content marketing

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What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a strategy or marketing approach that is designed to create and distributing specific content to attract and engage a particular type of audience and to drive these visitors to take an action on your website. Often this action is to sign up, make a purchase or to participate in some way with your pages. The core of this process revolves around planning, creating, distributing, sharing, and publishing content that is relevant to the needs of your audience or demographic. The distribution of digital marketing collateral has many influences but the goal of increasing brand awareness, improving search engine rankings and creating valuable, relevant content to attract, acquire, and engage your audience should be the main driving force of most if not all content heavy websites.

Here are a few examples of some topics on content marketing strategies for websites for you to read about from our top content marketing specialists.

Is Blogging Still Worth It in 2026? A Web Developer’s Honest Take

Author: Sean H. Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

If you’ve been following digital marketing discussions lately, you’ve probably noticed the same question popping up everywhere: is blogging still worth it in 2026? The answer, as with most things in the web development world, is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

For years, we’ve told our clients at Design Web Louisville that content is the best long-term investment. Write regularly. Use your natural voice. Talk about subjects that matter to your business and your customers. Answer specific questions that help people solve real problems. Target those long-tail keywords that bring qualified traffic to your site.

That advice still holds true, but the landscape has shifted significantly. Here’s what we’re seeing in 2026 and what we have been reading in the SEO forums. Now, keep in mind some of the sources are anecdotal, but that has always been the forefront of understanding how SEO works. When working in a black box, we have to learn to trust our intuition and then verify. So, if this feels like we are taking lobbing shotgun shells from the hip, it is because we are, and that method has kept our teeny tiny no advertising model of website design sales ahead of all the big agencies in town, so, you know, don’t knock it and enjoy the ride. 

The AI Impact: Large language models and Traffic

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Large language models like ChatGPT are fundamentally changing how people discover information. One experienced SEO professional on Reddit put it bluntly: “LLMs feed on your content and then show it at the top of Google search. After working hard, you will feel that there is no credibility for your hard work.” But is that the case really? Maybe, but it depends on what kind of content you create. Here is what we have seen. 

While AI tools are effecting traditional blog traffic, 95% of ChatGPT users still use Google for search and half of them prefer to click through to the source if it promises quality content including, and this is the kicker, great visuals. Why, well because while Ai may be using your content to answer a simple question, it now adds your pages feature image as part of the citation. That is new and it is a game changer. 

Historically the only way to get an image on the homepage is to pay to be placed in the ad slot, but now, if you are used in citation, you get a sweet free slot right next to the Ai summary, and stats tell us, if your image is well designed, your page title targeted and your excerpt refined, people will click through. More interestingly, the results for the Ai source at the time of this article are not location bound! (Holy national-reach Batman!) You can see in my example picture below the results for “who is the best personal injury lawyer in louisville ky” pulls from a law firm in… California!? Ok, so I am sure that Google will work this bug out in the very near future, but for those of you who have been dutifully writing great content and including excellent page feature images, you now have a free seat on the seo train to every city in the english speaking world. Even after Ai learns to narrow down to locally limited learned content this is still a boon to those of us who have been doing it right the whole time. 

Honestly, it’s Brian Dettman, he is the best personal injury attorney in Louisville. Don’t trust AI fully yet. They still tend to serve up results that are biased towards the bigger lower quality chains. Example above, note the ridiculous California law firm link for a local question. Hey, AI is in its infancy, it will get there eventually.

Search engines remain essential, and more importantly, they’re not going anywhere. The key difference is that generic, informational content that simply rehashes what’s already available online is essentially dead. AI can spit that out instantly. What AI can’t replicate (yet) is authentic experience, original data, and genuine expertise with excellent images. So keep doing that.

What’s Actually Working in 2026

Based on our work with clients and feedback from business owners across various industries, here’s what still generates results:

First-hand experience matters more than ever. An example we saw this week, an estate agent on a Wix platform wrote a handful of well-crafted articles that barely get views on Google, but ChatGPT picked them up. Result? Three new clients in a few months who specifically mentioned finding the agency through ChatGPT recommendations. Those three clients covered the company’s annual expenses. Not bad for a few hours of writing, and while it may not be traffic volume, it’s precise traffic quality. We have seen the exact same thing, our national reach has actually increased significantly in the last few months. Yes, itty bitty Design Web Louisville hauls in quite a bit of national clients. Never underestimate the little guy. 

Niche expertise still wins. A food blogger with seven years of experience noted that while traffic has dropped from 1 million monthly page views during peak COVID times to 100-300K now, that they are still generating solid revenue. The difference? Authentic content in a specific niche, not generic advice anyone could write. Again, we are seeing more and more surgeon-like precision in traffic. The value has not dropped of, just the volume, and that is good. It means the people who were just contributing to your bounce rate are getting what they need from Ai, with no bounce contributed to your content. The ones you need to dig deep, are still finding you. Now, we don’t take on clients who do low quality high volume content or if we are being honest click bait spam, so we have not seen much drop off. What we have seen in the periphery, lots of junk drawer sites (Looking at you, recipe site that makes us dig to find the actual recipe) getting dunked, going from a fire hose of traffic to nothing. Is it devastating to people who have dedicated their lives to writing a novel for every recipe they stole out of some book? Yes. Is it better for the rest of us? 100%. If you got hit by the Ai traffic diversion, well, maybe it was time for you to take a real look at the way you market to people. 

Most notable here, you see that the search results show that the recipe, the ingredients and the number served come from 3 different sources. Now, I’m not a michelin chef, but if you mad libs your recipes, it might not turn out the way you expect. Again, people are going to click through to the most reliable source, and in all likelihood the AI result with the best image. Humans gonna human, so make sure you have great images. Also, did you notice that Facebook was a top link? Shows how important social media is to your content planning. – Don’t feel bad, we don’t do much social media either, we should, but we don’t, we are busy enough already, but if you can you should! You know what they say, don’t look at the mechanic’s car or the cobbler’s shoes, artisans don’t focus on themselves, lol.

