developers and SEO experts, we can create a customized search engine optimization plan, which includes responsive web design, high-quality backlinks, well-written content, and other services necessary to boost your online ranking. Call us at 858-951-1717 to schedule an appointment.

Do iPhone Users Spend More Online Than Android Users?

The debates over Mac versus PC and iPhone versus Android have been going on for years, and they’ll probably continue as long as the products stay in the market. While most of the debates between iPhone and Android users simply involve personal preference, there may actually be some differences between the two, one of which being how much money they spend.

San Diego search engine optimization experts explain that the debate on who spends more money revolves around the fact that iPhones are more expensive than Android phones. Even though the two cellular devices offer similar functions, iPhone users seem to be willing to spend more on a phone. Does this also apply to other purchases as well?

According to a report from Moz.com that involved data from millions of mobile sessions on iOS and Android, iPhone owners spend more than Android users. Android users spent an average of $11.54 per transaction, and iPhone users spent an average of $32.94. The spending patterns suggest that iPhone users will spend almost three times more than Android users on e-commerce sites.

Analyzing the spending patterns of iPhone and Android users could be very valuable for marketers. Since iPhone owners are likely to spend more money than Android users, marketers could begin targeting their ads toward the former. When you advertise on Facebook, you can choose to target all devices, only iOS devices, or only Android devices. Targeting iOS devices might increase your sales.

AdWords also allows you to target only iOS users or only Android users with Display Campaigns and Video Campaigns. However, you can’t target specific operating systems with the search feature.

You can use Google Analytics to target an iOS audience and create iPhone-oriented ads. iOS users are likely to click on an ad or a link that mentions the word “iPhone” simply because they have an iPhone. If you’re targeting iPhone users to increase your sales, you can create ad content that appeals to your audience.

Whether you’re targeting iPhone or Android users, you can boost your digital marketing efforts by consulting Saba SEO. As one of the leading San Diego marketing companies, we offer website and mobile app development, search engine optimization, and several other services to increase your brand’s online visibility. Our team deploys a variety of white hat tactics to help you improve your search engine ranking and target your audience effectively. Give us a call at 858-951-1717 to learn about our digital marketing plans and packages.

Tips on Increasing B2B Traffic within a Short Time Frame

There’s constant competition when trying to sell to anyone online, especially when the potential customer is another business. Short-term tactics that can produce spikes in traffic are sometimes viewed as questionable by search engines. Highly targeted paid campaigns can be effective, but also expensive. However, there are a few ways to market your products to other businesses better and boost your B2B traffic. San Diego web design experts share a few tips on increasing B2B traffic exponentially within a short timeframe.

Check Out Your Competitors’ Content

Need a good starting point for increasing your B2B traffic? Check out your competitors’ top pages and their high ranking content (e.g. social posts and video content) to get an idea of how they’re targeting the same audience. Focus on:

  • Your competitors’ highest ranking keywords
  • The type of content that’s ranking well for them
  • High ranking keyword phrases your competitors are not using

Broaden Your Topics If Your Niche Is Too Narrow

Linkable assets can quickly become scarce if you are concentrating your efforts on a niche that’s too narrow. Broaden your topics and target a larger market by exploring more generic search terms that have higher search volumes. Focusing on broader topics makes it easier to secure links from relevant sources, which could also increase your visibility on Google.

Become a Trusted Resource for B2B Traffic

Broad appeal is great for increasing traffic exposure. However, it is hyper-relevant terms that attract B2B traffic. Use your knowledge of what online searchers are looking for to create useful content that builds credibility and improves brand awareness. Make this strategy work for you by:

  • Clearly identifying your target audience’s concerns so you’ll know what topics to focus on within your pages
  • Exploring possibilities with rich media (video, audio, and other elements that tend to encourage interaction more than text alone)
  • Working relevant keywords and terms naturally into your content
  • Properly optimizing on-page elements such as title tags, page speed, URLs, and images featured within your content

Email marketing campaigns with segmented mailing lists specific to unique content interests can also boost your B2B traffic, as can increased social media interaction. While most businesses concentrate their efforts on LinkedIn, Facebook has many features that can be just as effective at getting the attention of the target audience. As for tracking results, Google Search Console can be a one-stop source for the metrics you’ll need. Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to directories within your niche to kick your visibility up a notch.

If you want to reach out to increase your B2B traffic and make your brand appealing to your target audience, turn to Saba SEO. We are one of the leading marketing companies San Diego has to offer. For the past ten years, we have helped our clients acquire more leads, boost their online visibility, and benefit from winning B2B marketing strategies. Our experts understand the dynamics of digital marketing and are committed to offering high-quality services. Talk to one of our experts at 858-951-1717 today and find out how we can help you reach out to your target audience better.

