Optic Marketing

Fake Google Business Page Requests On The Rise

Fake Google Business Page Requests On The Rise

Fake Google Business page requests are steadily on the rise. Here's everything you need to know along with how to avoid them.

Keyword(s): Fake Google Business Page Requests

In the US, online fraud has reached an all-time high, with fake Google Business page requests being one of the latest scams. In short, criminals are sending out automated messages to businesses claiming that their business is not correctly listed online and can only be updated by providing certain personal information or payment for services.

However, some unscrupulous individuals are sending out fake requests in an attempt to steal personal information or hijack your account.

In this blog post, we'll tell you everything you need to know about these fake requests and how to avoid them!

Read on to discover more about business page requests and other related topics.

The Value of a Google Business Page

Google Business pages can be a great way for businesses to manage their presence on the web. In fact, it's one of the greatest ways to ensure on-foot traffic gets to your business and not to another. You might have competitors near you, but Google Business can ensure you stand out.

It allows them to quickly and easily create a listing that appears in Google search results. Thus, giving potential customers easy access to information about their company.

Moreover, businesses can also use Google Business pages to create ads and promotions. They can also track analytics about the performance of those ads. As such, it's a special service that many businesses rely on.

Also, Google Business pages are incredibly secure and encrypted. Thus, ensuring that all customer data is safe from malicious actors. The best thing about Google Business is that you can change your information and keep the potential customer updated over time.

Fake Google Business Page Requests

Unfortunately, there have been an increasing number of fake requests for Google Business pages in recent years. These phony requests are usually sent via email or text messages and may appear to be from a legitimate source such as Google.

They often ask for personal information like usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers in order to verify the account.

The malicious actors behind these fake requests don't intend to create an actual page. They steal personal information or gain access to your accounts.

They may even use the stolen information to attempt identity theft or financial fraud. In addition, they could also hijack your account and make changes on your behalf of you without your knowledge.

Moreover, fake Google Business page requests may also contain malicious links that can infect your computer. These links may even redirect you to phishing websites that attempt to steal your personal information.

How to Avoid Fake Google Business Page Requests

Fortunately, it's straightforward to spot and avoid these fake requests. Here are a few tips:

1. Always check the email address or phone number of the sender. Legitimate Google services will always come from a google.com or g.co domain.
2. Look for typos or misspellings in the message. Fake requests often contain errors that would never come from a legitimate source.
3. Don't click any links or attachments in suspicious emails. Legitimate Google services will always link to the official website, not third-party sites.
4. If you're ever uncertain about a request, contact your local Google Business support team before proceeding. They can confirm whether it's genuine or not.

By following these simple tips, you can easily avoid fake requests and keep your business information safe and secure!

How to Establish Proper Google Business Page Ownership?

Establishing proper Google Business Page ownership is essential for businesses to ensure that their online presence is safe and secure from malicious actors. As such, it's important to understand the best practices for setting up and managing a Google Business page.

The first step in establishing proper Google Business Page ownership lies in verifying your business identity with Google. This process involves proving the existence of your company by providing evidence that you or an authorized representative owns the business in question.

To do this, you need to provide official documents such as tax forms or utility bills with your business address listed. Once verified, you will be able to access more advanced features on your profiles as creating ads, tracking analytics, and more, as well as adding additional people to your profile.

The next step is to set up a secure login for Google My Business. This requires setting a username and password that must meet certain criteria to be accepted.

Make sure you create a strong, unique password with at least eight characters, including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and store it in a safe place.

Keep in mind that if multiple people are managing the account, each one should have its own separate login credentials.

In addition to this, you can also increase security by adding two-factor authentication (2FA). This feature adds an extra layer of protection by requiring users to enter a code or answer an additional question in addition to their password when logging into the account.

By following these steps, you can establish proper Google Business page ownership and protect your business online presence!

Fake Google Business Pages Avoided

In conclusion, fake Google Business page requests are on the rise and should be taken seriously. It's important to be alert when receiving any such requests. They could contain malicious links or personal information that can be used for identity theft or financial fraud.

By following the tips outlined in this article, you can easily spot and avoid these fake requests. You can protect your business information. Get in touch with us to make sure don't get fooled by fake requests.

by Optic Marketing

SEO: 7 Failproof Techniques to Boost SEO in 2023

SEO: 7 Failproof Techniques for An SEO Boost in 2023

To be successful, your business needs to be able to stand out from the crowd. Here are seven failproof techniques for an SEO boost in 2023.

Keyword(s): seo boost

Despite its proven impacts, only 63% of businesses invest in an SEO strategy. If you take steps toward an SEO boost, you're already setting yourself ahead of the competition.

Here, we're going to talk about how you can optimize your SEO in 2023 to make an impact. Read on for some of the most basic things that you need to do if you want to stand out.

1. Perform Competitor Research

Competitor research, also called competitor analysis, takes place when you identify and look into competitor content. This lets you know what your direct competition is doing right so you can emulate their success. It also tells you the ways that their websites are lacking so that you can rise above them.

Competitor research is a simple step-by-step process. All you need to do is:

• Choose the services/products that you want to evaluate
• Find your direct competitors that operate within the same area and sell the same services
• Determine indirect competitors and examine replacement competition
• Decide what parts of the competing business are worth looking into
• Research every competitor you identify with Google Analytics and professional assistance
• Document your findings with text, charts, and graphs
• Determine what areas you can improve
• Implement necessary changes

This is pretty easy and can go a long way when making a name for yourself in a specific industry.

2. Use Local Keywords

46% of Google searches are made by those looking for local information. To reach this wide audience, you're going to need to optimize for local keywords.

Local keywords are those that somehow incorporate your service area into their body. Many people use "near me" searches. For example, a Chinese restaurant might optimize for "Chinese food near me" or "chow mein near me."