Community and trust building. Several people mentioned that blogging works when it’s about building trust and proving expertise rather than just chasing traffic numbers. One commenter noted that sharing real “first attempts” or even failures gets more traction than perfect guides. The new noise is LLM content getting cranked out rapidly, and the one thing it can’t do, is muddle through the very real process of trial and error in an authentic way. Now Ai is great, don’t get me wrong. I am going to Ai this mess of an article before I post it, but the key is, the mess. The funny thoughts, the little references and easter eggs that come with real authentic content. It’s the gold standard, always has been always will be.

I used to say authentic experience is king. I still do, but I used to, too.

The New Priorities for 2026

If you’re investing in content marketing right now, here’s where your energy should go:

1. Google My Business Is Essential

This might be the single most important digital asset for local businesses. Your Google My Business profile affects local search, Google Maps results, and even how AI tools discover and recommend your business. Keep it updated, respond to reviews, add photos regularly, and make sure all your information is accurate.

2. YouTube and Video Content

Multiple SEO professionals with decades of experience are pointing to the same conclusion: video content outperforms written content in 2026. YouTube isn’t just a platform; it’s the second-largest search engine. People searching for “how to fix a leaky faucet” or “best pizza in Louisville” are just as likely to watch a video as read an article.

3. Advertising on Google Maps

For local businesses, Google Maps advertising offers targeting that traditional search ads can’t match. You’re reaching people actively looking for services in your geographic area, often while they’re mobile and ready to make a decision.

4. Authentic, Experience-Based Content

If you’re going to blog, make it count. Write about:

  • Your actual projects and what you learned
  • Real customer problems you’ve solved
  • Original research or data from your business
  • Behind-the-scenes processes that demonstrate expertise
  • Local insights that only someone in your community would know
  • Real images, not stock junk. Use pictures that are meaningful or don’t use them at all.

Don’t write generic “5 Tips for Better SEO” posts. AI has that covered. Write “What We Learned After Managing SEO for 50 Louisville Businesses” with specific examples and real data.

What We Still Recommend

Our core advice hasn’t changed entirely. Good content is still a long-term investment. Regular updates still matter. Your authentic voice still resonates. But we’re adjusting our recommendations:

Write less, but write better. One exceptional piece of content that demonstrates real expertise is worth more than ten generic posts.

Don’t chase informational keywords. If the question can be answered by AI in two sentences, don’t waste your time writing a 2,000-word guide about it.

Support your content with other channels. Your blog shouldn’t stand alone. Use email newsletters, social media, and video to distribute and amplify your written content.

Focus on conversion, not just traffic. A blog post that brings 50 qualified leads is more valuable than one that brings 5,000 who bounce immediately.

Build topical authority. Instead of writing about everything, become the go-to resource for a specific area. Depth beats breadth. Don’t believe me, see the California law firm who got position zero for a Louisville question in my example above. 

The Reality Check

Here’s the honest truth: if you’re thinking about starting a blog in 2026 purely to generate ad revenue from organic traffic, you’re probably too late. That ship has sailed, been to war with Ai, taken on water and is being towed back to shore. The “golden era” of SEO-optimized fluff content ranking easily is over.

But if you’re using a blog to:

  • Demonstrate expertise in your field
  • Support your products or services
  • Build trust with potential customers
  • Create a community around your brand
  • Provide citations for AI tools to reference
  • Establish thought leadership

Then yes, blogging is absolutely still worth it. Maybe we don’t even call it blogging anymore? Maybe it is evolving to a point where it’s something else entirely? Treat it more like a menu. Be concise. Be accurate and clear. If you are a dentist, yes you should have information about all the services and products and issues you can treat in your office, but do you need a ton of pages for fluff that every dentist has? No, Ai has that covered unless you have something new and meaningful to contribute, that might actually hurt you. For example, we recently rescued a Veterinary clinic from a website design service who included a full vet dictionary of terms and “vet blog” pages to their site as part of a “vet website package.” Oof what a mess! The bulk of the site was just junk drawer information about vet services, and they used the EXACT SAME JUNK on all of their clients’ websites hundreds of sites all with the same fluff competing for the same traffic. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. We see this a lot, website designers who target a certain niche and churn out the same garbage for all of their clients. You would be better with no website than going with the dumpster fire that is niche website designers. But I digress, this is a major topic, and I might have to write about it in a whole other post, but that is enough for today.

Our Approach Moving Forward, shockingly not much has changed

At Design Web Louisville, we’re helping clients think about content differently. Instead of “we need to blog to get traffic,” we’re asking “what do we know that our customers need to know, and what’s the best way to share that?”

Sometimes that’s a blog post. Sometimes it’s a video. Sometimes it’s a Google My Business update or a well-crafted email newsletter. The medium matters less than the message and the authenticity behind it.

We still believe in the power of good content. We’ve just gotten smarter about what “good” means in 2026. Per the usual, if you are thinking about people and trying to help them or connect with them in a real way, you’re doing it the right way. Slow and steady wins the race. That is why our super small office has flourished without ads for over a decade. 

The Bottom Line

Blogging isn’t dead, but it’s evolved. The strategies that worked in 2015 or even 2020 won’t work today. Generic content is worthless. Authentic expertise is priceless. Choose your battles wisely, invest in channels that actually reach your audience, and remember that content is just one piece of a larger digital strategy. Ai is not the enemy unless you are doing something shady. It pours light on SEO. 

And whatever you do, don’t forget about your Google My Business profile.

Why Are We So Affordable? (But Not Cheap)

Author: Sean H. Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Sometimes people ask us how we keep our prices so reasonable. It’s a fair question. There are web developers out there charging $20,000 for a basic five-page website. We are not those developers.

