Saba Digital Marketing

Why Digital Marketing Matters for Businesses

The term “digital marketing” refers to any interactions between businesses and consumers that are done via any type of digital technology, primarily the internet. Roughly three-quarters of all business transactions involve Google in some way, which highlights the significance of internet marketing. San Diego SEO experts at Saba SEO share a few reasons businesses should invest more in digital marketing.

Achieve Business Goals

Digital marketing may seem broad when you consider all of the various technologies involved. However, the strategies that drive a digital marketing plan are very specific and goal-oriented. It will become clear why digital marketing is important once you know what it is you want to achieve with this type of engagement. Common goals associated with digital marketing include:

  • Generating more website traffic
  • Increasing brand awareness
  • Driving more customers to physical business locations
  • Getting more leads and conversions

Increase Conversion Rates

More than 90 percent of website visitors are just browsing and not ready to make a commitment. Effective digital marketing can allow you to capture their attention by highlighting the benefits of your products and services and the desirable attributes of your business.

Deliver High-Quality Content

Another reason digital marketing is important is because it’s an effective way to deliver content to your target audience. Once you know your target audience, you’ll be able to use the appropriate digital channels to deliver your content. The way your target audience is reached digitally is with search engine optimization (SEO), which is a series of techniques, such as the use of keywords and internal and external links, used to put content in front of the right online searchers.

Orchestrate Multiple Forms of Digital Engagement

One of the common reasons some businesses fail to see the importance of digital marketing is because of the approach they take. If you’re just doing a little bit of social media engagement here and there or occasionally updating your blog, you’re not going to see results that matter. It’s easier to see the importance of digital marketing if you have a comprehensive plan in place that includes:

  • Social media marketing and blogging
  • Content marketing and creation
  • SEO
  • Online and paid advertising
  • Email marketing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Results tracking with the right tools

Build Brand Awareness and Customer Relationships

When done right, digital marketing has the power to boost your brand’s awareness and establish lasting and meaningful relationships with your target audience. While every business will have specific reasons for exploring digital forms of marketing, most businesses have common goals that can be achieved with digital marketing. These goals include:

  • Increasing customer base
  • Boosting purchase frequency
  • Increasing exposure
  • Maximizing return on investment
  • Improving credibility

There’s no denying the fact businesses today need to have an online presence. The most effective way to connect with customers online is with digital marketing in all of its various forms. Trying to figure out how to juggle the different types of digital engagement can be confusing for some businesses, especially with the more interactive ones like social media. However, it can be a less stressful and more productive process if the focus is kept on how consumers interact with your brand rather than trying to appeal to everyone who uses digital technology.

If you need a comprehensive digital marketing plan, turn to Saba SEO, a San Diego search engine marketing agency you can trust. For over a decade, we have offered customized, high-quality digital marketing services to a wide variety of industries. From search engine optimization to pay-per-click management, we offer a range of solutions to help our clients boost their online ranking and conversion ratio. Our experts stay up to date with the latest trends in digital marketing and offer quality-assured services. To learn about our internet marketing plans and packages, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

How Small & Medium-Sized Businesses View Internet Marketing

Internet marketing can be an excellent way to spark engagement, increase visibility, and affect profitability by attracting the right kind of attention. According to a recent survey, 75 percent of small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners agree that internet marketing is effective. Here is a detailed look at how SMB owners view online marketing in San Diego and other cities.

SMB Owners Don’t Budget Much for Online Marketing

Most smaller businesses budget less than $500 per month on all marketing efforts, and only a fraction of this amount is typically budgeted for internet and mobile. While there are some SMBs investing more in online marketing, others are less inclined to do so. Smaller businesses with limited budgets need to:

  • Base online marketing efforts on a thorough understanding of their target consumers
  • Distribute content via platforms where there’s more engagement
  • Carefully track results to know what’s working and where to focus attention

More SMB Owners Have Plans to Increase Online Spending

Nearly 40 percent of small business owners plan to increase their internet marketing spending within the next year. The good news is that SMB owners see value in online engagement and they want to make it a priority.

