This short post will cover some of the major shifts that have occurred in that timeframe, as well as some changes that are transforming the digital landscape through the present era. 

The Rise of eCommerce: 2010-2020

Let’s flash back to 2010. It’s hard to think that this was almost 15 years ago at this point. There was eCommerce way back then, but less than 5% of retail sales went through a website. 

It wasn’t so long ago that there weren’t even that many eCommerce-only sites like Amazon, eBay, Temu, and Alibaba, and to be sure, some of these (like Amazon and eBay) actually did exist before 2010. But it has only been in the last ten years that many of these eCommerce websites got off the ground. 

Early in the history of eCommerce, sales were stymied by old habits. Shoppers like to interact with products before buying, and the age-old “way” to buy things was at established, brick and mortar outlets. Even the expression “to go shopping” implies a transitive action; physically going somewhere before making a purchase. 

There were also a lot of roadblocks in the early days of eCommerce. For one, there just wasn’t a wealth of websites dedicated to eCommerce. In the early days, there were few (to no) platforms dedicated to eCommerce. Consider that Shopify and BigCommerce only hit the scene in 2006 and 2009, respectively. They existed, but they were new, and they were nascent. Volusion was one of the first, on the scene in 1999. But Volusion, though it’s eCommerce-centric, is not as easy to use as a SaaS platform and was fairly limiting. 

Consider also that transacting used to be much harder back in the past. You can’t pay with cash or even a check through a website, and we’ve only developed unique, easy to implement and use payment gateways and processors like Google Wallet, PayPal and Apple Pay in the past couple years. In 2010, there really weren’t any user-friendly payment processors or payment gateways.

So these things, in sum, also contributed to the slow rise of eCommerce as contrasted to the generally meteoric rise of internet communications. 

There were other inhibitors, too. One is simply that old habits die hard. People like to actually shop for things, and even in the modern era, with AR and VR, shopping online is fairly impersonal. 

On top of that, it used to be that there just wasn’t that much access or accessibility in the realm of eCommerce. In many, many ways, it was easier to go to a local store than it was to shop on the internet. 

That paradigm shifted strongly with the onset of the coronavirus. 

Coronavirus and the eCommerce “Revolution”

While hard to believe it was almost 5 years ago now, when the world “shut down” as a result of the coronavirus, and many businesses started working remotely, as a result of draconian impositions by local and regional governments, many businesses had no option but to start operating solely online as opposed to in person.

While a completely artificial factor, the result was that it did force some businesses to start selling online, just as it forced consumers to start shopping online. 

And, while the political and medical responses to the disease were holistically disastrous, the (potentially unintentional) effect on eCommerce was one of stellar growth. 

As an illustration, eCommerce sales in 2019 totaled about 540 billion. By 2022, that figure had risen to about 944 billion, nearly double. 

The value of all eCommerce sales is projected to grow to almost 1.8 trillion by 2028. If that projection holds, the total value of eCommerce transactions will have more than tripled, nearly quadrupled, in the space of less than a decade.

AI, AR, and VR in Personalizing the Online Shopping Experience 

It should go without saying that there have been many contributors to the growth of eCommerce and I do not mean to insinuate that its rise and subsequent growth in the past few years have been completely artificial, or insignificant. 

But with that said, it’s also the case that certain, select technological developments have also eliminated some of the barriers that conventionally kept consumers out of the eCommerce market. 

Consider the rise of AI (artificial intelligence), AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) in simulating a more realistic online shopping experience. 

AI is a bit more nascent, but AI models are increasingly being used by consumers to help them find information (and potentially products) and even if that trend ends up petering off, eCommerce platforms themselves can leverage artificial intelligence for personalized marketing – such as in the form of “recommended” products that increase conversions. 

With respect to AR and VR, which have been around marginally longer than AI but the effects of which are easier to scale with respect to the user experience, these tools are making a much bigger impact, cumulatively, on the online shopping experience. 

Consider a hypothetical experiment. Traditionally, consumers would shop for items like furniture and clothing in person. It’s easy to see why – you can take measurements of a sofa, for instance, but it’s impossible to know what it actually looks like until you can see it. And forget seeing what it will look like in your home. 

As for clothing, the answer to why consumers have conventionally shopped in person (and why many still do) should be obvious. You won’t know what something will look like on you until it’s, you know, on you. Literally. 

But with AR and VR, there are new tools emerging that offer 360° views of products and which are more interactive than ever before. And even if that were not the case, there are visualizers on the market nowadays that let you “try on” clothing and see what furniture will look like in a simulated view of your home, before you ever buy. 

Are augmented and virtual reality completely replacing the value of in-person shopping? Certainly not. But what can be said without a shred of doubt is that they are increasingly eliminating the barriers that some shoppers have to buying online. 

The Evolution of Search Engine Optimization 

Notwithstanding all of the changes in consumer behavior that have already been fronted by this article, there have been significant changes to eCommerce marketing strategies in the past ten years or so, as well. 

Take, for instance, SEO, which is still considered (by most digital marketers) to be the most important digital marketing channel of all, the most sustainable, the only one that’s entirely without restrictions, and the option that (in almost all cases) offers the highest conversion rate and return on investment. 

But the SEO of 2024 is not what the SEO of 2014 was, and it most definitely is not what the SEO of 2010 was (or earlier).

While SEO is still fundamentally about making a domain (or, in some instances, a specific page) more attractive to search engines, SEO in 2024 is more about optimizing the website for UX. I mean to say, SEO is now more about the user than it is about the search engine. 

Consider, for instance, that Google recently formally announced that user engagement metrics like time on page and pages per session are now officially going to be counted as ranking factors. While many digital marketing folk (myself included) have suspected as much for a long time, it was not officially a “truth” of search engine optimization. 

It makes sense why Google would start doing this – if it hasn’t already been doing so for years. Clearly, a user that spends more time on a page and ultimately clicks through to another page is getting value from the experience. Some aspect of search intent is definitely being met, and that’s the whole point of Google. 

These are also things that can’t be “faked” for lack of a better term. As digital marketers, we can do keyword research, we can optimize page titles, we can compress image files and make websites faster. But there are limits.

So what we can’t do? We can’t force users to spend more time on a page that is boring or fluffy and doesn’t contain the information or content the user came for. In order to do that, the page must be truly optimized for the user experience, which arises largely from a pleasant display, responsive design, and of course, content and copy that engages and informs. It takes a true industry expert (or something close) to do so. 

And the truth is, you can be an expert in SEO, but unless you’re an expert in the client’s vertical, it’s hard to engage and inform. That’s why someone like me has been able to write authoritative posts like “How to Advertise in the Gun Industry” and “Cigar Store Marketing,” and “How to Write to Get Featured in a Google AI Overview,” but why I shy away from some topics and industries on which (or with which) I am not as informed. I won’t show my full hand; you get the picture. 

Anyway, the point is that SEO has evolved quite a lot, perhaps more than any other digital marketing channel. There was a time when tactics prevailed that would be completely unacceptable today. 

What are now known today as “black hat tactics” and which might otherwise be categorized as “gaming” the system, not only will no longer work, but will result in pretty harsh penalties for those that get caught trying. 

It used to be that you could just stuff a bunch of keywords in title tags and in really thin, valueless page “copy” and you would get catapulted to the top of page one.

Today, you need to publish useful, actionable, engaging content. There is still an element of keyword optimization but in many ways it is secondary to the value of good copy. 

