Making a splash

Over the last weekend, our Orior Media Europe team enjoyed that extra bit of fun with the rest of the JR global companies, having been a part of a team building retreat with the teams of JR Services and ZETTA Hospitality & Property Management.
As part of an initiative to really give each of our employees the opportunity and the space to enjoy a healthy environment, we could honestly say that this weekend really did all of us a lot of good - making us ready to face new challenges come Monday.
Visiting some of the most famous lakes and rivers of the Balkans has really been a glorious experience for all involved, and we highly recommend it as a prime location for any get-togethers that any one may plan.

Orior Media Team building

On the 23rd of May, our team over in Europe decided to put their keyboards down and get some forks in their hands and show their BBQ skills on the lovely mountain of Bjelašnica ⛰🍴
The team building activity was organized to celebrate all that we've achieved in the new market in the last 5 months, specifically the hard work, dedication and the effort our team has put in during that period 💪
Here's to many more, as we keep on providing the best possible solutions for our clients 🙏

Improving website design can help generate more leads, who can turn into loyal customers over time.

"A modern, purpose-driven design is the hallmark of Orior Media. We specialize in responsive web design and offer consultation, content development, and much more to help you accomplish your business goals," says Kemal H., the CEO at Orior Media.

The company’s web design and maintenance services help its clients establish an engaging brand identity and a visible online presence by applying tried-and-true methodologies.

Reasons Why Web Design Is Important for Digital Marketing

1. Great First Impression

In the business world, first impressions matter. Companies must present their customers with a visually appealing and user-friendly platform. A customer's first engagement with a website can significantly impact their further actions, either encouraging them to make a sale or prompting them to leave your website.

2. Better SEO

A well-designed website is more conducive to SEO efforts. Any company that wants a website at the top of search results needs a web design that catches human eyes and the Google bot's attention.

For those not familiar with good web design practices, partnering with an experienced web design firm is the greatest method to assure a consequent search engine presence for those not familiar with good web design practices.

3. Consistent Branding

A website's design must accentuate the company's branding and make it the focal point. Poor or inconsistent web designs that do not represent a business' brand might lead to potential customers thinking that the company is unprofessional or not trustworthy.

The Full Digital Marketing Solution

Orior Media team has helped dozens of clients achieve their advertising goals. Their services are aimed to help businesses establish digital identity, and it all starts with a stunning web design. After that, the team develops a fully personalized social media programmatic or social media advertising strategy that allows companies to reach their target audience instantly and convert visitors to leads and ultimately satisfied customer.

Conclusion

Orior Media is your one-stop digital marketing agency for responsive web design, ecommerce marketing solutions, and online content services.

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For anyone who wants to make the most out of their advertising budget, Orior Media offers a full range of services that helps companies achieve their goals. "You have a business to run. We have website maintenance and advertising services designed to keep your website updated, relevant, and at the top of the search engine results. I promise you, we’re even going to help you save some extra cash for a longer vacation," says Kemal H. Balihodzic, the CEO at Orior Media.

Ever wonder what the acronym "SERP" stands for? Well, it stands for Search Engine Ranking Position. Essentially, it's where your Google listing appears on a results page after a search is conducted.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important determinant in achieving high search engine rankings. Google reviews are one way businesses can improve their SEO and ranking on SERP.

In this article, we explore the connection between SEO and SERP and how Google reviews can improve SERP position.

How Google Reviews Affect Business SERP Ranking?

Customers use online reviews to validate their purchase decision. Search engines take a similar stance as they aim to deliver the right information, service, or product to the users. They go through hundreds of reviews to display only the best of the best to the users.

If you search Google for "Italian restaurant," there are three factors that will affect the results displayed on the first page:

• Relevance
• Distance
• Prominence

The first two factors are quite self-explanatory. Google will present all Italian restaurant options relevant to you and your location and that are within your immediate vicinity. The prominence factor is highly affected by reviews. An Italian restaurant with dozens of five-star reviews will outrank even a closer local competitor if they have fewer and less positive reviews.

A 2017 study by Moz found that online reviews are the fifth most significant factor that determines the rank of a business. Year over year, the influence of Google reviews on SEO has increased by more than 20%.

SEO & SERP: Why do Google Reviews Matter for SEO and Your Ranking?

When you think about SEO, the first things to mind are usually keywords, content, and link building. People often don't even think of customer reviews. However, reviews should be taken into consideration, especially for local businesses.

There are a few simple explanations for why Google reviews help with rankings.

1. Google Highly Values Social Proof

Positive reviews serve as social proof of the quality of a business, so it's easy to understand why Google would consider them when determining your ranking on SERP. Compare this to link building.

