Planning for Peaks: How Can Technology Play a Vital Role?
Retail is always one step ahead and that doesn’t just the physical stores – planning for peaks is at the front of every online retailer’s mind too. Whether that’s strengthening your ad strategies, preparing for product launches or being smart about inventory.
It all comes down to staying productive and preparing for the upcoming busy season. Tech plays a vital role in this, ensuring you can offer the best service for customers – from their first website visit, right down to last mile delivery.
In stores this is obviously key but online it is so much more competitive. The competition online starts with exposure to your business and making sure you are the first they have seen! It is important to make sure you are seen before the rest of your competitiors and expanding your online exposure as much as possible. With shoppers becoming less brand loyal online and opting for retailers that can offer the smoothest service and best delivery options, it’s more important than ever to plan out and anticipate customer journey from the very beginning and getting your products out there.
The beauty of being online is that there are many ways you can market and advertise your product to your audience. Things like Google Ads, Social Media campaigns and Guest posts can all help to gain the all important exposure before the crowds, or clicks rush in.
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Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is taking place as we speak, so although you might be prepared in terms of the stock, if you’re a seller in this space, there are still a few marketing tactics you can use to boost sales.
One of the best ways to encourage purchases is to educate your customers and provide tips around shopping for the two-day extravaganza. Many customers are not aware that they can create personalised deal updates on Amazon – they simply go onto the Prime Day 2022 page and create deal updates for the items they want to follow on there.
On top of summer, sales are bound to be better when this annual event rolls around at the same time for sellers. One of the most common complaints from stockists is having to manually look through full lists of orders to determine what’s on back order and what stock availability looks like. Having somewhere to digitally store this information and create a centralised list can really help with prioritising inventory levels. Here’s where tech, once again, can literally save the day!
Christmas in July!
One of the scary thoughts of peak season for many online retailers is the reminder that Christmas prep needs to start as early as July in order to keep up with an influx of sales. This is almost always a less daunting thought when there is a streamlined fulfilment process in place.
Many retailers opt for an Order Management System , allowing for the continuous tracking and active monitoring of purchases and inventory levels. This ensures the fulfilment process runs smoothly and in turn, so does the customer journey. Not only does this allow you to process orders faster during the busiest periods, but it also removes the risk of the sometimes costly human admin errors that can come naturally when there’s high demand.
Opening up conversations around Christmas can also be helpful, especially if you have larger recurring customers and contracts. Discussing the peak season allows you to plot and plan, formulating your distribution strategy ahead of schedule.
This, along with having the right tech in place for when one of the busiest periods of the year hits, allows you to streamline orders and reduce errors. Most importantly, tech enables you to maximise the opportunity that surrounds this peak period, so you don’t end up with dead stock or the inability to fulfil orders.
Summer sales strategy
Summer is in full swing, and things are already hotting up for many online retailers. Consider packaging up products with summer in mind when thinking about your strategy plan. Certain products such as sunglasses, fans and sportswear, naturally seem more appealing in the hotter months. Put these particular items at the front and centre of your marketing efforts and across your website. It can help to list items under certain themes such as summer, much like Amazon does when it comes to peak periods.
Thinking about your customer journey is also key throughout the summer months. Shopping experiences should be hassle-free and so should getting in touch with retailers. Research suggests that 40% of survey respondents said that they are happy to be contacted by chatbots when seeking help online. Deploying a chatbot strategy could be key to maximising your time when it comes to responding to common questions, where customers are also looking for efficiency so they can enjoy the great outdoors!
Following this, it’s the picking, packing and shipping processes involved in summer fulfilment that should be handled with care. Technologies available such as order management software, ensures users are alerted in real-time when a new order comes in and, information will automatically be sent to warehouse operatives – allowing them to pick and pack the order as quickly and as accurately as possible.
Black Friday
Black Friday, also known as Cyber Week, is one of the most anticipated sales periods for online retailers. Having your ecommerce store set up for an influx of sales this November should be a top priority that you’re already starting to think about.
One of the things that is helpful to do early on, is getting as many customer reviews and testimonials on site by the time this busy period rolls around. Purchase decisions are often made by reading through other user experiences. Customers have lots of sites to choose from when it comes to Black Friday sales and this is a great way to educate them and support them with purchase decisions.
Another top tip is to always have a range of payment methods available on site, so that you can reach a wider range of people when it comes to potential sales. You should also have strong delivery options and an easy returns policy, so that customers can purchase with ease.
Implementing a multi-courier strategy, rather than working with a sole courier will allow eCommerce businesses to offer more flexibility and options. Using more than one dedicated courier will also help to keep costs down.