Changing Social Media Marketing and the Rise of Influencers 

In 2010, the only social medium we really had was Facebook. How times have changed. While Facebook is still huge, platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok (especially the latter) have really gained ground. 

These latter three – which are largely focused on image and visibility, have enabled users to pose as “experts” in certain industries – or, as you have probably heard them called, influencers. 

Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that all influencers are charlatans. The vast majority, perhaps, are, but there are certainly some that truly understand their industry and are experts in their own right. 

This is highly valuable to brands that leverage their credibility, because social media marketing enables fast-track visibility that SEO cannot offer, and it has in many ways upended the conventional digital marketing paradigm. 

Ten years ago, a digital marketing expert would have told you that (basically) all digital marketing could be condensed into PPC or SEO. Those are still important channels, but through influencer marketing, brands can now buy credibility (and visibility) in ways they could not have done in even the recent past. 

I expect that these trends will continue to shape eCommerce into the near future, though I can’t rightly or exactly predict the ways in which they will do so.

The Near Future: eCommerce in the Next 5 to 10 Years

All that’s left now is to explore some of the ways in which eCommerce is expected to grow (and how) in the next few years. 

First, I’ll start with an estimate. Shopify seems to think that the total value of eCommerce in 2025 will reach $4.8 trillion. Whether or not that’s going to pan out is anyone’s guess, but if it holds, it would represent a substantial increase. 

Here are some trends that are expected to continue to define eCommerce in the coming years. 

• AR and VR are expected to continue to personalize the online shopping experience, to make it more realistic and immersive, and to break down more and more barriers to buying online. 
• Omnichannel marketing, or marketing through multiple channels while maintaining a consistent message and brand position, is expected to become more central to a unified user experience. 
• Subscription models, which minimize involvement on behalf of the buyer and which represent passive revenue streams for the merchant, are expected to account for a larger share of the market in the near future.
• Video marketing is expected to become more prevalent in the coming years, though whether that will take the form of video marketing on conventional platforms like YouTube, or through social media like TikTok, is anyone’s guess. There could also be a new platform on the horizon that has not taken off yet but which will leverage video marketing. 
• One trend that’s expected to shape eCommerce, although this might influence the broader retail market, is one on “deinfluencing” or a trend in informing consumers about which products not to buy, either because they are low quality or because they are not sustainable. Either way, this requires manufacturers to place a serious emphasis on quality manufacturing processes and brand management. 
• Short term financing and BNPL (buy now, pay later) models are expected to make eCommerce transactions more accessible, enabling more consumers to take part in online shopping.
• It might sound crazy, but my research is also indicating that “word of mouth” marketing is expected to make a resurgence. When I was in school for marketing, we called this “buzz” and I remember being told it was the most powerful advertising of all, because it is credible and inherently personal. Funny that something so old and so patently non-digital by nature is expected to have a marked impact on eCommerce, but hey, I’ve seen, heard, and learned weirder things. 

All in all, anything I can say about the presumed shifts in the eCommerce marketplace are conjectural at best, but given the latent trajectory of the overall online industry, it’s safe to say that growth will continue for the foreseeable future. It’s just too easy to buy online, and there’s too much selection, for consumers to revert entirely to in-person purchasing.

The post The Evolution of eCommerce: A Look at the Past Decade appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Expert SEO management for Vape, Cannabis, CBD & Tobacco Businesses

Digital marketing offers a powerful tool for vape, cannabis, and tobacco businesses to connect with their target audience. By employing strategies such as SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing, agencies can help these businesses increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales. Through targeted advertising, engaging content, and data-driven insights, digital marketing can effectively navigate the unique challenges and regulations faced by these industries, ultimately leading to business growth and success.

Expert SEO Management for Firearm, Ammo & Knife Businesses

Gun and knife businesses can effectively leverage digital marketing to reach their target audience. By focusing on SEO, social media marketing, and content marketing, agencies can help these businesses increase brand awareness, attract potential customers, and drive sales. Through strategic use of these digital channels, businesses can educate consumers about their products, build trust, and foster a loyal customer base, ultimately contributing to their long-term success.

Featured Project

B&B Firearms

Our digital marketing strategy for a leading firearm manufacturer focused on enhancing their online presence, attracting new customers, and boosting sales. To achieve this, we implemented a multi-faceted approach that included website optimization, content marketing, and search engine optimization. We created high-quality content to educate and engage the target audience while optimizing the website for search engines to increase visibility. As a result of our efforts, we increased website traffic, improved brand awareness, achieved higher conversion rates, and fostered stronger customer relationships.

What Clients Have Said

I cannot say enough good things about this company. They communicate extremely well, they are all very knowledgeable, they all have great ideas, and it actually feels like they care about you and your company instead of just another client. In just a short amount of time they have achieved an extraordinary amount of traction for my business and I am very grateful for them! Thanks guys for helping me get my business off the ground, I look forward to building a long term relationship!

Brandyn Sethman, B&B Firearms

The post Alternative Tradeshow appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Featured Project

B&B Firearms

Our digital marketing strategy for a leading firearm manufacturer focused on enhancing their online presence, attracting new customers, and boosting sales. To achieve this, we implemented a multi-faceted approach that included website optimization, content marketing, and search engine optimization. We created high-quality content to educate and engage the target audience while optimizing the website for search engines to increase visibility. As a result of our efforts, we increased website traffic, improved brand awareness, achieved higher conversion rates, and fostered stronger customer relationships.

Expert SEO management for Vape, Cannabis, CBD, Tobacco & Alcohol Businesses

Digital marketing offers a powerful tool for vape, cannabis, tobacco and alcohol businesses to connect with their target audience. By employing strategies such as SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing, agencies can help these businesses increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales. Through targeted advertising, engaging content, and data-driven insights, digital marketing can effectively navigate the unique challenges and regulations faced by these industries, ultimately leading to business growth and success.

Start with a Free Proposal

Expert SEO Management for Firearm, Ammo & Knife Businesses

Gun and knife businesses can effectively leverage digital marketing to reach their target audience. By focusing on SEO, social media marketing, and content marketing, agencies can help these businesses increase brand awareness, attract potential customers, and drive sales. Through strategic use of these digital channels, businesses can educate consumers about their products, build trust, and foster a loyal customer base, ultimately contributing to their long-term success.

Start with a Free Proposal

What Clients Have Said

I cannot say enough good things about this company. They communicate extremely well, they are all very knowledgeable, they all have great ideas, and it actually feels like they care about you and your company instead of just another client. In just a short amount of time they have achieved an extraordinary amount of traction for my business and I am very grateful for them! Thanks guys for helping me get my business off the ground, I look forward to building a long term relationship!

Brandyn Sethman, B&B Firearms

The post Alternative Industries appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

You know, given the fact that cigar stores operate in a PPC-restricted industry, they’re severely limited with respect to what digital marketing channels they can pursue. Paid advertising is off the table.

That’s one of the things I wrote about in my last post on the subject. But general-isms will only get you so far. No one doesn’t know that tobacco is PPC-restricted. I wasn’t really doing hardcore sleuthing with that one. 

So, now I’m back with some actual, actionable suggestions on how to market your cigar store online (mostly with respect to SEO, but with a few other tips thrown in). 

Let’s take a closer look. 