19 Technical Facts SEO Beginners Need to Know

Investing in SEO can do wonderful things for your business. However, you may have concerns about diving into some of the technical aspects of search engine optimization. Providers of local SEO in San Diego are here to remove your concerns by discussing 19 technical SEO facts for beginners.

1. Page Speed Will Be a Mobile Ranking Factor

Google considers page speed a mobile search ranking factor. It’s important to be mindful of page speed because it can affect the user experience. According to Google, the average mobile landing page time is around 22 seconds, but it only takes users about 3 seconds to decide if they want to stay on a page.

2. Instructions for Search Engine Bots Are Case Sensitive

Instructions about your site for web robots are referred to robots.txt files, and they are case sensitive (all lower case). Website crawlers will only look for these files in your site’s main directory.

3. If Infinite Scroll Isn’t Accessible, Your Site May Not Rank

The purpose of infinite scroll is to load content continuously as the user scrolls down your website pages. You’ll need a paginated series of pages along with your long scroll. ReplaceState/pushState should also be implemented.

4. You Can Structure Your Sitemap Any Way You Want It

Google requires sitemaps to be in XML (extensible markup language). Otherwise, you can structure your sitemap in any way that works best for you.

5. Archive Tags Won’t Affecting Ranking

The purpose of a no archive tag is to keep the cached version of your pages on SERPs. However, using such a tag won’t affect your ranking.

6. Homepages Usually Get Crawled First

Google usually looks at homepages first when ranking a site. If you want other pages to be considered first, add links to such pages.

7. Internal and External Links Are Scored Differently

Links to other content within your site are just as useful as links coming from outside sources. However, Google scores internal links differently from external ones.

8. Crawl Budgets Can Be Adjusted in Google’s Search Console

Google’s Search Console is an excellent source for all kinds of stats about your website. It’s also where you can adjust your crawl budget, which refers to how many pages a search engine can evaluate at any given time.

9. You Can Boost Your Crawl Budget by Discounting Pages That Aren’t SEO-Worthy

Some website pages, such as those with privacy statements or expired promotions, don’t need to be ranked. Disallowing such pages can improve your crawl budget.

10. There Are Some Sitemap Basics to Keep in Mind

You can structure your sitemap anyway you want, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The sitemap has to be UTF-8 encoded, and you’re limited to no more than 50,000 URLs that can’t be larger than 50MB. Different sitemaps are required for different media types.

11. You Can See How Mobile-Friendly Your Pages Are

Google is shifting to a mobile-first indexing policy, so you’ll definitely want to get an idea of whether or not your site is mobile-friendly. You can do this with Google Search Console’s mobile usability report to view how crawlers are seeing your pages from a mobile perspective.

12. Most Page One Results Are HTTPS

A secure version of HTTP, Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protects data sent between browsers and sites. Since security is a big issue today, it should come as no surprise that most page one sites use HTTPS.

13. Page Load Times Should Be Kept to a Minimum

Generally, page load times should be 2-3 seconds. However, pages with a slightly longer load time won’t necessarily impact your rankings all that much.

14. Disallowing a Robots.txt File Won’t Keep Pages from Being Ranked

If you use your robots.txt file to tell Google not to rank a page, it won’t necessarily be entirely ignored. Google will still look at such pages for indexing purposes. Password protection and noindex tags or directives are more effective for completely blocking pages from crawlers.

15. Canonical URLs Can Be Transferred from Old Domains to New Domains

Launching a new page with a different domain doesn’t have to mean starting all over again with SEO. Simply transfer the canonical info from your old domains to your new ones.

16. It’s a Good Idea to Leave Your Redirects Alone for at Least a Year

With 301 redirects, you can effectively transfer ranking power to the redirected pages you want searchers and crawlers to visit. However, it can take a while for Google to pick up on this, so they recommend leaving redirects in place for a year.

17. Search Boxes Can Be Controlled

Usually located on the upper right side of a screen, search boxes highlight relevant content on your site. Google allows you to do things like include mobile app results, power search boxes with your own search engine, or disable search boxes altogether.

18. There’s a Tag You Can Use to Keep Google from Translating Your Pages

Not all website content translates well into other languages. At times, you may have concerns about how well Google can actually translate your site into other languages so everything still makes sense. Whatever the reason is for not wanting Google to translate, you can use a notranslate tag to make this happen.

