Information to help you succeed.

Remember when getting found online meant using plenty of keywords like “best pizza Minneapolis near me?” Those days are long gone. AI has stepped into the local search game, and it’s changing everything, but here’s the good news: it might actually make things better for your business. 

What’s All This AI Search Buzz About?

Picture this: instead of typing “Thai food” and scrolling through endless results, your customers can now ask Google something like “Where can I get really good pad thai that’s not too spicy for my kids?” And guess what? AI actually understands what they’re really looking for. 

We’re talking about tools like Google’s AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot that act more like helpful assistants than old-school search engines. They’re getting very good at reading between the lines of what people actually want, not just what they type into a search engine. And other factors, such as recent updates and a solid, error-free website, also help you reach the top of the search engine ranks with AI-enabled search. 

What’s Changed with AI Search

Here’s something that might make you nervous: people are clicking less. AI is getting so good at summarizing information that customers might never visit your website at all. But before you panic, think of it this way—AI is talking about your business in those summary answers, you’re basically getting a personal recommendation from Google itself. 

Your Online Reputation is Everything (And It’s Everywhere)

AI isn’t just looking at your website anymore; it’s checking out your Instagram posts, reading your Yelp reviews, and seeing what people are saying about you on Facebook. Your entire online presence has become your storefront. That’s why it’s important to look beyond your website at improving a business’s reputation, and why having a strong social media presence, good reviews on Google or Yelp, and even forum discussions is important for local businesses seeking to dominate organic search in the age of AI. 

Your Action Plan: Making AI Work for You

Don’t worry. You don’t need a computer science or marketing degree to win at this. And, you have a powerful ally in your corner: the team at Dashboard Interactive. 

Here’s what actually matters to today’s AI-powered search engines.

Become Your Customers’ Go-To Resource

Think about the questions people ask you every day in your store or over the phone. Now put those answers on your website! AI loves businesses that actually help people. Write about customers looking for the perfect lawnmower blade or the unusual part for an older model car. Write about how you helped a customer measure windows for Venetian blinds, or found the perfect tablecloth to match their grandmother’s antique dishes. It’s all part of crafting a unique online presence aligned with your business that tells AI “this company understands its customers.”

Make It Easy for AI to Understand You

This sounds technical, but it’s really not. Use clear headings on your website, write descriptive page titles, and don’t be cryptic. Instead of “Our Services,” try “Complete Auto Repair Services in Downtown Springfield.” AI rewards clarity over creativity here.

Build Your Local Street Cred

Remember how word-of-mouth used to be everything? It still is. It’s just happening online now. Encourage happy customers to leave reviews, team up with other local businesses, and get involved in community events. AI notices when other people vouch for you.

Keep Your Story Straight Everywhere

Make sure your business hours, phone number, and address are identical on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and everywhere else you exist online. Inconsistent information confuses AI (and your customers), and nobody wins when that happens.

Keep an Eye on How You’re Showing Up

Just like you might drive by to see how your storefront looks, you should check how you appear in AI search results. Try searching for your business and see what comes up. Ask friends in other neighborhoods to do the same—you might be surprised by what you find.

Why AI Search Means Opportunities

Change can feel overwhelming, especially when it involves technology. AI search is actually making the playing field more fair, not less. 

Your customers aren’t just looking for the cheapest or biggest option anymore. They want businesses that understand them, help them, and feel authentic. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what small businesses have always been great at. 

The beauty of AI is that it’s getting better at recognizing quality over quantity, genuine helpfulness over marketing fluff, and real community connection over corporate speak. 

The Bottom Line

Your customers are having more natural, conversational searches, and they expect smarter, more helpful answers. The businesses that will thrive are the ones that embrace this shift and use it to showcase what they’ve always done best—taking care of their community.

You’ve built your business on personal relationships and knowing your customers inside and out. AI search doesn’t change that—it just gives you new ways to let those strengths shine online. And honestly? That’s pretty exciting.

So take a deep breath, update that Google Business Profile, and start thinking about how you can be even more helpful to the people in your community. The AI revolution isn’t coming—it’s here, and it’s ready to help great local businesses like yours get found by exactly the right customers.