If you opt to implement an order management system with pre-built courier integrations, then working with multiple couriers won’t even add to your admin burden. These pre-built integrations seamlessly connect with all the data within your platform, allowing it to automatically select the best courier for the job, based on rules you define (delivery date, product value, delivery location etc.)
Post-Covid service levels in peak seasons
Covid-19 had big impacts on order management, fulfilment and delivery processes across the world but now customers are no longer accepting Covid-19 as an excuse for late delivery. Poor customer service and a general lack of efficiency in the order process are not so widely tolerated. Post-Covid-19, shoppers are now spending less online but demanding better service when they do. According to a new study, two-thirds said they had noticed an increase in customer service problems at point of purchase and/or delivery since the pandemic began.
Peak sale periods are a real test on how effective a retailer’s order management and warehouse management systems are in meeting the high demands of customers. This is something that is crucial for retailers to get right, with 63% of customers stating poor delivery would stop them returning to a company.
Implementing technology such as a consolidated order management system can help retailers handle an increase in order demand, whether that’s supporting warehouse employees, or customer service teams during seasonal peaks. A sound order management system provides real-time data and displays achievable KPI’s, therefore reducing any errors and miscommunication in times where demand is high and retailers have to act quickly.
Grow your business online with content marketing solutions from Bubble SEO today.
Introduction: The Great Debate
It’s a common misconception that SEO and social media work against each other. The opposite is true. If a business can master the relationship between social media and SEO, it can significantly boost brand awareness, drive more traffic, and reach new audiences.
Let’s explore how these two powerful tools can complement each other.
1. Social Signals: Do They Directly Affect SEO?
In 2015, Google’s John Mueller confirmed that social signals (likes, comments, and shares) are not a direct ranking factor in Google's search algorithm. However, they still play an indirect role in SEO.
When your content performs well on social media, it can build your brand’s reputation, drive more people to search for your business directly, and ultimately enhance your organic search presence.
2. Driving Traffic with Social Sharing
Social sharing involves distributing your website content across your social media platforms. For example, when a new blog post is published, many companies promote it via an Instagram or LinkedIn post.
Benefits of social sharing include:
Enhanced visibility and reach
Increased user engagement and trust
Potential for backlink generation (critical for SEO success)
While the impact on SEO is indirect, greater visibility and backlinks from shared content can improve your site's performance on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
3. Boosting Link Opportunities Through Social Media
It’s tempting to assume that a viral post automatically improves SEO—but that's not guaranteed.
When posts go viral, they sometimes get picked up by reputable sources like news outlets or high-authority blogs, creating valuable backlinks that do influence SEO rankings positively.
However, if your viral content is mostly shared by small sites with low domain authority, the SEO benefit will be limited. Plus, viral traffic tends to be short-lived—once interest fades, any SEO boost may also decline unless sustainable strategies are in place.
4. Consistency in Branding & Messaging
Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all channels is essential for building strong brand recognition. Social media and SEO together offer a powerful way to ensure your messaging remains unified.
For example:
If you publish a new blog on Monday, you could promote it via social posts throughout the week.
Alternatively, you can repurpose content, highlighting key messages in your social posts and linking back to the blog.
This reinforces your brand message, helping customers associate your social media activity and website content as part of one cohesive identity.
5. Influencers & UGC: Hidden SEO Benefits
Influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) can also impact SEO.
UGC—like product reviews, social media shoutouts, and unboxing videos—provides authentic, trustworthy content that resonates with audiences. It can also target long-tail keywords and answer specific user queries, improving your website’s relevance and authority in search results.
Encouraging customers and influencers to share their experiences not only boosts trust but can also improve your organic visibility.
Conclusion: Two Strategies, One Goal
Although social media activity doesn’t directly affect SEO rankings, the indirect benefits are undeniable. Social sharing, brand awareness, backlink opportunities, and UGC all contribute to strengthening your online presence.
Rather than seeing SEO and social media as separate or competing strategies, businesses should aim to integrate them wherever possible. Together, they are a powerful combination for growing your brand, expanding your audience, and driving long-term success.
Guest posting—also known as guest blogging—is the process of writing an article and having it published on another company’s website. It’s a tried-and-tested method used by marketers and business owners to build backlinks, improve visibility in search engine results, and grow brand credibility.
At its best, guest posting offers real value to readers and allows you to position your brand as a trustworthy voice within your industry. But there’s more to it than just writing a blog and getting a link—when done strategically, guest posting can significantly boost your long-term SEO success.