19. Firebase App Indexing Will Get Your Apps Indexed

Firebase App Indexing is a handy Google tool that allows you to drive search traffic to your apps. Results from your app will automatically appear when someone who installed your app searches for a keyword related to it.

There are also plenty of tools and how-to tutorials at your disposal you can use to get help with some of the more technical stuff involved with SEO. When managed properly, SEO can help you connect with the right audience, which will ultimately impact your bottom line in a good way.

If you’re looking for SEO optimization in San Diego or any other city in the world, turn to Saba SEO. We use a variety of white hat tactics to boost our clients’ online rankings. From searching for keywords to designing mobile-friendly websites, we offer comprehensive SEO solutions well within your budget. Our experts stay up to date with the latest developments in search engine algorithms and offer competent services. To learn about our SEO plans and packages, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

Essential SEO Ranking Factors in 2017

Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and SEO ranking factors change each year. Factors from a couple of years ago might not matter much anymore, and new features could have a huge impact on your site’s ranking. Here are four of the most important ranking factors in 2017, brought to you by experienced providers of internet marketing in San Diego.

Content

In the past, keyword-focused content tended to be successful with search engine rankings. In 2017, search engine algorithms started focusing on content that uses natural language. Content length has become an important factor as well. According to research from SEMrush, the content for the top three search engine results is an average of 45 percent longer than the 20th result.

Backlinks

In recent years, Google’s algorithm has become much better at differentiating between good and bad links. Backlinks from a wide variety of credible domains are essential for ranking success. Creating and promoting relevant, helpful content is one of the best ways to gain backlinks.

Site Traffic

Site traffic is an especially important ranking factor for high-volume keywords, and there are a variety of ways you can increase traffic to your site. Find websites with a similar audience as yours, and offer to write guest posts for that site. You could also accept guest posts from other sites. Both strategies can bring audiences from other sites to your site. Promoting your content on social media is another great way to increase site traffic.

User Signals

Bounce rate is very important for search engine rankings in 2017. The top search results usually have a low bounce rate, but the rate increases with lower rankings. Sites with high rankings also have a higher number of pages per session. Creating appealing content that encourages your site visitors to stay on your site is important for search engine optimization.

To create a comprehensive SEO plan for your business, consult a reputed search engine optimization agency. San Diego businesses and organizations all over the world rely on Saba SEO for all their digital marketing needs. For over ten years, our experts have helped businesses boost their online ranking and benefit from winning SEO strategies. From searching for keywords to providing high-quality content, we offer complete support and affordable services to help our clients increase their search engine visibility. Call us at 858-951-1717 to schedule an appointment.

3 Tips on Improving Facebook Ad Targeting

Facebook ads are a great way to attract customers, but it’s important to be aware of who your audience is, why they view your ads, and how likely they are to become customers. Here are three ways you can improve your Facebook ad targeting, brought to you by San Diego SEO marketing experts.

1. Discover Where Your Ad Viewers Work with Leadfeeder

Facebook Analytics provides some great information, but it doesn’t tell you everything. Leadfeeder will show you the employers of the people who visit your site through your Facebook ads and tell you how qualified your ad audience is. Using the Leadfeeder tool can help you determine if your Facebook ads are targeting people who will actually become customers.

Leadfeeder offers a free trial, and you can purchase a plan for $59 per month. Once you sign up for the service, you can filter it so you only see leads from your Facebook ad campaign.

2. Analyze User Behavior with Crazy Egg

Scroll depth measurement is a great way to see how much content a viewer consumes after clicking on your Facebook ad. You may discover that most of your viewers click away at a particular point on the page, and you can break up the content at that point to make it more interesting. You can also use the information to determine where you should place your call to action so most of your viewers will see it before they leave the page.

Crazy Egg offers a scroll depth measurement tool, and plans start at only $9 per month. They also offer a 30-day free trial.

3. Determine Customer Lifetime Value

The customer lifetime value formula considers the average order value, the number of repeat sales, and the average retention time. Calculating the customer lifetime value is an effective way to determine which of your Facebook ad viewers are the most valuable.

Facebook Analytics doesn’t track customer lifetime value, but Salesforce, Hubspot, and other CRM software do. When you discover which groups have the highest customer lifetime value, you can target your ads to those groups.

To create targeted ads on Facebook or other social media platforms, turn to Saba SEO. As a leading search engine marketing agency in San Diego, we have helped businesses all over the world benefit from winning social media marketing strategies. By analyzing your target audience’s needs, our experts can create high-quality online ads for your business. All our services are backed by years of experience and an A+ rating by BBB. To learn about our social media marketing plans, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

Tips on Outsmarting Your Competition in High-Stakes PPC Markets

When considering pay-per-click marketing, you may have to deal with competition. In smaller markets, it’s fine to take on the competition head on. However, doing the same thing in a high-stakes market where a “normal” bid can be as much as $40 could quickly stretch your budget. San Diego pay-per-click experts discuss a few steps you can take to compete in a less direct, yet smart way.