This is extremely effective since over 50% of these "near me" searches result in a physical visit.

Other local keywords might incorporate the area you service. Examples would be "Tampa Chinese restaurant" or Tampa FL chop suey." People will find you if they are searching for food in this specific area.

You also should claim your Google Business Profile so that you show up in the right "near me" searches. This means inputting your address and business information so people can access it via GPS. Devices with GPS signals near you will pick up your business as local and show it to consumers.

3. Consider Long-Tail Keywords

Keyword research is always important for SEO. You can use tools like SEMrush's Keyword Magic tool to find keywords and phrases with a high search volume (SV) of 100+. Just make sure that the keyword difficulty (KD) is 80 or lower so that your content actually has a realistic chance of being #1 in SERPs.

Local keywords are no exception to this. Neither are long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords, sometimes known as long-firm keywords, are extremely specific. They're usually much longer that more common keywords, which gives them their name.

For example, instead of "Tampa Chinese food," a long-tail keyword might be "beef with broccoli lunch special in Tampa Florida."

These keywords get less traffic from Google than other common ones. However, they are generally far less competitive. Because they're easier to rank for, they actually show your content to interested parties.

Long-tail keywords are especially great for businesses that sell more niche services. People looking for these businesses will be more specific in their queries so that they can find exactly what they want. Long-tail keywords help you find your exact target audience for more search-to-sale conversions.

4. Take All Link-Building Opportunities

Link building is an important part of any SEO strategy. Inbound links drive traffic from other websites and social media. Outbound backlinks establish connections between you and other reputable sites so that Google crawlers see your worth.

Purchase guest post packages so other websites link to you organically within their content. Link to your landing site on social media and in online reviews. Take those from your Google Business Profile to an "about" section on your website.

The bottom line is that you should grab any link-building opportunity that you identify.

5. Partner With Other Businesses

Seeking partnerships with other businesses is a great way to boost SEO in 2023. Choose companies that share a target audience with you but are not your direct competitors.

You can include backlinks to each other within your content. You might also offer joint promotions encouraging people to work simultaneously with both businesses.

You also want to reach your audience on social media, which means forming partnerships with influencers. These influencers will already have large follower bases that they can advocate your brand to. When they link to you on their sites, you'll get more inbound traffic from interested people (assuming that you choose an influencer with the right target market).

6. Optimize Social Media

Using a variety of social media platforms is another great way to boost your SEO. You can create pages and promote them to your target audience so that you get a wide follower base. Upload links to blog posts and other content a couple of times a week to stay fresh in people's brains and get traffic.

Social media can also help you make an impression. You can create an engaging and friendly brand voice that people relate to. This demonstrates that your business is of a high caliber and should be pushed up in SERPs.

7. Create Visual Content

Videos. Images. Infographic content.

Because humans process visual information 60,000 times faster than text, multimedia content is essential when getting people to remain on your page. Additionally, videos get 1200% more shares than other content, which will boost your inbound traffic and visibility.

Make sure that you incorporate visuals into all of your marketing channels. Embed videos into social media posts and link to infographic content on your landing page. This appeals to both consumers and to indexing bots (since you'll be getting more clicks).

Give Yourself an SEO Boost Today

An SEO boost can gain your business visibility and traffic in 2023. This a fundamental for those looking to get leads and make conversions. Now that you know how to boost SEO strategies in the coming year, it's time to begin optimizing your website.

Optic Marketing is committed to helping your business shine both on-page and off-page. Our experts will use professional knowledge and tools to ensure your business can thrive. Contact us to learn more about our services and what we can do for your specific needs.

by Optic Marketing

SEO: Massive SEO and Content Shifts You Need to Master Right Now

SEO: Massive SEO and Content Shifts You Need to Master Right Now

Making proper use of SEO and content for your website requires keeping up with current trends. Here are SEO and content shifts you need to master today.

Keyword(s): SEO shifts, content shifts

It is no secret that SEO is in a state of flux. Google is constantly changing its algorithms, which can drastically shift the playing field for businesses and marketers trying to stay ahead of the curve. In addition, new technologies, developments, and content shifts are emerging all the time that can impact SEO strategy.

To make matters even more complicated, the way people search is changing. With the rise of voice search and the increasing use of mobile devices, businesses need to adapt their SEO strategies to account for SEO shifts.

The good news is, there are a few key things you can do to stay ahead of the game and make sure your SEO strategy is on point.

How SEO Works

The purpose of SEO is to earn more web traffic from Google by improving the site's rank in search results. This, in turn, makes the site more visible overall. There are two main types of SEO.

On-page SEO refers to the optimization of a websites content and structure to make it more visible to Google. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, refers to the optimization of a websites backlinks and presence on social media and other websites.

Both on-page and off-page SEO are important for achieving good visibility in Google search results. However, with the ever-changing algorithms, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest SEO trends and know which strategies to focus on.

To help you out, weve put together a list of some of the most important SEO and content shifts you need to be aware of right now.

The Rise of Voice Search

With the increasing popularity of digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, voice search is becoming more and more common.

This shift has major implications for SEO. First, it means that people are using more natural language when searching. This means that businesses need to optimize their content for long-tail keywords that are more conversational in nature.

Second, voice search is often used on mobile devices. This means that businesses need to make sure their websites are mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Otherwise, theyre likely to lose out on potential customers.

The Growth of Mobile

Speaking of mobile, the number of people using smartphones and tablets to access the internet is growing at a rapid pace. So much so that Google has announced that it will be changing its algorithms to favor mobile-friendly websites.

This shift highlights the importance of having a responsive website design that can adjust to different screen sizes. In addition, businesses need to make sure their website loads quickly on mobile devices and that their content is easy to read on a small screen.