Launch a YouTube Channel

Cigar smoking is a thing that is best observed by watching, not reading. One of the best ways to connect with users that aren’t actually in your immediate vicinity is via YouTube. 

Post cigar reviews, make it podcast-esque, use it to promote new releases, that sort of thing. This is especially useful for people that are better at extemporizing verbally and not so strong with writing. 

Encourage users to sign up and use that channel to advertise promotions that will get users either to your website or through the doors of your physical shop. 

Social Media Magic (Instagram Is a Great Platform)

Some platforms are more effective than others, in this respect. Chances are your demographic skews older and male. That would make Facebook viable but Facebook is on the decline. TikTok is too young. That makes Instagram the way to go, at least at present. 

Again, you can’t advertise here, since Meta won’t allow it. But you can create an organic account, start posting, and interact with users. 

Take pictures of new releases to promote cigars, advertise your blog posts (see below), and use the channel to advertise promotions and specials. Most importantly, make sure you interact with your followers so the platform sees your profile as legitimate.

SEO Tactics That Are Proven to Work

Now let’s talk about actual ways to use SEO to get eyes on your website. This is by far the most promising digital marketing channel and in the long run will produce the greatest return. 

As long as you know what sorts of things to post about to create a healthy content marketing stream that will get attention. 

Here are some ideas to kickstart your creativity. 

• Answer common questions 

Do you know how many cigar smokers don’t really know what a Corojo is? Can’t tell the difference between a Connecticut shade wrapper and a Candela, just because they’re not familiar with the terms? 

What is sun-grown, anyway? What sorts of words are commonly used to describe the cold draw, retrohale and room notes of a cigar?

These are the sorts of things you can cover on your product pages, on CMS and FAQs pages, and in your blog. 

Consider a post that breaks down wrapper types, how tobacco is grown and cured, what tasting notes to look for, cigar vitolas (shapes) – stuff like that, anything that makes a cigar special. 

Don’t assume your customers know. They might not, and if you can answer their questions tacitly, you will become a trusted resource and an authority.

But really, what you’ll be doing is getting more eyes on your website, and that’s what you need.

• Cigar reviews 

This is a big one, and probably the one that’s going to get you the best visibility for the products you sell as a cigar shop.

The number one thing smokers search for before making a purchase is a review – just as is the case in other markets. 

But in this area, it’s a lot more involved and a lot more subjective, not to mention personal. Tastes in tobacco vary, and someone that likes a maduro with a heavy body might not like the fresh, light airy sweetness of a candela. 

Moreover, a cigar isn’t used in the conventional sense that other products are. It’s a consumable, more like a food, and preparing and lighting it improperly, or smoking it too fast, will ruin the experience.

A thorough review that details the cold draw notes, as well as how the cigar progresses through the first to the final third, will be of incredible value for someone thinking about buying one, let alone a box.

Things to consider when reviewing are the look and feel of the cigar, its toothiness, cold draw notes, how it lights, if it smokes hot, and if there are any errors in construction that cause canoeing, tunneling, or other burn issues. 

Of course, a good review is a prime opportunity to lend any other subjective notes about how you feel about the cigar, and any and all advice is useful. 

• Other reviews

You know, cigars are not the only things you can review. There are all sorts of other things you can write about or review, like different types of cigar cutters, cigar knives, case, hydration packs, lighters, even butane. And what about humidors, or even travel humidors? 

These are among the many tobacco accessories and peripherals for which cigar smokers might also be looking for information before they make a purchase, and if you publish a helpful review you won’t just get more website traffic, you could bring in leads. 

• Tutorials 

You know, smoking a cigar properly is honestly a skill. There are a few right ways to do it, and many, many wrong ways to do it. 

Here are something you could educate your customers on: 

• How to properly cut a cigar, and the difference between punches, V-cutters, and single and dual blade cutters, as well as cigar knives.
• How to toast the foot of a cigar without scorching it.
• The differences on lighting a cigar with a soft flame vs. a torch lighter.
• How to light a cigar with a cedar spill.
• How to prevent burn issues.
• How to sample the cold draw notes.
• How to properly smoke a cigar, without going to slow or too fast.
• How to retrohale.
• How to travel with cigars. 

And so much more. This is a short list but all of these topics (and others) have value to cigar smokers that just might be looking to your cigar shop for helpful, friendly advice. 

• Tobacco best practices

You know, handling and aging cigars, like smoking them properly, is also a skill. There’s a learning curve associated with it. 

For instance, what has experience taught you about the temperature and humidity at which to maintain cigars in the humidor? Are there any tips or tricks you have to keep it constant? What wood, in your experience, makes the best humidors? How do you shop for one? How do you age cigars? 

These are the sorts of questions you can answer in blog posts and CMS pages for the general education of your customers, and your potential customers. 

• Think outside the box – what other questions do cigar smokers have?

While you’re brainstorming, try to come up with some questions customers have asked you in the past that you were happy to answer. I can’t come up with everything on the fly, despite the fact that I do genuinely believe the pointers I’ve come up with here are a good start. 

• Use your own images 

One more SEO trick – use our own images, not only on your website and in your product listings, but on your social media accounts. Manufacturer images tend to be boring and on top of that, they’re duplicates, so they won’t be doing your SEO work any favors.

Get Started with Cigar Store Marketing for Your Tobacco Shop Today 

Higher organic visibility and more traffic are within reach for your tobacco shop. You just need to stop putting it off. Get started optimizing your website and your marketing channels with some of these tips today and watch the results compound on themselves. Just be patient, organic cigar store marketing is going to take two years or more.

The post Cigar Store Marketing Part Two: Techniques and Tactics That Work appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Some great ones were “turn off AI Overview Google,” “How to turn off AI Overview Google,” and “How to disable AI overview Google.” 

This is both amusing and validating to me, since I’ve been critical of AI since the start. I’ve posted about this at length, and the frustration that other users have with AI is neither alien nor unrelatable to me. 

I mean, seriously, just look at this humorous entry I pulled from the AI Overview just the other day. 

It’s real, it showed up on my browser (that’s not a snapshot from a meme page or anything) and as far as I know, you can find it on Google to this day. 

Here’s another:

Dear reader, Andrew Johnson, esteemed 17th President of the United States, died in 1875. That would make him the first President to have graduated posthumously from UW not once, but eleven times. 

With outputs that hilariously (and offensively) bad, I’m hardly surprised that the search terms with the most volume surrounding this monstrosity have to do with how to disable it. 

It’s not the only one like it. Check out some of these absurd (and real) Google AI Overviews. 

They range from funny to patently false and outright dangerous, and it’s a sin that this is what we’re dealing with in 2024.

Nonetheless, my job, to the letter, is to furnish information to willing readers, and that’s what this post is going to attempt to do. 

So if you’re here because you want to learn how to write copy that has a chance of getting scraped by and featured in the AI Overview, buckle up. 

What Is a Google AI Overview? 

In a nutshell, Google’s AI Overview is an AI-powered iteration of the venerable Featured Snippet. But whereas the Featured Snippet is taken directly from preexisting copy on some page that was ostensibly authored by an actual person with subject matter expertise, the AI Overview is a synthesized, amalgamated summary drawn from multiple sources that attempts to succinctly answer a query, as directly as possible, without relying on a Featured Snippet for the purpose. 

In other words, you ask Google a question, and the AI Overview is Google’s (puerile) attempt to give a direct, succinct answer. 

