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    10 PPC Mistakes to Avoid When Running Ads on Google

    Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising on Google Ads can significantly increase your business visibility and drive targeted traffic, but getting everything set up and tracking success can be a minefield for newcomers. Common Google Ads mistakes, like overlooking keyword nuances or misinterpreting user intent, can sink campaigns. Here we’ll look at 10 critical PPC pitfalls, so you can learn how to optimize spend and boost ROI. Put these tips into practice to give your Google Ads the best opportunity to grow into revenue-generating campaigns.

    google ads mistakes

    Common Google Ads Mistakes

    1. Ignoring Keyword Match Types

    PPC’s broad match has been called by some people in the past, chaotic and random, but added to conversion-based Smart Bidding strategies, it’s like casting a smart net. It can pick up on an array of relationships, via Google’s AI. It analyzes where users are, what’s on their landing pages, their search history, and more. For example, it can match “trail running boots” to a search for “best hiking sneakers for wet trails.” 

    Ever since 2021, phrase match has been doing the work of the old broad match modifier. It gets triggered by similar searches that can include synonyms or modified words. So, you could have “online deals for top trail runners” pop up when you’re thinking “best running shoes.” 

    Exact match? It’s for when you want to hone in on an exact intent, like when someone literally means “[trail running boots]”. Segment campaigns with care: exact for core terms, broad for discovery, and phrase for balance, then refine via search term reports.

    2. Not Using Negative Keywords

    Without negative keywords, you waste budget on non-converting clicks. You could end up having ads show for completely irrelevant searches. Tools like Google’s negative keyword suggestions automate this, adding words you don’t want to be found for, excluding terms that don’t relate to your business.

    3. Weak Ad Copy That Doesn’t Match Intent

    Flat headlines like “Buy Shoes” don’t motivate people to click, compared to “Discover Waterproof Trail Runners – 20% Off Today!” Test copy via A/B testing: rotate two variations weekly, tracking CTR and conversions. 

    4. Poor Landing Page Experience

    Optimize for relevance: your ads must link to dedicated landing pages featuring clear CTAs. You also need to focus on mobile responsiveness for your website, and load times under three seconds. 

    Tool recommendation: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check page speed.

    5. Forgetting Conversion Tracking

    Launching campaigns without conversion tracking is leaving results to chance. Pixels in Google Ads and Analytics track actions like purchases or sign-ups, revealing true ROI beyond just clicks. 

    Micro-conversions matter: Set up goals for micro-conversions (video views, form fills), too. They can lead to sales and provide important insights.

    6. Setting and Forgetting Campaigns

    PPC isn’t “set it and forget it”. Schedule bi-weekly reviews: pause low-ROI keywords, expand winners, and adjust for seasonality. Keep in mind that your competitors aren’t sitting still, and technology keeps changing, too.

    You need human oversight: Automation rules in Google Ads help, but human review is important for aligning strategies with business goals, and spotting new opportunities.

    Get results from your PPC campaigns! Have the pros at Trek Marketing run them for you. Get your free PPC marketing audit report.

    7. Mismanaging Bids and Budgets

    Overspending on high-competition terms without ROI justification, or underspending to “test,” starves potential. Automated strategies like Google Ads’ Target CPA Smart Bidding scale better, as it uses AI to optimize for efficiency.

    Try these tips: Cap daily budgets per campaign. The system will fund the campaigns performing best that day.

    Align bids with lifetime value: Only bid high enough that it matches what that customer is worth long-term.

    8. Neglecting Ad Extensions

    Ad extensions are free real estate in search results; you need to take advantage of it. Sitelinks direct to subpages, callouts highlight incentives like “Free Shipping,” and structured snippets showcase amenities. Enable all relevant types; they’re auto-applied but customizable. Use these to improve ad rank without extra spend.

    9. Ignoring Audience Targeting

    Advertising to broad audiences wastes ad dollars on mismatches. Layer demographics (age, income), remarketing (past visitors), and custom audiences (uploaded lists) for precision. Vancouver PPC experts often stress starting narrow, then scaling, to maximize impact without losing effectiveness.

