The Coming Google Change that Can - and Probably Will - Smash Your Rank

When Google announces a change to their ranking system, generally two things happen: 1) A logical response from a few ‘early adopters’, and 2) Weeping and gnashing of teeth from everyone else.

In almost every instance, the Google rank you fought so hard to gain is about to do a nosedive. What’s the fuss? Three words:

Mobile-Enabled Access.

“It’s over,” Google has announced to websites that can’t be read on a smartphone. Mobile-friendly is now (as of April 21) a large ranking factor for whether your website shows up in search results. This is another way of saying a lack of mobile-friendliness means Google is knocking you down a few rungs.

Yes, since we seemingly can’t unplug ourselves from smartphones, Google realizes that we’re all sick of:          
a.       Trying to read microscopic print on the mobile-unfriendly sites          
b.      Attempting to hit a link on said site that is the size of a gnat’s ear lobe 
c.       Scrolling around endlessly to find the ‘buy’ or ‘contact’ button

So, in an attempt to save you from madness – and possibly to aid Google’s 800-lb gorilla status – if your site is not mobile-friendly by the deadline, you can expect your ranking to slip slowly at first (about 30 days), then more rapidly if you continue to ignore. But there’s good news too.

Moving to mobile-friendliness is a good strategy overall, even without the rank threat. In a 2015 report completed by Pew Research, it was found nearly 65% of American with smartphones use it as their “key entry point” for online access.

And once mobile searchers don’t like what they see with your ‘old’ site? They’re gone. Surveys show that 61% of mobile users are unlikely to return to a site they had trouble navigating.

Remarkably, some contractors will not heed the warning or update their sites. If you’re in a good mood, please knock on their cave and give ‘em the bad news. For the rest of you, try this:

• Easy test for mobile-friendliness: At your next meeting, have everyone enter your site on their smartphones. Once there, have them click through navigation, test links, send an email through your contact link and fill out an online form. The amount of ease, frustration or potential profanity will give you a decent cross-section of how your customers will feel. Take note.

• Second easy test: Type in in and see what happens. Provided you eventually show up (!), click your website link to see if you still land on the correct page. If you fail both of these tests, you need to call your web dude and give him/her strict orders to upgrade your site.
• Content Responsiveness. If you’re using a content management system, make sure you’re using a responsive design theme. If not, update to a newer version. This could be the answer to your problems, but many ignore simple fixes.
• Google Goodness? Check your site for other potential issues with the aid of Google’s Webmaster tools.  Visit https://support.google.com/webmasters/, then sign into your Google account to find data, tools and diagnostics for a Google-friendly site. Google knows how you can be found by Google. Seriously. Let them show you how it’s done.

There are several other ways to safeguard too, but not enough room in this article, so request the free report, “21 Ways to Boost Your Website Performance,” by emailing a polite request to freestuff@hudsonink.com.  We’ll send it right out.

The days of “desktop only” navigation and rank strategy are numbered. This is just another evolution of search engine optimization. Here’s hoping that you benefit by being prepared.

You May Not Judge a Book by Its Cover… But covers sell lots of books, colleges and contractors

Woe is me. I was the hero. I was the king. I was the father made of steel. As invincible as any spandex-wearing, building-leaping protector with fake but superbly sculpted abs. And then my children grew up.

They became people with actual opinions. And I became human and fallible, almost (!), with receding hair and all. Darn it.

We are entering a new phase in life; my cherished “little girl” has left the nest and gone to college.

I stand in her room full of whimsy, Viewing posters of musicians and past heartthrobs. A handsome teen vampire dude looks broodingly my way. I don’t approve of him either. I scan the lavender walls that made me initially cringe when painted while she was at summer camp. Upon returning, she “ooohed” with delight, swooning dramatically into a round plush chair. Only an echo remains. Even the heartthrob’s smile seems to have faded a bit.

Years later, we added an adjoining bathroom so she’d not have to share one with her decidedly less preen-prone brother. Plus, he left the toilet seat up. Forever.

Many evenings of prom-like perfection were achieved there, as teenage girls aplenty tossed, flossed and glossed themselves for exceptionally undeserving young men. (I’ve been male all of my life; believe me – we don’t deserve any of you!)

A misty reflection stands in the full-length mirror checking to see which shoes look best. “They’re both fabulous,” I whisper, knowing I’m answering the most deadly question a man is ever asked. Okay, it’s in the top 10.