Here is where we invest: good artists, good tools, good developers. That’s it. We can scale using trusted contractors when projects need it. We don’t mark up local services like hosting or photography. We just pass those costs along at what they actually cost, because adding a margin there felt strange to us.

What we really like is making genuine connections with people and figuring out exactly what you need. Not what sounds impressive in a proposal. Just the thing that will actually help your business or community.

What You Won’t Get From Us

We don’t meet in your office anymore. We don’t have a big office with a fancy boardroom. No chandelier. No barista.

That stuff is nice, I suppose. But someone has to pay for it, and it’s usually the client. We decided a while ago that wasn’t for us.

If you want to be wined and dined, we don’t mind that, but it’s not really our thing. What we get excited about is cool technology and making websites that actually work for you. That probably sounds less glamorous than a catered lunch meeting, but it’s honest.

So Why Aren’t We Cheap?

Affordable and cheap are different things.

Our work holds up. It’s built well. We use tools that aren’t proprietary locked-down services you get trapped in. We use standard products with excellent longevity because we know you want something great now and something great years from now.

Something you can keep updating. Something that can grow with you. Something you can edit and maintain yourself.

And here’s the part that matters: at the end of our relationship, you keep everything. No strings attached. If you want to work with someone else or need to bring it in-house, we make sure that process is easy. You maintain everything you’ve built over the years. It belongs to you.

One More Thing

We also focus on supporting nonprofits with free websites because it makes Louisville a better place to live. That’s not a business strategy, really. It just feels like the right thing to do. that is where we prefer to invest. It might not make us look fancy, but we are ok with that.

So no, we don’t have the fancy office. But we will set you up quickly, answer your questions honestly, and give you an excellent product for a great price.

Turns out you can have something that’s quick, affordable, and well-made. It just comes without the unnecessarily fancy overhead.

Why pay for your developer’s chandelier when you don’t have to?

Hiring a Writer vs Hiring a Voice Clone

Author: Sean H. Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

We talk to a lot of small business owners. One of the most common things we hear is this: “I know I need to be putting out more content. I just do not have the time to write it.”

This is a real problem. Written content (emails, social media posts, blog articles) are often the biggest bottleneck for small businesses. The owner knows their business better than anyone. They know what makes it special. They know how to talk to their customers. But they are also running the business, which does not leave much time for writing.

The Usual Solutions are not always solutions.

Most business owners try one of two paths.
The first is AI. Tools like ChatGPT can generate first drafts quickly, and that is genuinely helpful. But the output tends to sound like ChatGPT. It is polished in a generic way. It does not sound like you.

The second is hiring a writer. This can work, but it is tricky. Professional American writers are expensive, and many small businesses cannot afford them. Writers on platforms like Upwork can fit the budget, but the results are often disappointing. You send them a ChatGPT draft and some direction. You get back something that is not much better than what you started with.

The writer is polishing AI-generated content rather than actually writing in your voice.

The core problem is that most writers do not know how you think, how you talk, or what makes your perspective different from everyone else in your industry. And teaching them is hard, especially when you are already short on time.


There is another option that has worked well for us, and for the clients we have recommended it to. It is called a voice clone writer.

Here is how it works. You spend about an hour on the phone with the writer. They interview you. They ask about your business, your customers, your goals, your opinions. They are not just gathering information. They are listening to how you say things. The rhythm of your sentences. The words you reach for. The way you explain complicated ideas.
Then you provide a few examples of your existing work. Emails you are proud of. Social posts that performed well. Anything that sounds like you at your best.

The writer takes all of this and creates a style template based on you. Not a generic brand voice guide, but an actual model of how you communicate. And then they use that template to write content that sounds like you wrote it yourself, on a day when you had plenty of time and a clear head.


It is a little wild, honestly. The first time you read something back and think “that sounds exactly like me,” it catches you off guard.


What does a voice clone cost?


We charge around $55 an hour for this kind of work. That is not nothing, but it is also not the $150 to $300 an hour that top-tier American copywriters charge. And the return on investment is significant, because you are not just getting content. You are getting content that actually represents you.


The interview takes about an hour. After that, you have a style template that can be used again and again. The ongoing writing becomes much faster because the writer already knows your voice.

Your voice is one of the few things that cannot be commoditized. Anyone can use the same website template. Anyone can run the same kind of ads. But nobody else sounds like you, thinks like you, or has your specific perspective on your industry.


The problem is that capturing voice is hard.

It requires someone who knows how to listen, how to ask the right questions, and how to translate what they hear into written words. That is a real skill, and it is worth paying for.


If written content is your bottleneck (and for most small businesses, it is) this might be worth exploring.

Design Web Louisville is an employee-owned web development company. We build websites, and we believe your voice is worth preserving.

How SMBs Can Stay Competitive Online in the Age of AI Overviews

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

AI Overviews (AIO) now appear on top of many search engine results pages (SERPs). They summarize answers before a click and nudge users to decide faster. Small businesses that want traffic and leads must adapt content, structure, and measurement so visibility turns into action. The playbook has shifted but not disappeared.

What AI Overviews Change About User Behavior

Independent user experience (UX) research shows people skim AIO panels hard and click sparingly. In testing across 70 searchers, only 19% on mobile clicked an AIO citation, and just 7.4% did so on desktop. The median scroll depth inside the panel hit 30%, which means most users never read past the top third. When they leave, about a third go to Reddit, YouTube or forums to validate what they saw.

That pattern creates two imperatives for small businesses — earn visibility high in the AIO panel and win the follow‑up click wherever users validate, especially on community and video platforms. The SERP still matters, but so does being the credible brand that shows up in the places people check next.

Where Small Businesses Still Win in Search

The tactics that work share a simple idea — match intent fast, show proof and invite action. Before listing them, it helps to frame the goal. AIOs compress attention, so the first screen of content and the way a page describes itself to machines carries weight. Each tactic below pushes visibility up the screen and gives people a next step.