    10. Not Testing or Reviewing Performance Regularly

    Inaction can ruin PPC campaigns; without A/B testing and data analysis, you’re guessing. Test ad variations, headlines, and even display URLs, then analyze metrics like ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and impression share. Tools like Google Ads Experiments can help you run controlled trials. 

    revenue-graph

    Trek Marketing Manages PPC to Maximize Revenue

    If DIY feels overwhelming, PPC management services from Trek Marketing can handle the heavy lifting while you focus on growth. Need to know how to fix Google Ads performance issues? Trek Marketing can provide you with a PPC audit to show where improvements need to be made. 

    The PPC pros at Trek Marketing can take the stress out of Google Ads to drive more revenue. Contact us (855.686.4649 ext.707) for your free PPC marketing audit.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: What is the most common beginner mistake when doing PPC for the first time?

    A: It’s a common error to not match the ad, landing page, and keywords with specific goals and user intent. 

    Q: How can I improve my Google Ads ROI?

    A: Focus on high-intent keywords. Pay attention to adding negative keywords, and track conversions to prioritize spend.

    Q: How often should I review my PPC campaigns?

    A: Check weekly for bids and alerts; conduct detailed monthly assessments to catch trends and optimize for consistent performance.

    Q: Why aren’t my Google Ads converting?

    A: Have you searched for “Why my Google Ads are not converting?” Try A/B testing your ads and using the Google Ads Experiments tool to revise.

    Q: Can I manage PPC myself, or should I hire an expert?

    A: DIY works for basics, but to avoid Google Ads mistakes, hire professionals. Vancouver PPC experts like Trek Marketing excel in carefully planned strategies.

    Mastering Geo-Targeted Marketing: How to Run Hyper-Local SEO and PPC Campaigns in 2025

     

    Mastering Geo-Targeted Marketing: How to Run Hyper-Local SEO and PPC Campaigns in 2025

    Geo-targeted marketing focuses on reaching customers within specific locations, like cities or neighborhoods. It helps businesses show up in local search results and delivers relevant ads to the right audiences. For e-commerce brands in 2025, mastering geo-targeting opens the door to winning new customers at multiple venues without expanding brick-and-mortar operations.

    With the rise of location-based services and the increasing expectations of consumers for localized experiences, geo-targeting has become a critical component of any growth strategy. Beyond simply driving visits, it ensures your brand resonates with local values and priorities in each market. When done well, geo-targeted campaigns can also improve overall efficiency by reducing wasted spend on irrelevant impressions and leveraging higher conversion rates from better alignment between message and context.

    location map

    Launching Hyper-Local SEO Campaigns

    Creating a strong local online presence starts with claiming your business listings on sites like Google and Bing. From there, building optimized location pages with unique, localized content highlights what sets each venue apart. A solid technical SEO setup ensures search engines can easily crawl multiple locations within a site. For detailed tactics, explore our Search Engine Optimization (SEM/SEO) services.

    How you structure and scale local sites plays a key role in search visibility; using subfolders (example.com/location1) or subdomains (location1.example.com) helps maintain clear signals for both users and algorithms, avoiding duplicate content while emphasizing locality. Incorporating service-area extensions, schema markup (e.g., “LocalBusiness”), and mobile-friendly design further enhances the experience for searchers and supports key SEO priorities in 2025, such as page experience and AI-powered understanding.

    Local SEO

    Strengthening Local SEO with Geo-Specific Links

    Backlinks remain a top ranking factor—e-commerce brands can boost local SEO by earning links from municipal websites, media outlets, and community directories, emphasizing location-specific ties to the city in question.

    Beyond traditional PR tactics, sponsoring local events, partnering with neighborhood influencers, and contributing to community-focused content create authentic, place-based link opportunities. Search engines increasingly prioritize signals of real-world engagement, making truly local connections more valuable than ever. Even small gestures—guest posts on a nearby blog, a mention in a digital version of the local paper—can collectively elevate authority and trust for each location.

    Optimizing City-Focused PPC Campaigns

    Separate ad groups by city help deliver relevant ads and maximize efficiency. Targeting keywords with built-in intent like “buy in city X” signals higher potential return, while increasing bids within product availability zones ensures ads are competitive where conversions matter most. Incorporating localized ad copy tailored to each city’s distinct character can further strengthen the message and enhance appeal.

