Demystifying SEO—A Comprehensive Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Demystifying SEO—A Comprehensive Guide to Search Engine Optimization

In the digital age, having a strong online presence is important. Understanding search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for success online, whether you’re a business or an individual. In this blog, we will answer your most frequently asked questions surrounding search engine optimization.

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What is search engine optimization, and what exactly does it do?

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Is SEO paid or free?

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What are SEO examples?

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What are the four types of SEO?
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What are the three main areas of SEO?
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What are your top 3 SEO techniques?
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What are the 5 SEO elements?
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What are the five ingredients for SEO?
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How long does it take to rank #1 on Google?
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What are common SEO mistakes?
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Can I do SEO on my own?
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Contact the experts.

What is search engine optimization, and what exactly does it do?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) aligns marketing efforts with the way people search for information online, making it a cornerstone of digital marketing strategies. SEO does this by improving your website and content to rank higher in search results and get more organic traffic. It aims to make your content easily discoverable on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It involves various techniques and strategies aimed at attracting organic (unpaid) traffic to your website. These strategies make your content more relevant and appealing to search engine algorithms.

 

Is SEO paid or free?

Search engine optimization encompasses both paid and free elements. The primary focus, however, is on organic (unpaid) search results.

You don’t pay search engines to rank higher naturally. However, there may be expenses for SEO tools. Additionally, creating content and reaching out may also incur costs.

What are SEO examples?

Examples of search engine optimization practices include:

  • Optimizing your website’s meta tags, including title tags and meta descriptions.
  • Creating high-quality blog posts and pages with relevant keywords.
  • Building high-authority backlinks from reputable websites.
  • Improving website load times and mobile responsiveness.

These examples demonstrate how search engine optimization works in real-world applications.

What are the four types of SEO?

We can categorize search engine optimization into four main types:

  • On-Page SEO—This involves optimizing individual web pages for specific keywords, improving content quality, and optimizing meta-information.
  • Off-Page SEO—It focuses on building backlinks and enhancing the online reputation and authority of your website.
  • Technical SEO—This aspect improves the website’s infrastructure and performance, ensuring it is search engine-friendly.
  • Local SEO—Tailored for local businesses, it enhances visibility in local search results, crucial for attracting nearby customers.

Understanding these types of search engine optimization helps you develop a holistic optimization strategy.

What are the three main areas of SEO?

The three primary areas of SEO are:

  • Technical SEO—This focuses on ensuring your website is technically sound, including aspects like site speed, mobile optimization, and structured data.
  • On-Page SEO—It involves optimizing individual pages by strategically placing keywords, improving content quality, and optimizing meta-information.
  • Off-Page SEO—This includes activities like building backlinks from authoritative sources and enhancing your website’s online reputation.

What are your top 3 seo techniques?

Three effective search engine optimization techniques include:

  • Keyword Research—Identifying relevant keywords with search volume and aligning your content strategy with them
  • Content Creation—Developing valuable, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and questions of your target audience
  • Link Building—Getting good backlinks from trusted sites to boost your domain authority and enhance your site’s visibility in search results

What are the five seo elements?

The five essential search engine optimization elements are:

  • Keywords—Selecting and strategically using keywords relevant to your content and target audience
  • Content—Creating high-quality, user-focused content that satisfies search intent
  • Links—Building authoritative backlinks and internal links
  • Technical Structure—Ensuring your website is technically sound, with fast loading times and mobile optimization
  • User Experience—Enhancing the overall user experience on your website, making it easy to navigate and engaging for visitors

What are the five ingredients for SEO?

Effective search engine optimization requires five key ingredients:

  • Quality Content—Content that is informative, valuable, and user-focused
  • Keyword Optimization—Strategic use of keywords in content and meta-information
  • Backlinks—Building high-quality backlinks to establish authority
  • Technical Optimization—Ensuring your website is technically sound and optimized for search engines
  • User Experience Enhancement—Providing a positive user experience on your website

How long does it take to rank #1 on Google?

