How Do You Ask For a Review?
This morning during a meeting a co-worker mentioned they made a decision on where to order flowers based on various florist’s Google ...
Search Engines
The Rise of “Near Me” Searches Increases the Importance of Google Business Listings
People are typing phrases like “hardware store near me” or speaking into their device “foot doctor nearest me”. The way ...
Get Google’s Data the Easy Way
Google Analytics is an incredibly useful tool that can provide you with lots of valuable data about your website, but are you taking advantage of ...
The End of Google+
As of April 2, 2019 Google+ will no longer exist. In 2011, Google launched Google+ (Google Plus, G+) in an attempt to compete with social media ...
5 Things You Need To Know About Online Listings For Your Business
How does your business look online? You probably have a website, which is great. If you don’t, you’ll want to take a look at that ...
Don’t Google Your Own Business
It may seem like a harmless thing to do, but it’s not a good idea. “I’ve been Googling my business, and I don’t rank in ...
Web Content and Social Media Synergy
I want to challenge you to think about the impacts social media has on your marketing campaigns, and I also want to challenge you to get a little ...
Growth Within the Local Search Giant, Google My Business
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Local search is growing by leaps and bounds day after day. One of ...
Why Does My Company Need A Google Account?
In the modern day of marketing Google accounts can be one of the most frustrating things that you will encounter. Unfortunately many small ...
The Difference Between Google My Business and Google+
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Have you heard about Google My Business and Google+, but aren’t ...
10 Things You Should Be Using in Google Analytics
Google Analytics is by far one of the most powerful free tools available to any person or organization with a website. Unfortunately, it’s also ...
The Basics of Yoast. Not Toast. Yoast.
What if there was an easy-to-use tool on your website that helped you do a few basic things to improve your search results? Guess what – it ...
Google’s Hate Speech Policy Expansion
Content that promotes hatred, violence, & attacks against groups of race or ethnicity, age, religious beliefs, disability, gender, sexual ...
The Secret to Gaining More Customers
How do you normally find restaurants, retailers, and service providers? Do you search online for options? Many people do. This is the powerful ...
Google Algorithm Updates Affect Your Site’s SEO
Optimizing content for your website is not a one-time job. Google often rolls out different search algorithms which affect different SEO factors. ...
Try the Google My Business the Post Option
Google has a feature that will help you catch customers’ attention and draw them to your business listing in Google search. You can now ...
What Are Livestream Google Partner Events?
On Wednesday, we held a Google Partner Event at Vivid Image that was focused on Local Search and how to optimize your digital presence. This was ...
The Hyperlocal Marketing Trend
Hyperlocal marketing involves reaching your potential customers based on their location and supporting their immediate needs. It merges the ...
Steve’s Google Review Photo with 7,000 Views
There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. That can very true. The addition of a photo on a business review can trigger ...
Create Expanded Text Ads Using the Google Ads Editor
Remember when you were a kid and you got a new Lego set? It was exciting and awesome. Then you opened it up and found a box of thousands of ...
Another Reason to Care About Reviews
Google is always changing something. Their latest modification is the addition of “Reviews from the web”, which adds reviews from other websites, ...
Online Reputation: A Love-Hate Relationship
The goal of online reputation management is to monitor the business brand on the Internet. This involves encouraging positive (love!) feedback, ...
Gaining Citations in Local Search Marketing
Citations aren’t normally something that people try to obtain in their everyday life. When talking about local search marketing it is a different ...
Finding Your Best Organic Content With Google Analytics
We’ve talked a lot recently about the importance of writing a “best posts of the year post.” Last week we talked about using ...
How To Find Your Most Popular Content Using Google Analytics
Let’s focus on how to use Google Analytics to find your most popular content, and hopefully this is just in time for you to write your own ...
How Do I Write Content For a Website?
The time has come. You need to write a blog post or a new page on the website. You know you should do this more often, but you are not a writer, ...
5 Foundational SEO Steps for the SMBCMN
Today I had the privilege and pleasure of presenting to the Social Media Breakfast in Hutchinson. We covered the 5 main things you can do to set ...
Vivid Image Earns Google Partner Certification
Vivid Image is pleased to announce that we have earned our Google Partner Certification. As a Google Partner, Vivid Image has achieved a rigorous ...
How I Use Google Alerts to My Advantage
Google Alerts is one of the marketing gems out there that not enough people utilize, and the best part about it is that it’s free. Simple ...
The 20% Rule for Facebook Ads
If you are considering a Facebook Ad or even a paid Facebook Boosted Post for your fan page, you must adhere to Facebook’s advertising ...
I Would SEO, But Where Do I Start?
You wake up and think, today is the day. I’m going to search engine optimize (SEO) my website and get the best rankings that I could ever ...
