Tag Archives: Brand Awareness

Vol 146: Reflecting on 13 Years of SEO and the Latest Google Update

This entry was posted on September 11, 2024 by Team Eminent SEO.

Hi Readers,

I hope this message finds you:

Listening to your favorite music
Looking forward to the changing season
Enjoying the current projects you are working on

Can you believe we are already into September and 4th quarter begins in less than a month? I was on the phone with a client yesterday and he made a joke of it, “how is it already September when last month was just January?”. For real though. Where does the time go?

We’ve been putting out the Eminent SEO newsletter for a long time now. We started Eminent in 2009 but didn’t officially launch our website or until August 2011. Still, it’s always fun to look back at where you started to see how far you’ve come.

In our 2011 newsletter we talked about:

How we just launched the first ever version of our company website. I can’t believe we’ve had this site for 13 years now! She’s still cute.
The Google Panda update. What’s that? Basically, it targeted low quality content. You can read more about it here.
Google+ was the new “hot” social network everyone had to jump on, which was shut down officially on April 2nd, 2019. But, let’s be honest, it was never that great to begin with…
A Google Blogger account we set up as an internal “Think Tank”. Does anyone remember Blogger? Fun fact: Blogger is one of the oldest blogging platforms, launched in 1999 and acquired by Google in 2003. Technically it’s still around, but other blogging platforms like WordPress, Tumblr, and Medium have become more popular due to their more extensive customization options.
A contest to help us name our brand mascot. In case you missed it, Max The Monster won. I thought we would do a lot more with him over the years, but even though he only rarely makes an appearance these days, he’s still our company business card and I always get a smile when I hand it out.

Good To Know in SEO

In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms each year and it was a big deal. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Most of these updates are so slight that they go completely unnoticed. However, from time to time, they roll out major updates that significantly impact the SERPs.

These are the big ones documented over the years:

Florida
Big Daddy
Jagger
Vince
Caffeine
Panda
Freshness Algorithm
Page Layout Algorithm
Venice Update

Penguin
EMD (Exact Match Domain)
Payday
Hummingbird
Pigeon
Mobilegeddon
Quality Updates
RankBrain
Fred

On September 3rd Google Search Central announced the latest update just completed, after 19 days. When they announced the launch they stated: “Today we released the August 2024 core update. It continues our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.”

Personally, I am not mad at this. Certain industries are still practicing outdated SEO techniques like keyword stuffing, making city + service pages for every keyword combination, adding misspellings and “near me” terms to titles and headers, etc. and it’s blatantly obvious this is for search engines and not users. However, I think it’s so much more than that. With the introduction of AI and the influx of free and cheap tools, everyone and their grandma is using AI to make content. Problem is, it’s not always that great and a lot of these tools (even the paid ones) are not reliable in terms of generating factual content. Not to mention the blatant copywriting issues and knockoff content. But, that’s nothing new. People have been trying to make shortcuts to content generation for years. I can’t tell you how many spun articles and gibberish content used to rank because spammers were able to get away with crappy content as long as they were able to get enough links to it. Luckily duplicate content and spun articles were addressed pretty early on, but that doesn’t mean that the spammers haven’t continued to look for new shortcuts and ways to manipulate the algorithm. Instead of, I don’t know, just actually making quality content?

Sigh.

If you want to take a closer look at the algorithm changes over the years, check out The Evolution of SEO on our site.

Other Marketing News

Here is a roundup of a few important announcements we think you should know about:

WordPress Just Locked Down Security For All Plugins & Themes

WordPress tightens security with two improvements that will help protect the integrity of all plugins and themes.

Read More ->

Google Ads to upgrade Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen in 2025

In Q2 2025, Google Ads will upgrade VAC to Demand Gen, offering advertisers expanded reach, creative flexibility and enhanced targeting.

Read More ->

New Google Analytics 4 Benchmarking Data

Google Analytics, GA4, seems to be rolling out benchmarking data, similar to Universal Analytics before it. This feature lets you compare your analytics data to others in your same industry – so you can benchmark how well or poorly you are doing.

Read More ->

From Our Blog

As today’s market continues to change, it’s important for us to evolve and adapt to these circumstances. By leveraging agile marketing strategies, your team can revamp strategies using real-time data and feedback. I wrote a post about it. Check out:

Why Agility Is Crucial to Successful Digital Marketing (and Beyond)

See how crucial agility is for driving a successful digital marketing campaign. Discover how quick adaptation can push your business to new heights.

Read More ->

Should you feel like you want to have a conversation with me about your current marketing strategies, please book a free consultation. I’ll take a look at your needs and we can talk about how my team might be able to help you reach your digital marketing goals. If not, you’ll still get some free insights from me (and an interesting convo!).

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to what the next season brings. Wishing you the best in whatever you are focused on next.

Now get at it!

Jenny

SEO Term of the Day

“Geo-Targeting”

Definition:If you are located in a specific geographical location (geo), your marketing efforts should be geared towards that specific geo target. For example, if you have a hair salon in Mesa, Arizona, you don’t want to market to the entire nation, you want to geo target Arizona and Mesa specifically where possible for the best results.

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Marketing Consulting Services

The digital marketplace literally changes daily. You’re an expert at your business. But, unless you work in digital marketing, you likely don’t also have time to stay “in-the-know” on all of the aspects that impact your ability to get found online.

