Why are YouTube Ads Much More Appealing to Brands These Days?

Mobile advertising is no longer the drag that it once was. YouTube has released reports that have given great information about the growth, popularity, and effectiveness of the ads that run on the platform.

Google has mentioned that more and more brands are advertising on YouTube, which is great, but fewer and fewer people are skipping them.

Some of the reasons, according to Google, is the quality of the creative in the ads. This has helped increase the amount of clicks by 25 percent over the past year. Overall, the amount of brands advertising on YouTube rose 45 percent.

So why are more brands on YouTube ads? Aside from their effectiveness appearing to increase, they have also been cheaper for brands to buy. The cost of an ad on the platform was down 13 percent, which was appealing to brands, not taking their newfound success into account.

Google has made tremendous strides in search quality for smartphones and tablets.

Your brand needs to expand its reach? Consider YouTube ads! Trust a Chicago internet marketing agency that knows how to create top quality creative for internet ads. 

Today's the Day! Google's Mobile-Friendly Requirement Goes into Effect

The day is upon us. The time is nigh! Is your site ready to go? 

Maybe your site is almost ready to go because you have a completely new website design or just a mobile-friendly website version of your current site being created but it was started a bit late. That is fine, you shouldn't be affected too much.

Maybe you were one of the few that was 100 percent prepared and got a mobile-friendly version of your site out well before today. Kudos to you!

Or, maybe you were one of the people who found out way too late and now you are stuck with a site that is not mobile-friendly and nothing in the works. Well, your mobile rankings will be hit. Of course, it is not too late to salvage your mobile search rankings! Email Integraphix, a Chicago SEO agency with a strong web design team and see how we can help your site become mobile-friendly, and quickly!

5 Myths About SEO That Are 100% Wrong

There are lots of myths out there about SEO, some of them have validity, while others are just wrong. Here are some of the worst offenders out there.

1. Search engine optimization is a big scam. It is sad but true that many business owners feel this way. They have been sold on SEO by not-so-honest SEO companies; they promise SEO services but deliver no results. If you are paying for SEO and not getting traffic and/or rankings after a few months (maybe not fantastic data, but it's still there) then you have fallen prey to inadequate SEO techniques. 
2. Google can figure out how which URL is the main one. Many website developers and owners like to think that creating many URLs for the same site is a good idea in hopes of having more URLs to rank for. Sure, it sounds like a good idea to have lots of optimized URLs for the same site but it is not! Google will never figure out which is the main one. Your site will suffer because of it. 
3. Google doesn't work for extended periods of time. Some people have this belief because they did SEO, it worked, then it didn't. Just because SEO stopped working perfectly after a period of time doesn't mean it doesn't work for a long time. If it stops working after a while, then something needs to be fixed. Such as…
1. Link degradation
2. Old keywords
3. Outdated content
4. Your competition is outperforming you
5. Etc. 
4. Link building doesn't work. The classic, and founding, method of SEO is not dead nor has it ever been. Old-fashioned link building is still liked by search engines and is still a heavyweight in determining your rankings. 
5. SEO and social media marketing are not connected. This is not true at all. They are heavily connected. Your activity on Google+, Twitter, and even Pinterest (somewhat Facebook and others) are monitored by Google and can even rank! Beyond that, the more activity you have on social media, the more exposure you have, the more traffic your site gets, the more SEO does for you. 

Don't fall prey to the myths that float around about SEO. If you have questions about SEO, then contact Integraphix and see how our Chicago SEO company can help your business get noticed on the web! 

Google Takes on April Fool's Day

It's that time of year again. Pranks happen here. Pranks happen there. Coworkers get annoyed. Skepticism and paranoia are off the charts.

However, even some brands get in on the action. One of the brands that sort of went all out for the "holiday" was Google.

• If you go to com.google, you will see the Google's site completely reversed. 
• On Google Maps, you can play Pac-Man on the maps. 
• Google Maps is also warning people that Australia will be in the Northern Hemisphere by 2055. 
• Ingress, Google's AR game, has also caught Pac-Man fever. 
• Google Japan has done something very unique; they launched a Party Horn keyboard See in the video on the top right. What does it do? It lets you type letters by determining how hard you blow. 
• They also produced a Teddy Ruxpin-esque stuffed Panda that has search capabilities. It is called Google Panda. Get it? 
• Google Chrome launched an extension that lets users capture a reaction selfie with whatever content they are viewing. 
• Google's email service, Gmail, has launched a Smartbox by Inbox by Gmail by Google, that's a mouthful. It is apparently the email inbox that we've been missing all our lives. See the video on the bottom right. 
• Do you miss the screeching and scratching of dial-up? Well Google Fiber has launched a dial-up mode so we can all relive the sounds of those beloved 56k modems. 

