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Category: SEO

Content marketing is more than just publishing the occasional blog or social post—it’s about providing genuine value at every stage of your customer’s journey. For New Zealand businesses, especially those keen to grow in a competitive market, creating the right kind of content is a proven way to attract new leads, build trust, and convert browsers into loyal customers. In fact, recent research from Semrush found that over half of content marketers report higher engagement and ROI when they diversify their content mix.

But where do you start, and which formats actually make a difference for a Kiwi business? Content marketing covers four core forms—written, audio, video, and image-based content—but the opportunities go far deeper. This practical guide breaks down 12 of the most effective types of content marketing, each designed to help you reach, educate, and convert your ideal audience.

Whether you’re an Auckland business owner looking to boost your site traffic, a marketing manager aiming to generate more leads, or simply seeking a smarter way to engage online, this guide is for you. Each content type comes with clear examples and best-practice tips, so you can build a scalable, measurable marketing engine—without guesswork or wasted spend.

And if you’re ready to put these strategies into action, Engage Digital’s Grow Your Business system offers a proven framework for implementing content marketing that actually delivers results. Learn more about how to make content work harder for your business—and let’s get started with the 12 content types every Kiwi business should know.

1. Blog Posts: Building Authority and Driving Organic Traffic

Blog posts are regularly published articles on your own website, designed to address your audience’s questions, showcase your expertise, and target keywords that potential customers are searching for. When done right, blogging not only boosts your search visibility but also positions your business as a thought leader—turning casual visitors into qualified leads through strategic calls to action.

New Zealand businesses can see tangible results from blogging. For example, Xero’s resource centre and Trade Me’s tips hub both drive substantial organic traffic by answering common accounting and selling questions. By sharing insights that resonate with local and international audiences, these brands cultivate trust and grow their subscriber lists.

Best Practices for SEO-Optimised Blogging

  1. Keyword research
    • Use tools like Semrush Topic Research to uncover high-intent keywords and long-tail phrases relevant to your industry.
    • Focus on search intent: informational posts for awareness, commercial posts for decision-stage audiences.

  2. On-page optimisation
    • Craft keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions that entice clicks.
    • Structure headings (H1, H2, H3) to reflect logical flow and include primary and secondary keywords.
    • Add descriptive alt-text to images and optimise file names for accessibility and image search.

  3. Internal linking and content clusters
    • Group related posts around a pillar page (e.g., “The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Small Business”) to boost authority.
    • Link from shorter, news-style posts to in-depth articles, guiding readers through your site and signalling relevance to search engines.

Content Structure and Frequency

• Ideal length
– Pillar content: 1,000–2,000+ words to cover a topic comprehensively.
– News-style or quick-tip posts: 600–800 words for timely updates or commentary.

• Publishing cadence
– Weekly posts build momentum and signal consistency to both readers and search bots.
– Biweekly can work if you maintain depth and promotion—quality should never be sacrificed for quantity.

• Example schedule
– Week 1: Long-form pillar post on your flagship service.
– Week 2: Short-form news update or customer spotlight.
– Week 3: How-to tutorial or checklist.
– Week 4: Industry trends round-up or Q&A session.

Tools & Templates

• Editorial calendar – Plan topics and assign deadlines in a simple spreadsheet or with a tool like Asana or Trello.
• CMS plugins – Use Yoast SEO or Rank Math in WordPress to monitor on-page scores and readability.
• Analytics – Track page views, bounce rates and conversion goals in Google Analytics to refine your strategy.
• Templates – Keep a set of post templates (how-to, listicle, case study) to streamline drafting and maintain brand voice.

By adopting these blogging practices, Kiwi businesses can steadily climb search rankings, draw more visitors, and convert a higher percentage of those readers into leads. Next, we’ll explore how video content can deepen engagement through visual storytelling.

2. Videos: Engaging Audiences with Visual Storytelling

Video content is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience—combining motion, sound and storytelling to bring your brand to life. Marketing videos can take many forms: product demos that highlight features and benefits, animated explainers that simplify complex ideas, brand stories that show the human side of your business, and customer testimonials that let real voices build credibility. For New Zealand businesses, videos offer a chance to stand out on social channels, drive deeper engagement on your website, and create memorable experiences that text alone can’t deliver.