To Learn more about our marketing consulting services, click below.

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Team Eminent SEO

Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.

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This entry was posted in Newsletter and tagged Brand Awareness, Branding.

Vol 145: A Guide to Defining Your Brand Tone for Improved Marketing Campaigns

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This entry was posted on July 15, 2024 by Team Eminent SEO.

With nearly two decades of experience in the ever-evolving field of SEO and digital marketing, I’ve seen firsthand how integral a well-defined brand tone and voice is to the success of any marketing campaign.

In today’s crowded digital marketplace, standing out is more challenging than ever. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. This is where defining your brand tone and voice becomes crucial. It’s the secret sauce that connects your brand with your audience on a deeper level, builds trust, and drives engagement.

But what exactly are brand tone and voice, and why are they so important?

Read My Latest Post

The Future of Digital Marketing is Here!

AI and Automation: Discover how AI is revolutionizing data analysis and personalization, enabling businesses to deliver more tailored and impactful marketing campaigns.
AR & VR Integration: Explore the world of augmented reality and virtual reality, unlocking new possibilities for creating interactive and engaging experiences that captivate audiences.
Social Media Evolution: Learn about the shift towards micro-influencers and authentic engagement strategies that foster genuine connections with your community.
Inclusivity & Diversity: Understand the importance of building inclusive and diverse marketing strategies to cultivate stronger, more loyal customer relationships.
Data Privacy Prioritization: Explore the significance of transparent data privacy practices in maintaining trust and credibility with your audience.

Good To Know in SEO

SEO Update: Google completed the June 2024 spam update, targeting policy-violating websites. As search quality improves, search rankings may fluctuate. Read More ->
Tech Talk: How will generative AI impact website rankings and traffic? Understand how Google’s AI Overviews are influencing website traffic and the challenges and opportunities for maintaining visibility online. Read More ->
SEO Strategy: Google Reveals Its Methods For Measuring Search Quality. Google measures search results using surveys, experts, and user behavior. Improving quality leads to trickier searches and ongoing challenges. Read More ->

Thank you for being a part of our digital journey. Let’s innovate, inspire, and elevate together.

Until next time,
Jenny Weatherall
CEO, Eminent SEO

From Our Blog

A Guide to Defining Your Brand Tone for Improved Marketing Campaigns

Defining your brand tone and voice is crucial. It’s the secret sauce that connects your brand with your audience on a deeper level, builds trust, and drives engagement.

Read More ->

Diversity in Advertising: How to Achieve It

Through diversity and inclusion in marketing, your business can execute campaigns and usher in new interest to your brand.

Read More ->

Incredible MidJourney Prompts That Will Blow Your Mind

Hesitant to dip your toes into the waters of AI art and image generation because you lack coding skills or artistic knowledge? Turns out all you really need is an imagination and a keyboard.

Read More ->

SEO News Roundup

HUGE Google Search document leak reveals inner workings of ranking algorithm

The documents reveal how Google Search is using, or has used, clicks, links, content, entities, Chrome data and more for ranking.

Read More ->

Google Completes June 2024 Spam Update Rollout

Google completed the June 2024 spam update, targeting policy-violating websites. As search quality improves, search rankings may fluctuate.

Read More ->

How will generative AI impact website rankings and traffic?

Understand how Google’s AI Overviews are influencing website traffic and the challenges and opportunities for maintaining visibility online.

Read More ->

How Google Measures Search Quality – Interview With Elizabeth Tucker

Elizabeth Tucker, Director, Product Management at Google Search was a guest on Google’s Search Off the Record podcast where Lizzi Sassman and John Mueller of Google asked her about search quality, how Google measures it, and so much more.

Read More ->

Social Media News Roundup

SEO Term of the Day

“Spam or Spammy”

Definition: Manipulation techniques that violate search engines Terms of Service. Generally search engine spam techniques are designed to achieve higher rankings for a web page and could be grounds for a penalization, de-indexing or banning. Spam also refers to other marketing techniques, such as unwarranted sales email or irrelevant comments on a blog that contain a link or even gibberish.

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Brand Strategy

Your brand is so much more than your logo and company name. Your brand is your visual identification with the world. It’s your opportunity to emotionally connect with your audience. Your brand represents your personality and vision. Therefore, before you can even begin designing a logo you must first develop your brand strategy.

To Learn more about our Brand Strategy services, click below.

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Team Eminent SEO

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This entry was posted in Newsletter and tagged Brand Awareness, Branding, marketing strategies.

Vol. 89: Remove your Disconnect in Client Expectations

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This entry was posted on April 22, 2019 by Jenny Weatherall.

Setting Business Expectations Early Saves the Relationship

When you think about it, most of us spend more time with our business associates and coworkers than our families and personal partners. It’s like a marriage of sorts but we don’t always have the opportunity to formulate a plan for the future and revisit those goals as often as we do with our loved ones at home. But maybe we should.

Not everyone delivers communication in the same way. Moreover, not everyone receives communication in the same way. This painful truth, left unchecked, will continue to set the marketing agency and client relationship at odds. Why?