The team at Dashboard Interactive Marketing can help you with AI search, search engine optimization, and creating a strong marketing strategy and plan for your local business. Call us at 763-242-2454 for more information.

Whether it’s back-to-school shopping, seasonal surges, or just plain old increased demand, every e-commerce store owner knows when to expect an uptick in business. Just like brick-and-mortar store owners spiff up their front window displays and rotate their stock in preparation for their busy season, so too should e-commerce store owners prep their online stores. Here’s what to focus on to attract both search engine and customer attention to your online storefront. 

Spruce Up Your Current SEO

Search engine optimization best practices remain the same despite changing Google algorithms, AI search, and seasonal patterns. But when was the last time you checked on the basics or asked Dashboard to provide an SEO audit to ensure everything is shipshape?

The time to fix both on-page and technical SEO is now. Don’t wait, as small problems can quickly add up, prevent Google from indexing and ranking your pages, and keep customers from finding you.

Consider checking the following basics:

• Keywords – are you ranking for different keywords now than in the past? Should you update older blog posts, landing pages, or web pages with new content that reflects updated keywords?
• Pictures – are all of your pictures sized properly, and do they load quickly? Large files can slow down a website’s speed and negatively impact search rankings.
• Links – do you have a good internal linking structure on your site that leads customers and search engine crawlers to more pages on your site? Are there any ‘dead ends’ you can fix by adding more links?
• Fix Orphans – “Orphans” are pages that aren’t linked from other pages. They can be invisible to search engines because nothing links directly to them. Add links to the orphan page from a keyword related to the orphan page topic to help it get ranked by search engines.
• Navigation – are your menus organized logically? Are they easy to use on both desktop and mobile devices?

AI for Search Engine Optimization

AI is transforming the search landscape in ways that are still evolving. What we know as of today is that search engines are becoming much more sophisticated at understanding not just what we’re looking for, but the intent behind our questions. Instead of the traditional keyword-based approach, we’re moving toward more natural, conversational website copy that includes multiple, related keyword phrases, rather than a script focused on one particular phrase. 

For seasonal shopping surges, consider these changes and create new web pages and content accordingly. The emphasis is moving from keyword density to providing original, relevant information. Think about your website copy like a conversation with your customers. What do they want to know? That’s a great starting point for writing natural, contextual content. 

Update Your Site For Seasonal Surges

If a specific holiday or season brings the lion’s share of business to your website, it makes sense to spend time customizing pages for that season.

Does it make sense to:

• Add seasonal tags to website headlines, such as “Great Gifts for Mom” or “Fall Favorites?”
• Update product pages with similar text, such as pitching a product as the answer to a seasonal problem, a perfect gift for that special someone, or another holiday use?
• Add internal links to provide search engines with more routes to follow to index and archive your pages?

Update Images to Enhance the Shopping Experience

Another way to get your website ready for seasonal shopping surges is to update the images or pictures on your website. A great way to tell if you need to update product pictures is to look at the questions customers are asking about your products.

• Would better pictures answer some of those questions? For example, a company selling lawn mower tires might include a ruler next to the tire to reinforce the list of sizes available, such as 15″, 18″, etc. 
• How about showing the product in use? Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, especially if you sell parts or components. It may be difficult for customers to tell if they’ve chosen the right valve, filter, or hose unless they actually see a picture of it attached to the unit it works with. Consider adding more pictures that show the product in action to help boost sales. 
• Do customers share pictures with you? Happy customers often share pictures on social media of themselves enjoying new products. Reach out to them and ask for permission to use their pictures on your website. Always take the extra step of asking for permission, rather than assuming permission, and get it in writing. 

Publish Seasonal Sales Weeks in Advance

It can take weeks for search engines to find and rank new product pages. Even submitting pages to Google and Bing’s indexing system manually doesn’t guarantee the search engines index them quickly. Therefore, be sure to have any new pages needed for seasonal or holiday sales published at least 6-8 weeks before the date you anticipate a surge in shopping activity. 

Add New Digital Marketing to the Mix

Want to spice it up even more? Consider adding new digital marketing channels to your online promotions. While not specifically improvements to your website, these ideas can help drive traffic to your site, and in return, provide leads and sales. 

