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SEO

With over 1.5 billion websites on the internet, there are bound to be plenty that advertise the same products as you. There’s only one way to make sure your website is the one potential clients find. 

SEO. 

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of customizing your content to boost your site’s priority on search engines. Each year, different SEO trends emerge as the best ways to get people to flock to your site. Getting on the top 2023 SEO trends is a great way to get a head start on your competition. 

This article will walk you through the top digital marketing SEO tips to make sure your SEO soars in the new year. 

1. User Intent 

SEO is going to explode in 2023. Everyone wants to get in on this innovative form of marketing. So if you want to succeed, you’re going to need to focus on giving people exactly what they want. 

Rather than making use of general keywords, try to find exactly what your customer is looking for. The more precisely your keywords relate to your customers’ search words, the more likely they are to end up on your site. 

Make sure your pages have links to other pages that also contain relevant information that your customers would appreciate knowing. Understanding just how much content they want is key to keeping them hooked on your site. 

Put yourself in the mind frame of one of your potential customers. When you look for a piece of information or a product, you want to get it from a website that’s laid out clearly and is easy to navigate. 

Make sure that each of your web pages has these qualities. Otherwise, your clients will go elsewhere. 

2. Video Marketing

Video marketing has been skyrocketing in popularity since the dawn of the internet, and it’s only going to become more popular in 2023. 

You might wonder how does video marketing work in the world of SEO? Isn’t SEO all about keywords an inherently linguistic form of communication? 

What you need to remember is that video content doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Any piece of visual media is surrounded and framed by words. Videos have comment sections, descriptions, and most importantly, titles. 

All of the above linguistic opportunities can be used to generate SEO content. 

Keep in mind that SEO isn’t only about keywords too. Integral to your site’s SEO is the amount of time that people spend on your website. The more time that people spend on your site, the higher your SEO ranking is going to be. 

This means that creating quality video content is key. Create content that people are likely to sit completely through, or that will make people want to watch more. 

3. Voice Search 

Voice search features are only becoming more popular and more accurate. Increasingly, people would prefer to search for things hands-free if they can. 

This means a landslide for the world of SEO marketing. 

Key to SEO is not just what people are looking for, but the precise phrases people use to look for them. SEO experts have to be highly specific and detailed in their research. Any shift to the landscape of search engines can cause vast consequences in the world of SEO. 

Voice search doesn’t make use of any sort of different algorithm. It does, however, impact the words people use to search. 

When people search using their voice, they’re more likely to take on an informal, conversational tone. They’re also more likely to use more words than they would if they were typing. 

This less precise, more conversational way of searching isn’t matched by many people’s sites. Start incorporating keywords that make use of these tactics, and you’re more likely to succeed.

4. Mobile SEO

As the years roll on, more people are satisfied to search for what they want on their phones. Just like voice search, people are likely to search for things differently when they’re entering a new world of search.

In the mobile world, people are often typing with only one hand, or are searching for something on the fly. This means they’re going to be less precise, and use different words when searching for certain things. 

Websites also appear differently when they’re encountered on a phone than when they’re encountered on a computer. A page that appears normal on the computer might take forever to scroll through on the phone. Just think of the different sizes of screens! 

Make sure you specifically design your pages for mobile users; otherwise, people will leave your site fast. This sort of interaction is known as a “bounce” and it’s very bad for your SEO. 

Review the principles of web design, which will help you design a great mobile site. 

5. Authority

The internet is more overstuffed than ever, and people want to make sure that the content they consume comes from a reliable source. 

If you want to succeed in 2023, you’re going to need to hire experts or make sure you come across as an expert to your customers. Become a thought leader in your field by focusing on quality over quantity. If you’re the voice that people in your community turn to, customers are far more likely to trust you. 

Make sure people know who creates your content, and why the content is being created. By being upfront with your customers, you’re far more likely to be trusted. 

Understand These SEO Trends

As you can see, there are many SEO trends that you can follow in 2023 to increase your business. Master the above tactics, and you’re on your way to success. 

For more information on SEO and digital marketing, contact us today. 

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Advertising, SEO

Cannabis is no longer the countercultural staple it used to be. With legalization sweeping the nation and statistics saying that nearly 1/5th of all Americans have used cannabis, this substance is becoming an essential part of our everyday lives. 

