Foremost Media Marketing Chat

In this episode, Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard guide you through the March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update. With Google is cracking down on scaled content abuse, particularly AI-generated content lacking original insights, and manipulative linking practices, they're here to ensure your website isn't negatively impacted and where you can find opportunities to take advantage of this update. The Importance of SEO Auditing in 2024 Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard walk through the impact of the March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update which doubled down on the September 2023 updates, aiming to elevate content quality across the web. This update emphasized original, user-focused content over content that is only created to manipulate search engines which will massively negatively impact AI-generated and spammy content, parasite SEO, and manipulative linking practices. Now more than ever, experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are necessary for creating high ranking content in the eyes of Google. Listeners will gain valuable insights into maintaining high rankings or recovering from losses post-update. Jon and Evan also discuss the role of high-quality backlinks, how the Core Web Vitals have changed, and trusted author attribution for content. If you're a marketer or website owner navigating these changes, this episode is packed with essential tips and strategies to ensure your content remains relevant and competitive. Tune in for expert advice and actionable steps to adapt and thrive amidst Google's ongoing updates. Resources Referenced: Google Feedback Form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf76Nm3Xsd5NoOPzFajem2sIdwgeewlqAH7XknhycaqP6myRA/viewform?pli=1) Google Search Central Content Article (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content) Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:03 The March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update 2:06 What Unhelpful Content is to Google 6:03 Trusted Authors will be More Important in the Future 7:22 Google Search Central Content Article (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content) 8:04 How Important are High Quality Links? 10:03 What is Parasite SEO? 11:24 What to do if You've Been Negatively Impacted 14:00 Additional Google Updates 15:05 Outro Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard discuss geo-fencing in this episode, discussing its use in targeted advertising for trade shows, competitor customer targeting, and recruitment. Compete Locally & Target Only The Best Leads In this episode of the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast, hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard delve into the intricacies of geo-fencing, a location-based marketing tool that allows businesses to target ads to individuals entering or leaving a specific area. They clarify common misconceptions about geo-fencing, differentiating it from broader geo-targeting capabilities offered by platforms like Google Ads and Facebook. The discussion covers practical applications of geo-fencing, such as enhancing visibility at trade shows, targeting competitors' customers, and corporate recruiting. They emphasize the importance of choosing the right platform for geo-fencing, crafting compelling ad creatives, and optimizing mobile sites for conversions. The episode underscores geo-fencing's value as a cost-effective, highly targeted advertising strategy that, when integrated with a comprehensive marketing mix, can significantly boost brand recognition and campaign success. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:10 What even is Geo-fencing? 3:05 Tradeshow Marketing 5:01 Partnering with other platforms and apps 6:11 Seeing location based targeting in person 6:31 Corporate Recruiting with Geo-fencing 9:28 Using geo-fencing to compete locally 10:59 Understanding the data collection 12:02 Design ads and campaigns for mobile users 14:21 Outro Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

In this episode, Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard guide you through the various kinds of SEO audits. They discuss technical audits, content strategies, backlinks, and creating effective SEO roadmaps. The Importance of SEO Auditing in 2024 Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard dive deep into the world of SEO audits. As we step into a new year, they explore the significance of understanding and prioritizing different types of SEO audits, including technical, content, and competitor analysis. Evan and Jon discuss the complexities of technical SEO audits, emphasizing the importance of site crawlability, page speed, and the structure of a website in the eyes of search engines like Google. They also tackle common misconceptions and strategies around disavowing toxic backlinks, highlighting the nuanced opinions within the SEO community. As they shift focus to content and keyword analysis, our hosts provide valuable insights on identifying and leveraging fringe keywords, and the impact of on-page optimizations. This episode is not just about identifying problems through audits but also about developing actionable roadmaps to improve SEO performance. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the world of SEO, join Evan and Jon for a comprehensive guide through the intricate landscape of SEO audits. Our Free SEO Audit (https://www.foremostmedia.com/online-marketing/seo/seo-audits) Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:49 The Many Types of SEO Audits 2:29 What Goes Into a Technical SEO Audit 3:56 Holding Technical SEO and Content in Tension 5:40 Importance of Site Structure 6:45 Schema Markup and Structured Data 7:22 Local VS National/International SEO 8:54 Disavowing Toxic Backlinks? 12:23 Content Gap Analysis is King 14:23 Importance of Fringe Keywords 16:57 How Often to Perform Site Audits 19:29 Audit Informed On-Page Optimization 21:00 Create a Prioritized Plan 22:23 Foremost's Free Audit Offer 23:19 Who's Wife Listens to the Podcast? 24:00 Outro Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