    Using tools like geo-fencing allows targeting searchers in real-time based on physical proximity—promoting in-store pickup when someone is already near a location or flashing time-sensitive offers to commuters. Automated bid adjustments based on performance data enable dynamic optimization—raising bids for high-converting geographies and scaling back where traffic is less likely to convert. Layering in audience signals—retargeting previous site visitors or creating lookalikes based on existing customers in top regions—further expands reach to relevant, ready-to-buy users at the right moment.

    Evaluating Hyper-Local Marketing Success

    Key metrics like local keyword rankings, traffic from location-specific URLs, click-through rates on geo-targeted PPC ads, and conversion rates within specific cities offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of geo-targeted marketing initiatives. Employ analytics and reporting tools to measure success accurately.

    Beyond traditional KPIs, tracking offline impacts—such as in-store visits reported through tools like Google’s Local Store Visits, phone call volumes from listings with call-tracking numbers, and engagement with physical activations prompted by online campaigns—provides a fuller picture of how digital geo-targeting translates into real-world business growth. Incorporating location as a primary variable in attribution models helps accurately assign credit across touchpoints, ensuring strong investments in hyper-local marketing receive the recognition they deserve.

    sticky notes words related to content marketing

    Partnering with Trek Agency for Geo-Targeted Success

    Whether your business operates in Canada’s biggest hubs or caters to customers in select neighborhoods, trek.ca can help devise and execute tailored geo-targeted marketing strategies that achieve measurable growth in each market.

    With deep expertise in multi-location SEO, city-level PPC campaigns, and data-driven performance measurement, trek.ca transforms complex geo-targeted initiatives into scalable, sustainable growth. From technical audits that optimize site architecture for local visibility to hands-on management of granular ad group structures that maximize ROAS at every level, trek.ca provides end-to-end support. Plus, their local team’s understanding of regional nuances—from language preferences to cultural priorities—ensures messaging truly resonates with target audiences in each geography.

    Geo-targeting isn’t just an option for e-commerce businesses looking to expand—it’s an essential growth tactic. Hyper-local SEO combined with smart, city-specific PPC ensures a stronger online presence where it really counts. With careful planning and execution, brands can come out ahead of the competition by showing up more prominently in front of highly targeted, ready-to-buy audiences. And trek.ca takes the complexity out of winning with geo-targeted marketing in Canada, offering custom campaigns built to consistently deliver high returns. Contact us today for a personalized quote and start capitalizing on your company’s local advantage, one city at a time.

    How to Use Landing Pages and Thank You Pages to Convert More Visitors

    Landing Pages and Thank You Pages: Essential Tools for Higher Conversions

    Landing pages and thank you pages are powerful components of any digital marketing strategy. When designed and optimized correctly, they can significantly increase your website’s ability to convert visitors into customers. In 2025, with higher competition and rising digital ad costs, focusing on these key pages is more important than ever for businesses in Canada and beyond.

    landing page parts

    What Makes a Landing Page Effective?

    A landing page’s purpose is to capture user interest and encourage them to take a specific action, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, or making a purchase. Here are the core elements of a high-converting landing page:

    • Compelling Headline: Clear, benefit-driven, and relevant to the ad or link that brought the user there.
    • Strong Call to Action (CTA): Prominent buttons or forms that invite users to act immediately.
    • Supporting Content: Concise copy, bullet points, and trust signals such as testimonials or certifications.
    • Optimized for Speed and Mobile: Fast-loading and responsive across all devices.

    For example, a dental practice in Canada might create a landing page focused on ‘New Patient Offers’ with a simple form to book a consultation, making it easy for visitors to convert. Learn more about Conversion Optimization to boost your landing pages’ effectiveness.

    Conversion and Lead Generation Agency Vancouver

    Why Thank You Pages Matter for Engagement

    A thank you page is more than just confirmation that a form was submitted or a purchase was made. It’s an opportunity to deepen the relationship with your new lead or customer by:

    • Providing next steps or important information.
    • Encouraging social sharing or referrals.
    • Offering additional resources or special offers.
    • Inviting users to follow your brand on social media.

    For instance, after a user signs up for a newsletter, a thank you page could highlight an exclusive eBook download or an invitation to book a free consultation, keeping engagement high. Explore how Email Marketing can complement your thank you page strategy to maximize engagement.

    customer buying journey

    Connecting the Customer Journey for Maximum Impact

    A seamless flow from landing page to thank you page builds trust and smooths the conversion process. A well-structured journey includes:

    1. Consistent Messaging: Ensure the landing page and thank you page reinforce the same key points and benefits.
    2. Clear Navigation: Avoid distractions on both pages; keep the focus on the main action.
    3. Follow-Up Strategies: Use email marketing or remarketing ads to stay connected after the initial conversion.