Finally, since people are often searching on the go, its important to make sure your website is optimized for local search. This means including your city, state, or region in your keywords and making sure your business is listed in local directories.

The Increase in Visual Content

People are increasingly drawn to visual content like videos and infographics. Many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.

This shift highlights the importance of creating engaging visual content that can help capture attention and communicate your message more effectively. In addition, since YouTube is the second-largest search engine, businesses need to make sure their videos are properly optimized for SEO. This means including keywords in the title, description, and tags.

The Importance of Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are not only for sharing photos and talking to friends they're now integral aspects of SEO.

This is because Google takes social signals into account when ranking websites. This means that if your business has a strong social media presence, its more likely to rank higher in Google search results.

Outside of Google and traditional search engines, some users, particularly the Gen Z audience, turn to platforms like Tiktok and Instagram first to search for products and services. This means businesses need to make sure they have a presence on these platforms as well.

Master Local SEO

As mentioned before, local SEO is becoming more important as people are using their mobile devices to search for businesses while they're on the go.

To ensure your business shows up in local search results, you need to make sure your website is optimized for local keywords. You should also include your city, state, or region in your keywords. In addition, your business should be listed in local directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Bing Places for Business.

To further improve your chances of ranking in local search results, you can also create content thats specific to your city or region. For example, if you're a restaurant in New York City, you can write blog posts about the best places to eat in the city or create videos about the local food scene.

Get Intimate with User Intent

In order to create content that ranks, you need to understand user intent. User intent refers to the reason why someone is searching for something.

There are four main types of user intent:

Navigational

The user is looking for a specific website or page. For example, they may type in Facebook into Google.

Informational

The user is looking for information about a topic. For example, they may type in how to tie a tie into Google.

Transactional

The user is looking to buy something. For example, they may type in best running shoes into Google.

Commercial

The user is looking for information to help them make a purchase decision. For example, they may type in Nike vs. Adidas into Google.

If you can understand the users intent, you can create content that better meets their needs and ranks higher in search results.

SEO Shifts and Content Shifts for HVAC Businesses

These are just a few of the major SEO shifts and content shifts that all businesses need to be aware of. HVAC businesses competing on a local landscape need to focus on local SEO. Make sure you are listing your company in all of the relevant directories and that your website is optimized for local keywords.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, its important to stay up-to-date on the latest SEO and content trends. Contact us to begin mapping out your new SEO strategy to capture more of your target audience.

by Optic Marketing

The Modern Search Landscape: How and Where to Reach Your Target Audience

The Modern Search Landscape: A Guide to Reaching Your Target Audience

If you are looking for ways to reach your target audience in 2022, this guide can help. Here is how you can build your brand in the modern search landscape.

Keyword(s): target audience

By now you might have heard that the coveted No. 1 spot on Google garners more clicks than any other spot on the organic search results page. However, did you know that by snagging that top spot you can enjoy a clickthrough rate of over 27%?

Simply put, it pays to understand the modern search landscape and to invest in understanding how to reach your target audience. Thats why, in this quick guide, we'll explain the modern search landscape and give you some tips on how to stay ahead of the curve.

Focus on Google, Bing & Yahoo

Its first important to note that there are more search engines than just Google. Bing and Yahoo are the two next biggest search engines. However, you can also reach your audience on search engines such as DuckDuckGo, YANDEX, and Baidu.

That being said, Google currently handles at least 92% of all global search queries. Bing and Yahoo take care of another 4.6%. This means that the other three most popular search engines dont garner much traffic.

While we dont suggest alienating those users entirely, if youre only able to direct your focus toward one search engine, it pays to focus on optimizing your content for Google. If you can expand your reach slightly then open up your optimization efforts to Bing and Yahoo.

Note that Yahoo is a web portal with a search engine powered by Bing, so optimizing content for Bing should be sufficient enough for most beginners or small businesses.

Whats the difference between Google SEO and Bing SEO? Its important to find the right keywords for both search engines, factoring in search intent into your research.

Use those keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and throughout your H1s and H2s. However, Bing prefers that you use exact keyword matches and factors in social signals in its ranking factor. In this sense, it pays to invest in social media marketing along with SEO.

What to Know About Googles Multitask Unified Model

Have you ever noticed how Google seems to understand your search not just as a string of words, but as an actual question or request? That's thanks to their Multitask Unified Model or MUM for short.

This computer model can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, rather than having to switch back and forth between them like traditional models.

So, for example, when you type in "lunch ideas near me," MUM can understand that you want location-based suggestions. Pretty cool, right?

And it's only just the beginning. They're constantly fine-tuning and updating MUM so that it can handle even more complex tasks in the future. Its worth understanding this model so that you can learn how to optimize your content accordingly as part of your targeted advertising strategy.

Tips for Creating Helpful Content

While Googles Multitask Unified Model was introduced in 2021, one things stayed the same: it doesnt matter what industry youre in; it pays to create helpful content. Both Google and Bing rank helpful, high-value content above content featuring fluff and filler.

Now that you know where to reach your target audience, its time to learn how to reach them. Helpful content is key, and heres how you can create content that search engines and your target audience find useful.

Keep these tips in mind when creating your business website content.

Create Content for a Specific Audience

The easiest way to create helpful content is to ensure youre tailoring it to a specific audience. As a local service business, this is usually easy as you have a very defined audience.

If youre investing in SEO for an HVAC company, for example, you know youre targeting homeowners in your local area in need of a few very specific services. In this case, itd pay to consider the following:

• Are you targeting residential customers or commercial clients?
• Are you serving a specific geographic area?
• What are the exact services you offer?

