This crowded marketplace combined with search engines pushing organic search results farther down the page makes it tough for businesses to get noticed online without paying for it. So what would a local Internet marketing company suggest for how to get traffic to your website? A lot! Here’s the skinny on the 10 easy steps you can take right now to improve your search engine ranking—and your bottom line.

Increase Website Traffic in 10 Steps

Choose your keywords wisely.
What’s the key to improving search engine ranking? Keywords! Think about your target audience and build an understanding of the words they might use to look for a business like yours. Then, be sure to pepper them throughout the copy on your website or blog. An Internet marketing company would say the optimum keyword density should be 1 to 3 percent. Using a keyword more than that could be considered search spam. So for a page of about 550 words, your key phrases of four words would be repeated two to four times. Try not to jam your keywords and phrases into the copy in an unnatural way. And remember that search engines evaluate all text on your pages, so be sure to include your keywords in headers, footers, meta data, advertisements, and content. This will greatly improve your search engine ranking and increase website traffic.

Develop more content.
One of the simplest things to do when considering how to get traffic to your website is to create fresh content for your website or blog regularly. Doing this will attract more visitors and give you the chance to utilize your keywords more frequently. Most search engines pay more attention to sites that are rich in content and updated consistently.

Be consistent.
Speaking of consistency, the search engines don’t like inconsistent business listings. That means you must be consistent when you list your business details. Your business name, your physical address, your phone number—every letter and number should appear exactly the same across all websites. Use the same details on your website, blog, social media profiles, local directories and review sites, and you’ll have a better chance to increase website traffic.

Get social.
Everyone’s on social media these days, and that includes businesses. Not only is it a great way to connect with your consumers, but as any local Internet marketing company will tell you, having profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can help you attract new ones. Real-time communication helps make happy customers, which in turn builds brands. It helps establish your business’ personality and give your brand a human voice that people can relate to. You can also answer questions promptly, manage or build your reputation and positively influence sales. Make sure your profile is listed as a local business.

Get responsive.
Everyone knows that mobile communication is here to stay. And when it comes to local Internet marketing, your business has to be there when your customers are on the move. You also have to provide the right information when they’re looking for you on their devices. The best way to do this is to make your website is responsive—so that your customers have the right viewing experience no matter what device they’re on. Pay even closer attention to important sections like your contact page, your product or services page, or your restaurant menu appear on mobile devices. Be careful about technologies like PDFs or Flash, which can complicate the process.

Link to other sites.
Your search engine ranking will vastly improve when you expand your presence through linking. Do some research. Find similar blogs or industry websites that post quality content. Check the page for information on linking or contact the owner. Linking helps to these sites will draw visitors that are already interested in your topic, so they’ll be apt to read your content.Check out Open Site Explorer or Google Webmaster Tools to see who is linking to you now and to find new places to grow your exposure. You can even use Open Site Explorer to “spy” on your competitors and see who’s linking to them and potentially link to same websites!

Invite reviews.
Reviews can go a long way for your reputation—and your search engine ranking. The best way to encourage your customers to write you good reviews is to engage them from the start through email, be responsive to their feedback and stay on top of comments on social media. This will give the impression that you’re worthy of praise, and that consumers stand behind your product or service. It’s really about being visible at all times.

Get your business on Google Local
Have you heard of Google Places for Business or Local Google+ pages? If not, it’s time to get up to speed. Google Places for Business helps control what information is displayed in a Google Search and on Google Maps so people can easily find you. Local Google+ pages add social interaction to your listing so there’s two-way communication with your customers. You can respond to reviews and post updates. When it comes to local Internet marketing, utilizing these two tools is a cheap and easy way to gain exposure.

Create local listings.
Any Internet marketing company would advise you to create listings on local directories or review websites. Why? Each listing represents a “citation” or mention of your business—a crucial element used in the search engine ranking algorithm, not only for Google, but also for Bing, Yahoo Local, and others. Visit GetListed.org and search for your business. You’ll see your existing citations and which listings you may be missing.