Beyond just “record and upload,” successful video marketing relies on thoughtful planning, targeted distribution and ongoing optimisation. Below we’ll walk through the key considerations—from picking the right platforms to fine-tuning every title and thumbnail—to make sure your videos grab attention and keep viewers watching.

Platforms & Distribution

Choosing where to publish your videos is as important as the content itself. YouTube remains the dominant search engine for video, so optimising there can bring lasting organic traffic. Vimeo is ideal for higher-quality embeds on your own site or client portals. On social platforms, native videos tend to get more reach: think short, snackable clips on Facebook and LinkedIn, vertical storytelling in Instagram Reels, or bite-sized tutorials on TikTok.

Tailor your approach to each channel’s strengths and audience behaviour. A full-length tutorial might live on YouTube, while a 30-second highlight reel or testimonial snippet could spark interest in a LinkedIn feed. Scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you maintain a consistent posting rhythm and ensure your content gets seen at peak times.

Video SEO & Optimisation

Optimising your videos for search and discovery starts with keyword-rich titles and descriptions. Use research tools like Semrush to find the phrases your customers actually type in—then weave those terms naturally into your metadata. Tags and category selections further signal context to platform algorithms.

Transcripts and closed captions not only improve accessibility but also give search engines more text to crawl. Craft a custom thumbnail that stands out in a sea of auto-generated screenshots—think bold text overlays, bright colours, and a clear subject. Finally, include a strong call to action within your video and video description (for example, “Download our free guide” or “Subscribe for more tips”) to guide viewers towards the next step.

Equipment & Editing Tips

Great video doesn’t always require a Hollywood budget, but quality does make a difference. For starters, invest in a reliable camera (even a modern smartphone can work), a lavalier or shotgun microphone, and basic lighting—softboxes or even daylight-balanced LED panels will lift your production values instantly. A quiet, controlled environment will also cut down on post-production headaches.

When it comes to editing, choose software that matches your skill level. Beginners might find Camtasia or Adobe Premiere Rush easier to learn, while more advanced editors can unlock more creative control with Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. Keep your edits tight: start with a strong hook, use jump cuts to maintain pace, and add branding elements (lower thirds, logos, colour‐graded intros) to reinforce your identity.

Example Use Cases

• Wistia’s educational series shares in-depth tutorials on video marketing best practices, doubling as both a learning resource and an organic lead generator.
• Shopify merchants often embed short product demos on landing pages to showcase new features, helping prospects quickly understand the value without reading lengthy text.
• Customer-generated testimonial clips can be repurposed across your site and social feeds, offering authentic proof of your product’s impact.

By embracing video as a strategic pillar of your content marketing, you’ll engage on-the-go audiences, drive higher retention rates, and tell stories that stick—ultimately moving more prospects through your sales funnel.

3. Infographics: Communicating Data Visually

Infographics transform complex information into easy-to-digest visuals, making data, processes or comparisons clear at a glance. Rather than scrolling through dense paragraphs, your audience sees a snapshot of key insights—whether it’s a breakdown of quarterly performance, steps in a workflow or side-by-side feature comparisons. Well-crafted infographics not only capture attention but also get shared widely, driving traffic back to your website and reinforcing your brand’s expertise.

Key Design Principles

The backbone of any effective infographic is its design. Start with a clear hierarchy: headlines and subheadings guide the reader through the story. Consistent branding—using your company colours, fonts and logo—reinforces recognition. Logical flow keeps information moving naturally from one point to the next, while concise copy ensures your message isn’t lost in the visuals. Always balance data points with white space; overcrowded graphics can overwhelm rather than inform.

Types of Infographics

Infographics come in many flavours, each suited to different content needs:

  • Statistical: Highlight key numbers or survey results with charts, icons and percentage call-outs.
  • Process/Timeline: Lay out steps or milestones in a linear format, ideal for project roadmaps or historical overviews.
  • Comparison: Place two or more options side by side—features, pricing plans or before-and-after scenarios.
  • Geographic: Use maps to visualise location-based data, such as regional sales figures or customer distributions.
  • Flowchart: Map decision trees or workflows to guide users through a set of choices or processes.