SMB Owners See the Potential for a Good ROI with Internet Marketing

Seventy-five percent of SMB owners believe internet marketing is effective at grabbing the attention of new customers, which suggests that many entrepreneurs see the potential for a desirable return on their investment with internet marketing. As far as what metrics contribute to a good ROI with online marketing, smaller businesses tend to focus on:

  • How many phone calls they get from online efforts
  • Website traffic
  • Rankings on search engine results pages

Not all smaller or medium-sized businesses invest in internet marketing. Some of them are reluctant to allocate their marketing budgets toward SEO. The hesitation may stem from a belief that it’s impossible to get a leg up on competitors already thoroughly invested in online engagement. There are also concerns that it will be too expensive or difficult to keep up with all the various aspects of SEO. However, SEO can be a smart, cost-effective, long-term investment when effectively implemented and managed.

If you need a comprehensive SEO plan for your business, Saba SEO can help. We are the leading search engine marketing agency in San Diego, offering a wide variety of services to help our clients increase their online ranking. Whether you need a simple keyword search or high-quality content, our experts can address your digital marketing needs. We also specialize in pay-per-click and social media marketing, as well as web design and development. To talk to one of our experts, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

How to Generate Traffic While Increasing Your Ranking

Link building is one of the many things you can do to achieve a desirable ranking on Google and other search engines. However, there’s more to online marketing than focusing on ranking. In fact, you’re more likely to see a return on your investment if you place an equal emphasis on generating traffic. Trusted providers of SEO marketing in San Diego share a few tips on how to generate traffic while increasing your ranking.

See What’s Directing Traffic to Your Competitors

You and your competitors are going after the same audience, so it’s important to consider what publications are driving traffic to their websites. There are plenty of tools that will give you exact details of what links are most effective for your competitors.

Investigate Sites Linking to Your Competitors

Before you automatically try to get the same sites to link to your website, take a moment to check out your competitors’ link sites. Make sure they are valid sources of content and not just “content scrapers” that copy content from other sites. While investigating sites as potential link sources, also look at:

  • Whether or not the content fits in with your business
  • The level of engagement the site has
  • How up to date the content is

Look at Top-Ranking Sites within Your Niche

Go beyond getting potential sources of traffic from your competitors and check out the top-ranking sites within your niche. You can get this info by either doing a Google search for your products and services or by using niche directories. Once you find some potential link partners, approach those sites to see if you can obtain a link.

Seek Out Online Influencers

Get an instant influx of traffic and potential customers by reaching out to influencers within your niche. Influencers are individuals with a large following that pays attention to their recommendations.

As long as you can provide some relevant content for your influencers’ audiences, you’re likely to get a mention and a link featured on their blog or social media pages. Community forums can also be a reliable source of potential link/content partners.

Partner with Complementary Businesses

If you sell windows and doors but don’t actually repair them, consider reaching out to a business in your area that does repair work. With this strategy, each of you will promote the other company’s business. A reference to the other organization is usually made with a brief mention of their business and a link to their site. They’ll do the same for you, and you’ll have access to people likely interested in services you offer that the other business doesn’t.

Create Content with Your Intended Audience in Mind

Another way to combine generating traffic with ranking is to pay attention to the content you’re producing. Avoid the temptation to worry about using every possible keyword associated with your business or just stuffing in a lot of links. Instead, write with your intended audience in mind and naturally use keywords and links where it makes sense to do so.

If you need a reliable SEO company to help you boost your online visibility and generate more traffic, turn to Saba SEO. We are a leading San Diego search engine optimization firm with over a decade of experience in SEO, PPC, and social media marketing. Our experts utilize a variety of white hat tactics to improve your search ranking and boost your web traffic. Whether you need a mobile-friendly web design or high-quality online content, we are here to help. Call us at 858-951-1717 to schedule an appointment.