Track and analyze.
To make the most of your local Internet marketing and SEO efforts, do yourself a favor and set up tools to track and analyze results. Start simply by monitoring your keywords. Online tools like AWR Cloud or Moz Analytics make it easy to track keyword rankings from mobile search results. Check out Google Webmaster Tools weekly to keep tabs on the impressions and clicks on your keywords. Use Google Analytics to analyze the organic traffic and see if it’s improving. Chances are you’ll see a traffic increase within a few weeks. While you don’t have much control of these numbers, monitoring the trends can keep you moving in the right direction.

What are you waiting for? Now that you know how to get traffic to your website, you can start today! It might look like a huge task now, but you don’t have to get it done in one sitting. Schedule some time each day, or even each week, to focus on your search engine ranking, and you’ll increase website traffic in no time!

There are 3.81 billion active users on social media, with 1 million people joining each day—that’s equivalent to 11 new users per second![1] What’s more, 48 percent of social media users have made a purchase after seeing an advertisement on the platform.[2] With stats like that, you can’t afford NOT to advertise on social.

The fact is, businesses that don’t advertise on social media risk falling behind. Small business owners are taking note, with nearly all of them (92 percent) investing more time and money in social media in 2018 alone. Were you one of them? If not, the time is now!

Social media ads help you achieve one of three broad marketing objectives:

• Awareness: Build brand awareness or expand reach.
• Consideration: Send traffic to your website, increase engagement, encourage app installs or video views, generate leads, or encourage people to communicate with you.
• Conversion: Create online conversions, make sales, or drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores.

If you’re a small business owner looking to achieve one (if not all) of these objectives, social media advertising is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools you can use.

Here are 4 reasons why:

1. Choose who sees your ads.
Have you ever been scrolling through your Facebook feed when a product that seems perfect for you appears? That’s no coincidence—it’s by design. With fully customized targeting options like location, age groups, income, interests, and other qualifiers, social media ads give you complete control over who sees what. Plus, analytics and reporting let you see which ad messages or audiences are performing best.

2. Boost brand recognition.
Just starting a new business? Looking to gain a broader reach? The more regularly those targeted ads appear in newsfeeds, the more people will recognize you. That recognition will enhance your credibility, drive engagement, and boost conversions. Create a captivating blend of copy, colors, text, and even video, and you’re guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

3. Drive website engagement.
Whether you want people to learn about your company, buy a product, or download an eBook, social media ads are a great way to get click-throughs to your website or a unique landing page. Include compelling call-to-action buttons in your ads, like Shop Now, Learn More, or Sign Up, and you’ll enjoy an influx of traffic from the people most likely to benefit from your offering.

4. Work with any budget and see excellent ROI.
Targeting accuracy translates to a significant decrease in wasted ad spend—which pretty much guarantees a stellar return on investment. Most platforms use the pay-per-click (PPC) payment model, which means you only pay if the user takes the action you want. What’s the typical cost?

Facebook: average price-per-click for Facebook ads across all industries is $1.72
Twitter: average cost per promoted Tweet is $1.35
Instagram: average cost per 1,000 impressions on Instagram is $6.70

Best of all, you can set your social ad budget and make changes as you see results (and you WILL see results!).

Not sure where to start?
Aquarius Designs can lead the way.

When you own a business, handling social media advertising might not be high on your to-do list—so put it on ours! The Aquarius Designs team can work with you to build a custom roadmap for success, aligning your business goals, budget, audience, opportunities, and tactics in a way that achieves specific, measurable results.

Get Started Today. Call 609.336.0114!

[1] https://wearesocial.com/us/blog/2020/04/digital-around-the-world-in-april-2020

[2] https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23865/13-mind-bending-social-media-marketing-statistics.aspx

Whether you have a retail or service-based business, the key this year is to stand out! Here’s what you can do to stay visible and accessible this year.

1. Know Your Brand
Understand what sets your product or service apart from the rest in your particular market or niche. Then use it in your social posts, web copy, and digital marketing campaigns. Since consumers may not be seeing your offerings up-close and in person, do your best to make the best impression with your words, imagery, and other visual elements.

2. Be Visible
When people start shopping for the holidays, many are completely undecided or at least considering multiple gift options. One great way to make your products stand out is to post a short video on YouTube or Instagram and embed it in your product descriptions.