Why Guest Posting Still Works
Search engines, especially Google, use backlinks as one of their most influential ranking factors. When your website is linked to by other authoritative sites, it sends a strong trust signal that your content is worth recommending.
Done properly, guest blogging can:
Drive targeted traffic from relevant audiences.
Strengthen your domain authority.
Increase brand awareness within your sector.
Help new customers discover your services.
But quality is everything. A random backlink on a low-effort blog won’t get you far. In fact, it could do more harm than good. What matters most is context, credibility, and consistency.
The Right Way to Approach Guest Posting
To get real results, guest posting should never be treated as a numbers game. Focus instead on thoughtful placements, authentic content, and genuine value.
1. Relevance Above All
Your guest posts should always appear on websites that relate to your industry or subject matter. If you’re in digital marketing, for example, aim to post on blogs that cover marketing trends, advertising, or online business—not random lifestyle or travel blogs.
Search engines look closely at the context surrounding your link. If it doesn’t match the content of the site, it won’t carry the same weight. Google calls this “topic relevance”, and it’s increasingly important in how your link is valued.
2. Think Quality, Not Just Authority
It’s easy to get caught up chasing high Domain Authority (DA), but a more modest DA score on a hyper-relevant site is often more powerful than a link from a huge but unrelated platform. Ideally, go for both—but if you have to choose, always lean into relevance and audience match.
3. Keep It Natural
Backlinks should feel like a natural part of the article. Avoid stuffing in keywords or using exact-match phrases repeatedly. Write as you would for any blog reader—clear, conversational, and informative.
Your goal is to educate or entertain, not to force a sales message. Over-optimised anchor text can lead to penalties under Google’s Link Spam Update.
4. Make Every Article Unique
Avoid reposting the same article on multiple sites. Doing so can lead to duplicate content issues—Google may ignore the links and consolidate ranking signals instead of giving credit to each version. Learn how duplicate content works and how to avoid it in this comprehensive guide by Backlinko.
Customising your content for each website—based on their tone, audience, and layout—makes a noticeable difference. It shows respect for the host site and results in better engagement.
What to Avoid in Guest Posting
Like any marketing tactic, guest posting has its pitfalls. Here are a few common mistakes that can reduce its effectiveness or even get your site penalised:
Mass Submissions of Generic Content
Sending out the same article to a dozen websites may seem efficient, but it rarely delivers value. It can also damage your credibility if multiple identical versions are live at once—and risks triggering Google’s spam filters.
Focusing Only on Domain Metrics
A DA of 70 is impressive—but not if the site has nothing to do with your industry. Google wants to see links from relevant sources, not just powerful ones. That’s why context always matters more than metrics alone.
Keyword Stuffing
Trying too hard to optimise every sentence can backfire. Keep your language clear and natural, and limit yourself to one or two anchor links per post. Keyword stuffing is listed as a black hat SEO tactic and can lead to penalisation.
Ignoring Editorial Standards
Sites that accept guest contributions often have their own tone, style, and expectations. Ignoring these can lead to rejections—or worse, a published article that feels awkward and out of place. Following editorial guidelines shows professionalism and increases your chances of repeat opportunities.
The Long-Term Value of Guest Posting
Guest posting isn’t about chasing short-term wins—it’s a long game. It takes time to build up a network of quality backlinks and meaningful content placements, but the impact can be significant.
As your site gains more authority, you’ll start to notice:
Improved keyword rankings.
More organic traffic from Google.
Greater visibility across your niche.
A stronger reputation as a trusted voice.
It’s also worth noting that guest posts can continue to bring in traffic and engagement long after they’re published—especially if they’re well-written, evergreen, and hosted on reputable sites.
Final Thoughts: Strategy First, Always
The key takeaway? Relevance and authenticity beat volume and vanity metrics every time.
At Bubble SEO, we specialise in strategic guest posting that puts your brand in front of the right audience. With access to 11 respected publishing platforms across a variety of sectors, we can help place your content exactly where it needs to be—without cutting corners.
If you’re ready to take your content strategy up a notch, get in touch with our team. Let’s build your visibility the smart way.
In today’s digital world, small businesses face increasing challenges in standing out online. Your content, SEO strategy, and overall online presence play a crucial role in ensuring your business gets noticed. But with so much competition, how do you cut through the noise? Investing in professional content writing services can make all the difference. Here’s how:
Boosting SEO with High-Quality Blog Content
Blogs are a powerful tool for improving your website’s SEO rankings while providing valuable and engaging content for your audience. According to HubSpot, businesses that blog get 55% more website visitors than those that don’t. Regularly publishing well-written blogs can:
Establish your expertise in your industry.
Keep your audience informed and engaged.