7 Ways to Improve Your Retargeting Ad Campaigns

San Diego search engine marketing experts and digital marketers all over the world believe retargeting is a great way to convert more site visitors into customers. Here are seven tips for creating a successful retargeting ad campaign.

1. Separate Your Campaigns for New and Retargeting Audiences

It’s difficult to tell how successful your ad is if you target new and retargeting audiences simultaneously. Instead, create two separate ad campaigns for the two groups.

2. Use Standard Naming Conventions

Using standard naming conventions can help you easily identify which ad group you’re looking at. It also allows you to sort through your data with filters to see results for your different campaigns.

3. Use Different Ad Groups for Different Audiences

If your naming conventions specify different retargeting audiences, such as blog visitors, site visitors, and email lists, you can use different ad groups to target each audience. Using different ad groups may lower your costs and make your ads more effective.

4. Don’t Target Underperforming Audiences

After a few weeks or months with your current retargeting campaign, determine your cost per acquisition for each group. If one is much higher than the rest, it might be best to stop targeting them altogether.

5. Focus on Click-Through Conversions

A view-through conversion refers to a visitor who saw the ad and didn’t click on it but visited your site and converted to a customer anyway. Click-through conversions are visitors who clicked your ad and converted. Both are valuable, but click-through conversions are stronger proof that the ad campaign is working.

6. Make Adjustments to Your Retargeting Expenditure

To increase conversions, create a chart that shows how your conversions and cost per acquisition change over time.

7. Find a Balance Between New Prospect Acquisition and Retargeting

Although retargeting is an effective way to increase conversions, spending too much of your money on retargeting may result in repeatedly serving the same ads to the same audiences. Try moving some money around between retargeting and new customer acquisition to increase your number of new prospects.

To create an effective retargeting campaign for your business, turn to Saba SEO. We are one of the leading marketing companies in San Diego, offering customized and high-quality digital advertising solutions to a wide variety of clients. From creating comprehensive SEO plans to designing focused paid marketing campaigns, we provide various services to help businesses connect with their target audience. To learn about our premier online marketing plans, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

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 to Build a Community of Advocates Through Smart Content

What happens when you need to spread the word about a new product but you don’t have the budget for a massive marketing campaign? What would you do if your business experiences bad publicity? The solution to potential problems like these is to build a strong network of advocates who can promote your brand. San Diego SEO experts share a few tips on how to build a team of advocates through smart content.

Look for Employee Advocates

There are negative perceptions out there about several industries, and such issues quickly become amplified when there’s a lot of bad publicity. One possible solution is to encourage your employees to emphasize on the positive aspects of your brand.

You can create vlogs featuring real employees sharing their thoughts or chronicling their daily activities, regular podcasts, or Facebook groups where your employees can dispel misconceptions. The public tends to respond better to stories from real people, so look for compelling employee narratives that can be shared in your content.

Get Existing Followers Involved

Reach out to followers who are loyal to your brand and provide them with daily contests and other forms of engagement. You can even spotlight some customers who’ve been offering useful suggestions or regularly submitting their own photos and videos on your social pages. You might end up with results that include:

  • Existing followers sharing your content with their friends
  • New followers coming on board and sharing their own content
  • Influencers with strong reputations promoting your brand on their social media accounts

Understand Your Audience Better

Take a closer look at your social followers to see who they are and why they love your brand. Find out what they like about your brand. Understand your audience better and produce smarter content likely to encourage more loyalty. Also consider:

  • When are your followers most active and engaged?
  • What specific content are your followers sharing about your brand?
  • Where are they sharing your brand-related content?

Reach Out Individually

Initiate one-on-one conversations with active followers. Seek insights and get opinions about what they like about your brand, where they see room for improvement, and what they’d like to see in your content in future. Your followers are also likely to appreciate the VIP treatment offered to solicit their input, which may convince them to be more vocal brand advocates.

