Hidden Dollars in Email

Its remains far cheaper to sell to an existing customer than find a new one. Many marketers still recommend a dozen “touches” a year per customer. Email marketing remains the fastest, cheapest way to keep in touch.

Start with a simple email platform like Outlook or Gmail. For more scale, shift to platforms like Mailchimp, MailerLite, or Brevo.

Segment your lists early. Not all customers are the same, and targeting improves engagement and conversion.

Tip: Always comply with anti-spam legislation. Make sure you can prove recipient consent or an existing relationship.

Tip Two: ISPs may restrict how many recipients you can email at once. Break larger lists into manageable groups.

Link Building Still Matters

Search engines still treat inbound links as votes of confidence, but the quality of links matters more than ever.

Aim for a network of high-authority, thematically related backlinks. For example, a BnB should link to nearby cafes or attractions—and vice versa.

Avoid linking to low-quality websites with low domain authority. Tools like Ahrefs or Moz can help you assess link quality.

Tip: Get listed on reputable directories, collaborate on guest blogs, or publish useful guides others will reference.

Tip Two: AI now assesses link context and placement, so avoid footer spam or link exchanges.

Leverage Offline Promotion

Don’t forget to add your URL and social handles to all your physical marketing:

• Business cards
• Email signatures
• Vehicles
• Flyers
• Signage & teardrop flags
• Packaging & premiums (gifts)

QR codes can also bridge the offline-to-online gap, especially at events.

Know Your Audience

Use analytics to understand who is visiting your website, when, and how. Tools like Google Analytics 4, Microsoft Clarity, and Hotjar provide insights into user behavior.

Track where users land, what they view, and where they exit. Monitor conversions, time on site, and bounce rates.

Tip: Bots still make up a significant portion of traffic. Tools like Cloudflare and GA4 can help filter them out.

Convert Visitors into Customers

Modern tools can engage your visitors instantly:

• Chatbots (e.g. Tidio, Intercom) can answer FAQs in real-time.
• Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp integrations improve accessibility.
• “Call me back” widgets still work for phone-based businesses.
• “Tell a friend” features can amplify word of mouth.

Tip: Use AI-driven tools to identify hot leads based on behavior patterns.

Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

Every page should guide the user to a next step:

• Call now
• Download a guide
• Book a consultation
• Chat live

Use benefit-driven language: “Talk to the owner now” or “Get a free 5-step guide”.

Paid Ads: Proceed with Care

Google Ads and social platforms now offer incredibly precise targeting, thanks to AI and machine learning. But they’re not magic bullets.

Start with organic efforts. Use PPC ads strategically to supplement.

Tip: Second position in search ads often gives a better ROI than first.

Tip Two: Test multiple versions of ad copy. Small changes can greatly affect click-through rates.

Warning: Ad fraud is real. Use tools that detect and reduce click fraud (e.g. ClickCease).

Keywords and AI Search

Forget lists of keywords in the meta tags. Instead, focus on:

• Headings
• First paragraph
• Link anchor text

AI-enhanced search (like Google SGE and Bing Copilot) now summarizes results and pulls content directly from pages. To be featured:

• Use structured data (schema markup)
• Answer common questions in natural language
• Write clear, rich content that matches search intent

Tip: Optimise different pages for different long-tail keywords.

Tip Two: Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console to track performance.

Content is (Still) King

Start or revive a blog. AI-generated summaries are pulling content directly from blog posts. Well-written articles can become the foundation for search engine visibility.

Create:

• How-tos
• FAQs
• Reviews
• Industry commentary

Build authority. Focus on helpful content, not just sales.

Tip: Update old blog posts to reflect new trends and keep your site fresh in AI-driven search results.

Submit & Monitor

While search engines now find most content naturally, it still pays to be proactive:

• Submit sitemaps via Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
• Monitor crawl errors, indexing issues, and Core Web Vitals
• Use schema markup for products, articles, and services to boost AI interpretation

Tip: AI-powered search engines reward clear, semantically rich, helpful sites. Design for people, structure for machines.

This article was updated in 2025 by Peter Mitchell of Dynamic Web Solutions Pty Ltd Originally published 2014 | Copyright 2025