Ship “Answer Pages” With Structured Data

When a page answers a specific question, mark it up so machines understand the page type. For e-commerce, use Product and Product Variant structured data to clarify sizes, colors, or other variants. For service businesses, add LocalBusiness markup to reinforce hours, locations and services. These formats help Google qualify rich results and keep key details visible.

Front-Load Originality

AIOs summarize what already exists. Small businesses can beat sameness with proprietary elements — price tables, local checklists, before‑and‑after galleries, mini case studies, short expert quotes and troubleshooting flowcharts. Place the distinctive element in the first 200-300 words so skimmers see it.

Answer + Proof + Next Action

Structure key sections with a tight answer, one piece of proof, then a call to action. For example, for a roofing contractor, “Average shingle roof lasts 20-25 years in Bakersfield. Our 2024 installs average 21.8. Get a same‑day estimate.” That format works in snippets, AIO citations and landing pages.

Publish Content that Earns Non‑SERP Clicks

Users often validate on social video and forums. Pew Research data shows YouTube remains the most widely used platform among U.S. adults, with TikTok growing. Short explainers, tool demos and honest teardown videos meet users where they check for proof.

Make FAQs Scannable and Eligible

Add a compact frequently asked questions (FAQ) block answering search‑phrased queries. Keep answers short, unique and helpful. Pair it with the correct FAQ structured data and monitor eligibility in the Search Console.

Content that Still Earns Clicks in a Zero‑Click World

Attention behaves like a spotlight, and pages that win clicks create value the summary can’t replace. The following approaches work across industries:

  • Localized “how much” and “how long” explainers: People want time and cost. A dentist can compare whitening options with clear price ranges, treatment time and sensitivity notes. A home services company can publish permit timelines by city with a printable checklist.
  • Visual evidence beats generic claims: Use photo carousels with captions, quick reels, annotated screenshots and short table summaries. Users skim and stop when proof shows up.
  • Tools and calculators: Build a simple estimator, a self‑audit checklist or a “fit finder.” These artifacts can generate bookmarks, shares and branded search later.
  • Opinionated takes from real practitioners: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness gets clearer when a named expert explains what they would choose and why. Attribute content to the practitioner and add a short bio.

Content marketing rewards expertise, creativity and consistency more than oversized ad budgets, which makes it one of the friendlier ways to attract, engage and convert a target audience. Positive return on investment (ROI) means the business earns more than it spends, and negative ROI means the opposite.

Use AI Smartly — Not Everywhere

Teams raced to implement artificial intelligence (AI) last year. Then reality kicked in. One 2025 study found that while 63% of respondents ran five or more AI use cases in 2024, 64% now run fewer than five. Leaders narrowed bets to proven, profitable workflows. For small businesses, that often means a short list, like ad copy ideation, first‑draft outlines, customer support summaries and lead triage.

Google points small businesses to similar high‑leverage tasks inside Workspace — drafting emails and posts, summarizing customer communications, organizing Sheets and building quick visuals in Slides. Tools help, but humans decide tone, accuracy and action.

Measure What Matters When Clicks Drop

Reporting needs a refresh when AIOs absorb intent. Before the list, set one expectation — impressions and branded search volume will matter more as directional signals, and conversion rates from qualified pages will tell the real story:

  • Track impressions and position by query in search console: Watch impressions rise even when clicks flatten. Pair position and impression trends to spot where AIOs appear more often and where you still win traditional clicks.
  • Monitor Google Business Profile (GBP) actions: Calls, messages, website clicks and direction requests show local demand independent of website visits. GBP’s Performance view reports these actions for Search and Maps.
  • Instrument scroll depth and time to first interaction: Skimming dominates AIO behavior, so pages must load fast and present value above the fold. Track scroll and first interaction events to validate that.
  • Tag every surface: Use UTM parameters on GBP links, social bios and email footers so non‑SERP discovery gets proper credit in analytics.

Practical SEO Moves for AIO visibility

Many teams ask what to do first. The best starting moves create both machine and human clarity:

  • Tighten the “entity layer:” Add organization-structured data to the homepage, make your name, address and phone consistent, link to active social profiles and key directory listings, and ensure author bios exist on expert pages. This disambiguates the brand in knowledge graphs.
  • Upgrade product and service markup: E-commerce stores should implement Product Variant markup so Google can display variant details in search. Service entities should use LocalBusiness markup on location pages with precise hours, operating areas and booking actions.
  • Build a “proof bar” above the fold: Add trust signals early — star rating source, number of projects, certifications, a short testimonial with a name and a photo badge. Skimmers decide fast.
  • Consolidate thin pages into topic hubs: A single strong hub with jump links usually beats five thin posts. It also gives AIOs a clean citation target.

Quick Plays That Work With AI Overviews Now

These ideas require modest effort and deliver an outsized impact. The approach is simple — ship once, compound over time, like the following:

  • An FAQ hub that answers search‑phrased questions for each flagship product or service, with FAQ structured data and one clear next step on every answer
  • A comparison page — your service vs DIY, your brand vs common alternatives, or solution A vs solution B with pros, cons and use cases
  • Short video proof on YouTube and Shorts for each core page — 60-90 seconds that show how something works or what to expect, then link back to the page to meet users where they are
  • A price or estimator page with plain ranges, inclusions, and exclusions linked on every sales email and profile
  • A “best of” local resource that curates vendors or steps people need before they hire you

Small businesses that trim AI experiments to a few proven use cases, invest in original content and use visibility tools will keep winning. Teams should treat AIOs as a new display shelf, not a dead end. The shelf rewards clarity, fast proof, and strong brands across web, video and community.