When your site gains a link from another relevant site, Google sees that as a vote of assurance and rewards you with increased visibility. Similarly, when a consumer leaves a positive or negative review for your business, it informs Google that not only is your business a legitimate operation, but that other people have interacted with it.

2. Google Loves “Reading”

Google "reads" all websites in order to understand them better. And, the more content Google has to read, the more it will know about your business. A business with plenty of reviews gives Google plenty of new content to read and keywords to add to its understanding of your business.

When they leave a review, customers unintentionally describe our products and services to Google. Reviews will boost your SEO without your customers even realizing it. They can also fill in any content gaps on your website, increasing your rankings and overall visibility in the process.

3. Good Reviews Increase CTR

It is a well-known fact that SEO rankings are influenced by click-through rates (CTR). Good reviews will undoubtedly improve your website's CTR, especially if your business receives positive reviews regularly.

You'll undoubtedly see an increase in ranking as a result of an increased number of clicks due to good ratings.

How to Generate Positive Google Reviews?

Your customers are the ones who can bring you positive reviews. So, if you're doing a good job, there's no need to worry about the feedback.

Here are a few ways to entice your customers to leave you good reviews.

1. Add a Call-to-Action

You can add a call-to-action line at the bottom of your website asking customers to review your business on Google. A good example is, "If you've enjoyed our service, please take a minute to give us a five-star rating on Google!"

2. Reward Loyal Customers

People are more likely to leave a positive review if you reward them somehow. For example, you can give your most loyal customers discount coupons as a special thank-you for their loyalty and continuous support.

3. Be Proactive

Last but not least, always be proactive about gathering reviews. You should start asking for reviews from your customers the very first day you come into contact. Not only can you do this through a call-to-action line, but you can also add a link in your email signature asking customers to leave a review. Remember to thank the customers who leave reviews.

To further improve your SEO and SERP, make sure to incorporate positive reviews across your website.

And, what about the negative reviews? It is a good idea to respond to negative reviews to clarify the situation and apologize to the customer if necessary. By doing so, you will leave a positive impression on customers who read the reviews.

There is no doubt that Facebook is a fantastic platform for marketers. For years, companies have used it to build their brands, connect with customers, and win new business opportunities. The same can be said for Instagram, especially after Facebook bought the platform back in 2012.

As amazing as these platforms are, they are gradually being outperformed by LinkedIn, especially when it comes to conversions and lead generation.

Using it for marketing purposes could give your company the exposure and leads you've been craving. In this article, we examine why LinkedIn is much better than Facebook and Instagram and how to make the most out of the platform for conversions.

Why is Linkedin Better than Facebook?

The first and perhaps easiest way to illustrate why LinkedIn is more powerful than Facebook or Instagram is by looking at the 'About Us' page of these three companies.

Facebook: "We're a global community of 2 billion, building a more open and connected world."

Instagram: "Helping creative people expand their personal brands through shared experiences."

LinkedIn: "The world's largest professional network helping professionals discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners."

Can you see the difference? LinkedIn is all about business. The other two are more general and not targeted at companies and professionals like LinkedIn is.

In addition, in a study of over 5,000 businesses, HubSpot found that traffic from LinkedIn generated the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%, which is almost 3 times higher (277%) than Facebook (.77%).LinkedIn is more powerful than Facebook for lead generation because it caters directly to businesses.

Benefits of Using LinkedIn for Conversions

Now that the difference between Facebook and LinkedIn has been established, let's look at some of the reasons why you should be using LinkedIn to boost your conversions.

1. Professional Audience

LinkedIn is a business-oriented platform, it also has a more professional audience when compared to Facebook and Instagram. All the users are typically seeking to advance their careers, improve their skills and knowledge, or find services for their companies.

For that reason, LinkedIn users have a professional attitude. As a result, any contacts made through the platform are more likely to be reliable and trustworthy.

2. User Targeting Based on "Firmographics"

If you are looking for specific groups of users based on their job function, company size, industry, geography, and seniority (among other factors), LinkedIn is the place to go. It's the world's largest professional network, with over 530 million users in 200 countries across the globe.

The targeting that can be done through the platform is incredible and more reliable than on Facebook or Instagram.

3. High Engagement Rate

What is a high engagement rate? In this case, it's when users actually take action after reading an article or seeing a post. According to HubSpot, LinkedIn has the highest level of online activity compared to Facebook and Instagram, especially amongst B2B audiences.

4. Email Advertising

LinkedIn has one unique feature that Facebook and Instagram lack - InMails. These are emails that can be sent directly to individual users through the platform, which can significantly help with conversions. InMails can be used to make direct and personalized pitches to users and reach out to them by name.

5. No Competition

If you're a business owner or a marketer, then you would definitely want conversions and sales above everything else. The good news is that LinkedIn doesn't have the same issues as Facebook when it comes to content saturation, which means there is less competition on the platform for views and clicks.