Find Creative Ways to Reuse Content from Advocates

Use any relevant content you get from brand advocates throughout your website, blogs, and social media pages. For instance, voluntary customer testimonials can make a great addition to your website, and user-submitted videos can be edited into shorter clips that can be used in your social posts or on your website.

Brand advocates can be a wonderful source of valuable content. Content offered by brand advocates often leads to a domino effect where smart content inspires more engagement across multiple platforms. What it can mean for your brand is a boost in both reputation and visibility.

To boost your online visibility, turn to Saba SEO, a reputed search engine marketing agency in San Diego. We offer tailored SEO plans, PPC campaigns, and social media marketing services to help our clients build a strong brand image and acquire more followers and advocates. Whether you need a promotional video, high-quality web content, or catchy social media posts, our team is here to help. To learn about our affordable and customized digital marketing plans, give us a call at 858-951-1717.

How to Create Images That Attract & Convince Your Target Niche

More than half of all online searches are visual in nature. People tend to prefer images over text primarily because it’s easy to get a message across visually. You should take advantage of the new search trend and create images your target niche will find appealing. San Diego search engine marketing experts share a few tips on how to create striking images that can attract and convince your target niche.

Be Aware of Symbolism

While some images may seem to fit in with what you’re trying to convey, the underlying message may be different. For instance, if a marketing company were to use an image of people talking together in an office with text about having a personal approach to doing things, viewers may wonder what’s so personal about coworkers talking. However, an image of two people innocently kissing suggests something more intimate and personal. When choosing your images, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is the image really delivering the intended message?
  • Is the image open to misinterpretation? (if the wrong inference is given with your image, it may do more harm than good for your brand)

Evoke Emotions with Your Images

Develop a better understanding of what motivates and inspires people within your target niche. Use this knowledge to choose images that will likely trigger an appropriate emotional response from your target niche. For instance, your target buyer may want to feel like he or she is making a smart investment, so choose images that suggest making a confident decision.

Emphasize an Experience, Not Just a Product

People are likely to notice a comfortable hammock stretched out in the middle of a tropical paradise or an athlete effortlessly running up a huge set of outdoor sets. Marketing content that includes particular images emphasizes an experience with a product, not just the product itself.

Be Persuasive with Graphs

Not everyone in your intended target niche is going to be motivated by emotion. Some people need to be persuaded with the right visual display of info associated with your brand. A Cornell University study found that even trivial graphs increase the belief in a product. Take advantage of this fact with your images by:

  • Conveying a few compelling stats in graph form
  • Using a highly visual graph that clearly illustrates a point without the need to actually read accompanying text (even though the right image can compel people to read your text)
  • Presenting “dry” stats or a lot of facts and figures that would otherwise be overwhelming for the viewer to go through

Tell a Story with Your Images

Your images shouldn’t be independent of your brand’s narrative. Personalize your images by choosing ones that fit in with the story you want to tell your target niche. You don’t have to spend a fortune on your images. Just take some time to consider what the images you’re selecting are actually saying in relation to your brand.

Avoid the temptation to mix random stock photos or images in with your text. Instead, think about the message being conveyed with the visual elements of your content. The right images can literally be worth thousands of words in terms of the message you’re delivering to your target niche. Once you find the right blend of text and images, your message is also likely to be remembered longer since people tend to recall meaningful images better than text alone.

If you need help searching for or creating visually compelling images, turn to Saba SEO, a renowned provider of SEO marketing in San Diego. Our team can find the right images for your business and provide high-quality content that is sure to entice your target niche. Whether you need simple images or comprehensive digital marketing plans and strategies, we have the perfect solution. Call us at 858-951-1717 to learn about our search engine marketing services.