We forget that behind the business titles and job responsibilities, we are all just people. How we perceive words, imagery, body language, voice inflection, and other clues that reveal how we think and the way we might act are often left in the digital dust. And no, emojis just won’t cut it here.

This is our greatest challenge: Knowing that we communicated expectations effectively and verifying that they were received with the same understanding.

But in this virtual age of how business gets done, not every marketing agency can take it old school and meet with clients face-to-face often. Though that would help.

If well-meaning and congruent intentions were enough to keep clients happy, we’d all be with the same advertising and SEO company for the lifetime of the business (or at least a 5-year span). But who does that? Nobody. Would it be easier if we did? Yes.

While we can’t promise that you’ll maintain the marketing alliance or client for an extended period of time, the following will help you get on the same page right from the get-go: from initial contract signings, scope creep, and unexpected business shifts.

3 Rules to Healthy Marketing Agency/Client Relationships

Say what you mean.
Mean what you say.
Document it.

These must-dos will keep emotions on an even keel and help guide your initiatives as a collective transformation, taking ideation into realization with positive results. But your attorneys won’t be invited to this party, because expectations are best set when they are understood, revisited, and attainable. Here’s how.

Marketing Tip

From the Eminent Team

The Marketing Agency of 2020: A New Paradigm Is Around the Corner

Creative and strategic agility are the foundations of marketing in today’s climate. Is your business ready for the next shift?

See Full Article

What You Should Know About Inbound Marketing Before You Hire an Agency

Nurturing and building customer engagement is more complex than ever before. Finding that sweet spot isn’t as simple as counting on your brand reputation…

See Full Article

Jenny Weatherall

CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist

Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.

Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.

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This entry was posted in Business Strategy, Newsletter, Reputation Management and tagged Brand Awareness.

Why Cannabis Design Without Showing Flower Gives Marijuana Business an Edge

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This entry was posted on January 12, 2019 by Melanie Stern.

On the face of this notion, you might think that I’m ashamed of marijuana use as a whole. You could believe that there’s an insinuation here, that cannabis-related businesses should act as though they’ve got something to hide.

According to the federal government, they do. Facebook, Google and Amazon might concur with that sentiment as well because as long as cannabis product and service offerings don’t play by their rules (when they choose to enforce them), these businesses don’t or won’t exist. Then again, marijuana industry sales certainly don’t dictate that. In fact, there’s a lot to celebrate: It’s a billion dollar industry. But the same challenges that stand in the marketing and public positioning of these businesses also exist in cannabis design. It could be one of the factors for success and failure. Here’s why.

Marijuana Advertising and Cannabis Design Must Overcome Stigma in 3 Seconds

There is a three-second rule. No, not the one that applies to food dropped on the floor that’s still fit for consumption; that’s actually a five-second rule. I’m talking about three seconds. It may not sound like a lifetime. It is in radio. But there’s no visual element in that media channel – just the power of the mind. However, three seconds on a print piece, billboard or web display will represent a lifetime of brand perception to the viewer, whether the impression is on target or totally off the mark.

Many existing dispensary shops and ancillary weed-based businesses use the obvious indicator of the product, the marijuana leaf. But according to a recent U.S. Patent and Trademark Office report, 44 percent of logos in this industry had some form of the plant included. Isn’t the cannabis industry much bigger than that?

Think of it this way. If you had a company that manufactured a coffee drink flavored with butter (some people drink coffee as such), how impactful would coffee beans or a stick of butter be to the logo? Pretty meh, right? And it wouldn’t pass the three second test. That is, if a consumer even needed the entire three seconds before passing it over and looking for “Next”…

The Right Look and Feel of Cannabis Branding Makes Consumers Want to Touch It

Strong branding and alluring cannabis design are one in the same. Brand colors and placement, typeface, size and tone all play a significant role in how a consumer perceives who you are, what you do and how you do it. This is inclusive of marijuana enterprises as well. It boils down to creating the experience that a person wants to visit and revisit.

More than likely, the first customer experience happens on a website. Unless it’s a landing page, the home page is the starting point. From there, people will then venture into the brick and mortar of the company, the dispensary, for example. But what then?

The Journey of the Marijuana Brand Experience

Let’s say you’re driving home from work on a Friday evening and although you’ve put the work week behind, you’re still carrying the stress of the job (as many of us do). While you’re approaching a stop light as dusk begins its descent, something catches the corner of your eye. There, at the top right corner of it.

There’s a billboard, extolling the virtues of a marijuana dispensary located just around the corner. You’re a card-carrying member of the cannabis community so you follow the sign to check it out. You’re thinking that, more than likely, they’ll have something to help ease the tension from your neck and back. And they’re just two miles from home. Timing is everything. But here’s what I haven’t told you yet: the company’s name, Kind Meds. Emotionally approachable? Heck yeah!

One more anecdote before we move on … If your web brand doesn’t align with your on-site experience, you’ve created a consumer disconnect. For businesses that rely on marijuana marketing to increase brand awareness, engage new customers and build brand loyalty, it’s everything.

Let’s take this up a notch.

Tomorrow’s Marijuana Advocates Might Be Today’s Adversaries

What if the person in that car heading home from work wasn’t a marijuana advocate? In fact, what if he/she is one of the millions in the United States who still support the Schedule I drug classification? Even with the recent news that the DEA moved some marijuana formulations into Schedule V, making this the first time it provided a sliver of government-backed legitimacy to its use, it isn’t widely known to the general public.