The time to rank #1 on Google depends on competition, industry, and the quality of your SEO efforts. It can range from several months to over a year of consistent optimization and content creation.

What are common SEO mistakes?

Common search engine optimization mistakes to avoid include:

  • Keyword stuffing—Overloading content with keywords
  • Neglecting mobile optimization—Not optimizing for mobile devices
  • Ignoring technical SEO—Neglecting website structure and performance
  • Failing to create quality, user-focused content—Prioritizing quantity over quality.

Can I do SEO on my own?

Yes, individuals and small businesses can perform search engine optimization on their own. You can learn and implement basic SEO techniques, such as optimizing on-page elements and creating high-quality content. However, for more advanced strategies and in competitive industries, consulting with search engine optimization experts or agencies will be beneficial.

Contact the experts.

Search engine optimization is a dynamic and essential aspect of online marketing. By learning and using effective strategies, you can make your website more visible, attract more visitors, and achieve your online goals. Are you ready to get your business search engine optimized? Contact the experts at Root & Roam today!

How to Market a YouTube Channel – Strategies for Success

How to Market a YouTube Channel – Strategies for Success

In today’s digital landscape, marketing a YouTube channel effectively has become crucial for businesses and content creators alike. YouTube has a large user base and many advertising opportunities. This makes it an ideal platform to promote your channel and reach a wider audience.

This guide will explore strategies, tools, and techniques to improve your YouTube marketing. It will help you make the most of YouTube advertising. Let’s dive in!

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YouTube Video Marketing Services–Boosting Your Channel’s Growth

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YouTube Marketing Tools–Powering Your Advertising Efforts

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Key Elements of a Successful YouTube Marketing Strategy

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YouTube Shorts Advertising–Embracing the Streaming Trend

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Understanding YouTube Advertising–How Does It Work?

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Boosting Your YouTube Advertising Success

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YouTube Advertising–Cost and Pricing

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Mastering YouTube Advertising–Strategies to Elevate Your Channel’s Growth

YouTube Video Marketing Services–Boosting Your Channel’s Growth

When it comes to marketing your YouTube channel, professional video marketing services can provide valuable assistance. These services often offer expertise in creating compelling video content, optimizing video metadata, managing ad campaigns, and analyzing performance metrics. Partnering with a reputable YouTube video marketing service can boost your channel’s visibility. This service can provide you with the team’s experience and industry insights, giving you a competitive edge.

YouTube Marketing Tools–Powering Your Advertising Efforts

To maximize the effectiveness of your YouTube advertising, it is crucial to utilize the right marketing tools. Here are some essential YouTube marketing tools worth considering:

  1. YouTube Analytics–Gain valuable insights into your channel’s performance, audience demographics, and video engagement metrics. Use this data to make informed decisions and optimize your advertising strategy.
  2. Google Trends can help you find popular search queries related to your niche. Leverage trending topics to create content that is timely and relevant to your audience. This will help your content resonate more effectively.
  3. TubeBuddy is a browser extension that helps you optimize your YouTube videos. It provides features such as keyword research, tag suggestions, and competitor analysis.
  4. Canva–Create eye-catching thumbnails and channel art with this user-friendly graphic design tool. Compelling visuals can significantly impact click-through rates and video engagement.
  5. Social Analytics Tool–Monitor your channel’s growth, track competitor statistics, and gain insights into audience behavior and engagement trends.

Key Elements of a Successful YouTube Marketing Strategy

A well-crafted YouTube marketing strategy is crucial for channel growth and engagement. Consider the following elements when developing your strategy:

  1. Define your target audience. Understand who your content is meant to impact, and tailor your videos to their interests, preferences, and pain points.
  2. Maintain a consistent brand identity across your channel by using a compelling logo, color scheme, and visual style. This builds recognition and trust among your audience.
  3. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant topics and phrases that resonate with your target audience. Incorporate these keywords into your video titles, descriptions, and tags to enhance search visibility.
  4. Create high-quality video content that is informative and entertaining. This will captivate your viewers and encourage them to subscribe, comment, and share. Consistency and regular uploads are essential for maintaining audience engagement.
  5. Collaborate with other YouTubers or influencers in your niche. This will help you to tap into their audience and expand your reach. Cross-promote with them to further boost your reach. Cross-promotion through shout-outs and collaborations can help you gain subscribers and increase visibility.
  6. Engage with your audience. Respond to comments, interact with your viewers, and build a community around your channel. Engaging with your audience fosters loyalty and encourages them to become advocates for your channel.

