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SEO Strategies for Mobile, Alabama Companies: Why Local SEO Matters

For businesses in Mobile, Alabama, being easy to find online is no longer optional. Whether someone is searching for a restaurant downtown, a contractor in West Mobile or a marketing professional near me, search engine optimization plays a direct role in who gets the call and who gets overlooked.

Local SEO helps Mobile businesses show up where it matters most: in local search results, on Google Maps and in front of customers who are actively looking for services nearby. When done correctly, it connects your business with real people at the exact moment they are ready to act.

What Local SEO Really Means for Mobile Businesses

Local SEO is not just about ranking for broad keywords. It focuses on geographic intent. That means optimizing your digital presence so search engines understand where you are, what you offer and who you serve.

For Mobile companies, this includes:

  • Appearing in map results for nearby searches
  • Showing up for location-based service queries
  • Building credibility with consistent business information
  • Creating content that reflects local needs and search behavior

Southern View Media works with businesses across Mobile and the Gulf Coast to build SEO strategies that align with how real customers search. Learn more about our approach to SEO services and how local optimization fits into a larger digital strategy.

Why “Marketing Professional Near Me” Searches Matter

Search terms like marketing professional near me or digital marketing agency near me signal high intent. These users are not browsing. They are actively looking for help and ready to compare options.

Local SEO helps your business appear for these searches by:

  • Optimizing location signals on your website
  • Strengthening local relevance through content and structure
  • Supporting authority with consistent branding across platforms

A well optimized website combined with strong local signals increases your chances of being seen by customers who want to work with a nearby provider. Your website should clearly communicate who you serve and where you operate. Our team builds and maintains SEO friendly websites through our website design and development services.

Google Business Profile Optimization for Mobile Companies

One of the most powerful tools for local SEO is your Google Business Profile. For Mobile businesses, this profile often appears before your website in search results.

An optimized profile helps by:

  • Improving visibility in map searches
  • Providing quick access to contact details
  • Building trust through reviews and updates
  • Supporting local relevance signals

Accurate categories, updated images and consistent information all influence how often your business appears in local results. Southern View Media helps businesses manage these elements as part of a broader local SEO strategy. If you have not yet claimed or optimized your profile, our guide on how to claim a Google Business Profile is a helpful place to start.

Creating Local Content That Supports SEO

Search engines reward content that answers real questions. For Mobile businesses, that means creating content that reflects local conditions, industries and customer concerns.

Effective local content may include:

  • Service pages tailored to Mobile and surrounding areas
  • Blog content addressing regional trends or needs
  • Educational resources that build authority over time

Content should always be written with the user in mind. Helpful content improves rankings while also building trust with potential customers. Explore examples of this approach on the Southern View Media blog.

How Local SEO Fits Into a Complete Digital Strategy

SEO works best when it supports and is supported by other marketing efforts. Website structure, content strategy and user experience all influence performance. When SEO is aligned with social media marketing, paid advertising and branding, results are stronger and more sustainable.

Southern View Media offers integrated services including social media marketing, content and copywriting and strategy and consulting to ensure SEO efforts support real business goals.

Why Local SEO Is Worth the Investment

Local SEO helps Mobile businesses compete without relying solely on paid ads. It builds long term visibility, credibility and trust. Over time, strong local rankings reduce reliance on short term campaigns and support steady lead generation.

For companies serving Mobile and the surrounding Gulf Coast, local SEO is one of the most cost effective ways to attract qualified customers.

Ready to Improve Your Local Visibility in Mobile

If your business is not showing up where customers are searching, it may be time to revisit your SEO strategy. Southern View Media helps Mobile businesses improve visibility through clear strategy, proven processes and local expertise.

Request a consultation through our contact page or schedule a meeting to discuss how local SEO can support your growth.

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How Graphic and Logo Design Combined with Strategy and Consulting Strengthen Business Branding

Strong branding is more than just a memorable logo or attractive visuals. For businesses looking to stand out in a competitive marketplace, effective branding requires a thoughtful combination of graphic design, logo creation, strategic planning and professional consulting. At Southern View Media, we understand that when design is guided by strategy, it becomes a powerful tool for building brand recognition, trust and long-term growth.