Results may vary as to the reputability and accuracy of the outputs, but that is what the AI Overview is. 

Now, considering my thus-far trenchant observation regarding the matter, you might wonder why I’d be writing this post. 

First, because I expect the functionality of the AI Overview to improve. Secondly, because, whether I like it or not, this thing is probably here to stay. People are going to use the AI Overview to answer their questions, and since I’m in Search Engine Marketing, I have to live with that. 

Thirdly, because I’m adaptable. There’s no reason for me to hate Google’s AI tools, inchoate and feeble though they may be, when I can use them for my benefit. If I can write copy that’s so good it gets featured in Featured Snippets and People Also Ask entries, I should set my sights on showing up in the AI Overview.

So, here are some things I’ve learned (firsthand, real examples to follow in this post) about how to write copy that gets featured in Google’s AI Overview. 

(Spoiler alert, a lot of what I mention here is just “SEO best practice” anyway, but more drawn out, as you will see in a moment.)

With no further ado, here are four suggestions that are proven by results to get your copy featured in the AI Overview.

Focus on Long-Tail Queries 

You’re not going to see many Google AI Overviews generated pursuant to short tail queries. I’m not entirely sure what the reason for this is. It could be that it takes an insane (and untenable) amount of power to churn out just one AI Overview; but more likely, my guess is that short tail queries are too vague. 

When you search for something short tail, it’s hard for a search engine to know just what it is you’re looking for. And so, you get a whole bunch of outputs. Actually, the truth is there usually aren’t featured snippets for short tail keywords either. Same thing. 

By contrast, the longer the tail of the keyword, the more it resembles a traditional question, and the better AI-powered models can grasp what the answer could (or should) be. 

And so, while it is conventionally easy to optimize a page for a short tail keyword, optimizing a page, a blog, or an article using the same methods won’t work for the AI Overview. 

You’ll still want to use target keywords in the copy (just like “conventional” search engine optimization) but for the AI Overview, you need to go a layer deeper. 

You can either embed the keyword in a longer query, or back-form the whole query around it. Either way, don’t get hung up on volume here. If your goal is to secure a Google AI Overview entry, you need to worry more about the quality of the question and the directness of the answer than about that. 

Which brings me to my next point.

Forget About Keyword Volume 

Traditionally, in eCommerce SEO, we look at two important metrics when we’re doing keyword research: search volume and difficulty. 

Keywords with high search volume are attractive because they will generate more impressions. Keywords with low difficulty are attractive because it’s easier to rank for them. Put them together and you have the magic combo. 

Not here, though. Admittedly, these things still come into play, but the fact of the matter is if your goal is to get featured in the AI Overview, you need to be so specific in your copy that there’s probably going to be negligible search volume for that query anyway. 

There’ll be a modicum of searches for it and related keywords, but very few overall. 

Your goal needs to be about authority and building credibility, not about getting more eyes on your website. At least for the purposes of this specific initiative. 

Now, this actually comes back to the traditional maxims of eCommerce SEO. In this capacity, we’re aiming to show up in the overview, which will only happen with good, reputable copy (most of the time). 

That builds a little something called “E-E-A-T.” The more reputable, authoritative and trustworthy your website is, the better its chances will be of ranking for shorter tail, more commercial and transactional keywords in the future. 

So you see, these things are interrelated. Anyway, I digress. Again, make it about the quality of your copy, not just about getting visitors to your website that want to buy something. You’re answering a question here, not selling, at least for the time being. 

Answer More Than One Question in the Post 

As important as it is to focus on answering one question (see below) to increase your chances of showing up in the AI overview, I suggest answering a whole lot of other questions in the post. 

For instance, if you’re going to write a CMS page about how to clean a pair of boots, don’t just write about how to clean them; write about why it’s important to keep them clean in the first place. Do you have suggestions on what not to do? Put them in the same post. 

The more thorough you can be, the more value you will offer potential readers. Google’s AI is (supposed to be) able to interpret this, and will analyze and compile its AI Overviews accordingly. 

Not to suggest that one single entry with a lot of information on a single topic won’t get featured, just that the more comprehensive you can be regarding the vertical, the better are the chances the algorithm will consider you an authority. 

Be Detailed, Offer Personal Insight 

As is the case in SEO, the more accurately you can answer a question, and the more detailed you can be, the better your chances are of showing up in the search results, in this case, in the AI overview. 

But there’s more to this than just stuffing the entry full of relevant details (although that is good advice and I stick to it). 

If you can offer personalized insight, from experience, that no one else has (or which few others have, as a close second) do that. The more you can speak from experience, the less likely it is that there’s going to be an entry to rival you. 

Do not underestimate how much copy out there, in the wilds of the internet, has been researched and regurgitated by people that have no idea, fundamentally, what they’re actually talking about. 

I myself am guilty of it sometimes. It is possible to research a topic about which I know nothing and still speak with a shred of credibility, if I have been assiduous in my research and cross-referencing. But I know better than anyone that the copy I have written from personal experience performs the best and carries the best weight with an audience that knows what they’re reading about. 

The point is, when I write from experience (as I am doing in this post) and talking about things that I have done with my own hands (so to speak) I know I’m offering value that isn’t somewhere out there on the internet in another blog or news article. 

That is, no one could poach it without coming to me first, and that makes me the original source. The authority, if you will. 

And that’s what you want to do for your copy. Anywhere and everywhere you can, write from experience. Your copy won’t just show up more competitively in the organic search results, it will be more likely to show up in an AI Overview for some or other relevant query. 

Which brings us to the crux of the article, which is why you can trust these pointers in the first place. 

Let’s go over some actual AI Overviews that have been generated from my work. 

Don’t Just Take My Word for It: Here’s the Proof 

Naturally, you’ll want to know if the suggestions I’ve outlined here work, right? To quote Cervantes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 

Let’s start with one that’s only a few months old as of the time of this publication: 

You can see what the search query is, along with the fact that Google references my post (and a separate pillar page) in its bid to generate solid answers to the question. 

Interestingly, the search query is not even that long tail. It doesn’t even take the form of a question. It’s almost more of a statement. Still, Google took enough of that into consideration before reproducing an output that answers what people who need digital marketing for cigar stores are after. 

Here’s another, and a better one. If you look up “What are SEO impressions” you’ll get the following (at least at press time):

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s kind of a weird query, since most people who want to know the answer to this question know enough not to look up “SEO impressions” and just call them “impressions.”

But that’s the entire value case here. Not everyone is familiar enough with digital marketing to know what an impression is, just that it’s associated with SEO, and so when they type in the former query, my article is ready to capitalize on that unfamiliarity with a pleasantly straightforward answer. 

Google’s AI engines saw that, and generated their response from my article – and their own sources, which you can see cited next to mine. 

Here’s another, of which I’m considerably more proud. Let’s see you’re out there, on “the Google,” wondering how many blog posts you need to get traffic. You might ask it the following question, and you’ll get this Google AI Overview: 

That’s not a particularly easy search term or query to show up for in the regular organic results as it is, so showing up in the AI Overview? That’s a feather in my cap. 

For some context, that is one of the more informative and useful posts I’ve published. I answer not only the main query but many others that are relevant, along with many practical and actionable extenuating bits of information. As you might imagine, it’s not a single numerical answer – there is a lot more that goes into how many posts it takes to get traffic than how many posts you actually publish. 

