Ongoing SEO: Why SEO Isn’t a One-Time Thing

You’ve spent several late nights really working hard on your website’s content and layout. You may have even tried to manage your SEO, expecting to see it skyrocket to the top of the search rankings.

You get some initial traction, but suddenly, it drops. You’re frustrated, confused, and don’t understand what happened. Well, that’s because SEO isn’t a one-time thing you can just set and forget!

SEO is an ongoing process that requires ongoing effort and innovation. Imagine you plant a garden; you wouldn’t only weed and water your plants once, right? Just like a garden, your website needs continuous updating and optimization to maintain and improve its level in the search rankings. Let’s talk about ongoing SEO and why you need it.

SEO – An Ongoing Process that Leads to Success

Many of our clients who aren’t familiar with SEO have a lot of questions. One of the most common is how often they need to reassess their SEO efforts.

Our answer? It’s an ongoing process, not a “one and done.” You must roll up your sleeves and keep at it rather than letting it fall to the wayside. You need to keep up-to-date and work to boost your search engine rankings.

The digital landscape is always evolving with new competitors entering the market and search engine algorithms being updated. If you don’t keep up, you risk falling behind.

Businesses that perform well with SEO are the ones who understand that the process is ongoing. They consistently put the work in to make sure their online presence is up to date.

SEO success doesn’t occur overnight; it’s an ongoing SEO process that will come with great rewards for those who remain committed.

Why Ongoing SEO is Essential for Your Website’s Success

As we’ve discussed, search engine algorithms are always evolving. If you look at Google, it’s consistently updating its algorithm (between 500 and 600 times per year!) to make sure they’re delivering the top results to their users.

If you don’t keep up with these changes and manage your SEO strategy, you can fall behind your competitors quickly.

Another reason ongoing SEO is essential to your website is that it’s likely to change over time. You’ll add new pages, services, and products – as such, you must ensure each additional is properly optimized for SEO. That meansincorporating relevant keywords, making top-tier meta descriptions, and making sure your website is structured for ease of use on both traditional platforms and mobile.

Every industry evolves, which means your competition inevitably will evolve, too. Top spots for search engines will always be in high demand. As new, fresh competitors enter the market, everyone involved is going to have to double down on their SEO efforts, and so should you.

Make sure you don’t let those hard-earned rankings and stay ahead by regularly updating your SEO strategy.

Key Tips and Tricks for Effective SEO

What does a good SEO strategy look like? Obviously, each approach will vary based on your industry goals, but there are a few key things that should be a part of an effective approach.

On-Page Optimization

If you want to see your numbers fly, on-page SEO is your starting point. Make sure to sew your targeted keywords into page titles, headings, as well as all content – making sure to optimize your meta descriptions and images, too. You’ll notice in time that your website is ranking better and attracting more suitable traffic.

However, it’s important to know this isn’t a one-time task. Impactful on-page optimization is an ongoing process. This can include writing updated content (such as blogs) or updating current pages. Regardless, you need to keep SEO best practices in mind every time to create a new piece of content. By keeping consistent, you’ll help maintain your website and even improve its search engine rankings.

Technical SEO

This is the more technical side of things. Technical SEO involves optimizing the back-end elements of your website, such as site speed, mobile-friendly application, and crawlability. These are the elements of your website that aren’t visible to users, but that doesn’t mean they don’t significantly impact your search engine rankings.

A lot of technical SEO is like “housekeeping” – conducting ongoing and regular SEO audits to identify any technical SEO issues. This often involves tasks such as adjusting your website’s code, fixing broken links, and optimizing your website structure overall.

Link Building

Link building is another powerful element of a good SEO strategy. Utilizing high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites can completely boost your website’s overall authority, and the more authoritative you are, the more Google is likely to promote you.

Just like we’ve mentioned before, however, link-building isn’t a one-and-done effort. To maximize its effectiveness, you must seek new opportunities to get those backlinks. You can do this through guest blogging and creating valuable, informative content that is likely to attract links.

Boosting Your Business with Local SEO

When you’re a small business targeting a specific location, local SEO is your best friend. Adjusting your website and digital profiles can help you fly through the search rankings and bring in more customers from your local neighbourhood.

Some essential tricks for optimizing local SEO include claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile listing (once called Google My Business), encouraging your customers to leave reviews and local citations. Like other methods we’ve mentioned, this needs to be an ongoing effort to maintain and improve your local visibility.

In-Depth Analysis

Good SEO isn’t an achievement you obtain and never have to fight for again – it’s an ongoing effort. You need to make sure to measure results based on your SEO plan and metrics and balance their effectiveness. You need to adapt your approach based on your metrics.

You need to regularly measure the effectiveness of your results and adjust your strategies based on elements like organic traffic, search engine rankings, and conversations to see what is and isn’t working.

You can use tools such as Google Analytics which can give you a lot of insight into how well your website is performing while tracking your ranking in search engines. Make sure to monitor your progress based on specific keywords and phrases. Staying on top of your data and using it for your SEO efforts ensures you’re always able to adapt your strategy.

FAQ: Understanding Ongoing SEO – A Breakdown of What We Discussed

1. Why isn’t SEO a one-time effort?

SEO is an ongoing process because algorithms constantly evolve. Competitors are always going to be updating their strategies to match the shift in user behaviour. This is why you need to make regular updates to ensure your site remains visible in search rankings.

2. How often should I update my SEO strategy?

A general rule of thumb is to update your SEO strategy quarterly, at a minimum. You need to monitor key performance metrics and adjust as needed.

3. What activities are included in ongoing SEO?

Ongoing SEO involves keyword research, content creation, technical audits, link-building, and monitoring website analytics.

4. Can I pause SEO once I’ve reached the top rankings?

Pausing your SEO efforts is counterproductive because it can result in a gradual decline in rankings as competitors continue their efforts. Search engines prioritize fresh optimized content over old news. This is why consistent maintenance is required.

5. How long does it take to see results from ongoing SEO?

Results of ongoing SEO can take weeks to months. This is determined by several factors such as competition, the quality of your optimization strategy, and your website’s starting position. You need to combine patience with consistency.

6. Is ongoing SEO expensive?

The cost of ongoing SEO varies depending on the complexity of your website and your overall goals. Most agencies will work within an established budget, but you also get what you pay for it. However, it can be a cost-effective investment compared to other marketing efforts, as it has the potential to deliver long-term, organic growth, which can increase sales.

7. What are the benefits of ongoing SEO?

Ongoing SEO builds brand authority improves site traffic and boosts user experience. These efforts can also contribute to better conversions and revenue with time.

8. Do small businesses need ongoing SEO?

Yes, all businesses, even small ones, will significantly benefit from ongoing SEO as it helps compete with larger companies.

9. How does content play a role in ongoing SEO?

By regularly creating high-quality content, you can improve your SEO. It makes your website relevant, attracts new eyes, and offers opportunities for backlinking.

10. Can I manage ongoing SEO on my own?

While if you have some experience with SEO, you could manage your SEO independently. However, if you’re not very SEO savvy or simply don’t have the bandwidth to regularly manage SEO efforts, it’s more effective to outsource to an agency.

Need Help with SEO? Trust in TrafficSoda

Don’t go into your SEO strategy feeling like you’re in the dark, TrafficSoda can help. Our leading SEO and content development services can help you climb up those search engine rankings.
Contact us today.

Marketing on a Tight Budget? Why SEO is Your Secret Weapon

Managing marketing on a tight budget requires a lot of forward thinking, precision, and the ability to be highly efficient. If you harness the right strategies, even a small budget can go a long way.

Today, TrafficSoda is going to share some cost-effective strategies to help you build your business without draining the budget. We’re going to explore SEO tools, tricks, and other best practices to stretch that budget.

Create a Clear and Concise Marketing Strategy

When you’re working on a tight budget, having a well-planned strategy is your best friend! Know who your audience is; what you’re hoping to achieve; and what makes your brand unique and desirable. When you map out a clear plan, you create a pathway that avoids pitfalls and maximizes efficiency.

Narrow Down Your Target Audience and Objectives

To maximize your marketing on a tight budget, you need to know who you’re speaking to. You need to define your ideal customer and to do that, you need to narrow down their needs, and preferences and trigger them to buy a product or service. Then you can follow the SMART goal system: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. With a pinpointed audience and clear objectives, you’re going to see a greater ROI for every penny spent.

Identity Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

Having a solid USP is what gives your brand a heartbeat. Your Unique Selling Proposition is what sets your brand apart from everyone. Consider what value you can offer customers that sets you apart from your competition – something they can’t find anywhere else! Your USP needs to be at the very core of your business messaging and be geared toward resonating with your audience.

SEO On a Budget

Target Long-Tail Keywords

SEO is admittedly complex, and it oftentimes feels like the figurative goalpost is always being moved. Focusing on long-tail keywords can help you reach your target audience by actively searching for specific solutions with limited expense. Improving your SEO not only drives traffic forward but also gets your brand out there.

Conduct Keyword Research

You can utilize external tools like Google Keyword Planner to discover new long-tail keywords that are relevant to your targeted audience. These terms usually have lower competition than more common keywords but also reflect your buyer’s intention.

On-Page SEO

Make sure to optimize each of your web pages with relevant keywords in titles, headers, and meta descriptions – trust us, this simple action can make a dramatic difference in your rankings over time.