If you run a cannabis company, you might be wondering how to use cannabis marketing ideas to boost your business. The legal cannabis business is new, so there aren’t many tried and true marketing plans out there.

Keep reading, and we’ll give you the top cannabis marketing tips to succeed in the market today.

Get Everything Online

First things first, you need to make sure you’re making use of online marketing. 

Attention simply just doesn’t go out into the “real world” anymore. You can buy the biggest billboard in the world. People won’t notice it because their attention is all on their phones. 

Digital marketing can be as complicated as a pay-per-click plan or as simple as making posts on social media. No matter what your budget is, you can promote yourself through the world of online marketing.

Consider Using SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a little marketing technique you’ve probably never heard about. But to make it big in the digital age, you’ll have to understand SEO tactics.

SEO is all about optimizing your page to appear high on search engine results. Plenty of businesses are buried just because people don’t want to scroll down a page. Less than one percent of all users make it to the second page of a search engine result. 

If you want to stand out, you have to be one of the top results. 

The key to SEO is “keywords.” These are the specific phrases that people use when searching for a particular good or service. Search engines look at specifics, not generals, so you’re far more likely to succeed if you can figure out exactly how your potential customers are searching for your products.

There are many tactics to improve SEO, but the most common is to produce blog content that repeatedly embeds specific keywords into the content to boost search engine results. However, don’t use too many; Google calls this process “keyword-stuffing” and will punish your ranking for this.

Seek out Display Advertising

It’s hard to get the reach and impressions you deserve when marketing cannabis on Facebook or Instagram isn’t possible due to community guidelines. Cannabis companies face marketing challenges and adversity online. But there are solutions specifically tailored to advertising Cannabis or THC products online. 

One of these solutions is Programmatic Display Advertising. This solution allows us to run ads for our cannabis clients to those with interests in all things THC! We can target those with search intent to prospect new customers or run retargeting ads to those who have already visited your site to encourage them to come back and check out, often times with a click-enticing offer.

Set up Email Automation

Your foundation for a well operating THC company selling online should be strong email marketing and email automation practices. Klaviyo is our favorite ecommerce email marketing platform and bonus points: they whitelisted cannabis to run on their platform (as long as you’re not making outlandish medical claims of course).
Through establishing proper flows like a welcome sequence, abandoned cart flow and customer winback sequences, as well as ongoing timely email campaigns you can expect 20-30% of your revenue to come from this channel. 

Brand You or Your Company

Running a company doesn’t mean running a brand. A brand has a specific identity; a company is made into an identity. 

Making yourself into a brand is key to spreading your business. You’re letting your customers advertise for you by branding your business correctly. 

Just take a look at the perfect example of branding apple. Their sleek designs align with their message of simplicity, progress, and efficiency. In their stores, employees wear t-shirts and are instructed to speak to customers casually. 

The result of this is that every apple product is immediately identifiable. It relates to a way of living. As soon as someone sees one of these products, they’re reminded of Apple. 

You can create a great brand by making advertisements that don’t just focus on the bottom line but are memorable, quotable, and feature unique visuals. You can even put these visuals on shirts, creating walking advertisements. 

Know Your Customers Well

Cannabis is so popular now that you can’t rely on one type of person to populate your business. 

Many cannabis businesses focus on a sort of “stoner” image. This can work if your customers are young, countercultural figures. However, it’s not the only game in town. 

More and more older people are using cannabis to aid symptoms of certain health conditions. This means a discomfort-relieving, family-friendly image is possible for new cannabis companies. 

You’re engaging in niche marketing when you find out exactly who your customers are and market to them. In the 21st century, this is a crucial tactic. People are tired of big, general advertisements aimed at everyone; they want someone to appeal to them. 

Take the time to get to know your regular customers by name. If you can identify them and provide them with specialized services, they’re more likely to recommend their friends. 

Don’t Make Claims Without Evidence

While cannabis is legal in many states, it’s not legal everywhere. It’s also a drug. We don’t mean this in a moral way; it’s a medical product, just like Nyquil or Advil; drugs have certain restrictions placed on them. 