Branding Starts with Strategy, Not Just Design

Many businesses make the mistake of approaching branding as a purely visual exercise. While great design is essential, it must be rooted in a clear understanding of the brand’s purpose, audience and goals. Strategy and consulting help define these foundations before a single design element is created.

Through strategic consulting, businesses clarify their mission, core values, target market and competitive position. This process ensures that every design choice, from colors and typography to logo structure and imagery, supports the brand’s message and speaks directly to the intended audience. Without strategy, even the most visually appealing designs can fall flat or fail to connect.

Logo Design as the Cornerstone of Brand Identity

A logo is often the first interaction a customer has with a brand, making it one of the most critical elements of business identity. Effective logo design goes beyond aesthetics to communicate credibility, personality and professionalism at a glance.

When combined with strategy, logo design becomes a storytelling tool. Strategic logo development considers where and how the logo will be used, how it scales across digital and print platforms and how it aligns with long-term business goals. The result is a logo that not only looks great but also performs consistently across websites, social media, signage, packaging and marketing materials.

Graphic Design Creates Consistency and Recognition

Graphic design extends branding far beyond the logo. Consistent visual elements, such as color palettes, typography, iconography and layout styles, create a cohesive brand experience across all customer touchpoints.

Strategic graphic design ensures that these elements work together seamlessly. From business cards and brochures to websites and digital ads, every piece of content should reinforce the same brand identity. This consistency builds recognition and trust, helping customers quickly identify and remember your business in a crowded marketplace.

Consulting Aligns Design with Business Goals

Professional consulting bridges the gap between creative design and measurable results. Branding consultants help businesses align their visual identity with growth objectives, marketing strategies and customer engagement plans.

Consulting services can guide decisions such as rebranding, brand refreshes or market repositioning. For growing businesses, consultants help ensure branding evolves without losing recognition. For startups, consulting establishes a strong foundation that supports scalability and long-term success.

At Southern View Media, consulting helps ensure that branding decisions are intentional, data-informed and aligned with the broader business strategy.

Strong Branding Builds Trust and Credibility

Customers are more likely to trust businesses that appear professional, consistent and confident. When graphic and logo design are guided by strategic insight, the brand communicates reliability and authority from the first impression.

Strong branding helps businesses:

  • Differentiate from competitors
  • Build emotional connections with customers
  • Increase brand loyalty
  • Support marketing and advertising efforts
  • Improve perceived value

A well-executed brand identity signals that a business is established, thoughtful and ready to meet customer needs.

Supporting Growth Across Marketing Channels

Modern branding must perform across multiple platforms, including websites, social media, email campaigns and digital advertising. Strategic design ensures branding adapts seamlessly across all channels while maintaining a unified look and message.

As businesses grow, strong branding supports expansion into new markets, services or products. Design backed by strategy allows for flexibility without sacrificing consistency, making it easier to scale marketing efforts effectively.

Graphic and logo design are most powerful when paired with strategic planning and professional consulting. Together, they create a cohesive brand identity that communicates purpose, builds trust and supports long-term growth.
At Southern View Media, we combine creative design with strategic insight to help businesses strengthen their branding from the inside out. By aligning visuals with vision, we help brands stand out, connect with their audience and grow with confidence.

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Top Marketing Trends Small Businesses Need to Know in 2026

As we move into 2026, small businesses face an increasingly competitive digital environment. Consumer behavior continues to evolve, technology reshapes how brands interact with audiences and expectations for personalized engagement have never been higher. For small business owners looking to grow their customer base and increase visibility online, staying ahead of key marketing trends is essential. At Southern View Media, we help businesses adapt to changing landscapes by embracing proven strategies that drive measurable results. Here are the top marketing trends small businesses need to know in 2026.

1. Personalized Customer Experiences Rule

Customers expect more than generic messaging. Personalization has shifted from a “nice to have” to a core requirement. Today’s consumers want relevant recommendations, customized offers and interactions that reflect their preferences. In 2026, small businesses should leverage data insights to deliver tailored content, email campaigns and promotions that resonate on an individual level.