Why Your Business Should Be Locally Famous
Fame is a hard thing to write about. You’re probably thinking, what does this guy know about being famous. And if you weren’t ...
The Google Hacked Sites Algorithm Update
Recently Google announced a change to their ranking algorithm that impacts sites that have been hacked. The Google hacked sites algorithm change ...
Keep Spam in the Pantry and Out of Google Analytics
Keep Spam in the pantry and out of google analytics If you do anything online at any point in your life you will have to deal with spam. Our ...
Google Sends New Sign In Warnings
Google appears to have increased the sending of warning emails to Google account owners when a Google is accessed from a new device or ...
Lessons From MnSearch Summit 2015: Technology and Search
One of the major themes that continued throughout the day at the 2015 MnSearch Summit is that technology is quickly changing everything, and it ...
What I Got Out of the 2015 MnSearch Summit
Recently MnSearch held the second annual MnSearch Summit at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a great event filled with great ...
Lessons From MnSearch Summit 2015: SEO Is Always About User Experience
SEO Is Always About User Experience The MnSearch Summit was filled with talk about technology getting better seemed to have one theme in mind. ...
Lessons From MnSearch Summit 2015: We Can Do Better
We Can Do Better Ultimately The 2015 MnSearch Summit came down to the fact that we can all do better. Wil Reynolds drove this home with one big ...
Why Isn’t My SEO Working?
I’ve been working in SEO for a little over two years and this might be the subject of over 90% of my conversations about SEO. This ...
Google Knows Mobile Is Important. Do You?
Google is getting serious about making sure that your site is ready for the mobile user. They have begun sending automated emails from Google ...
My Website Isn’t Ranking… Now What?
As someone who works with search engine optimization every day I hear this question quite often, “my website isn’t ranking when I ...
/ Search Engines
Need SEO Help?
Chances are you get lots of traffic from search engines. I’ve seen sites that get over 75% of their traffic from search engines. The ...
Practical Uses for Google Trends
If you haven’t ever looked at Google trends it is a great source of information for your online marketing. Google Trends will tell you what ...
Should I Accept a Guest Blog Request?
Welcome to the modern digital marketing mystery of our time. Guest blogging. Like many things in online marketing, guest blogging started as a ...
Google Authorship Changes… Again
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. A few weeks ago I wrote about Google Authorship and the fact that ...
Google Pigeon and Local SEO
On July 24, 2014 Google released a pretty big local search algorithm update. The update was dubbed Pigeon by Barry Schwartz and the team at ...
Where Have All The Pictures Gone?
Back in April we wrote a blog about setting up Google Authorship. One of the coolest parts of Authorship was the fact that your head shot would ...
Content Marketing Essential: Google Alerts
As a marketer or business owner, Google Alerts are essential – especially for content marketing. Google Alerts is a free Google tool that ...
3 Things You Should Know About Search Engines
Search Engines have become part of our every day life. Google is both a noun (the name of the company) and an action (every day we hear someone ...
3 Website Mistakes That Hurt SEO Efforts
Earlier this week Jackie wrote about 5 mistakes that businesses commonly make on Facebook. I figured I would keep that theme going and share the ...
How To Measure Goals With Google Analytics
When we start any marketing effort it is important to have goals in mind, and it is even better when those goals are measurable. Thankfully, when ...
SEO Essentials: Don’t Publish a Blog Without Them
We all know that Google has made many changes in 2013. From completely blocking keyword data, to dealing with the Google zoo (Hummingbird, ...
Google Analytics Launches New Interests and Demographics Reporting
Many people think of Google as a search company but the more you learn about Google you come to discover that they are really a data company. ...
/ Search Engines
Sharing Top Blogs – Thank You Google Analytics
We have written a lot of blogs this past year! As part of planning our blog strategy into the upcoming new year, we are taking a look at what ...
What is Authority and How Do I Get It?
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. What is authority? Merriam Websters (yeah, I’m using this ...
Why 100% (not provided) Will Soon Be Your Best Friend
If you are following any of the buzz in the Search Engine world you know that Google has made a change that has everyone up in arms. Google has ...
URL Search Engine Optimization Do’s and Don’ts
In the past we have talked about the importance of your URL when it comes to your SEO efforts. In that post we discussed how using keywords in ...
How To Track Sales With Google Analytics and Big Commerce
Recently we adopted an ecommerce site built with Big Commerce. For those of you that don’t know, Big Commerce is a platform for building ...
Why "Bing It On" Really Matters To Marketers
If you’ve been keeping your eyes on the search engine headlines lately you may have noticed the clever, “Bing it on” slogan ...
How To Set Up Google Analytics
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Unlock the Power of Google Analytics with a Simple Setup Google Analytics ...