Social Media Marketing

Prioritize Engagement Rather Than Focusing on Followers

Engaging with a more intimate audience is usually a lot more fruitful than having a large but unengaged following. Having a smaller but active audience allows you to tailor your content to truly resonate with them, which builds a community that trusts in your products or services.

Opt for User-Generated Content

While it may be nerve-racking to ask your customers to share their experiences, it’s truly a fruitful endeavor. By featuring user-generated content on your socials, you not only amplify your reach, but you build a sense of being authentic and willing to listen to your customers.

Actively Participate in Social Trends

Keep a keen eye on emerging trends and popular hashtags that align with your brand’s vision. By joining in on the fun, you not only seem like a trendy brand, but it also increases your organic reach.

Master the Art of Internal and External Linking

Make a conscious effort to build internal links between the content on your website and try to aim for backlinks from credible sources. Backlinks indicate that your brand is trustworthy, enhancing the customer experience and SEO.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborate with Similar Brands

Collaborations with brands that complement yours can help you reach a wider audience at a minimal cost to you. Effective partnerships create value for both parties involved by increasing your visibility and fostering engagement.

Collaborate with Local Influencers

When you have a consumer-focused brand, partnering with small, local influencers is very budget-friendly. This allows you to reach a more niche audience that has a good, engaged relationship with said influencer. This creates a more direct exposure for your brand.

Content Collaboration

Content collaborations, such as guest blogs or informative videos can help expand your reach while saving your team some time. When you collaborate on content, you can hash a deal to cross-post and improve invisibility for both brands.

Optimize Content Creation

Repurpose Your Content

You can extend the lifespan of your content by posting it across multiple formats. Consider a well-performing blog as a key example – you can adapt this into a video tutorial, a series of social posts, or even a helpful infographic. This can extend your reach without adding additional costs.

Build a Respectable Blog

To build a comprehensive blog, you must structure it to answer all your customer’s top questions. Work with your content team to craft in-depth blogs that address these questions while optimizing for search engine keywords. Try targeting long-tail keywords as this is a highly effective approach because they’re far less likely to have significant competition.

Craft Compelling Video Content

If you have the resources, don’t be afraid to experiment with short and informative content. TikTok is a popular application where content can be quickly viral and it’s easy to connect with an audience. This makes it an essential asset if you want to try something new.

Measure Your Overall Success, Even the Small Things

When it comes to measuring your overall marketing success, it’s important to remember that every little bit of success matters. Whether that’s going from getting 5 likes on a social media post to 10 – that’s still an upward trend! However, there are several key metrics you need to keep track of to measure your business’s overall success.

Measure and Optimize Your Approach

When you have are marketing on a tight budget, you need to be adaptable. Make sure you measure your campaign performance, review the relevant data, and make sure you’re ready to spin on your heels and readjust your approach based on what the data shows.

Monitor Key Metrics

Track your metrics ranging from conversion rates, engagement, cost-per-acquisition, and every relevant metric to make sure your current marketing efforts are being maximized.

Take Advantage of Free Tools!

If you don’t currently have the budget for analytics tools, you should take advantage of free tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to help monitor your overall performance. This way, you have the data to make informed decisions.

Refine and Elevate

Marketing on a tight budget is a continuous process that requires patience and experimentation. It’s an opportunity to practice and refine your process to make sure you’re making the most of your budget.

Additional Strategies

Now that we’ve gone through the thick of it together, let’s go into some more general strategies you can adopt to help make the most of your marketing on a tight budget.

Craft an Email Marketing Campaign

Email marketing is an essential way to get new customers engaged with your brand, all while you can maintain current relationships with your customers. Email marketing might not be a new thing, but it’s generally reliable when it comes to getting a good ROI on your marketing investment. Here are some key tips:

• Be extremely thoughtful and make sure you’re using your creative chops, make those subject lines snappy!
• Make sure you have an obvious call-to-action in every email that encourages your customers to take the next step.
• Run AB tests and make sure you know what copy resonates with your customers.

Use Infographics

Infographics, despite seeming simple, are a powerful marketing tool. They break down complex subjects into attractive visuals that are easy to digest. They’re easy to share and are a great tool for getting referral traffic and links.

Elevate Yourself with TrafficSoda

At the end of the day, SEO copywriting is the backbone of marketing on a tight budget. You’re able to develop your voice, your values, and your best first impression. Not to mention how to truly capture Google’s heart! Whether that’s creating unique website copy or blogs, having SEO-optimized content can make or break your online visibility. In comes TrafficSoda! We have the SEO copywriting services to meet your needs. Our professional SEO copywriters will work alongside you to make clear, concise, Google-optimized content that is sure to appeal to your audience.

• New Website Copywriting
• Content Refresh
• Content Optimization for Conversion
• Existing Content SEO Optimization
• Skyscraper Content to Rank for Specific Keywords
• Blog Writing

Contact us today for more information.

My New Website Looks Great; So Why Did My SEO Tank?

Hey there, Website Warriors! So, you’ve just launched your shiny new website, and it looks absolutely amazing. You’re feeling pretty proud of yourself, right? But hold up a sec – what’s going on with your search rankings? They’ve taken a nosedive, and now you’re scratching your head, wondering, “My new website looks great, so why did my SEO tank?” 

Don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. Let’s grab a coffee and settle in, because it’s time to do a deep dive into the fascinating world of new website SEO, search rankings, and website development.

The SEO Rollercoaster: Why Your Rankings Might’ve Dropped

Oops, Where Did All My Content Go? 

One of the biggest pitfalls when redesigning or launching a new website is removing a backlog of your old content. Trust us, we understand that you want your website to look sleek and refreshed, but that doesn’t mean you need to ditch your old content. Search engines love content, so when you take it away, you’re effectively telling Google, “Hey, all that content you loved and indexed for us? Yeah, it’s gone now!” Which causes Google to say, “Well, if the content isn’t there anymore, I guess I can’t rank it.” Thus, your ranking takes a tumble. 

New Design, New URLs? 

Another common mistake we see is changing your URL structure without setting up proper 301 redirects. It’s very much like moving into a new house and forgetting to notify Canada Post. You can’t expect to get your mail without updating your address, and you need to think of search engines in the same way. If search engines aren’t able to find your pages at their old addresses, they’re going to assume they’re no longer there. 

Slow and Steady Loses the Race 

Your new website might look like a million dollars, but if your page speed is slow, you’re in trouble. Page speed is essential for your new website’s SEO, meaning if your website pages are lagging and having a hard time loading, search engines (and users) are going to bounce off faster than a hockey puck after a slap shot. 

On-Page Optimization: The Unsung Hero of SEO 

Let’s dive into on-page optimization, which plays a crucial role in SEO. During a website redesign, it’s easy to focus on aesthetics and overlook the essential on-page SEO details. However, these elements are key to ensuring your site performs well in search rankings. 

Meta Titles and Descriptions 

Meta titles and descriptions might sound like tech mumbo-jumbo, but they’re super important. They’re like the cover page of a book – they tell search engines and users what your page is all about. If you’ve changed these or forgotten to add them to your new pages, your SEO will take a hit. 

Heading for Trouble 

Headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) aren’t just for making your text look nice. They help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content. If you mess up with heading structure while designing your website, it will certainly confuse Google. 

Content is Still King 

Let’s have a heart-to-heart about content strategy. When you’re redesigning, it’s tempting to focus on looks over substance. But remember, content is what brings web crawlers and people to your site in the first place. Making engaging, informative content is always going to improve your overall SEO, so it’s not something you want to be lax about. 

Link Building is Still a Big Deal 

Content is, in fact, king – but backlinking remains the hailed queen of SEO. When it comes to any new website SEO, having high-quality backlinks is absolutely essential to improving your website’s authority and boosting your search engine rankings.

When launching a new website, you need to continue building these connections, and thereby, your website’s overall authority. Don’t let backlinking go upon launching a new website – keep reaching out to those relevant websites and develop some high-quality backlinks on your new web pages. 

Quality Over Quantity, But Don’t Go Overboard 

Yes, it’s good to get rid of low-quality or outdated content. But you should be careful while creating or removing content for your website. Each piece of content you remove is a potential landing page. Instead, you can update old content to be more relevant to the now, including additional links and resources to make them more up to date. 

Fresh Content, Fresh Rankings 

If you haven’t added any new content since your redesign, that could be part of the problem. Search engines love fresh, relevant content. It shows them your site is active, so don’t hesitate to get the content rolling out. You can even plan ahead and craft a backlog of content you can schedule out after the website goes live.

Technical SEO: The Behind-the-Scenes Star 

Sometimes, the problem isn’t what you can see, but what’s happening behind the curtain. Technical SEO issues can really mess with your rankings. 

Mobile-First? More Like Mobile-Must! 

With more users browsing on their phones than ever, having a mobile-friendly site isn’t just nice to have – it’s essential. If your new design looks great on desktop but translates poorly to mobile, that’s going to hurt your website’s SEO. Make sure your website is accessible across several platforms. 

Robots.txt and Sitemap 

During a redesign, it’s easy to forget about your robots.txt file and sitemap. These tell search engines what to crawl and index on your site. If they’re not set up right, you might accidentally be telling search engines to ignore your whole site! 

The Importance of User Experience 

Here’s something a lot of website designers forget: SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines. It’s about making your visitors happy too. If your new design looks great but is harder to navigate, that’s going to hurt your SEO in the long run. Traffic to your website is always an SEO positive.  