Even with the anti-cannabis tide changing, leaning more towards acceptance, how could a brand convince a person, dead-set against the product, to give it a moment (three seconds) of consideration?

If you’re trying to get the attention of consumers who are on the fence about cannabis use, reminding them about past stigmas and conflicting legal regulations (state-to-state and federal) won’t do your brand any favors.

Instead, make sure your cannabis design and overall brand sell an experience or a lifestyle. There are effective ways to execute this, as there’s no reason to state the obvious by using a marijuana leaf. It’s boring, dated and represents lackluster creativity. Besides, you cannot “sell” product through cannabis advertising any way.

What you can do is create cannabis design that excites the senses and exudes a direct representation of the company and the corresponding audience(s) you’re wanting to attract.

It’s All About the Packaging

Recent stories and concerns across the country are forcing necessary changes in the way cannabis products are packaged. Some states are instituting new guidelines in marijuana products that not only minimize the allure of edibles to children, but make it more difficult to open the products (child-resistant and child-proof).

Brand Persuasion in a Name

Meanwhile, let’s get back to the potential new cannabis lover, yet to try the product. Normally, a billboard that had a hint of marijuana theme to it would never get a second chance. But there’s something about the name Kind Meds. It’s warm, inviting and supportive. What if the entire brand experience echoed the same description?

This is powerful brand positioning. It creates, through suggestion and statement, what the dispensary stands for and what they deliver to the consumer. No matter how the cannabis industry evolves (or stands still at some point), the term kind will always relay positivity and something to be shared. Perfect for social media campaigns.

Brand Differentiators Are Essential to Shine Beyond Competitors

Just like any other industry, cannabis businesses must use design and marketing to create memorable impressions on their customers and prospects. In today’s retail culture, it isn’t just enough to throw up a sign, open your doors and expect the sales traffic to flow.

Consumers want to do their research. They want to find verifiable sources that speak to the benefits of what you have to offer. And when they finally decide to come face to face in store, the research and testimonials have to match up to their experience. If it happens, they’ll buy that product and cannabis swag you have on the shelves, share their experience and be your brand ambassador. Then hit repeat.

How Do You Put Cannabis in Front of People? We Do This, Well.

Melanie Stern

Looking at the world through word-colored glasses, I am continuously in awe of how we evolve as people in business. We strive to communicate in a direct approach and, when we see fit, through subliminal channels. As a content strategist, I look forward to sharing all perspectives to help entertain, enlighten and engage more in others.

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This entry was posted in Cannabis Marketing, Reputation Management and tagged Brand Awareness, Brand Identity, Small Business Marketing.

New Addiction Treatment Certification Allows Rehabs to Bid on AdWords Again

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This entry was posted on April 18, 2018 by Jenny Weatherall.

Several of our addiction treatment center clients here at Eminent SEO, and those of our partner Addiction-Rep.com, have asked us about this news: “Exclusive: Google unveils vetting process for drug rehab ads.”

So far, there have been several direct questions that stem from this article, so here I will attempt to answer all of these questions. In addition, I will give some suggestions and professional insight, being that Eminent SEO is an agency that works with several addiction treatment centers and behavioral health care consultants.

Question 1: Does this mean we can bid on Google AdWords again?

Yes, kind of. Google did announce it will allow treatment centers to run ads after they have been vetted by Portland, Oregon firm LegitScript.

However, don’t expect this to happen overnight. In a new article posted this week, “LegitScript’s New Certification Program for Addiction Treatment Providers Will Help Those Most Vulnerable,” LegitScript included an important note:

“During the first three months, we’re going to intentionally take it slow. Irrespective of how many applications we receive, we’ll probably only certify about 20 to 30, simply so that we can make sure and get the process right. After that, we’ll ramp up the speed. (This goes into the “lessons learned” bucket from our existing healthcare merchant certification program.) This also works well with Google’s timeline, since they have indicated they will actually begin allowing these advertisers in July.”

Question 2: What does it take to get the addiction treatment certification?

The LegitScript website says the company is now accepting applications and that the evaluation includes criminal background checks as well as license and insurance verification. Rehabs will also have to provide “written policies and procedures demonstrating a commitment to best practices, effective recovery and continuous improvement.”

They will charge $995 up front and then $1,995 annually for the vetting.

You can see the full LegitScript Addiction Treatment Provider Certification Standards here. They are not messing around. If you want to get approved, better read this first.

Question 3: What does this change for rehabs?

Up until recently, treatment centers could buy Google ads without a certification. However, over the last few years, Google has been rolling out a new vetting process for certain industries that will only allow entities to bid once they get the certification.

Before this announcement, the certification process only applied to garage-door repair techs, locksmiths, pharmacies and prescription drug providers. Now you can add addiction treatment centers to that list. From the LegitScript article, it sounds like Google will also be asking for more documentation from political advertisers soon this year as well (thank God).

Question 4: Does this LegitScript company manage the ads?

No. This is a qualification process, but the company will not be managing the ads. What LegitScript does is verify you meet the criteria and then provide a legal certificate to Google as proof. You would still need to have a professional Google PPC expert run your ads.

So, this cost is in addition to the ad management, and apparently required if you want to do Google ads in the future.