Win AI Overviews with Unmistakable Usefulness

Small businesses don’t need louder messages — they need sharper ones. AIOs compressed the buyer’s glance into seconds, so the team that answers with authority, shows proof and offers the next step first will keep earning attention. Build pages that help people finish a task, and the clicks that still happen will be the ones that count.

Revitalize Your Marketing By Incorporating These 10 Often-Overlooked Holidays

Author: Eleanor Hecks Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Uniquely marketable occasions that can transform your brand outreach into memorable moments. Kick the boring calendars to the curb and inject unexpected joy into your marketing campaigns with these 10 holiday gems. Often-overlooked holidays are ripe with potential to spark conversation, capture attention and build exciting, genuine connections without wading into crowded promotion seasons.

1. Opposite Day (January 25)

This playful holiday is where everything you say or do is the reverse. It’s a great marketing tactic for kids, families and anyone with a sense of humor — mostly younger parents and Gen Z who thrive on playful trends. You can launch an “opposite sale” where prices jokingly rise and watch engagement soar as people rush to “opt out” before the discounts appear.

2. Spouse’s Day (January 26)

This day lets you honor and appreciate your life partner — married or domestic — through gifts or quality time. While Valentine’s Day campaigns are fiercely competitive, this day lets you target couples who seek low-key celebrations.

Offer “surprise date night” bundles or co-branded gift sets. This appeals to couples of all ages, especially the busy folks who love meaningful gestures minus the February 14 hype.

3. Star Wars Day (May 4)

“May the Fourth Be With You” leads this fan-driven holiday that honors the Star Wars saga. It’s perfect for pop-culture fans, sci-fi enthusiasts and families.

Just about any business — from bookstores to restaurants — can ride this wave and enjoy spirited engagement. You can host a “force” themed contest, offer discounts for those dressed up like their favorite characters or have “Yoda-approved” product deals, targeting geek-culture enthusiasts from Gen X to Gen Z.

4. Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17)

This celebration promotes pay-it-forward gestures and spontaneous actions. It’s perfect for everyone, but especially nonprofits and community-oriented groups.

Get your brand out there by encouraging customers to nominate someone deserving of a free service or gift, then highlight these moments in your social media or newsletter. This strategy engages socially aware demographics and boosts your enterprise’s empathy quotient.

5. National Siblings Day (April 10)

This is a day to celebrate bonds between siblings, and is great for all types and sizes of families, including found families and blended households. Offer “siblings save together” promotions or two-for-one deals that appeal to all ages. Drive emotional connections by inviting your customers or followers to share their photos and stories online.

6. Ada Lovelace Day (Second Tuesday in October)

This day celebrates women’s achievements in STEM by honoring the 19th-century mathematician credited as the first computer programmer. It connects deeply with educators, STEM enthusiasts, diversity advocates and anybody passionate about lifting women’s contributions across generations.

Marketers can share “Women Who Code” stories, host workshops and partner with nonprofits to position their brand as champions of inclusion. Women-owned businesses are also more likely to be small, and less than 1% of such entities make over $1 million in sales. Partnering with them could make these marketing efforts feel more genuine to the public.

7. World Emoji Day (Jul 17)

As its name suggests, this day celebrates emojis and how they make digital communications more appealing. Marketing promotions on World Emoji Day will attract the mobile-first audience and social media natives, and there are many. Emojis transcend language and age barriers, making them a perfect tool for reaching a wide market.

8. International Coffee Day (October 1)

This day highlights the growing coffee culture and supports fair-trade growers. You can offer “brew and save” deals or promote stories about sustainable sourcing. This campaign resonates with busy professionals and students for whom coffee is a ritual, as well as Gen Z and Millennial consumers who prioritize ethical consumption.

9. Forget Me Not Day (November 10)

Forget Me Not Day is a call to reconnect with friends and family. To benefit from this occasion, you can offer referral discounts for customers who bring an old friend or special prizes to those who tag someone they haven’t seen in a long time on social media. It may also be an excellent opportunity to encourage people to give back, as this day recognizes disabled veterans in the U.S.

10. GivingTuesday (Tuesday After Thanksgiving)

Also often called the National Day of Giving Back, this day encourages community service and charity, making it suited for nonprofits, philanthropists and socially conscious consumers. GivingTuesday taps into the surge of holiday spending and generosity by aligning with cause-based marketing strategies. This is why it appeals to all age groups.

Ready for Your Next Quirky Holiday Campaign?

Your marketing calendar shouldn’t be limited to the usual suspects. By weaving in these lesser-known celebrations, you stand out in crowded newsfeeds and spark genuine conversations that build your brand.

Using ChatGPT as Part of Your Website Research Process

Author: Sean H. Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Integrating ChatGPT and Human Nuance Skills in Your Website Research Process

In the fast-evolving world of website design, integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into the research process can be a game-changer for designers and marketers alike. This article explores the myriad ways in which AI can bolster website design projects and emphasizes the irreplaceable value of human oversight in this technology-driven arena.

AI in Website Research: A New Frontier

1. Comprehensive Information Gathering: ChatGPT, with its extensive database, offers a wealth of information. Designers can use it to stay abreast of the latest web design trends, color schemes, and technological advancements. This ensures that the website is not only aesthetically pleasing but also technologically up-to-date.

2. Swift Competitor Analysis: AI can quickly analyze competitors’ websites, providing insights into their design choices, functionality, and user experience. This information is crucial for positioning your website uniquely in the market.

3. Enhanced User Experience Design: ChatGPT can suggest user interface improvements by analyzing user feedback from similar sites. This helps in creating a more user-centric design, a critical aspect of website success.

4. SEO Optimization: ChatGPT can aid in researching keywords and SEO strategies, crucial for enhancing the site’s visibility and ranking on search engines.

The Indispensable Human Touch

While AI brings efficiency and a wealth of data to the table, the role of skilled human professionals remains paramount.

