Listen Now

Main talking points include:ReflectionsThere's always a wayThe first solution isn't always the best solution (although it sometimes is!)Being flexible enough to accommodate some quirks to your processBeing strong enough to know if you're the person / company for the jobBeing known for solving problems Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Priorities for keywordsWhat makes you the most money? What is under-performing that needs to?What has quality issues?What will help improve the direct bottom line?Run keyword research thematically or by department if necessary. Strategy OutputThe output of your keyword research is threefold: Keyword research document (Google Sheets Template)Keywords Mapped to Existing Content (Google Sheets Template)Keywords NOT mapped to content Access the Keyword Research & Mapping Template Sources for KeywordsSeed ideasWikipedia Table of ContentsGoogle’s “Searches related to”Reddit and ForumsGoogle SuggestYouTube SuggestExploding Topics (see Twitter)Competitors (SEMRush / Ahrefs / Keyword Planner) Join our Facebook Group!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:COVID lockdown in the UKShoulderDelivery of Demystifying SEO Advanced ModulesSEOHive Updates and 1st Birthday!General WorkMental Health Personal Ethos – if something's worth doing, its worth doing well... Something HAD to give, and it didn't feel right to show up on a podcast every week assuming everything was "tickety-boo" when it wasn't. I took time to:Look after myselfDeliver the Content I needed toImprove the Systems and Processes at SEOHiveKeep work flowing through my agency In many respects it felt weird NOT delivering the podcast... It's 3 years old now, and to not deliver weekly content was strange... But, we're back, and in a better place than we were before. Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Google Ads is one of the main streams of income for Google – and because of that it has a wealth of data within it that is super valuable for researching SEO even if you're not actually EVER going to run the ads themselves! Here's my 12 top tips on how to use Google Ads and it's data to boost SEO traffic... Tools in Google AdsIncluding Cost Per Click (CPC) data in your keyword researchFinding related and / or long-tail keywordsTraffic Estimator to assess competition levels – This lets you see estimated click, impression, and cost metrics for a given keyword. Your own Google Ads data is more accurate than any of Google’s tools, and in many ways this is similar to looking at volume and competition in the keyword tool, but these estimates can give you an idea of competition (higher costs are partly driven by advertisers competition) and relative volume.Placement Tool – a unique source for link propsecting – driven by adsenseOpportunities Tab – a good source for finding breadth in your strategyContextual Targeting Tool – The contextual targeting tool is also designed for the display network, but gives you ideas for groups of keywords to create for display campaigns. Since the tool is designed for the display network you want to proceed cautiously in analyzing the suggestions, but you can often come up with some good ideas for themes – either buckets of keywords to target on a single page or a collection of content to create. Practices – if you actually run some ads!Segments for search match types and device typesAd Copy – to test meta titels and descriptionsCTR on AdsCTR on keywordsRetargeting to organic prospectsSearch Query Data Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:The "normal" modelHaving the master plan – you set the scope…  3 years / 5 years / 10 years What are the steps to get you there… Keep them in broad annual stages So, look at next year, what do you need to achieve to be on the path to your master plan?  Lets break it down into quarters Keep in mind seasons Then take the first quarter and break it down into months, then weeks.  THEN, put in your diary WHEN you are going to look at Q2, Q3, Q4 and to do this exercise again next year… Go!   But 2020 has been anything BUT a "normal year"What's happened in our agency?Slightly down on turnoverMega UP on profitWe have been in a privileged position to help companies survive the pandemic  So how does that affect the planning for 2021?Unfortunately we can't all give away work forever... but we can learn from these experiences and work with our clients as they grow - their success is our success, etc... What that has changed in our planning for 2021...Still have all the revenue goals BUT have included a profit goal tooChanged the structure of our accounting a little, modifying the profit first modelCreating and supporting our clients (especially the new ones who may not have operated at this level online before) to maximise their success. This is done through education, nurturing and product developmentCommitting to honing our processes further to become slicker and more efficientKeeping accountable to each other as a work family – both for the business and as peop Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Candy started as a freelance writer and designer in 2009. As her business grew, she started outsourcing work to sub-contractors. Through this she started by under-charging and under-estimating the amount of work that needed to be done.From her journalism background where editors, writers and designers start with nothing and produce an entire newspaper in a day, it didn't seem strange to try and fit this mentality to the process of designing and building websites.The key points: 1/ Working in person is way more efficient – clients