Segmentation is no longer limited to basic demographics. Behavioral data, purchase history and online engagement patterns can all inform messaging that feels authentic and intuitive. Tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems and marketing automation platforms make this level of personalization achievable even for small teams.

2. Short-Form Video Dominates Engagement

Short-form video continues its ascent as one of the most effective content formats across digital platforms. From social channels to websites and email campaigns, bite-sized video content captures attention quickly and communicates brand personality in ways written content can’t replicate.

In 2026, small businesses should embrace short-form video for product highlights, behind-the-scenes looks, customer testimonials and quick tutorials. Platforms that prioritize vertical video, such as social networks and mobile-friendly video hubs, offer prime opportunities to engage audiences who prefer visual storytelling over text. Adding captions, eye-catching visuals and concise messaging increases shareability and boosts visibility across feeds.

3. Local SEO Gets Even More Critical

Local search optimization remains a key driver of offline and online traffic. With voice search and mobile browsing on the rise, customers increasingly discover small businesses through localized queries like “near me” and “open now.” Optimizing for local SEO ensures your business appears where it matters most.

Small businesses should ensure their online presence includes accurate location information, updated hours, service descriptions and customer reviews. Leveraging local keywords within website content and maintaining a consistent presence across search listings enhances discoverability. In 2026, local SEO isn’t just about being found, it’s about being chosen.

4. Artificial Intelligence Enhances Marketing Efficiency

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform how small businesses approach marketing. From content recommendations to predictive analytics and automated customer interactions, AI helps teams work smarter and faster. AI-powered tools can analyze data trends, suggest optimized posting schedules and even generate creative ideas for campaigns.

Rather than replacing human strategy, AI amplifies capabilities, giving small businesses access to insights that once required large marketing departments. In 2026, adopting AI tools for analytics, customer segmentation and personalization will be essential for staying competitive.

5. Community-Driven Marketing Builds Loyalty

Community matters more than ever. Small businesses that build and nurture engaged communities around their brand see higher customer loyalty and stronger word-of-mouth growth. Community-driven marketing focuses on interactions beyond transactions, encouraging customer feedback, user-generated content and shared brand experiences.

Online communities, whether through social groups, brand forums or membership programs, create spaces where loyal customers become advocates. Events, local collaborations and interactive content cultivate relationships that extend beyond the point of purchase. Prioritizing community engagement in 2026 reinforces trust and drives recurring business.

6. Sustainability and Purpose-Driven Branding

Consumers increasingly support brands that reflect their values. Sustainability, social responsibility and ethical practices influence buying decisions more than ever. Small businesses that integrate purpose-driven messaging into their marketing gain deeper emotional connections with their audience.

Transparent communication about sustainability initiatives, community involvement and ethical practices resonates with socially conscious customers. Aligning brand values with customer expectations helps small businesses stand out and foster long-term loyalty.

The marketing landscape in 2026 rewards small businesses that prioritize personalization, embrace visual storytelling, optimize for local search, harness AI, foster community and clearly articulate purpose. Navigating these trends requires strategy, adaptability and the right support.
At Southern View Media, we partner with small businesses to implement forward-thinking marketing strategies that drive visibility, engagement and growth. If you’re ready to elevate your brand and connect with your audience in meaningful ways, 2026 is the year to start. Let’s build your success together.

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Upcoming Social Media Holidays for 2026

Planning a content calendar in advance gives businesses a strategic edge. By aligning posts with social media holidays, brands can increase engagement, boost visibility and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Social media holidays celebrate trends, cultural moments, professions and fun themes that go beyond traditional holidays. In this guide, we highlight key social media holidays for 2026 that Southern View Media recommends adding to your content calendar.

January 2026

  • January 13 – National Sticker Day

Highlight branded stickers or digital sticker packs that reflect your business personality. Create interactive stories or polls using sticker graphics.

  • January 24 – National Compliment Day

Promote positivity by encouraging followers to compliment someone in the community. Share user comments as part of your engagement strategy.

February 2026

  • February 4 – World Cancer Day

Share supportive, empathetic messages and spotlight related initiatives. Encourage your audience to participate in awareness conversations.

  • February 11 – Make a Friend Day

Create content around networking, collaboration and community. Encourage followers to tag someone who inspires them.