3. Think of Consumer Needs
With people spending so much time at home these days, household products like bedding, blankets, candles, and pajamas have become the hottest trends. If your business sells items that appeal to consumers spending lots of time inside, promote them to the fullest. And speaking of people spending time indoors, people are buying way ahead of time this year, so make sure you’re well-stocked and ready for shipping delays.

4. Offer a Flash Deal
In the service business?One way to book out your offerings is to offer a flash sale or time-limited discount. For example, you could offer customers a 20% discount if they book and pay for a service before the year ends. This is a great way for clients to save money and your business to guarantee a sale before year’s end.

Aquarius Designs Can Help You Spread Joy This Season

As you plan your holiday promotions, remember to put Aquarius Designs on your list. We can help you capture your audience by sending out holiday advertisements and seasonal offers that they’ll see right when they’re ready to buy. Our digital marketing agency is ready to help you create a meaningful connection with every shopper—every time. Visit us online today!

Did You Know…

Business 2 Community put out a list of 103 compelling social media statistics in November 2013. The biggest takeaways?

• 97% of all consumers search for local businesses online
• 72% of adult Internet users in the U.S. are active on at least one social network
• 68% of consumers check out companies on social networking sites before buying

Rave reviews will encourage consumers to choose you. If your reviews aren’t so hot, they’ll continue Googling until they find those that are. After all, before they spend their hard-earned cash on your services, they’ll want to know that you’re worth it.

Good Reviews Draw a Crowd

What’s the crowd saying about you? Is your brand perceived positively? A Zendesk survey conducted last year found that 86 percent of consumers claim to be affected by negative online reviews. So what can you do? You have to know what it takes to become the center of attention. You have to know the way consumers think and what makes them act.

We no longer live in a world where businesses seek to discover what customers are thinking by bombarding them with ads. Having an online presence is a must for small businesses, and a main ingredient for success. Being active in social media is even more crucial to your success. Your customers rely on social media to recommend your business and address customer service needs. In the social world, customers now tell businesses what they want, and it’s up to you to listen to what they’re saying. It’s a tricky business and takes a thorough strategy. So, what’s the key to engaging a customer base?

Ask for Reviews

There are plenty of people ready to say good things about your business, and you should make sure they do so. Most customers understand the importance of online reputations and will be happy to help you as long as you make it easy for them. Encourage customers to review your business. Work with a professional SEO company who can develop a campaign that drives customers to the Internet with their positive feedback ready to be shared.

Follow the Rules

When it comes to reviews, what are the rules? Obviously, you can’t pay anyone or offer incentives for positive online reviews. Don’t pose as a customer and post a good review. This is clearly unethical and it will catch up to you. The same goes for creating fake profiles to criticize competitors.

Dealing With Unhappy Customers

Confront disgruntled customers head-on and resolve the problem. Be sure to stay in the loop of all review platforms because worse than an unhappy customer expressing their opinion is everybody hearing about it but you. Take the following steps:

• Be accessible. Keep a strong online presence and encourage users to reach out to you directly.
• Respond quickly. You want your customer to know you take their complaint seriously, so a quick response will do just that.
• Have a private conversation. It’s much more effective to send a thoughtful personal message than to post an impersonal comment on a webpage. Whether or not your business was in the wrong, apologize, and consider providing store credit or a discount.
• Social activity on social media. Interact with your followers. After all, they followed you because they had an interest in your services or products. You can show them that you care by interacting with them. Answer questions. Respond to comments. And find out what else they’d like to hear about.

The Bottom Line

In business, reputation is everything. Sure, your work can speak for itself, but “word of mouth” goes a long way with consumers when making purchase decisions. As people search online for reviews about a company or product, you want them to see your best. In the digital world where you’re being judged by your online reputation, now is the time to take control of it.

Research, Research, Research

By researching your market’s keyword demand, you can discover which words and phrases to target, and also learn more about your customers as a whole. You can predict demand shifts, respond to changing market conditions, and deliver the products, services and content that users are looking for. But how do you judge the value of your keywords?