    By aligning your landing and thank you pages with your overall digital marketing, you can improve engagement and lifetime customer value.

    Digital marketing concept with SEO, PPC, and email marketing optimization

    How Landing Page Optimization Supports SEO, PPC, and Email Marketing

    Landing pages are a critical extension of your SEO, PPC, and email campaigns. For digital marketing in Canada, connecting these channels through optimized landing pages ensures that traffic converts efficiently:

    • SEO: Well-structured landing pages with relevant keywords attract organic traffic and improve user engagement.
    • PPC: Matching ad copy to landing page content increases Quality Scores and reduces cost-per-click.
    • Email Marketing: Custom landing pages for campaign offers boost response rates and reduce friction.

    Regularly reviewing analytics and reporting, bounce rates, and conversion data helps you refine your landing pages and grow your business.

    best landing pages

    Starting Strong with Landing Pages and Thank You Pages in 2025

    Effective landing and thank you pages are foundational to scaling your digital marketing. Start by evaluating your current pages, testing new designs, and connecting the dots between your campaigns and conversions. With Trek.ca’s expertise in SEO, SEM, and digital strategy, you can create a conversion-focused website that performs for your business goals.

    Ready to elevate your digital strategy? Contact us today to start your journey toward higher conversions and business growth.

    Mastering Multi-Platform Ecommerce Marketing: SEO, PPC, and Social Strategies That Work Together

    Why Integration Drives Ecommerce Success in 2025

    Successful ecommerce marketing in 2025 is all about meeting customers where they are—whether that’s on Google, Instagram, or their favorite news site. Today’s digital consumers expect a seamless shopping experience, moving effortlessly from product discovery on social media, to research through search engines, to checkout in online stores. Modern buyers interact with multiple touchpoints before making a purchase, making it ever more crucial for businesses to create a consistent experience across all channels. This omnichannel behavior means your SEO, PPC, and social strategies must work together for maximum impact, ensuring you capture attention, nurture interest, and convert leads into loyal customers.

    big data domain web page seo concept

    SEO Foundations for Ecommerce Growth

    Strong SEO is the backbone of long-term ecommerce success. This starts with optimizing product pages, category collections, and blog content for relevant keywords and user intent. Ecommerce SEO goes beyond basic technical fixes—it’s about anticipating what customers are searching for and surfacing the best possible results. Key strategies include:

    • Using clear, keyword-rich product titles and descriptions that match how customers search
    • Structuring category pages for easy navigation, improved crawling, and indexing by search engines
    • Publishing blog content that answers buyer questions, highlights unique selling points, and targets long-tail searches with high purchase intent

    Well-optimized SEO content drives sustained organic traffic, reduces dependency on paid advertising, and builds trust with both customers and search engines by providing helpful, authoritative information. It also enhances your brand’s credibility, as higher rankings signal industry leadership and reliability to potential buyers.

    PPC That Accelerates Results

    Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising complements SEO by driving immediate traffic and sales while your organic rankings grow. For ecommerce businesses, PPC offers a flexible, controllable way to generate quick wins and capitalize on real-time trends. Effective PPC for ecommerce includes:

    • Google Ads campaigns targeting high-intent shopping keywords that are most likely to convert
    • Product listing ads (Google Shopping) that showcase your inventory with compelling visuals and pricing, appearing directly in search results
    • Paid social ads (on platforms like Facebook and Instagram) to retarget visitors who have shown interest but haven’t yet converted

    PPC provides instant visibility and actionable data, allowing you to test which products, offers, and messages resonate with your audience. This data can then inform your SEO and organic content strategies, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement. Smart bidding strategies and continuous optimization ensure your ad spend delivers a high return on investment.