  • February 14 – Valentine’s Day

Connect with your audience around themes of love, appreciation and gratitude. Feature promotions, gift guides or customer testimonials.

  • February 22 – National Margarita Day

Food and beverage brands can spotlight seasonal drinks, recipes or weekend specials. Invite local partners or followers to share their favorite margarita styles.

March 2026

  • March 8 – International Women’s Day

Celebrate women in your community, team members or inspirational leaders. Share stories that elevate voices and showcase achievements.

  • March 14 – Pi Day

Perfect for playful content, math lovers or pie recipes. Use creative graphics and fun trivia to engage your audience.

  • March 20 – First Day of Spring

Announce spring promotions, fresh product launches or outdoor content that reflects new beginnings and seasonal change.

April 2026

  • April 7 – World Health Day

Highlight wellness tips, healthy habits or self-care reminders. Partner with health professionals or share practical resources.

  • April 22 – Earth Day

Showcase eco-friendly practices, sustainability efforts or community clean-ups. Ask followers to share their green habits.

  • April 30 – National Honesty Day

Encourage transparent conversation with your audience. Share behind-the-scenes content or answer FAQs candidly.

May 2026

  • May 4 – Star Wars Day

Play into pop culture with themed content using recognizable references. Invite fans to show their own Star Wars spirit.

  • May 12 – Mother’s Day

Celebrate mothers with personalized content, special offers or heartfelt messages. Highlight stories submitted by your audience.

  • May 25 – National Wine Day

Ideal for lifestyle and hospitality brands. Offer pairing tips, feature local wineries or host a virtual tasting.

June 2026

  • June 1 – National Donut Day

Spotlight local donuts, fun giveaways or team favorites. Encourage followers to share their best donut photos.

  • June 15 – Father’s Day

Honor fathers and father figures with meaningful content, gift ideas or featured customer stories that resonate emotionally.

  • June 21 – First Day of Summer

Celebrate summer launch campaigns, seasonal services or beach-ready promotions. Showcase vibrant, high-energy visuals.

July 2026

  • July 4 – Independence Day

Share patriotic content that reflects community pride and local celebrations. Highlight seasonal tips or weekend event ideas.

  • July 17 – World Emoji Day

Create playful content using emojis that align with your brand voice. Launch emoji-themed polls or caption challenges.

August 2026

  • August 8 – National Happiness Happens Day

Invite followers to share joyful moments or gratitude lists. Create uplifting, feel-good content to brighten timelines.

  • August 26 – National Dog Day

Share pet-friendly posts, team member pets or local animal shelter spotlights. Invite followers to tag their furry companions.

September – December Highlights

  • September 5 – Labor Day

Honor hardworking professionals and team achievements. Share weekend plans or special offers tied to the holiday.

  • October 31 – Halloween

Costume contests, spooky visuals and themed stories captivate audiences all month long.

  • November 26 – Thanksgiving

Express gratitude to customers and share moments of thanks from your team.

  • December 25 – Christmas Day

Close the year with holiday greetings, reflections on 2026 and sneak peeks of what’s ahead in 2027.

Planning Ahead Boosts Engagement
Adding social media holidays to your content calendar gives your brand rhythm and relevance. These timely moments encourage interaction, tap into trending conversations and offer creative ways to connect with your audience. At Southern View Media, we help businesses plan, design and execute content strategies that make the most of these opportunities. Use this list as a starting point for your 2026 content planning and watch engagement grow throughout the year. Ready to elevate your social media? Let’s build your content calendar together.

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The Power of Email Marketing: How to Use Email to Stay Connected with Your Customers and Drive Sales

In this age of social media dominance and instant messaging apps, email remains a reliable and effective means of communication. For businesses, mastering the art of email marketing cannot only help in staying connected with customers but also in driving sales.

The foundation of any successful email marketing campaign lies in having a quality email list. It’s not just about quantity, but about having subscribers who are genuinely interested in your products or services. Southern View Media emphasizes the importance of creating opt-in opportunities on your website, leveraging social media and using other channels to organically grow your email list.

Personalized communication is key to capturing the attention of your audience. Southern View Media suggests segmenting your email list based on customer behavior, demographics or purchase history. This allows you to send targeted and relevant content, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. Personalization goes beyond just addressing the recipient by name; it’s about understanding their needs and preferences.