So brands like to have some fun with days like today. Even our Chicago SEO company has had some adventures today. The social media marketing team plastic-wrapped the cars of our copywriting team. Fun. 

Does your business want to capitalize on great moments of opportunity to increase brand awareness? Then email Integraphix and speak with our Chicago marketing agency. 

Google's New Tool Helps Brick & Mortar Stores Succeed Online

Instead of brands that are based in brick-and-mortar locations finally have a reason to celebrate about ecommerce, Google's Local Inventory Ads. The ads strive to direct web traffic online consumers to local stores carrying the products they are searching for. This is a huge move in the search engine optimization world.

The tool was launched last year and so it's still somewhat new to brands but it seems to be helping them already. One brand that is experiencing benefit from this internet marketing tool is Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores.

What happens is really neat for brands; so when you search for something, for example, "Washing Machines", Google will have ads on the side or top of page, like Adwords, with ads for the product you're searching for. When you click on "Shop on Google" you are directed to a page with listings for all of the products that stores have paid to list under this section, pertaining to your search. You can see which stores are carrying your product, what their price is, and how far they are located from your location (determined by IP address).

So now stores have a bit of leverage on online stores advertising on Google. While the purchasing process of online is easier, it requires no driving or even getting dressed, the ability to immediately own a product and not paying for shipping will win every time.

Sears's spinoff company has been running these ads that utilize location and tell consumers where to find the product nearby for some time. In fact, they have seen 122 percent more visits to all of their 1,240 locations because of this service. Sears has reported a 16 percent increase on inventory ads versus their other online advertisements.

This tool works brilliantly with mobile advertising as well. Shoppers can check out where's the best place to purchase something while on the move to purchase it. It is the best search ad tool so far.

Does your business need to increase its conversions and click-through rate? Then email Integraphix about digital advertising. Our Chicago SEO firm can help your business establish a powerful presence online. 

How to Get Your Audience to Give a Hoot About Your Digital Campaign

One of the most challenging parts of creating a successful campaign for digital marketing is generating consumer engagement. When your consumers don't give a hoot, they don't engage.

So how does a brand generate engagement from its consumers with social media marketing? Answer: by making consumer feedback part of the process and be heard!

When you make the consumer part of the process, granted, it has to be for something fun/worthwhile, then you will see their interest and willingness to engage will increase.

Let's look at one fantastic example of "making the consumer part of the process" from Lay's, the beloved brand from Frito-Lay. The past few years, Lay's has run the digital marketing campaign called, "Do Us a Flavor"; the highly-orchestrated creative internet marketing campaign has allowed consumers to submit their ideas for a great (or, rather terrible) potato chip flavor. The four best ideas (determined by user votes) are turned into flavors. From there, consumers purchase the chips and give their feedback; the winning flavor from that group is then turned into a real flavor and available for mass purchase for one year.

How wonderful is that? Not only is the consumer a vital part of the campaign, and more than just a purchaser, but the point of the campaign is worthwhile and fun! It matters that your campaign is worthwhile, otherwise, you still won't get any engagement. It is a delicate balance.

Does your business desire better engagement with its audience? Then email Integraphix - a Chicago SEO company - about how to create a campaign that makes consumers want to engage and can generate worthwhile ROI! 

YouTube is on the Radar for FOUR Startups

Is change in the air? Or, rather, on your computer screen? YouTube, the world's most popular video platform & an emerging influencer in search engine optimization rankings (it's owned by Google, hence the reason), could be challenged by four different startups.

So what are these "Davids" who are looking to take down "Goliath"?