Question 5: How much will Google ads cost now?

This is still yet to be determined. Before the Google rehab keyword crackdown, the ad rates were out of control. Keywords were going for $50 to $150 a click sometimes. It was crazy!

Since the rollout doesn’t come until July, all we can do is speculate. And since LegitScript is only certifying up to 30 applicants, I can’t imagine there will be a bunch of competition driving up the bid rates.

Anyone care to speculate? Please add your thoughts to the comments.

Question 6: Can my treatment center get certified?

If you are a treatment facility with a valid company website, physical address, qualified staff and think can meet all of their certification qualifications, you can definitely apply!

However, it looks like the early bird gets the worm in this case. With only 30 applicants being accepted for a trial run and more than 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities in the U.S., it may be tough to become one of the first.

You can start the process here if you’re interested and ready to begin AdWords as soon as Google permits: LegitScript’s Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Certification Application.

Maybe the bigger question here is really: Should I get certified?

A successful Google AdWords campaign now requires a significant financial investment each month:

A LegitScript fee of $995 up front, and then $1,995 annually.
A professional setup and management fee, which could run you $500 to $5000 per month, depending on who you hire and their level of skill.
Expertly written ad messages and optimized landing pages, which could run another few thousand dollars.
Google AdWords and Display ad fees, which historically have run companies anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000 per month. That’s right, I said $500 THOUSAND. These people were not messing around. I don’t know what ads will run for these 30 or so accepted applicants, but I am guessing they will need a few thousand dollars, just the same.

What Does That Total?

Conservatively speaking, you’re looking at $5,000 for the setup costs and at least $10,000 per month including ad fees, landing pages and management costs. I guess you could do it for cheaper, but if you think your ads will perform without expert management and optimized landing pages, you’re probably wasting marketing dollars.

Ads need the right strategy to get results. It’s easy to blow tons of money fast if you don’t have your campaigns set up right.

Final Take

My advice? If you’re not prepared to spend thousands of dollars, don’t bother. There are so many other channels of marketing that you can utilize to generate qualified leads without breaking the bank. I would strongly suggest you really think through all of your options and talk with a strategist before making a decision on investing into Google AdWords again. It’s a commitment.

On the other hand, if you DO have the money, this could be an opportunity for your rehab organization to come out ahead of the insanely high pre-ban bid rates.

What do you think? Worth it or naw? Weigh in below.

Jenny Weatherall

CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist

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This entry was posted in Addiction Treatment Marketing, Industry News & Events, Paid Marketing, Reputation Management and tagged Brand Awareness, Marketing Budgets, Paid Ads, Rehab Marketing.

Did Google Crush Your Addiction Treatment AdWords Campaign?

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This entry was posted on December 19, 2017 by Jenny Weatherall.

Around September of this year, Google placed new restrictions on advertising keywords related to searches for addiction treatment. This had a tremendous impact on addiction treatment centers around the country that relied on Google AdWords campaigns as their primary digital ad source.

In fact, word on the street is certain centers have been hit so hard they are cutting staff, selling their facilities and even going bankrupt.

Why Did Google Crack Down on Addiction Treatment Ads?

As a long-time addiction treatment marker myself, I have watched the recovery industry evolve over the last 12 years. Over that period of time, I have seen a lot of shady marketing practices in general. I mean, a ton.

However, what has become even more alarming over the last few years has been shady (sometimes even illegal) addiction treatment center business practices. I even recently wrote a blog post directed to addiction treatment centers as an open letter on what NOT to do: Dear Addiction Rehab Owners.

Those of us who preach ethical marketing saw this coming and said it would happen. Overnight, Google decided to stop selling ads for a giant number of “addiction treatment” related search terms, including “rehab near me,” “alcohol treatment” and thousands of others.

Imagine the SHOCK around the country as the $35 billion addiction treatment industry discovered its primary lead generation source was practically shut off overnight.

Google told The Verge in a statement:

“We found a number of misleading experiences among rehabilitation treatment centers that led to our decision, in consultation with experts, to restrict ads in this category. As always, we constantly review our policies to protect our users and provide good experiences for consumers.”

Isn’t This a Loss for Google?

Uh, yes. Some of the top-searched rehab terms were going for $100-plus per click! We know addiction treatment centers that were spending millions of dollars a year on Google ads alone.

But, you know what a bigger loss is? The 570,000 people who die annually from drug and alcohol use every year in the United States. According to National Institutes of Health drug facts, that number breaks down to more than 480,000 deaths related to tobacco, about 31,000 due to alcohol, nearly 22,000 due to overdose on illicit (illegal) drugs, and close to 23,000 due to overdose on prescription pain relievers.

If those deaths don’t shock you, let me give you something to compare that too. This is the list of the top 10 causes of death in the United States every year:

Heart issues: about 630,000 people die of heart disease annually
Cancer: a source of roughly 596,000 deaths annually
Chronic lower respiratory disease (a collection of lung diseases): 147,000 deaths
Accidents and unintentional injuries: 136,053 deaths
Stroke: 140,323
Alzheimer’s disease: 110,561
Diabetes: 79,535
Influenza and pneumonia: 57,062
Nephritis and nephrosis (kidney issues): 49,959
Intentional self-harm (suicide): 44,193

If you combine alcohol and drug related deaths, we are talking about 90,000 annually. Doesn’t that place substance abuse and addiction number 7 on the list?

