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Google Ads Management and SEO for Small Business.

Affordable, Effective Google Ads Management and SEO for Growing Small Businesses in the USA

GOOGLE … ON THE CUTTING EDGE TO IMPROVE LOCAL SEO

March 1, 2023

GOOGLE … ON THE CUTTING EDGE TO IMPROVE LOCAL SEO 


Third Marble Heads-up for Small Business Owners & Marketing Managers

When you want to find a restaurant or nearby car repair shop, what do you do? Right, you search for it online. Likewise, when your prospects and customers are seeking geographically close (local) offerings like yours … they do the same. 


A 2022 survey reveals 78% of consumers search for local business info online at least once a week. So, if you have a business that serves a particular town or area, local search engine optimization (Local SEO) is essential to make sure consumers can find you easily. The solution … optimize your site to achieve better rankings than your competitors. 


For this article, it’s key to recognize that the hands-down search engine of choice is Google with an 84% market share. That means to successfully execute your digital marketing strategy, you must employ advancements in Google technology that enhance local searches. 


As a Google Partner, Third Marble enjoys advance notice about future updates ... valuable foresight to “get a jump” on helping our clients maintain superior search rankings. Read on about the latest Google announcement, the introduction of Bard – an experimental artificial intelligence service that will affect Local SEO action-plans. 


Introducing Bard 


Bard promises to add a whole new dimension to Google Search. While still in the experimental stage, this AI technology is designed to answer search questions. In Google’s words … “it draws information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.” The net result for searchers is a broader range of choice in answer to info they are seeking. 


An analogy to a recent AI application that’s currently in the news, ChatGPT, offers an operational comparison to Bard. ChatGPT recognizes broad patterns of text harvested from the internet and creates content in answer to a user’s prompt. For example, you can tell it to “Write me a poem”, and when it does, further instruct it to “Make it more exciting”. ChatGPT will continue to respond with as much detail as requested. 


Similarly, Bard will recognize vast amounts of data from the internet that will satisfy a Google Search request. Sundar Pichai CEO of Google writes of Google’s commitment to create entirely new ways to engage with information from languages and images to video and audio … starting with Search. Bard can turn information requests into useful knowledge more efficiently and accelerate users’ ability to get to the heart of what they’re looking for and smooth the way for decision-making. 


According to Pichai, the major driver for this technology is … “increasingly, people are turning to Google for deeper insights and understanding”. That’s in contrast to a time when people thought of Google only for quick factual answers. 


AI is particularly valuable for questions that have no one right answer. For example, you can ask Bard to compare the pros and cons of buying an electric car versus a gasoline powered vehicle. In response, Search will distill multiple perspectives to quickly learn more from the internet … like blogs from automotive experts, purchasers of electric vehicles who are pleased and those who switched back to traditionally powered cars. 


As mentioned above, Bard is at an experimental stage. In February Google will start onboarding individual developers, creators and enterprises to conduct a “shakedown cruise” of Bard as a preface to a broader launch soon. 


Note: For readers not yet signed up for TMM’s Local SEO service or want to know more, click here for Local SEO … The Third Marble Way. 


The TMM team is on top of every new algorithm update from Google to ensure our customers place high on Google Search. To put that in perspective … updates in 2022 exceeded 400!