1. Victorious. Founded by Sam Rogoway, Michael Todd, and Bing Chen, this mobile-first platform allows creators have a house for their content, including their own apps. You can also interact with other users and fans as well as show off the content. This platform makes money by having in-app purchases, e-commerce, and standard ad formats. 
2. 5by. Founded by Greg Isenberg, the mobile app recommends content to users (the content is divided by categories) due to the ratings they give on previously watched videos. Users of the app can share and chat about videos with other users, privately. The app makes money by brand sponsorships and highlighted videos. It has since been bought by Stumbleupon. 
3. Vessel. Founded by Jason Kilar and Richard Tom, former execs from Hulu. This app hosts premium shows from publishers and creators. Those who use the service get dibs on first-look content. The company makes money from subscriptions and brands can purchase 5-second pre-roll for videos. 
4. Pluto TV. Founded by Nick Grouf, Tom Ryan, and Ilya Pozin, the platform operates much like linear TV. It curates videos from many publishers and puts them into 100+ channels for viewers; viewers see their choices in an easy-to-use guide. This platform makes money from pop-up ads and interstitial videos. 

The internet changes constantly; one day, some company will be top dog and another day, a new guy on the scene is making a name for itself. This is why it is so important to be ranked on Google search results-- your website can be lost in the depths of the websites if it is not being promoted. Does you website have SEO services? 

Email Integraphix and see how our Chicago SEO company can help your site be noticed on the web. 

Who Won the Social Media Battle Between Facebook & Twitter During the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl on Sunday night attracted record viewers and was the most mentioned Super Bowl in history. Not to mention its popularity on Twitter but it was also a huge hit with Facebook as well. According to Facebook, 65 million people engaged in conversation.

The game was a terrific background for the two social media giants as they tried to get into good relationships with marketers. Twitter has already been a terrific platform for brands who wanted to join conversations; despite having fewer users, Twitter was actually the better place to discuss the game and its infamous ads than Facebook was.

Between the two, Twitter is the more popular place for live social commentary. However, Facebook has made some progress in being a go-to place for discussions like Twitter has. Facebook features trending topics, like Twitter, and they even setup a a hub for Super Bowl conversations. Both platforms have their pros and cons.

Marketers, such as our Chicago SEO company marketing team, engage differently on Facebook than they do on Twitter. Here's a list of comparisons between the two & how they performed on Sunday night (with things related to the Super Bowl).

• Facebook had 265 million posts, comments, & likes. 
• Twitter had 36 million tweets & 2.6 billion impressions. 25 million more tweets than last year. 
• Both were buzzing with chatter when the Patriots sealed the win with the interception. Facebook had 1.36 million comments per minute. 
• Twitter had 395,000 tweets per minute talking about the interception. 
• The halftime show had 3 million tweets; Facebook had 1 million people per minute discuss the show. 
• Half the Super Bowl ads featured hashtags, Facebook was only mentioned 4 times. 
• Top 3 performing moments on Facebook were the win, halftime show, and the 3rd quarter touchdown for the Seahawks to take the lead. 
• Top 3 performing tweets on Twitter were the final interception, the victory, and the final moments of the halftime show. 

Social media marketing is a big deal for days and moments like the Super Bowl. It is a big topic for people to comment on and give their input, don't let your brand miss out. Does your brand need great digital marketing? Then email Integraphix and see how our Chicago SEO company can help your business capitalize on big moments, or, simply have a presence on the web! 

Is It Time to Update Your Site's Content

When was the last time you changed your site's content? Even if it was just a page or two's worth? If you cannot answer this question, or without a long pause to think, then it is likely time to produce fresh content for your site.

Search engines and humans alike prefer to see fresh content vs. the same, stagnant content on your site. A site that sits with the same content on it for a year or more is a site that will struggle to truly succeed at search engine optimization.

Refresh the existing content now and then and make sure to generate new content a couple times a month, such as a blog, news, updates, etc. This is why an internal blog is great for SEO, search engines like to see that fresh content. Also, you can use this opportunity for images and more substance for search engine crawlers to index and grab when someone does an internet search related to your business.

Do you need this done, have questions, or require internet marketing services? Then contact Integraphix, a Chicago SEO company.

Notice Anything Different About Google's Logo on MLK Jr. Day?

If you have gone on Google today, then you should have noticed something special going on with its logo, it is a special edition logo in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Today, you will find the latest, and one of the coolest, Google Doodles for the holiday. It is Martin Luther King Jr. arm-in-arm with some fellow civil rights activists with an American flag and silhouettes in the background.

The idea that Google creates special page designs for holidays is nothing new; we even see them create special logos for birthdays, movements, etc. It is smart digital marketing from the search engine giant.

The doodle, or logo, was designed by Ekua Holmes, who has a unique style for her art. Her art features news clippings, photos, intriguing colors that all contribute to making powerful messages in her art.

Does your brand need to have impressive presence online? Then try online marketing. If you want to be found on Google search results, then consider search engine marketing such as search engine optimization.

