Retail is always one step ahead and that doesn't just the physical stores
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.
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SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. This is the page that a search engine displays to the user when they submit a search query. For example, if you go to Google and type in ‘what is martech?’ and press enter or click the search emblem, the search engine results page (or SERP) will be the pages that are returned to you.
Creating engaging and optimised content is crucial for driving traffic and achieving higher rankings on search engines.
Starting with some quality research that is relevant to the current market
We're excited to announce that AI Guest Posts has undergone a transformative rebranding and is now known as Bubble SEO. This strategic move has allowed the business to develop within the digital landscape and highlight our commitment to providing digital marketing solutions tailored to enhance online visibility and engagement for our customers. Bubble SEO remains dedicated to delivering high-quality, targeted content and effective SEO solutions that align with evolving digital marketing trends. Here is a little more information about our brand and its services. Our services: At Bubble SEO, we specialise in three core services, with content writing being a new feature to the website: Guest Posting: Which aims to enhance your online presence with high-quality guest posts on authoritative websites, driving traffic and boosting your SEO rankings. Link Building: Helps build a robust backlink profile with strategic link building services that improve your website's authority and visibility. Content Writing: Provides engaging content for your audience with compelling content tailored to your brand voice and SEO needs. Benefits of Bubble SEO: We have now made changes to the booking process to simplify this, and updated the customer dashboard section in the hope to improve our existing values below: Enhanced Service Quality: With our rebranding comes a renewed focus on delivering top-notch services that exceed your expectations. Improved User Experience: Our new website offers a streamlined interface, making it easier for you to navigate and access our services. Expanded Network: Benefit from our expanded network of partner websites, ensuring broader outreach and better opportunities for your business. Loyalty Rewards: As a token of our appreciation for the continued support of our bookers, we have now introduced loyalty rewards: Exclusive Discounts: Enjoy special discounts as a loyal Bubble SEO customer, with the more points you acquire, the more exciting offers you will unlock. We're thrilled about this new chapter as Bubble SEO and look forward to continuing to be your trusted partner in achieving your digital marketing goals. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and announcements! Discover the new Bubble SEO and elevate your online presence today! Jennifer Hobson – Digital Marketing [email protected] Heather Ryan – Business Development [email protected]
What Does SEO Stand For? In today’s digital world, being visible on Google is one of the most crucial steps toward growing your business. One of the key ways Google determines how to rank your website is through SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simple terms, it’s the process of improving your website so that search engines like Google recognise it as relevant to the search terms people use. There are many ways to improve your SEO, including using the right keywords, securing high-quality backlinks, and creating helpful content. It’s often about understanding how to implement these elements effectively. Why Is SEO Important for Your Website? Maintaining a strong online presence is vital for any business. A higher position on Google’s search results can significantly increase your website traffic, engagement, and conversions. Think about your own browsing habits—how often do you go past the first page of Google results? Probably not often. Businesses on page two and beyond are much less likely to be seen and, therefore, are more likely to be overlooked in favour of competitors with better rankings. SEO is particularly important for e-commerce businesses. With so many companies selling similar products, having a higher ranking can make the difference between making a sale and losing out to a competitor. How Search Engines Work (In Plain English) So, how does Google know what your website is about? Google uses automated programs called bots or crawlers to scan the internet. These bots check your site for updated and new content—everything from webpages and blog posts to images, videos, and even PDFs. Once this content is scanned (or "crawled"), it gets indexed—meaning it’s stored in Google’s database. Then, when someone makes a relevant search, Google refers to this index to deliver the most relevant results. For example, if someone searches for marketing agency, a website that frequently uses this phrase and includes relevant content is far more likely to rank highly than, say, a gardening business. The 3 Main Pillars of SEO There are three main areas of SEO that you should focus on to improve your website’s performance: 1. On-Page SEO This covers everything that’s physically on your website, such as: Keywords Page titles Meta titles & descriptions Image alt text and captions By optimising these elements, you help Google understand what your site is about and show that your content is current and relevant. Tools like Yoast SEO can help guide you through the process. 2. Off-Page SEO Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to influence your rankings. This includes: Earning backlinks from reputable sites Building a strong social media presence Collaborating with online influencers or publishing guest posts These efforts help build your site’s authority, signalling to Google that others trust and value your content. 3. Technical SEO Technical SEO focuses on the backend of your website. Key areas include: Page speed: A slow-loading website can increase bounce rates. Mobile friendliness: With mobile browsing dominating web traffic, your site must perform well on smaller screens. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check. Secure browsing (HTTPS): Google prioritises websites with secure connections. If your technical setup is poor, even great content may not get the visibility it deserves. How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results? Unfortunately, SEO isn’t a quick fix—it takes time to build momentum. According to Semrush, it can take between 4 to 12 months to see measurable improvements, but this can vary depending on your site, niche, and competition. Factors such as the age of your domain, quality of your content, and how active your competitors are all play a role. For newer websites, Google’s John Mueller has stated it can take up to a year for Google to fully understand and rank your content. SEO Is a Long Game—But It Works In a world where digital visibility is everything, SEO remains one of the most powerful tools for business growth. It may require patience, ongoing effort, and a bit of learning, but the long-term benefits are well worth it. At Bubble SEO, we offer three core services to help you climb the rankings and stay ahead: Link building Content writing Guest posting Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your current strategy, we’re here to support your SEO journey.