would come to Bizzy Bizzy to complete their projects. Since COVID, the team have had to move everything online.2/ Candy and her team developed a fun and interactive process for their clients. This has also translated to a virtual set up.3/ Candy and her team include a writer, so the content is written for the clients during the day. The team includes: - A writer- A Designer- A Developer- 1 to 3 people from the client4/ There is a discovery call to outline the scope of the project.5/ The process is designed to be an experience for the client, AS WELL AS creating a great user experience fo the end user.6/ The purpose of the day is to get the website "live ready". The following day is taken to test the website, check quality and polish the design.7/ Ecommerce websites are doing through a process called "1 Day Plus" – where the design and structure of the website are done in a day, but data input, integrations, etc are done after the day. Typically within a couple of weeks."A website isn't launched, it's birthed" – Candy PhelpsThe changeCandy started by running this process for family and friends to test the model. She then ran it concurrently with "normal" projects for around a year, before going "all in" on the 1 Day Model.Candy's company has a core value of happiness for her and her team. This has shaped the way they choose projects, their working practices and the way the interact with clients.Book: The Progress Principle–  The thing that gives people most happiness at work is making progress with goals– The thing that causes the most unhappiness at work is having to redo tasksBuilding Trust and Recurring RevenueFor the first few years of running this model, Candy and the team focussed on getting the 1 Day process nailed. Once that was working in a way they were happy with, they then moved the focus on to the recurring model.The team now build in maintenance agreements into their projects. This is based on the unique relationship thats developed with the client through the 1 Day process.Their models include: – Maintenance & Analytics (base level)– Content Marketing – in a 1 Day style (1 day a month)Certification1dayworks.com – an online course that walks you through the process for the 1 Day WebsiteOther website:bizzybizzycreative.com Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Kyle used to work in Print Design, and in learning web design he realised that there was a number of processes that he was having to repeat over and over again. Also, as an Agency of 1, Kyle doesn't have a team that he can rely on for quality control, therefore document his processes became a key to his success in his new business. The importance of systems in recurring revenue Docket WP allows you to keep all your processes in WordPress so there are no excuses not to use them! Docket also has pre-built lists from industry experts so that you can import and use the right on your websites!  ShoutoutsAndre Gangon – Project Huddle Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Building Trust with a potential customer is the one piece of the jigsaw that can switch them from making that purchase, to moving on to a competitor. It's also the one thing that is the hardest to achieve as it forms the emotive part of the marketing funnel – which makes it difficult to measure or quantify. So how do you go about creating trust factors in your marketing or sales process, and what are the best trust building tactics to use? Why do we need trust factors in our marketing strategy? Back in the day, when people actually went to shops and services were found in the yellow pages, the majority of "everyday business" happened through referrals or word of mouth. Some of this was supported by print, radio and TV advertising, and that was that. But in todays world, we can buy almost anything we want from the comfort of our own home. We don't need to talk to people or do our due diligence and research. All of a sudden this responsibility has fallen to the marketer, rather than the consumer. Also, it has never been easier to compare products, services or even entire companies than it is today. And in doing so, potential customers often feel like armchair experts and don't necessarily realise that they might not be comparing things like for like. It is therefore of paramount importance that as businesses, we build trust factors into our marketing to reintroduce the personal and bring clarity back tot he potential customer that YOU are the right solution to them. Roger Edwards has a brilliant talk on this – explaining how essentially marketing is broken, expect when it's done with integrity and a deep understanding of this customer. https://youtu.be/LZO0uQgJiRA  The 10 cornerstones to building trust in ANY relationshipTruthCommunicationRespectConsistencyOpennessHonestHelpfulnessEmotionsMoralsCommon Experience These are values you should carry through all of your marketing communications anyway, but HOW do you include them in your sales process.  The Best Trust Building Tactics to use1/ If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. People are armchair critics – outlining the scope of your products or services clearly, stating what they DO and DON'T do, is a great technique for setting these expectations and allowing the customer to make a properly informed decision. 2/ Using the experience of others incites the fear of missing outIf you're good at what you do, you will have done it well for someone else, right? Using case studies and testimonials shows that people have trusted you in the past, AND that you have delivered the results your potential customer expects. Case Studies are one of the most underused tactics in marketing today – you've already done the hard work once, now let it speak for itself! 