By Alex Huibsch April 2, 2025
In the digital age, brand voice consistency is key to building a strong, recognizable brand. Whether your business engages customers through social media, blog posts, or customer service interactions, maintaining a consistent tone and messaging across all platforms is crucial for brand identity and trust. Here are some practical strategies to ensure your brand voice remains consistent everywhere your audience interacts with you. 1. Define Your Brand Voice Before you can ensure consistency, you need to define your brand voice. A brand voice is the personality and tone you convey through your content. It reflects your business values, culture, and mission. For example, is your brand voice professional, friendly, humorous, or authoritative? To define your brand voice, consider the following: Core Values: What principles guide your company? Are you about innovation, reliability, or creativity? Target Audience: Who are you speaking to? A brand targeting Gen Z might have a casual, witty tone, while a brand targeting professionals might lean towards a more formal voice. Emotional Tone: What emotion do you want your audience to feel? Whether it’s excitement, reassurance, or motivation, your voice should reflect this. Once you’ve identified these elements, document them. Create a brand voice guide that outlines key phrases, vocabulary, and examples of how your voice should sound. This guide will serve as your compass, ensuring consistency across all platforms. 2. Create a Style Guide A style guide is essential for maintaining consistency, especially as your business grows and more people get involved in content creation. Your style guide should cover: Tone and Language: Specify the tone and style of communication for each platform. For example, social media might be more casual and conversational, while blog posts could be more informative. Grammar and Punctuation: Consistency in punctuation (e.g., using the Oxford comma ) and grammar rules can greatly affect how professional your brand appears. Imagery and Design: While voice is primarily about language, the visuals that accompany your message should also align with your tone. Whether you use bright, playful colors or more minimalist, subdued hues, your design should reflect your voice. Having a comprehensive style guide means anyone creating content on behalf of your brand knows exactly how to communicate. 3. Train Your Team Your entire team must understand and embrace your brand voice. Whether it’s your marketing department, customer service team, or content creators, everyone needs to be on the same page. To keep your brand voice consistent across platforms, provide your team with resources like: Workshops and Training: Hold regular sessions to reinforce your brand's messaging and tone. This could include writing exercises, social media role-playing, or reviewing successful brand campaigns. Ongoing Feedback: Offer constructive feedback on content to ensure it aligns with your voice. Whether it's through content reviews or monthly meetings, consistently check in with your team. Remember, keep your brand voice flexible enough to adapt to different contexts (like more serious tones during a crisis) but consistent in core elements, such as clarity and empathy. 4. Understand Platform Nuances Each platform has its audience and unique characteristics, but your brand voice should remain consistent across all of them. Here’s how to tailor your brand voice while keeping it unified: Social Media: Social platforms are usually informal and fast-paced. You can use humor, emojis, and casual language to connect with your audience. Blog Posts: Blogs are a great place to showcase your brand’s expertise. Use a more polished, informative tone, but still keep it in line with your brand voice. A friendly, approachable tone can make your content more relatable. Customer Service Interactions: Whether it’s over chat, email, or phone, your customer service team must embody your brand’s tone. For example, if your brand is known for being friendly, ensure that your team’s responses reflect that particular attitude even when dealing with complaints or difficult customers. Being aware of platform differences helps you maintain a unified message while tailoring your approach to fit the environment. 5. Use Automation Tools Wisely As your business scales, automation tools can be lifesavers in maintaining consistency. However, it’s important not to let automation become robotic. Use tools like social media schedulers or CRM software to streamline communication, but always ensure that the voice feels human and genuine. When using automated responses (especially in customer service), incorporate your brand voice into the script. Use friendly, helpful, and personalized language, and be mindful of how these responses will be perceived. 6. Monitor and Adapt Consistency doesn’t mean rigidity. Regularly monitor the performance of your content across different platforms to ensure your message is resonating with your audience. Use analytics and feedback to gauge how well your brand voice is being received. For example: Social Media Analytics: Track engagement rates to see how your voice is performing on each platform. Customer Feedback: Pay attention to how customers respond to your tone in service interactions. If your voice is too formal or too casual, it may not align with their expectations. Adjust your approach as needed, but always stay true to the core values of your brand. 7. Keep It Authentic Above all, your brand voice must feel authentic. In today’s digital landscape, customers can spot inauthenticity a mile away. Your voice should reflect the real values and personality of your company. Whether you’re posting on Twitter, writing a blog, or answering a customer service question, staying true to your brand will help build trust and loyalty. Final Thoughts A consistent brand voice is essential for creating a cohesive customer experience and fostering brand loyalty. By defining your voice, creating a style guide, training your team, and adapting to platform nuances, you can ensure your messaging is clear and unified. Remember, authenticity is key. Be sure to stay true to your brand’s values and always communicate with your audience in a way that resonates with them. Ready to Strengthen Your Brand Voice Across All Platforms? Struggling to find time for content creation while managing your business? At Third Marble Marketing , we specialize in writing clear, consistent, and compelling content that resonates with your audience. Whether you need engaging copy on your web pages or informative blog posts, we’re here to help! Our Content Writing Services are designed to enhance your SEO while staying true to your brand’s core values. We ensure consistency in tone and messaging across all platforms, creating a cohesive brand experience that fosters trust, increases engagement, and drives success. Contact Third Marble Marketing today to learn more about how our content writing services can elevate your brand voice and consistency!
