Real Talk for Summer 2016

By Rachael Vruggink

Summer. Well guys, we finally made it. A hearty congratulations to those who are graduating and a job well-done to everyone else (your time will come soon enough).

Don’t get us wrong, we are 150% ready to kick off summer, but it just didn’t feel right walking away without leaving a little heads-up/wisdom with you all. So, here’s the GVSU Advertising Club’s Real Talk for Summer 2016.

We know you’re all ready to leave academia behind, but we implore you to look into learning more about one (or all) of these digital advertising resources that came from our good friends at Heritage Anderson Digital Marketing:

SEO FOOD PYRAMID

http://elumynt.com/the-seo-food-pyramid/

What is it:

The SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, Food Pyramid breaks down what factors impact a website’s success in search engine results.

Why should you read it:

Other than being easy to follow with its food pyramid analogy, this approach to SEO helps you understand how the details of a website can make a huge difference when it comes to your search engine rank. With so much of advertising being in digital, the more you know, the more prepared you’ll be.

How long will it take:

Think of the pyramid as a resource guide. Depending on what kind of answers you’re looking for, this introductory piece can be the rabbit hole to a digital wonderland. How long you want to chill out in wonderland is up to you.  

HUBSPOT INBOUND MARKETING CERTIFICATION

http://certification.hubspot.com/inbound-certification

What is it:

Hubspot is an online platform that manages inbound marketing tools, such as: email, SEO, marketing automation, analytics, and landing pages. Through their site you can take a free (FREE!!!) inbound marketing certification class that you can flaunt to your peers and tell your grandma all about.

Why you should do it:

Inbound marketing is the marriage of content, SEO, conversions, lead generation, and analysis. Becoming certified through Hubspot shows future employers and clients that you understand how to market them in a way that attracts customers, while not interrupting them.

How long will it take:

With over 4.5 hours of videos and 12 classes, Hubspot’s certification classes were built to be done at your own pace. Lightening speed= 12 hours. Now-And-Then Pace= 2-3 weeks.

KEYWORD RESEARCH

http://backlinko.com/seo-content

What is it:

Keywords are phrases and blurbs you can string together to optimize content for search engines. This article from Backlinko introduces you to how keyword searches work and how to implement them into your digital strategy.  

Why should you read it:

Using keywords is not as simple as plugging words into a blog. If you want to make keywording work for you, you need to get a taste of how it works. This article even suggests how long your content should be if you ever want to see your blog break the infamous Google Top 10.

How long will it take:

Like the SEO Pyramid, this article is meant to serve as a resource. This one we’ll compare to a digital marketing gateway drug—-after this one, who knows what you’ll try next?

 

Want to find more helpful digital marketing tools? Check out Heritage Anderson’s Blog.