    Close-up of smartphone screen showing social media apps used in ecommerce marketing

    Social Media for Brand Building and Engagement

    Social media is essential for connecting with your audience, driving top-of-funnel traffic, and building long-term brand loyalty. As ecommerce becomes more competitive, consumers increasingly turn to social platforms for inspiration, brand interactions, and customer support. Successful ecommerce brands tailor their content to each platform—for example, using Instagram for visual storytelling and influencer partnerships, Facebook for community engagement and retargeting, and TikTok for viral product demos and user-generated content. Consistently engaging social content keeps your store top-of-mind, nurtures relationships, and encourages repeat purchases through ongoing interaction.

    ecommerce website products

    How Trek.ca Powers Multi-Platform Ecommerce Marketing

    At Trek.ca, we specialize in managing integrated digital marketing campaigns for ecommerce brands. Our expert team develops a comprehensive strategy that ensures your SEO, PPC, and social efforts work in harmony, maximizing every channel’s strengths. By leveraging data-driven insights, proven best practices, and the latest marketing technologies, we help you reach customers at every stage of their journey and maximize your ROI across all channels. Whether you’re looking to scale up your store, launch new products, or dominate your niche, Trek.ca offers the expertise and hands-on support to drive measurable ecommerce growth.

    Final Thoughts on Mastering Multi-Platform Ecommerce Marketing

    The best ecommerce marketing in 2025 connects every channel, from Google search to social feeds and email campaigns. By unifying your SEO, PPC, and social strategies, you can drive consistent growth, outpace competitors, and adapt quickly to changing market trends. In an era where customer journeys are more fragmented and dynamic than ever, an integrated, multi-platform approach is the key to sustained success. Ready to see how a customized, multi-platform approach can work for your ecommerce business? Contact Trek.ca for a digital marketing consultation tailored to your goals and start building your competitive advantage today.

    4 digital marketing steps to drive growth as a local business

    As the way we do business evolves, local establishments face unique challenges in standing out from their competitors. However, with the right digital marketing strategies, even small businesses can make a big impact on their communities. This blog will explore key steps to drive growth as a local business, focusing on effective methods to increase website traffic and expand your online presence. 

    Optimize your website for local search

    To increase website traffic and attract local customers, optimizing your website for local search is essential. Ensure that your website includes relevant keywords related to your business and location. Incorporate location-based meta tags, titles, and descriptions to improve visibility in local search results. Additionally, list your business on Google My Business and other online directories to enhance your online presence and make it easier for potential customers to find you. 

    Utilize content marketing

    In case you didn’t know, leveraging content marketing can significantly boost your website traffic and engagement. By creating informative and relevant content, you can address the needs and interests of your local audience. Whether this includes blog post submissions, how-to guides, or some fun videos showcasing your products or services, providing valuable content establishes your business as a trusted authority in your community. Be sure to also share your content across your social media platforms and local online forums to reach a wider audience and drive traffic back to your website. 

    All of the tasks and more are part of our search engine optimization (SEO) service

    Engage with your community on social media

    Social media platforms offer a valuable opportunity to connect with your local community and drive traffic to your website. Some ways to start the conversation are by creating engaging and interactive social media posts that resonate with your audience. You can also share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business, highlight customer testimonials, and promote special offers or events. We further recommend that you encourage user-generated content by hosting contests or asking customers to share their experiences with your business. All of these assets allow you to better and more actively engage with your community on social media. Regular posting allows you to foster relationships, build brand loyalty, and increase website traffic over time. 

    Social media not your thing? Our social media marketing service means that we handle the posting schedule and spend time with the analytics to see where you can better connect with your audience. 

    Invest in local online advertising

    To reach potential customers in your area, consider investing in local online advertising campaigns. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer targeting options that allow you to reach users based on their location, interests, and demographics. Create targeted ad campaigns that showcase your products or services and drive traffic to specific landing pages on your website. 

    Embrace these digital marketing steps and watch your local business reach new heights in no time.

    Which of the following examples have you been wanting to try? Drop a comment below to get in touch with our team.

    How to promote your services online as a home contractor

    With the housing market booming these past few years the need for home improvement projects has skyrocketed, as has digital marketing for small businesses. With homeowners undertaking complete or partial renovations in place of having a holiday, home maintenance services such as HVAC, roofing, electrical, plumbing, and/or landscaping, need to be taking a more aggressive marketing approach to their promotion. After all, these projects need a professional home contractor and the best place for homeowners to search for reputable companies is online. 