Enhance your website’s authority in search engines.
SEO tools like SEMrush can help identify the right keywords and topics to focus on, ensuring your blog content is both relevant and high-performing. Well-crafted blog content doesn’t just attract readers—it builds trust and converts them into loyal customers. Bubble SEO’s content writing services can help you create blog content that delivers real results.
SEO-Optimised Product Descriptions for E-Commerce
For e-commerce businesses, product descriptions do more than inform customers—they also play a crucial role in SEO. Optimised product descriptions can:
Help products rank higher on search engines.
Improve user experience with clear, compelling copy.
Encourage customers to make informed purchase decisions.
A great product description speaks directly to your customer’s needs while naturally incorporating relevant keywords. Professional content writers ensure that your product descriptions are engaging, error-free, and designed to boost visibility and conversions.
Repurposing Content for Maximum Impact
A strong brand voice requires cohesive and consistent messaging across multiple platforms. Repurposing content allows you to:
Reinforce your brand identity.
Increase engagement on social media, newsletters, and website pages.
Improve your SEO by distributing valuable content across different channels.
Additionally, content can be repurposed for email marketing campaigns—one of the most effective digital marketing channels, with an ROI of £42 for every £1 spent in the UK. A well-executed content strategy ensures seamless, impactful campaigns that drive engagement and conversions.
4. Compelling Copy for Paid Ads & PPC Campaigns
Paid advertising and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns rely on strong, persuasive copy. Well-crafted ad content can:
Capture attention and increase click-through rates.
Convince potential customers to take action.
Enhance your return on investment (ROI) for digital ads.
Think of your ad copy as your business’s first impression—engaging and persuasive content can be the difference between a missed opportunity and a new customer. Bubble SEO’s team specialises in creating ad copy that converts.
5. Improving Local SEO Rankings
If your business operates in a specific location, ranking higher for local search terms is essential. Content writing services can support local SEO efforts by:
Creating location-specific blog content.
Developing targeted landing pages with optimised copy.
Enhancing your Google visibility for searches relevant to your area.
According to Google, 46% of all searches have local intent, meaning businesses that optimise for local SEO have a much higher chance of attracting customers in their area. Whether you run a coffee shop, a boutique, or a consultancy, strong local SEO strategies can bring more people to your door—both digitally and physically.
Why Content Writing Services Are a Smart Investment
As a small business owner, balancing content creation with day-to-day operations can be overwhelming. High-quality, SEO-optimised content isn’t just about ranking higher on Google—it’s about telling your brand’s story, engaging your audience, and turning visitors into customers.
By outsourcing content writing, you ensure your online presence remains consistent, professional, and impactful. In a competitive digital world, compelling content isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
If you're new to SEO, navigating through its many layers can seem overwhelming. However, by following a clear, structured approach, you can start optimising your website and boosting your rankings effectively. Here's The Ultimate SEO Checklist for Beginners to help you understand the fundamentals and ensure you're on the right path to success.
1. Keyword Research
Keywords form the foundation of any SEO strategy. Start by identifying the main keywords that are relevant to your business or niche. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help you find high-traffic keywords with low competition.
Target Long-Tail Keywords: These are more specific phrases that are less competitive and can help you capture targeted traffic. For example, instead of just "SEO," use "SEO for small businesses" or "SEO checklist for beginners."
Understand User Intent: Ensure your keywords align with what your target audience is searching for, and use them naturally in your content.
2. On-Page SEO Optimisation
Once you've identified your keywords, it's time to optimise your website pages.
Title Tags: Include your primary keyword in the title tag, ideally at the beginning. Keep it under 60 characters.
Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions with your primary keyword to improve click-through rates (CTR).
Header Tags: Use headers to structure your content, with the primary keyword in the H1 tag and related keywords in the H2 and H3 tags.
Image Alt Text: Include keywords in the alt text of images to help search engines understand the context of your visuals.
3. Create High-Quality Content
Content marketing is at the heart of SEO success. Focus on providing valuable, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your audience.
Write for Humans First: Avoid keyword stuffing and prioritise creating helpful content that satisfies the needs of your readers.
Use Keywords Naturally: Place your primary keyword in the first 100 words, and sprinkle related keywords throughout the text. However, keep the flow natural.
Content-Length: While there’s no magic number, longer content (1000+ words) often ranks better, but only if it provides comprehensive value.
Consistent Blogging: Regularly publish fresh blog posts on topics relevant to your audience, leveraging your target keywords.
4. Mobile Optimisation
With mobile traffic now surpassing desktop, it’s critical that your website is optimised for mobile users.
Responsive Design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly on all devices.