Last, consider the following: 

The only reason I’m showcasing this one is because, as boring as the subject matter is, and as little as I enjoyed researching and writing that article that appears above, it shows that Google’s AI Overview isn’t just lusting after brand-new nonsense. That post is three and a half years old. 

But, guess what, it’s good, and the information is not just accurate, it is still relevant. What’s true today will be true tomorrow. Times change, facts don’t.

And so, I tell you this because I want you to know something very important about the AI Overview and organic marketing in general. Quality is so much more important than quantity, and so much more important than recency. 

Make what you publish good. It may take you a while to get results, but if you follow the best practices, you’ll get them. 

Why You Might Want to Get Featured in a Google AI Overview 

I’ll be completely honest and offensively direct here. I’m one of those people that would disable Google’s AI if I could. The only time I look at AI is when I want to be amused by how disconcertingly bad it is, or when I want a laugh. I simply cannot use it for research in my job because it is too unreliable, and too inaccurate [almost all of the time]. 

But, in the spirit of honesty, it is likely to get better, which is going to make it, as a tool, a staple of SEO in the broader sense. So while I can’t personally make use of it, there remains a use case for digital marketing in general, and it is as follows.

It is proven that the greater your domain’s authority, the better will be its organic rankings, overall. The more authoritative a source, the more users engage with it, consume and trust the content on the website, and ultimately, the more likely they are to become customers. 

So, as this tool evolves, it will become a weapon in the arsenal of experienced digital marketers, and their customers, to increase credibility and trust. There’s no substitute for that in a world in which Content is King, and content is what gets featured in the Google AI Overview. 

So, even though you won’t be optimizing for commercial and transactional content in your bid to show up in a Google AI Overview, the case in point is that you will be benefiting the positioning and reputability of your brand, and if I have to sit here and type out why that’s a good thing for your business, we’re both going to be talking past each other. 

In a word, optimizing for the AI Overview will position your website and your business in general as an authority in its industry, and there is no substitute for that, and little more valuable.

Update on How to Show Up in the AI Overview

I’ve been waiting a bit for this to happen, but I knew it would eventually. Take a close look at that AI overview that generated in my search results in early November 2024.

Don’t mind me, that’s just my blog on how to show up in the AI overview, you know, just casually showing up in the AI overview.

That’s how it’s done. If that isn’t proof that the tips in this post are the real deal, then I don’t know what arguments I can make to convince you of the value of good copy.

The post How to Write to Get Featured in a Google AI Overview appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Plus, the fact that this is the tobacco industry introduces a whole other dimension of difficulty. 

Let’s drive right into that and talk about how to improve visibility through the right marketing for your cigar business.

The Proverbial Sticky Wicket 

The problem with the tobacco industry – which is shared with the gun industry, the cannabis industry, and many others – is that Google is actively suppressing it. That’s what I might call a sticky wicket, stickier and gnarlier than tobacco tar.

It doesn’t matter to them that thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people per month are searching for these things. They won’t let you pay to advertise tobacco products.

This shuts the door for a whole channel of advertising that can boost your online presence, being pay-per-click.

But it also opens serious opportunities, as those who are most authoritative will rank the best and generate the healthiest organic traffic streams. 

This makes eCommerce SEO the best marketing channel, especially in the long term, but there are others. So, here’s some actionable advice on cigar store marketing.

Focus on SEO: Being Informative, Building Authority

SEO, or search engine optimization, is far and away the most effective marketing strategy for those in the tobacco industry to pursue. That is the case whether you run a conventional tobacco shop, a convenience store that only sells cigarettes, a cigar lounge, or you specialize in the art of pipe smoking.

The majority of digital marketing experts agree that SEO offers the best return on investment in general. 

In sum, SEO consists of a variety of different actions that improve a website’s visibility within search engines for relevant keywords that potential customers are looking for.

It improves organic listings, getting more eyes on your website (or local listings), generating higher authority, credibility and trust. 

Considering that something like 90% of online shoppers will skip right on over the ads, this is big news for you (or perhaps not, since there are no ads in the tobacco industry). Regardless, investing in SEO will earn you stronger positions in the organic search engine results pages. 

Listings that rank effectively in the organic results get better trust and credibility and are seen as authority. Moreover, the vast majority of clicks go to the top three spots in the organic SERP listings. 

This potential increase in website traffic should be enough prompting for you to invest in SEO cigar store marketing. So let’s talk about action items for organic cigar marketing.

SEO Friendliness: A Checklist 

If you want to invest in SEO for your cigar store, the first thing you need to do is get together a list of keywords that will produce. 

This is often the hardest aspect of cigar store marketing, SEO specifically, and one of the reasons that shops hire SEO experts. 

What you’re looking for are commercial and transactional-focused keywords that have a high volume but relatively low competitive density. 

The thing is, you can’t spitball these. You need to either use in-depth market knowledge or a keyword research tool, like something from SEMRush or Ahrefs, to determine this. Once again, this is one of the main reasons that some shop owners prefer to work with SEO experts. 

After you have this cohort of keywords uncovered, you need to: 

• Ensure fast site speeds by eliminating excess code and tech debt, compressing images, and implementing a CDN that doesn’t overwhelm the user. 
• Eliminate site security issues; at minimum, you must configure an SSL.
• Add target keywords to target URLs and page copy by inserting them in title tags and other metadata fields.
• Add target keywords to image alt text fields.
• Remove duplicate page copy or adjust or replace it with keyword-optimized blurbs.
• Remove and replace stock imagery with original imagery. 
• Showcase reviews.
• Install or configure advanced site navigation functionality through both a search bar and a comprehensive megamenu. 
• Include internal links between pages that represent cross-selling opportunities.
• Publish regularly to your blog, answering questions you hear from clients and inserting target keywords where necessary. Include internal links from those blogs to key pages on your website. 
• Update your sitemap regularly and if there are indexing issues, ask to have them resolved through Google Search Console. 
• Scrub your website for broken link errors (404 errors) or toxic backlinks and remove them, implement redirects or update the links as necessary. 

This is just a very small snapshot of what you need to do to completely optimize your website for SEO, but it is a good start. 

However, I need to devote much more of your attention to content marketing. 

Content Marketing and SEO: They’re Basically the Same in 2024

You may have heard marketers quip “SEO is dead.” It’s not. But it has changed. A lot. 

The old days are done (and done to death). If you think spam backlinks and hidden content and keyword stuffing are still relevant in SEO, then I wouldn’t be surprised if you think SEO is dead. 

As long as people use search engines to find what they want to buy, SEO will not be dead. It is alive and as vibrant as ever. The thing is, Google has just changed how it furnishes results.

Nowadays, it’s all about answering the questions, and Google has gotten far better at finding answers that cigar aficionados are searching for.

Here’s the thing. You can’t fake it either. Either you know what you’re talking about or you don’t and I got some news for you. Someone that really loves fine tobacco is going to know if you’re bluffing. 

Ten years ago, you could write 500 words of fluff and stick your target keyword in the page title and in the copy a few times, and that page would probably show up on page one within 2 weeks.

Those days are long gone. Product descriptions are nice, but they’re not going to pull the entire weight of an SEO campaign.

The way I see it, and this is substantiated from the analytics of the clients for whom I have been writing for years, the more in-depth you can get with respect to cigar smoker queries, the most detailed you can be in your answer, and the more personally you can frame your content, the better.