Bounce Rate Blues 

If people land on your site and immediately hit the back button, that sends a signal to search engines that your content isn’t helpful. Make sure your new design isn’t confusing or frustrating your visitors. You can do this by doing internal testing to make sure your website is accessible.  

Click-Through Rate Matters 

Your site might rank well, but if no one’s clicking on it in the search results, that’s a problem. Make sure your meta titles and descriptions are still enticing and accurate after your redesign. 

Avoid Panicking – You Got This 

When you notice a steep drop in search rankings, it can be tempting to revert back to your old navigation – don’t. If you go back to your old structure (the one that was previously indexed), Google isn’t automatically going to pick it back up. You’re just prolonging the drop. Besides, this is also an unnecessary additional cost in terms of time and money. Instead, it’s essential to make sure you plan ahead before launching a new website to avoid these steep drops in search rankings.

The Road to Recovery: Getting Your New Website SEO Back on Track 

So, your new website’s SEO might be down, but it’s not out for the count. Here’s what you can do to turn things around:

1. Do your research: Identify pages with organic traffic and ranking keywords
2. Make a plan: Map out current content on those pages
3. Beware redirects: Review previous website 301 redirects
4. Compare and contrast: Compare current indexed pages with new website pages
5. Audit content: Identify missing or outdated information and make updates
6. Check redirects: Ensure old URLs point to the correct new pages
7. Optimize on-page elements: Verify meta tags, headers, and alt text
8. Improve site speed: Optimize images, minify code, and consider a better hosting plan
9. Mobile-optimize: Ensure the site functions well across all devices
10. Create fresh, high-quality content: Keep your site relevant and active for search engines
11. Build quality backlinks: Reach out to reputable sites for strong DA links

New Website SEO – Avoiding the Pitfalls and Finding Success 

Look, redesigning your website is a lot like renovating your house. It’s exciting, but there’s always a chance something might go wrong. The key is to plan and keep SEO in mind throughout the whole process.

A great-looking website is awesome, but it’s not worth much if no one can find it. Balance aesthetics with solid SEO practices, and you’ll have a site that not only looks like a million bucks but ranks like it, too.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by new website SEO, don’t worry—TrafficSoda is here to help. We’re experts in website redesign and SEO, with years of experience helping businesses enhance their online presence. Reach out to us today and discover how we can help you expand your digital reach.

5 Common Google Ads Mistakes That Drain Your Budget

Google Ads is an incredible tool for growing your business. It helps you reach potential customers, drive traffic to your website, and boost sales. However, without proper management, it can also become a money pit. Many advertisers, especially beginners, make common Google Ads mistakes that waste their budget without delivering results. 

In this blog, we’ll go over five common Google Ads mistakes and how you can avoid them. By fixing these issues, you’ll make your campaigns more effective and get the most value for your money. 

1. Poor Targeting: Casting Too Wide a Net 

Imagine running ads for a local bakery, but showing them to people living super far away – not just a town or two over, but hours and hours from your location. Unless your bakery is incredibly famous, it’s unlikely that those far-away viewers travel just to visit it! This is what we’d classify as poor targeting.  

Google Ads offers many targeting options, but if they aren’t set up properly, your budget could be wasted on people who aren’t your ideal customers. 

How Poor Targeting Happens: 

• Targeting too broad of an audience.
• Forgetting to set location preferences.
• Not excluding irrelevant audiences (e.g., people who aren’t in your service area).

How to Fix It: 

• Set specific locations: If your business only serves Toronto, make sure your ads are targeted in Toronto. You don’t want to be paying for clicks for someone in Vancouver who can’t even visit your store.
• Refine audience targeting: Use Google’s audience tools to focus on age, interests, and behaviours relevant to your business. If you’re selling hockey gear, you might want to target sports enthusiasts rather than, say, knitting enthusiasts.
• Exclude audiences: For example, exclude regions or demographics where your product isn’t relevant. If you’re selling winter parkas, you must exclude tropical and hot regions.

Better targeting ensures your ads reach the right people, which means more clicks that actually matter.

2. Keyword Chaos: When Your Words Work Against You 

Keywords are the backbone of Google Ads. Choosing the wrong ones can waste your budget quickly. For example, if you’re selling custom furniture but bid on a broader keyword like “furniture,” you might attract shoppers who are looking for cheap options or mass-produced items, etc. 

How Irrelevant Keywords Drain Your Budget: 

• Attracting clicks from people who aren’t interested in your product or service.
• Competing for expensive keywords that don’t align with your goals.

Here’s how to fix it: 

• Get specific with your keywords: Think about exactly what your customers are searching for. Instead of just “furniture,” try “solid oak furniture” or “handmade wooden rocking chair”. Conduct keyword research to determine the most relevant keywords and use those.
• Use different match types: Phrase match or exact match can help control when your ads show up. This way, you’re not showing up for every search that includes general keywords.
• Regularly check your search terms report: It’s like a treasure map showing you what people actually type in to find your ad. You might discover some golden keywords you hadn’t thought of.
• Add negative keywords: This is one of the best ways to save your budget from irrelevant clicks. If you’re selling high-end furniture, you might want to add “cheap” or “discount” as negative keywords.

Relevant keywords drive the right traffic to your site, making every click count. It’s like making sure you’re using the right bait to catch the fish you actually want.

3. Lackluster Landing Pages: Where Good Clicks Go to Die 

You’ve done all the hard work setting up your ad, chosen great keywords, and targeted the right audience. But when users click your ad and land on a poorly designed landing page, they’ll leave. This hurts your conversions and wastes your ad spend.

What Makes a Landing Page Low-Quality? 

• It doesn’t match the ad’s message.
• It’s slow to load.
• It’s cluttered or hard to navigate.
• It doesn’t have a clear call to action (e.g., “Buy Now” or “Sign Up”).

To fix this, make sure your landing pages are: 

• Directly related to your ad: If you’re advertising winter boots, send people to a page about winter boots, not your general shoe catalogue page. It’s like promising poutine and delivering plain fries – disappointing and borderline criminal. OK, perhaps that’s dramatic – but it is a waste of your budget.
• Fast loading: Test your page speed, optimize images and alt text. A slow page will increase bounce rate and your ad budget.
• Clear and focused: Have one main call-to-action. Want them to buy? Make that “Buy Now” button big and easy to spot.
• Mobile-friendly: These days more people are shopping on their phones than ever before. If your site looks glitchy on mobile, you’re in trouble. It should work smoothly on all devices.

A high-quality landing page increases your chances of turning clicks into customers faster.

4. Click Fraud: The Silent Budget Killer 

Click fraud is when bots or competitors click on your ads to waste your budget. It’s a sneaky problem that can drain your funds without delivering any real results. 

Signs of Click Fraud: 

• A sudden spike in clicks without an increase in conversions.
• Multiple clicks from the same IP address.
• Strange activity during unusual hours.

So how do you protect yourself from this digital pickpocketing? 

• Keep an eye on your click data: If you suddenly see a ton of clicks from one IP address, something fishy might be going on.
• Use click-fraud protection tools: There are services out there that can help spot and stop fraudulent clicks like ClickCease and Trafficguard. Think of it as a security system for your ads.
• Set up IP exclusions: If you notice clicks coming from suspicious sources, you can block those IP addresses.
• Use negative keywords wisely: Sometimes, broad keywords can attract bot traffic. Tightening up your keyword game can help. It’s like making sure you’re not accidentally inviting the whole town to your backyard barbecue!

By staying vigilant, you can minimize the impact of click fraud on your budget.

5. Ignoring Conversion Tracking: Flying Blind with Your Budget 

If you’re not tracking conversions, you’re flying blind. Conversion tracking tells you which ads, keywords, and campaigns are driving sales or leads. Without this data, you might keep spending money on ads that aren’t working. 

What Happens Without Conversion Tracking?

• You can’t measure your return on investment (ROI).
• You waste money on campaigns that aren’t effective.
• You miss opportunities to improve performance.

Fixing this is easier than you might think: 

• Set up conversion tracking in your Google Ads account: It might seem techy, but Google has good guides to help you through it with simple steps to follow. It’s not as complicated as assembling IKEA furniture, I promise!!
• Define what counts as a conversion for your business: Is it a sale? A phone call? A form submission? Know what success and conversion is for you.
• Google Tag Manager: Use tools like Google Tag Manager to make sure you’re tracking everything correctly. It’s like having a good scoreboard at a hockey game.
• Conversion Metrics and KPIs: Regularly check your conversion data and use it to make decisions about your campaigns. It’s like reviewing game tapes to improve your strategy.

Tracking conversions helps you make smarter decisions and ensures your money is spent wisely.

BONUS ROUND: Ad Schedule Optimization: Timing is Everything 

Running Google Ads without strategic scheduling is like leaving your store’s lights on 24/7 when most customers shop during specific hours. Ad scheduling allows you to maximize your budget by showing ads only when your target audience is most likely to convert. 

How Poor Ad Scheduling Wastes Your Budget: 

• Displaying ads during low-traffic hours.
• Spending money when your target audience isn’t active.
• Ignoring time zone differences.
• Not considering customer behavior patterns.