Fast Page Load Times: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check and improve your site’s speed. Slow sites can hurt both rankings and user experience.
5. Build Strong Backlinks
Link building is essential for establishing your site's authority in your industry. The more high-quality backlinks (external sites linking to your content) you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Guest Posting: Write guest posts for reputable blogs within your niche and include backlinks to your site. This helps both SEO and brand visibility.
Internal Linking: Link to other relevant content on your website to create a clear structure and boost page authority.
Earn Editorial Links: Create high-quality, shareable content that others in your industry will naturally link to, such as guides, infographics, or data-driven reports.
6. Technical SEO
Technical SEO ensures that your website is easy for search engines to crawl and index.
Submit XML Sitemap: Make sure your site is indexed by submitting an XML sitemap to Google Search Console.
Fix Broken Links: Use tools to identify and repair any broken links on your site, as they can hurt both user experience and SEO.
Enable HTTPS: If your site doesn’t have an SSL certificate, secure it with HTTPS to protect users and improve rankings.
7. Track and Analyse Your Results
SEO is an ongoing process. You need to monitor and measure your performance to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Use Google Analytics: Track your site’s traffic, top-performing pages, and where your visitors are coming from.
Monitor Rankings: Regularly check how your keywords are ranking in search engines, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Watch Your Competitors: Keep an eye on competitors who rank well for your target keywords and analyse what they are doing right.
By following this SEO checklist, beginners can set a strong foundation for long-term SEO success. From keyword research and content marketing to link building and technical SEO, each step is vital for improving your website’s rankings and visibility. Stay consistent, be patient, and continually refine your strategy as you track your results. With time and effort, you’ll start seeing the benefits of your SEO efforts!
Improving your SEO profile through backlinks is a crucial aspect of a successful SEO content strategy. Backlinks are one of the most powerful tools in SEO.
Since 2020, remote working has become increasingly popular. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies adopted a work-from-home approach—and several still offer this flexible arrangement today.
While some people thrive in a home-based setup, others may find it more distracting, which can impact productivity. That’s why it’s essential to have strong time management strategies in place to support your workflow.
Here are six practical productivity hacks to help you stay focused and efficient while working from home.
1. Time Blocking
Time blocking isn’t a new concept, but it’s a highly effective method for managing large workloads. It involves assigning dedicated time slots to specific tasks so you can give each one your full attention.
These time blocks don’t always need to be task-specific. For example, you might allocate:
1 hour for admin
2 hours for deep work (with notifications turned off)
30 minutes for breaks or creative thinking
Research shows that having a clear daily schedule improves both time and task management.
2. The Power Hour
Start your day with a ‘Power Hour’. Use this time to tackle a few quick wins—whether it’s checking emails, finishing a daily task, or getting your most difficult job out of the way.
Completing your hardest task first can help reduce procrastination and anxiety, freeing up the rest of your day for more focused work. You can read more about this approach in Brian Tracy’s "Eat That Frog".
3. Stick to Office Hours
When your work and home spaces blend, it’s easy to let boundaries slip. But just because your laptop is always nearby doesn’t mean you should always be working.
Try putting your laptop away at the end of the day and avoid checking emails after hours. If possible, set up a dedicated workspace to mentally separate work from leisure. Let your team know your availability too, so they’re not messaging you outside your set hours.
Tools like Google Calendar or Clockify can help you reinforce your work schedule and set healthy boundaries.
4. The Two-Minute Rule
It’s tempting to delay small tasks by telling yourself, “I’ll do it later.” But if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This keeps small requests from piling up and becoming overwhelming.
This method is inspired by David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” productivity framework and is a simple but powerful way to beat procrastination.
5. Plan Your Next Day
Before logging off, take 10–15 minutes to plan for tomorrow. Starting the day with a clear idea of what you want to achieve helps you stay focused and motivated.
Try writing a short to-do list, prioritising tasks, or blocking out time for key projects. You can use planning tools like Todoist or Trello to support this routine.
6. Learn to Say “No”
Working from home sometimes makes people feel like they can stretch their hours—after all, there’s no commute. But it’s still important to respect your own time and energy.
If you’re asked to take on extra tasks or meetings outside your working hours, don’t be afraid to decline politely. Try offering an alternative time or solution that fits within your schedule.
Setting clear boundaries protects your productivity and wellbeing in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Remote working gives you the flexibility to create a routine that suits your lifestyle. By integrating just one or two of these productivity hacks into your work-from-home setup, you can boost focus, reduce stress, and make your day more manageable.
Remember: productivity doesn’t mean doing more—it means doing what matters most, with intention.