Contact Integraphix to find out how we can help your business get seen on the internet.

Twitter to Launch Autoplay Video Feature, a Win for Social Media Advertising

Social media giant will be giving us a late Christmas gift this year, however, the wait was worth it: autoplay video! This is a great day for social media marketing as well as search engine optimization since both are often tied together.

The last year, Twitter has been working out how it would construct its built-in video system, if it decided to implement it. This new feature would give Twitter users and digital marketers a way to create great footage within the app. If you attended the CES 2015, then you likely saw this being shown. 

In a previous blog (seen here), we talked about this being in Twitter's plans and the possibility that the videos would play when users scrolled over them. This is the setup that Facebook has and it has shown to be a lucrative and efficient way for some good ROI that both consumers and brands love.

Video has proven that it is great for social sharing and is being embraced by many companies, including search giants Yahoo & Google, as well as social media giants Facebook, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

Twitter is not newbie to the video scene, they own Vine and have implemented other cool formats like GIF support in recent years. Twitter's new video feature will operate differently than what we see elsewhere. 

How will it be different?

• 6 seconds to impress- Viewers will get a 6 second preview of the video, enticing them to click and watch the full thing. However, this is not limited to the first 6 seconds of the video, so digital marketing agencies must choose their 6 seconds wisely. 
• No sound at the start- The autoplay will not have sound until the viewer clicks to watch the rest of the video (we see this with Facebook's autoplay feature). Of course, this means that advertisers will not pay until consumers click. 
• There will be a good length of time- Videos will be given the option to run up to 10 minutes. Of course, any one of our Chicago SEO specialists will tell you that the average user only watches for about 30 seconds. 

Does your business want to have a better presence on social media? Then contact Integraphix-- a Chicago SEO firm with extensive, proven success with social media. We can help you build videos that will delight the Twittersphere. 

Local SEO in 2015: Maps & Review Sites are Key

When you want to do great internet marketing and search engine optimization, for your business, you have to look at optimizing and promotion beyond your website. In regards to a local business, this means considering maps and review sites.

If you only do internal SEO, then you are missing out on some serious promotion for your site. When Google released the Pigeon update back in July 2014, it put more emphasis on local SEO. Directory/review sites such as Yelp now have the possibility of ranking above a business's website.

Do a search for "bakery in [your local city]". You will have to go past map listings and then, likely some Yelp or other review site listings, THEN you will find some websites.

So what can you do to rank well? 

Set up your Google My Business account. List your site and make sure all information is 100% correct. You can create a listing or claim ownership of an existing one. This is a free service and will help a lot.

Utilize Yelp. Yelp gets a lot of flack for "fake reviews. Any review site will (and does) have fake reviews on the site. Guaranteed. However, it is a great place to have your business listed and get good reviews because it can really help with Google rankings. Make sure to claim your business on Yelp.

Optimize any and all listings. Claim your listings. Verify information. Add photos, hours of operation, contact info, vanity URL, and other important information. Our Chicago SEO company makes sure this is done for all clients because it helps so much.

Gather some reviews and testimonials. Have people give you reviews (don't buy them or ask your family members) but when you have a customer, ask them to fill out a review. Also, ask around for some testimonials. You won't want to ask for reviews on sites, as that is often frowned upon.

Engage with people. On social media and review sites, talk to people. Respond to them. The more talking going on and the more traffic, the better it is for your site. This also shows people that your site is human-owned and run, not by robots. As a social media marketing firm, we can tell you that there is a massive difference in popularity and success of companies's online presence between those that are robotic vs. human.

Does your business need to be noticed on the web? Contact Integraphix and see how we can help you! Talk with our digital marketing team about search engine marketing and social media.

5 SEO Trends to Look Forward to in 2015

If you are hearing that "SEO is dead" then you are wrong, my amigo. While search engine optimization is constantly changing, it is far from dead. SEO is a beautiful mix of SEO techniques, content marketing, and social media marketing. 

In the coming year, we can expect to see several things happen, when it comes to SEO. 