By Alex Huibsch March 26, 2025
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Your Google Business Profile:
By Alex Huibsch March 10, 2025
Which One Do I Need? When it comes to driving traffic to your website, you’ve likely heard the terms SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay-Per-Click). Both are essential digital marketing strategies, but they serve different purposes. So, how do you determine which one is the right fit for your business? The truth is that SEO and PPC work best when used together, but understanding their differences will help you decide where to focus your efforts based on your goals and budget. Let’s take a closer look. What is SEO? SEO focuses on improving your website’s visibility in organic search results. This involves optimizing your website’s content, structure, and technical elements to rank higher on search engines like Google in the organic section of the Search Results Page. Some key components of SEO include: Keyword Optimization : Identifying and using relevant keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, alt tags, and onsite copy to attract the right audience. High-Quality Content : Creating valuable, authoritative, and informative content that appeals to users and search engines. Technical SEO : Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and security to enhance user experience. Backlink Building : Earning links from reputable websites to increase domain authority. Benefits of SEO Builds Long-Term Organic Traffic : Once your website ranks well, you can enjoy a steady stream of visitors without ongoing ad spend. More Cost-Effective Over Time : While SEO requires an upfront investment in content and optimization, it becomes more affordable as your rankings improve. Boosts Credibility and Trust : Appearing in organic search results gives your business more authority in your industry. What is PPC? PPC is a paid advertising strategy where businesses bid on keywords to appear in sponsored search results. Every time a user clicks on your ad, you pay a fee. Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform, allowing businesses to target specific demographics, locations, and search queries. Benefits of PPC Delivers Instant Traffic : PPC generates immediate site visitors, whereas SEO results are not immediate. Highly Targeted : You can reach specific audiences based on keywords, location, demographics, and even online behavior. Measurable Results : PPC provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track performance and adjust campaigns for better ROI. Scalable: Depending on your immediate business needs, you can increase and decrease your budget, and therefore the number of leads and sales you get each month from PPC. SEO is not that nimble. Setting Realistic Expectations: SEO is a Marathon, PPC is a Sprint When deciding between SEO and PPC, it’s important to set realistic expectations for results. Think of SEO as a marathon and PPC as a sprint. Both can get you to the finish line, but they work at different speeds and require different strategies. SEO: The Marathon Approach SEO takes time, just like training for a marathon. You won’t see results overnight, but with consistent effort, you’ll build momentum and endurance. Timeline Expectation: Months 1-3: Research, technical optimization, and content creation. During this period of time, expect little to no ranking improvements. Months 4-6: Gradual ranking improvements and some organic traffic growth. Months 6-12: Stronger rankings, increased traffic, and leads (provided ongoing effort continues). 1 Year & Beyond: Established rankings, steady organic traffic, and a strong foundation that requires maintenance, but not constant spending. The key takeaway is that SEO compounds over time. The more effort you put in early, the more rewards you reap later. PPC: The Sprint Approach PPC is like a sprint—you get results quickly, but you have to keep paying to stay ahead. If you stop running (funding your ads), the traffic stops too. Timeline Expectation: Week 1: Campaign setup, keyword research, and ad creation. Weeks 2-4: Ads go live, and traffic starts coming in immediately. Months 1-3: Performance optimization. This entails adjusting bids, refining targeting, and improving ad quality for better ROI. Ongoing: As long as you continue funding your ads, you’ll keep generating traffic and leads. PPC provides instant results, but costs can add up. Unlike SEO, which continues to bring traffic over time, PPC stops working the moment you turn off your ads. What’s the Right Strategy? Need leads now? Start with PPC. Want long-term sustainable growth? Invest in SEO. Want the best of both worlds? Run PPC while building your SEO strategy in the background. Understanding these timelines will help you manage expectations and make informed marketing decisions. In Closing All in all, SEO and PPC are not competitors. In fact, they complement each other. Investing in both strategies can maximize your visibility and help your business grow.  If you need help deciding where to start, contact Third Marble Marketing , and we’ll help you craft the perfect strategy for your goals and budget!
By Alex Huibsch March 5, 2025
Tips for Driving Engagement on a Budget
By Alex Huibsch February 13, 2025
Adapting to AI, Voice Search, and Google's Evolving Algorithms
By Alex Huibsch February 12, 2025
The Google Reviews Count Bug: A Worldwide Issue
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By Alex Huibsch October 3, 2024
One bad review can cast a long shadow online. It can deter potential customers and damage your reputation. But before you panic, there's good news! Google allows businesses to flag reviews that violate their policies, and with the right approach, you can get them removed. This email is your one-stop shop for reclaiming your online reputation. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step, including some extra tips to maximize your chances of success. Important: Remember, Google won't remove reviews simply because you disagree with them. They only remove reviews that violate their policies. You can find a full breakdown of Google's review policies for more information.
August 23, 2024
How Third Marble used Google Ads to increase three different HVAC businesses leads. Three case studies rolled into one!
By Alex Huibsch August 13, 2024
Are you looking to turn more website visitors into paying customers? You're not alone! Here at Third Marble Marketing, we've helped countless businesses achieve dramatic conversion increases. In this post, we'll share 9 powerful tips that can help you do the same.
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