    Update your website

    When promoting home contracting services, your website should be where you start first. After all, why rely on word-of-mouth representation when you’re living at the peak of a digital era? While there are potential customers that enjoy visiting a physical brick-and-mortar store to get the feel of a company and ask their face-to-face questions, most prefer websites as a hub for their first glance at a service. So, if you’re a home contractor who’s offering up your tradesmen services, consider creating a website or simply updating the one you have. We recommend going beyond an online portfolio to ensure that your site is equipped with the tools that allow you to promote your specialized skills. Added pages containing your mission statement, a bit about your team and how the company started, and an up-to-date blog with topics surrounding your industry are great ways to add content to your website and instill trust with consumers. Don’t forget to have a reviews page as well highlighted prominently on your website!

    In terms of digital marketing for small businesses, there’s a lot an agency can do for your website. A professional content writer and/or search engine optimization (SEO) expert can work together to ensure your website’s copy is engaging, click-worthy, and gaining traction and traffic with a variety of other services like email marketing and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which link back to your website. 

    Boost your online presence and traffic

    Although simply having a website is better than nothing, as a home contractor that is competing in a heavily saturated market, you need ways for your potential clients to pick you out of the vast competition. To stand out in your industry, digital marketing services like SEO and PPC campaign must come into play. While an SEO campaign optimizes your website by producing relevant content and important links, a PPC campaign allows you to display ads on search engines. Together these types of campaigns allow you to rank, and with every successful click comes an opportunity to get noticed and gain business. Ultimately, if coordinated professional, both digital marketing strategies will help to increase your online visibility and website traffic.  

    Employ email marketing and social media marketing

    Ask an e-commerce business and they will tell you that both email marketing and social media marketing have proven to be effective and beneficial to their businesses. That said, as a home contractor, you likely already have lists of past and current clients. As such, you can use them to create a list that can then be selected wherever you want to offer promotions, describe new services offered, or simply wish them a healthy and happy New Year! On the other hand, an up-to-date social media platform also has its perks. We recommend managing a Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn account and utilizing them for business all while showcasing the more edgy side of your company. Post ongoing or finished projects, highlight members of your team, and network with potential clients all with your smartphone in hand. 

    The key to promoting your tradesman services is through digital marketing for small businesses. Consider the marketing strategies recommended above or contact a member of our sales team to look at other means for boosting your profits.

    What type of home contracting business do you own and/or operate? Let’s compare in the comments section below. 

    4 digital marketing ideas for Halloween

    The spooky season is upon us! Whether you handle your business’ digital marketing or you work for an agency, there are so many creative and frightening ways to orchestrate Halloween marketing campaigns in 2021. So, if you were looking for the perfect way to break out of your traditional digital marketing mold, take a leap this year and start brewing up some creative Halloween-inspired marketing ideas.

    Curated videos that celebrate the chilling season

    We’re living in a digital age where many people are learning to engage with brands and businesses through video content. Since this type of digital marketing gets the most organic engagement, it’s important that your business learns to utilize video regularly—the same goes for Halloween marketing campaigns. Consider taking a stab at creating a product, service, or even staff-related video but be sure to include a spooky twist. Even if this strategy doesn’t offer scary-good conversion right away, it shows that you’re an edgy, up-and-coming company that’s committed to catering to societal trends. 

    Display ads that target a more devilish theme

    When creating a pay-per-click ad, it’s important to create personalized displays that meeting the browsing habits of your target audience. That said, building an ad that does all of the above is easy, but breaking the mold of a typical advertisement to get the attention of viewers can be challenging. It’s ingenious to give your PPC campaigns a little revamp by adding a creepy message, using a frightful font, or even changing the colours to orange and black to reflect the theme of traditional Halloween marketing campaigns. Your next data-driven campaign could use a little hocus pocus. 

    Social posts that are eerie-sistably boo-tiful 

    While sending a shoutout to Halloween day-of is the easiest way to get into the spirit of the season, giving your campaigns some added spooky energy leading up to the special day is far more exciting and memorable. That said, as soon as October rolls around, you’re in the clear to formulate some devilishly dark social media posts. Whether you do a quick disguise of your product with some enchanting props, snap a photo of it out in a pumpkin field, or simply advertise your service with a ghostly touch, there are so many opportunities to jump onto the bandwagon with a social media Halloween marketing campaign. 