The key to successful SEO is concentrating on long-tail and specific keywords. Although they get less traffic than more generic terms, they invite more qualified traffic and users that are farther along in the buying process.

The Importance of Relevance and Location

Relevance is the key to choosing the right keywords for SEO. The more specific you are, the better. For instance, if you own a pool company, there’s a good chance you’ll attract more qualified prospects with “fiberglass in-ground pool installation” rather than just “swimming pools.”

That’s because “fiberglass in-ground pool installation,” shows the user is in research mode. They know exactly the type of pool they are looking for, and not interested in results that do not give that to them.  While optimizing for “swimming pools” has its place, going with the more relevant keyword is your best bet.

When people are looking for contractors and services in their local area, they’ll typically include their location in the search. So, “fiberglass in-ground pool installation” becomes “fiberglass in-ground pool installation in Middletown NJ.” Keep these in mind when working on your keyword research.

Now It’s Time to Optimize

As we’ve discussed, when it comes to SEO, the success of your organic search efforts relies on how well you discover, research, analyze and select the right keywords for your website. All other aspects of SEO rest on successful optimization.

• Title Tag. Include your keywords in your title tags for each page—the most crucial piece of content on your website, both on and off-page.
• Content strategy. Hoping to rank well and connect with searchers? Pepper your keywords throughout your content keeping within the Google search algorithm.
• Images. The photos on your website should include keywords in the file names.
• Links. Integrate your keywords into your link-building strategy. That includes internal links, inbound links and navigational links.
• Meta Description.  Not as important as in the past, but including your optimized keywords in your text snippets can help to get more clicks in searches.
• URL.  Include your keywords in your page’s URL. For instance: www.yourpage.com/keyword

Content Marketing Strategy

Why Having One is Key to Your Ongoing Success

In the grand scheme of things, content marketing is a relatively new concept. The general idea is rather easy to understand—you create compelling content that draws attention, generates buzz, and builds trust. But like anything new, there’s a learning curve—especially for small businesses that may not have the resources. Whether you’re creating the content in-house or outsourcing it to an agency, there may come a time when interesting new content is hard to find. No fear! Check out these tips for helping to creating exciting content.

1. Build a Content Marketing Calendar
   Just like your work commitments and appointments, putting your content creation on a calendar will help ensure you make it happen in a timely fashion. As a first step, put together a calendar of content scheduled for the month allowing for the time it takes to strategize, brainstorm, create, and publish. And remember, it’s not just one and done when it comes to writing. The search engines love to see continued use of your site and that will help bring you up higher in the search results. Shoot for new content at least once a week. And once you’ve developed the content for your site, you can turn it into posts and tweets and disseminate it across social media.
2. Show That You’re an Expert in Your Field
   Nobody knows your business better than you do. Show them why you have been in the business for so many years. As an expert in your field, users will have more reason to keep visiting your site. You can answer any question a potential customer throws at you, provide tips tricks, share how tos, whys and why nots. Take your knowledge and educate your audience. They’ll love it!
3. See What’s Working Out There
   Research other sites to get inspired. Understand why certain content works and doesn’t work. Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools can show you your top-trafficked pages and search queries to see what content has performed the best. Understanding these trends will show you what’s worked in the past and where you should head moving forward.
4. Get Social
   Social media sites provide great ideas for real-time content. Trending topics provide a valuable opportunity to provide useful content the moment people are looking for it. Check out the trends on Twitter and Facebook, and then enhance the story by discussing a new aspect or taking a controversial stance. You can even add infographics or videos to really make a statement.
5. Record It
   Speaking of video, utilize it as much as possible! While SEO tends to center around text, visual content is much more appealing for viewers. As humans, we are naturally engaged by visual content because 90 percent of the information that comes into our brains is visual. For your next content creation, consider developing an infographic with research that you’ve already conducted. This will keep visitors more engaged than with written content alone.
6. Repurpose Content
   Business gets busy. If brainstorming and research is too time-consuming, revisit an older piece of writing, rewrite and update it. New trends and information offer an easy opportunity to build on earlier posts.  Take that content and create a video from it, reuse it but make it unique.
7. Track and Measure Results
   According to the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends report, 49 percent of B2B business owners have trouble measuring the effectiveness of their content. So, even though we’re investing more time and money into content creation and distribution, many of us don’t know whether that content is working. It’s important to watch your analytics and see which pages users are visiting and spending time on. Which posts and tweets are people liking, engaging with and sharing? Use this data, and learn and grow from it.