How to Fix Ad Scheduling: 

• Analyze your conversion data: Use Google Ads analytics to identify peak performance times. Look for hours and days when you get the most conversions, clicks, and lowest cost-per-acquisition.
• Create custom ad schedules: Adjust your ad visibility to match your audience’s most active times. For example, if you’re a B2B service, focus on business hours. If you’re a restaurant, target lunch and dinner times.
• Use bid adjustments: Increase your bids during high-performing hours and decrease them during slower periods. This ensures you’re investing more when potential customers are most likely to engage.
• Consider time zones: If you’re targeting multiple regions, ensure your scheduling accounts for different time zones. A 9 a.m. in Toronto might not work the same way in Vancouver.
• Experiment and refine: Regularly review and adjust your ad schedule. Customer behaviours change, and so should your strategy.

Optimizing your ad schedule ensures you’re spending money when it matters most, turning every click into a potential opportunity. It’s like fishing during the best tide – you’re more likely to catch something valuable.

Avoid These Google Ads Mistakes

Running successful Google Ads campaigns requires careful planning and regular optimization. By avoiding these five common Google Ads mistakes – poor targeting, irrelevant keywords, low-quality landing pages, click fraud, and lack of conversion tracking plus ad scheduling – you can maximize your budget and achieve better results.

Google Ads isn’t a “set it and forget it” tool. Regular monitoring, testing, and adjustments are essential for long-term success. With the right strategies, you’ll avoid these Google Ads mistakes and see your investment pay off in the form of more leads, sales, and business growth.

If you’re unsure where to start or need expert help, TrafficSoda can guide you. We specialize in creating optimized, high-performing ad campaigns tailored to your business goals, helping you get the most out of your advertising budget.

Is Duplicate Content Hurting Your SEO? (and How to Fix It)

Content is the heart of SEO and always will be—it’s what makes your website valuable. 

On the other hand, when it comes to SEO, duplicate content has a track record of being an issue. It confuses search engines on which page to rank, leading to lower visibility.   

But is there more to it than that? 

Many people wonder how duplicate content can impact rankings, visibility, and overall performance of a website. The truth is, while duplicate content does not directly result in Google penalties, it can create SEO challenges that can harm your website’s performance. 

This blog post is all about duplicate content, how it affects SEO, and what you can do to optimize your content! 

What is Duplicate Content? 

Duplicate content refers to blocks of text or entire web pages that are identical (or significantly similar) across multiple locations. These locations can be within the same domain or across different websites. 

Duplicate content is categorized into two main types: 

• Exact Duplicates: This is when the same text appears word-for-word on different pages. For example, if a blog post is copied and pasted onto another site without any changes, it is considered an exact duplicate.
• Near Duplicates: This involves content that is very similar but not identical. For instance, if a product description is slightly altered by changing a few words or phrases but retains the same meaning, it falls under this category.

Examples of Duplicate Content 

Republishing Articles: If you write a blog post and then publish the same post on another platform (like Medium or LinkedIn) without using a canonical tag to indicate the original source, this creates duplicate content. 

Multiple URLs for the Same Page: If a single webpage can be accessed through different URLs, such as: 

• https://example.com/page
• https://example.com/page?ref=123

Both links lead to the same content but are treated as separate pages by search engines, resulting in duplicate content. 

Product Descriptions: An e-commerce site might use the same description for a product listed under different categories. For example: 

• https://store.com/products/blue-shoes
• https://store.com/sale/blue-shoes

Both URLs highlight the same product description, making them duplicates. 

Slightly Altered Text: Rewriting an article with just minor changes may still be considered duplicate content if the structure and meaning remain the same without added insights.

How Does Duplicate Content Hurt Your SEO? 

Google prioritizes unique and valuable content in its search results, actively avoiding pages with duplicate content.  

As Google states, “Google tries hard to index and show pages with distinct information.”  

If your website has multiple pages with similar or identical content, it can hurt your search engine rankings. Duplicate content creates confusion for both search engines and users as well.  

Let us break down the key issues in simple terms: 

Confusion for Search Engines 

When search engines like Google or Bing find multiple pages with the same or very similar content, they get confused. They do not know which version to show in search results. This confusion can lead to: 

• Lower rankings: Search engines might choose the wrong version of your content to display, potentially not the one you want people to see.
• Diluted link power: If other websites link to different versions of your content, the power of these links gets split up instead of boosting one strong page.

Reduced Visibility

Duplicate content can make your pages less visible in search results. This can lead to: 

• Filtered results: Google tries to show diverse content, so it might filter out pages it thinks are too similar.
• Less organic traffic: When your content is not unique, it is harder for it to rank well, resulting in fewer people finding your website through search.

Wasted Resources 

Having duplicate content can waste important SEO resources like: 

• Crawl budget: Search engines always allocate a certain amount of time to crawl your website. If they waste time on duplicate pages, they might miss your correct, new, or updated content.
• Indexing issues: Too much duplicate content can make it harder for search engines to properly index your site, affecting how well your pages show up in search results.

Brand and User Experience Impact 

Duplicate content does not just affect search engines, it can also impact user experience. 

• Reduced brand value: If your content is not unique, it can make your brand seem less valuable and less authoritative.
• Poor user experience: When users see multiple versions of the same content in search results, they get confused or frustrated.

Competition with Self 

One of the biggest problems with duplicate content is that you end up competing against yourself. 

• Self-competition: Different pages with similar content on your site compete for the same keywords, making it harder for any one page to rank well.
• Traffic division: When you have multiple pages with the same information, any traffic you get is split between them instead of being focused on one strong page.

How to Identify Duplicate Content

Using Google Search 

The simplest yet powerful method recommended by Google itself is to: 

• Copy about 10 words from the beginning of a sentence on your webpage.
• Paste this text into Google search, enclosed in quotation marks.
• Examine the search results.

Ideally, you should only see your webpage in the results. If other websites appear, especially if they are ranked higher than yours, you might have a duplicate content problem. Repeat this process with different text snippets from your page for a thorough check. 

Free Duplicate Content Checkers 

Several free tools can help you detect unintentional similarities with existing content: 

1. Copyscape: Quickly compares your content against published web pages, highlighting duplicates and showing the percentage of matching content.
2. Plagspotter: Identifies duplicate pages across the web and offers weekly URL monitoring to catch content theft.
3. Duplichecker: Allows up to 50 daily searches for registered users to verify content originality.
4. Siteliner: Scans your entire site monthly for duplicate content, broken links, and identifies pages most visible to search engines.
5. Smallseotools: Offers a plagiarism checker along with various other SEO tools to identify identical content fragments.

Tools to Check for Plagiarism 

Plagiarism checkers offer features to ensure your content is original. These tools use sophisticated algorithms to detect duplicate content more effectively. 

1. Grammarly
   • Checks for plagiarism and offers writing improvement suggestions.
   • Compare your text against billions of web pages and research papers.
   • Highlights passages that may need citations.
2. Plagium
   • Offers a free quick search for duplication.
   • Allows you to check content in multiple languages as well.
3. Plagiarismcheck.org
   • Detects both exact matches and paraphrased text.
   • Provides detailed reports on plagiarism issues.

How to Fix Duplicate Content: Practical Solutions

1. Tracking Parameters: Many websites use UTM parameters for campaign tracking, like:

example.com/page?utm_source=newsletter

Solution: Canonicalize these URLs to versions without tracking parameters.

2. Session IDs: Session IDs often add long strings to URLs

example.com?sessionId=jow857845hnfn7658

Solution: Canonicalize these to SEO-friendly versions without session IDs.

3. HTTPS vs. HTTP and www vs. non-www: Websites can often be accessed through multiple variations.

http://www.example.com

http://example.com

Solution: Use redirects to ensure your site is only accessible at one preferred version.

4. Case-Sensitive URLs: Google treats these URLs as different:

example.com/blog

example.com/BLOG

example.com/bLoG

Solution: Be consistent with internal linking. If issues persist, use canonicalization or redirects.

5. Print-Friendly URLs: Print versions often have different URLs but identical content:

example.com/page

example.com/print/page

Solution: Canonicalize the print-friendly version to the original.

6. Mobile-Friendly URLs: Like print versions, mobile URLs can create duplicates:

example.com/blog

m.example.com/blog

Solution: Canonicalize the mobile version to the original. Use rel=”alternate” to indicate the mobile URL is an alternate version.

Proactive Measures to Avoid Duplicate Content

Preventing duplicate content is much easier than fixing it later.

Plan a Clear URL Structure

Create consistent and clean URLs for your website. This helps reduce the chances of accidentally making duplicate pages. Like: 

• Use hyphens to separate words: example.com/seo-friendly-url
• Keep URLs short and descriptive
• Avoid using unnecessary parameters or numbers

Regularly Check for Duplicate Content 

Set up regular checks to find any duplicate content on your site. You can use tools like SEMrush and Google Search Console. These tools can help you spot pages with similar content, allowing you to fix issues quickly. 

Use Consistent Internal Linking 

When linking to pages within your site, always use the same URL version. This helps search engines understand which version of a page is the main one. For instance, if you have a page about “SEO audit,” always link to it using the same URL.

Train Your Team 

Make sure everyone who works on your website understands the importance of creating unique content and why duplicate content is bad for SEO and how to avoid creating it accidentally. This includes: 

• Content writers
• Web developers
• Marketing team members

Watch for External Duplicates 

Always keep an eye out for other websites copying your content. You can: 

• Use plagiarism checkers to find copied content
• Set up Google Alerts for your website’s name or unique phrases
• If you find someone has copied your content without permission, you can ask them to remove it or file a DMCA takedown notice.