In my perspective, content marketing is merging with SEO. If a client looks for a cigar recommendation or review, or information on the cigar brand or a wrapper’s country of origin, the best results are going to be reviews and videos published by people that actually have experience with – and smoked – those cigars. 

With that said, here are some suggestions I have for boosting your cigar store’s marketing through SEO, specifically on the content side:

• Write detailed cigar reviews, and don’t bluff. Don’t even think about it. The people that might buy from you will run from the hills if they can tell you’re talking out of – well, you know. Tobacco enthusiasts are serious and know their passions. If you publish a review, stick your target keywords in there, sure, that’s how you get impressions in the first place. But you will get clicks, and sales, if you answer the user’s questions. Is it a cool smoke? What are the cold draw notes? How does the cigar mature as it transitions from the first to second third? What are the flavors of the retrohale? Does the cigar have any tendency to canoe or tunnel? And so on and so forth. Publish detailed, insightful reviews, that sell the cigar – honestly, pointing out flaws – and your authority will increase. Also, post real pictures of the cigar – preferably those that you took.
• Offer tips and insight, don’t just become an occupant of the online echo chamber. You run a cigar store, right? So, in your experience, what’s the best humidity and temperature at which to store cigars? What wood makes the best for humidors? Is there really a difference between using a cigar lighter or a spill? Speak from experience. Smokers will listen. 
• Publish any proprietary insight that you have gleaned through your years in the tobacco industry selling premium cigars. What do you know that you could only have learned from experience? Publish those insights and couch your target keywords in there. That’s a winning combination. 
• Create CMS pages like FAQs pages that answer all of the common questions that you routinely hear from customers. Not only will this free your customer service department from answering the same questions over and over, but over time it will result in new organic traffic streams to your website. 
• Offer tips for lighting, storage, transport, cigar accessories, new releases, and similar topics that will not only attract attention but furnish you with opportunities to promote the very items that your store sells. 

Beyond this, the only other advice I can offer on the content marketing front is to be honest and let your experience speak for itself. You don’t need to sell something if its value is self-evident. If you know cigars, that will shine through in the copy you publish on your website. 

Get Social 

Another prong of cigar store marketing is social media marketing, but like search engine marketing, in the tobacco industry, this has to be all organic. The big platforms will not let you advertise. 

Nonetheless, organic social media marketing is a great way for you to generate interest in your shop and spread awareness of sales, specials, promotions, and the like. These alone can help improve your store’s profitability. 

But leveraging your social media platforms is about so much more than that. It’s about getting more eyes on your cigar bar or shop by furnishing useful information. 

While a written review will sell, a filmed review that shows you smoking the cigar and commenting in real time is even better. Publish that to one of your socials, or on YouTube, and integrate with your website, and see how that fares. You may be pleasantly surprised. 

You can also use your social media accounts as springboards to advertise the blogs and reviews you publish. On top of that, social media can be used as a forum through which you interact with your customers, answer questions, and garner interest in potential promotions. 

Email Marketing 

Email marketing is one of the best digital marketing channels with respect to maximizing customer lifetime value. This is because you aren’t generally email marketing to new leads, but to existing customers that have already signed up with your business, and more than likely have already bought from your store. There are exceptions to this but it is the general rule. 

With email marketing, you can personalize the online shopping experience in ways that no other channel will allow. Personalized coupons, discounts, promotions, and special offers can be made through email marketing to create greater engagement and often to stimulate additional sales. 

With modern email marketing tools like MailChimp and Klaviyo, you can closely track user behavior as well as which initiatives were successful, along with which may not have been. 

And, like with social media, you can use email marketing to strengthen your efforts in content marketing and SEO. Remember, any visibility for your online cigar shop is good – even if it doesn’t immediately convert into a sale. Besides, if you become a trusted authority and people follow you on your socials or read your reviews in your blog, they’ll be much more likely to buy from you in the future.

Cigar Store Marketing Basics: Class Is Dismissed

Are you ready to put some of these cigar store marketing tips into practice today? Don’t be intimidated; I promise it’s not rocket science and there’s nothing in this post that you can’t fundamentally understand one way or the other.

The only caveat I do have is this. It is a lot of work. That’s the one drawback to the content marketing that will bring in new leads and captivate existing customers. It’s a full-time job. 

Which is exactly the reason that many shop owners choose to outsource their cigar store’s marketing efforts to the professionals. There’s no shame in that, as long as you choose wisely. 

You could always drop us a line. We’re here to answer your questions. Yours truly didn’t get all these tips and techniques from not working with cigar store clients! 

The post Cigar Store Marketing: The Basics  appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

It’s important to understand the challenges faced by eCommerce businesses dealing in restricted products such as tobacco, vaporizers, guns, knives, paraphernalia, and adult products on Google Ads. In this blog, we will delve into the reasons behind these restrictions, shedding light on Google’s policies and their implications for businesses. Additionally, we will discuss the significance of SEO marketing as an alternative strategy for these businesses to maintain online visibility and drive organic traffic.

Google Ads Restrictions

Google Ads, a key player in the online advertising landscape, enforces strict policies to ensure a safe and user-friendly experience for its users. Several categories of products face restrictions due to legal, ethical, or safety concerns. Among these restricted items are vaporizers, tobacco, guns, knives, paraphernalia, and adult products. Google aims to maintain a positive and secure environment for its users, and as a result, businesses dealing in these products are often limited or entirely restricted from using paid advertising on the platform.

Ad restrictions also cover a wide range of other categories including threatening, illegal, and derogatory content. The need for these restrictions is pretty apparent, but sometimes it can be difficult to understand why Google chooses to restrict eCommerce businesses despite the fact that their products are legal.

Reasons Behind Restrictions

The restrictions that Google has in place are there primarily to protect both itself and its users. While some people, particularly those who run restricted eCommerce businesses, might find these restrictions excessive, they make a lot of sense from Google’s perspective. Here are three main reasons why Google restricts certain businesses from using their advertising services.

• Legal Compliance: One of the primary reasons for Google Ads restrictions on certain products is legal compliance. Many countries and regions have stringent regulations regarding the advertising of tobacco, firearms, and adult products. Google, as a global platform, must adhere to these regulations to avoid legal complications and ensure a responsible advertising ecosystem.

• User Safety and Experience: Google is committed to providing a safe and positive experience for its users. Products such as firearms and adult content are deemed sensitive, and advertising them directly could be perceived as promoting potentially harmful or unsafe content. Restricting these ads helps maintain a secure and family-friendly online environment.

• Ethical Considerations: Google has a responsibility to uphold ethical standards in its advertising practices. Products like tobacco, which are associated with health risks, may be restricted to prevent the promotion of potentially harmful substances. Similarly, adult products and paraphernalia may be restricted due to ethical considerations and the desire to avoid offensive content.

Marketing for Restricted Businesses

Given the limitations imposed by Google Ads, businesses in the restricted categories often need to explore alternative marketing strategies to maintain their online presence. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one crucial tool for these businesses that wish to enhance visibility and drive organic traffic. 

Search Engine Optimization is a set of strategies and techniques aimed at optimizing a website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic to a website by enhancing its relevance, authority, and user experience. This involves various practices such as keyword optimization, content creation, link building, and technical optimization to align with search engine algorithms. 

