Greetings Rainmakers!
Hey, it’s David. Let’s talk.
Digital has worked roughly the same for over 25 years: create a website, start creating content, get referral traffic through social media and search, build your business.
That way of doing business is done.
I was recently talking to a buddy of mine who works for a household name digital marketing company. Almost all of their referral traffic from search has disappeared year over year.
Do you realize what that means?
Referral traffic from search has been the backbone of the Internet for 25 years. But smart marketers like Gary Vee and Darren Rowse aren’t even bothering to regularly publish on their site anymore to help their SEO. That’s a warning sign.
I’m from Oklahoma. When I step outside and smell rain in a dead stillness and see clouds overhead, I go back inside and turn on the weather. And right now, when it comes to content marketing, I see clouds, and I smell rain. There’s a tornado coming.
BUT … in every upheaval like this there is opportunity. We have the experience of the shift from analog to digital and the burst of the dotcom bubble. We understand what it takes to thrive during change, and we have the knowledge and resources to help you weather the storm.
The shift away from search referral traffic is the biggest change in business in the last quarter century. Turn on the news. Please read these articles. We’re here to help you make it through.
The End of the Internet As We Know It
Since the beginning of the web, the click (and all that goes along with it) has been the backbone of our online interactions. Now, though, we’re seeing AI models take clicks out of the equation entirely. Luc Olinga lays out where the web is headed for Gizmodo.
Don’t Make Your Socials an Afterthought
Social media must be intentional and strategic, or there’s no point in doing it at all. Our own David Brandon takes you through three steps to make your social media successful.
It’s no longer a fringe opinion: SEO is dying. Many companies have been approaching their strategy for visibility backwards … and that has to change. Brandon Pizzacalla of Contently explains how.
From Third-Party Cookies to Zero-Party Data
Passive data collection is harder than it’s ever been due to technological changes and privacy legislation. That makes zero-party data critically important. In this HubSpot piece, Maria Fintanidou explains how to get your audience to volunteer the information you need for targeting.
How to Build a Brand That Truly Connects
A brand is more than a logo or some language. It has to connect with its audience, or it’s just nice creative. In this piece, Katie Morton of Search Engine Journal sits down with brand marketer Mordy Oberstein to show how you can build that connection.
How To Adjust Your Content Strategy for Google’s AI Mode
Google’s AI Mode is completely changing the way we do content strategy. Are you up to speed? John Iwuozor explains how you can make sure your brand shows up in relevant conversations in this new piece from Moz.
Thanks for reading. And if you have any questions, comments or thoughts, feel free to reach out. Just drop us a line, anytime.
Best Regards,
David Brandon
Copywriter
Rainmaker Digital Services