People are dying! And, the saddest part? They are dying because they aren’t getting the help they need.

Although this stat is outdated (real-time stats on this stuff are hard to find!), the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found only 10.9 percent of the individuals who needed professional substance abuse actually received it.

We can do better. We MUST do better.

How Can Addiction Treatment Centers and Marketers Do Better?

Unfortunately, this crackdown wasn’t rolled out based on the legitimacy of the facility or its advertising agency, like the organic rankings have been. This change impacted all treatment centers and their marketing agencies, legitimate or not.

It’s not fair, but Google never claimed to be fair. One bad apple might have not ruined it for the rest of us, but a LOT of bad apples did. And you know what? Good.

You heard me.

I’m tired of shady business practices. I am tired of seeing the greed in this industry. I am tired of getting calls for “grey hat” marketing practices from treatment centers who still think they have to trick Google in order to win.

I am tired of finding misinformation on legitimate sites (yes, I see you spammy rehab marketers and your regurgitated, ill-researched content). I am tired of seeing zero value being placed on quality and ethics. I am tired of auditing digital brands only to find crap.

Wake up, addiction treatment providers and marketers! This is not why we do business. We MUST find a way to do better.

Start by putting your clients first. Start by laying out a clear goal and mission. Start by agreeing to do things ethically. Start by working with other industry professionals that care about getting results AND are passionate about making a difference.

The only way your brand stands a chance in the long run is to do things the right way. Otherwise, it will catch up with you. It always does.

What Should You Replace Your Addiction Treatment AdWords Campaign With?

As a multi-channel marketing agency, we have always suggested a custom brand and marketing strategy for our addiction treatment center clients. There is no single marketing channel that will ever supply any business with all of its leads indefinitely, especially when you consider the ever-changing digital landscape.

Typically, our addiction treatment center clients will have a campaign that includes several tactics and digital channels of marketing:

Quality Website Design and Images
Professional Landing Page Optimization
Technical Website SEO
Optimized Content and Meta Data
Website Blogging
Brand Asset Development
Organic Search Engine Marketing
Local and Geo-targeted Marketing
Social Channel Management
Paid Social Ad Campaigns
Newsletter and Email Marketing
Testing, Tracking and Custom Reporting

We may also supplement with Google or Bing paid ads, but we have never relied on them. Why? Too expensive, higher cost per admit and lower conversion rate than the organic channels.

However, if you have recently been hit hard by the Google AdWords “rehab” related keyword restrictions, here are some channels you can explore:

Social Paid Ads

Yes, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat can generate addiction treatment leads when done properly. Facebook and Instagram ads are killing it for our clients right now.

Inbound Marketing

It’s not a quick fix, but utilizing custom landing pages, gated assets and email campaigns with smart, automated workflows can have a big long-term impact on your brand reach.

Geo-targeting

It’s not just “local marketing” anymore. Google gets to decide what search queries are considered local and which ones are not. You must optimize your website and ad strategies for the geo-targets you want to rank for. (Looking for more? Ask us about geo-fencing.)

Video Marketing

We can talk about video for days, but I’ll just say this: videos are valuable assets for your brand. But, not all videos are created equally. A well-researched video strategy can drive the entire marketing campaign. 2018 is the year to invest into video.

Website and Social Chat

A surprising number of treatment centers think online chat won’t work for them. Well, I am here to tell you something: it does work, and I know because I see the conversions from our client chat campaigns. If it isn’t working for you, you’re doing it wrong.

Conclusion

When you are in an industry that is known for false advertising, illegal patient brokering and bidding wars, it’s imperative you take the time to A) put ethical business practices into place, and B) hire a company who can guarantee they are doing the same.

If you need an agency that understands the addiction treatment industry and cares about quality, ethics AND the bottom line, give us a call. Let’s make something special together.

Jenny Weatherall

CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist

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This entry was posted in Addiction Treatment Marketing, Paid Marketing and tagged Algorithm Update, Brand Awareness, Rehab Marketing.

Going Up Strong: A Baller’s Guide to Managing Social Media Trolls

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This entry was posted on August 29, 2017 by Remy Albillar.

Flinging a basketball through a hoop is hard enough without somebody guarding you. That’s why the NBA’s top ballers, stars like Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, have dozens of moves for getting around their defenders. When it comes building your brand through social media, your business will run into interference as well.

If you’re planning to engage with potential customers, market your services and expand your brand via social media, you will be dealing with online trolls. There’s no way around it. Thankfully, there are several lessons that your brand can learn from the NBA – yes, really – when it comes to dealing with malicious commenters.

Keep reading to learn a few helpful plays that you can use whenever a troll stands between you and a social media victory.

Anticipate the Defense

When future-Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade makes a hard drive for the basket, he already knows his move is going to attract attention from defenders. That’s why he’s already got a few counter strategies (a spin, a pump fake, his patented Euro step) queued up and ready to go in case he faces resistance.

By anticipating the defense and preparing a response in advance, Dwayne Wade makes it considerably easier to score, despite the presence of an opposing player.

