In times of economic uncertainty, smart brands are shifting from broad awareness to focused, measurable tactics that influence buying decisions. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll give the humble trade show its due as B2B marketers flood back to this time-tested selling tool.

Imagine sitting in a waiting room, watching your car’s oil change when a marble suddenly blocks the funnel, causing oil to spill everywhere. As absurd as this scenario seems, it mirrors a common marketing blunder—focusing on mid-and top-funnel activities while neglecting the clogged bottom of the funnel. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore real-world examples of bottom-funnel issues across various sales models and provide insights on how to audit, communicate, and resolve these costly problems.

After Google’s “Helpful Content Core Update” in March 2024 and the recent notification in May that they will be adding AI Overviews to the top of organic search results, you might rightfully be wondering what Google will do next to challenge your ability to drive organic search leads. Well, the wait is over. On July 31, 2024, Google will discontinue the call history and chat features in all Google Business Profiles (GBPs).

For businesses heavily reliant on leads through their Google Business Profile (GBP) and local SEO, the temptation to boost rankings in the local pack through manipulative tactics is common. However, aiming to gain a competitive edge over rivals in ways that violate Google’s guidelines can end in catastrophe for many companies that try to game the system. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll give an overview of Google Business Profile ranking factors for 2024 and discuss some dos and don’ts for keeping your GBP healthy and thriving.

Many small and mid-sized businesses, including personal injury law firms, put a lot of effort into organic search (SEO). However, many SEO issues may lurk beneath the surface and often hold firms back from reaching their full ranking potential. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll review the top SEO issues and challenges that most law practices overlook. We’ll explain why they can negatively impact organic search and how to address them.

Since its beginning in 1997, the goal of SEO has been to prioritize keyword rank position, but should that continue to be the standard as Google continues to weigh personal factors and individualized results? In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss if Google keyword ranking is still the best way to measure your SEO and if not, what SEO tools you should use for search engine optimization.

Inflation is everywhere. Mortgage rates have increased by more than 2.5 percentage points this year. There’s a shortage of housing inventory. The housing market is cooling off quickly. We’ve all seen the headlines, and they do paint quite a picture. But isn’t time to liquidate your mortgage marketing and lead-gen strategies just yet. It is time to rethink them, though. In this edition of Compound Interest, we will investigate where the market looks to be headed. Then, we’ll share how you can best re-task your mortgage marketing efforts to maximize revenues.