Hey There,
Q2 is here already – if you’re feeling like Q1 flew by and you’re still waiting for your marketing to “click,” you’re not alone. A few smart adjustments this month could make a real difference in how you finish the first half of the year.
Here’s what we’re seeing and what you should be paying attention to right now.
Let’s Talk AI + Search
A few key shifts are happening – and they’re big.
AI Overviews are showing up more often in Google results since the March core update. That means fewer clicks for some sites. If your traffic dipped, this might be why.
You can now track traffic from tools like ChatGPT. If LLMs are quoting or referencing your site, it’s measurable now (thanks to a great Looker Studio template – hit us up if you want it).
Gemini 2.5 is live and powering a lot of these changes. It’s smarter and more context-aware, so the quality bar for content just got higher.
Bottom line: If your site is full of generic, keyword-stuffed content, it’s time to rewrite it – or risk losing visibility
SEO: Local Tips That Still Work
Old-school still wins when done right:
Add your business address to the footer of your site – even if you’re a service-area business. People are testing this and seeing boosts in both organic and local rankings.
Simple fix, real results.
Email: What’s Getting Opens Right Now
Short, helpful, personal. That’s what’s working.
Over-designed emails are underperforming. The more your email looks like a sales flyer, the more it gets ignored.
People want useful info – not just discounts. Give them tips, insights, behind-the-scenes stuff. That builds trust and keeps you top of mind.
What You Should Do in April
If you do nothing else this month:
Refresh 2–3 top-performing pages on your site
Check site speed and fix what’s slowing it down
Segment your email list and test new subject lines
Revisit your lead gen flow – what’s working, what’s not?
Need help? You don’t have to guess. We’re doing this stuff every day, and we’d love to help you move the needle. Reply to this email and let’s talk strategy.
Until next time,
Jenny Weatherall & the Eminent SEO Team
Featured Service
Powerful Email and Newsletter Marketing Services
Here at Eminent SEO, we offer email marketing services to help you stay in constant contact with your prospects, supply them with enticing offers and share useful information about your company. A smart email marketing campaign includes great branding, impactful design, focused content and established tracking metrics. We can help you do it all.
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
Q1 is moving fast, and if you’re not seeing the leads or results you expected, it’s time to pivot. We’ve been tracking SEO updates, email marketing strategies, and Google’s latest changes, and here’s what you should be focusing on this month.
No fluff – just actionable insights.
Good to Know in SEO & Digital Marketing
Staying ahead of search engine and marketing changes is key to long-term success.
Here’s what’s happening right now:
Google Cracks Down on ‘Parasite SEO’ – Google is penalizing sites that host unrelated third-party content (think spammy affiliate pages). If your SEO strategy involves third-party content hosting, it’s time to rethink your approach. (The Verge)
Authentic, Human Content Is Winning – Google and users are favoring real, human-written content over AI-generated spam. If you’re relying too heavily on AI to create content, make sure you’re adding real expertise and value. (Wired)
AI Search & SEO Are Evolving – Google’s Gemini 2.0 and AI-powered search are changing how search results work. The focus? More intent-driven results with less reliance on traditional rankings. If you’re not adapting, you’ll start falling behind. (Forbes)
Your Website: Is It Helping or Hurting Your Business?
Your website should be a sales tool, not just a digital brochure. If it’s not bringing in leads, it’s time to fix what’s broken.
Speed matters. If your site is slow, visitors leave. Run a speed test (Google PageSpeed Insights is free) and fix anything that’s slowing it down.
Are your calls to action clear? If someone lands on your homepage, is it obvious what they should do next? Make sure your CTAs are easy to see and use.
Content needs to stay fresh. Google rewards updated content. If you haven’t touched your top-performing pages in over a year, update them now.
What to do this month:
Run a site speed test and fix issues.
Check your forms—are they simple and working?
Look at your top 10 landing pages and make sure they’re optimized for conversions.
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Email & Automation: Stop Letting Leads Slip Away
Most businesses don’t need more leads—they need to convert the ones they already have.
Automate your follow-ups. Most people won’t buy or book on the first visit. A well-timed follow-up email can make the difference.
Segment your list. Not every subscriber should get the same message. Personalization increases open rates and sales.
Improve your email engagement. If your open rates are low, test new subject lines. If clicks are low, simplify your emails and focus on one clear call to action.
What to do this month:
Set up automated emails for new leads.
Test a new subject line strategy.
Clean up your email list—remove inactive subscribers.
Content & Social Media: Less Noise, More Impact
If you’re posting all the time and getting nothing in return, it’s time to rethink the strategy.
Post less, but better. One well-thought-out post will do more for your business than five generic ones.
Repurpose your best content. If a blog is performing well, turn it into an email, LinkedIn post, or short video.
Use video, but keep it simple. You don’t need fancy production—quick insights and behind-the-scenes content go further.
What to do this month:
Look at what’s working and do more of it.
Repurpose your best-performing content.
Test a short-form video, even if it’s just a quick business tip.
The One Thing to Prioritize in March
If you do nothing else this month, optimize your website and automate lead follow-ups.
A slow site and a messy sales funnel are costing you business. Fix them now.