In the SEO landscape, link building remains a crucial component of achieving higher search engine rankings. One of the most effective strategies for link building is guest posting.
Effective keyword targeting is the cornerstone of successful content marketing. By strategically incorporating the right keywords, you can enhance your SEO, drive traffic, and improve your overall content performance.
Google is known for its constant algorithm updates, with the goal of improving the quality of search results and enhancing the user experience. In 2024, several significant updates have rolled out, impacting how websites are ranked and how marketers approach their SEO strategies. Below, we explore the key changes and what they mean for businesses and digital marketers. 1. Focus on Helpful Content: The "Helpful Content" Update One of Google's core focuses this year has been on promoting "helpful content". The Helpful Content Update prioritises pages that provide real value to users over those stuffed with keywords or created solely for ranking purposes. Google’s AI now does a better job of determining the true intent behind content, rewarding pages that genuinely address user needs. How to Adapt: Audience-Centric Content: Ensure your content addresses user queries comprehensively and prioritises providing answers or solutions rather than just boosting rankings. Remove Fluff: Thin, repetitive, or overly-optimised content can hurt your rankings. Focus on improving the depth and originality of your articles. User Satisfaction Signals: Pay attention to user engagement metrics, such as time on page and bounce rate, as these can indicate how "helpful" users find your content. 2. Enhanced E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness Google has added an extra "E" to E-A-T, now called "E-E-A-T"—"Experience." This addition means Google now considers whether content creators have first-hand experience on the topics they discuss. This change is particularly impactful in areas like health, finance, and other “Your Money, Your Life” (YMYL) niches. How to Adapt: Author Expertise: Ensure content is created or reviewed by individuals with direct experience or expertise in the field. Author Bios and Credibility: Include detailed author bios, qualifications, and links to credible sources that verify the author's expertise. First-Hand Accounts: Incorporate personal experiences, case studies, and testimonials into your content to demonstrate true experience. 3. Page Experience Update: Mobile-First and Core Web Vitals Google continues to push the importance of user experience with updates to its Page Experience metrics, especially emphasising mobile usability and Core Web Vitals. The Core Web Vitals include metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), all of which measure the quality of a user’s interaction with your website. How to Adapt: Speed Optimisation: Optimise your website's loading speed, with particular focus on mobile devices. Stability and Responsiveness: Minimise layout shifts that might frustrate users, and ensure that interactive elements are highly responsive. Mobile-Friendly Design: Test your website across various devices and screen sizes to ensure a seamless mobile experience. 4. AI and Conversational Search: Integration of Generative AI Results Google has rolled out more integrations of generative AI and conversational search features into their search engine results. Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) aims to provide more interactive, AI-driven results that summarise complex queries in a conversational way. This impacts the traditional search result layout and the visibility of featured snippets. How to Adapt: Structured Data Usage: Ensure your website uses structured data to help Google understand your content better and make it more likely to be included in AI-generated responses. Conversational Content: Incorporate a natural, conversational tone into your content, anticipating longer, more complex queries that users might ask AI. Focus on Rich Answers: Create content that answers questions in a concise, authoritative manner to increase chances of being included in AI summaries or rich answers. 5. Spam and Link Quality Updates Recent updates have also focused on cracking down on spammy practices and low-quality link building. Google's SpamBrain AI is better at detecting manipulative link schemes and penalising websites involved in unnatural link practices. It’s clear that Google’s push for higher quality extends to off-page SEO as well. How to Adapt: High-Quality Backlinks: Focus on acquiring backlinks from reputable, relevant sources rather than quantity. Check out Ahrefs’ Guide to Quality Backlinks for strategies. Disavow Low-Quality Links: Regularly audit your backlink profile and disavow any links from spammy or irrelevant sites using the Google Disavow Tool. Avoid Link Manipulation: Avoid engaging in link exchanges, PBNs, or other tactics that could be flagged as manipulative. Conclusion: Staying Ahead of Google Updates Google’s recent updates underscore its commitment to improving user experience, content quality, and combatting spam. SEO professionals and content creators must adapt by prioritising helpful, experience-driven content, optimising user experience metrics, and focusing on high-quality, ethical link-building practices. Staying informed about these changes and continuously refining your SEO strategy are key to maintaining strong visibility in search results. Remember, Google's updates are ultimately aimed at rewarding websites that provide real value to users—so focus on creating the best possible experience for your audience, and you'll stay on the right side of these changes.