Just before I get sad, I smile…

I smile at the independence of her thoughts, artistic pursuits and ability to mount “reasons for or against” faster than Congress approves their own pay raise. She’s also got a laser-like opinion on aesthetics.

I can ask her about the design of a car, the face of a watch, the arc of a boat’s hull or a pediment detail on a Greek Revival façade and the answer – fully formed – comes blazing back in acceptance or dismissal. She can be equal parts sweet vanilla or pure venom, each indiscernible until dispersed. You ask her opinion and you’d better have your seat belt on.

And using these powers of decisive independence, she virtually chose her own college. Yes, a multi-thousand dollar, 4-year life-path commitment 700 miles away, largely made without ever leaving this lavender room.

Say hello to a tidal wave of how your current and future buyers buy.

See, using the powers of prehistoric parenting, we dragged her up and down the eastern U.S. to visit schools “best-suited” to her (in the opinion of real and trusted college counselors). We “suggested” others, including our beloved alma mater and nearby University of Alabama that offered her a full scholarship. Yet, she knew what she wanted and these weren’t it.

So, she did what millions of thinking, independently-minded, focused people on a mission do: She went online.

She searched and researched “Graphic Design Education” like I research marketing behavior. She scoured discussion boards, social sites, the schools’ websites, student and parent reviews, plus everything from enrollment to weather to job placement. (I approved that last entry.)

Eventually, she gathered and presented mounds of convincing evidence about a school called “TCU” in Fort Worth, Texas. I thought Fort Worth was a really large ranch, surrounded by a split-rail fence, where steer walked around saying “Howdy” and doing stuff, most of which is ruinous to good shoes.

Yet, she convinced us to make a visit. And my, oh my…

It was like my daughter and TCU had met on eHarmony. They virtually snuggled and called each other pet names. I had to admit, this place was a dialed-in match for her, and Fort Worth is a beautiful, culturally-advanced jewel of a town. In a 3-day visit, we were completely sold, which is relatively difficult. Especially considering this –

We knew zero current students, no alumni, no teachers and had no “advisor” endorsement.

Yet, her “Book Cover Research” triggered a rather significant sale. Before this, I could barely spell TCU. Now I wear purple and scream “Go Frogs” for no apparent reason.

Let me clarify the money part: She got a seriously good partial scholarship (THANKS to good test scores and my new best friends in the Admissions Department). Plus, I’d saved 10 straight years for this occasion. Yet the “package” value remains, like many colleges today, firmly in the nosebleed section.

TCU ticked every box for her. They dispensed their every advantage online; they linked a world of strangers to become a welcoming spot for friends. They organized their best “features and benefits” for maximum findability and impact. (My daughter sometimes dismissed a school because “Their website was unnavigable; they looked unprofessional.” Talk about death by book cover!)

In short, we were “sold” almost before we arrived. We didn’t know the book, but we knew the cover well. By the time they told us the story, we were signing admission forms.

I come to my senses standing in her now-empty room. I know she’s happy. Very happy. And so is the once superhero, who is still prone to fly to TCU as needed, perhaps accidentally knocking the undeserving jerk from the dorm porch upon landing, since he’s not good enough for her. Ever. Some habits die hard.

Adams Hudson

Questions for you:

If someone was searching for your trade services online, without any prior knowledge of you, what would they find?

Are your reviews positive and powerful?

Does your online “book cover” present convincing evidence that your company is a great choice?

Does your Local Listing show up on PAGE ONE of Google? If not, why not? (Get your no-cost Listing Grade here.)

Teach a Man to Fish

Though I’d grown up fly fishing, I did a poor job showing my son how to fly fish (yes, this and any other shortcomings, including those yet to be discovered, are my fault). So my son was going to be a first-timer at everything in a type of fishing environment largely confined to connoisseurs with years of skill. Yet, he was eager. (Make a note of this trait.)

Since it’d been awhile since I had done any serious casting, I was out of touch with modern techniques and equipment. Plus, my son and I (added together) knew as much about the Trout in Colorado as say, the Sloth in Siberia.

However…

There was ONE element that GUARANTEED our success. And this ONE element will guarantee your success too, day in and day out, in business, relationships and in life. The best part? You do not have to wear rubber pants or risk wading into Tijuana. Nope! Success is contained in a single phrase.