No matter what type of business you own, content marketing and keyword research is now a required necessity for all Search Engine Marketing campaigns. Focus your efforts on it and you’ll engage new and existing audiences, and even encouraging sharing. Your task, if you choose to accept it? Understand the content strategies that have worked in the past and diversify the media by which they’re created, and you’ll see an immediate boost in business!

Picture this . . . 

An angry customer decides to bombard the Internet with complaints and negative comments about your business. It doesn’t matter if they’re true—they’re out there. Google local reviews display them. Local business listings reveal them. And now anytime someone does a search for a company or product like yours, they’re seeing them, too.

Your company is open 24/7 on the Internet. And so are various websites and social media platforms displaying ratings and reviews about your company.

Tips for an Online Presence and Company Reviews That Draw a Crowd

1. Manage your reputation. Put a dedicated person on the job either in-house or outsourced.
2. Know what’s out there. Scour all the social media sites, forums, blogs, message boards, video sharing websites and other channels daily and know what’s being said about your company.
3. Be responsive. When someone says something negative, respond. Something positive, even more reason to respond! Everyone likes to know their opinion matters, and reaching out personally is a great customer service moment.
4. Be active on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ and more.  And add shareable content to show you’re an expert in your field.
5. Have Access. Make sure you have access to all social and online listings.  Be sure to claim any that are out there so you can control what is being said and answer reviews when they are written.

Did You Know?

Business 2 Community, an independent online community, put out a list of 103 compelling social media statistics in November 2013.  Some of the most intriguing findings?

• 97% of all consumers search for local business listings online
• 72% of adult Internet users in the U.S. are active on at least one social network
• 68% of consumers check out companies on social networking sites before buying

So, what does that mean for you? You need a strong online presence, lots of positive reviews and active participation on social media. While you may be certain you’re delivering a great customer experience, it’s important to keep an eye out for what people are saying about that experience. Be vigilant. If they’re posting negative comments, act fast. Respond. Smooth out the wrinkles. And if you’re finding positive feedback, you can collect those comments and promote them to your greatest advantage. Here are some tips to get you started.

Company Reviews are in
A Positive Experience Makes All the Difference

Company reviews will help encourage consumers to choose you. But just as important as your reviews is your online presence. Nothing draws a crowd like gossip. So what are they saying about you and your website? If your online (and offline) reputation is negative for whatever reason, it’s time to turn it around. Yes. It is possible. But it takes local business marketing expertise and an excellent online (and offline) experience.

Having positive reviews is a must for small businesses—and a main ingredient for business success. A Zendesk survey conducted last year found that 86 percent of consumers claim to be affected by negative online reviews. So what can you do? You have to know what it takes to become the center of attention. You have to know the way consumers think and what makes them act. And that has everything to do with customer service and how you handle each experience. So, how do you invite reviews?

Go ahead and ask for reviews!

There are plenty of people ready to say good things about your business, and you should make sure they do so. Most customers understand the importance of online reputations and will be happy to help you as long as you make it easy for them. Encourage customers to submit company reviews. Have a dedicated in-house employee or work with a local SEO company who can develop a campaign that drives customers to the Internet with their feedback ready to be shared. An excellent idea is creating a graphic button on your website where users can click to review you, create an email marketing campaign asking for company reviews, or create printed material promoting your online sites where reviews can be submitted.

Follow the rules.

When it comes to reviews, what are the rules? Obviously, you can’t pay anyone or offer incentives for positive online reviews. Don’t pose as a customer and post good Google local reviews. This is clearly unethical and it will catch up to you. The same goes for creating fake profiles to criticize competitors. But relationship building can go a long way. Positive reviews mean positive experience, so maximize the far-reaching benefits of each positive review so that a long-term customer relationship is developed. Utilizing incentive programs and other customer benefits, you can foster a lasting bond between each happy customer and your business.