Without tailored content, search engines may not be able to accurately direct the right users to your site. Likewise, going after a narrow, targeted audience also allows you to create more personalized and effective messaging that resonates with potential customers

Show Off Your Expertise

Search engine algorithms love to rank content that is high-authority. Think about it. Why should a search engine trust you enough to show your content to its users?

Showing off your expertise through practical examples or case studies can also give search engines more clues about the content on your website, helping with search engine rankings.

Plus, by demonstrating your expertise, you show that you know what you're talking about and can provide valuable information to readers. This can help boost your credibility and attract more organic traffic to your website.

In this context, its also helpful to ensure your content is credible.

One way to do this is by including credible sources and linking to them within your content. Another way is by making sure your content is well-researched and free of errors, as any mistakes may weaken the credibility of your piece.

Cater to Your Audiences Needs

Finally, to reach your target audience, you need to understand them and their pain points. What do they search for online, how do they search for it, and what do they ultimately want?

Figuring this out can involve market research, surveys, and analyzing demographics. Once you have a clear understanding of your audience's needs, cater to them through targeted marketing efforts

This might require that you adjust your service offerings to meet those needs. Use feedback from customers, both online and in person, to create service offerings and content that is useful to them. Show them that you care about their needs and pain points.

Get Help Creating a Targeted Advertising Strategy

When it comes to reaching your target audience in todays modern search landscape, a targeted strategy can make all the difference. But knowing where to start and how to get the most out of your ad budget can be overwhelming.

That's where we come in! Our team offers comprehensive SEO services tailored to your goals and budget. Get in touch to get started.

by Optic Marketing

SEO: The Basics of Google Business Page Listings Optimization

SEO: The Basics of Google Business Page Listings Optimization

If you want to attract new customers, ranking high on Google can make a world of a difference. Read our SEO business basics guide to learn more.

Keyword(s): seo business

Did you know that over 46% of Google searches are local? That's a massive amount of traffic that your competitors may be getting instead of you.

If you're running a business, it's important to ensure you're doing everything possible to attract mobile customers. Ranking high on Google can make a world of difference for your business.

One of the best ways to do this is to ensure that your website ranks high on Google. You can do that through small business SEO business practices on your website.

Imagine what it would be like if your website was the first one that came up when someone searched for your product or service. You could have all the new customers you want by ranking higher on Google.

It's not impossible, read on to learn how it's done.

What is SEO and How Does It Work?

SEO is short for "search engine optimization." It is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines. The higher a website is ranked, the more likely people will find it.

An effective SEO strategy can help your business:

• Attract more visitors to your website
• Improve your website's conversion rate
• Rank higher in search engine results pages
• Get more leads and sales from online channels

By optimizing their websites for search engines, businesses can improve their chances of appearing higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). And that leads to more website visitors and potential customers.

Small businesses, in particular, can benefit from increased visibility and web traffic, which can help to drive more customers to their websites. SEO for small business websites can get a higher ROI than traditional marketing techniques like print ads or television commercials.

Ranking Factors That Impact SEO

Many factors impact a website's ranking on search engine results pages. Here are some of the most important ranking factors to keep in mind when optimizing your website for SEO:

1. Relevance

Search engines want to provide users with the most relevant results possible. That's why it's essential to make sure that your website's content is relevant to the keywords you're targeting.

2. Keywords

Keywords are still an important ranking factor, but they must be used strategically. Stuffing your content with too many keywords will not only hurt your ranking but also turn off readers. Instead, focus on using a few main keywords throughout your content and ensure they're used naturally.

3. Authority

Authority is another important ranking factor. Search engines will prefer websites that are seen as experts in their field. You can build authority by creating high-quality content, getting links from other authoritative websites, and being active on social media.

4. Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is also important for ranking. Search engines want to make sure that they're providing users with results from websites that can be trusted.

You can build trust by ensuring that your website is secure, making sure your content is accurate and up-to-date and using social proof like testimonials and customer reviews.

Do Your Research

Before you begin, research and understand the basics of SEO for business websites. This will help you create an effective strategy tailored to your business needs.

Some things you'll want to research:

• The basics of how SEO works
• How search engines work
• What ranking factors are most important for your business
• What your competition is doing
• Your target market and what they're searching for

Once you understand these things well, you'll be in a better position to create an effective SEO strategy.

Identify Your Target Keywords

Keywords are still an important ranking factor, so it's important to identify the most relevant ones to your business. You can use a keyword research tool to help you with this.

Once you've identified your target keywords, you can start incorporating them into your website's content. Remember to use them naturally, and don't stuff your content with too many keywords.

Optimize your Website's Content

Once you've identified your target keywords, it's time to start optimizing your website's content. This means using those keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and throughout your content.

Make sure that your content is relevant, informative, and engaging. This will not only help with SEO, but it will also help to improve your website's conversion rate.

Build Links

Links are still an important ranking factor for SEO. Google looks at the number of links pointing to a website to signal its popularity and importance. You can create great content and reach out to other websites to link to it.

It's not just the quantity of links that matters, but also the quality. A link from a high-quality, authoritative website is worth more than a link from a low-quality website.

To get high-quality links, you must create exciting and valuable content for other websites' audiences. You can also reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your content.

Monitor Your SEO Progress

Once you've implemented your SEO strategy, remember to monitor your progress and ensure that your website continues to rank well. You can do this by using a tool like Google Analytics.

Google Analytics can help you track your website's traffic and provide data on where that traffic is coming from. This is important for understanding which SEO tactics are working and which ones need to be improved.

Start With the Best SEO Business Practices

SEO is an integral part of any business's online marketing strategy and should be considered by all companies, regardless of size. While it may require some effort and investment to implement an effective SEO strategy, the benefits are well worth the effort.