Let's take a look back on one of the most chaotic years for marketing, 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Short Form Video, Voice Search, and of course, AI became extremely important for the industry going forward. The Greatest Year of Change in Marketing History Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard as they reflect on all of the crazy changes that came to the marketing industry in 2023. Since the creation of the internet, we have never seen any single year bring more massive changes to the marketing industry than this one. AI, while extremely useful, has been used by many as a new way to farm content. Short Form Video has officially taken center stage as something businesses can no longer ignore thanks to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and other social medias. GA4 has fully replaced Universal Analytics. Voice Search has become normalized in the average household. There's so much to learn from last year and even more to adapt to and look forward to in this year to come. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:31 Dos & Don'ts for Using AI Properly 6:25 Search Generative Experience in its Infancy 13:40 Short Form Video Competing with Google for Searches 15:43 Don't Neglect the Basics in Pursuit of the New and Shiny 17:17 UA is Done, GA4 is Here 17:58 Voice Search & Long Tail Keywords 19:49 Keep Your Google My Business Profile Updated 20:59 Final Thoughts Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

In this episode we talked about website maintenance, site security, and how staying up to date can help your UX and SEO. Learn how to prevent a security breach while boosting your site and your rankings. The Critical Role of Website Maintenance Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard in this episode as they delve into the crucial world of website maintenance, shedding light on the paramount importance of keeping content management systems (CMS) up-to-date. With a spotlight on the risks associated with using outdated platforms like WordPress (/website-development/wordpress), the duo emphasizes the potential security vulnerabilities and their impact on your website's safety. The conversation extends to the vital role of regular maintenance in search engine optimization (SEO) (/online-marketing/seo) and enhancing user experience (UX) (/web-design-ux/ux-analysis). Evan and Jon provide insightful recommendations on initiating discussions with website developers, setting budgetary considerations for ongoing updates, and the potential vulnerabilities within website backups. Tune in for expert advice on the significance of professional management in ensuring the security and seamless functionality of your online presence. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:54 Why You Should Maintain Your Website 2:25 The Target on Wordpress' Back 4:53 Hacking Goes Beyond Wordpress 8:00 Boosting Your Website Performance for SEO and UX 10:23 Frequency and Costs of Website Maintenance 12:32 When to Rely on Backing Up Your Website 14:00 The Panama Papers Horror Story 16:15 Outro Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

Welcome back to the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast! In this episode we had a chat about algorithm volatility (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts/2023-google-updates-what-to-expect-and-how-to-respond), drops in rankings, and strategies for investigating, diagnosing, and fixing these issues. What should you do when you start to lose the Google rankings you once had? We're here to help. Solutions for Drops in Rankings Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard in this timely episode as they unravel the mysteries behind sudden drops in Google rankings. From analyzing data in your various SEO (https://www.foremostmedia.com/online-marketing/seo) tools to keeping up with your competition, we provide actionable insights to revive your SEO game. Learn about the crucial role of fresh content, backlinks, and the balance between organic SEO and pay-per-click advertising (https://www.foremostmedia.com/online-marketing/paid-advertising). Time Stamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:22 Use tools to dive into the data 2:43 Why rankings drop 4:52 Are your competitors outranking you? 6:18 The importance of backlinks 8:14 Content made with the right intentions 9:53 Pay-Per-Click & Infinite scroll 12:28 Farewell and outro Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