The ABC’s of Google Analytics
If you are new to Google Analytics you may think most of what you are looking at is in a foreign language. Hopefully this post will help ...
How to Set up Google Authorship in WordPress
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Setting Up Google Authorship in 3 Easy Steps You may have noticed that ...
What is Author Rank and Why You Should Care?
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. What is Authorship? Authorship is essentially linking your Google+ ...
Do Not Overlook the URL In Your SEO Efforts
What is More Important than Ranking Number One in Search Results? Recent studies show that 9 out of 10 Internet users perform a search (if you ...
Tips to Starting a Successful SEO Campaign
With more and more people going to the Internet to research products and make buying decisions it has become more important for marketers and ...
/ Search Engines
Keywords That Are Too General
Keywords are important to understand, as you focus your website and blog content to increase traffic. And while it’s understandable that ...
/ Search Engines
Google, Keywords, and Your Opinion
The talk of “keywords” has been in the web design and online marketing vocabulary for years. Of all the tasks pertaining to SEO (the ...
Fixing a Google+ Automatic Local Listing Error
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Dear Vivid Image, The other day I did a search for our company on ...
The Secret to Google Local Changes
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. We’ve talked about the importance of businesses having a presence ...
How Local Search Kept A Roadtrip Mishap “Yell-Free” & Rescued My "Vacation"
All of the Vivid Image folks have areas of expertise, which makes us a well-balanced team of professionals. I don’t profess to be a huge local ...
Five SEO Essentials Made Easy with WordPress
As marketers or small business owners, it is easy to look at Search Engine Optimization and see it as being complex compared to the other ...
/ Search Engines
Is Your Website "Upgradeable"?
Getting something for nothing or a “great deal” is part of today’s consumer mindset. Have you ever thought about ...
/ Marketing
Your 2012 Marketing "Diet"
I don’t know about you, but it seems like 2011 just flew by. Before I knew it, it was October and I started planning for 2012 (don’t ...
/ Marketing
Press Release Basics for SMBs
Press Releases broadcast your organizations’ news and optimizes it for all media channels. Basic Marketing. Present it as a story that has ...
/ Search Engines
A Glossary of Web Analytics & Terms
Sometimes online marketing seems fulls of terms which are confusing for a business owner who is just starting their web journey. Do you remember ...
5 Marketing Life Preservers for Small or Sinking Budgets
Often running a small company or start-up business means you have to market your products or services on a smaller budget for longer than you ...
The ULTIMATE Marketing Recipe for Success!
Working with social media and marketing, I try out and sample different plans, campaigns, social media platforms, tools and give recommendations ...
/ Search Engines
Why Local Listings are Important When Your Target Market Isn’t Local
You’ve likely heard a lot about claiming your local listings in Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Maybe you’ve been working under the ...
/ Marketing
Use Referral Power To Boost Marketing Programs
As a marketer for the last 13+ years, I have done lots of types of marketing in lots of different industries. Some programs are industry specific ...
Make Friends with SEO’s Offspring – Title Tags
Earlier this week, we introduced you to a long-time friend of Vivid Image, named “SEO”, also known as Search Engine Optimization, in her blog ...
/ Marketing
Hello, I’m…SEO
How are you introducing your organization to the world? Through networking? A brochure? A website? There are 3 main components of introducing ...
Local Search – Claiming What’s Yours
As a small business with a limited budget, you are probably looking for the best way to stretch you marketing dollars. Your online marketing ...
/ Marketing
3 Simple Ways to Manage Your Social Life
“So much to do in so little time.” I am sure most of you think this occassionally when you are working. I do. In the best interest ...
Google+ and our Circles of Life
*Update: As of April 2, 2019, Google+ will no longer exist. Learn more. Unless you have been spending your July living on a remote island, you ...
/ Marketing
SEO Straight From the Horse’s Mouth
Is search engine optimization still important? SEO, as it is commonly referred to, is still a critical component to those who rely heavily on ...
How Does a Whole City Get Google’s Attention?
When Google announced its plan to select at least one city in its “Fiber” initiative, city leaders across the country began to dream ...
/ Search Engines
Promote Your Own Website
If you are not a SEO Marketer, Search Engine Optimization can be a highly confusing and overwhelming topic. Many people wonder what they can to ...
/ Search Engines
Unique Title Tags are Essential
An important aspect of any Search Engine Optimization campaign, the Title Tag is an essential and oftentimes underutilized element. Title Tags ...
/ Search Engines
Avoid Lost Visitors – Implement a Custom 404 Not Found Page
I am sure that this has happened to you. You are browsing the web, looking for information on a specific topic or product. You read a description ...
/ Search Engines
Google Universal and Vertical Search
As a search engine optimization specialist, I am often asked questions that relate to ranking and placement in Google. I also field a lot of ...