Get social.

Everyone’s on social media these days, and that includes businesses. Not only is it a great way to connect with your consumers, but as any local business marketing company will tell you, having profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can help you attract new ones. Real-time communication helps make happy customers, which in turn builds businesses. It helps establish your company’s personality and gives your business a human voice that people can relate to. You can also answer questions promptly, manage or build your reputation and positively influence sales. Make sure your profile is up-to-date on all social media accounts.  To ensure success, interact with your followers. After all, they followed you because they had an interest in your services or products. You can show them that you care by interacting with them. Answer questions. Respond to all comments—good and bad. And find out what else they’d like to hear about.

Get your business on Google Local.

Get up to speed on Google + for Business.  This website helps control what information is displayed in a local Google Search and on Google Maps so people can easily find your business. Local Google+ business pages add social interaction to your listing so there’s two-way communication with your customers. You can respond to reviews and post updates. When it comes to local business listings, utilizing this tool is an affordable and easy way to gain exposure.

Create local listings.

Any local business marketing company would advise you to create listings on local directories. Local business listings represent a “citation” or mention of your business—a crucial element used in the local SEO ranking algorithm, not only for Google local reviews, but also for Bing and many others.

Dealing with unhappy customers.

Confront frustrated customers head-on and resolve the problem. Be sure to stay in the loop on all review platforms because worse than an unhappy customer expressing their opinion is everybody hearing about it but you. Take the following steps:

• Respond quickly and positively – remember others are reading your response.
• Have a private conversation – if this is needed reach out to the customer directly to try and resolve the situation away from the public
• Customer service. Customer service. Customer service.

The Bottom Line

To protect your reputation online, a positive offline and online experience will lead to positive reviews. So what are you waiting for? Manage your reputation with these proven methods that broaden and solidify your business, promote your company’s strengths and build up the positive reviews. It might look like a huge task now, but you don’t have to get it done in one sitting. Schedule some time each day, or even each week, to focus on garnering positive reviews, and you’ll improve your online presence in no time!

How Aquarius Designs Helps Your Business Thrive in the Age of AI Search

The digital world is changing faster than ever — and AI search is transforming the way people discover businesses.

Gone are the days when traditional SEO alone was enough. Today, customers aren’t just searching on Google — they’re asking AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Perplexity for personalized answers and trusted recommendations.

If your business isn’t optimized for this new landscape, you’re invisible to the next wave of digital discovery.

That’s where Aquarius Designs comes in.

We help your brand stay ahead — ensuring your business doesn’t just exist online… it shows up where real customers (and smart AI systems) are looking.

Step 1: Be Found in AI Search

AI-powered tools don’t pull results from ads — they pull from credible, optimized, and well-structured content.

At Aquarius Designs, we make sure your business meets those standards by:

• Optimizing your website content so it’s easy for AI models to understand and reference.
• Building trust signals through consistent local listings, schema markup, and strong online reputation.
• Creating clear, helpful, human-centered content that answers real customer questions — the same way AI systems are trained to respond.

The result? Your business becomes more recognizable and recommendable — not just by humans, but by the AI platforms shaping tomorrow’s search results.

Step 2: Turn Clicks into Customers

Being found is only half the battle. Once visitors land on your website, your digital experience determines whether they stay… or leave.

That’s why we design conversion-driven websites that:

• Engage visitors with clear messaging and visually stunning design.
• Build trust through strategic calls to action, social proof, and credibility.
• Guide users effortlessly from interest to inquiry with an intuitive flow.

Every page we build is carefully crafted to turn attention into action — helping your business close more leads and create real growth.

The Aquarius Difference

What makes us different? We understand that visibility and conversion must work hand in hand.

We don’t just help you show up — we help you stand out, connect authentically, and convert consistently.

From brand design and digital strategy to AI-optimized content and web development, Aquarius Designs is your full-service partner for smart, sustainable growth in the AI era.

Let’s Make Your Business the One AI Can’t Ignore

The future of search is already here — and the businesses that adapt early will lead tomorrow’s market.