Is Advertising on LinkedIn the Right Choice for Everyone?

Even though LinkedIn delivers better results than Facebook and Instagram in terms of conversions, it is not the best choice for everyone. LinkedIn can be quite expensive, but the price is justified by the excellent targeting features no other platform offers.

So, how can you decide is LinkedIn the right choice for your company? Think about your goals first. What are you trying to promote? Who do you market to?

Suppose you're a local company that services the neighborhood. In that case, you will benefit more from Facebook advertising or Instagram ads, where it's easy to target specific geographical areas and get in front of potential customers.

However, LinkedIn is the obvious choice if you're trying to reach a highly professional audience, such as engineers and lawyers. 

But, just because LinkedIn delivers better conversion results, it doesn't mean you should dismiss Facebook and Instagram as your options. Using all platforms would allow you to reach out to all of your prospects in both their professional and social circles, enhancing your conversion possibilities even further.

Small and midsize business owners usually consider SEO as an unnecessary expense. It takes a lot of effort to optimize your site fully, and it takes a long time for SEO to have any effect. In addition, it is dying anyway, so why invest?

But, this could not be further from the truth. SEO is constantly growing in importance and now small and medium-sized businesses can take advantage of it.

In this article, we explain what SEO is, the benefits of SEO for companies, and how to develop a good SEO strategy.

What is SEO?

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing a website to be as visible as possible on search engines such as Google. The higher your website ranks in search results, the more visitors will come. And, the more traffic to your site, the higher the chances that customers will purchase from you.

How Does SEO Work?

Search engines like Google and Bing use bots to crawl pages on the web. The bots collect information about the pages, and they put them in an index. Then, algorithms analyze pages that are placed in the index. Hundreds of ranking factors are considered to determine which pages should appear in which order when a user searches for a certain query.

The search algorithms are designed to display relevant, authoritative pages first. Therefore, businesses that want their websites to appear in search results must optimize their website according to these factors.

What Are the Most Important SEO Factors?

Before we get to the most important SEO factors, it is essential to know that these elements fall into two categories: on-page and off-page SEO.

On-page SEO refers to all the elements that improve the pages on your website and enhance your ranking in search results. In addition to content and keywords, this also includes page navigation, load speed, design, and URLs.

Off-page SEO refers to taking action off your website. This mostly includes link building and social media and business profiles.

Benefits of SEO for Small and Medium Businesses

Many businesses think that SEO is not affordable and that the results it provides are not worth the investment. Here are the most significant benefits of SEO that will make you think twice.

SEO Offers Long Term Gains

Small and medium businesses can benefit significantly from SEO because of its long-term advantages. A good strategy takes time to pay off, but the benefits are huge. Subsequently, businesses that engage in SEO get a steady flow of new customers and sales without investing additional time and money.

SEO Is the Primary Source of Organic Website Traffic

Organic traffic refers to traffic that comes from search engines. Since this type of traffic is free, it should be prioritized.

According to a Salesforce study, 87 percent of shoppers start their search for new products and services on digital channels, with 9 out of 10 utilizing a search engine as their first stop.

Given this, appearing on the first page of a search engine's results is the most efficient approach to help new clients find your business.

Better On-Page Experience

SEO-optimized websites load faster, are easy to surf, and display properly on almost all devices. This means that SEO-optimized pages will provide a better user experience, which will translate into greater satisfaction and loyalty and an improved conversion rate.

Your Rankings Improve Too

A good ranking is the most important aspect of SEO. However, it is not enough to appear on any page in search engine results; companies aim to be at the top!

SEO directly impacts the search engine rankings of a website. Google ranks pages according to its algorithm's evaluation of authority, relevance, popularity among users, and speed. A good strategy has been proven to improve website rankings significantly.

Better Brand Awareness

SEO is one of the most potent online marketing strategies. Furthermore, SEO will provide a steady flow of traffic that your business can consistently rely on for years to come. All these factors combined will naturally enhance your brand awareness and visibility, which will lead to an increase in sales.

How to Implement SEO For Your Business

Although SEO can indeed be complex, it is much more effective than traditional marketing strategies. Here are a few tips that will help you develop an SEO strategy for your company.

Keywords and Content

First of all, you'll need to do keyword research and identify the most relevant keywords for your business. They should reflect what you offer. Then, develop a content strategy that will ensure every page on your website is filled with valuable information, engaging to read, and contains the keywords you selected.

Local SEO

Google prefers local content since it provides added value to users. Much of local SEO is based on keyword research and long-tail keywords. Identify phrases that describe what your business offers with a location included as a part of the keyword. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you investigate potential terms.

Also, ensure that your business is listed and optimized for local searches. Make sure to complete the local listing with accurate details, including a map.

