This week is National Small Business Week and we are stoked to celebrate with small businesses around the country. Small businesses are the life-blood of what we do. Without you, the 200+ employees at OrangeSoda and our families would go without. A big thanks goes out to all you awesome and courageous small business owners. Read On

Running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign is one of the most effective ways to attract targeted consumers to your website. However, PPC is not an easy game to play, and the rules of PPC should be taken seriously. Getting the most out of your PPC budget requires a lot of knowledge, research, and constant monitoring. Before you set up your paid search account, there are a few things to consider to create a successful PPC campaign. Here’s what you need to know before you get started. Read On

If most of your customers are located near your brick-and-mortar business, then you have probably considered conducting local SEO campaigns. When you have a local business, local SEO is the best way to utilize your internet advertising budget. Whether you run your campaign through an online advertising agency like OrangeSoda or you do your own SEO, there are a few things you must do in order to make the most of your advertising budget. Read On

Writing ad copy that attracts the right customers can be a challenge. Consumers are looking for quick answers and the advertiser with the clearest path to an answer often wins the click. Writing copy that gets clicks involves lots of trial and error, but the good news is that Google offers a way to make delivering quality copy easier. With Google Extensions, you can optimize your ad to include information that attracts customers. Here are some Google Extensions you can add to your ad for free. Read On

Hashtags used to be a hilarious way to say something under your breath on Twitter, but things have gotten a little out of hand. Lately, I’ve come across a lot of different hashtag faux pas, and it’s beginning to make me feel awkward. In an effort to help the world become more refined in their hashtag usage, I thought I’d outline some common misuses of the hashtag that won’t do your social marketing strategy an ounce of good.

Hashtags are not to be used in the following ways (unless you really want to; I’m not the boss of you): Read On

Google recently announced the new Google Maps. This hasn’t been universally rolled out yet, but you can request an invite here. The redesign for the desktop is highly functional (with a good internet connection), cleaner, and smarter. The Google team has designed it to have the same ‘cards’ feel as the Google Now app. Essentially, it looks nice! I’ll review some of the best, new features, but it’s hard to know where to start! Read On

If you are involved in any service- or product-based industry, you’ve probably been exposed to some type of PPC (pay per click) advertising. PPC advertising is a great way to get targeted online traffic, but how do you know if those clicks are turning into business? Here are a few steps to follow to measure the success of your PPC campaign. Read On

Google made an announcement last week that positively affects any thriving business. They announced that they are now accepting requests to move your business reviews from one listing to another.

If you are part of a growing company, chances are you experience a lot of change. For example, your company may experience a change in name, ownership, physical location, or your services may even be acquired by another business. Read On

Learning how to conduct effective keyword research is super helpful in guiding your SEO and PPC campaigns, but there is a bit of a learning curve. Keyword tools present a lot of unfamiliar terms, and the variations of each term are often slight. One area that can be a bit confusing to digest is the “keyword match types” on Google AdWords Keyword tool. These match types can be super helpful in getting the right traffic to your site, but it’s all about learning how to use them to your advantage. Here is a short guide to help you understand the difference between broad, [exact], and “phrase” match types. Read On

While onsite optimization plays a huge role in the success of your SEO campaign, it’s equally as important to promote your site on websites across the Internet. One great way to do this is to encourage quality links to your website. Here are just a few ways quality links will benefit you. Read On