You have to make sure that you don’t make any claims that cannabis can treat things that it hasn’t been proven to treat. Anecdotal evidence is not enough, and any story, book, or documentary about cannabis “curing cancer” should not be followed; you need to go by scientific studies. 

Generally, cannabis hasn’t been found to cure anything. However, it can treat the symptoms caused by plenty of problems. When it comes to conditions like arthritis or anxiety (where the symptoms cause medical issues), it’s highly effective.

Make sure you don’t claim that cannabis treats “pain”; you’ll enter some murky legal territory. Instead, suggest that it “alleviates discomfort.”

While claiming certain things like this will undoubtedly increase attention, it’s not worth it for the legal ramifications. 

Marketing for Your Cannabis Company

As you can see, marketing for the world of cannabis obeys many of the same principles as marketing for the rest of the business world. The big exception is that there are specific claims you can’t make for cannabis.

For more information on marketing, whether for a cannabis company or otherwise, contact us today.

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Advertising, Beauty Marketing, eCommerce

You’ve created top-notch beauty products and are ready to show them to the world, and you couldn’t be more excited about the impact they’re going to have on consumers. But how do you go about marketing them successfully?

Marketing (especially digital marketing!) can make or break your business, and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out the best tactics to use as well as the worst ones to avoid. 

Keep reading for a guide to beauty marketing that will help you promote your beauty brand while making it outshine the competition. 

Marketing for Beauty Businesses

Since the beginning of the pandemic, marketing has seen an even larger shift to online content. While in-person marketing tactics are still super useful, many of these tips highlight digital methods that will increase your sales in no time. 

When consumers think about buying something, they often go straight to the web and type in a question or specific item to be found. If you want your products to be considered, you’ll want to create engaging content that’s easy to find, offer insightful information, and build a sense of community that others want to be a part of. 

The Dos

There are so many marketing tactics that can help boost your beauty business to where you want it to be. Here’s a look at the things you should make an effort to tackle first. 

Use Social Media

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and TikTok are essential for getting your beauty products seen by people all over the world.

Start with one or two platforms and begin cultivating a following by posting consistent high-quality images and videos of your products, giving your audience valuable information about why they should choose them. 

Create an Easy-to-Use Website

If you don’t already have a site where people can go to find out about your business and purchase your products, it’s time to build one

Web design for beauty companies is a key factor since so many people are purchasing their beauty products online these days. 

Make sure the website has detailed product descriptions, a contact page, and easy ways for customers to buy your items. The more engaging and visually pleasing your site is, the better!

Develop a Unique Brand

Let’s say you’re selling lipsticks. There are a lot of other lipsticks out there to choose from, so you need to tell consumers why they should choose you over your competition. This all starts with creating a unique brand.

How do your products stand out against others? What makes your company special? For example, maybe your products are all made of organic ingredients, or you donate a percentage of every purchase to an organization that’s important to you.

Look for things that make you unique from other beauty retailers, and highlight those things so customers are more likely to purchase from you. 

Include Testimonials

Consumers are much more likely to trust a product if they read reviews from real people telling them it’s great. 

When people leave positive reviews for your product or post on social media raving about one of your beauty items, take advantage of this! Post testimonials on your website and your own social media page so consumers can read and view them when doing their own research. 

Utilize Tiktok and Instagram Ads

TikTok is a social media app that has more than 500 million monthly active users. It allows users to create short videos with fun effects and then share them on the platform. TikTok is an excellent tool for beauty brands to advertise their products because it is a visual-based platform.

The TikTok app has become one of the best platforms for beauty brands to advertise their products. It’s a visual-based app, which means that it’s perfect for marketing makeup, skincare, and other beauty products.

Deploy Google Shopping Ads

Google Shopping Ads are a great way for beauty brands to increase their visibility and sales. They allow you to promote your products on Google Search and Google Product Listing Ads.



The Don’ts

While there are marketing strategies that help your business make its mark, there are also things to watch out for. Here are a handful of marketing points to avoid. 

Focus on Follower Counts Instead of Audience Relationships

If your beauty business is all about social media, it can be easy to get wrapped up in how many followers you have. But when you’re only focused on your follower count, you may be gaining more followers without those followers turning into buyers. 