Social Media Presence

Social media is an excellent way to create brand awareness, improve customer satisfaction, and attract potential clients. Create accounts on all social media platforms relevant to your industry and start engaging with your customers. Also, you can use your social media accounts to share your blogs and drive more traffic to your website.

Link Building

Link building is an excellent SEO method to improve website authority and rankings. The easiest way to earn backlinks is by guest blogging, sending pages to high-quality directories, and creating content others want to share.

How to Know if an SEO Strategy is Working?

One of the best aspects of SEO is that it can be measured. With the help of tools such as Google Analytics, it is easy to find out who is visiting your website, how they got there, and what they are doing with a service like Google Analytics.

The importance of search engine optimization has grown significantly in recent years, and it is now a critical aspect of the success of businesses seeking to maintain an online presence.

Not only can a strong SEO strategy boost your brand's performance and digital visibility, but it will also demonstrate to your customers that you are ready to meet their needs.

Follow our steps to build your SEO strategy. But, don't expect results overnight! Best practices need to be continuously monitored and updated to reap SEO benefits fully.

How much money does running an ad campaign with Google Ads cost?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It all depends on how you set up your ad, and the types of keywords you choose. But there is a surefire way to cut down on cost: lower your Cost per Click (CPC).

In this article, we explain what CPC is, how it works, and how to lower your CPC.

What is CPC?

CPC is the amount you're charged every time someone clicks on your ad.

Here is an example of how CPC works.

You run a campaign and set a max bid of $1 per click for the keyword "online marketing expert." When someone searches for an "online marketing expert," your ad may appear at the top of Google Search results or on a search partner site. If the user clicks on your ad, you will be charged.

Your max. CPC is the most you'll typically be charged for a click, but it is possible to be charged less.

5 Tips to Lower Your CPC

Now that you're more familiar with the term Cost-per-Click and how this bidding strategy works, let's explore what you can do to lower your CPC.

1. Re-evaluate Your Keyword Strategy

Your keywords are the words and phrases that match what you're advertising. The key to lowering CPC is choosing the right keywords. Google's Keyword Planner tool is an excellent way to get some ideas and better insights, such as the keyword competition and bidding cost.

To lower your CPC, choose long-tail keywords. Even though these keywords often have less volume of searches attached to them, that is a good thing. Less volume of searches means less competition in terms of bidding.

In addition, don't always settle for the cheapest keyword. Sometimes, a pricier keyword will bring in more clicks to your website, increase your CTR and improve your Quality Score. This will allow you to pull in more clicks for less money in the long run.

2. Improve Your Quality Score

Speaking of Quality Score, it is one of the factors that can heavily impact your CPC, as well as your ad rank. Google calculates the Quality Score by measuring the expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.

To improve your Quality Score, make sure to create highly targeted ads that are relevant to the search queries. Using keywords in ad headlines can also increase your ad relevance.

Last but not least, spend some time developing a quality landing page to reduce the bounce rate of your visitors and increase the time they spend on your site.

3. Lower Your Bids

If you've completed the previous two steps and you noticed your CTR, Quality Score, and landing page performance improved, but CPC remained the same, it's time to lower your bids. You'll be surprised at how far down your CPCs can go while all the other stats remain the same.

Decrease CPC bids in small decrements for well-performing ads and keywords. Once you lower your bids, pay attention to volume and ROI. You want to ensure they don't suffer because of the lowered CPC.

4. Experiment with Negative Keywords

Negative keywords allow you to exclude certain queries from showing your ads to users. You can help improve your CTR and Quality Score by adding negative keywords while maintaining a low CPC.

The more specific you are with negative keywords, the better. For example, if you're advertising for a marketing agency in Calgary, it might be a good idea to add the keywords "marketing," "agency," and also "company" as negative keywords.

You don't want your ad to show up when people search for terms related to marketing companies in general, but rather when users type more specific keywords.

5. Keep an Eye on Location, Device, and Ad Schedule

Analyze your ad performance and ask yourself the following questions:

• Which locations bring the most conversions? Which locations have bad performance?
• Which devices bring the best results?
• Which time of the day seems to convert the best?

Answers to these questions will help you determine the areas of low performance and high performance where CPC’s can be decreased and increased. For example, if you target only well-performing locations during instances of high performance, your ad will become more visible, your conversion rates higher, and your CPC lower.

Lowering CPC is not a myth. It is all about developing the right strategy. Make sure to choose the right keywords and keep improving your Quality Score. Once you do so, experiment with lower bids and add negative keywords to improve CTR while maintaining a low CPC. Finally, keep an eye on your ad performance and adjust bids accordingly for better results.

Keep in mind that consistency is critical when trying to decrease your CPC. Don't make all these changes at once and expect results overnight. Take time to measure the results and keep making smart optimizations consistently.