AI has come a long way in recent years, weaving its way into our daily lives in ways we never imagined. Whether it’s curating playlists, drafting emails, or generating content for businesses, AI is proving to be an incredibly powerful tool. But with all its benefits, there’s an ongoing debate: Are we sacrificing human creativity and authenticity in the process? Let’s take a closer look at how AI-generated content stacks up against human writing. The Pros of AI-Generated Content Speed & Efficiency: AI’s Biggest Strength Picture this: You’ve got just two hours before a blog post needs to go live, and you still need to write social media captions to go with it. You’re swamped. Instead of scrambling, you turn to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, which can generate the content in minutes—optimized for SEO and free of grammatical errors. For businesses, AI is a game-changer when it comes to time management. According to McKinsey & Company, generative AI can automate up to 70% of repetitive content creation tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work. Cost Savings: AI as an Affordable Alternative AI doesn’t just save time—it saves money. Businesses that previously relied on hiring full-time writers or outsourcing content creation are now turning to AI to generate large volumes of content at a fraction of the cost. A PwC study estimates that AI-driven automation could add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, largely due to increased productivity and cost savings. With AI’s ability to churn out multiple articles in a short time, it’s easy to see why companies are adopting it as a budget-friendly content solution. However, while AI is efficient and cost-effective, it’s not without its drawbacks. The Cons of AI-Generated Content Creativity & Originality: Can AI Compete with Humans? While AI is fast and efficient, it struggles to match the creativity of human writers. AI can process vast amounts of data, but it lacks the ability to truly innovate, draw from personal experiences, or be inspired by the world in the way humans can. A study by Harvard Business Review highlights that while AI can generate creative outputs, it doesn’t produce truly novel ideas—it simply remixes existing ones. Another issue is content overlap. Since AI pulls from its training data, there’s a chance of repeated or recycled ideas, which can raise originality concerns. Even Google’s Search Central Blog warns that AI-generated content must be “helpful, original, and high-quality” to rank well in search results. SEO & Quality Risks: The Potential Downside of AI Content AI-generated content might be SEO-friendly, but that doesn’t mean it’s always effective. Search engines prioritize valuable, engaging, and human-like content—and mass-produced AI content doesn’t always meet these standards. According to SEMrush, while there’s no official Google penalty for AI-written content, sites relying too heavily on it could suffer in search rankings. Google’s algorithm favors content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and AI lacks real-world experience—something human writers naturally bring to the table. For businesses that rely on SEO to drive traffic, overusing AI could actually do more harm than good. Finding the Right Balance AI is an incredible tool, but it works best when paired with human creativity. While it excels at speed, efficiency, and cost-cutting, it falls short when it comes to originality, emotional depth, and authentic storytelling. At Bubble SEO, we understand the value of human-written content. That’s why every piece we create is crafted by our expert team, led by Sofi Parry, ensuring your content aligns with your brand’s goals while maintaining a unique and personal touch. Want high-quality, human-crafted content for your business? Get in touch with Bubble SEO today!
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, guest posting has emerged as a cornerstone strategy for increasing brand visibility, boosting SEO, and building valuable relationships. By contributing high-quality content to relevant blogs and websites, you can position yourself as an industry expert, attract new audiences, and earn authoritative backlinks. At Bubble SEO, we specialise in helping businesses harness the power of guest posting to maximize their online presence. Here, we delve into effective guest posting strategies to ensure you achieve the best results. 1. Research and Select the Right Platforms The success of guest posting depends largely on the quality and relevance of the websites you choose. Look for sites with: High domain authority (you can check this using tools like Ahrefs or Moz). An engaged audience that aligns with your target market. Strong editorial standards and consistent traffic. 2. Craft High-Quality, Value-Driven Content Content is king, but only if it serves your audience. Tailor each post to the platform’s readers, ensuring it provides actionable insights or solutions. Focus on: Addressing common pain points. Backing your points with credible data (from sources like Google Trends or Statista). Creating engaging headlines and clear, concise content. 3. Build Relationships with Editors and Publishers Establishing trust with site owners and editors is vital for successful guest posting. Personalise your outreach emails, highlighting why your content would add value to their platform. Tools like Hunter.io can help you find professional email addresses quickly. 4. Incorporate Strategic Backlinks While backlinks are a key benefit of guest posting, they should be used strategically. Link to high-quality, relevant resources, including your own website where appropriate. Avoid excessive self-promotion to maintain credibility with both readers and editors. At Bubble SEO, we specialise in building white-hat backlinks through effective guest posting strategies. Learn more here. 5. Promote Your Guest Posts Once your post goes live, amplify its reach by sharing it on your social channels, email newsletters, and website. This not only drives more traffic to the post but also demonstrates its value to the host website. 6. Monitor and Measure Results Track the performance of your guest posts to understand their impact on your marketing goals. Use tools like Google Analytics to measure referral traffic and audience engagement. Over time, refine your strategy based on what works best for your business. Why Guest Posting Works Guest posting is a cost-effective way to expand your reach and grow your business. It not only helps with search engine optimisation but also positions your brand as a thought leader. A well-executed guest posting strategy can yield long-term benefits, from increased website traffic to higher conversion rates. Guest posting done right can be a game-changer for your digital marketing efforts. If you’re ready to take your strategy to the next level, explore the services we offer at Bubble SEO. Our team of experts will help you secure placements on authoritative websites, create compelling content, and achieve measurable results. Boost your reach today with Bubble SEO—because your brand deserves the spotlight!
How to create great guest post content?
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