    YouTube Shorts Advertising–Embracing the Streaming Trend

    YouTube Shorts, a recent addition to the YouTube platform, has gained tremendous popularity as a short-form video format. Advertisers should be aware of the streaming trend. They can use YouTube Shorts advertising to capture the attention of a younger audience, who are mobile-centric.

    Create short, engaging vertical videos to promote your brand, products, or services. This will maximize your reach on this emerging platform.

      Understanding YouTube Advertising–How Does It Work?

      YouTube advertising functions through various mechanisms:

      1. Choose an ad format to suit your marketing goals and budget. Options include
        • Skippable TrueView ads 
        • Non-skippable in-stream ads 
        • Bumper ads 
        • Discovery ads
      2. Utilize demographic targeting, interest-based targeting, remarketing, placement targeting, and keyword targeting to reach your desired audience effectively.
      3. Set an advertising budget. Choose between CPV or target CPM bidding. This decision depends on the objectives of the campaign.
      4. Measure the performance of your ads using YouTube Analytics. Track metrics such as views, view rate, click-through rate (CTR), average watch time, and engagement to optimize your campaigns.

        Boosting Your YouTube Advertising Success

        To maximize the effectiveness of your YouTube advertising campaigns, consider the following strategies:

        1. Create ads that draw attention and are concise and visually appealing. Make sure they resonate with your target audience and align with their interests.
        2. Include clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) phrases in your ads. This will encourage viewers to take the desired action, such as subscribing, visiting your website, or making a purchase.
        3. Experiment with different ad formats, targeting options, and messaging to identify the most effective combinations. Continuously analyze and optimize your campaigns based on performance data. This is called A/B testing.
        4. Retarget users who have interacted with your channel or videos in the past. This strategy, remarketing campaigns, can help reinforce your message and increase conversion rates.

          YouTube Advertising–Cost and Pricing

          The cost of advertising on YouTube varies based on factors such as ad format, targeting options, audience reach, and competition. YouTube offers flexible pricing models like cost-per-view (CPV) bidding and target CPM (cost per thousand impressions) bidding. Advertisers have control over their budgets and can set maximum bid limits to align with their marketing goals.

            Mastering YouTube Advertising–Strategies to Elevate Your Channel’s Growth

            YouTube advertising offers tremendous opportunities for businesses and content creators. With a thoughtful approach, compelling content, and continuous optimization, your YouTube channel can thrive in the competitive digital landscape. Contact Root & Roam today to start implementing these insights, and watch your channel soar to new heights!

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              Key Performance Indicators

              Key Performance Indicators

              Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are crucial aspects of any marketing strategy and play a vital role in tracking the effectiveness and efficiency of your marketing campaigns. They are quantitative values that help you measure your progress towards your marketing goals and provide valuable insights into areas for improvement. In this blog, we will dive into what KPIs are, how to create them, and how to measure them to drive results.

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              What Are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)??

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              How to Create KPIs for Your Marketing Strategy

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              How to Measure KPIs

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              Tips For Creating And Measuring KPIs

              What are key performance indicators (KPIs)?

              KPIs are metrics that help to measure the success of your marketing efforts. They are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) values that are used to track the performance of your marketing activities. KPIs can help you identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.

              Examples of KPIs in marketing include website traffic, conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, email open rates, and social media engagement. They can be used to measure the success of specific campaigns, as well as the overall performance of your marketing activities.