• Build an automated email sequence to showcase holiday promotions and gift items. Leverage your existing customer email list and work with us to ensure it is used properly and effectively. 
• Add holiday-themed social media promotions. We can create short reels and graphics to add a lighthearted touch to seasonal and holiday promotions or other types of social media content suited to your brand. 
• How about a free holiday giveaway, like an e-book or other downloadable goody? Customers love them, and they can be lead magnets, attracting customers to your website and securing their permission to contact them via email. A home goods store might create a special holiday party recipe book; a hardware store might provide a downloadable tool checklist to ensure that a workbench is properly stocked. We can help develop ideas and create an effective lead magnet for your business. 
• Google Shopping enables customers to discover, compare, and purchase products from a wide range of online and local retailers. It serves as a digital storefront that can dramatically increase visibility, drive traffic to your website and immediately generate sales. By listing products on Google Shopping, you can tap into the vast reach of Google’s search ecosystem, appearing in front of shoppers who are actively searching for items they’re ready to buy. 

One of the key advantages of Google Shopping is its ability to showcase products with rich visuals, pricing, reviews, and availability. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date listings is essential. Shoppers rely on this information to make purchasing decisions, and outdated or incorrect data can lead to missed opportunities or lost trust. Retailers who update their Google Shopping listings to reflect seasonal inventory, promotional pricing, and timely availability are far more likely to capture this demand. 

Let Us Be Your Elves

Like Santa’s elves, the team at Dashboard Interactive Marketing can be your helpers behind the scenes, sprucing up your SEO, enacting advanced digital marketing tactics, and helping to generate leads and sales. Please contact us now for help with holiday ecommerce preparations. Call us at 763-242-2454.

LinkedIn, the popular business networking social media site, boasts over 1 billion users worldwide. An estimated 300 million people log in daily. With such exponential reach, business owners would be wise to make the most of the powerful platform. Yet many are making simple mistakes that limit their visibility and appeal to fellow businesspeople. In this article, we’ll share with you five simple tips to improve your LinkedIn profile. Plus, Dashboard’s social media expert, Robyn, will share her special tips to get more from your LinkedIn presence.

Five LinkedIn Tips to Get More Visibility, Connections, and Leads

First, the obvious: If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to set one up. Vist LinkedIn to sign up for the service.

A LinkedIn profile is unique to a person. They are similar to an online resume, with a headline, listing of employment history, education history, and highlights. Users can upload a professional photo of themselves as well as a custom banner to personalize their page messaging.

Businesses set up LinkedIn pages, which offer more features such as About pages, product pages, and help wanted pages that enable them to tailor their communications better to their customers.

This article will focus specifically on personal pages. Why? Personal pages are the easiest and best way to connect and network on LinkedIn. And, they can be optimized for LinkedIn’s search so that customers and connections can find you quickly and easily.

Tip #1: Complete Your Profile

This sounds obvious, but too many people make a half-hearted attempt at completing their LinkedIn profiles. Make sure that every section of your profile is completed, including the headline, the short bio, the about you section, your background, education, and certifications.

Pay special attention to the headline section of your profile. This is what anyone casually browsing your LinkedIn page will see, and it is what will grab their attention. Like the headline of a news article, you want it to stop people in mid-scroll and get them to click on it.

Our very own social media expert, Robyn, provided her tips below:

• Photo: Use a professional-looking photo that accurately represents you, and LinkedIn recommends that about 60% of the image is focused on your headshot.
• Headline: While you technically have 220 characters to work with, it will display best if you keep it concise and under 120 characters. Use keywords relevant to your industry, but avoid buzzwords and jargon. Use action-centered phrasing that highlights what you do and your achievements, for example, “Marketing director helping small businesses increase sales using LinkedIn.”
• About: Don’t leave this blank, we’ll outline more on this below.
• Experience: Link your current and prior job experience to the correct business pages.
• Accomplishments/Skills:
  • Show off your credentials, licenses, certifications, achievements, and awards.
  • Share publications, notable projects, and whitepapers.
  • List at least five of your most relevant skills. These skills should be relevant to those you are looking to build your network with.