People want to feel valued and like a real part of your beauty company’s community. One of the best ways to foster this sense of community is to make an effort to interact with users, whether that’s by liking their comments, responding to direct messages, etc. 

Underestimate the Power of Quality Content

With so much content out there vying for people’s attention, people want to spend their time reading and watching content that’s going to offer them something of value in return. 

Try to make any content you put out (blog posts, videos, social media live streams) as informative and engaging as possible. Give a tutorial, answer questions from followers, or create other educational content that draws consumers in and leads to them trusting your brand. 

Respond Negatively to Feedback

It can be difficult to know how to respond to negative feedback, whether it comes in the form of a negative social media comment, angry customer service call, or poor product review. 

Remember to always respond in a professional tone, as you’re representing not only yourself but your entire business. Work to give every customer a positive experience, but also remember not to take negative comments personally. 

Forget About SEO 

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a crucial part of any marketing strategy. If your website or blog posts don’t rank highly in a Google search, it’s going to be trickier for potential buyers to find your business. 

Optimize your content so that it contains the keywords necessary to show up in searches. If you’re unsure of how to get started with SEO, there are experienced and professional companies out there who are more than willing to help!

A Beauty Marketing Guide to Unstoppable Success

Don’t let beauty marketing leave you feeling stressed and uncertain. By following these marketing dos and don’ts, your business will flourish. 

Looking for assistance with your digital marketing strategy? We can help with everything from your website design to social media, Google Ads to email marketing. Reach out to us today to find out how to get started on your beauty business’s path to success. 

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SEO

Nearly 50% of all Google searches are local. Without a local search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, however, you might not reach local consumers. They could struggle to find your storefront, website, or phone number online.

Before you risk losing customers, consider optimizing your Google My Business listing. What is Google My Business, exactly? It’s an online listing that can help consumers find your business online.

As part of your overall SEO strategy, your Google My Business listing can help you rank higher on Google. Higher rankings will help you reach more customers than ever before.

Not sure how to optimize your listing? Here are seven tips on how to use Google my Business for SEO.

Experience the benefits of local SEO firsthand! Get started with these seven Google My Business optimization tips today!

1. Claim Your Listing

Before you can optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing, make sure you’ve claimed your business online. You can claim your listing here.

As you work through these steps, make sure you’re using a Google account that’s dedicated specifically to your business. Don’t use your personal account as you complete this process. If you don’t have a business Google account, create one.

When you create a new Google account, you should see an option that reads “to manage my business.” Select that option before following the remaining prompts.

Once you’ve claimed your Google My Business listing, you can make updates and improvements to your profile. Then, you can use your GMB listing as part of your overall SEO strategy.

Why is SEO important for your business? SEO can help you rank higher on Google search pages. When someone searches for your product or service, your website and GMB listing could appear.

Ranking higher on Google can help you gain more brand visibility. As you generate brand awareness and recognition, you can remain top-of-mind. When someone needs your product or service, they could recall encountering your brand.

Understanding the importance of SEO can also allow you to experience benefits such as:

  • More website traffic
  • Increased leads and sales
  • A higher ROI
  • Positioning yourself as an industry thought leader
  • Generating brand trust and loyalty
  • Ranking higher than competitors

Many consumers don’t look beyond the first page of a search. Reaching the top of the page will ensure they see your brand first. 

2. Complete Each Section

Once you’ve claimed your GMB listing, you can learn how to use Google My Business for SEO effectively. Start by filling out every section of your profile.

As you work through this step, make sure to confirm each section is complete and accurate. Make sure the information matches what appears on your website, too. If your business appears on other online directories, match the information exactly.

For example, you should use the same abbreviations (“St.” versus “Street”) or formatting.

Neglecting to maintain consistency could impact your online presence. Your local SEO rankings might drop, too. If your rankings drop, interested customers might struggle to find you online.

Your Google My Business profile will ask for your:

  • Business name
  • Business category
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Website URL
  • Photos and videos
  • Attributes
  • FAQs
  • Description
  • Business hours

Double-check and confirm that each piece of information matches what appears on your website. If the information is inconsistent, you could risk confusing customers.

For example, customers might try to call your business, only to dial a number that’s not in service. They might want to visit your store, only to find you’re not at that location. If you waste their time, they might choose a different business instead. 

