Webinars

There has been a dramatic shift in the way consumers shop, and Google’s page experience is shifting with them. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) best practices are continually evolving based on consumer behavior and Google’s algorithm. What might have been effective in the past may not be as effective now.

Let HFA help you increase your website’s organic (free) traffic from Google by helping you understand the new rules and keep you up to date on the current trends that are impacting your online retail strategy. Mark Schumacher, HFA’s CEO, will be joined by two SEO experts Ken Widger, Senior Marketing Program Manager at MicroD, and Cate Gallagher, VP of Client Success for Phelps Digital, who will help you navigate through such areas as:

• Strategies to optimize your website for lead generation
• What Google’s algorithm change in May means for you
• How to best rank your website on Google using free SEO strategies
• Using SEO to improve search rankings and drive consistent, qualified traffic
• Optimizing your site for mobile

Ken Widger – Senior Marketing Program Manager, MicroD

Ken is the Senior Marketing Program Manager for MicroD.  Ken has over 25+ years of experience in the digital marketing space, including digital design and conversion optimization. While being entrepreneurial by nature, he enjoys utilizing his unique design talents and internet marketing background to help small to mid-size businesses.

Cate Gallagher – VP Client Success, Phelps Digital

Cate is the VP of Client Success at Phelps Digital. She has over fifteen years of experience growing client success teams and managing marketing initiatives. For the past seven years, she has been specifically focused on digital advertising. She enjoys extending what she’s learned to help others optimize their online presence and grow their business.

Key Takeaways:

• The desire to shop for furniture online increased from 8% to 65% of consumers, with 75% wanting to purchase within a 5-mile radius.
• Soon, over 50% of Google searches will show localized results.
• Optimizing your Google My Business listing will increase your visibility on Google Maps.
• Reviews carry a heavy weight with both consumers and your SEO performance.
• Consider improving your local SEO by creating a landing page with content specific to your geographic area.
• Top Tips for Improving SEO:
  • Update your meta & title tags
  • Identify key words YOUR consumers are using and include them within your site’s content
  • Include a blog and update frequently
  • Optimize your page speed
• Great images, simple-to-understand content, and calls to action are all critical elements.
• Invest time to merchandise your website just as you would for a brick & mortar location, making sure to highlight any current promotions.
• Organically driven traffic is most often the best performing (time on site, bounce rates, etc.)
• 4-6% of revenue is the average spent on marketing. 15% of that amount was spent on digital – that has shifted to be closer to 50%.
• Google’s upcoming changes will focus on user experience, requiring you to finetune your page and ensure it is responsive.