Tip #2: Optimize Your Profile for Search

People search LinkedIn for others with whom to connect. They also look for consultants and service providers and may search by industry, service need, or skills. Optimize your LinkedIn profile for such searches. Use keyword phrases in the About section of your profile, including terms related to your skills and industry.

Our tips:

• People looking at your profile will read your About section, use it to tell your story. 
• Tie your skills and accomplishments together with why they’d matter to those in the industries you are looking to network with. 
• Spend time crafting and revising your profile until you are confident with the final product. 
• Have others read it to see if it accurately reflects you. 
• Remember, you have 2,600 characters to work with in this section. 

Tip #3: Post Regularly

You’d be surprised at how many people have a profile and lament the lack of connections and interactions, yet they never publish a post! It’s like going to a party and standing with your back to the crowd and then wondering why they aren’t speaking to you. 

Determine a posting schedule that you can live with, whether that is once a day, once every other day, or so on. Then, decide what to post. A good rule of thumb is that 80% of posts should be about other people—news stories you share, congratulating team members, etc.—and 20% (or less) about yourself. Think about what your customers ask you about. Answers to such questions make great starting posts. 

Avoid posting personal updates and content about sensitive or controversial topics. LinkedIn is for business. You’re guaranteed to alienate someone if you post about sensitive or controversial issues such as politics or religion, unless you’re involved in politics or affiliated with a religious organization. Instead, focus on your industry, your business, and your customers, and what they want and need to know. 

A regular posting schedule is more important than one dazzling post dropped infrequently. Schedule time on your calendar for daily LinkedIn interactions. Daily 15-30 minute sessions are more than sufficient to begin building your credibility on the platform. 

Dashboard recommendations: 

• Use LinkedIn’s scheduling feature to preschedule posts with original content about yourself or your business, freeing up your daily time for interaction and connection. One caveat to scheduling posts—make sure you have notifications turned on so you can quickly reply to any comments that others make on your posts within the first few minutes of their comment when possible. LinkedIn algorithms reward quick interaction with comments. 
• Test various types of posts to see what content gets the best response from your network. Content types include text-only posts, a graphic with text accompanying it, and a video with text accompanying it. All of these can be scheduled. Be mindful that the types of content the LinkedIn algorithm prioritizes serving are adjusted from time to time. 
• Posts can be long and information rich, but have a character limit of 3,000. Make the first few sentences really count. Only the first 200 characters are shown, and a viewer will need to click ‘read more‘ to view the rest of it. 
• Test the times you are posting. Although LinkedIn is a business platform, businesses are made up of people, and people spend time on platforms that work in their situation. Test morning versus evening, and weekdays versus weekends. Think about the times you use LinkedIn. Do you look at it while in line at the grocery store, or when relaxing in the evening? Chances are, your network does too. 
• Be patient as you build your profile with your content. It can take time for you to find the right rhythm and types of content that resonate with your ideal network. 

Tip #4: Interact with Others (But Don’t Spam Them)

Remember the party analogy? It’s vital to interact with people on LinkedIn. That means:

• Sharing their content if it resonates with you and your audience.
• Congratulating them on promotions, work events, or other successes.
• Giving a like or another reaction to their posts.
• Wishing them a happy birthday or congratulating them on a work anniversary.

Whatever you do, don’t spam them. That means do not message people with sales pitches as soon as you connect. That’s like meeting someone at the aforementioned party and offering them an engagement ring before you’ve even asked their name—it’s rushing to a point in the relationship that’s not yet appropriate. Instead, take the time to get to know people first. 

There is an old adage in marketing: people need to know, like, and then trust you before they wish to do business with you. Your goal on LinkedIn is for them to know you and then like you. Knowing who you are means building your profile, and liking you comes from liking what you post. Trust is built from consistency over time. 

Spending time daily reading and interacting with others’ posts is equally as valuable as posting your original content. 

Three types of interactions and their visibility:

Tip #5: Always Personalize Connection Requests

This last tip comes from experience. When building your network and clicking the ‘connection request’ button on LinkedIn, take a few moments to add a personal note. Share why you want to connect. This will help you break through the clutter of connection requests, increasing the likelihood that you will get a ‘yes’ and an acceptance of the request. 