Before I blurt it out, know that my son’s friends are serious outdoorsmen. They had fished nearly every day during the summer, had the latest equipment, had up-to-the-nanosecond fishing news and were intimately familiar with the rivers, bait and feeding habits of the fish.

So the Thing That Guaranteed Our Success Was:

Being trained on exactly what worked for others, and copying those steps.

Yes. It was that simple. We had built-in success. See the proof below! This included 3 simple parameters that apply directly to your business - -

“Where” to Fish? (Or “Where to Market?”)

“My Son caught a trout on his FIRST cast. True. His father, um, didn’t.”

My son’s friends had assessed that the 14 miles of river we “could” fish were mostly infertile or over-fished. They’d narrowed down the most predictablefishing to within a few hundred yards. This saved tons of time and dashed hopes.

Sort of like knowing you should: A) NEVER send a broad direct mail letter unless you already know the response probability from a simple split-test, B) Do NOT spend over 12% on Customer Retention or you get diminishing returns and C) DO use the “2-step lead multiplier” aimed at customers for web marketing. How do we know?

Because we’ve narrowed down the “14 miles of river” for you. It is our pleasure to tell you and show you. Here’s a quick video to help you find the way.

“What Bait to Use?” (Or “What Ad Message to Use?”)

The boys knew what the fish were eating. They knew where the fly hatches were because they’d spotted them before we had arrived. They knew their colors and – most importantly – already had a few of the mimicking flies.

Sort of like knowing the exact email and exact subject that generated a 406% response increase in web traffic. Or showing you which Postcard consistently produces a flood of tune-ups. Or which Direct Response offer outperforms “normal” rebates (The Trade-In) and which Newsletter ad always gets a laugh.

The same quick video invites you to SEE the exact ads, how they were used and the result they got.

“When Do You Use the Bait and for How Long?” (Or “How Long Do I Run the Ad?”)

Our boys knew that feeding time for brown trout was from about 3:30 pm ‘til about 7:00 pm, by which time at least ONE of us had no feeling in his feet. None. You could’ve told me my feet had already walked to the car and turned the heat on and I’d have believed you.

Plus, if we went more than 35 minutes without a “rise” (the fancy term for a trout opening his/her little mouth to inhale said microscopic fly), we just left and went to the next spot on the river, or just kept wading downstream, avoiding icebergs, boulders, anaconda, current-swept fishermen, whatever.

Sort of like knowing you should use the “21-Day Method” of lead generation from your database twice a year. (This has worked consistently for 10 years, and works even better on the web. Just call or email your coach for an explanation of this, whether you’re a member or not. This is child’s play and it’s costing you a fortune in media not to know this. )

“Even a trout- repelling dad can pull in a nice haul! Training makes ALL the difference. Let us guide you to a better business in 3 easy courses.”

We’re Going to Show You ALL OF THIS and Much More during the 2nd Annual NEXT LEVEL CONTRACTOR ONLINE MARKETING EVENT.

Last year, hundreds of contractors jumped at the chance to attend the “NLC” event, and this year it’s even bigger, with a theme I think you’ll love:

It’s called the “Web Marketing Battle Plan for Contractors.” The short video will tell you all about the event.

You’ll see the exact plan in 3 entire courses, 1-hour each, set 1 week apart. I’ve hired two Class A “Guides” to help me out. You get full downloads, workbooks, executive summaries and replay links.

1. The first course on September 13th is all about Online Lead Generation.
2. The second course focuses on Social Media in 10 Minutes a Day with Rebecca Hussey.
3. In the Third course, Steven Rowell will show you how to get it done! A full implementation blueprint.

Please know: Registration is limited to 550 people and is OPEN NOW. Check out the video and register soon. You will even get pre-event training videos, but I’m not sure how long that’ll last.

Please tell at least ONE FRIEND about this event. We’d be very appreciative.

SUMMARY: We could’ve “guessed” our way through Colorado’s fishing, and ended up predictably disappointed with the results. The same goes for web marketing. You can go blindly into it, “guessing” and “hoping” that you’re doing it right. Or you can COPY WHAT WORKS.

Let us show you the way. And I promise, you won’t end up in Tijuana soaking wet in rubber pants. Deal? Then watch the video!

The #1 Myth of Getting More Leads

I hear it all the time. And it is flat-out wrong. It comes out in coaching calls here. I see it posted on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and nearly every Contractor Discussion board.