1. Accuracy and Source Verification: AI may provide vast information, but humans must vet this for accuracy. Designers need to check sources and citations to ensure the reliability of the information used in their projects.

2. Plagiarism Check: Human oversight is essential to ensure originality in content. Professionals skilled in website design can use their judgment to test for plagiarism, something AI might overlook.

3. Natural Language and Cultural Nuance: AI-generated content often lacks the natural flow and cultural nuances essential for engaging website content. Human editors are crucial in refining this content to resonate with the target audience.

4. Customization for Local Markets: In cities like Louisville, with close-knit communities, marketing requires a human touch. A designer with knowledge of the social environment can create a website that feels connected to the people and their experiences. This personal touch in marketing speaks directly to the heart of the community, something AI alone cannot achieve.

Conclusion: A Synergistic Approach

In conclusion, the integration of ChatGPT in the website research process offers significant advantages in terms of data access, trend analysis, and SEO optimization. However, the importance of human expertise cannot be overstated. Skilled professionals bring accuracy, creativity, and a much-needed human touch to the process, particularly in markets where understanding the local culture and community is key. Thus, a synergistic approach that leverages the strengths of both AI and human expertise emerges as the ideal strategy in website design and marketing.

Google’s Helpfulness Core Update: Write for People, Not for Robots

Author: Reddit Website Facebook LinkedIn

Google’s latest update, known as the Helpfulness update, is reshaping the landscape of SEO and content creation. Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, has shed light on what constitutes ‘unhelpful content’ in the eyes of the world’s largest search engine. As an advocate for user-centric content, Sullivan underscores that the primary red flag for Google is content created with the intent to rank well in search results rather than to genuinely serve end users. While creating content that search engines can find is important, what is more important is remembering your true audience: people.

Stop writing content for search engines

Sullivan’s guidance is unambiguous: content written for search engines rather than human audiences is considered unhelpful. For instance, creating a list of “20 SEO Tricks to rank on Google” that are just common knowledge with the main goal of ranking for “SEO Tricks” instead of providing real value to readers exemplifies content that Google would label as unhelpful. This pivots the focus from search engine optimization to the actual value and relevance for the audience. This will likely have a serious negative impact on sites and pages that employ sketchy methods for keeping people scrolling, for example, recipe websites that bury the actual recipe under a deep bed of search engine bait text. This move is nothing new. We have seen similar updates to search ranking that target and derank unhelpful page designs to falsely increase SEO and SERPs while annoying visitors. The infamous slideshow article trick may immediately come to mind for SEO specialists who suffered through the age of the click-through wars. In the end, the message is simple: write for people, not for robots, because the goal is to create content that helps real people, and keeps the ‘robot’ of AI and SEO tools as a passive intermediary instead of the main target.

Highlights on the Google Helpfulness Core Update:

  • Danny Sullivan’s Warning: Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, highlights the issue with content created mainly for search engine rankings rather than for human readers.
  • Criteria for Unhelpful Content: Writing content like top 10 lists mainly to rank for keywords is considered unhelpful by Google.
  • Content Creation Tools Caution: Using tools to find content topics might lead to content that Google deems unhelpful if the focus is on scoring rather than genuine content creation.
  • Guidance on Useful Content: Sullivan emphasizes creating people-first content that answers questions and provides value as opposed to search engine-first content.
  • Signals for Helpful Content: Google uses web signals to determine content helpfulness, favoring content that addresses user queries effectively.
  • Content and Quality Questions: Google suggests self-assessment questions regarding originality, comprehensiveness, insight, value, and credibility of content.
  • Expertise Matters: Questions surrounding the expertise involved in content creation are crucial for establishing trustworthiness.
  • Page Experience Significance: A good page experience across various aspects is important for high rankings in Google’s systems.
  • People-First Content Approach: Content should be created primarily for people, with a focus on expertise and satisfaction from the reader’s perspective.
  • Avoid Search Engine-First Tactics: Google discourages creating content solely to gain search engine rankings, warning against practices like keyword stuffing or chasing trending topics without genuine expertise.
  • SEO and Content Creation: While SEO is essential, it should complement people-first content rather than dominate the creation process.
  • Understanding E-E-A-T: Google uses E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as a framework to identify high-quality content.
  • Quality Rater Guidelines: Google’s quality rater guidelines help creators understand how their content may be perceived by Google’s algorithms.
  • Content Evaluation Tips: Creators are encouraged to ask “Who, How, and Why” about their content to align with what Google’s systems reward.
  • Disclosures on Automation and AI: Transparency about the use of AI or automation in content creation can aid in establishing trust with readers.

Sullivan points out that relying excessively on tools to determine content topics can inadvertently lead to the production of unhelpful content. He suggests that content creators should prioritize the “who, how, and why” of content production over merely aiming for a high ‘score’ that would supposedly please search engines.

Answers a user’s question effectively

Responding to a query from Simone de Vlaming about how Google discerns the intent behind content, Sullivan explains that Google’s algorithms look for signals that align with what people generally consider helpful. Content that answers a user’s question effectively is likely to be seen as ‘people-first’ and, therefore, helpful.

crackdown on high-domain-authority news site exploits

The Helpfulness update has implications for SEO strategies. ‘Parasite SEO,’ which exploits high-domain-authority news sites for quick rankings, might take a hit if it dilutes the site’s primary focus. The use of AI in content creation could also be under scrutiny, especially if it leads to content that lacks firsthand expertise or appears automated without clear disclosure. For example, this article employed Ai to design the post image! (Which we are disclosing to you here, but also in our metadata.) ‘Tool-Optimized Content,’ like that created using SEO tools for research, (think SEMrush or AHREFS) will most likely not be at significant risk, since the bulk of research and content development is still person first, and provided it also caters to user needs and offers genuine value.