SEO is an ever-changing landscape, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for getting your website seen by as many people as possible. The best way to improve your website's SEO is to hire an experienced SEO consultant or agency.

Optical Marketing Group sees the ever-changing landscape of SEO. It has the experience to help you stay ahead of the curve. We'll get you started with current tried and true small business SEO tips and specialized SEO for HVAC and other local service businesses.

If you're ready to get started with SEO business practices, contact our team of experts today!

by Optic Marketing

A Guide to Billboard Advertising Costs in 2022

Are you an HVAC business owner looking to get more local customers for your business? Consider advertising on a giant billboard. Imagine how many people will see your company logo and learn about your business as they pass your billboard.

And if it’s lit up at night, people will actually see your ad 24 hours a day. Capture viewers with a short attention-grabbing headline and you’re sure to grow your business in a big way.

While driving on the road or walking in your city, one can’t help to notice a giant billboard above with your company name on it. By now your interest may be piqued.

And you’re wondering what it costs to advertise on one of those big boys? In this post, you’ll learn about billboard advertising costs and more about the benefits of advertising on a billboard. Let’s get to it.

Billboard Advertising Costs By Region 

The price you’ll pay for a billboard depends on the region where you live. Here’s what you’ll pay for a four-week period in five big cities:

• Los Angeles: In 2020 the average cost was $2,000 to 15,000
  • Now in 2022 going into 2023
    • Bulletins have gone up 25%
    • Lesser increases across various different units in the market
    • Transit Shelters/Digital Transit Shelters/Jr. Posters have seen a slight reduction in cost
    • Cost Revision: $2,250 to $18,750

• New York: In 2020 the average cost was $3,000 to $20,000
  • Now in 2022 going into 2023 
    • Bulletins have increased by around 35%
    • Transit/Jr Posters/Kiosks/Wall Units have seen a reduction in rate year over year
    • Digital Posters on high-arteries have seen a significant increase upward of 43%
    • Costs Revisions: $3,500 – $25,100

• Philadelphia: In 2020 the average cost was $1,500 to $12,000
  • Now in 2022 going into 2023
    • Bulletins – saw a minimal cost increase of around 17% with Metro skyrocketing to a 42% upcharge
    • Transit Shelter/Junior Posters and Bike Kiosks showed significant decreases
    • Cost Revisions:  $3,500 – $25,100

• San Francisco: In 2020 the average cost was $2,000  to $12,000
  • Now in 2022 going into 2023
    • Appears to be a very Strong Outdoor market
    • Digital/Static Posters and Bulletins have gone up from 36% in 2021 vs 2022
    • Junior Posters/Kiosks currently trending up also
    • Cost Revisions: $2,5000 – $16,800

• Chicago: In 2020 the average cost was $2,000  to $12,000
  • Now in 2022 going into 2023
    • Digital/Static posters have increased by approximately 30 – 35% in 2021 vs 2022
    • Junior Posters, Digital Transit Shelters, and Wall Art have gone down by various percentages
    • Cost Revisions:  $2,300 – $15,000

As you can see, each city has a wide range, so it’s easy to find a solution that suits your budget. Let’s take a look at other factors that determine billboard advertising costs.

The Factors: How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on a Billboard?

The price you’ll pay for a billboard ad depends on a few factors. One big one is the location. You’ve heard it before: location. location. location. Let’s take a look.

The Visibility of the Billboard

When your billboard is highly visible, the costs reflect that. That’s because more people will see your ad. This increases the likelihood of getting more business.

A highly visible spot could be near a traffic light where people in cars stop or on an open highway. You’ll pay more for a billboard on the right-hand side because it’s easier to see.

Another factor is the volume of traffic in the area. Is the billboard in a busy part of town such as a business district that gets a lot of traffic?

Or in an area that’s part residential with fewer vehicles on the road? Both can serve you well because a residential neighborhood could be your customer base.

Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM)

Billboard ad costs are determined by something called CPM which means cost per thousand impressions. A billboard along the freeway with 400,000 impressions in a month will cost $2,000.

But when a billboard is located in a spot that gets 30,000 impressions, billboard advertising costs will equal around $600 a month for your ad. These metrics are calculated by travel surveys and studies.

Want to know more about CPM? Ask your advertising company for the CPM data.

Billboard Pricing Is Typically Determined By Four-Week Intervals

Billboard pricing is based on four-week intervals rather than a month. This makes sense since some months have more weeks than other months.

Did a company give you a $1,500 annual quote? This means you’re paying for 13 four-week intervals.

Production Costs

Aside from renting the actual billboard, you can also have it produced. Production rates vary depending on the size of the billboard your ad is on and the materials.

Prices range from around $250 to under $800. Here are some production estimates for vinyl which typically run half a dollar per square foot.

• $64: Eight feet by 16 feet billboard
• $189: 10 feet by 36 feet billboard
• $336: 14 feet by 48 feet billboard

Of course, these prices are rough estimates as of 2020. But you’ll find they’re fairly close or on the mark.

Billboard Location

We talked about pricing in different U.S. cities. But pricing also depends on the area of the city the billboard is located. Let’s learn more about pricing using the New York City area and Los Angeles as examples.

New York City

In New York City, a digital billboard in Times Square will remain posted for a two-week period rather than four weeks. The costs to advertise in Times Square range from $10,000 to $22,000.

Want to put a billboard up in Soho? Then it will cost between $18,000 and $30,000 for four weeks. But think of how many people on foot and in their vehicles will see your HVAC company.

However, if you want to advertise your billboard on the highway, you’ll pay less for your ad to be posted on a state highway than you would on a freeway. On a freeway, you’ll have more eyes on it. More people means more traffic impressions.

Los Angeles

Want to post a billboard in Los Angeles? You’ll pay the highest prices in the hub of the famed Sunset Strip since so many people visit the area on foot and in vehicles.

