Get a sneak peek at the MarTech keynotes!

I’m excited to reveal our first two keynote speakers: Mike Volpe, CEO at Lola.com, and Cesar Brea, Partner at Bain & Co.

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Here’s how to stand out in a crowded streaming service market

Some automation across digital platforms has eased the burden of manual labor when marketing extensive streaming video-on-demand inventory.

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Marketing to the managed inbox: Why digital marketers need to own deliverability

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Google is expanding when it shows ads to ‘people in targeted locations’

The advanced location targeting option update is aimed at reaching commuters — whether they’re at home, work or on the road.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

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SMX Advanced is next week. Don’t miss out!

This is your chance to learn actionable SEO and SEM tactics from a community of brilliant search marketers. Join us in Seattle June 3-5!

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Consumer study finds ‘personalization’ lowest on long list of retailer considerations

Consumer behavior may not be what you think it is.

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PWA: How to avoid partial rendering issues with service workers

When there are issues rendering pages server side to prevent correct rendering, the content can have discrepancies shown to end users (or search bots).

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Foursquare buys Placed from Snap to create location-measurement powerhouse

The company said the move advances its goal “to become the world’s most trusted, independent location technology platform.”

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The 4 Best Content Management Software Tools in 2019

These days, websites are so much more than words and pictures on a page -- while design and content are still important, it's becoming increasingly critical to put thought into the platform your site is built on, as well.

Oftentimes, we let our developers make this choice for us. And, while it's true that they need to have input, marketers should have a seat at the table, as well.

After all, if development resources because a bottleneck to website content changes, that can prevent speed and agility in your marketing campaigns.

Your developers and engineers want a certain set of criteria -- including control, security, access to underlying code, and customizability, all of which are important. Marketers, on the other hand, need easy access to make quick updates, the ability to integrate the software with other tools, and access to support.

Without a good integration between your content management software and your other systems, something as simple as trying to successfully send a follow-up email after a form submission can turn into a massive time suck.

Ultimately, the content management software that a website lives on can greatly affect a marketer's ability to succeed.

Here, we're going to explore the characteristics you need for any content management software tool, as well as our four favorite options for marketers.

Characteristics of the Best Content Management Software Tools

Here are some of the features marketers should feel good about in a content management software tool.

1. A powerful, flexible editor.

As marketers, we need to be able to do things like quickly produce a landing page for a Facebook campaign, make simple layout changes to a page (like adding a column, or testimonials module), and easily edit content on existing pages (like changing some of the text of your homepage to promote your upcoming annual conference).

A powerful WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") editor is critical, so if you can, make sure you're comfortable with making changes within the content management software tool.

2. The ability to test.

It's important you're able to understand what's working, so you can do more of the good stuff. You need to be able to easily run tests on outcomes for different headlines, layouts, and more. It's especially critical when doing something like a paid campaign, where maximizing results is tied directly to spend.

3. The opportunity for increased collaboration.

Chances are, you have a team of people working on one website.

You may have a developer who works on complex design pieces and integrations, a marketer who runs the day-to-day and manages campaigns, and content creators who write blog posts.

The ability to collaborate within the content management software tool and set permissions makes life a lot easier -- and ensures issues don't arise, like your social manager accidentally overwriting the developers' code.

4. Accessibility to support.

Oftentimes, your developer can fill this need -- but that can get expensive if you're paying by the hour. It's maybe not mission critical, but it sure is nice to have a support team you can call for help when you really need it, especially when it's halting your ability to launch a campaign.

5. Ability to integrate with the rest of your tools.

Last, but probably most importantly, you need your content management software to offer the ability to integrate with the rest of your tech stack. Generally, the best choices here are going to be open platforms or all-in-one solutions.

Ideally, it should at least have the ability to integrate forms with a mailing tool (for lead/ mailing list collection), as well as your CRM or some kind of database so you can personalize content. Additionally, you'll want to integrate with your CRM so you can customize pages, and add pages quickly and easily.