Contractors, understandably wringing their hands, want to know something like, "Hey, do postcards work?" Or, "Is your website getting you leads?" Or, "Anyone tried radio?"

They focus on the thing that "costs", that is, the media. They've been brainwashed by the media salespeople who all claim "theirs" is best, cheapest, fastest, blah blah. It's all a crock of crack.

What "sells" is the message. Always has been, always will be. A rotten message in any media you choose is still a rotten message. According to Clayton Makepeace, America's highest paid copywriter and marketing strategist:

"The media doesn't make the sale. The message does.
Therefore, the way you persuade people to buy never changes."

You can drive thousands to your website using sophisticated SEO strategies, or rise to the top through Google paid listings. Yet if your message is poor, the traffic comes and is gone, leaving you with one very expensive revolving door on your website. Same with 10,000 letters, a dozen billboards, and the glitziest TV ad ever shot.

It's not the media, it's the message.

Get that right and the market will respond. The media is merely the delivery vehicle. So, what makes a good message? In the last 11 years of focusing on contractor sales messages and selling a few billion dollars of equipment, this is the gold list. Click for the Top 5 Messages that nearly force prospects to respond.

7 Steps to Lead Generation Riches

I don't know who said "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" but it has never been more true. Every week contractors call or question, "How can I get more leads?"

Yet, in that decidedly ruthless way that shocks the inquisitor, we are trained to respond: "What are you doing with the ones you have now?"

By that we mean that there are 7 'main things' to extract full, cash-rich value from your current lead flow. It's right there under your nose...

1. Where'd they come from? (Market source via media.)
2. How big is this target source? (What we call "universe".)
3. How many bought what? (Closing ratio per item.)
4. What did they pay? Upsell offered? (Transaction size per ratio.)
5. Do they have friends? (Referral follow up chain.)
6. What about the ones you didn't close? (Follow up closing efforts)
7. What system will keep all these customers and prospects coming back to you?

Because to us, we can make the phone ring again. But if you're not maximizing the lead value, then it's only marketing heroin. More is not always better.

Those questions are in order, too. The top one is the most important. A mediocre ad to the best target will outperform the best ad to a mediocre target. Yes, as an overpaid copywriter, I just said that. Truth is, we can usually kick your mediocre offer AND help you find the best list because that serves both of us.

Then "target" in to wherever your offer is aimed. From your customer list to your web visibility, which includes SEO, AdWords, and even your radio demographic, Cable reach, and in house prospect list. These are 'segments' you can define that have a reachable quantity.
That leads to #2.

Is this your current list, dated list, big ticket buyers, referrals, church bulletin, little league parents, or chamber of commerce? I mean, you've got to know the size of the pool. To answer whether it's even worth fishing the pool, check out #3...

Do they close well? Or are they a bunch of mealy mouth price shoppers? Maybe they're rabid for image and product 'z' supports that image. Closing ratio must intersect with ticket and gross profit to be meaningful. Then to #4...

Are they high transaction sales that can make your month? Or low transaction that must sustain volume to be profitable? On either, is there a more profitable upsell you're not offering? Before you leave them...

Clearly Unclear

Old cars are like young children. Highly dependent, often naggy, hard to predict. Okay in that light, they're like older children too. Yet one of my strange old vehicles needed a windshield because it failed to avoid a 70 mph rock. Silly car. Since it was already having some other mechanical needs tended, I figured I'd get it all done at once.

So, I did what any modern consumer does, I opened the Yellow Pages. HA! Good one. I went to Google, clicked the top couple of names, and actually found one that listed my glass and at a reasonable price. "Wow, I thought. This is so easy." Any time you make a statement like that to yourself, you have doomed the outcome to sheer bedlam. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Proceeding ignorantly - my favorite way - I place the order online. It totals my order, and even politely mentions, "This price includes the windshield, gasket, and all labor. If we find you don't need a new gasket, this amount will be deducted." Soooo easy, said the Titanic's most oblivious passenger.

Afterward, it asks me to pick a "convenient" time. I scan for the option that says, "Never" but then notice THEY can go to the CAR while it's in the mechanical repair shop. "Now that IS convenient!" I say to myself, like getting a ride to a Vampire's blood drive, with much the same outcome.

So, I have the part, the installation price, the date, the place... it's all set! Whoohoo. The internet makes things SO EASY.