Costs range from $25,000  to $55,000. But if you want your billboard on Sunset Blvd, you’ll advertising costs range between $15,000 to $35,000.

Want to target the trendy businesses of Melrose? Your billboard rental will cost around between $9,000 and $15,000. How about Hollywood Boulevard which houses many businesses and apartment buildings? Your costs will range from $7,000 to $13,000.

Put Your Name Up in Lights 

As you can probably imagine, pricing is often determined by size. If your billboard is 14 feet by 48 feet, that’s 77 percent larger than a billboard that’s 10 and a half feet by 36 feet. A larger billboard makes it easier to see your company name.

But imagine if people could see your billboard after dark? A lighted billboard means more impressions and more people reading your company name.

This will bring your company’s name to their minds when their AC or heating system fails. Or when they’re considering updating their HVAC system. Or when it’s time to schedule regular maintenance.

Look Up High: Billboard Advertising Costs Revisited

Now you know more about billboard advertising costs. Advertising your business on a billboard is a great way to get leads for your company and boost sales.

Optic Marketing Group, a full-service HVAC marketing company can help find the perfect billboard location for the best price. Ready to get more eyes on your HVAC business and advertise on a billboard? Contact us today to get started.

by Optic Marketing

Holiday Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

The Winter season is fast approaching and with that comes the need for homeowners and business owners to tend to their HVAC systems. Your HVAC service is just the kind of company to fit their needs!

The trick is to get yourself out in front of your target market. Believe it or not, your marketing tactics should change with the seasons. There are some alterations to make during the holiday season.

Presenting your home services is all about advertising in the right way. See below for several holiday marketing tips you can follow to market your HVAC company to your target market.

1. Out With the Old

Much like a child on Christmas day, there are some outdated digital marketing strategies that you need to toss out to make room for the “new toys”.

There’s no better time to audit your marketing plan than the holiday season. It’s a time for you to review the year you’ve had and make adjustments as necessary. What marketing tactics are you depending on that are killing your ROI?

For example, you might still be depending on organic social media marketing alone for your HVAC company. That no longer exists. If you’re looking for results on social media, you need to generate an advertising campaign or throw some money behind the organic posts to promote them. Social media platforms are far too congested to simply post without any budget to back them up.

Even the most successful companies find time to take a hard look in the mirror and change their marketing plan. That starts by tossing out what no longer works to find new ways of doing things.

By throwing out useless tactics, you can make way for such things as marketing automation or funnel ads.

2. Get Festive with Each Holiday

People want to work with personable HVAC businesses. They want to find someone that they can envision themselves building a business relationship with.

The holidays are a great way to show off the personal side of your brand. You aren’t just a stick-to-the-script type of company, you’re in the business of helping people with their HVAC issues and having fun while doing it.

The best part is that each holiday allows you to show off a different side of your company’s personality.

For example, Thanksgiving is a time to (as the name would imply) give thanks and show appreciation for your staff, your clients, and so forth. Christmas is a great time to spread holiday cheer to all to hear… you get the idea!

3. Incorporate More Video Content

Video content is the here-and-now of content marketing. It allows you to be more interactive with your clients and attract your clients to your brand. It also helps ensure that more of your followers/viewers retain the information that you give them.

So, for example, if you’re running a promotion for a free in-home check-up during the Christmas season, you can run a video to announce the offer.

Your clients will remember how to redeem the in-home visit, what they need to look out for, common HVAC issues during the holiday season, and so on.

Better yet, video content can be used on every digital platform you have. You can place customer testimony videos on your website, how-to videos on your Youtube page, live streaming videos on your social media platforms, and so on.

It’s important to diversify the content in your marketing plan. Some clients are more receptive to videos. Others are more receptive to blog articles. It takes a healthy dose of many different components to find the perfect balance during this season. That’s why it’s best to work with a full-service marketing agency who knows how to brand your business across all platforms.

4. Push More Giveaways

You might think “We’re an HVAC company, what do we have to give away?”. It’s that kind of thinking that prevents more HVAC services from connecting with their clients on a higher level.

There are several things you can give away to your followers and clients. You could give away Starbucks gift cards, promo items, swag with your company logo on it, coupons on your service, tumblers, gift baskets, and so much more.

Customers love free things. So much so, that they’re willing to do almost anything you ask of them (within reason) to put their name in the hat.

Nothing says “holiday spirit” like free giveaways! Simply advertise the items you’re giving away, set the guidelines of the contest (tagging three friends, leaving a comment, etc.), and set the date and time when the contest ends.

5. Plan Around the Holidays

Most importantly, you want to make sure you account for all the holidays that are upcoming. There are a lot of holidays in the last two months of the year, so be sure to consider them all.

Circle your calendar for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve/Day.

First, you need to plan for giving your staff time off for the necessary holidays if you haven’t done so already.

These dates can also help you heighten your marketing and gear up for all of those holidays. You can think of things like social media posts, marketing ads, and so on based on the holidays that are coming up quickly.

Use These Marketing Tips to Your Advantage

Now that you have seen several amazing marketing tips you can use to spread holiday cheer and make your brand more personable, it’s important to use that to your advantage!

Be sure to read this article to learn more about how to make social media posts convert into revenue for your HVAC company’s marketing plan.

For more inquiries on Optic Marketing Group and our services, be sure to reach out via phone at (844)-700-4781 and we will be happy to assist you further.

by Optic Marketing

How to Grow Your Plumbing or HVAC Business With Multi-Media

Around 20% of HVAC businesses fail every year across America.

If you want to start an HVAC or plumbing business, you need to know how to make it succeed. You need to know what to do in order to reach your target market and bring in leads.