Why Unique Content Matters 

1. Improves Search Engine Rankings 

Search engines aim to deliver the best possible experience for users. They reward websites that provide unique and valuable content by ranking them higher in search results. When your content is unique, it increases the chances of unique visitors to your site. 

2. Attracts Quality Backlinks 

When you produce unique and informative content, other websites will always want to link back to your pages. These backlinks are important because they enhance your site’s credibility and authority, further improving your search rankings. Essentially, having unique content can lead to more people discovering and sharing your work. 

3. Enhances User Experience 

Visitors come to your website looking for information, entertainment, or solutions. By offering unique content, you meet their needs more effectively. This not only keeps them engaged but also encourages them to return for more valuable insights in the future. 

4. Establishes Authority and Trust 

Regularly publishing unique content helps position your website as an expert in your field. Over time, readers will begin to trust the information you provide, making them more likely to choose your site over competitors. Building this authority is vital for long-term success. 

5. Reduces Legal Risks 

Copying content from other sources can lead to serious legal issues, including copyright claims. By creating original material, you avoid these risks and ensure that your work is protected from potential plagiarism accusations. 

6. Boosts Engagement 

Unique content tends to be more engaging and shareable on social media platforms. When people find something interesting or insightful, they are more likely to share it with their friends and family, and followers, increasing your reach and visibility.

Final Thoughts: A Balanced Approach 

While duplicate content can hurt your SEO, it is important to approach the issue calmly and strategically. Not all duplication is harmful, and many issues can be resolved with tools and best practices. By proactively managing duplicate content and focusing on creating unique, engaging content, you can maintain a strong SEO presence and enhance your website’s performance. 

Remember, the goal of SEO is to serve users with valuable, relevant information—and search engines will reward websites that do this effectively. 

If you are facing challenges with duplicate content or need help optimizing your website, reach out to TrafficSoda for professional assistance. Addressing these issues may seem complex, but the long-term benefits for your SEO strategy are invaluable.  

Our team specializes in creating unique content and resolving duplicate content problems, ensuring your site stands out in search engine results. Let us help you enhance your online presence and drive more traffic to your business. Contact us today to learn how we can support your digital marketing goals!

How Strategic Marketing Can Help You Thrive in Any Economy

Picture this: You’re at a party, and someone suddenly approaches you and asks you the secret to your success. You could say it’s your charm, your networking skills, or your ability to always find the best snacks (snack locating is a vital skill, OK?) 

But what if you told them it was your expertise in strategic marketing? 

Yes, that’s right! Just like a well-cooked meal that requires the right ingredients, your business also needs a strong marketing strategy to thrive, no matter how the economy is performing. Whether we are in the wave of economic prosperity or in uncharted waters, strategic marketing will always be your secret sauce for success. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore how strategic marketing can help you not just survive economic uncertainty, but flourish regardless. So, grab a snack, a beverage, and let us dissect the recipe for thriving despite economic uncertainty.  

Understanding Strategic Marketing 

Strategic marketing is all about aligning your marketing efforts with your overall business goals. It’s not just about promoting products or services; it’s about creating a comprehensive plan that considers your target audience, market conditions, and business objectives. 

The Benefits of Strategic Marketing 

1. Adaptability in Changing Times 

One of the greatest advantages of strategic marketing is its flexibility. When you have a strategically designed plan, you are well prepared to adapt to economic shifts.  

For instance, during economic recessions, you might focus more on customer retention and value-based messaging. Whereas during prosperous times, you might emphasize expansion and new product launches. 

2. Efficient Resource Allocation 

Strategic marketing helps you make the most of your available resources. By identifying your most effective marketing channels and tactics, you can allocate your budget more effectively. This is particularly important during challenging economic times when every dollar counts. 

3. Building Strong Customer Relationships 

A good strategic marketing plan always keeps the customer as the focus point. By understanding your audience’s needs and preferences, you can create more meaningful connections. This customer-centric approach can lead to increased loyalty, which is essential during economic uncertainties. 

4. Competitive Advantage 

With a solid strategy, you are in a better position to shine bright and get noticed over your competitors. You can identify unique selling ideas and communicate them effectively, helping you capture market even in crowded industries (competitors).  

Key Elements of a Successful Strategic Marketing Plan 

• Comprehensive Market Research 

Understanding your market is important. This includes analyzing your competitors, identifying market trends, and getting to know your target audience inside and out. 

• Clear Goals and Objectives 

Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. These will guide your marketing efforts and help you measure success. 

• Targeted Messaging 

Craft messages and content according to your audience’s preferences and taste. In tough economic times, focus on value and reliability, whereas in growth periods, you can emphasize innovation and expansion. 

• Multi-Channel Approach 

Never keep all your eggs in one basket. Use a mix of marketing channels to reach your audience, whether it’s social media, email marketing, content marketing, or traditional advertising. 

• Data-Driven Decision Making 

Use analytics tools to track your marketing performance. This data will help you make informed decisions and adjust your strategy as needed. 

Adapting Your Strategy to Economic Conditions

Implementing Your Strategic Marketing Plan 

1. Start with a SWOT Analysis: Evaluate your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This will give you a clear picture of where you stand and where you need improvements.
2. Define Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP): What makes you different from your competitors? Make sure this is clear in all your marketing efforts and plan.
3. Segment Your Audience: Every customer is different. Divide your target market into segments based on demographics, behaviours, or needs, and tailor your messages, content or ads accordingly.
4. Choose Your Channels Wisely: Based on where your audience spends most of their time, select the most effective marketing channels. This might include social media, email marketing, content marketing, or traditional advertising.
5. Create Engaging Content: Develop content that provides value to your audience. This could be informative blog posts, entertaining videos, or helpful how-to guides.
6. Leverage Technology: Use marketing automation tools (AI) to streamline your efforts and reach your audience more effectively.
7. Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your marketing metrics and be prepared to make changes to your strategy based on what is working and what is not.

The Role of Digital Marketing in Your Strategy

In today’s digital age, online marketing plays a significant role in any marketing strategy plan. 

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improve your website’s visibility in search engine results to attract more organic traffic.
• Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC): Use targeted ads to reach potential customers actively searching for your products or services.
• Social Media Marketing: Engage with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to build brand awareness and foster community.
• Email Marketing: Nurture leads and maintains relationships with existing customers through personalized email campaigns.
• Content Marketing: Create valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

Measuring Success and ROI 

To ensure your strategic marketing efforts are paying off, it’s essential to track key performance indicators (KPIs). These might include: 

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
• Conversion Rates
• Website Traffic
• Social Media Engagement
• Sales Growth

Regularly reviewing these metrics will help you understand what is working and where you might need changes and upgradations.  

Conclusion: Your Marketing Party Trick 

So, there you have it! Strategic marketing is like that party trick everyone wishes they know and could master. It’s not just about knowing how to balance it, but it’s about having the right strategy to keep your business thriving in any economic landscape. 

Whether you are in a recession or economic growth, your strategic marketing plan is your trusty partner. It will help you adapt, connect with customers, and stand out (just like that friend who always knows where the best snacks are!) 

Looking to supercharge your marketing? Traffic Soda is your go-to digital marketing agency. They specialize in driving leads and revenue through proven strategies like SEO and lead generation, ensuring your marketing plan is both effective and tailored. 

Your marketing strategy is your secret weapon. Embrace it, refine it, and let it shine! 

Take that leap and let your strategic marketing skills impress everyone. Who knows? You might just become the life of the business party!

Is It Time to Ditch Responsive Search Ads for Performance Max?

If you’ve been running ads on Google recently, you’ve probably noticed the introduction of Performance Max. This new campaign type has made waves in the marketing world, leaving many advertisers wondering: should I stick with Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), or is it time to switch to Performance Max? 

Each option has its strengths, and there’s no universal answer. The choice between RSAs and Performance Max comes down to your advertising goals. Are you aiming to capture customers who already know what they want, or do you want to reach a broader audience that might not be actively searching? Let’s break down the features of each to help you decide which is the best fit for your needs.

What Are Responsive Search Ads?

Many Google advertisers use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). The appeal? They let you create an ad that changes based on what users are searching for. You create multiple headlines and descriptions to give Google’s AI phrases to play with. Then, the AI combines headlines and descriptions to find what each user likes. 

Suppose you advertise a local gym. Someone nearby searches “best gym near me” or “affordable gym memberships.” RSAs ensure that your ad appears with the messaging most likely to grab their attention. Google’s algorithm optimizes ad combinations based on real-time testing. The result? Relevant, personalized, and timed ads that grab attention. 

RSAs are a good choice if you want to connect with people interested in your offering. RSAs are effective for businesses targeting “high-intent” customers—people who know what they want and are ready to act. Conversion-focused brands use them to turn searchers into leads, subscribers, or buyers.   

For insights on how to create effective Google Ads campaigns, look at this beginner’s guide to Google Ads.

How Exactly Do RSAs Work?

Setting up RSAs is straightforward. Google lets you create up to 15 different headlines and four descriptions for each ad. While that might sound like a lot, the idea is simple: the more options you give, the more combinations Google’s AI can test. The goal is to cover your bases by having headlines that speak to various aspects of what you offer. 