1. Better semantic search. When Google released its Hummingbird update in September of 2013, it was a rebuild of the algorithm to favor semantic search. Semantic search attempts to understand why someone searches for something via analyzing possible meanings and intent. Hummingbird looks at each word of the query to hopefully grasp the whole meaning. 
1. This means more conversational style queries will be made. Instead of searching solely for, "Chicago SEO firm", we might search for, "Who is the best SEO firm in Chicago?" This also means more long tail keywords. So, instead of keywords that are only one or two words, keywords will be more in the range of 3-6 words. 
2. LSI keywords- LSI keywords are "latent semantic indexing" keywords, which means that they utilize synonyms and plurals of your main keywords.
2. SEO for mobile search.  According to Google, half of searches made by someone on a smartphone are made with the intent of making an in-store purchase. However, not every mobile search has local intent:
1. 17 percent of mobile searches are in the store but complete the sale online. 
2. 44 percent research online & complete the sale online. 
3. Over 75 percent happen at home or work. 
4. 17 percent are done while in motion. 
5. 81 percent of smartphone owners research products on their smartphones. 
6. 50 percent of smartphone owners purchase via their phones. 
7. 66 percent of all the time in 2014 that was spend with online retail was done so via smartphones instead of computers. 
1. Mobile search is growing; by the end of 2015, mobile search is expected to be more powerful than computer. Everyone has a personal computer right in their pocket, these days. 
1. 43 percent of US adults use their phones & tablets as primary search tools. 
2. 46 percent of adults don't use their laptops or desktops for pre-purchase research. 
3. 33 percent of online shoppers used their phones & tablets for the whole purchase process. 
4. 58 percent of US adults researched prices of prices of a product while in-store for that item. 
3. Social signals will lose power. While retweets, shares, and +1s have power in rankings, their power is not what we likely believe them to be. The confusion here is that there is a difference between correlation and causation. While a high ranking social media profile may have lots of these social signals, it may be something on the page (something deeper) that is causing the page to rank well. Some studies have shown that when a company gains 100 Google+ followers, they tend to increase in rankings by 14 percent. 
1. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are high authority sites, this means that your company's profile on these sites can outrank your website. As a Chicago SEO firm, we have seen this actually happen, many times. 
4. Earned links will be even more important. Earned links are in contrast to paid links. Earned links are going out and placing your links places, writing blogs, and social media. Paid links are a sure-fire way to get your site penalized. 
1. This means that content marketing is still king. 
5. Getting brand mentions and citations. A citation is mentioning your business name, address, and number on a website that is not your own website. There are three types of citations to recognize:
1. Local- Local businesses such as dentists, attorneys, restaurants  being listed in places like internet Yellow Pages, Yelp, Google Business, Google+ , etc. 
2. Industry- Being listed with industry-specific citations. 
3. Niche- Get brand mentions and citations on industry websites that appeal to their target markets. 

To be successful in local SEO and SEO as a whole, an SEO company needs to be able to see ahead. If your business wants to be found on the internet, then hire an SEO company that knows what to look for. Talk with Integraphix. 

Google Breaks Unwritten Rule of "No Updates Around Holiday Season"

Since Google released its Florida update in 2003, they have kept an unofficial rule that they would not release any big updates like Panda or Penguin around the holiday season. However, that run ended this year with a series of Penguin updates.

The first round of Penguin was released October 17, 2014; however, since then, Google has released four more updates. On Nov. 27, Dec 2, 5, and 6, the world saw updates from Google for its Penguin filter. The releases in December have not officially been mentioned by Google but publisher reports make it pretty clear.

The Google Penguin update is Google's filter on spam. When a website is slammed by the update, it has to clean up its spam and wait until the next Penguin update is released to have a chance at freedom. If the site did what it was supposed to, then Google will lift the penalties.

In the past, Google has blatantly mentioned their path for avoiding releases like these at this time of year, however, someone decided that the move would be abolished… at least in 2014.

This certainly can have a scare on those who are not confident in the SEO abilities but there are no reasons to be afraid as long as you use common sense, make sure you stay on top of what is known about "Google approved" practices, and you take care of things.

Do you want to be ranked on Google with search engine optimization? Then chat with Integraphix and see how our white-hat SEO techniques are going to help your business be seen on the web. 

We are a Chicago SEO firm and have Los Angeles SEO firm, New York SEO company, Phoenix SEO company, and Charlotte SEO firm offices.

Square Has Made Big Splashes in Mobile Payment World & They Impact Business

Mobile payments are really gaining some footing here with marketers in 2014 and expectedly in 2015. With moves such as Apple Pay and partnerships with payment companies, mobile payment options are showing the business world they are worth taking a look at.

How does this relate to SEO? Square is becoming a main competitor for keywords such as mobile payment and digital money.