3. Optimize the Description

Once you’ve added the necessary information to your profile, make sure to optimize your description.

Start by gathering keyword research. What keywords do people search online to find your product or service? Look for a longtail keyword that’s more precise than “flowers” or “t-shirts.”

Then, add your target keyword to your business description. Optimizing your description could help your listing appear for relevant searches. You might have an easier time generating website traffic or visitors to your store.

Try to communicate the offers, benefits, or features your business can offer customers. Focus on your unique value proposition to stand out from competitors, too.

You only have 750 characters for your description! Make sure it’s clear, creative, and concise.

4. Choose a Category

When learning how to use Google My Business for SEO, many business owners neglect to choose the right business category. The right category will help consumers find your business. You’ll increase your chances of appearing for non-branded category-specific queries.

Then, you can generate more website traffic or foot traffic, even if customers aren’t searching for your specific business.

If it applies, consider adding a secondary category to your business listing as well. 

5. Add Imagery

A picture says a thousand words, right? Optimize your listing further by adding eye-catching images. You can add both photo and video files to your GMB listing.

If you have a storefront, make sure to add photos of your shop’s interior and exterior. Consumers might have an easier time locating your business.

If you move, make sure to update the imagery.

6. Request Reviews

About 95% of people read reviews before making a purchase. Another 93% read reviews to determine the quality of a local business. Generating reviews could help brand trust grow, helping you generate leads and sales.

Ask your happy customers to post their reviews on your GMB listing. Then, use a plugin to feed those reviews to your website.

Generating fresh reviews could help with ranking higher on Google.

7. Share Regular Updates

Keep customers informed by sharing regular updates on your GMB listing.

For example, you might want to let them know if you’re closed for a holiday or event. Perhaps you want to inform customers of new products or a change in your business hours.

Sharing these updates will improve the customer experience. 

How to Use Google My Business for SEO: 7 Optimization Tips for Success

Learning how to use Google My Business for SEO shouldn’t have to feel like a hassle. Instead, use these seven optimization tips to get started. Otherwise, consider working with our experienced SEO agency.

We can help boost your rankings, allowing you to reach more customers online. 

Ready to start optimizing? We can help.

Contact our team today to get started.

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SEO, Video
In 2021, SEO is extremely important. Are you aware that less than one percent of people click through to the second page of a search engine result? This means that if you wind up on the second page of search engine results, you’re as good as gone from the internet. But what few people know is that video marketing can be used to boost SEO. If you focused on customized video creation, you need to start learning the relationship between video and SEO so you can make the most of your campaign. This article will walk you through everything you need to know about video SEO, so you can make sure you wind up on that crucial first page.

The Power of the Thumbnail

It doesn’t take long searching through Google to see that when a page has a video on it, the search engine result shows up with a video in the thumbnail. A person rocketing through the world of Google will immediately have their eye pulled to this visual thumbnail. It might even inspire them to click on it. As you can see, video can help out SEO without the video even being optimized to add value. However, as with all things, adding value can only help. Let’s say your video isn’t even on your website. You’ve created a video explaining how you package a certain product, and you put it on YouTube. A client looking for your product will come across the video and click on it because they like the thumbnail. They’ll watch your video, and realize that you generate quality content, which means you truly care about your customers. If you’ve put the link to your website in your bio, they’ll scroll down and find it, click on it, and land on your website. If your website has even more video content, they’re more likely to stick around longer. The longer they stick around, the better your SEO will do. As you can, see everything in the world of online marketing is connected. This is why it’s important to make sure that you’re generating value every step of the way. There’s a rumor going around in the marketing world as well that search engines results with thumbnails in them are prioritized. It might not be true, by why not put yourself in the way of success? Once the clients land on your site, you have the opportunity to turn them into long-time customers. Make use of our conversion rate optimization service to truly shine.