Now that we've explored five critical components of any content management software tool, let's explore our four favorites.

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is way more than just a content management software tool, since it lives on top of your CRM.

HubSpot's content management software tool has nice features like A/B testing, but it's particularly powerful when it comes to features like personalized content and smart content. If you're using HubSpot's marketing platform, it also works seamlessly with forms, your email list, and database management.

For instance, let's say you want a list of everyone in your database who visited your pricing page in the last 30 days. With HubSpot's content management software and CRM, this is incredibly easy to do.

It scores well on the design side, too -- like any content management software tool, it offers predesigned templates, a developer platform, and a network of partners certified on the content management software.

There are also some great out-of-the-box features designed to help with content creation -- like the ability to natively host video and add forms and calls-to-action in the video using the native editor, along with video analytics and a YouTube analytics integration.

Some of the features marketers will love on a platform level are the ability to partition content so it's easier for teams to work together. Additionally, you can publish content behind passwords and easily personalize content. Best of all, there's high-quality security and hosting, which takes the worry out of the technical side. And, of course, you get top-notch analytics since everything is working together.

2. Squarespace

Squarespace offers beautiful out-of-the-box designs with tons of customization options. You can download any theme and change colors, fonts, and other design elements with ease. It seems to be geared more towards the end user than the developer, so most edits are made in a WYSIWYG design editor.

Behind the scenes, they boast high-quality, secure hosting -- something that isn't always top of mind when selecting a content management software tool, but probably should be. It also allows for unlimited bandwidth and storage, which isn't always the case if you're buying hosting on its own.

It's also nice to have a support team, and Squarespace has a team that answers support tickets, so you're not totally on your own or stuck calling a developer for every single question. Additionally, they offer incredibly useful help documentation.

Squarespace offers tons of modules and integrations, although you might want to check their built-in integrations to make sure the rest of your tech stack will play well with Squarespace.

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3. Wix

Wix features tons of templates and has a free plan that gives you unlimited pages. If you need to get an online presence up and running right away, it's a great choice.

They also have paid plans that give you some additional features, including increased storage, the ability to add forms, a calendar, and access to VIP Support.

It's important to note, Wix is a bit tougher to customize -- they don't give access to CSS, although they do say you can "take full control of your website's functionality with JavaScript and Wix Code API's."

Additionally, it can be challenging to insert third-party code (like tracking code), so eventually, as your business grows, you or your developer may want something with a bit more customization capability.

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4. WordPress

And finally, last but certainly not least, we come to WordPress. WordPress is everywhere -- it's a popular platform and has a large eco-system of developers, designers, and plenty of others who are familiar with it.

The content management software tool itself is free, although you'll need to pay for hosting and probably a template at the very least, and more likely a developer or designer to help you get it up and running.

Your ease-of-use here will likely depend on how it's set up and which theme you use -- some have simple WYSIWYG editors, while others are more complex. This is a decision you'll definitely want to chat through with your developer, since once it's built, there isn't much you can change.

It's also incredibly customizable. There are a ton of plugins and add-ons you can use to help with anything from SEO, speed, automatic image resizing, and more.

WordPress doesn't offer support, but you can mitigate this problem if you have a good developer and a good host. There's also a massive network of web professionals that you can hire.

On the hosting side, I'd recommend a hosting platform that specializes in WordPress, like WP Engine, as I've found that their support teams are well-versed in WordPress -- which means they can help with questions and offer additional resources. Using a popular theme with plenty of existing help documentation, or even a support team, can also make a huge difference.

It's important to note, the openness of the platform results in a vulnerability to hacking (this is another reason to get a good host). Be aware that addressing security should be part of the initial plan and not come as an afterthought to design, since security breaches are hard to fix and require technical expertise.