Welcome back to the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast! In this episode we spoke with Nikki Johnson, the director of marketing over at Domino North America. Nikki is a high risk, high reward marketer who's been in the game for over 2 1/2 decades and has quite a few successes under her belt. So many, in fact, that Jon Ballard called Domino "one of the best marketing companies out there". Today she spoke on how to engage the Millennial buyer, adding the human element to manufacturing, and a particular win involving Foremost Media, a trade show, and Guitar Hero! Marketing to Millennials Millennials have been in the workforce for some time and now they're becoming your primary buyers. So, what can we learn from them and about them in order to better our messaging toward them. Nikki talks about exactly this in detail in today's episode. Firstly, Millennials prioritize building relationships and relationships are built on trust and shared value systems. Demonstrating that you are worth trusting and that you're company is one built on virtue is paramount. Learn all this and more by listening in to the 16th episode of the Foremost Media marketing chat podcast Time Stamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:27 FoxJet Guitar Hero trade show booth 5:00 We're still marketing to individuals 7:13 Millennials are the new buyer 8:45 How to market to Millennials 15:14 What's your tech stack look like for compiling your information? 17:24 The challenge of great manufacturing 22:12 Proof, proof, and proof again! 25:11 Dare to be daring, risky, and different 26:40 PACK EXPO trade show returns! 29:19 Crazy ideas can bring things to the next level 32:22 Respect the intelligence of your buyer 35:05 Learn From the next generation Resources Mentioned Domino North America (https://www.domino-printing.com/en-us/home.aspx) Salesforce (https://www.salesforce.com/) Pardot (https://pi.pardot.com/) Google Analytics (https://analytics.google.com) Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast)

Welcome back to the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast! In this episode we spoke with Laurie Andres, the marketing manager over at NORD Drivesystems. Originally in IT, she started doing freelance web design on the side. Eventually she made the switch and hasn't looked back! Today, she spoke with us on her interactions with the C-suite, how easy rich media content can be, and how to do social media right! (and that comes from experience) Time Stamps: * Introduction [0:24] * Marketing 101 [3:08] * Rich Media Video Content/Nord's LinkedIn Success [8:17] * You need to have a plan [14:13] * The challenge of marketing budgets [15:14] * When you approach a C-suite about extra budget, how important are the ROI numbers? [19:04] * Affiliated Distributors Success [22:42] * Laurie's Marketing Resources [26:00] * Are there any marketing successes that you're most proud of so far? [29:41] * The problems with going a 100% digital [32:38] * Nord's digital marketing expansion [35:41] * Data and reports are not the end all be all for everything [39:04] * Parting Insights [43:26] Resources Mentioned: * The Association of Strategic Marketing (https://www.lorman.com/ds/association-of-marketing) * Social Media Today (https://www.socialmediatoday.com/) * HubSpot Marketing Blog (https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing) * Content Marketing Institute (https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/) * Foremost Media Blog (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog) Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast).

Welcome to the new and improved Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast where we interview some of the most infuential marketers in the manufacturing space to get some of their invaluable insight in both respective industries! In this episode we spoke with Kevin Pawlowski, the marketing and communications manager over at ITW Contamination Control Electronics/Chemtronics/Techspray. He's been in the industry for over 30 years and has done quite a bit ranging from being the first to market on a florist system before digital marketing existed to buying 1,000 magic 8-balls! Time Stamps: * Introduction [0:24] * The New Internet [2:03] * Privacy as the Biggest Challenge to Marketers [4:51] * "The Father of Spam" [12:52] * Continuity is key for a successful marketing program [15:33] * The Magic 8ball Story [24:43] * Anything you want to leave us with? [29:09] * Jon joins in [30:40] * Goodbye [34:38] Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast).

We're changing up our style here at Foremost Media by interviewing some of the most infuential marketers in the manufacturing space and getting some of their invaluable insight! In this episode we spoke with Jessica Jacobson, the marketing and communications manager over at Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation. She's been in the industry for over 30 years and has an uncountable number of successes in that time and has built up quite the resume of marketing wisdom. Today, we're talking about her time in Apache, advice on trade shows, and how to always have a mind on ROI in all your marketing efforts. Time Stamps: * Introduction [0:24] * B2B versus B2C [1:48] * Employer Branding [5:02] * Invest in the methodology and the philosophy of sound marketing practices [6:42] * Marketers need to be able to articulate about their technical products [8:16] * Caterpillar Success Story [10:28] * Where are you getting your marketing information from? [12:18] * Jessica's eBooks [14:17] * Consider the cost and your return on investment/Tradeshows [15:45] * Social Media [20:22] * You just don't have to spend a million dollars to get good marketing efforts [22:00] * Goodbye [25:04] Resources Mentioned: * "No Ego" by Cy Wakeman * "Yes Ma'am, No Sir: The 12 Essential Steps for Success in Life" by Coach Carter Find more marketing insights and show notes here (https://www.foremostmedia.com/resources/blog/posts?category=foremost-podcast).