When it comes to posting on social media, you’ll have to take a similar approach to trolls. If your company recognizes that a social media post may provoke strong opinions or potential ridicule, then it makes sense to prepare responses in advance.

Directions to the nearest Wendy’s

— Wendy’s (@Wendys) January 3, 2017

The more accurately you anticipate the type of negative responses a post could inspire, the more efficiently your company can respond to trolls and regain control of your messaging.

Rebound with Reality

Despite being much maligned for his inconsistent defense and tendency to disappear during big games, All-Star power forward Kevin Love remains one of the best rebounders in the league.

How does Kevin do it? He stays focused on leveraging his strengths and always positions himself properly to get the better of his opponents. Once he has the rebound, Love is able to control the play and help his team score a basket on other end of the floor.

Your brand can take the same approach when wrestling with social media trolls in the comment section of any post. By communicating the facts that support your company’s position, including any relevant data or research, you can turn a troll’s negative post into a learning experience for the rest of your audience.

Any time you identify and point out misinformation shared by trolls, your brand demonstrates both their expertise and their professionalism in handling negative feedback. Much like a rebound in basketball, this approach turns shots against your company into a quick win for your brand.

Be Your Brand’s MVP

When rising Kristaps Porzingis was drafted in 2015 by the New York Knicks, he was received by New York fans with jeers, boos and tears. It would have been easy for Porzingis to respond to the vitriol with some shade of his own, but Porzingis made a savvy PR move and instead emphasized how much he was looking forward to “turning those booing fans into clapping fans.”

This approach was not only effective in making Porzingis seem like a classy guy; it also directed praise toward his organization, the Knicks, and their decision to draft a mature, self-aware prospect.

You company must take the same approach when it comes to dealing with social media trolls. Instead of viewing these instances as obstacles, a more proactive approach is to treat trolls as an opportunity to highlight the brand’s values and expertise.

There’s nothing trolls hate more than having the spotlight stolen from them. Your brand can elevate its reputation on social media while also deterring future abuse by learning to turn negative comments to your advantage.

Technical Fouls

@OldSpice Is your deodorant made with really old spices?

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) July 9, 2012

Now that you’re familiar with the fundamentals of the game, it’s time to raise your social media IQ. The following technical fouls are not so much tips for getting around trolls as they are common mistakes to avoid when dealing with them.

Failing to play the game the right way can actually deteriorate the quality of your brand and potentially turn your comment section into a war zone. Keep that in mind and consider incorporating the following tips into your company’s social media policy:

Don’t Bite on the Pump Fake

One of the oldest tricks in the book is mimicking a shooting motion, just to watch your defender overcommit and open up a path for you to score. Trolls commonly post provocative, offensive statements in comment sections with the sole purpose of getting someone riled up and into an argument.

“Deflect and diffuse” should always be your go-to strategy when it comes to managing negative social media comments.

Don’t Get Called for the Flagrant

Getting into an extended argument with a troll is a bad idea. Actually hurling insults back and forth with the troll is unacceptable. Not only does this behavior compromise your company’s professionalism, it also speaks contrary to the values your company is supposed to stand for. You are better off deleting the comment than getting caught insulting consumers in your comment section.

Don’t Forget that Fans Are Watching

At the end of the day, internet trolls are more than likely not your major audience. They may be engaging with your brand online, but this engagement does very little for your bottom line.

However, potential customers are observing your behavior on social media, even if they choose not to engage. How you handle trolls says a lot about your company. A strategic, intentional approach to negative social media activity is far more likely to impress observers than an off-the-cuff, snarky rebuttal.

Getting Guidance from the Pros

Brand management is just one of the reasons that social media is so important for your company. Without an effective game plan, it’s only a matter of time before your social media strategy bottoms out.

Please browse through our other blog articles for more tips on managing responses to your brand messaging. You can also reach out to us and learn more if your business is in dire need of a revitalized social media strategy.

Remy Albillar

As a content writer at Eminent SEO, I specialize in producing high-quality copy for a long list of digital mediums, including websites, emails, blogs and social media. I got my career started right out of college producing SEO-driven content for a marketing agency based in Tucson, AZ. I’ve since worked as a copywriter within numerous industries. I’ve written the first half of a personal memoir and earned my master’s in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

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This entry was posted in Reputation Management, Social Media and tagged Brand Awareness.

Why Your Local Business Needs a Google My Business Page

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This entry was posted on January 23, 2014 by Jenny Weatherall.

Even though Google+ is the second largest social network (still way behind Facebook), that’s not the main reason your business should be active on the platform. Users spend less than 7 minutes per month on the social network.

So why even get active on Google+ if millions of people sign up for it but never actually use it?

Because Google+ has actually replaced what most people think of as Google Maps or Google Local or Google Place Pages… and anyone trying to drive local traffic, both to their website and their actual brick and mortar locations, needs to have a Google+ Place Page.

When you are active on Google+, your Google+ Place Pages gets better organic rankings in Google. In fact, for many searches that Google deems “local searches,” businesses with Place Pages get listed at the top of the page – above the normal organic results.

For example, look at what we get when we search Google for “phoenix accountant”:

The usage of the term “Phoenix” implies we are searching for a local result, so Google displays accordingly.

You see that area highlighted in the red rectangle on the left? What do you see below almost every single company name? “Google+ page,” right? Those are the Place Pages.