              How to Create KPIs for Your Marketing Strategy

              1. Determine your marketing goals.
                Examples include increasing website traffic, improving customer engagement, or boosting sales.
              2. Choose the right metrics.
                Your KPIs should align with your goals and help you track progress towards them For example, if your goal is to increase website traffic, you might choose to track website visits, page views, and bounce rates.
              3. Select relevant KPIs.
                When selecting KPIs, it’s important to choose metrics that are relevant and meaningful to your marketing goals. Choose KPIs that directly correlate with your goals and can easily track the progress of your marketing efforts.
              4. Set target values.
                Set target values for each of your KPI’s. This will help you measure progress and determine if you are on track to achieve your marketing goals.

              How to Measure KPIs

              1. Monitor regularly:
                To effectively measure your KPIs, you need to monitor them on a regular basis. This could be daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on the KPI and the frequency of your marketing activities.
              2. Use analytics tools:
                There are various analytics tools available to help you measure your KPIs. Google Analytics is a popular tool that can help you track website traffic, conversion rates, and other metrics. Other tools, such as email marketing software and social media management tools, can also be used to track KPIs specific to those channels.
              3. Review and adjust:
                Regularly reviewing your KPIs is important to ensure you are on track to meet your marketing goals. If you are not seeing the results you want, adjust your marketing strategy, and continue monitoring your KPIs to see if there is improvement.

              Tips for Creating and Measuring KPIs

              1. Keep KPIs simple.
                It’s important to keep your KPIs simple and easy to understand. Complex metrics can be difficult to measure and interpret, which can hinder your ability to make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.
              2. Focus on relevant metrics:
                When selecting KPIs, focus on metrics that are relevant to your marketing goals and provide valuable insights into the success of your marketing campaigns.
              3. Automate data collection:
                Automating data collection can help to streamline the process of measuring your KPIs and save time. There are a variety of tools available to help you automate data collection, including Google Analytics and marketing automation software.
              4. Interpret data correctly:
                It’s important to interpret your KPI data correctly to make informed decisions about your marketing strategy. Take the time to understand the data and what it means for your marketing efforts. Don’t rely on one KPI to make decisions; instead, look at a variety of KPIs to get a comprehensive view of your marketing performance.
              5. Collaborate with other teams:
                Marketing KPIs often impact other teams, such as sales and customer service. Collaborating with these teams can provide valuable insights into how your marketing efforts are impacting other areas of the business.
              6. Update KPIs regularly:
                As your marketing goals and strategies evolve, it’s important to update your KPIs to ensure they are still relevant and aligned with your marketing efforts. Regularly reviewing and updating your KPIs can help to ensure they continue to provide valuable insights into your marketing performance.

              By creating SMART KPIs, regularly monitoring and interpreting data, and collaborating with other teams, you can drive results and make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.

              By using KPIs, you can also measure the impact of your marketing efforts, track progress towards your goals, and identify areas for improvement. This information can help you to adjust your marketing strategy to ensure you are getting the best results possible. So, take the time to create and measure KPIs to help you drive results and achieve your marketing goals.

              If you need any help creating or analyzing your company’s KPIs, feel free to contact us at hello@rootandroam!

              Google Search Console

              Google Search Console

              Google Search Console is an essential tool for website owners and marketers who want to improve their search engine optimization (SEO) and increase organic traffic. This free platform provides a wealth of information and resources that can help you optimize your website for search engines, monitor performance, and resolve any technical issues that may impact your search ranking. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how to use Google Search Console to take advantage of all its features and boost your SEO and improve your website’s visibility on Google Search.

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              What is Google Search Console?

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              Getting Started with Google Search Console

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              What are the benefits of using Google Search Console?

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              Conclusion

              What is Google Search Console?

              Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that allows website owners to monitor and maintain their site’s presence on Google Search. The platform provides a information and insights into how your site is performing in search results, including which keywords and queries are driving traffic to your site, which pages are appearing in search results, and any crawl errors or other technical issues that may be affecting your search ranking. With Google Search Console, you can stay on top of your site’s performance and make any necessary changes to improve your SEO and increase organic traffic.