A leader in the mobile payment world, Square, is leading the charge and make a serious name for itself. What has the company done in the past few weeks to be so dangerous?

Square helped create vanishing money. No, not like a robbery but rather money transfers via Snapchat. Square partnered with Snapchat to launch mobile payments, called "Snapcash", which lets users keep debit card info within the app so they can send money between friends. As to the popularity of this feature, we are not sure since it launched very recently and understandably, there is skepticism about the safety with users.

Becoming buddies with Apple. In the past, it was seen that Square and Apple would be competitors since Apple Pay requires different payment systems than Square; however, that alleged feud has turned into a friendship. However, Dorsey, of Square, wants to build a payment device that can house all kinds of payment in one.

Going back to school, er, old school. One thing that is holding up the immense takeoff of mobile payments is the habit of swiping a card that consumers are still used to. Due to this, Square has decided to let its merchant clients sell gift cards to consumers; for only $1.50, merchants can customize gift cards to sell to their consumers. Why gift cards? Well, gift cards are still an incredibly lucrative option for businesses to invest in.

While Square may not be doing search engine optimization for keywords such as "mobile payment" or  "digital payments", they are certainly known for them and rank well for them, regardless. If you want to be known for words and phrases like Square is for those words and phrases, then hire Integraphix-- a digital marketing firm and be remembered!

Organic SEO & Paid Links (PPC)

There seems to be a stigma that organic SEO and paid links, or PPC, are enemies. Some may believe that these two search engine marketing techniques would clearly be rivals, they are actually teammates.

In order to understand this concept, for the novices out there, let's talk about what these two are, first.

Organic search engine optimization: Organic SEO is the usage of blogs, articles, inbound links, and other "natural/free" means to appease Google and get ranked for keywords. This route takes much longer to succeed at than PPC. As long as you are doing good SEO, you stay in good rankings.

PPC: You pay search engines, such as Google, to put your site on the f
irst page. You get on the first page right away.  You stay in good rankings until your daily budget runs out.

So seeing how they might be enemies seems logical, natural vs. purchased success. However, if you really want to get seen on the web, your tactic should be to use both. See, organic SEO takes time to get going, anywhere between 2-6 months before you see anything (depending on a variety of factors). In the meantime, while that builds up, you can do PPC and be on the first page while your sustaining rankings come to fruition.

Do you want to be on the first page of Google, Yahoo, or Bing? Then hire Integraphix to be your SEO firm! We work with both organic SEO and paid links.

How to & Why You Should Set Up Goals on Google Analytics

Directing more organic search traffic to your website is the main goal of your search engine optimization, but driving more to your site only really matters if it is the right kind of traffic. The right traffic matters because it is what will convert the web traffic into customers!

Remember, the first time someone goes to your site, they are likely not ready to convert; a web visitor might need a few visits to your site before they decide if they want to
buy from your or not.

There are a lot of micro-conversions you can keep track of to see how well you are converting your web traffic. One way to track the micro-conversions is to set up goals in your Google Analytics account. Setting up goals allows you to measure how well visitors complete actions that you want to measure. Want to see how many web visitors click on your "contact" page? This is something you can measure with goals.

Analyzing and tracking your goals will allow you to see the quality of your organic SEO visitors versus the quality of the direct traffic, social referrals, etc. You can see which of these traffic sources has been giving you the best conversion rate.

Don't be surprised if the organic search traffic is the smallest traffic source your site has. That is rather common.

Viewing this data will enable you to show your boss just how valuable SEO is. Due to info like this, a client might just decide to increase their search engine marketing budget! One can hope, right?

Our Chicago SEO firm always makes sure to set up goals in Analytics because it allows our SEO specialists to view info that cannot be seen otherwise. It just makes sense.

Does your SEO company set up goals for you? Or, if you do your own, do you set up goals? Maybe it is time to discuss this tactic with an SEO firm that knows how to do it and get you data you need to win the SEO battle. Contact Integraphix about our SEO services and get noticed on the web!

How to Do Well in Local SEO in 2015

Can you believe we are almost done with 2014? Crazy! I just started writing 2014 on checks without having to remember the year… No, I kid, but it is funny how fast time flies.

That being said, it is time to consider the things we have to do in 2015 to dominate local SEO and get noticed in local web searches. One of the big things to do is take a long, hard look at your website and make a checklist of these "bad SEO practices" and then fix what is not right.