Distribution & Promotion

Once your infographic is ready, make it effortless for others to share. Embed it on your blog with responsive code snippets so other sites can publish it with a backlink—a win for SEO. Tailor versions for social media platforms: a high-resolution image for LinkedIn, a vertical design for Pinterest boards or a short animated GIF for Twitter. Encourage partnerships by offering to swap embeds with industry blogs or trade associations. Each share extends your reach and cements your position as an authority.

Tools & Resources

You don’t need a specialist designer to create professional-looking infographics. These tools offer templates, drag-and-drop simplicity and exporting options:

  • Canva: Intuitive interface, with branded templates and a huge icon library.
  • Piktochart: Focused on data visualisation, ideal for charts and maps.
  • Adobe Illustrator: For teams with advanced design skills—total control over every element.
  • Visme: Combines presentation and infographic features, plus interactive embedding.

By integrating infographics into your content mix, you’ll simplify complex messages, engage visual learners and turn data into shareable assets that drive traffic and strengthen your brand.

4. Case Studies: Showcasing Real-World Success

Case studies are narrative-driven success stories that demonstrate how your products or services solve real challenges for clients. Unlike abstract claims, they use concrete metrics and compelling storytelling to prove your value. For New Zealand businesses, showcasing local or regional examples—complete with genuine customer feedback—can resonate strongly with prospects who want to see similar results in their own context.

A well-crafted case study walks the reader through a client’s journey, from the initial problem to the measurable impact after your solution was implemented. By presenting authentic data—such as traffic increases, lead growth or revenue uplift—you give prospects a clear benchmark for what they might achieve. Incorporating direct quotes and testimonials adds credibility, while compliance with Commerce Commission guidelines ensures you remain transparent and trustworthy.

Case studies can be published in multiple formats: a downloadable PDF, a dedicated landing page on your website or even a short video that brings the story to life. Promotion can be equally varied—feature them in sales proposals, share snippets on social media, include links in email campaigns or highlight them at events. Each channel extends their reach and keeps your successes top of mind.

Structuring and Promoting Your Case Studies

  1. Client background and challenge
    • Briefly introduce the client’s industry, size and market context.
    • Define the specific pain point or goal they approached you to solve.

  2. Solution overview
    • Describe your approach, whether it was a website redesign, SEO campaign or a hybrid growth marketing plan.
    • Highlight any unique tactics or tools used during implementation.

  3. Measurable results
    • Present key performance indicators (KPIs): percentage increases in traffic, number of qualified leads generated, sales growth or cost-per-acquisition improvements.
    • Use charts or call-out boxes to make numbers stand out.

  4. Client quote or testimonial
    • Include a genuine statement from your client about the impact of your work.
    • Ensure all testimonials comply with Commerce Commission guidelines on online reviews and sponsored content to maintain authenticity (read more).

  5. Format variants
    • PDF download: ideal for detailed reports or gated lead-generation assets.
    • Landing page: SEO-optimised page that prospects can discover via organic search.
    • Video case study: a 1–2 minute clip combining interview snippets, screen recordings and animated graphics.

  6. Promotion tactics
    • Embed highlights in your sales proposals or pitch decks to reinforce credibility.
    • Share a “sneak-peek” graphic on LinkedIn or Facebook, linking back to the full story.
    • Include case study links in nurture emails to guide leads further down the funnel.
    • Feature in webinars or at industry events to spark live discussion.

By carefully structuring each case study and leveraging multiple formats and channels, you turn client successes into powerful marketing assets that build trust, demonstrate results and drive new business.

5. Ebooks: Offering In-Depth Value and Generating Leads

Ebooks are long-form, gated guides—typically delivered as PDFs or interactive flipbooks—that dive deep into a subject your audience cares about. Rather than a standalone blog post, an ebook bundles insights, step-by-step processes and expert commentary into a single downloadable resource. This makes them ideal for capturing high-quality leads who are willing to exchange their contact details for genuinely useful information.