Ready to make your brand AI-visible and customer-converting?
Let’s talk about how Aquarius Designs can help you get found, get clicked, and get customers.

Contact us today to start your next step toward smarter digital success.

Google My Business

Google Plus was established at the start of 2013 with over 500 million users. But for whatever reason, this part of the world has yet to feel the presence of this major networking giant. Nevertheless, failing to take advantage of this online network could mean losing priceless opportunities to grow your business. Why? Because Google recently launched Google My Business, making it easier for brands and local businesses to connect with consumers.

What is Google My Business?

It’s the best way for customers to find you. It puts your business information on Search, Maps and Google+ so you’ll be found no matter what device they’re using. Best of all, it’s free! Your customers will get the right information at the right time, whether they’re looking for your hours of operation in Search, driving directions in Maps, or your phone number to click on when using their mobile phones. They can even show some love with ratings and reviews, endorse your content, and re-share your Google+ posts.

So once you set up your Google+ profile and add your info to Google My Business, you’ll be building your brand without even lifting a finger! Need more proof why you need to be on Google+?

 Top 4 Reasons to Get on Google+

Visibility

Since June 2014, there were 343 million active accounts in Google+. Further, 68 percent of online searches are done on Google, and having a presence on Google+ can actually help your company rank higher in their search results! This is a market you can’t ignore in terms of visibility. The results page on Google Search has become a game-changer for brands’ online presence and visibility. Google+ is a powerful SEO force and should be one of your main social media marketing tools. In addition to typical business information, images, website and social media details, and maps, anyone can view and follow your brand on Google+ directly from Google search results. That means the search page is prime real estate to introduce your brand. Plus, having a local listing helps to give you first-page visibility. And along with your other marketing efforts, you’ll have a better chance of appearing more times via natural/organic and paid advertising with Google AdWords.

Connections

Google+ is a great way to stay connected and share with customers, clients and colleagues. Once you’re in the Google+ world, you have access to tons of resources in one single place to connect in any medium you like: Hangouts, Communities, YouTube, Google Search, Google Maps and more. Each optimizes your marketing strategy, taking your brand even further. But first you’ll want to create your community by adding people to your “Circles,” a central feature of Google+. Just do a quick search to find whomever you’d like to connect with. If they have a profile page, you can add them to your Circles to keep in touch. Then you can share content, get updates from others, engage in Communities or create Hangouts for real-time communication. And the more people and businesses you follow, the higher your search result rankings. 

Reviews

Did you know 60 percent of consumers consider ratings and reviews important when researching businesses? What’s more, nearly 70 percent of US Internet users compare prices or read reviews before visiting a brick-and-mortar store. Online reviews play a significant role with consumers looking for businesses and purchasing products. The Internet has made it possible to find this information quickly, and mobile devices like smartphones have made it easier to find on the go. Bottom line—reviews matter. According to Google, “business listings that had at least 3+ star reviews took 41 out of 47 clicks.” They also found that “the number of reviews counts, too—29 of those 47 clicks went to listings that had at least four reviews.” What does that mean for your business? The amount of reviews has big value. But keep in mind that you should focus on getting quality reviews from customers. Quantity will come naturally over time as your business continues to provide great service and products. Seek out good reviews from your customers and be sure to share them everywhere you can.

Sharing

Google+ was built from the ground-up as a content-sharing platform. It pretty much takes the good features of Facebook and Twitter and makes them better. Sharing content is one of the most important parts of Google+, helping you to build authority, expose you to new audiences and increasing web traffic. But you must share wisely. Many believe that setting the post to “public,” gives them maximum exposure, but adding your Circles and select individuals to your share settings is much more effective. It this triggers a notification to them that you’ve shared a post directly with them. Used smartly, these notifications can have a big impact on the amount of activity on a post.

Chances are your customers are already on Google+. Once you are too, you can take your regular activity on social media to a whole new level, boosting your search engine ranking and your brand recognition. If you’re not already networking on Google+, it’s time to start using one of the most powerful online tools.

A call to action is exactly what it sounds like – a way to urge your visitors to do something specific. When you’re trying to generate traffic to your website, this is one of the first areas you must consider. So, how can you create an effective call to action? Get started with some of these best practices.