In the cluttered world of inboxes, your emails need to stand out. Engaging content and eye-catching designs are crucial elements. Business owners should create content that adds value to their subscribers’ lives. Whether it’s informative newsletters, exclusive promotions or captivating visuals, a well-crafted email can leave a lasting impression and keep your brand top-of-mind.

Time is of the essence, and automation can be a game-changer in email marketing. Automate welcome emails, follow-ups and even personalized recommendations based on user behavior. Southern View Media highlights the efficiency gains and the ability to nurture leads without constant manual intervention. Automation not only saves time but ensures timely and relevant communication.

Analytics are crucial in refining your email marketing strategy. Tracking open rates, click-through rates and conversion metrics provides valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. Regularly analyzing this data allows you to adapt your approach, optimize campaigns and continuously improve the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts.

With increasing concerns about data privacy, there comes a need to adhere to email marketing regulations. Respecting subscribers’ privacy and obtaining their consent builds trust. Clearly communicating your privacy policy and allowing users to easily opt-out demonstrates your commitment to ethical marketing practices.

Email remains a powerful and versatile tool for businesses. Southern View Media encourages businesses to leverage the full potential of email marketing by focusing on building quality lists, personalizing communication, creating compelling content, embracing automation, analyzing data and ensuring compliance. When used strategically, email marketing can not only help businesses stay connected with their customers but also drive sales and foster long-term relationships. It’s time to unlock the full potential of this timeless marketing channel.

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Toast to the Coast: J.Y.S.L.A.

This June, we ask you to join us in raising a metaphorical glass in honor of the Lanier family.

In 2018, Mr. Lanier and his wife, Teresa, founded Jubilee Youth Service and Leadership Academy (J.Y.S.L.A.). The non-profit is an affordable and high-quality mentorship and leadership program. Through J.Y.S.L.A., the Laniers hope to transform the lives of young boys along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

“We teach our cadets perseverance and how to solve problems and challenging circumstances,” Mr. Lanier said. “The results are them learning character, grit and a never-give-up attitude.”

Both Mr. and Mrs. Lanier are immensely qualified to run a youth non-profit, and are clearly committed to enriching the community. Mr. Lanier is a proud native of Mobile, Alabama. His extensive qualifications include Utah State University, the United States Army and a juvenile detention bootcamp instructor for the Boys & Girls Club. Mrs. Lanier’s background is just as impressive with 38 years of nursing experience, especially with the underprivileged population.

J.Y.S.L.A. provides a variety of experiences for young boys that they may not find anywhere else. For example, the Laniers and their volunteers host the Early Risers: Leadership & Ranger Outdoor Adventure Camp. The boys and their mentors visited the Hank Aaron Birthplace Museum in May 2021. There are still spots available for the tour of the Mobile Bay peninsula in July 2021!

If you would like to contribute to J.Y.S.L.A. and, by extension, give back to the Gulf Coast community, there are a variety of ways to do so! You can become a sponsor or make a one-time donation. If you would like to enroll your son in this unique program, visit www.jysla.org today.

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What’s the deal with Parler?

Social media has gotten big. Very big. Between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter alone, literally billions of people are connecting, sharing, conversing and more. It’s great, but it does come at a cost. Businesses looking to market using these platforms are presented with a very uphill journey; a battle to gain and retain relevance amidst a giant mass of content presented to each user every single day. It can be like waving a hand-drawn poster in the air in the middle of a crowded football game: many will see it, but your arms might get pretty tired. So, it’s time to recognize a rising star in the social media world: Parler.

What is Parler?

Parler is a social media platform not unlike Facebook and Twitter in their earliest days, which can be appealing for many. Its intention is to be a smaller, more niche, content-driven platform that returns to an older form factor for a social media app. For one thing, it’s chronological. If you don’t know, most of the primary social media platforms have algorithms that determine the order of posts you should see in your timeline. This has led many to be concerned about missing content that they actually want to see.

