The Importance of Flexibility and Functionality

Proprietary content management systems (CMS) are often far too limiting for what school districts need. We advocate for the flexibility of open-source platforms like WordPress. School websites need to be functional, easy to navigate, and tailored to the specific needs of students, parents, staff, and the community. There are several critical features of school district websites that need to be considered, including calendar integrations, news updates, and mobile-friendly design, ensuring that the site serves all users effectively.

Marketing and Branding for Schools

Jon and Evan also discuss the often-overlooked aspect of marketing in the education sector. They share examples of how schools, including virtual, private, and public institutions, can benefit from strategic marketing to drive enrollment and community engagement. They also touch on the importance of branding consistency, suggesting that schools develop clear brand guidelines to maintain a professional online presence.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:46 Organizing Information for Several Audiences at Once
• 5:26 Which Management Platform is Best?
• 8:45 Calendar Integration
• 10:28 Content Plugin for News & Updates
• 11:38 Misc Integrations: Links, Document Management, & Social Media
• 13:27 The Importance of Digital Marketing for School District Websites
• 14:59 Planning is Key
• 16:18 Have Consistent Brand Guidelines
• 17:07 Foremost Selected as UW's Primary Pre-Approved Vendor
• 18:21 Outro

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The Importance of SEO Auditing in 2024

Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard walk through the impact of the March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update which doubled down on the September 2023 updates, aiming to elevate content quality across the web. This update emphasized original, user-focused content over content that is only created to manipulate search engines which will massively negatively impact AI-generated and spammy content, parasite SEO, and manipulative linking practices. Now more than ever, experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are necessary for creating high ranking content in the eyes of Google. Listeners will gain valuable insights into maintaining high rankings or recovering from losses post-update. Jon and Evan also discuss the role of high-quality backlinks, how the Core Web Vitals have changed, and trusted author attribution for content. If you're a marketer or website owner navigating these changes, this episode is packed with essential tips and strategies to ensure your content remains relevant and competitive. Tune in for expert advice and actionable steps to adapt and thrive amidst Google's ongoing updates.

Resources Referenced:

Google Feedback Form
Google Search Central Content Article

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:03 The March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update
• 2:06 What Unhelpful Content is to Google
• 6:03 Trusted Authors will be More Important in the Future
• 7:22 Google Search Central Content Article
• 8:04 How Important are High Quality Links?
• 10:03 What is Parasite SEO?
• 11:24 What to do if You've Been Negatively Impacted
• 14:00 Additional Google Updates
• 15:05 Outro

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The Greatest Year of Change in Marketing History

Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard as they reflect on all of the crazy changes that came to the marketing industry in 2023. Since the creation of the internet, we have never seen any single year bring more massive changes to the marketing industry than this one. AI, while extremely useful, has been used by many as a new way to farm content. Short Form Video has officially taken center stage as something businesses can no longer ignore thanks to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and other social medias. GA4 has fully replaced Universal Analytics. Voice Search has become normalized in the average household. There's so much to learn from last year and even more to adapt to and look forward to in this year to come.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:31 Dos & Don'ts for Using AI Properly
• 6:25 Search Generative Experience in its Infancy
• 13:40 Short Form Video Competing with Google for Searches
• 15:43 Don't Neglect the Basics in Pursuit of the New and Shiny
• 17:17 UA is Done, GA4 is Here
• 17:58 Voice Search & Long Tail Keywords
• 19:49 Keep Your Google My Business Profile Updated
• 20:59 Final Thoughts

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