This is why HVAC marketing is so important. Having a digital marketing strategy can help HVAC and plumbing businesses step up their game, especially ever since 2020 occurred and businesses everywhere realized they needed an online marketing strategy.

But what is the best online marketing strategy? What do HVAC businesses need to do in order to bring in more leads and drive in more revenue?

Here’s a detailed guide on home services marketing, particularly around heating and cooling, and which kind of marketing can help propel your HVAC businesses.

Using Mass Media

If you want to grow your HVAC and plumbing business, you need to consider using mass media. You need to consider how mass media can help you reach your target market.

There are a lot of forms of mass media to consider and you want to spend your money wisely before going all-out in one particular medium.

Here’s why social media, TV, and radio can help you reach your target market and build your HVAC business.

Social Media Advertising

One of the best forms of HVAC advertising is social media. You can use social media in a lot of different forms to reach your target market.

One of the best ways to use social media is with Facebook advertising. With millions of people on Facebook, it makes it one of the best ways to promote your product or your services.

You can use Facebook advertising in multiple ways. For instance, you can do lead generation on Facebook and bring in hundreds of leads if you have an enticing lead magnet.

You can also use Instagram advertising that has the same strategies as Facebook. You can use it for lead generation or you can use it for conversion campaigns.

This is a great way to introduce your services and how they are valuable to your customers.

You can also try social media advertising when it comes to Twitter, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and other forms of social media.

TV and Radio Advertising

If you want to extend your advertising beyond social media, you can also try TV and radio.

You can either pay for 30-second-commercial spots. It can also cost a lot more if you want to advertise during sports specials like the Super Bowl.

If you want to advertise on the radio, it just depends on the size of the audience and the location of where you’re at.

However, the same principles apply when you advertise on TV and radio as it does with social media.

You have to find your target market and figure out how to reach them. You have to understand their problems and see how you can help them.

This may mean you have to try and see what kind of copy is the best for your audience. You have to see what advertisements perform the best in your market.

Ultimately, there are a lot of ways to advertise in the mass media, but you have to figure out your budget and the best ways to reach your audience. You have to see what performs the best.

You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on advertising and not realize what works. Find out what advertising platform is going to do the best for you and stick with it.

The Benefits of HVAC Advertising

When you do find what mass media advertising platform works the best for your HVAC or plumbing business, you’ll see how the benefits that come with it.

One of the best benefits is that your business will be more profitable. You’ll bring in more leads for your business, which can help drive in more customers.

Another benefit to consider when you’re advertising is you’re seeing what your target market is interested in with a particular season. You’re seeing if they need heating during the winter months or work on their AC during the summer months.

This can help give you an idea of what you need to advertise during the year. You have an idea of what people are looking for during the year and how to build trust with them.

Another benefit to consider with HVAC advertising is that you’re extending your reach as a business. You’re not just reaching people in your local area, you’re reaching people throughout the United States.

If you have the capacity and capability of working with people in a certain range, you can use mass media to help you reach those people in that range.

You don’t have to rely on foot traffic to get you the customers you want. You can advertise online or on TV to help reach people that may be 100 miles or farther away.

Now You Know How to Step up Your HVAC Marketing Game

When it comes to creating an HVAC marketing strategy, it can be challenging. You may feel overwhelmed by all the choices you make in marketing.

This guide gives your HVAC or plumbing strategy the confidence you need to make the best choice. You have an idea of what mass media advertising can do for you and how it can help bring in more revenue.

If you have more questions about HVAC or plumbing marketing, you can contact us here.

by Optic Marketing

Your Website Could Be Holding You Back: The Best Kept HVAC Website Secrets

Are you struggling to generate leads on your HVAC website? You might want to reevaluate your design and development. In fact, design has a 75% influence on a website’s credibility.

Websites that are slow lost $2.6 billion in revenue each year, too. Meanwhile, 90% of consumers won’t return to a website after having a bad experience. If your company website is slow, outdated, or just old, you could lose HVAC leads. Instead, consider these eight tips for improving your site. With a strong website, you can improve your entire HVAC marketing strategy. Then, you can draw in fresh leads and boost your business!

Keep reading to discover how to improve your website to increase revenue today.

1. Know Your Audience

First, it’s important to make sure your website is created with your target audience in mind. Otherwise, you might struggle to appeal to their needs.

The better you know your target audience, the more likely you can connect with them through your content.

Determine who your customers are based on psychographics and demographics. For example, you can research their:

• Age
• Location
• Gender
• Household income
• Marital status
• Buying behaviors
• Pain points
• Interests
• Language
• Education

You might want to create location-based content if you’re targeting people in different regions. Maybe you want to target homeowners over property managers. Either way, take the time to determine who your customers are.

Then, determine what they search for when looking for companies in the HVAC services industry.

You can use tools like Keyword Planner, Answer the Public, SEMRush, and Google Trends.

Once you determine what your customers search for online, you can create the content they already need. More people will find your website online. Then, you can generate high-quality HVAC leads.

You could save valuable time by focusing on your ideal audience as a result.

2. Speed Things Up

Remember, a slow website could cost you revenue. It could impact the user experience (UX), causing people to leave.

If people leave without exploring your content, your dwell time and clickthrough rate will drop. These metrics are essential to your search engine rankings. A higher ranking will help you reach more customers online.

If your ranking drops because your website is slow, you’ll miss a chance to generate HVAC leads.