Soon after the "confirmation" email (translation: "a wild guess with legal language attached") things went weird. Their CSR (translation: Customer Service Repellant) called. From there, all online promises were off, chuckled at in their dismissal. Just goes to show two things: a) Your marketing and your service had better be consistent, and b) The internet's 'ease' of commerce is commensurate relative to the 'ease' of any customer's communication with the world. Case in point...

Getting Perpetual Traffic to Your Website: Google’s New Little Secret That Has Changed the Rules

Were these the good ol’ days? Back when Yellow Pages were the dominant marketing resource for contractors (around the Paleozoic era, just before Larry King’s birth) basically all you had to know is –

How big of an ad can I get for how much money?

After that, the Yellow Pages would design an ad that looked shockingly like every other ad in the book, and overcharge you mightily. If you paid more for more years, you got closer to the front of the section (whoopdee!). If you resisted, they would break your legs and call you names. It was a simpler time.

Though Yellow Page lookups have plummeted (down 24% in last 48 months, a precipitous decline – the online SuperPages not doing much better), they’re not dead. Yet a good bit of their viability has been drained by…

The internet. Okay, let’s call it Google. (You can suggest Yahoo, Bing, or Ask, but Google has 71.63% of the market according to Hitwise.com.) When you own the cards and the chips, you get to make the rules. Enter SEO.

Before the internet, we had to go based on “who was reading or watching what”. Now, we must get psycho-graphic and determine “What questions are prospects asking before they find me?”

In essence, this is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

So, everyone began looking at keywords, search strings, relevance, and recency as methods to be “found” on the internet. Changes here are near constant. Case in point - -

There are 3 hugely popular SEO myths that DO NOT WORK anymore, and one ‘secret’ Google revision that has really changed rankings.

3 Popular Phrases that are Totally False today:

1. If you build it they will come. No they won’t. Let me rephrase this. “If you build it, you will be charged.” Basically, you can build the Taj Mahal of websites but if no one can find you, what was the point? Do not let your web designer “forget” to include SEO as one of the main reasons you’re investing.

2. Content is King. Content used to be King, but has now become a second Lieutenant. It is still very attractive, but can be overwhelming. Content per site is actually shrinking. The new “King” is activity (thanks Google!). More in a moment.

3. Being ranked first means you have the best site. No, it means you have the most “findable” site in that search string. I’d rather finish 3rd-5th in ranking (still top half of screen, first page) and have the most conversions. Even though I’m a lead junkie, I’d rather have closeable leads than window shoppers.

With that out of the way, what is working now?

Through Google Analytics, find how people are finding you. Easy to go to www.google.com/Analytics and see where you rank in your chosen words.

Keyword Check: Are your ‘best’ words used throughout your site? In your Title, Meta Tags and Head tags? Now check density of word usage. If “Plumbing in Sacramento” is a search string, then use that phrase early per page, and up to 3 times per 300 words.

Keyword tip everybody misses: DO NOT just post an image on your site with some undecipherable code. Place keywords in the ALT Tags for all your images. You’ll thank me later.

Video is more “active” than text. Label your videos, title it for relevance among hopeful viewers.

What are the top pages on your site now? Look for commonalities on those pages to see why they get more visits. Apply these tactics to your conversion pages.

Index Status: Check whether your website has been indexed by major search engines. If it is not indexed, all this SEO focus is pointless.

Are you socially acceptable? Put links to Twitter and FaceBook on your website, and cross link from them back to your site. Completely fill out your profiles, again using keywords as appropriate.

Blog your little fanny off. A weekly ‘editorial’ is really a blog, and that can be posted on Blogspot.com

Backlink check: When a link to you starts on another site and points to you, that’s a backlink. Getting quality backlinks is critical. So get listed in directories, post on related forums, get quoted in blogs and submit your articles to directories. Check backlinkbuilder.com. I do not recommend ‘buying’ backlinks. Dangerous territory.

Google’s Most Recent “Change” that will put money in your pocket. Get ready. Where you used to be able to get ‘found’ on static content, now Google ranks “activity” on your site. This means as you gain popularity… you gain findability. I know, it’s the chicken and the egg thing. Easiest thing to do is stay active. Add links, add articles, add posts, add customer reviews, update news, change dates, Tweet like an over-caffeinated canary, add video, post your printed newsletter on your website.