Focus on Topical Authority

Strategies likely to benefit from the update include building ‘Topical Authority,’ which entails creating focused content around a specific niche. Google favors sites with a clear primary purpose, and a concentration on topical authority aligns with that preference. For example, we allow guest posts but only from a select few and under a limited number of topics that we know our Louisville-local audience of website owners have an interest in. Additionally, content optimized for user metrics, such as minimizing the need for users to search elsewhere for better information, may gain traction. This speaks directly to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) page and site structure goals. Make it easy for people to find what they want on your site and you will do well with the new helpfulness update.

Navigate the Helpfulness update successful

To navigate the Helpfulness update successfully, Google advises content creators to ask themselves key questions about the originality, comprehensiveness, and trustworthiness of their content. These questions address factors like spelling and stylistic issues, mass production, expertise, and the overall page experience. In plain terms, do you enjoy reading your own content? If not, you may want to rethink your content strategy.

People-First Content is essential

The main emphasis, if you have not already noticed, is on ‘People-First Content.’ Google encourages content creators to craft material that serves their intended audience with depth and expertise. Conversely, ‘Search Engine-First Content’ should be avoided, as it is made primarily for ranking purposes and could lead to penalties. The good news is this is a “if you know you know” situation. If you are not sure what that means there is a good chance you are already doing the right thing because your content is guided by human interaction and your very real experiences that you want to share. If however you are using so many SEO tools to create content that becoming a cyborg is starting to appeal to you, I would strongly suggest taking a step back and taking a “Touch Grass” approach to your content strategy. Slip on your real-world experience and write from the heart. You don’t have to produce The Lord of the Rings or the Magna Carta for each new post, but try to come at it from a perspective that what you write needs to be engaging and influential in a real and authentic way.

A call to action for content with integrity, authenticity, and audience Focus

Google’s Helpfulness update is a call to action for creators to produce content with integrity, authenticity, and a focus on the audience. By aligning with Google’s guidance, content creators can ensure they are contributing positively to the vast pool of online information and standing out in the digital arena.

Helpful Links and resources on Raising the Bar for Content Quality:

Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content

Google Search Status Dashboard
https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/history

Interested in seeing what SEOs are saying about the Helpfulness update on Reddit? Check out this thread started by Matt Diggety:

Thoughts on the Google "Helpful Content" Update
byu/matt_diggity inSEO

Finding the Best Local Copywriter in Louisville

Author: Miguel Walker

Guest blogger Miguel Walker, a local performer, copywriter, content creator, and bonafide solopreneur with Miguel Walker Copy, guides us through the ‘Big Idea’ behind his take on copywriting in Louisville, Kentucky.

So what’s the big idea? As you probably already know, copywriting is about inspiring, invoking, and persuading a target group, be it a general audience or niche market to act, to do something that the writer wants them to do. But, great copywriting helps the audience see themselves as a part of the big picture and makes them feel good about joining in and donating to “that” cause, buying “that” product, subscribing to a service, or following on social media.

The Big Idea is to collaborate with companies and entrepreneurs to consistently generate great copy so that each creative sent out has a target group that is excited and proud to be a part of the mission. And this initiative can be achieved with none other than yours truly.

– MIGUEL WALKER

Movement in the Market

Copy, much like art which is a reflection of past and present events, is beginning to see a paradigm shift.

SEO is the wave of the future, brand voices have to have a solid digital footprint but remain friendly and fun. The market has more independent contractors than employees and much of the work is beginning to be implemented by AI.

So, how does an average Joe stack up? Easy, they DON’T!

NO ONE WANTS AVERAGE! Remember the stats on the average reader? They only skim for about 37 seconds, if that.

The copy has to be good, if not great, every time AND the audience has to be told what to do and why. And AI might be convenient, but the technology simply isn’t that detail-oriented. You’re still going to need a red-blooded person who knows how to tackle all the above…

Product:

I’m at Your Service

Based on current market research, you’ll need a product solution that can cut through the noise and identify what the key issues are with your ROI from your most recent creative and collateral initiatives. Or if things are in the black, capitalize on the innovate it, good copy, and make it GREAT by innovating and maximizing it for future campaigns.

And in this case, the solution is an ally, and that ally is me.

I specialize in generating brand voice awareness, and bringing new life to digital marketing campaigns through fun, fresh, and even academic vision so that your bottom line is always a foundational bridge of growth.

Window of Opportunity

DID YOU KNOW?

20+ years of eye-tracking research confirms that most internet users only skip around a webpage for relevant info. (Nielsen Norman Group) 

73% of people admit to skimming rather than reading a blog post. (HubSpot)  

Personalized calls to action (CTAs) increase conversion chances by 202%. (HubSpot) 

Adding the word “because” with a reason to your CTAs can increase compliance by 34%. (Langer, 1978) 

Problems with Copywriting Market

Not enough creative and engaging writing that is conversational yet professional.

Technical writing often comes off as tone-deaf and doesn’t retain the interest of target audiences. Whether it’s a sales letter or a banner ad, once it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind

Not enough copy clearly and confidently moves the target group to take action if at all. No CTA, means no green light. This also means that the audience can lose trust in the company if the message is wishy-washy and the brand voice loses its credibility.

Solutions: Enter the Copywriting HERO

So… how do you make sure that your brand voice stays strong, crystal clear and that your message is received every time?

Simple, you need a copywriter who is as passionate about crafting the right message that matches your needs as much as you are as passionate about your business. In other words, you need a prose-crafting ninja who knows a thing or two about how to engage an audience. Enter, the kungfu-kicking copywriter, aka Miguel Walker Copy.

Working Together

Working with me is easy. I always work remotely in a very comfortable, and quiet work environment with a deliciously fast and stable internet connection.

When collaborating on projects, we simply agree on what days and times you need me to be available. This will include my blocked open office hours of when I can be reached during the day and when I am not currently in the office.

And most important, clear deadlines.