Another thing to note about Parler is that it’s primarily unregulated. Where Facebook’s size gives it the responsibility of fact-checking and regulating information, Parler returns to the old-school days. It’s a free-for-all, user regulated with no platform intervention. Parler is also completely unmonetized, meaning it has no advertising platform and will not run ads on peoples’ timelines. Instead, Parler’s long-term goal is to give businesses options for influencer marketing, giving you the power to tap into the platforms of influential users and their platforms to market your business. 

Who Could Benefit?

Those features are big draws for users, and are a few of the reasons that in only a few months Parler has amassed over 2 million active users: certainly enough to interest a business looking to market themselves, but not so much that you have to worry about falling into the ocean of content. Parler is worth considering for businesses already doing social media marketing, as the platform itself acts a lot like Facebook, and especially those who may not be finding as much engagement as they want to see. Businesses could also seriously benefit from the chronological timeline. Without having to contend with social media algorithms that constantly change, and changing content to fit new standards that seem to emerge every day, the chronological timeline gives everyone the same fair chance of being seen on users’ timelines. In this way, there is not a huge discrepancy between user profiles and business pages, making marketing on Parler a relatively simple activity that can garner results.

Here at Southern View Media, we’re offering Parler as an optional part of our content marketing package. If you could benefit from posting your content to Parler, we’re ready to take the plunge and help you with it. If you’re interested in boosting your business on social media, be it Parler or anywhere else, call us today!

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How Can Digital Ads Benefit Your Business?

Is there a secret to growing your clientele on the web? Sure, you can upload impeccable content every day on social media platforms, but how will others who aren’t following you come about your business? The answer is simple, but versatile, and relies on digital ads to get your brand noticed and ahead compared to other competitors that might not be using this form of promotion. Digital ads are known to benefit businesses if implemented effectively, so here are some tips to help you do just that.

Reach Target Audience Faster

There is a broad range of options available for reaching your target audiences using digital ads. By narrowing your target audience reach, you can filter things such as keywords, locations or demographics to help potential customers engage with your brand and click on the ad. This way, you are able to engage with your target audience on shared interests while saving you time compared to using traditional advertising. 

Determine Display Channels

Once you have a general understanding of who your target audience is, you can determine which display channels you want to use for your digital ads. A display channel is a website that your display ad is showing up on. By arranging which channels work best or are used the most according to your audience, you become more aware of how often you can change channels as platforms evolve or establish channels that your audience prefers. This way, you are not sticking to just one marketing tool and can easily garner views by a high number of web users across various channels.

Develop ROI Through Marketing Tools 

As a business owner, it’s never a good feeling to know you had a potential customer leave your site before making a purchase. Sometimes, they may have left an item in their cart but did not proceed to the final purchasing steps. This is where integrated marketing tools such as using cookies will help retarget and remarket those leads. Digital ads will appear on the other sites they visit, making them more susceptible to clicking on the items they didn’t purchase and redirecting them back to your webpage. It’s a highly effective tactic for you, and just a gentle reminder to them that they may want to reconsider leaving your business behind.

Measure Data-Driven Results

At this point, you already have an idea of how much digital ads can help benefit your business. But how far can you go as an owner to be able to measure these data-driven results? Luckily, optimization programs that measure ad performance exist to be able to measure such results on all aspects of your digital ads such as when using ad campaigns. Engagement is also measured here, and utilizing that data to make smart decisions can boost your business overall quality score. 

Contact us to find out how we can help with your business’s digital presence. For a free consultation to formulate a strategic and affordable plan, call us today at 251-583-2605 or visit www.southernviewmedia.com. We are a Google Trusted Agency and will be happy to answer your questions.

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Michelle’s View: An Interview with Access Magazine

Michelle Murrill of Southern View Media was honored to be interviewed by Access Magazine recently. Read the full article below! 

Michelle's View
Michelle's View

Michelle’s View

In this day and age, having an online presence for your business can mean the difference between success or flop. That’s why it is important to work with a company that specializes in marketing to help put businesses (like yours) on the “digital” map – a company like Southern View Media. Michelle Murrill, Southern View Media co-owner (alongside husband Brad), tells ACCESS about the importance of digital marketing. 