Before sending a connection message: 

• Look at their profile for shared interests, work experience, skills, activities, or events they attended, as well as mutual connections. 
• Review their posts and articles—is there one that particularly resonated with you?
• Be brief—connection request messages are currently limited to 300 characters. 
• Use a professional but authentic tone, as if you were speaking to them in person. 
• Never sell your product or services in a connection request, it could result in being treated as spam. 

Dashboard Interactive Marketing Social Media Services

We hope that you found these LinkedIn tips helpful. Dashboard offers complete social media services, including profile optimization, strategy, advertising, and support. We also create exciting content that will help you stand out on social media and beyond, including videos, blog posts, case studies, and more. Let us know how we can help. Call us at 763-242-2454. 

It’s a new world shaping up in the realm of customer acquisition. The ways in which businesses reach new customers online is changing rapidly, especially in the world of search engine marketing. AI is now ever-present, shaping every search tool. Customers are slowly being trained to find answers in the little box at the top of the search results page. And that’s why we recommend “thinking outside the search box” when it comes to acquiring new customers. As AI begins to dominate search and gradually takes away organic search traffic from our websites, we must find new and innovative ways to reach customers online. 

Paid Search Remains a Strong Lead Generation Channel

Paid search ads, such as Google Ads and other online search ads, continue to be a viable lead generation channel. They do a good job of showing customers your products and services at the time when customers are looking for them by matching search queries and intent with advertisements.

Social media ads also offer a reliable lead generation platform, although social media users often find them disruptive, and the algorithms less reliable than Google or Bing. Much of one’s success using social media advertisements depends on matching your ad details with the platform’s methods of segmenting the audience or reaching the target customer.

YouTube Is a Search Engine

YouTube is another great way to “think outside the search box” and reach customers. You don’t have to produce George Lucas-quality films to garner an audience, either. 

Think of the video giant’s platform as one big search engine. Customers are looking for information, whether it’s where to find the battery in a Buick Le Sabre (under the back seat, of all places!) or how to change the thermistor on a GE washing machine (it’s complicated). Because they have a problem with their car battery or their washing machine, they are searching for answers. And if they are searching for answers, they may also search for a reliable mechanic, an auto parts store, or a place online to purchase a thermistor. And that can lead them right to your website!

Consider how you can share videos with your customers. A day in the life at your auto shop, recipes from your restaurant, or a tour behind the scenes of your manufacturing facility are all great ways to engage with your audience. Once videos are shared on YouTube, they can easily be shared across other social media platforms, embedded in your website, or incorporated in Google Ads Performance Max campaigns, adding another dimension to your new, multichannel customer acquisition approach. 

Email Lists

Your email list is a golden ticket now, like Charlie Bucket’s golden ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory. It gives you admission to your customers’ inboxes, and brings you right to their doorstep via a personal message. Even with all the changes to search engines, if you have permission to email your customers, you have permission to market to them directly. Just be careful you don’t send too many messages, or you may find them opting out and unsubscribing. Informative newsletters are a great way to keep your company top of mind with customers without bombarding them with sales pitches. 

Direct Mail

Who said direct mail is dead? It’s still very much alive—and a great way to reach customers. You can rent mailing lists (they are rented, not purchased), and you can mail to your existing customers. Direct mail offers several advantages, including the ability to market ‘under the radar’ where your competitors cannot track your marketing campaigns. Postcard marketing is a popular way to mail at the least possible cost. Consider your options for personalization as well, which can go a long way towards generating responses from direct mail. 

Much, Much, More

We’ve listed a few ways to reach prospects and customers, but there are many, many more. All good marketing begins with a strategy and a plan, and we can help you with both. Knowing who you want to reach is the key; we can then dive into where to find them online, what to say to them, and more. It’s also important to establish success metrics.

There are many other ways to attract people to your website—perhaps press releases might be effective, or guest posts and articles in trade publications. Other ideas include public relations (PR), trade shows, conferences, podcasting, videos…the sky’s the limit! It all starts with a plan, and Dashboard Interactive Marketing can help get you started.

It’s a New World of Marketing—Using Some Old School Tactics

For companies that relied solely on organic search traffic for the majority of their site visits and leads, this is an unsettling time. In many cases, organic visits are declining as customers find answers to their search queries using AI tools. 