And even though I’m not in the office, if you need to reach out, I’m always amenable to being reached by your preferred method. Skype, Zoom, or similar format, phone, email, you name it, and I’ll make it work even in different time zones.

The Pitch: This is YOUR Big Moment

So there you have it folks, who I am, what I offer, the major issues with copy, and what great copy should really be doing. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the game, NOW is your big moment!

The year 2023 has arrived, and I am accepting new clients. Take a look at my average competitor’s prices versus my delicious price comparisons in the next slide, and get in touch ASAP because if you want to be great, you need copywriting with a kick!

For questions or a consultation, please call 1+502.609.9915 or email

miguelwalkercopy@gmail.com today!

Check out Miguel’s complete pitch deck on Visme, at

https://my.visme.co/view/pv88zmre-miguel-walker-copy-presentation

5 New Types of Content for 2022

Author: Max Mitchell

The success of your business depends on a properly structured marketing strategy. To make your marketing and content plan effective, following recent trends and bringing them into your digital marketing activities is a must. Your task is not only to attract many new customers but retain regular customers, keeping them involved in your content. Thus, we recommend implementing new types of content to your blog. 

Are you willing to know what these types of content are? We have prepared a compilation of top trends of content creation in 2022 that will boost the conversion of your website.

AI, VR\AR Innovations

Traditional ways of creating content and interacting with customers are supposed to be non-efficient and kind of outdated. Therefore, businesses of different specializations are willing to adopt innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence. AI technology is capable of deeply analyzing the business data from internal and external sources in order to learn their customers better and provide them with the content and services they expect. AI-based content can be generated within several minutes, providing scalable analytical research and high-quality content. AI-generated content doesn’t exclude the mistakes within the text, so it is vital to check it properly before posting.

Other innovations that will be adopted by many companies in the near future are augmented and virtual reality for the purpose of increasing the content traffic and conversion, and improving the overall performance of corporate websites. These technologies help create interactive and engaging content, completely new for their regular and new customers.

Guestographics

Guestographics is considered to be one of the most effective digital marketing methods of promoting your content and increasing the credibility of your brand. This trend has appeared in 2018, but it only starts gaining momentum and being used by numerous marketers in different spheres. Have you ever heard of this tool? Basically, guestographics combine three different marketing tools – guest posting, link building, and infographics creating. The text is converted into infographics, making the text a visual type of content. The flow is simple – you look for credible websites that are interested in posting your content with links to your corporate website. You provide them with unique and engaging visual content using free plagiarism software to attract more potential customers to your company.

Guestographics can contain a bigger amount of text than we used to see on the images within articles. What is more, the number of infographics can prevail to make the content visually appealing and more convenient to read. Modern readers don’t like spending time reading the whole article, as they are willing to find out the answers to their questions. So guestographics are easier to perceive and show the main point of the content.

Video Testimonials

The block with testimonials is a must-have for businesses of all directions, with no exception. Testimonials from your previous clients show the quality of your services and make your brand trusted and reliable on the market. Sometimes the testimonials blocks look really unsightly and don’t provide any value to your potential clients. Video testimonials are a new trend used in marketing strategies. Recorded reviews for your customers give them the ability to describe your cooperation in detail, prove the existence of clients, and provide the opportunity to contact them to find out more information about the partnership with your brand. 

Another great benefit of video testimonials is the ability to share them on different social media accounts, making them notable and attracting more users to your profiles. If you own a young brand and only start building relationships with your future customers, video testimonials are obliged for your marketing strategy. Even if the amount of the client base is not really extensive, you have to start somewhere to prove the reliability and credibility of your company.

Behind the Scenes Content

Despite the industry of your business, we know that the competition is rather high. It is pivotal to find your key differentiators and uniqueness to stand out from your competitors and attract your target audience. Some brands think that they have to show the ideal picture of their services or products, avoiding any content about failures and issues they face on a daily basis.  

Behind the scenes is a new marketing flow that enables companies to tell their customers about everything related to their daily processes. A lot of people will be curious to find out more about manufacturing, main specialists and their responsibilities, concerns you struggle with, and solutions to the troubles you commonly choose as a director. When people buy an expensive dress, for instance, they are curious to know why the price is so high. By showing them the prices of fabrics, average salaries for staff, and all processes related to dress creation, your customer will have a clearer picture and prove the high price they see on labels. By the way, such tiny details as labels also require investment, which can make the price even higher, and your customers need to understand this as well.

Podcast Recordings

Marketing is changing and evolving, providing customers with various types of content. It is a great way to offer your readers different options on reading your content, considering the way they perceive the information better. The podcast is another modern method to attract your regular and potential customers to your brand. This format is ideal for busy people who don’t have much free time reading the articles and can listen to your content on the go or when they are occupied with other tasks at the same time. 

Podcasts can be related to the topics on your blog, but you cannot just convert your articles into audio format. It has to be something fresh and unique, followed by a particular script. You can invite the outstanding specialists in your industry, the professionals from your team to discuss the internal processes more to show trust to your target audience. A small tip from the writing service Rated By Students is to properly choose the speakers for your podcasts to provide listeners with valuable content, not just useless conversation. 

Bottom Line

Following the latest marketing trends is pivotal for your marketing strategy in order to keep up with the competitors and stay in-game. Although, all these digital content innovations aim not only to promote your brand, but also to increase content traffic and conversion. Your content must provide valuable insights and solutions to the troubles of your regular and new customers.

 The decision of what article they will read next depends on their needs and concerns they want to overcome. Your task is to make your content easy to perceive, modern and interactive to make the reading a pleasant process for your audience. 

What new types of content did you like most of all?

Author’s Bio:


Max Mitchell is the latest alumnus of our content marketing department. He is very passionate about typing, creating complicated spreadsheets, and consuming an inhuman amount of caffeine. Nevertheless, he is also the creative type of individual who will always find a new perspective on topics of interest.