By Caroline Edmondson

 

It’s no secret that our world is quickly going digital, which means if a company has no online presence, it’s likely losing major money. No one understands this more than Michelle Murrill, co-owner of Southern View Media, who started her company back in 2015 in an effort to help local area businesses increase their digital visibility. But the depth and scope of her online experience precedes the start of her Alabama-based company by far. 

 

Having moved to Charleston years ago with her husband, Brad, and initially establishing herself as a stay-at-home mom, Michelle swiftly realized that the lifestyle didn’t suit her career desires. To curb her entrepreneurial craving, she launched an online platform dubbed MomsofCharleston.com where she showcased all of the area’s exciting local events and happenings (places for kids to take lessons; awesome birthday party locations; restaurants where kids eat free; etc.), and area advertisers were quick to reach out to be listed on the site or to display their ads. “I worked hard to make the website show up in Google search results organically, used Google Ads, and grew a following on social media platforms for the site,” Michelle explains. “I ended up making a profit before the site even launched and was approached about a buyout shortly thereafter.” Michelle loved her time researching content for the website, but also enjoyed meeting the advertisers and hearing how the content marketing was working for them. “I learned so much about digital during this time, and it was really just the beginning of the digital marketing world back in 2008 to 2010,” she says. 

 

In 2010, the couple moved back to Baldwin County, digital marketing knowledge and a plan in tow. “We wanted to start another company similar to the one I had in Charleston but needed to prepare and plan before we jumped in,” she says. “I worked for another company selling and putting together marketing strategies for about five years. During that time, we saved money, and the overall vision for our company changed into what Southern View Media is today.” Michelle and Brad completed training and testing on digital marketing products to make sure they were prepared to take on their first client when the time came. “We set pretty high standards, expectations, and goals for ourselves, our company, and our future employees,” she adds. 

 

Thus, Southern View Media was born. 

 

So, what exactly does Southern View Media do for big and small businesses? Clients are offered a wide range of digital marketing services including website design, social media marketing, online ads, email marketing, logo design, app development, and much more. “The problem we help a lot of clients solve is finding the right digital products to use to represent their business online,” Michelle says. “The question isn’t why they need it; it really is what type of online marketing do they need the most to attract their perfect client. The answer differs for each business, as each industry and business are unique. It’s our job to get to know that particular business and see what works for them.” Michelle and Brad follow a few basic principles when it comes to each of their clients. First off, Michelle explains that people do not want to be sold; they want to buy – but they don’t want the hard sell when they are scrolling through their news feed. Because of this, Southern View Media focuses on what Michelle calls “The 3 E’s of Social Media”: Education, Entertainment, and Engagement. “Once people follow a page, engage with the page, and we build up credibility, they will spend more and be a more loyal customer because they feel like they have built a relationship with our client online,” Michelle explains. “The key to success, though, is truly partnering with the businesses we work with and getting to know them, their voice, and their clientele to make sure the content we create matches their company vision. There is just no cookie-cutter way to approach it; you have to dig in, do the work, and do the research to see the results, but it pays off!” 

 

And pay off it has, with big-name clients like Truland Homes and Peak Alkalinity seeing a positive impact thanks to Southern View Media. Erica Pounder, marketing director for Truland Homes, says, “We have been impressed with the quality of services we’ve received from Southern View, but more than their expertise, we have been impressed with their level of customer service, which is above anything else we have experienced with other companies.” As for Peak Alkalinity, Michelle says they have enjoyed helping them grow from a small storefront in Fairhope to a multi-location business by building their online presence from scratch. 

 

These success stories show how important it is for small, local businesses to have a large presence online in order to grow. Without a well-known, national name, local businesses rely on word of mouth and referrals by clients. This is why digital marketing is essential for these small businesses, as it really gets their name out there and helps grow their clientele. It is possible to have your business become a household name; you just have to have the right digital tools to make it happen. 

 

What makes Southern View Media the best choice? Its team and individualized process, of course! Michelle says her team is “the best of the best,” as her first standard for a new staff member is finding someone smarter than her, since no one person can possibly be an expert at all the services they provide. Southern View Media has focused on its processes since the beginning, making sure nothing gets left out. “We continually update, change, improve, and customize these processes as we grow. But this is what keeps our business moving forward,” Michelle says. 