    Blog posts that brew spooktacular ideas

    Since content can take a bit of time to create traction and spur engagement, it’s best to get on this opportunity as soon as possible, especially if you’re hoping to boost your SEO with a Halloween marketing campaign. The spooky season is a time of year for trendy searches since lots of people are on the hunt for the perfect costumes, decor, and party ideas. So, if you can find a way to create some spooky blog posts while using keywords that are trending, you can find a way to stay relevant during Halloween Google searches. 

    What is your favourite option from our suggestions above? Drop a comment below to share. 

    Interested in learning about how Google Shopping can grow your business?

    Are your traffic and leads drying up? Our digital marketing team takes the time to understand what you do and how to make you money, which is why we are happy to manage your Google Shopping ads as part of your online advertising services with us. Google shopping allows vendors an opportunity to reach bottom-funnel customers, giving them an easy way to stand out in search results. For those who have more questions about the advantages of Google Shopping ads, read the information in the article below. 

    How does Google Shopping work for the consumer?

    When a person uses Google Shopping, they can easily browse products from sellers who have chosen to feature their goods on the platform. All offers are ranked based on relevance, the user’s Google activity, and the search terms they choose to use. There will also be some ads peppers in to improve the quality of the search results. However, these offers will have a “sponsored” label underneath, indicating that their spot is based on paying Google rather than the influence of the items displayed. Google will be compensated for any clicks to the ads as well as receiving a commission for each purchase that’s made. 

    Consumers can customize their Google Shopping results by sorting and filtering elements like the price, product category, or brand. This can be viewed under each shopper’s activity section of their Google account. They can also block specific advertisers and opt-out of personalized ads by visiting Google’s Ads Settings page. That way the products displayed on Google Shopping are tailored to each shopper’s experience. 

    When you find a product that you’re interested in on the Google Shopping platform, you’ll then see the item price along with applicable taxes. There is an exception on “Buy on Google” offers, which once clicked upon will take you directly to the seller’s site to make the purchase. Keep in mind that shipping costs vary depending on their final destination, along with shipping method and any applicable information about insurances or warranties. 

    How does Google Shopping work for the vendor?

    Sellers and advertisers who feature products on Google Shopping must comply with all policies to keep their place on this prominent platform. Those that chose to ignore any of the rules may be suspended or have their items removed. To ensure this doesn’t happen, vendors need to provide detailed information about their products and update their listings regularly. 

    To add your products, follow the instructions below:

    1. Log in to your Merchant Center account
    2. Select products from the navigation menu, then click all products
    3. Click the plus button to add the product
    4. Fill out the data fields for each product
    5. If your product has varying colors, sizes, or other attributes, you will want to add these values
    6. Click save

    Why do consumers and vendors alike enjoy the Google Shopping experience? 

    In a world where you can buy products anywhere you go, it’s important to make the experience memorable for the consumer and simplistic for the vendor.

    Google Shopping is a powerful technology that allows consumers to research the products before being pointed towards the vendors who sell them. The best part is that it’s known for its speediness and will instantly provide photos and information, including stores that sell said product, instantly after entering the search. Lastly, the experience is very comprehensive and allows shoppers to find both common and unusual varieties of their search terms. 

    Have you ever purchased a product or sold one using Google Shopping? Drop a comment below to share your experience. 

    The pros and cons of outsourcing your digital marketing project

    Targeting the growth of your e-commerce business should be an essential part of your online marketing strategy, especially in these unprecedented times. If you’ve resorted to Googling “outsourcing digital marketing in Vancouver”, know that you aren’t alone. Many business owners are on the hunt for ways to get ahead of their competition, and to help you make the best business decision, it’s important to know if the benefits outweigh the risks. 

    How to determine if outsourcing is for you

    Outsourcing your digital marketing is when you use a third party to create content or perform marketing services on behalf of your brand to promote the growth of your business. This could include writing copy, blog management, creating social media posts, producing custom video content, constructing lead magnets, designing ads, managing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, setting up Facebook ads, and managing your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. While these are a few examples of what types of services you can outsource, there will always be options for more assistance elsewhere. 

    What are some pros of outsourcing digital marketing?

    Do you or your employees possess any hands-on digital marketing experience that could be advantageous in the implementation of future strategies? If not, here are some reasons to consider outsourcing digital marketing, especially in competitive marketplaces like the city of Vancouver.