              Getting Started with Google Search Console

              Getting started with Google Search Console is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps you need to follow to set up your account and start using this valuable tool:

              1. Verify Your Site.
                To use Google Search Console, you’ll need to verify that you own or have access to the website you want to monitor. You can do this by adding a small piece of code to your site, uploading a file to your server, or using a Google Analytics account.
              2. Add Your Site.
                Once you’ve verified your site, you can add it to Google Search Console and start using the tool. You’ll be asked to provide some basic information about your site, including the domain and any subdomains you want to monitor.
              3. Submit Your Sitemap.
                A sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console is a simple way to ensure that all of your pages are being included in search results and that you’re getting the most out of your SEO efforts. To submit your sitemap, simply go to the “Sitemaps” section of Google Search Console and add your sitemap URL.
              4. Review Data.
                Once you’ve added your site to Google Search Console, you can start reviewing data on your site’s performance in search results. This data will be updated regularly, so be sure to check back frequently to see how your site is performing.
              5. Make Changes.
                Based on the data you see in Google Search Console, you can make changes to your site to improve its performance in search results. This may include optimizing your content for search engines.

              What are the benefits of using Google Search Console?

              Google Search Console is a useful tool for improving website performance and SEO. Here are just a few things that this platform can help with:

              Monitoring Search Traffic

              Google Search Console provides detailed data on the search queries and keywords that are driving traffic to your site, allowing you to see which pages are performing well and which areas may need improvement. This information can help you make informed decisions about your content strategy and ensure that you’re targeting the right keywords to drive traffic to your site.

              Resolving Technical Issues

              If there are any technical issues with your site that are impacting your search ranking, Google Search Console will alert you to these problems and provide guidance on how to resolve them. Technical issues, such as crawl errors or broken links, can have a major impact on your search ranking, so it’s important to address them as soon as possible to ensure that your site is optimized for search engines.

              Optimizing for Search Engines

              By using Google Search Console to monitor your site’s performance in search results, you can identify areas for improvement and make changes to your site to optimize for search engines. This may include making changes to your site’s content, structure, or design to improve its relevance and user experience for search engines and users alike.

              Monitoring Mobile Performance

              With more and more searches being performed on mobile devices, it’s important to ensure that your site is optimized for mobile. Google Search Console provides detailed data on how your site is performing in mobile search results, allowing you to make any necessary adjustments to ensure that your site is accessible and user-friendly for mobile users.

              Getting Insights into User Behavior

              Google Search Console provides data on how users are interacting with your site in search results, including the number of clicks, impressions, and average click-through rate. This information can help you make informed decisions about your content strategy and user experience, ensuring that your site is providing the information and value that users want.

              Check for Crawl Errors

              Once you’ve verified your site and submitted your sitemap, it’s important to check for any crawl errors that may be affecting your search ranking. Crawl errors can include broken links, server errors, and other technical issues that prevent search engines from crawling and indexing your site. Google Search Console provides detailed information on any crawl errors that are affecting your site, allowing you to quickly resolve these issues and improve your search ranking.

              Monitor Keyword Performance

              Google Search Console provides data on the keywords and queries that are driving traffic to your site, allowing you to see which pages are ranking well and which areas may need improvement. By monitoring your keyword performance, you can make informed decisions about your content strategy, identify opportunities to target new keywords, and optimize your site for the terms that are driving traffic and engagement.

              Conclusion

              Google Search Console is a powerful tool for website owners and marketers looking to boost their SEO and drive organic traffic. With its data and resources, you can monitor your site’s performance, resolve any technical issues, optimize your site for search engines, and stay on top of your mobile usability. By taking advantage of all the features and insights in Google Search Console, you can improve your search ranking and enhance your website’s visibility on Google search.

              To maximize your SEO efforts and get the most out of your website, contact Root & Roam Integrated Marketing Agency today. Our team of experts specializes in digital and creative marketing and can help you optimize your site for search engines, drive organic traffic, and reach your marketing goals.

              This blog was written by AI Technology.

              What is streaming advertising?

              What is streaming advertising?