For instance, if you run a coffee shop, one headline might read, “Award-Winning Local Coffee.” Another might say, “Freshly Brewed Coffee Near You.” The descriptions can be just as varied, covering everything from your special drink menu to the fact that you offer free Wi-Fi. With all these options in play, Google’s AI can mix and match to serve up the perfect combination, customized to what a person is searching for. 

As your ads run, the AI learns which combinations are the most effective, showing them more often. This ongoing optimization makes sure your ads stay relevant, engaging, and impactful, making RSAs a great choice if you want to reach customers who are already on the hunt for what you offer. 

Enter Performance Max: The New Multi-Channel Ad Option

Launched by Google to give advertisers a broader reach, Performance Max campaigns go beyond search results to include placements on YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Display Network, and Google Discover. This means your ads can show up in multiple places where people spend time online. 

The main appeal of Performance Max is its automation. You set your goals—like driving sales or boosting website traffic—and Google’s AI takes care of the details. It decides where, when, and how to display your ads, making real-time adjustments to optimize performance. 

For brands looking to expand their reach and build awareness, Performance Max is an appealing option. It’s especially useful for businesses that want to engage potential customers who aren’t actively searching but might be interested if they come across the brand in other contexts. 

This overview of Performance Max campaigns by Google Ads Help has more details on Google’s automation in advertising. 

How Does Performance Max Work? 

Performance Max campaigns rely on machine learning and “audience signals” to place ads. Rather than just using keywords, Performance Max uses browsing behavior, user interests, and online activity to reach people who might be a good fit for your brand. This broader targeting is particularly valuable if your goal is to increase brand recognition across platforms. 

Imagine you’re running ads for a fashion label. Performance Max might display your ads to people who have watched fashion-related videos on YouTube, visited style websites, or even searched for similar items in the past. This approach helps you reach audiences who might not be looking for your product directly but could be interested when they see it. 

Another advantage of Performance Max is its ability to manage budget allocation. If certain placements—like YouTube or Gmail—are performing better, Google’s AI will automatically adjust your budget to focus on those high-performing channels. 

Targeting: Which Audience Do You Want to Reach? 

Responsive Search Ads for High-Intent Customers 

RSAs are highly effective for targeting people who already know what they want. Picture someone searching “emergency plumber near me.” They’re not just browsing—they need a solution fast. RSAs let you reach high-intent users at the moment they’re most likely to convert, making them ideal for capturing ready-to-act leads. 

For businesses that rely on specific customer intent—like local services, e-commerce, or products that people search for directly—RSAs can deliver the right message at the right time. 

Performance Max for Broader Reach 

Performance Max, on the other hand, targets potential customers based on interests and online behaviors. This allows your ads to reach people across different Google platforms, even if they aren’t actively searching for your product or service. 

For example, if you’re launching an energy drink, Performance Max can strategically place your ad where it’s most likely to be seen, like during YouTube workout videos or in health-related articles. This approach helps create brand awareness and keeps your product in front of people who may become customers later. 

Goals: What Are You Trying to Achieve? 

RSAs for Direct Conversions 

RSAs are specifically designed to drive conversions. They’re great for businesses that want people to take immediate actions, like signing up, making a purchase, or booking a consultation. Since RSAs target people actively searching for something, they tend to convert at a higher rate. 

For instance, if you’re promoting a natural cleaning product, RSAs can target specific keywords like “eco-friendly cleaning supplies.” This approach connects you with users who are already interested, increasing the likelihood of clicks and conversions. 

Performance Max for Brand Awareness 

Performance Max excels in campaigns where the goal is building brand awareness. By reaching users across multiple platforms, Performance Max helps you stay top-of-mind, ensuring your product or service is seen in different contexts. It’s ideal for companies looking to make a lasting impression and stay visible throughout the customer journey. 

Control and Customization: How Much Freedom Do You Want?

RSAs Let You Control Your Message 

One of the main advantages of RSAs is the control they provide over ad copy. You can choose specific headlines and descriptions and “pin” certain elements, so they appear in every ad. This is helpful if you want to maintain brand consistency or emphasize key messages, like “Free Shipping” or “Limited Time Offer.” 

Performance Max Relies on Automation 

Performance Max offers a hands-off approach. Instead of customizing each element, you upload a set of assets—text, images, and videos—and Google’s AI decides how and where to place them. This can be a big time-saver, but it means you have less control over how the ads look in each setting. 

For businesses that prefer a more automated approach, Performance Max’s streamlined setup could be a perfect fit. However, if you prefer a more hands-on strategy, RSAs provide the customization you need. 

Data Insights: How Much Information Do You Need? 

RSAs Offer Detailed Data 

RSAs provide detailed insights into which combinations of headlines and descriptions perform best. Google’s Ad Strength score helps you gauge the relevance and effectiveness of your copy, allowing for data-driven adjustments to maximize results. 

Performance Max’s Reporting is Less Granular 

While Performance Max offers metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions, it doesn’t provide the same level of detail as RSAs. You won’t see which specific assets performed best, which can make optimization harder if you rely on detailed performance data. 

When to Use Responsive Search Ads 

Responsive Search Ads are ideal if: 

• You’re targeting people who know what they’re looking for.
• You want more control over your messaging.
• You rely on detailed performance data to refine your strategy. 

When to Use Performance Max 

Performance Max is a great fit if: 

• You want a broader reach across multiple channels.
• You’re focused on brand awareness and engagement.
• You’re comfortable with automated ad management.

Bottom Line: Which One Should You Choose? 

Should you drop RSAs in favor of Performance Max? Not necessarily. Each ad type has unique strengths that can serve different purposes. If you want to capture high-intent customers actively searching, RSAs are a great choice for driving conversions. But if you’re focused on expanding your brand reach and building awareness across platforms, Performance Max could be the way to go. 

For many brands, using both ad types together can be a powerful strategy. Running RSAs for direct conversions alongside Performance Max for brand-building allows you to target people at every stage of the customer journey, from initial awareness to final purchase. 

Ready to take your advertising strategy to the next level? Contact us to find out how we can help you optimize your digital ad campaigns and maximize your reach. 

What to Analyze on Competitor Sites for SEO

Keeping an eye on competitors is one of the most effective ways to fine-tune your SEO game. Taking a close look at their websites can reveal what’s working for them and, more importantly, where you might have an opportunity to stand out.  This approach not only highlights what works but also gives you ideas on what to do differently to stand out. The problem? With so much data available, it’s easy to feel lost in a sea of metrics and details. 

Where should you begin? Some might say keywords are the top priority, as they give insight into what search terms competitors rank for. Others argue that digging into content structure reveals how they’re engaging their audience, while others swear by examining backlinks and technical SEO for a complete picture.  

This guide is here to make things clearer by breaking down the main areas of competitor SEO analysis into manageable pieces. From understanding which keywords are bringing in the most traffic to exploring the quality of their content and the strength of their backlinks, we’ll cover it all.  

Here’s a straightforward look at the essential elements to analyze on competitor sites so you can enhance your own search rankings and create a strategy that works for you. 

1. Keyword Strategy: Finding the Right Search Terms

Keywords are a cornerstone of any SEO strategy, so it’s crucial to understand which keywords drive traffic to your competitors. Analyzing their keyword choices can help you uncover high-value terms and find keyword gaps. For tips on building your own strategy, look at this Beginner’s Guide to SEO Keyword Research. Here are a few steps to focus on: 

• Primary Keywords: These are the main terms a competitor targets across their site. Primary keywords can give you a good idea of where competitors are focusing their content efforts and what topics are relevant to your audience.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Often more specific and lower in search volume, long-tail keywords (e.g., “affordable digital marketing agency Toronto”) reveal specific user intent. Competitors that perform well on long-tail keywords might be getting targeted traffic that converts better.
• Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords: Branded keywords include the company name (e.g., “Traffic Soda SEO services”), indicating brand awareness. Competitors ranking well on branded keywords are often seen as trusted brands. Non-branded keywords are more general (e.g., “digital marketing in Toronto”), helping you identify topics without brand bias.

Evaluating these keyword types shows you where competitors may be outpacing you while revealing gaps you can leverage. A smart keyword strategy considers search intent and conversion potential, helping guide users from curiosity to purchase.

2. Content Analysis: Finding What Hits the Mark 

Creating high-quality content is essential for SEO success. Studying what your competitors are putting out there can give you valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. Start by checking out their top-performing pieces—note the topics, formats (think blog posts, videos, infographics), and engagement metrics. Here’s a quick breakdown of what to look for: 

• Types of Content: Are they leaning on blog posts, product guides, tutorials, or case studies? Offering a variety in content types often signals an effort to engage different segments of their audience effectively.
• Quality and Depth: Longer, in-depth content generally ranks better in search results. Examine the quality of writing, level of detail, and readability—this can show if they’re prioritizing SEO with valuable, detailed content.
• Engagement Signals: Metrics like comments, social shares, and time on page are great indicators of audience response. High engagement often means the content is not only relevant but valuable to readers.

Once you’ve got a sense of what’s working, consider where you can take it further. Could you make something even more detailed or engaging, or focus more specifically on your audience’s needs? Running a content gap analysis can help pinpoint these opportunities.  

For ideas on creating content that truly connects, check out Traffic Soda’s article on How Social Media & Content Marketing Work Together to see how aligning content with audience interests can make an impact. 

3. Backlink Profile: Building Authority and Trust 

Backlinks remain one of Google’s top-ranking signals, and knowing where competitors get their backlinks can provide valuable insight. A robust backlink profile generally means a competitor has strong authority and credibility. By analyzing this profile, you can identify potential link-building opportunities. 