Effective Call to Action Tips

Begin with the right action

Again, consider what do you want people to do when they visit your website.  Should they call your business? Sign up for a newsletter?  Keep coming back for news and updates?  Choose the one most important thing you want every visitor to do, and make this the focus of your call to action. Cluttering up your page with multiple requests could end up confusing visitors.  But don’t limit your effective call to action to just the landing page. You have the opportunity to inspire action on EVERY page, so use that to your advantage. This way, you can make different requests depending on the page, but again, make sure it’s only one request per page. Repetition is an excellent way to reinforce your message and boost conversions.

Consider form and function

To build traffic to your website, your effective call to action can take the form of copy or design.  Maybe it’s a simple call-out with text including a phone number to call. Or a link to click on that takes visitors to a new page with a form to complete. Whichever effective call to action you choose, make sure it’s communicated clearly and the functionality makes it easy for the visitor to complete. And make sure it’s the most visible, emphasized element on the page. Consider the following tips:

•           Make it large enough to stand out, but keep it in proportion to the page
•           Incorporate color to attract the eye
•           Use a compelling design element that complements your website
•           Choose a that’s easy to read rather than something decorative
•           Be consistent with the call to action on every page

Keep it short and simple

An effective call to action isn’t funny, gimmicky or verbose. You should get to the point quickly. To generate traffic to your website, begin your call to action with a verb like “share” or “get.” This invites the visitor to pass on some good information or get some benefit for themselves.  Consider including a time element, such as “now” or “today” to give a sense of urgency and/or show that your site is current and up to date.  Some good examples, depending on your type of business, include:

•           Call us today
•           Save 50% on shirts
•           Follow us on Twitter

While an effective call to action is critical to boosting conversions, your work doesn’t stop there. When you’re addressing how to get more traffic to your website and convert more leads into customers, your next step is to tackle search engine optimization. The professionals at Aquarius Designs, a New Jersey marketing and design firm, can take the guesswork out of the process and help build traffic to your website.  Call us today at 917.687.4764.

Local SEO Services That Boost Site Traffic

When it comes to local marketing, one of the best ways to gain visibility is by using free web listings. With millions of users making the Internet a huge part of their lives, they’re a marketing must when learning how to promote your business. So, what exactly are they? A local business listing is essentially an online profile that features your business name, description and contact information. And the best part is many of the major websites and directories allow you to list your business for free—but a professional internet marketing firm with local SEO services can show you the upgrades that provide even bigger benefits.

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your listing.

• Verification. In order to qualify for a local business listing, your must have each of the following criteria:

o    Business name or DBA

o    Dedicated physical street address

o    Local phone number that matches your city location

o    Face-to-face interaction with customers (no virtual businesses)

• Your business title. To rank high in the local search engines, your business title must remain consistent across all local marketing websites and directories. This helps to establish trust in the existence and location your business. If your business is called “Suzy’s Sweets” on one site and “Suzy’s Chocolates” on another site, the search engines may see this as two separate businesses. And in the local SEO services world, this is a big no-no.

• Categories. When creating your local marketing listing on search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing, you’ll be prompted to choose up to 10 categories that fit your business. Choose wisely! Ask any local Internet marketing firm, and they’ll cite proper category selection as the most important step of the listing process. That’s because search engines use category data to determine which businesses to list for particular searches.

• Links and Citations. When determining how to rank a business, the search engines place a lot of importance on links and citations (mentions of your business with contact info). All things being equal, the website with the most links and citations from other high-quality websites in your area, will rank highest. So when considering how to promote your business, get your business name and contact details listed everywhere you can.

• Patience. After verification, you may not see your listing online immediately. Depending on the search engine, it may go live in a matter of minutes or days, while others require lengthy review time taking up to a couple months. Resist the urge to change the details of your listing while you wait, as this can end up adding time to the process.

There are plenty of other tips and tidbits to take advantage of when it comes to local listings, and partnering with a local Internet marketing firm with local SEO services makes it easy. But start today with these simple steps, and you’ll be well on your way. And remember—the more places you’re listed, the more visible you are. So start spreading the word!