Simply put, SEO is about making a site more attractive to search engines in order to increase its rankings and traffic organically. There are many reasons why SEO is important for eCommerce businesses dealing in restricted products, including:

• Organic Visibility: SEO focuses on optimizing a website’s content to rank higher in search engine results. By strategically incorporating relevant keywords and creating high-quality content, eCommerce businesses can improve their organic visibility. This becomes crucial for businesses restricted by Google Ads, as organic traffic becomes a primary source of reaching potential customers.

• Building Authority: SEO efforts contribute to building the authority of a website in its niche. Through content marketing, backlinking, and other SEO strategies, businesses can position themselves as experts in their field. This not only helps in attracting organic traffic but also establishes trust among potential customers who may be cautious about purchasing restricted products online.

• Long-term Sustainability: Unlike paid advertising, which stops the moment the budget runs out, SEO provides long-term sustainability. eCommerce businesses dealing in restricted products can benefit from continuous organic traffic without the immediate dependency on advertising budgets. This allows for a more stable and enduring online presence.

• Targeting Relevant Audiences: SEO allows businesses to target specific audiences through keyword optimization. By understanding the search behavior of their target customers, eCommerce businesses can tailor their content to reach the right audience organically. This targeted approach helps in attracting users genuinely interested in the products offered.

While Google Ads restrictions pose challenges for eCommerce businesses dealing in restricted products, there are viable alternatives for maintaining online visibility. SEO marketing emerges as a powerful strategy, providing organic visibility, building authority, ensuring long-term sustainability, and targeting relevant audiences. eCommerce businesses should strategically incorporate SEO into their marketing efforts to navigate the limitations posed by advertising restrictions and continue to thrive in their eCommerce category.

The post Navigating Ads Restrictions: Challenges and Opportunities for eCommerce Businesses appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

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That is, unless you fall under one of the industries that Google won’t allow to advertise. Read on to learn more about some of these restricted industries. 

Google’s “Four Guidelines” of Prohibited Goods and Services

Google’s official “Ad Policies” spell out four main criteria they use when assessing an account and determining whether or not to levy restrictions on it. 

These criteria are

• Counterfeit goods: If a business uses a logo or mark that is too similar to another’s Google may flag the account and shut down advertising. 
• Dangerous products or services: Google maintains a list of products and services considered harmful (see below for details) that are prohibited from advertising.
• Dishonest behavior: Any industries or services that Google deems supportive of dishonest behavior may be targeted and shut down. 
• Inappropriate content: Certain industries are considered inappropriate by Google and therefore prohibited from advertising. 

Unfortunately, the bar here is inherently subjective, as Google gets the final say in whether or not an ad account will be able to run its operations or be flagged and suspended. 

However, we can tell you from our experience as an eCommerce PPC management services provider that the following industries are almost universally proscribed by Google. 

Adult Content

Adult content falls under the “Inappropriate Content” umbrella mentioned in Google’s Ad Policy. Gentlemen’s clubs, for instance, are forbidden from advertising, as are businesses that sell adult products. 

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages fall under Google’s “dangerous products” or services, blacklisting them from running Google Ads campaigns. For distilleries and liquor shops, the only avenues for online growth are organic. 

Tobacco

Tobacco is another one of Google’s forbidden “dangerous products” or services. However, it’s not just cigarettes that are verboten; cigars, pipe tobacco, tobacco accessories, and even tobacco shops get a red light. 

CBD and THC

The same goes not only for THC but also for CBD. Products containing THC or CBD oil, and the shops that sell them, cannot advertise on Google, and therefore there is no market for eCommerce PPC management services for these online merchants. 

Gambling

Gambling, and products related to it, are considered “dishonest” by Google and therefore cannot run ads. This restriction applies to casinos, locations that offer bingo or other gambling, and websites that advertise poker or other similar games. 

Healthcare and Medicine

Healthcare and medicine fall under a sort of gray area because there are some instances in which Google will allow it if the advertiser is Google-certified and certain other conditions are met. However, ads for pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, and medical services are generally not allowed. In addition, there are restrictions on supplements (including weight loss supplements) and medical procedures. 

Financial Services

Google maintains an exhaustive list of regulations and country-specific requirements, so it is hard to say with confidence whether or not a specific bank or financial institution’s services will be flagged; however, Google is notoriously tough on this industry, so it’s best to consult a Google rep if you have questions. 

Firearms

Guns, ammunition, and shooting accessories are included on Google’s list of “dangerous products,” and therefore gun shops, manufacturers, and many sellers of sporting goods are forbidden from advertising. 

Knives

Like firearms, Google considers most knives and many edged tools to be “dangerous products” and therefore does not allow companies that produce or sell them to advertise. 

Other “Dangerous Products”

Unfortunately, Google’s list of “dangerous products” does not end with knives, firearms, and ammunition. Included also are fireworks, airsoft guns, many tools, and any other device or implement that Google deems to be a weapon (or dangerous). 

Consult a Google rep before enlisting eCommerce PPC management services because if your account is flagged and shut down, it may be difficult for you to get it unsuspended. 

How to Manage These Restrictions: The Answer Is Organic

Google’s restrictions make it nearly impossible for businesses in these industries to advertise, but it doesn’t remove digital marketing entirely from the picture. 

For businesses in these industries affected by Google’s restrictions, the way to reach more customers online is through organic growth, notably through social media management, content marketing, and most notably, SEO.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, like Google, levy restrictions on certain industries and there is a lot of crossover between what is banned on each of them. 

However, with respect to organic social media marketing, there is a lot more flexibility. For instance, while many industries cannot advertise on Google, many of them can still create social media profiles and interact with users and prospective customers.

While they can’t pay to promote their goods and services, they can still disseminate content, interact with followers, and in general, create more organic outreach. 

Content Marketing

Content marketing is another avenue for affected businesses that can help them break free of the restrictions imposed by Google on PPC.

Content marketing is not necessarily as good at increasing organic online visibility as SEO or even social media, but high-quality content can be distributed via a company’s social media accounts, and if it generates interest among users, will be shared and can attract new business.

eCommerce SEO Services: The Main Alternative to PPC for Restricted Businesses

Last but most importantly, eCommerce SEO services offer the best viable alternative to PPC management services. 

For businesses that are PPC-restricted, SEO offers, far and away, the best avenue for growth. 

SEO is faced with a few shortcomings when compared to PPC. For instance, it takes a long time to get moving, and SEO does not allow participants to “actively” bid on keywords and search terms. 

That said, most digital marketers agree that SEO offers the best ROI of all marketing strategies, period, up to 10 times more than social media. 

Moreover,  it is more sustainable than PPC and efforts compound on themselves over time. When you stop investing in PPC, traffic drops off immediately, but the work you put into SEO will come to bear fruit many months, even years, into the future. 

Best of all, eCommerce SEO strategies are viable options for all eCommerce businesses. For more information on how to start climbing the search engine results pages through a purpose-driven SEO strategy in the face of PPC ad restrictions, get in touch with us eCommerce SEO experts at 888-982-8269 – and make sure you ask about a free eCommerce SEO audit.

The post PPC Management Services: Which Industries Can’t Advertise? appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

To customers of Atlantic Cigar, it’s no secret that they offer the best cigars in the world at the best prices around, along with accessories and involved, knowledgeable customer service to sweeten the deal. Ironically, therein lies the rub.