Instead, run your HVAC website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights. If your website is slow, consider:

• Using better website hosting
• Compressing Javascript files
• Eliminating unnecessary third-party scripts
• Using page caching
• Enabling browser caching
• Reducing iframes and embedded content
• Deleting unwanted Javascript files
• Optimizing images
• Preloading custom web fonts
• Eliminating third-party scripts
• Using a content delivery system
• Creating fixed dimensions for images
• Minifying Javascript and CSS codes

Page experience directly impacts whether or not customers take action after visiting your website. You want to make sure that they have a delightful experience from the moment they arrive on your site that seamlessly guides them through to the end goal of contacting your business for your services. When you work with an agency like Optic Marketing Group, the team of expert web developers will make sure your website’s page experience is where it needs to be.

3. Use Minimalistic Design

Take a look at the content on your web pages. If each page looks cluttered and jammed with content, it could overwhelm visitors. Instead, consider minimalistic design.

Using minimalistic design trends can clean up your web pages. You can keep visitors focused on core pieces of content. That includes conversion buttons.

First, use white space to give your content room to breathe. Try to avoid unnecessary pieces of content or fluff in your text.

Instead, keep visitors focused on the value you can offer them.

As you make these changes to your website, make sure it’s easy for people to navigate between pages, too. Improve your navigation bar. Keep it focused on core pages.

Consider adding a sidebar or footer navigation as well.

4. Make Sure You’re Mobile

Consumers interact with brands twice as often on mobile devices than desktop devices. In fact, mobile conversions are 64% higher, too.

Run your website through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. If your site isn’t optimized, it could impact your entire HVAC marketing strategy. You could scare away mobile users.

In fact, nearly 40% of people stop engaging with a website if it’s unappealing. About 70% abandon online carts due to poor design.

Google also uses mobile-first indexing to determine rankings. Work with a design and development agency to optimize your site. Then, you can boost online engagement and increase revenue.

5. Use Invest In SEO

Search engine optimization can help your HVAC website rank higher on search pages. It can also help you:

• Generate brand awareness and recognition
• Establish your credibility in the industry
• Rank you ahead of competitors
• Position you as a thought leader
• Build brand trust and loyalty
• Increase traffic to your website
• Boost leads, conversions, and sales
• Improve your ROI

SEO is an important component of any HVAC marketing strategy. You’ll need to optimize your content for keywords. Your website design and development can impact your rankings, too.

Work with an agency that understands Google Core Web Vitals. They can improve your technical SEO, improving your rankings.

6. Add Reviews

Establishing your credibility can help consumers trust your HVAC business.

First, add reviews to your website. Reviews will show prospective clients that people already trust your business.

Add other social signals to your site, including badges. If you’re part of a professional organization or have special credentials, let people know. You can build brand trust and generate more HVAC leads.

7. Consider Conversions

As you make these improvements to your website, make sure it’s easy for people to reach you.

For example, you can add an eye-catching button to the top of the navigation bar. Consider positioning the form above the fold. You can also use a chatbot to capture more leads.

8. Stay Secure

Don’t neglect your website’s security. Make sure you have an SSL certificate. You should see “HTTPS” before the domain name. Otherwise, talk to your web design and development team to improve your site.

Boost Business: 8 Essential Tips for Improving Your HVAC Website

A few small changes to your HVAC website can have a major impact on your marketing strategy. Keep these eight essentials in mind. Making these changes can help you capture more HVAC leads to increase revenue for the year!

Need help from a full-service HVAC marketing group? We’re happy to lend a hand.

Contact Optic Marketing Group for our marketing services today to get started.

by Optic Marketing

Voice Search Tips for Home Service Businesses

Voice search is finally making its mark on the digital marketing landscape.

Nowadays, 20% of all internet searches are voice-based. We're always on the move and we always have our mobile devices with us, not to mention the fact that Google voice search algorithms have progressed in a big way.

For home service businesses that rely on local SEO, voice search will continue to play a big role. Today, we're going to give you a few voice search tips that can help you boost your SEO and put you ahead of the competition.

Understanding voice search can give you a big edge over other HVAC and plumbing businesses. Keep reading and learn how it's done.

Fill Out Your GMB Profile

One thing to understand about voice search is that it's deeply tied to local SEO, which is so crucial for home service businesses. If your HVAC or plumbing business is going to have high visibility online, you need to fill out your Google My Business profile.

Without this profile, your business will be in no man's land. When someone performs a voice search, Google looks at GMB to get business names, addresses, contact info, business category, and ratings. The more thoroughly you fill out your GMB profile, the better.

Getting More Online Reviews

When someone performs a voice search, they might say, "what is the best HVAC installation company near me?". If your business is going to show up on the SERP, you need a high average star rating and lots of positive reviews.

Over 90% of people look at online reviews before buying a product or service, but reviews are also important for local SEO. Lots of good ratings, positive reviews, and responses to reviews will help you appeal to Google's voice search algorithm.

Conversational Keywords and Customer Intent

The way that voice search SEO works is a bit different. Searchers are using more conversational language when they perform searches, so you need to focus on long-tail and local keywords on your landing pages and in your content.

Most voice searches come in the form of questions, as mentioned above. The key to nailing your keywords is understanding the intent of the searcher. Optimize your content to address this intent and you'll be successful with voice search.

How Your Site Factors In

One of the best ways to optimize your website for voice search is to have an FAQ section. Having a dedicated page with conversational questions and answers will solve the problem posed above.

Also, since voice searches are always performed on mobile devices, you need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Simplicity is the key here, so make your navigation easy to understand, compress the size of your images, and integrate larger fonts and buttons.

Voice Search Optimization for Service Businesses

Voice search SEO isn't the future of digital marketing for service businesses—it's the present. These tips will help to optimize your business for voice search, but it's important to keep your ear to the ground and stay on top of the ever-changing SEO trends. 

To get help with SEO for your HVAC or plumbing business, look no further than Optic Marketing. As a full-service digital marketing agency for service businesses, we can help you take your company to new heights. Contact us today to discuss your digital advertising needs.

by Optic Marketing