Now up in the right, you see the map? That actually comes with you as you scroll down the page. Remember how the maps used to appear just to the right of the search result? Not anymore. Clearly Google wants you to click on a map!

When users click the map on the upper right before visiting a website they are provided with the opportunity to read and write reviews, see images and videos about the location and get the phone number or driving instructions – all without ever having to visit the actual business website.

How You Can Increase Your Local Organic Visibility

Like it or not, this is what Google is serving up for local organic searches right now.

So how do you get your map listed at the top of the local organic searches?

Unfortunately, that Google Places listing in the left red rectangle is a whole different thing than your Google+ Local Business Page (which is where all your social features can be found) – very confusing!

How can you sort out this mess and optimize both for the best search rankings and traffic?

Here are some things you can do:

Fill out your Google+ Place Page completely.

This is the information that shows up on a Google Map. Make sure to pay extra special attention for the categories in which you list your business. The name, address, and phone number must match the info on your website.

Get links and citations.

What are citations? Generally they are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number – hosted on a 3^rd party site (sometimes with a link back to your map or site). This builds your domain’s authority, boosts your map visibility and pushes your site and map up the SERPs.

Encourage people to give you online reviews on your Google My Business Page.

Google knows searchers look at the these reviews and use them to determine the value of a service, product, etc. Generally more reviews show popularity for the place and therefore add value to the listing – especially when the reviews are highly rated.

Fill out your Google Local Business Page.

When Google moved Maps to Google Local Pages at lot of companies lost their maps. Even though it’s been quite some time, many local companies haven’t claimed their new page and filled out the information correctly. If you’re not sure how to do it, here’s a guide.

Keep your Google My Business Page updated with posts.

This page has all your social features. Share articles, images and connect with others so that your platform is always up to date when people visit. No one wants to follow an inactive account! And when people do visit, they’ll be more likely to add you to their circles, +1 and share your content, which helps boost your rankings.

In Closing

Confused? You’re not alone. Having separate accounts for Google+ Places and your Local Business page was intended to make things easier, but instead many are still lost and frustrated with the transition.

It’s actually a time-consuming process just to set it up properly, and if you want to boost your rankings too that actually requires a large amount of on-going work… so remember you can always hire Eminent SEO to help. We can sort out the mess and get you up and running in no time.

Jenny Weatherall

CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist

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This entry was posted in Local Marketing, Marketing Strategy and tagged Brand Awareness, Local Presence.

Alert For Fake Reviews on Yelp

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This entry was posted on June 25, 2013 by Team Eminent SEO.

In an effort to crack down on fake reviews, Yelp announced a new consumer alert label in their blog last year that would appear on pages of businesses who were caught buying reviews (as shown below). “We caught someone red-handed trying to buy reviews…” Consumers also had the ability to click on the alert and see the fake reviews.

Looks like Yelp has rolled out yet another review filter, “Consumer Alert: Something’s Fishy Here…” The warning reads as follows:

“A number of positive reviews for this business originated from the same IP address, which may mean that someone was trying to artificially inflate this business’s rating. Our review filter wasn’t fooled, but this apparent effort to mislead consumers was serious enough that we wanted to call it out.”

The value of Yelp for business owners has proven itself over time. Businesses are finally understanding the power of word of mouth and how online reviews effect business. There’s a great Info-graphic from Nielsen, Yelp Drives Local Purchases – that breaks down everything from who uses Yelp, what do Yelp users search for, to how often Yelp leads to local purchases.

Yelp’s states in their support center, that businesses should not “solicit” Yelp reviews. Be careful how you go about encouraging your clientele or customers to review your company. Most definitely stay away from “Online Review Computers” at your place of business, for fear of instantly being flagged with the new IP address filter currently in motion.

Are you currently represented on Yelp? How do you feel about this new “Fishy” filter being put in place?

Team Eminent SEO

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This entry was posted in Industry News & Events, Local Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Reputation Management and tagged Brand Awareness, Local Presence.

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Question 1: Does this mean we can bid on Google AdWords again?

Question 2: What does it take to get the addiction treatment certification?

Question 3: What does this change for rehabs?

Question 4: Does this LegitScript company manage the ads?

Question 5: How much will Google ads cost now?

Question 6: Can my treatment center get certified?

Maybe the bigger question here is really: Should I get certified?

What Does That Total?

Final Take

Why Did Google Crack Down on Addiction Treatment Ads?

Isn’t This a Loss for Google?

How Can Addiction Treatment Centers and Marketers Do Better?

What Should You Replace Your Addiction Treatment AdWords Campaign With?

Social Paid Ads

Inbound Marketing

Geo-targeting

Video Marketing

Website and Social Chat

Conclusion

Anticipate the Defense

Rebound with Reality

Be Your Brand’s MVP

Technical Fouls

Don’t Bite on the Pump Fake

Don’t Get Called for the Flagrant

Don’t Forget that Fans Are Watching

Getting Guidance from the Pros

How You Can Increase Your Local Organic Visibility

Here are some things you can do:

Fill out your Google+ Place Page completely.

Get links and citations.

Encourage people to give you online reviews on your Google My Business Page.

Fill out your Google Local Business Page.

Keep your Google My Business Page updated with posts.

In Closing