There are many people around the world that enjoy fine tobacco; it’s not a niche thing. Therefore, although their customers are no stranger to their great prices, practices, and selection, they’re working in a market with a lot of competition and a huge number of high volume keywords. There are probably a lot of cigar lovers out there who wish they knew about a place where they could find their favorite cigars online at better prices. The problem is when they type one of those high volume keywords into Google and hit enter, they would be bombarded with too many other options before they even found Atlantic Cigar – despite Atlantic Cigar’s unbeatable value proposition.

When it comes to searching for identical products in a heavily saturated market, visibility is everything. An Arturo Fuente from Atlantic Cigar is arguably identical to one from any of their competitors. The thing is that Atlantic Cigar offers the best prices and can advise its customers on which ones to try – even how to enjoy the experience the most thoroughly. Potential customers still needed to connect the dots – they still needed to get in touch with Atlantic Cigar and to do that they needed to find them.

Enter SEO

Our contacts at Atlantic Cigar knew that when they got in front of their target audience their low prices, great selection, and excellent customer service would take care of the rest. The trick was getting there, and they needed a sustainable solution for building traffic to their website that would build over the long term. They needed a specialist who could help them optimize their website and come up with a content strategy to attract Google’s attention and generate higher organic traffic.

1Digital^Ⓡ’s process is thorough and complete and requires detailed planning and research before even getting off the ground.

Keyword research is central to our eCommerce SEO services and projects, regardless of the client or the industry. Our project managers get familiar with a client, its products, and its customers before researching the practices of competitors and buyers. We take a look at some of the highest volume keywords and analyze not only the search volume but also the client’s ranking for those keywords. This includes a healthy balance of high volume short-tail keywords and lower volume long-tail keywords – the reason for this is that to be successful we need to target both for our clients.

Short-tail keywords tend to have a higher search volume but are more general – therefore it is harder to rank for them, but with steady increases in ranking comes commensurately higher traffic. Long-tail keywords are less competitive and have lower search volume, but customers looking for those end up converting more regularly because they know specifically what they look for, and when they find it they’re sold.

Onsite Optimization

From the colorful, comprehensive mix of keywords we compiled for Atlantic Cigar we got to work restructuring their website, with particular emphasis on the optimization of page title tags, meta descriptions and snippets. We audited their site to uncover and remove broken links and duplicate content while ensuring that backlinks were verified and content was visible both to search engines and visitors.

We also created keyword-rich content in several different formats and published it on Atlantic Cigar’s website in order to improve their SEO. We optimized the content that appeared on category pages in order to make those pages more attractive to Google and we also crafted blogs in accordance with our keyword strategy of varying length in order to boost their SEO value. Google takes into account not only keyword relevance and density but also content length when crawling a website and so our variety is designed to maximize return for the client.

The onsite content and blog posts we created for Atlantic Cigar weren’t just designed and optimized to attract Google’s attention, however. They were also intended to attract visitors to Atlantic Cigar’s blog and generate a readership. By adopting their style and voice we were able to craft posts for their blog and pages that attract not only search engines but also customers.

Onsite optimization was only a part of our process. We also took pains to ensure that we capitalized on every opportunity that we could tap, and part of this came in the form of offsite optimization.

Offsite Optimization

Before ranking a website, Google also takes into account how many other sites or sources direct traffic to that website as an expert or an authority in its sphere or industry. This phenomenon is what makes the value of backlinks so critical.

In addition to optimizing the site structure of Atlantic Cigar and infusing their site with keyword-rich, insightful content, we took great efforts to ensure that our clients received backlinks from other sources online in order to increase their value to search engines. This takes the form of other additional blog posts that we create and post off our client’s sites that contain backlinks to them in order to increase their reputability and authority in the eyes of search engines.

This double-edged approach of onsite and offsite optimization comes together to drastically increase the performance of our clients. In the face of stiff online competition from other companies selling the exact same products, Atlantic Cigar is a textbook case.

The Results

One of the key indicators to look for as it relates to gauging the success of an SEO campaign is an increase in organic traffic. From an increase in organic traffic, a company can generate many other successes, but higher traffic is typically the start of this.

Seeing results from SEO projects typically takes some time and begins to build steadily, but only shortly after beginning their project with 1Digital^Ⓡ at the end of 2019, Atlantic Cigar began to see a steady increase in traffic.

The image above shows page views to their homepage over the period from October 2019 through January 2020 juxtaposed by the period from February 2020 to June 1st, 2020. As you can see, traffic was relatively steady until about February 1st, 2020, at which point it began to steadily increase. By April, page views had steadily increased above the precedent period.

The pageviews themselves only tell a small portion of the story, however. Taking a deeper dive into the numbers will reveal some additional information.

Taking a closer look at the charts above yields more telling information. Pageviews had increased, and by almost 40% at that, and that number also corresponded to a 17% increase in sessions. Over the entire period, the percentage of new users had grown by almost 5%, but the greatest piece of the puzzle lies in the pie chart to the right of the image above. While there was a 5% increase in pageviews among new users from October 2019 to June 2020, during the period from February 1st to June, 75% percent of visitors to their homepage were new – a remarkable portion of traffic, and a significant increase.

Perhaps most telling in a situation like this is the proportion of traffic that found their site via organic search as opposed to other channels such as direct search or referral traffic. After all, the point of an initiative in a highly competitive market like the market for cigars in which Atlantic Cigar operates is to build sustainable, organic results. On this, the numbers are clear. The chart below shows the percentage of organic traffic to their website over the period from March to the beginning of June 2020.

As you can see, a respectable percentage of their traffic came from direct search and for the most part is an indicator of their current clientele. What is most significant is that a huge portion – a majority, in fact – of traffic to their website over this period came in the form of organic search. Over half of their traffic came from organic results, much of which stems from the high volume, highly competitive keywords that we targeted in our campaign. It cannot be stressed enough that generating significant organic traffic from such high volume keywords is a difficult venture, but it is a goal that we achieved for Atlantic Cigar, as we have done for countless clients in the past.

In addition to the fact that their organic traffic saw significant improvements over the past six months of their campaign as compared to previous periods, as you can see from the following results, they saw jumps in traffic among new users and sessions on several key landing pages.

The landing pages listed above correspond to some of their most important pages, including their listing of cigar brands along with specific pages for popular lines. Across the board, sessions increased significantly, and of those sessions, the total number of new users increased as well, along with new users as a respectable proportion of the increase in sessions.

In each of these instances, the figures speak for themselves. Atlantic Cigar has seen a pronounced increase in traffic and sessions, along with a marked increase in traffic from new users. Most tellingly, more than half of this increase in traffic has been constituted of traffic that found their business organically, and by searching for highly competitive keywords.

The takeaway from this is that even in highly competitive markets, your business can compete with a little help from our SEO experts. It doesn’t matter how specialized or generic the industry is, because our projects are thorough and comprehensive. Whether we’re targeting competitive or highly targeted long-tail keywords, restructuring your website to remove broken links and optimize title tags, or generating backlinks to your website to increase your authority, you can expect results. Additionally, the results you see from SEO, though they may take some time to build, are sustainable. Most importantly, for some industries that are restricted or regulated, such as tobacco, SEO strategies can be some of the most effective ways to drive traffic to a website.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and practical way to generate more traffic to your website and increase conversion rates and sales for your eCommerce business, then SEO may very well be the way to go. We’ve seen great results for our clients in a myriad of industries, some specialized, some esoteric, and others generic. Give us a call today to speak with our team at our eCommerce SEO agency about our process and some of the ways that an SEO project can positively impact your business.

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