Effective Marketing Strategies on a Shoestring Budget

Startups and small businesses often face financial challenges, and it can be difficult to afford expensive marketing services on a tight budget. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of cheap or free marketing strategies your business can take advantage of. One of the leading marketing companies in San Diego suggests a few low-cost marketing techniques you can consider.

Referrals

People are likely to support a business when it’s recommended to them by a friend. You can establish a referral program by offering a discount to your current customers when they refer someone.

Press Releases

If your business has experienced any event worth reporting, press releases are a cheap and easy way to disseminate the information and attract more customers. You can search for journalists, and your local news outlets will probably be glad to do a report. If the news story is posted online, it will provide a great opportunity to get inbound links.

SEO

If you post blogs on your company’s website, you can optimize them with keywords related to your product or service. Although SEO agencies can increase your online visibility, you can learn a few important SEO techniques and employ them yourself.

Social Media

Almost everyone uses at least one social media platform, so it’s a great way to connect with current and potential customers. Create your company’s profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and include as much information as possible on these accounts. Stay connected with those who view your social media profiles, and your audience will grow.

Email Marketing

Email marketing helps you connect with past customers and individuals who may be interested in your business. As long as your emails aren’t too frequent or invasive, you can greatly increase your return on investment with email marketing. Let your recipients know about upcoming sales or promotions, and inform them of any noteworthy news.

In San Diego, search engine marketing experts at Saba SEO help businesses all over the world design winning online marketing strategies. Our comprehensive online marketing plans can help you expand your outreach, boost your online ranking, and enjoy high conversions. We believe in lasting results and are committed to ensuring continual success in your marketing endeavors. If you’re in need of a marketing plan well within your budget, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

The Important Rules of Respectful Marketing

Marketing is all about reaching out to potential customers. However, many of today’s consumers use ad blockers or simply ignore ads that aren’t relevant to them. So what should a marketer do? Aside from consulting expert internet marketing service providers, be respectful when interacting with potential customers and follow these basic rules.

Be Mindful of Where Your Partners Get Their Data

Ask potential data partners where they get their information from and what precautions they take to ensure it’s from reliable sources. Ideally, you want data partners and publishers who:

  • Avoid ambient listening and other secretive techniques to gather info from emails and text messages
  • Have clearly stated ethical standards and privacy policies
  • Are willing to provide references from other clients
  • Have a good reputation in the industry

Set Caps on Frequency of Engagement Attempts

Earlier, marketers used to bombard customers with ads and hope for the best. Doing this today will only hurt your brand. Deliver your marketing content at the right frequency for your intended target audience and set reasonable caps on how many efforts you make to encourage conversions.

Avoid Fraudulent Impressions

Watch where your ads are placed to avoid damaging your brand with ad placement on questionable sites. Check your reports for signs of fraudulent impressions created with placement in locations where your ads will never be seen by human visitors. If you’re going to do programmatic (automated) ad buying, consider improving transparency and avoiding issues with impressions.

Watch How You Retarget

It makes sense to target your website visitors since they’ve shown some interest in what you have to offer. Still, you want to limit how aggressively you go after these potential customers. The same rule is applicable when retargeting customers who’ve already made a purchase.

Create and Update White/Black Lists

Create a whitelist of trusted sources for your ad placements. Make a blacklist of sources that have turned out to be questionable, or those that use unethical practices. Update your lists periodically.

When using highly personal forms of marketing like text alerts and emails, give recipients an option to opt out. There’s a fine line between establishing mutually beneficial relationships and being seen as a nuisance. As a general rule, it’s best to gauge your marketing interactions based on the responses you’re getting in return.

When it comes to high-quality search engine marketing, San Diego companies and businesses all over the world rely on Saba SEO. For over a decade, our experts have devised comprehensive online marketing strategies for a variety of businesses. We use a range of innovative and ethical techniques to help our clients boost their online presence, acquire leads, improve conversion rates, and become market leaders. Call us at 858-951-1717, speak to one of our experts, and let our team take care of your online marketing needs.

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