With any loss, however, there is a gain. As the old saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. We believe that this new era will bring opportunities, we just need to “think outside of the search box” and remember the core definition of marketing when choosing tactics: match your customers’ needs with your products and services. To do that, we have to meet our customers where they are, whether that is on social media, at their homes, opening their mail, or checking their inboxes. 

If you’d like to explore any of these marketing tactics, please call us at 763-242-2454.

Hat tip to our very own Robyn Flach, Dashboard’s social media expert, for coining the term “Happy Change Your Password Again” Day.

Robyn sent us the following article, and by the next day, it was top of the headlines: a massive data breach exposed 16 billion login credentials. No, that’s not a typo.

If you wonder if your information was exposed, chances are good it was.

Here is a list of the companies whose login credentials were exposed. This list may grow as more information is reported:

• Apple
• Facebook
• Google
• Netflix
• Government database
• Many others

Change Passwords Immediately

It’s imperative that you change your passwords immediately. Choose strong passwords that include random letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use words commonly found in the dictionary due to the risk of what is called a ‘dictionary attack’.

Set up two-factor authentication, including stronger authentication protocols such as authenticator apps. New technology that includes biometrics can also help secure accounts.

Secure Your Customer Data

Businesses that handle customer data, including but not limited to user names, passwords, names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and credit card information, must take extra precautions. Speak with your managed services provider or IT support on the steps you need to take to store such data safely.

Zendesk offers 10 tips to keep customer data safe. These tips include limiting data access and maintaining a record of employees who have access to sensitive data. Another tip is to use encryption methods. Encryption is a security method that allows only authorized users to read the data – it is illegible to unauthorized users.

Another tip that we think is invaluable is keeping your software (and your website) updated. This means updating software, including operating systems and web browsers, when prompted to do so. It also means updating plugins and themes on WordPress websites and performing similar updates on sites hosted on other platforms.

Companies routinely issue security patches via updates to compensate for vulnerabilities exposed after the initial software launch. Even though it may seem like a lot of updates to do, if you keep up to date with them, not only will it be less work, but it will also better protect your systems.

Lastly, train your staff on how to recognize phishing attacks and similar cybercriminal activities. Criminals have become more clever, using psychological techniques as well as old-fashioned tricks to get your employees to divulge usernames and passwords.

Many criminals create fake emails called spoofs that look nearly identical to emails you receive from your bank, big retailers, utility companies, or other trusted vendors.
Never click on links sent via email or text from even companies that you know if you aren’t expecting an email from them; prompts to reset your password or log in because of a problem with an order should be treated with suspicion. Close the email, open a new browser, and log in to check on the situation if you feel it’s necessary.

We hope that these tips are helpful. We aren’t cybersecurity experts. We are business owners just like you. But we know that sharing even a simple tip may help someone, and we care about your business success!

Google recently announced an update to its search engine quality guidelines. These guidelines aren’t hard and fast rules about how to create your website and other online content to win Google’s heart. Instead, it’s more of a general guideline reflecting what Google’s search engine looks for in order to rank a site well. 

The search engine giant uses the acronym E-E-A-T to sum up this approach. E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. While it is not considered a ranking factor, improving your website’s E-E-A-T can help it gain in search rank over time and this is even more important in today’s AI search world. 

Here’s what that looks like for a website, and how you can approach E-E-A-T holistically to win Google’s heart—and a better search engine results position.

Experience, Newly Added to the Formula

Google recently added experience to the formula. It means firsthand involvement in the topic. Real experiences in the age of AI now carry more weight with the search engines. These demonstrate actual firsthand knowledge and insight that visitors won’t get from generic search engine results or AI-created responses. The more you can demonstrate your experience on your website through case studies, firsthand stories, and similar content, the better.

Expertise Means Deep Knowledge

Another important factor in the quality score is expertise, which means deep knowledge and skill in a particular subject. Again, the purpose here is to distinguish between general content and expert content, with emphasis given to experts who consistently demonstrate that they have deep subject matter expertise in a topic. Signs of deep expertise can be found in biographies and bylines—a veterinarian writing about dog and cat health, for example, will probably be scored higher than someone without veterinary credentials writing about the same topic. Demonstrate your expertise by adding credentials to your bio and an author box whenever you publish content. 