 

As far as balancing marriage and their shared company, Michelle and Brad say they love what they do, and their work is an integral part of their marriage and who they are. “As far as working with my spouse, I absolutely love it,” Michelle says. “Having him in the office with me means no matter how difficult a situation or stressful a day, he can lighten the mood and make me laugh. It is a lot of fun! We are smart about it, though, and keep separate offices,” she jokes. “Watching how Michelle manages the business, our team, and our family is amazing,” Brad adds. “Knowing we are working together for a common goal in all aspects of life is an incredible feeling.” Michelle and Brad currently have three children, aged 18, 11, and their newest addition, a baby boy named Hudson, born just last month. Michelle says the months leading up to his birth were filled with the hustle and bustle that comes naturally with nesting: “I had planned out a lot of things to balance and prepare for those first few weeks of chaos after you bring a new baby home,” Michelle jokes. “The whole family is thrilled for this caboose baby!” Congratulations Michelle and Brad on their newest addition and continued success in their business!

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But What About BERT? Your Guide to Google’s Latest Algorithm Update

Google announced its latest algorithm update on October 24, 2019, a few days after its initial rollout had already started. The update will affect up to 10% of queries on the search engine, making BERT one of the largest updates from Google in the past five years.

BERT

BERT is an acronym representing “Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers” (We’ll get to this in a second, in plain English) and is a “neural network-based technique for natural language processing (NLP) pre-training.” Whew! That’s a mouthful.

BERT Explained

BERT’s focused on figuring out the intent of your Google searches better. Instead of looking at each search query word by word, BERT lets Google look at the entirety of the search query in order to get a more accurate idea of what the desired result is. In the past, simple words, minor modifications or discrepancies in search queries and Google Ads Keywords could substantially change the search query result from what the user wanted pulled up. BERT allows the search engine interpret the desired result from the whole query, and not get distracted by the wrong details.

Look at like this, when someone asks you what a seahorse looks like, do you start out by drawing each individual part separately and gluing them all together? Or do you start with the overall shape first and then fill in the details as you get to each section of the seahorse?

Examples

In the first example provided, Google illustrates how a small mistake like using the wrong preposition would affect the algorithm’s interpretation of traveling to the US vs from the US.

In the second example provided, Google used to autocorrect “stand a lot” to “stand-alone” missing the overall intent of the search query, which wanted Google to focus on the physical demands of the job. Now, BERT helps Google interpret the query along the user’s line of thinking: the physical demands of working as an esthetician.

How BERT Will Affect Your SEO

Make sure you watch your traffic for any changes over the next several weeks. This algorithm is not going to punish anyone, thankfully. This update is only meant to better interpret desired search query results from the query itself.

The best way to come out on top of the BERT update? Know the questions and reasoning behind your target audience’s search queries. Then, create your content based on the goal of answering as many of these questions as possible.

Good content in this case comes in the form of well-written, long-form guides and blogs that sufficiently answer the questions your audience has, and even questions they haven’t thought up yet!

If you’re traffic is decreasing because of the BERT rollout, here are a few pointers to get your traffic trending back in the right direction.

  1. Pinpoint the search queries or keywords that make your traffic drop. There are several programs like Search Console that let you run a comparison report of your queries.
  2. Find out what’s ranking now. Is it a different form of content than what you’re publishing? Does it approach a topic from a new angle or perspective? Does slightly different wording create a whole new question?
  3. Slightly change your content. You don’t want to ditch your whole brand identity, but tweaking your content just so to reflect popular trends can open up new possibilities to match popular queries.
  4. Ask Google what it wants! Google is constantly letting creators know what content performs best.

So there you have it! Google’s BERT update is its latest, and one of the largest of the past five years. It’s purpose is to better understand search intent, not to penalize anyone from doing anything a certain way, so there’s no need to rush and upend your content plans and strategies. All you have to do is pay attention to your traffic over the next few weeks and adapt to what you’re seeing. We’re excited to see how our SEO improves!

Contact us to find out how we can help with your business’s digital presence. For a free consultation to formulate a strategic and affordable plan, call us today at 251-583-2605 or visit www.southernviewmedia.com. We are a Google Trusted Agency and will be happy to answer your questions.