Monitor Daily PPC Activity

Start by getting an idea of general patterns with the PPC activity in your desired markets. Pay particular attention to the times when the bidding competitions are low. When monitoring your competition, look for:

  • Campaigns that aren’t fully budgeted
  • Competitors whose ads don’t consistently appear
  • Competitors whose ads disappear at certain times of the day

Look for Competitors Using AdWords’ Ad Scheduler

AdWords has a feature that allows you to schedule ads throughout the day and adjust bids as desired. Do test searches throughout the day in 15-minute intervals so you can spot competitors who happen to be using the AdWords scheduler.

Search for Underbudgeted Campaigns

To pinpoint your competitors’ soft spots, keep an eye out for underbudgeted campaigns. These are campaigns where the budget allocated isn’t enough to meet the maximum possible number of clicks (e.g. 10 clicks are available at $30 per click but $90 is the set budget, so that competitor is limited to 3 clicks).

Force Competitors to Exhaust Their Budget Sooner

Focus on competitors who use accelerated bidding (they use up their budgets whenever clicks are made instead of having them spread out). Force competitors that are aggressively bidding to stay in the top spot at a particular time to exhaust their budget by raising your bid.

Google adjusts cost-per-click (CPC) based on what it takes to get past the next ranked ad. If that next ad is yours and it’s at a higher rate, your competitor will have to pay more to stay on top since the CPC will be set higher.

Time Things Just Right to Enjoy Less Expensive Clicks

When competitors are knocked out of the game sooner, you’ll likely end up with a less competitive bidding environment later in the day. Not only could this give you cheaper clicks, but you might see better click-through rates. Ultimately, this could also give your quality score a boost.

Another option is to create two different campaigns that run at different times. One campaign can run during the more competitive hours to allow you to target the audience you want to reach. The other campaign can run during the less-competitive hours. What you’ll end up with is a greater reach with your campaigns along with convenient separate data for your campaigns.

If you need a focused PPC campaign for your business, turn to Saba SEO, a San Diego SEO company you can trust. Our team analyzes your target audience and creates compelling ads that are likely to get noticed. We continually monitor your PPC ads performance and peak competitive times, and we’re committed to increasing your ROI without draining your budget. To learn about our paid marketing plans and packages, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

AdWords Ad Optimization: How to Make Little Changes That Have a Big Effect

Let’s assume you’ve researched your keywords for high commercial intent and determined your target audience, but you’re not seeing the intended results. If your online ad receives a lukewarm response, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go back to the drawing board and rethink your entire strategy. In many cases, you can make little changes that have a big effect on your online ads. Here are a few small changes you can make to optimize your ads, brought to you by San Diego PPC management experts.

Mix Up Your Ad Titles and Descriptions

It’s easier to attract the attention of searchers if you mix things up with your ads instead of using very similar headlines and related content. Create 3-5 ads with different titles and descriptions. You can even have a different image associated with each online ad.

Weed Out the Underperforming Ads

Give your ads a chance to perform. After a few hundred or so clicks, get rid of the ads with less than one percent click-through rates (CTRs). Replace the underperforming ads with new ones that are modeled after successful ads. Check your results after another hundred or so clicks (or a variable that works best based on your search volume). Repeat the process until you’re left with ads with desirable CTRs.

Pay Extra Attention to Your Highest Performing Ad

Shift your attention to the ad that’s performing the best out of all your ads. Refine this high-quality ad to optimize your CTRs and maximize your ROI by:

  • Tinkering with headlines and descriptions
  • Optimizing the display URL to better target searchers
  • Testing your “new and improved” ad against the original version to see which one performs better

Finally, make sure the landing pages associated with your AdWords ads are relevant to the content of your ads and appealing to searchers arriving on those pages. Use tactics like strong, clean headlines, easy access to additional useful info, and a clear call to action to encourage conversions.

If you need help creating catchy and compelling online ads for your business, turn to Saba SEO. We are one of the leading marketing companies in San Diego, offering tailored and budget-friendly services to a wide variety of clients. For over a decade, we have helped businesses attract more leads through our result-oriented digital marketing plans. Whether you need an effective PPC campaign or a comprehensive SEO strategy, we are here to help. Call us at 858-951-1717 to speak to one of our experts.

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