Authoritativeness or Credibility

The “A” in the formula stands for authoritativeness, otherwise known as credibility. How widely respected is your company or the author of the piece published on your website? Establishing credibility and authoritativeness takes time and effort, and often requires publishing on reputable websites outside of one’s own company, developing a strong backlink profile, and generally demonstrating a high degree of involvement in an industry, trade, or skill related to the website. 

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness means just what you think it means: you are transparent, accurate, and credible. You cite good sources if you link to external content, such as published research reports, university studies, and similar reputable third-party sites. Include “trust indicators” on your website, such as badges from professional affiliations, customer logos, and awards won by your company. Your website includes disclaimers, privacy policies, and terms and conditions. Although Google does not state that it considers its reviews online and other review sites (such as the Better Business Bureau, TrustPilot, and other third-party review websites), published customer reviews add to the overall trustworthiness of your company.

The Bottom Line: Establish Your Expertise, Trustworthiness, and Credentials Through a Sound Website Strategy

The bottom line is that shifting Google’s perception of your company to gain a favorable E-E-A-T score is not something you can do overnight. It takes time to develop all aspects of the formula. However, it is time well spent.

Over the years, Google has adjusted its criteria, but it has never deviated from the basics of this formula. If you focus on honest, transparent dealings, gaining a good reputation in your industry, and sharing signals on your website to both customers and search engines that you are a great company to do business with, you are positioning yourself for success. Combine good technical SEO, an appealing customer-focused website, great content, and social media, and you’ve got the makings of a site that can rank well in search engine results.

Digital marketing is constantly changing. Whether it’s search engines like Google adjusting their algorithms or introducing AI into online search, there’s always something new entering the online marketing landscape. 

As a business owner, you’re wearing many hats. Maybe you have an internal marketing resource or a small marketing team; even then it’s tough to find and have the budget to pay for the expertise for the various specialty areas that comprise today’s digital marketing landscape. 

Outsourcing is definitely an option, but even if you do outsource all of your online promotions, you should still understand the current state of digital marketing, online search advertising, and social media. An informed business owner is in a much better position to make wise choices with their marketing and to work with the key marketing resources to refine campaigns for optimal lead generation. 

AI-Powered Search

AI-powered search is the latest change to search engine optimization (SEO). Due to the rise of AI, some businesses are seeing dramatic shifts in their search engine traffic. 

Platforms such as Microsoft Copilot cite sources, so when it returns answers to a user’s questions, it includes a link to the source document. If the source document is on your website, this link may send traffic your way. This turns AI platforms into secondary search engines and a potential traffic source. 

As AI-powered search evolves, one thing remains clear—companies must focus on the basics. This includes branding. No AI tool can adequately capture your brand. When customers search for you by name, your company should be at the top of the search engine results. Adding a well-written about page, search-engine-optimized frequently asked questions, biographies of the founders or leaders of your company, and similar content to your website can help you remain at the top of the search engines in this new age of AI-powered search. 

Social Media Changes

This past year has seen a whirlwind of changes in social media. Depending on the platform you frequent, you may have noticed these changes or merely heard about them in the news, like the threatened TikTok ban. 

Social media platforms should be thought of similarly to search engines. They rely upon algorithms to find and serve specific content such as videos, pages, or friend feeds. And that algorithm is constantly changing, too. Just as Google or Bing tweaks its algorithm regularly, so too does Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube (to name just a few). 

What works on one platform doesn’t necessarily work on another, and you must be willing to either invest the time to learn what works on your audience’s favorite platforms or work with a knowledgeable social media manager to ensure that your social media advertising is working to generate leads.

WordPress and Other Content Management Systems (Websites)

We use WordPress and similar content management systems to build websites. Like the previously mentioned digital marketing tools, these systems also change frequently. Whether it’s the overall aesthetics of a website or how it serves its content to the visitors, the parameters of what makes an effective website change over time, too. 