• No content on the home page. If your home page is barren, then you need to add content to it. Consumers and search engines want to know what your site is about, so not having content on your home page is hurting that conclusion, even if you only have a slider/banner photos. As a Chicago SEO firm, we can tell you that having a banner or slider is nice on your home page but there needs to be more than that. 
• Having a few sentences on your pages. Each page of a website needs at least 400 words, if not more. Those consumers and websites need to know that your site is useful and full of relevant info. 
• Spam keywords. If you have a paragraph listed on your website that is simply keywords, that is not going to be helping you one bit. Sprinkle those keywords throughout your content! It is just great SEO. 
• Bad title tags. Your title tags need to be set up a certain way --> relevant keyword | page or another relevant keyword | company (don't italicize the title tags, though). They should be between 50-60 characters, so don't put a sentence as your title tag or a long, keyword-packed description up there. 

Those things will really be good for optimizing your site, if you want to make it great for local searches, then add in your city/state to those things. Put your city (and maybe state if it's a small city) in your title tags, H1 headers, content, alt tags, and URLs. 

Optimizing your site can take some time and effort. We understand not every business, big or small, can take the time to do this or they just don't know how. If you fit into one of those two labels, then contact Integraphix, a Chicago SEO company.  

How to Create Blog Post Titles That Are Attractive

When it comes to blogs, having a post title that gets people to read your post can be a little difficult when you are not an experienced writer. On average, 8/10 people who see your blog will only read your title and then move on; only 20 percent of the people who read your post title will stick around to read your whole blog.

As an SEO firm, we write lots of blogs and yes, we do employ these techniques.

So how do you get people to find your title intriguing enough to care to read the whole blog? Consider these tips:

• Use lists. "5 Ways to…" Use a number to get the person to understand how long the post is (they are usually easier to read) and give a good solution. Also, try to keep the number towards the beginning of the post. 
• Unique info. When you have information that no one else has, that is great. For example: "Lessons you have never heard before…" or something to that effect. 
• Give solutions to problems. "How to fix this problem with easy solutions". 

If you are going to put keywords in your post, which is a good idea, make sure to insert them naturally. Don't put keywords in your titles and shove them in there awkwardly. One great way to accomplish this is to have a keyword in mind when you create that sentence or perhaps the post as a whole. 

A main thing to remember with titles is to keep it short and sweet (K.I.S.S.). You don't want to have a blog title that is as long as the post itself. Everything in moderation. 

Writing a good blog can be difficult. However, every business needs a blog for many reasons (authority, fresh content on the site, etc). If your business does not have the skill or the time to write a blog, then contact Integraphix and talk with one of our professional copywriters. 

Benefits of Google+ for SEO & How It Impacts Search Results

Considering getting more use out of your search engine optimization? Great! Wondering how you can do that? Well, one way is through using Google+. Google+ offers people opportunities for their business that cannot be found elsewhere.

For one thing, it makes sense that it will do some work for your SEO; think about it, Google owns Google+ and they essentially run the internet. Google+ is described as a unification of all that Google has to offer but with a social layer on top; due to this, the social media platform is a major factor in your SEO, in addition to your social media marketing. So how exactly does the platform work its way into SEO?

Social signals. When you share things on Google+, it can be shared and +1'd (it's like a Facebook "like"). Google sees the credibility from others and takes that into account. These social signals account for 7 out of 8 ranking factors in search results. Search results like to display what is popular and resourceful, having good content on Google+ is a great way to achieve this.

Pagerank. One way search engines review material to index and rank is by sending out crawlers that scan the internet and review information. When you post things on Google+, it is scanned and indexed  very quickly and the better the content is, the more it helps your profile's PageRank; any Google+ profile is treated like a real website by Google. Just a tip for novices, the higher your PageRank (PR), the better.

Web Influence. The more you are in Google+ circles (they're like networks), the more you influence the search results of the people who have you in their circles.

Google+ Local. A major tool of Google+ focuses on businesses and their locations, this comes in handy when someone searches, "BBQ near Houston" and guess what, YOU'RE A BBQ PLACE NEAR HOUSTON! These pages are similar to Facebook business pages but have more features and connections for businesses and users. You get much more visibility, more engagement with consumers, better access to consumers, better PR, and better integration with Google Maps.

Don't believe us? Then just try it for yourself! Need help? Then contact Integraphix, we are a SEO firm and social media marketing firm that's been around for one 20 years! Speak with one of our specialists today and get noticed on Google.