• Top Referring Domains: Which high-authority websites are linking to your competitors? These sites may be open to linking to you as well, especially if you offer unique, high-quality content.
• Anchor Text Variability: Review the anchor text competitors use—whether it’s branded, keyword-focused, or generic. The balance of anchor text types can tell you a lot about the credibility and focus of a competitor’s backlink profile.
• Page Types That Get Links: Are product pages or blog posts getting the most backlinks? Knowing this can help you decide where to focus your own backlink strategy.

A thorough backlink analysis can uncover link sources you hadn’t considered and open new outreach opportunities. Having a well-rounded backlink profile helps establish your site as an authoritative resource in your industry. For more strategies on link building, check out Traffic Soda’s What Is Link Building? A Beginner Guide, which covers everything from choosing the right anchor text to finding high-quality linking opportunities.

4. On-Page SEO: Strengthening Each Page’s Performance 

On-page SEO is about refining individual pages to make them rank better and deliver a seamless experience for visitors. Studying how competitors handle on-page elements can help you identify strategies worth implementing on your own site. 

Here’s where to focus: 

• Engaging Titles and Meta Descriptions: High-ranking sites often craft titles and meta descriptions that are concise, compelling, and naturally keyword rich. These elements should be direct and informative, giving search engines and users a clear sense of what the page offers.
• Structured Headings and Subheadings: A well-organized header structure (using H1 for main ideas and H2 for sub-sections) helps improve readability and signals to search engines which sections are most relevant. Notice if competitors align their headings with commonly searched questions or topics.
• Effective Internal Linking: Internal links support SEO and enhance site navigation by guiding users to related content. Competitors with strong internal links often see higher engagement, as visitors are encouraged to explore further.

Optimizing these on-page factors can boost your site’s search visibility and create a better experience for users, leading to more organic traffic and improved performance for each page.

5. Technical SEO: Ensuring Site Health and Accessibility 

Technical SEO forms the backbone of a well-optimized site, helping search engines properly access, crawl, and interpret your pages. Reviewing the technical SEO of competitor sites can give you a better sense of where your own site might improve. 

Here are key areas to focus on: 

• Site Speed: Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can reveal how quickly competitor pages load. Faster load times improve user experience and often lead to better rankings, so speeding up your own site can be a big win.
• Mobile Optimization: With the majority of users browsing on mobile, having a mobile-friendly site is essential. Check if competitors’ sites are fully optimized for mobile devices and ensure yours offers a seamless experience across screens.
• Core Web Vitals: Core Web Vitals measure page performance based on metrics like loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. These factors are increasingly critical for ranking, so see how competitors are handling them to guide your own optimization.

Focusing on these technical SEO aspects can strengthen your site’s foundation, improving accessibility, usability, and ultimately, search rankings. 

6. Social Media Signals: Gauging Audience Engagement 

Social media engagement isn’t a direct ranking factor, but it can indirectly impact SEO by boosting brand visibility and driving traffic. Many users discover content through social media, so a strong social presence can amplify your SEO efforts. Analyze your competitors’ social media activities to see what resonates with their audience. 

Consider the following: 

• Platform Usage: Are competitors focusing on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter? Understanding where they’re active can help you determine where your own audience might be most engaged.
• Engagement Rates: Do their posts get likes, shares, comments, or other interactions? High engagement indicates that the content is relevant and valuable to their audience.
• Content Style: Note whether their social content is primarily promotional, educational, or entertaining. This can provide insight into the kind of tone that resonates with their followers.

By analyzing competitors’ social media presence, you can improve your own social strategy, aligning it with SEO goals to boost visibility and traffic. 

Elevating Your SEO Strategy with Competitor Insights  

The world of SEO keeps evolving and staying competitive means continuous improvement. Looking into what competitors are doing on their websites can provide valuable insights. By observing their keywords, content approach, backlinks, on-page SEO, technical setup, and social engagement, you’ll gain ideas for strengthening your own strategy. Consider these key areas:

1. Keywords and Content Style: Identify the keywords they target and the tone or format they use, whether it’s blogs, videos, or infographics. Seeing what works for them can give you ideas for reaching your audience.
2. Backlinks and On-Page Elements: Competitors’ backlink profiles often boost their authority. Study their meta descriptions, headings, and how they use keywords to optimize your own site.
3. Technical Structure: Explore how they address site speed, mobile optimization, and structure. This ensures smooth access and better usability for visitors.
4. Social Media Presence: Noticing how often they post and what gets high engagement can help shape your own social strategy, boosting your reach and audience interaction.

These insights allow you to make data-driven changes that help your site stand out. It’s not about copying; it’s about taking what works and making it better for your audience. 

Ready to boost your SEO? Contact Traffic Soda to learn how competitor insights can help improve your site’s visibility and performance. 

Choosing the Best Call to Action: Phone, Email, or Both?

A call to action (CTA) can be presented in many ways, all with the same goal: to get your customers to do what you want. But how do you decide on what method works best for you and your business?  

Every business is unique and, subsequently, will require unique marketing solutions. Today, we’ll be exploring the pros and cons of calls to action via phone and email. 

Your product or service usually speaks for itself, but sometimes, you need to talk to your customers directly. So, which do you choose? A call to action by phone, email, or both? 

Let’s explore. 

What is a Call to Action? 

A call to action, as a marketing concept, means prompting your customers to take action—usually involving either signing up for a service or purchasing a product. Whether it is a newsletter, a tangible product, a subscription, or the like, ideally, you want them to take action to connect with you and your business.  

It exists as a persuasive element embedded into an email, advertisement, or website. For example, you may have a “Sign up” or “Buy now” button embedded into your landing page, or a hyperlink in a blog that leads back to a contact page. Certain ad formats, like Google call ads and Meta lead ads with calling, include a “Call now” button that makes it easy for mobile users to call your business straight from the ad. 

If you’re exploring a website, imagine you see in bright, bold letters: “BOGO: Buy one get one free”—and when you click it, it takes you to a sale page with discounted items. This call to action is to buy one item and get one for free. Ideally, they’ll maybe even buy a few sale items because the deal is just too great.  

For nonprofits and the like, a call to action could be donating to a specific cause, in case you wanted another example. News articles sometimes call you towards a cause. 

This results in a happy customer who got a great deal and money in your pocket from the sale. This is the primary function of a call to action. 

Phone Calls to Action 

A “Call now” call to action can be a highly effective way to connect with potential customers. 

Think of it this way: your website, your ads, your social media presence—they all serve as platforms to initiate a conversation. Asking customers to call is the invitation to start that dialogue. 

Here are some examples of how you can incorporate “call now” into your marketing materials: 

• “Call now for a free consultation!”
• “Limited time offer—call now to secure your discount.”
• “Have questions? Call now to speak with an expert.”
• “Call now to schedule a demo and see [product/service] in action.”
• “Don’t wait! Call now to reserve your spot.”

Or, in the case of many ‘call ad’ formats, it’s simply a button under the ad itself that says, “Call now!” 

All these examples provide a smooth transition into actionable steps that have a desirable result.  

What Are the Benefits of a Call to Action Over the Phone? 

Phone calls are direct and to the point. They allow you to make a more personal connection with your customers, for starters.  

But let’s explore some more of the benefits of phone-based calls to action. 

• Encourages Immediate Action
  • It prompts potential customers to engage with you right away, increasing the likelihood of conversion (you’re striking while the iron is hot.)
• Creates a Sense of Urgency
  • A “Call now” CTA implies there’s a limited-time opportunity or immediate action that customers should take.
• Clarifies Next Steps
  • Calls provide clear next steps for what the customer should do next to reduce confusion.
• Establishes commitment
  • Phone calls allow the customer to verbally commit to the next step, increasing follow-through.
• Builds Trust and Rapport
  • Creates an opportunity for further conversation and relationship-building, showing that you’re invested in their journey.
• Provides a Chance to Address Objections
  • If there’s hesitation, you can immediately address concerns or provide more information, encouraging good communication and commitment.
• Increases Engagement and Responsiveness
  • Phone calls turn a passive conversation into an active one, making it more memorable and impactful.

Email Calls to Action 

When someone sees your ad, you don’t always want them to call you right now. Sometimes, the better approach is to collect their email address so you can follow up later. This sets the stage for you to build a relationship and share information at a more deliberate (and often more manageable) pace. 

The best way to encourage sign-ups is to offer something in return, like a lead magnet, a newsletter, a free quote, or a product demo:  

• “Schedule your consultation today!”
• “Don’t miss out—reserve your spot now!”
• “Join our community—sign up here!”
• “Download your free guide today!”
• “Get your exclusive discount—redeem it here!”
• “Secure your place in our next webinar—register now!”
• “Get started with a free trial here!”

All of these examples are excellent prompts to encourage your customers to take tangible action.  

Why Focus on Email Sign-ups? 

• Reduce Incoming Calls
  • Not everyone has the time or the workforce to handle a higher-than-usual volume of phone calls, especially when those calls require you to work your sales magic to ‘close’ potential customers. In that case, asking customers to fill out a form makes it more feasible to manage those incoming leads.
• Target Your Messages
  • Depending on the form fields you include, you can learn more about your audience’s interests and use that to create stronger promotions, advertisements, emails, and more.
• Automate Your Sales Funnel
  • Email marketing platforms like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact make it possible to automate parts of your sales process. At a basic level, this could be a simple confirmation email that lets customers know you’ve received their message. Beyond that, you can build entire automated email sequences that gradually guides the customer towards taking a bigger action (like making a big purchase.) It all starts with capturing that email address!