Digital Advertising

Lastly, the world of digital advertising is also evolving. Now, more people than ever search the web from their mobile devices. Ads must display quickly and clearly on mobile phones and tablets. Companies such as Google, Bing, and social media platforms that earn revenue by displaying ads are also constantly updating their policies, changing their algorithms, and looking for new ways to get consumers to respond to ads. They’re developing new products and tools all the time, too. 

Feeling Overwhelmed? Leave It To Us

If all of this sounds and feels overwhelming, we understand. That’s why companies like Dashboard have specialists on the team. Each of us specializes in a specific aspect of digital marketing, such as search engine optimization, Google ads, social media, content marketing, videos, and so on. This allows us to keep up to date on what’s new in our industry, share it with the team, and then make recommendations to our clients. 

Sites such as MarketingProfs, Social Media Today, The Tilt, and many others are also good places to learn more about the evolving marketing landscape. The best way to stay informed, however, is to stay close to your team at Dashboard Internet Marketing. Read our blog and newsletter, meet with us, and let’s dive into this brave new world together!

Search engine optimization has changed significantly in the age of AI. Those ubiquitous results boxes generated by artificial intelligence at the top of the search results page can answer commons questions quickly and succinctly. How can you top machine learning that scours the web in seconds and delivers a packaged response?

You can do it through innovative branded search content. Branding is the future of content marketing, especially regarding local search engine optimization.

But what is branding, and what is branded content?

The Definition of Branding

Many small-business owners think ‘branding’ means having a logo and perhaps a few dedicated colors for their business. Branding is much more than a logo.

In marketing, branding refers to creating and managing a distinct identity for a company, product, or service. This includes developing a name, logo, design, voice, and overall image that distinguishes it from competitors and leaves a lasting impression on customers. Branding encompasses people’s emotional, visual, and cultural associations with a brand, aiming to build recognition, loyalty, and trust over time.

It’s not just about appearances—it’s about the story and values you convey to your audience.

Stories and Values Add Personalization and Build A Memorable Impression

Branding builds a memorable impression in your customers’ minds when initiated from a place of authenticity. The stories and values at the heart of the brand, even more so than the colors and logo, are what truly matters.

This is where good content marketing and local search work hand-in-hand to build memorable online brands that beat AI search to the punch.

Here are a few stats about the interaction between brands and search marketing that will make you think:

• Brand Trust and Loyalty: Around 81% of consumers state that they need to trust a brand before purchasing from it, and 86% believe authenticity is crucial when deciding which brands to support.
• Increased Visibility: Strong brand knowledge ensures your brand is more likely to appear in AI-driven search results and zero-click discovery scenarios.
• Consumer Behavior: Over 60% of customers are willing to pay more for products from brands they are loyal to, and 36% of U.S. shoppers feel loyal to brands they frequently buy from.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Branding plays a critical role in SEO, as well-known brands are prioritized in search engine algorithms, making them more discoverable.

These statistics highlight how a strong brand can significantly influence consumer trust, loyalty, and online visibility.

Creating Content That Builds Online Brands

According to AI and search marketing expert Ann Smarty, the wave of the future will be fueld by online content that builds strong brands. She recommends that companies have a good strategy to create, promote, and maximize branded content.

Branded content at its most basic should include:

• A robust About page that provides the company’s background, history, mission, vision, and other important stories that set it apart from local competitors
• Other pages that support the brand story include but are not limited to: awards, news (press releases), bios, and activities essential to the company, such as charitable events
• Frequently Asked Questions

These pages can be added easily to your website to build the brand story. Dashboard Interactive Marketing can find effective ways to create, share, and boost your brand to improve search visibility.

In addition to adding brand story pages to your company website, consider how your story can unfold across other platforms and channels. Social media, especially short form videos, are a great way to tell and retell your brand story. Press releases create a more ‘official’ online story since they are shared on multiple news platforms simultaneously. Guest articles add credibility to a brand as well as raise awareness for the brand among potential new customers.

Many small-business owners are concerned that AI-enabled search will take away valuable traffic. Building a strong online brand is one of many things you can do to ensure that customers who want and need your services can find you quickly!

Dashboard Interactive Marketing provides local search consulting and services, content marketing and writing, social media marketing, and more. Call us at 763-242-2454 and let’s discuss how to build a memorable online brand.