              Streaming advertising is the process of advertising a product via a video or music streaming site. These streaming sites include Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, as well as many others. Depending on the duration of the media being consumed, users could see up to five ad breaks in one sitting. These ad breaks could span from fifteen seconds to ninety seconds, and they cover a wide variety of products and services. In one twenty-minute episode of television, you could see an ad for a heart medication as well as an ad for a new model of car. Streaming advertising is an innovative way to promote your product or service directly to your targeted audience. At Root and Roam Integrated Marketing Agency, we pride ourselves on our ability to advertise your company via the strategic process of streaming advertisement.

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              What platforms offer streaming advertising?

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              What are some of the features included in streaming advertising?

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              Why should you use streaming as a form of advertisement?

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              How can we help you advertise via streaming?

              What platforms offer streaming advertising?

              As mentioned above, a myriad of streaming services offer advertisements. From streaming music to streaming films, you will likely experience multiple breaks for endorsements. Overall, it is likely that any free streaming services will have ad breaks.These streaming sites will display advertisements to their viewers to make up for a loss in subscription revenue. However, most of these sites will have a paid subscription option that eliminates advertisements from their streaming experience entirely. If a user chooses to not pay for a subscription, then they will be subjected to advertisements to account for the discrepancy in revenue. Services that offer these types of paid ad-free subscriptions include Hulu and Spotify. In the case of Spotify, they title this subscription, Spotify Premium.

              Specifically, Hulu offers a wide variety of different streaming plans. Their cheapest plan includes ads, while a secondary more expensive plan excludes them. The cost discrepancy between these two differing plans is about $7.00 a month. One might assume that advertisements are the largest source of revenue for streaming sites. However, this assumption is incorrect, as Hulu receives 54% of its total revenue from subscriptions.

              What are some of the features included in streaming advertising?

              Streaming advertisements offer more features than any other form of advertisement on the market. These features make streaming advertisement more methodical and user specific compared to cable advertisements. This form of advertisement is not only most agreeable for the product user but the company as well. By choosing to promote your products or services via streaming, you make your own advertising experience direct and efficient.

              Some services offered with streaming advertising include:

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              Direct Product Placement

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              Audience Specification

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              Various Forms of Media

              Direct Product Placement pertains to the ability to include a direct link to your product within the ad. This can either be an embedded link or a quick response code (QR) within the advertisement. This direct product placement allows for the viewer to quickly act once they have seen your ad.

              Audience Specification is the process of specifying whom you would like to see your product advertisements. When you begin to set up your advertisement, you will likely come to a screen asking for the demographic you are trying to target. During this step, you can specify the age range and the location of the people that you wish to view your ad. On some streaming sites, you have the option to choose which genre of media that your advertisement will interrupt. This simple step can create staggering levels of product engagement that are unmatched in other forms of advertisement.

              Various Forms of Media are also a huge benefit to using streaming advertisements. Instead of following the same style as every other company seeking advertisement, you have the ability to try new things. As a company, you could choose to follow the standard fifteen second video ad, or you could try something new. Instead of doing a video you could do a slideshow-style advertisement. The sky’s the limit on streaming advertisement.

              Why should you use streaming as a form of advertisement?

              Within the past decade, cable television viewership has plunged from 76% to 56%. This plummet is almost entirely due to the creation of streaming sites. Streaming sites are beginning to take over as about 78% of American households pay for at least one streaming site, if not more. Logistically, the world of media consumption is turning to streaming rather than cable television, and advertisements are as well. Studies have shown that 34% of cable viewers watch commercials. However, of that percentage, 28% watch them on mute. Streaming is beginning to take over, thus streaming advertisements will officially become the new television commercial. 

              Furthermore, streaming sites offer an immediate path directly to the customers that you wish to target. Not only have streaming advertisements been proven to have up to 96% view rates, but they have also promoted brand perception. Streaming sites can use data from the shows users have streamed, their location, as well as their age to present them with ads that best fit their preferences. Meaning your product will only be shown to the demographic of people who are most likely to need or want your goods or services. This algorithm allows for a streamlined process rather than advertising via cable television which is completely at random.

                How can we help you advertise via streaming?