Optimize Your Captions

Every space for text on your website is a space for SEO content. Keywords are the key to any SEO strategy. If you’ve done your research (and hired a good SEO company), you’ll know which keywords you need to focus on. However, you can’t simply load your website up with whatever keyword comes to mind. Google will recognize this as spamming and punish you for it. You can’t blame them — if they didn’t do this, the top website in search results would simply be websites filled with the same word over and over. Instead, you have to bake your keywords into high-quality content. The most popular option for this is online blogs. Blogs allow a high volume of constantly updated text-based content. However, ironically enough, video content allows space for text-based content well. In the caption section.  Putting out a steady stream of video content doesn’t just create value for your audience, it also gives you an opportunity to load up your site with as many SEO keywords as possible. If you have a stream of video content in addition to your blogs, you’re far more likely to blow your customers out of the water when it comes to SEO keywords.

You Can Gain Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most important parts of an SEO strategy — if you can make them work. They’re links that come from other websites, which drive traffic to your site. If you can create awesome content that people are going to become engaged with, you’re more likely to gain mentioned on other people’s blogs, news articles, and social media posts. Some of the best marketing these days doesn’t come from marketing campaigns themselves. Video content will also enhance your profile, so you can make use of influencer marketing to a greater degree. Of course, influencers work mainly for pay. However, it will help distinguish you from competitors if you’re also known as a site that creates great content. At the end of the day, all of these types of marketing can work together. High-quality viral content can gain you more backlinks, and gain you the attention of influencers. Making use of these influencers can, in turn, cause more people to get interested in you, and can cause even more backlinks to develop. As stated earlier, in the world of digital marketing, everything is related. You only need a little push to get the ball rolling that could generate you tons of business.

Video and SEO Are Closely Related

In the world of the internet, all types of marketing can help each other out. Though SEO is a more indirect type of marketing, you can leverage your other sorts of advertising to improve it. The relationship between video and SEO is a lot closer than it seems at first. Make sure that you rely on a good video thumbnail, optimize your captions and links, and deliver on your content, and you’re sure to improve your SEO. For more information, contact us today.
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SEO

Did you know that 76% of people who search for a local business on their phones visit within one day?

Almost one-third of online searches are related to the user’s location. Just under half order online then pick-up from the offline store.

If your site isn’t optimized for local search then you’re missing out on sales.

This article asks what is local SEO and how can you improve your company’s search engine placement.

Read on to discover what is Google local SEO and how to claim your listing. Learn how to get started with local SEO. And see why hiring the right local SEO team can increase your online and offline sales.

What Is Local SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s a process that helps your website reach the first page on Google which in turn boosts your visitor count.

Local SEO relates to improving ‘nearby’ searches. For example:

  • Plumbers near me
  • Beautician in Naperville
  • Buy CBD oil in Illinois

If your current website isn’t geared for local SEO near me keywords then you’re missing out. But how can you improve for these types of searches?

What Is Google Local SEO?

Google My Business is a free service that lets you promote your company directly within Google Search.

The listing appears on the right of the screen for desktop users and at the very top for mobile devices. You can add:

  • Contact and address details
  • Directions within an interactive map
  • Photos and opening hours

Google provides you with full analytics so you can track how many people phoned you or asked for driving directions. Combined with optimizing your website, you’ll see a marked increase in inbound traffic with the right content.

How to Get Started With Local SEO

To claim your listing, all you need is a Google account and the time and computer know-how to fill in the details. Companies that need assistance can call on us for help.

Our startup marketing package is an excellent service designed to promote your business to a local audience. It also includes PR, video production, social media, and link building.

Local SEO Help for Your Website

Google My Business is a great tool but what about your website? How can you improve your search engine results for local queries?

Ensure your address and contact details are easy to find and not hidden behind a broken link. Google actively checks for your location and will promote it if it’s easy to find.

Inbound links from other local companies in your area will also improve your position.

Our team can help with your inbound link strategy along with technical issues that can impact your site. Social media plays an important part in local SEO too and we can manage your online profiles to enhance their performance.

Forging Your Local SEO Strategy

Now you know the answers to what is local SEO and how you can do better it’s time to call the experts.

Forge Digital Marketing offers search engine optimization services including local SEO help.

Whether you sell beauty products, supplements, CBD oils, or you’re a plumber, Forge can attract more local visitors. We can set up and optimize your Google My Business account and improve your website. And we also specialize in local link-building strategies along with online and offline marketing.

Contact us today to see how we can drive more traffic to your site and store.

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