3/ Be open and honest about who, where and how you workFor every positive result, there is a horror story somewhere else, and the ease of search makes them easy to find. Being open and honest about who you are, where and how you work, how many people are on your team etc, and linking that with the awesome results you deliver, circumnavigates any fears about dodgy outsourcing, or "profit and scarper" business deliverables. 4/ Demonstrating an openness to communicate to answer questions and alleviate fearsAllowing people to communicate with you in the way that feels most comfortable to them overcomes huge barriers really instantly. Maybe thats having a live chat function on your website, or a clear way to open a message in Facebook Messenger. Whatever you can do to allow people to feel comfortable and show that you're responsive is beneficial to them. 5/ Remove distractions from the process of conversionOnce you've lead a person to the point of making a purchase or an enquiry, allow them to do just that – don't then start bombarding them with popups or alternative information. Once they're ready to move, allow them to move quickly.  How to apply these tactics to your marketing:Reviews / Case Studies – make sure these are up-to-date, demonstrate the good (and a bit of the bad) and are channelled in at points of your process when you know people will ask questionsSocial Media – be present and be responsive. Also NEVER over promise (or you'll end up under delivering!)Business information – providing information that makes your company real can help you stand out from the crowd.Design – your website is often the first impression a user will get of your company – don't make it a bad one Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Latest book – Ditching Imposter Syndrome What Clare has seen during 2020 lockdown:Flight, flight, freeze mode – caused by stress.Increase of the 4 Ps People who are doing the best with this are:Learning to say "no"Prepared to invest in each other in new waysAre seeing "what really matters" Corporates – some positives will come out of this and the work:life balance will be better as a resultEntrepreneurs – have had to pivot Saying no to work - having boundaries Setting your revenue prioritiesAsk yourself "what is your core genius?"Clare's offerings:Corporates – preparing to leadEntrepreneurs – making a differenceOther people like me (imposter syndrome mentors) – wanting to serve in a similar way to Clare Imposter syndrome – the fear of someone finding out you're not as good as you actually are. This triggers a fear response (aka self-sabotage). The gap between who you see yourself as being and what you can achieve. Book: Todd Herman – The Alter Ego Affect There's two ways to deal with issues:Find an unstable "Quick fix"Remove the obstacle all together FREE GIFT – Celebrating your micro wins! – http://www.clarejosa.com/retainfm/ Let's Rock 2021 – http://www.clarejosa.com/rock/ Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time for a change and a bit of a mix up with the podcast.... Actually, honestly this is about redefining the scope of the podcast as times have moved on, and a reset in the direction of what the podcast is trying to achieve is good for everyone...So why the change?!The background of the Marketing Development PodcastFor Marketers to development their skillsConsultantsFreelancersEmployeesAgenciesWhy them, I hear you ask?! As with any new project, you need to put a stake in the ground somewhere, and this was a "niche" (if you can call them that) that reasonated with my agency life, and provided some form of direction to get me started... fast forward nearly 120 episodes, and the world has moved on a bit... as has the offering of services I deliver and who I delivery them too.This has been a journey through just starting a podcast, to launching a course and more recently a productised service. All of a sudden the niche of "marketer" is far too broad, and I need to reign things in a little.Why RetainFM? Looking back over the history of my agency, the podcast and the services I now offer, one of the main themes is retained income. Infact, SEOHive is purely set up to help agency owners build recurring revenue into their businesses to help them rise above the uncertainty of project based work – a journey I undertook without external help a number of years ago...Thats not to say ALL the content will be 100% about retained income, etc... there still will be a great mix of guests, solo shows and the new YouTube channel! (which if you've been looking has been carrying the new branding for a couple of weeks).The purpose of ALL of this is that I can keep on creating valuable content, helping people succeed, and serving the community of agency owners worldwide that have helped me so much along the way.So here is RetainFM – I hope you join me on the next phase of the journey 🙂  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Why a discovery process is importantEnsuring you know the full scope of a project BEFORE you are committed to a price, a process and an outcome.  Things you need to fix: Stop offering services you can’t deliverSetting client expectationsHaving a solid discovery process The Project Discovery Blueprint will give you everything you need, from the theory, to the method and the delivery – including swipe files and processes you can use WITHOUT the need for really expensive software! Find out more: https://agencytrailblazer.com/pdb Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:We have a responsibility when it comes to helping clients scale their businesses that they can cope with it! It's like our duty of care. In this episode, I talk through "The Circle of Truth" that we use to determine the right action plan to scale their businesses - you can download a copy below...   Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why I moved OUT of the the home office in the first placeChildrenNoiseBeing “professional” Whats made me go back….There’s two ways of making money… You can either earn more or save less. Profit First – Mike MichalowiczCreating some savings – EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLEThe reality: The world has changed its ways for a considerable length of timeThe office was an expense for me to sit on my ownThere was another way, and that way will serve me well for the time to comeAm I any less professional? – NoAm I more productive? – A littleAm I more cash rich – Absolutely!Are my clients affected in a negative way? – Not at all  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:As the world returns to a new kind of normal and activity with clients pics up again, it’s important to make sure you focus on the long game and not the quick wins for your own business. Make sure you give the right advice to clients – even if that means you pass up on some chargeable work right awayEnsure your strategy is sound before delivering any work – demonstrate VALUEAdopt the role of the trusted advisor – ask “why” A LOT!Keep communications OPEN – remain front of mindBe prepared to go the extra mile – become indispensable Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Through her experience as an actress, the freedom of running her own business and being paid for a single job REALLY appealed.The mindset shift… From selling FULL websites, to making small changes WITH a care plan and then upselling redesigns, developments, etc… You need to have a core product that bridges your relationship with your client. That could include an onboarding plan or evaluation, etc that leads them to the core product. Once validated, you can upsell other recurring services. The Book – The CORE agency framework – https://wpcaremarket.com/what-is-coreWP Care Market: https://wpcaremarket.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why this podcast was started… Growing my agencyFinding likeminded marketing consultants and professionalsStarting to build that “personal brand”What’s happened over the last 2.5 years: WHO I serve has changed (a little)HOW I serve them has changed A LOTSince starting the podcast, I’ve “doubled-down” into SEO.Demystifying SEO CourseSEOHiveThrough doing this, supporting agency owners has become more applicable than general “marketers”.Building Recurring RevenueBeen doing it in every agency I’ve ever worked inDone it for: The Charity / Third SectorIn EcommerceFor Lead Generation B2BB2CBuilding MRR was the PRIMARY focus when I started my agency, SO…, and in around 7 months I had a MRR based to cover ALL my costs, and that’s never changed. So what’s going to change… Not going to give you the full story here (this is a cliffhanger!)Changes WILL be coming in the next few weeks and months. There will still be high-quality, actionable adviceThe focus will be more at agencies, rather than marketersThe content will have more input on recurring revenue – but it will still always be actionable. Its time for a change… and I hope you’ll join me on the journey 🙂  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:In setting up any business, there are items that you like doing, and those that you don't. Most of us seem to assume that EVERY job has it's mundane tasks that we have to put up with.In this episode, I speak to Nick Gulic who explains how he has come to run the business he does (Creative Click) and how he ONLY does the work he enjoys.Nick and I then talk about how this is achievable through making the right sales – and this include educating your client and being yourself!“When you’re operating in your sweet spot and not worrying about things you don’t like doing, that is where the magic can happen” - Nick GulicSell By Helping – Nick's CourseTwitter @nickgulic Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When any retained agreement begins, there is the initial excitement that the sale has been made, and then the realisation that you now need to deliver… every month… over and over again.  From the customers side, there is also the risk of “buyers remorse” (or that feeling of doubt you get when you make a new commitment to something).  These are the strategies we use at SO and SEOHive to iron out that period of time…  Initial communicationsOn your websiteIn your emailsIn your documentation (proposals, etc – A “what happens next” section)Don’t be afraid to tackle these topics head on – if something isn’t going to happen in a single month of work be upfront about itPriorities big things alongside small things – so you can demonstrate progressIdentify what will demonstrate results fast, vs what’s going to be a longer burnIn reality, clients will accept that some work will take a little longer once you’ve been working with them a while and built up that trust. Use the first three months as its own mini project and prioritise from there.  