                Streaming advertisements have quickly become one of the most efficient forms of product promotion out there. Not only does this system have higher viewership, but it has also manufactured results. Root and Roam Integrated Marketing Agency has experience in this form of advertisement and would like to help your company find success. From ideation to script writing, graphic creation to filming, if you would like to begin the process of advertisement expansion, please feel free to contact us!

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                  GA4

                  GA4

                  As a business owner, you may have heard of the change that is on the horizon. The coming of the new age is upon us, and on July 1st of 2023, Google will officially move away from Universal Analytics (UA) and transition into Google Analytics 4 (GA4). You may be wondering to yourself, “what does this mean for me and my business?” No need to worry! Root and Roam is here to help.

                  While the full step-by-step of changes and differences can be found in google support, we wanted to highlight the biggest changes that may affect you most. In this blog we will cover:

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                  What is GA4?

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                  What is changing from UA to GA4?

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                  How and when to set up GA4.

                  WHAT IS GA4?

                  Google Analytics 4, also known as GA4, is Google’s next generation of analytics. Within this new platform, Google will track event-based data from BOTH websites and apps. GA4 has made it possible to collect both website- and app-based data to better your understanding of your customer’s journey and behavior. With the fear of personal data sharing rising, GA4 has created a property that mitigates this behavior and tracks cookieless measurement as well as behavioral and conversational modeling. Within their predictive capabilities, GA4 now offers guidance without having to work through complex models: Introducing the next generation of Analytics, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Analytics Help

                  WHAT IS CHANGING FROM UA TO GA4?

                  One of the biggest changes coming to GA4 is the tracking of events. In the old Universal Analytic properties, each event had a Category, Action, and Label with their own hit type. In the new GA4 properties, every hit type now triggers an event in your analytics. GA4 events don’t register Category, Action, and Label. Ultimately, we will need to rethink our data collection to now fit the new GA4 event structure instead of using the same data collection structure we used in Universal Analytics. 

                  Another key component with GA4 is the integration of both web- and app-based data. Before, Universal Analytics would solely track what was happening on your website, and you would have to track your app-based data through firebase. GA4 has combined both features to show all your data in one place. 

                  GA4 will provide simplified reports. Previously, Universal Analytics would show you multiple lists and reports that could be intimidating to some business owners due to the vast amount of data being thrown at you. GA4 will track the key metrics it thinks you will be interested in and will provide simplified reports to speed up your data-tracking process. This new feature can be seen as good or bad, but for the majority of people, it will make Google analytics much easier to understand. For the more experienced data expert, GA4 will come with a new analysis tool that allows you to drill into your data and get the more advanced metric you may be looking for. GA4 will also track more events by default without extra coding, whereas in Universal Analytics you had to implement code to track things like outbound clicks, site searches, video engagements, etc. GA4 automatically tracks these events without the headache of adding code to your site. A more technical breakdown of differences can be found through Googles Analytic Help section.

                  HOW AND WHEN TO SET UP GA4

                  While the official date of transition is July 1st 2023, we here at Root & Roam suggest preparing your business for the switch today. With Google understanding that this is a big change for most companies, they have made it so that both properties can run side-by-side while you and your employees get used to the change. One of the biggest reasons we suggest adding GA4 today is that there is no upgrade plan from UA to GA4, meaning that you will not be able to compare historical UA data to the new GA4 data. With that being said, installing the GA4 tag today allows your business to begin tracking data for the future to better understand your month-over-month, and eventually year-over-year data.

                  Another reason we suggest installing GA4 today is to get yourself up to par on all of the differences before Universal Analytics is shut down. With both platforms running side by side, both you and your team can take this time to compare the two properties and get comfortable with using GA4. Another key fact is that GA4 doesn’t currently offer everything that Universal Analytics offers. Some metrics are still being added and upgraded on the GA4 platform, so having your old Universal Analytics account will ensure that you aren’t missing any data before the transition.

                  With the world of analytics changing rapidly, we at Root & Roam understand that GA4 installation and reporting can be difficult. If you or your business need any help or guidance in this transition, feel free to reach out and talk to one of our experts!

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