So, Which Do You Choose? 

Choosing the right call to action for your ads depends on your business goals, your target audience, and the nature of your product or service. Sometimes, a direct “Call Now” is the best approach, and other times, capturing an email address for follow-up might be more effective. 

When to Use “Call Now” 

• Great for industries where customers are more likely to connect with calls than email, especially if you have an older demographic.
• Great for industries such as IT, finance, insurance, banking, telecommunications, education and training, hospitality and tourism, construction and contracting, and more.
• Excellent when direct communication is more beneficial, rather than relying on someone responding to an email.

When to Use Email Capture 

• Great for busy customers (and busy businesses!) who might not have the time to make/receive calls throughout the day.
• Excellent for digital, on-the-go customers who prefer to interact with businesses online.
• Great for industries such as retail and e-commerce, health and wellness, nonprofits and charities, software and technology, marketing, online learning and education, and more.
• If your sales process requires more than one touchpoint or building a relationship over time, capturing emails allows for follow-up.

When it comes to choosing which is right for you, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each approach and choose what works best for your business. Ideally, you want a balance of both and choose the option that’s appropriate for the scenario. 

Hopefully, this blog post has helped clarify your options!

The Psychology of ‘Free’: How Digital Free Samples Hook Customers

Getting something for free, like a sample at a grocery store or a trial of a favourite streaming service (a ‘digital free sample’, so to speak), feels awesome. But ever wonder why that is? Well, it turns out that the idea of “free” has a significant effect on our choices.  

What’s the secret behind our love for “free,” and why do businesses give things away without asking for a cent? The word “free” has much more power over our decisions than we might realize.  

From physical freebies to digital free samples, the psychology behind getting something for free dramatically impacts how we behave as consumers. And for businesses, it’s one of the most powerful tools for turning potential customers into loyal, paying ones.  

This article will explore the irresistible world of free stuff and unpack why it’s such a big deal, especially in the digital age. You’ll also see how savvy businesses use this tactic to grow their customer base and generate long-term loyalty. 

The Power of Free: What’s the Appeal? 

Have you ever wondered why we get so excited about free stuff? It’s not only about saving money, although that is a big part of it. At the center of this behaviour is a psychological idea called the zero-price effect. This principle explains why we often prefer something for free over something cheap, even if the price difference is small. 

For example, imagine being offered a choice between a chocolate bar for 1 cent and another completely free. Most of us would go for the free one, even though the difference is tiny. Why does this happen? The idea of “free” suggests there’s no risk involved.  

We see it as a win-win situation: a gain with minimal downsides. Even if the free chocolate is bad, we didn’t spend even 1 penny of our hard-earned money. So, no love lost. 

This behaviour isn’t just about physical products; it also applies to the digital world. Free trials, downloadable content and app subscriptions all take advantage of our natural desire for a good deal.  

Even when we know there might be limitations or conditions attached, we’re still drawn in by the feeling that we’re getting something for nothing. And that’s where businesses take advantage of this psychology. Although we may appreciate the initial offer, we often spend more money than we intended because we feel compelled to continue. 

The Rise of Digital Freebies 

Free samples have been a cornerstone for decades, but the digital era has elevated this concept. From free trials and “freemium” models to downloadable eBooks and guides, digital free samples and freebies have become one of the most effective ways for businesses to engage potential customers. Let’s explore how these tactics are used and why they’re so effective. 

Free Trials and Demos 

One of the most common types of digital free samples is the free trial. Whether it’s a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, a 7-day free access to Netflix, or a temporary subscription to a fitness app; free trials lower the barrier to entry and allow potential customers to experience the total value of a product or service without any upfront cost. 

The psychology behind free trials is simple but effective: businesses encourage users to try out their product in a low-pressure setting by removing the financial risk. During the trial period, the goal is to impress users enough that they’ll continue with a paid subscription once the free period is over. 

Consider Spotify or Apple Music, which offer extensive free trials to new users. Many users become accustomed to the convenience and variety offered after using the service for a few weeks or months. By the time the trial ends, losing access to ad-free listening or curated playlists becomes unappealing, and users are willing to pay to keep the experience going. 

Freemium Models 

The freemium model is a popular strategy and is widely used in services and apps where basic features are available for free while advanced or premium features cost the user money.  

Take Canva, the popular graphic design tool. Its free version gives users a wide selection of tools and templates for basic design needs. However, to access advanced tools such as premium images, or the ability to export files in certain formats, users must upgrade to Canva Pro.  

This strategy works because users get a real feel for Canva’s core features. Once they realize how useful the free version is, many choose to pay for premium features to improve their experience. It’s a clever way to turn free users into loyal, paying customers over time. 

Duolingo, the language-learning app takes a similar approach, The app provides free language lessons but offers users the option to upgrade to Duolingo Plus for an ad-free experience, offline access, and extra features.  The free version draws users in, while the premium option enhances the learning journey for those ready to take it further. 

To better understand why businesses, rely on these tactics, this detailed guide on Lead Magnet Types explores how free content plays a crucial role in customer conversion. 

Downloadable Content as Lead Magnets 

Not all digital freebies are apps or subscription services. Some businesses offer content, like eBooks and guides, to attract customers by providing valuable information when users provide their contact details, like an email address.  

For instance, a digital marketing company might offer a free eBook titled “10 Steps to Improve Your Website’s SEO.” To download it, users provide their email addresses, which enables the company to send follow-up emails related to marketing campaigns or special offers.  

This basic interaction establishes a bond with clients by keeping them interested and leading them step by step through the purchasing process. If you’re curious about how email marketing works, check out this blog on Email Marketing Essentials—it dives deeper into this process and why it’s so effective. 

Lead magnets are particularly powerful in industries where trust and value need to be established before a sale. By providing free content companies can highlight their knowledge and reputation increasing the chances that customers will explore their premium offerings down the line.  

The Psychology Behind Digital Free Samples 

So, what is it that makes these free digital offers so appealing? It all comes down to a few key psychological triggers that tap into our innate human behaviour: 

The Concept of Reciprocity 

Reciprocity is a factor when it comes to free offers. The idea is that when we receive something for free from someone else, we naturally feel compelled to reciprocate in some way. This dynamic frequently comes into play in business settings, where customers tend to be more likely to make a purchase or opt for a paid service following the receipt of an item. 

For example, if you download a free guide on social media marketing from a company’s website and find it helpful without any charge; you might appreciate the business for sharing information with you at no cost.  

And when you decide to hire a media marketing service in the future, you might feel inclined to choose the company, because of the guide they offered earlier. This feeling of reciprocity can greatly impact how you make decisions.  

Building Trust and Reducing Risk 

Offering freebies is a way to establish trust and ease the apprehension of trying something new. When you offer potential customers a free trial, demo, or piece of content, you’re giving them an opportunity to experience your product without any financial commitment.  

This lowers the risk of disappointment and allows users to make an informed choice before making any financial commitments.  

This trust-building is particularly important for businesses that offer complex or high-cost services. Establishing trust is crucial, for companies providing expensive services; By offering a digital free sample, they can prove the value of their product upfront and ease any concerns the customer might have. 

The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) 

Another psychological factor that businesses use to their advantage is FOMO—the fear of missing out. They create a sense of urgency limiting the availability of offers or exclusive to certain users, businesses create a sense of urgency that makes them exclusive to groups to encourage people to act quickly.  

For instance, if a company offers a 7-day free trial of its premium service, users might feel compelled to sign up right away to avoid missing out. Once users begin using the service during the trial period businesses can showcase the value of the product which may increasing the likelihood of converting those users into paying customers. What starts as a digital free sample becomes a paid subscription.

Long-Term Benefits for Businesses 

While offering digital free samples or trials may seem like a short-term tactic, the long-term benefits for businesses are significant. Here’s how: 

Lead Generation 

Free digital samples, particularly downloadable content, are excellent for generating leads. By using lead magnets to collect contact information, businesses can build a list of potential customers who have already shown interest in their products or services. From there, businesses can nurture these leads through tailored marketing initiatives, like targeted campaigns and personalized email newsletters, to help steer them towards making a purchase.  

Customer Conversion 

The goal of giving out digital samples is to turn individuals who enjoy the freebies into paying customers. By allowing potential customers to experience the product’s value firsthand, businesses increase the chances that they’ll want to pay to continue enjoying the benefits.  

Whether it’s upgrading from a freemium model to a premium service or subscribing after a trial, the conversion feels natural since the customer has already had a firsthand experience with the product and knows its value. 

Wrapping It Up: Why Free is Powerful in Digital Marketing 

The digital age has really upped the game for freebies. From “try before you buy” trials to apps that offer cool features at no cost (but tempt you with even cooler paid ones), these strategies are all about getting us hooked and happy. 

By making it easier to get started, building trust, and creating a sense of urgency, businesses can leverage digital freebies to attract leads, build relationships, and convert users into long-term paying customers. So, the next time you come across a free offer, remember there’s a lot of psychology and clever marketing behind it. It’s all about businesses building a friendly relationship with us, the consumers, and making us feel like we’re getting a great deal.