How you communicate with clients Longstanding clients are more willing to pick up the phone / drop an emailYOU need to drive the conversation with new clientsFactor in a quarterly review, and maybe even call the first quarter something – like “Start up phase” – so it can then “end” and you can move into more normal operations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is scope creep?Scope creep is the term given to the process of free work being included in an agency project. This might be additional services, extra work, things becoming way more complicated, or any other unforeseen circumstance. What does scope creep happen? In my experience, scope creep normally happens because the agency hasn’t been thorough enough in leading the process for the client and itemising the deliverables. This could be both in terms of the actual work to be delivered, or the schedule, or both. As an agency, it is our job to lead the client through our process. Things that may seem completely straightforward to us, may not be to the client and assuming any part of a project can be dangerous for either side. With a few processes in place, however, scope creep can be overcome relatively easily. Dealing with scope creep with different types of projectsSmall projects – tweaks, fixes, new functionality, etc… In our agency we have 2 approaches to small projects: Quote by an hourly rate and invoice when the work is complete. Sell “blocks of hours” (normally 10) and then take the time off these When the client is approaching the end of the block, we let them know. In both of these instances, time tracking is key. We use Clockify to track all our time on projects and have zaps set up so that projects are created as we manage things in ClickUp. ClickUp does have time tracking functionality, but we fund Clockify easier (and it was set up before that function was available directly inside ClickUp). Mid-sized projectsA mid sized project is something like a small website – something that is relatively straightforward and therefore doesn’t need a scoping exercise (coming later). In our proposal we itemise all the deliverables as far as we can reasonably project them. This includes: The number of templatesAny additional or modular functionalityThe process in terms of designThings we will NOT be doing (i.e. population)The allowance for trainingEtc… These items are all set up in our estimate template, so it’s quite easy to whip through and alter them as necessary. We then have a clause in our terms that reads: “SO… Digital Communications has attempted within all possible reason to make this estimate as accurate as possible. Should anything unforeseen arise, or the scope of the project change, SO… reserves the right to amend this estimate at any time inline with our standard studio rate of X.” Also note – we send estimates – NOT QUOTES!Large projectsFor large projects (and we are generally speaking 5 figures or more) we offer our estimate alongside a scoping exercise. The output of the scoping exercise is: A Design Specification DocumentA technical Specification DocumentAn Information Architecture. We normally charge around 2 to 3 days for the scoping exercise and documentation. With the completion of the documentation we ask the client to approve (and sign) all three documents, and we provide a revised estimate. This estimate is then associated with the specification documents. Should the client ask for anything that is not included in the documents throughout the life of the project, we then deal with them as a standalone project using one of the methods previously mentioned. Thats right, with large projects, we get paid to write the final estimate… RetainersAll our retainers work on a time allocation per month. We use clockify to manage this time allocation and then operate it using the methods above. Should the client ask for something “mid-month” we estimate the time and negotiate with the client to either bounce something we were going to do to next month, or do it as a project through either a block of hours or a project estimate.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Main talking points include:Pritesh's background is working in mobile app startups – starting with virtual reality software, mainly around facial recognition and then mobile locations."The number 1 challenge for most retail businesses is acquisition and number of transactions.” – Pritesh VoraSpeaking to your end clients gives you an insight into what your potential clients need. This gives you valuable insight – as an entrepreneur you can then pivot to address this need. Uninstall.io allowed retailers to track their uninstalls and give them an indication of how to reduce this rate.BlogVault has just acquired the brand of WP Remote to bring their service level up to a competitor of MainWP or ManageWP. This also gives the company the ability to develop additional features on the top of the platform – visual regression is the first of these updates.BlogVault spends ZERO external dollars on marketing their business. Content marketing has been their main traffic driverNow seeing 1million visitors per year"Discovery is the number one problem for product creators.” – Pritesh VoraMalcare soft-launched through content (driven by BlogVault) and through an AppSumo Deal. Along with the AppSumo deal, the team developed an upgrade path. All AppSumo sales were not to make money but for two things: 1. Get users – who may upgrade2. Get referralsAfter that - this was designed to speed up the development cycle. In 1 month they got the users they would have ended circa a year to acquire.Their content strategy includes:SEOLink BuildingTheir content uses the piggy-back method – they enabled a badge that gave them a backlink. This was completely optional, but gave them an influx of backlinks in 2 to 3 months.Twitter: @priteshvora Join our Facebook Group! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.