Need help figuring it all out? Reply to this email and let’s chat.
Until next time, Jenny & the Eminent SEO Team
Featured Service
High Quality Website Design and Development
When it comes to design, quality is everything. But, a quality website design is much more than aesthetic. It’s the usability. The expandability. The flexibility. The longevity. The creativity. We believe that a great website requires clean, responsive code, user friendly navigation search engine optimized page content and beautiful designs.
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
As we prepare to welcome 2024, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and trust in Eminent SEO. As the CEO, I am continually inspired by the incredible businesses we serve and the results we achieve together.
The past year has been filled with learning and growth, and as we look ahead, we’re excited about the opportunities that lie in store. In 2024, our focus will continue to be on on multi-channel marketing, harnessing the power of various platforms to boost your business’s online presence and reach. However, there are some specific areas we’d like to hone in on this year.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’re particularly excited about:
Video Marketing:
In the age of TikTok and YouTube, video content is king. We’re ready to create compelling video content that tells your brand story and engages your audience.
Email Marketing and Custom Campaigns:
Personalized engagement is crucial in today’s digital landscape. Our team is geared up to design and execute effective email marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive conversions.
Pinterest for Shopping/Ecommerce:
Pinterest is a goldmine for ecommerce businesses. We plan to leverage this platform to showcase your products, connect with shoppers, and boost sales.
LinkedIn:
As the leading professional networking platform, LinkedIn offers immense potential for B2B marketing. We’re excited to tap into this potential and help you build meaningful business connections.
As we embark on this exciting journey, we look forward to continuing to serve you with dedication and excellence. Here’s to making 2024 a year of remarkable growth and success!
Thank you for being a part of our Eminent SEO family. Your success is our success, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together in the coming year.
Warmly, Jenny Weatherall, CEO, Eminent SEO
SEO News Roundup
Google Enhances Video Search Experience: New Video Guidelines
Google has recently unveiled a significant update to its video search guidelines, marking a new era in how videos are prioritized in search results.
Incredible MidJourney Prompts That Will Blow Your Mind
Hesitant to dip your toes into the waters of AI art and image generation because you lack coding skills or artistic knowledge? Turns out all you really need is an imagination and a keyboard.
Definition: If you are located in a specific geographical location (geo), your marketing efforts should be geared towards that specific geo target. For example, if you have a hair salon in Mesa, Arizona, you don’t want to market to the entire nation, you want to geo target Arizona and Mesa specifically where possible for the best results.
If you are not sending out strategic emails and company newsletters, you are missing out on a fantastic marketing opportunity. It doesn’t matter if your company has a developed email list or has just started collecting email addresses through your website, there is immediate value to putting more time and effort into your email marketing strategy.
To Learn more about our Our Strategic Email Marketing Services, click below.
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
So many businesses are still entranced with marketing channels that no longer yield a worthwhile ROI. Using outdated and non-data-driven tactics just isn’t going to get it done, whether online or off.
As we continue to get our feet settled in 2018, we are pleading to businesses small and large to stop using marketing tactics that essentially flush money down the drain.
We’re ready to step in. Below you will find actionable tips and links to help your company make smarter decisions on how to spend your valuable marketing dollars.
“We have some good ideas here. But the only way to know if they’re workable is to try to make them fail. If we fail to fail, then maybe we’re on the right track.”
Our own Melanie Stern explains how to not get taken by shady marketers promising hundreds of instant leads. She also covers six channels and tactics you should explore instead.
Is there another site copying your content and passing it off as their own? Try out Google’s in-content search operator.
Find out if someone is plagiarizing you by copying a unique quote or phrase from your own online content and entering it into Google Search like this:
intext:”quote or phrase”
If sites other than yours are showing up at the top with an exact or near-exact match, then there’s a problem.
Answer FAQ
QUESTION: What are some of the most effective digital marketing channels for small businesses today?
ANSWER: All small businesses should invest into these four staples:
1. Website SEO and Organic Marketing
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving your website’s organic (aka not paid) search engine rankings. Not only does solid SEO get you visibility online, but it is also proven to win customers. According to research from Google, roughly half of customers who search for local businesses from their mobile devices end up making purchases the very same day!
2. Content and Brand Asset Development
Want more brand and website visibility? Start by creating high-quality content and visual assets. Branded content includes everything from expert website copy and useful blog posts to insightful videos and eye-catching infographics. Creating valuable digital content will add trust and value to the brand long term.
3. Social Media
Small businesses must have a social media presence. Social platforms are a great way to connect with your customers directly. If you’re just getting started, remember that less is more. Stick to the platforms your customers are using the most. Share valuable content, but also identify and engage with key influencers in your space.
The goal is to get other pages to share your content, but before you can do that, you must spend some time building relationships.
4. Email Marketing
Often overlooked, email marketing is still a great tactic for small and large businesses alike. Grow your list organically by offering valuable information in exchange for an email address. You can also run contests, host a quiz or offer a monthly newsletter. But remember: No one wants to be spammed.
Instead of promotional-only content, offer valuable information to your subscribers, such as industry news, how-to guides, tips and other helpful advice.
Customer Survey
The more avenues you have to receive a payment from a current or prospective client, the better.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.