While these are four popular choices for marketers, there are many more out there. The options are endless for content management software tools. Ultimately, it's critical you consider your workflow, your team, and the workflows you have in place to help you make the best decision.

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What will happen to influencer marketing if Instagram ‘Likes’ go away?

Instagram recently tested eliminating “Like” counts on posts, a move that would likely empower influencer marketing agencies.

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How to Perfectly Manage a PPC Campaign [Template]

In the world of search engine marketing (SEM), more and more marketers are buying into PPC campaigns. Google Ads specifically has increased its revenue from year to year. In 2018, it was reported that the service was generating 84% of Alphabet's revenue.

Marketers know that properly investing in PPC can result in nearly guaranteed ad placement in search engine result pages. They also know that this placement can help generate leads.

As you prepare to create a PPC campaign, it's important to get a rundown of what a successful campaign entails, and identify management misssteps that you'll want to avoid.

The key to building a successful PPC campaign is to follow these steps:

1. Determine your PPC campaign structure.
2. Identify, build, or refine your campaign's landing pages.
3. Build a keyword strategy based on your research.
4. Create ads based on what you've determined in the above steps.
5. Share your campaign plan with decision makers.

The problem is, many marketers suffer from poor PPC campaign management, which ends up costing them way more money than they need to spend and delivering underwhelming lead generation results.

Here are a few ways marketers could go wrong with PPC management:

• Coming up with keywords on the fly without doing prior research.
• Only building one basic campaign without utilizing Google Ads' AdGroups tool.
• Attaching un-engaging landing pages -- or a homepage that generates no leads -- to the campaign.
• Not adding "negative keywords" or monitoring campaigns to avoid wasted spend.
• Creating campaigns, setting budget caps, and going live without telling key decision makers at your company or a client's company.

So, how do you do PPC properly so you actually get leads at a reasonable cost? It comes down to intelligent campaign structure.

How do you master intelligent campaign structure? You use a template!

PPC Plan Template

We've created a free PPC campaign management template that will help you and your clients set up a full-funnel campaign structure that follows PPC best practices. Once you do that, you'll be better positioned to maximize the return on your PPC investment.

We're going to show you how to use that PPC template in this blog post -- so download it now and follow along.

If you're running PPC campaigns for someone who doesn't understand the importance of good campaign structure, this template will also act as a deliverable that will enlighten your boss or clients.

Tips for Using This Template

Before we get started, let's go over a few tips that'll make using this template even easier:

• You will want to clear out the example data I have in the template such as keywords, campaign and AdGroup names, ads, and destination URLs. Unless, of course, you're running a fruit stand named after me.
• Be careful not to erase columns E, G, and I. They contain formulas that will help you in subsequent steps.
• Click on the red markers in the top corners of the cells. They contain helpful tips and FAQs. If you ever forget what a cell is used for, those are good reminders.

Step 1: Understand PPC Campaign Structure

Before we actually do anything with this template, it's important we're all on the same page about PPC campaign structure. Far too many marketers will just set up an account, create an ad, direct the ad to their home page, pick some keywords and hit go. This is not the way to do things.

With Google Ads, you have the opportunity to create multiple campaigns. Each campaign may contain several AdGroups, and each AdGroup may contain a few ads and multiple, similar keywords.

It's wise to create multiple campaigns because you can set daily budget caps, day-parting, and select geo-targeted regions at the campaign level. If you're bidding on generic keywords and branded keywords, you'll want to put these in separate campaigns because the economics around these two types of keywords will likely be very different.

As you can see, your template reflects these best practices, providing space for several different campaigns, AdGroups, and ad variations within those AdGroups.

Step 2: Identify Your Landing Pages

The "Destination URL" is the place on your website where you want the PPC traffic to end up. Because there is a marginal cost associated with each PPC visitor you attract, I recommend you choose a landing page URL as your destination URL.

Do not drive them to your home page or a blog in hopes that they will stumble upon a lead generation form. That's the job of organic search. Drive them to a landing page with a form on it. Don't forget to put in a tracking token so you know where these leads are coming from.