    • Expertise: Whether you select an agency or a freelancer to be a part of your team, someone with expertise in the digital marketing field will know of ways to get things done more efficiently and effectively.
    • Money savings: While you may think paying someone to perform a service costs too much, it’s important to remember that if you lack the skills needed to get traffic to your website, you won’t be making any money to begin with. Consider the person you hire as an investment. The best part is that most agencies offer hours-based packages to allow you to start small and add more time as your business grows. 
    • Accessibility to multiple services: While this benefit may be achievable with the right freelancer, often the ability to subscribe to multiple digital marketing services can only be found within an agency. Outsourcing digital marketing in Vancouver gives business owners the power to access an entire team of staff that through collaborative efforts will provide your e-commerce brand with a menu of options to increase conversions. 
    • Frees up your time: By relying on experts to get your online marketing tasks done you have more time to dedicate to other aspects of running your business. 

    What are some cons of outsourcing digital marketing?

    Depending on how you measure your businesses’ success, it may be best to keep some of your digital marketing efforts in-house. For that reason, here are some examples of why you may want to not outsource all of your digital marketing services.

    • Fear of brand consistency issues: Every business creates values and a reputation over time, which can make it difficult to feel comfortable passing the reins to someone that doesn’t live and breathe every aspect of your brand. 
    • You won’t have 100% control of all timelines: While services like blogging, email marketing, and social media possess the ability to formulate strict posting schedules, other efforts like SEO and PPC advertising can take more time to show their value, and if you’re using a freelancer for any of the above tasks, you will need to remember that their ability to rearrange other commitments to prioritize you might not always be possible.
    • Not as much freedom to offer a personal touch: Small businesses build their brand on connecting with their customers, and while outsourcing gives you access to so many amazing resources, mastering the tone and voice you’ve envisioned may take time for other people to covet. 

    In our professional opinion, none of the above cons possess any inabilities inhibiting them from being overcome. Especially through the use of proper implementation and communication by outsourcing to the right digital marketing company in Vancouver.

    Do you possess any other questions or concerns about outsourcing? Please drop them below for a speedy reply.

    Why having a professional digital strategy will help you to boost sales throughout the pandemic

    Before the pandemic, established brick-and-mortar businesses were still finding success through regular foot traffic, however, as non-essential shops were closed to slow the spread of the virus, e-commerce has heightened in popularity (even more so than before) to accommodate the influx in online shopping, live-streamed events, and social connections by way of digital platforms. This means that many companies that only had a physical presence moved to e-commerce, while those who had an online store needed to revamp their strategies to attract more customers and increase sales. Since the global crisis is far from over, the solution to continuing business as usual rests with a proper strategy from a reputable digital marketing agency in Vancouver. Let the suggestions begin.

    Allows you to turn online platforms into an opportunity

    Online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, are commonly used platforms where vendors sell their products at wholesale prices to be fulfilled by the company. For example, Amazon places orders in bulk and holds inventory in their fulfillment centres (except vendors who can fulfill their orders and ship directly to the consumer). That being said, with help from a professional digital marketing agency in Vancouver, your e-commerce storefront could start gaining traction as a top shopping destination. Whether you choose to use PPC advertising to launch ads that drive results or rely on social channels like Facebook and Instagram to promote your products and services, there are opportunities everywhere!  

    Make strategic changes to your website

    Regardless of whether you’re building an e-commerce website from scratch with a web development company or you’re reevaluating what can be done internally to drive traffic, it’s important to make strategic decisions when deciding how to use your budget to invest in your business. An abundance of people have flocked to the web as a replacement for their in-person purchase, and with everything from search engine optimization services to blog and content marketing available at your fingertips, you need to find a good digital marketing agency that promotes a seamless pivot to digital. 

    Utilize the current capabilities of digital innovations

    We’re living in a technological era and this digital world is only expanding more each day. This is why it’s so important for the modern retailer to invest in digital technologies that possess the power to provide users with a compelling online experience. 

    Here are some things that your digital marketing provider might suggest:

    • Predictive analytics to help you offer what your audience wants/needs.
    • AI-powered search to help your audience find the best products. 
    • Real-time inventory management to optimize your budget and reduce your overall business costs.
    • Interactive functionalities.
    • More multimedia content.

    The pandemic has changed the way retailers are conducting their businesses. What plans do you have on the horizon for your e-commerce company?