Major, well-known companies don't always follow this rule, but they also have millions of dollars in budget that needs to be used by the end of the month. Make it easy on yourself and let your landing pages define your AdGroups.

You will notice that the Destination URL within the AdGroup is the same regardless of the keyword or ad. If you really want to drive a keyword to a different landing page, then create another AdGroup. If you want to get even more specific, create another campaign for that keyword.

You should also keep your sales funnel in mind when you identify these landing pages. Think about which part of the sales funnel each landing page and offer speaks to.

For example, an educational PDF about an industry concept would be appropriate for a top-of-the-funnel offer, while a coupon or a demo would be at the bottom of the funnel.

Manage and create separate campaigns for each part of the funnel. If you scroll down in your template, you'll see that there's dedicated space allotted for campaigns in all of these funnel stages.

Step 3: Build Your Keyword Strategy

Next, select the keywords that are relevant to the landing page and offer. Make sure to keep them as relevant as possible to increase the chance that each visitor you pay for completes the form on the landing page.

Yes, it would be nice to rank for certain keywords, but if the landing page doesn't answer the keyword queried, think twice. Or better yet, create another offer and landing page that speaks more directly to the keyword.

To understand search volumes and costs around each keyword you want to select, you can use free tools like the Google Ads Keyword Tool or -- if you're a HubSpot customer -- our Keywords tool.

If you're running short on inspiration, these tools can help you think of other keywords to include in your campaign. You should always consider the costs of those suggested keywords and keep your economic interests in mind.

If this is your first time managing a PPC campaign, it would be wise to read up on how to design a killer keyword strategy. In the case of Google Ads, you might also want to learn more about keyword quality score.

Step 4: Create Your Ads

This is the fun part! Both Google and Bing allow you to create more than one ad for each AdGroup (hence the "group" terminology). The service will rotate them until it notices that one appears to drive a higher clickthrough rate (CTR). This is how A/B (and C and D) testing works. While it's optional, you should take advantage of the ability to create more than one ad.

Writing an ad is a bit like writing a haiku. There are character limits for each part, and it can be a little aggravating figuring out how to best complete the ad.

You are allotted 25 characters for the title, 35 characters for the display URL -- the URL that's displayed in the ad, not to be confused with the destination URL -- and 35 characters for each line of copy. But if you're using this template, don't worry about keeping track.

The cell to the right of each ad component will count characters and turn red when you have gone over the limit. Handy, right?

In my observation, the title has the greatest influence on an ad's CTR. It's wise to include a keyword in the headline to draw a user's attention to your ad. An even better practice would be to use dynamic keyword insertion.

I find the copy to be less important, but you certainly can't just put gibberish in there. Search engines have editorial policies for what you can and cannot put in an ad. These policies also change frequently, so it's your job to stay up to date on them.

A good rule of thumb is to simply try to provide a congruous experience for searchers -- from seeing your ad in the search engine results to completing the form on your landing page.

Finally, there's the tricky matter of the display URL. You're only allowed 35 characters here, but it's unlikely that your destination URL, the actual URL for your landing page, will be that short. So the search engines allow you to create a display URL, which may not even be an actual URL on your website. It's critical that the domain in your display URL be the same as the domain in your destination URL.

Step 5: Share the Completed Template With a Decision Maker

Whether you're doing PPC for your business or a client, your completed template will ensure you're aligning the decision-maker's expectations with the realities of a productive PPC campaign. If you're the decision maker, this template will help you think about what you're doing with the money you're spending on PPC.

The end result is that you'll have created the sort of congruous user experience that search engines like to see. That can benefit you in terms of your positioning in the SERPs and, ultimately, your costs. It will also grant you the agility you need to swiftly reallocate and modify budget as you respond to changes in the marketplace, and the drive to maximize the return on your PPC spend.

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