When to Create an Ebook

Ebooks make sense when you have a topic that demands more depth than a standard article or when you’ve built up a series of related blog posts or webinars. Consider an ebook if:

  • You’ve addressed a pain point repeatedly in shorter content and can expand it into a cohesive guide.
  • Your competitors haven’t yet produced a comprehensive resource on a niche area—giving you an opportunity to stand out.
  • You need a flagship lead magnet to power a major campaign, like a product launch or industry report.

Planning & Structure

A well-structured ebook starts with rigorous planning:

  1. Topic selection – Interview prospects or survey subscribers to pinpoint your audience’s biggest challenges.
  2. Chapter outline – Break the topic into logical sections (for example: “Introduction to X,” “Implementation Steps,” “Case Studies,” “Next Steps”).
  3. Expert contributions – Invite subject-matter experts or internal specialists to add credibility with quotes or sidebars.

Once the outline is locked in, flesh out each chapter with a mix of instructional text, examples, and key takeaways. Aim for 20–40 pages of high-value content rather than fluff.

Design Considerations

First impressions count, so invest in:

  • A striking cover that includes your logo, title and a concise subtitle.
  • A clear table of contents with clickable links to each chapter (for PDFs).
  • Consistent typography and colour schemes that align with your brand guidelines.
  • Custom graphics or illustrations to break up text and visualise complex ideas.

Tools like Adobe InDesign or even Canva’s ebook templates can help you produce a polished layout without a dedicated designer.

Lead Capture Best Practices

Since ebooks live behind a gate, your landing page must be optimised for conversions:

  • Keep form fields minimal—name, email and company are usually sufficient.
  • Use a compelling headline and bullet points to summarise what readers will learn.
  • Consider a double opt-in to ensure list quality and comply with best-practice email marketing standards.
  • Include social proof—such as review snippets or download counts—to build trust.

Once someone downloads the ebook, follow up with an automated email sequence that provides additional tips and nudges them towards your service offering.

Repurposing Ebook Content

An ebook is a goldmine of reusable material. Break it down into:

  • Blog posts that cover individual chapters or how-to sections.
  • Infographics that visualise key statistics or workflows.
  • Short videos or podcast episodes that explore specific subtopics.
  • Email drip sequences derived from each chapter’s core lessons.

By slicing your ebook into smaller pieces of content, you extend its lifespan, improve SEO, and nurture leads at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

6. Whitepapers: Establishing Thought Leadership in B2B

Whitepapers are deep-dive, research-driven documents designed to inform and influence executive-level decision-makers. Unlike lighter, more conversational ebooks, whitepapers build credibility by presenting rigorous data, detailed analysis and well-reasoned recommendations. For B2B marketers, a compelling whitepaper can open doors to senior stakeholders, generate high-quality leads and position your brand as a trusted authority in your industry.

Whitepaper vs Ebook

While both whitepapers and ebooks are long-form assets, they serve different purposes:

  • Tone and style: Whitepapers employ a formal, academic voice that speaks directly to C-suite concerns. Ebooks tend to be more conversational, with broader appeal.
  • Depth of research: Whitepapers dive into primary research—surveys, benchmarks or proprietary data—whereas ebooks often compile existing blog posts or best-practice guides.
  • Target audience: Whitepapers aim at high-level decision-makers and technical experts, while ebooks attract mid-funnel prospects and educational seekers.

Topic Identification

Picking the right topic is critical. Whitepapers work best when they address a genuine knowledge gap or emerging trend in your sector. Consider:

  • Original surveys: Poll your customer base or industry contacts to gather first-hand insights.
  • Benchmark studies: Compare performance metrics—like average conversion rates or IT uptime—across competitors.
  • Technical deep dives: Explore complex processes, new regulations or innovative technologies that impact your audience.

Structure

A clear, logical organisation helps readers digest detailed content:

  1. Executive summary: A one-page overview of the whitepaper’s purpose, key findings and recommendations.
  2. Introduction and context: Define the problem or opportunity with market background and objectives.
  3. Methodology: Explain how data was collected, sample sizes and any research limitations.
  4. Key findings: Present insights with supporting charts, tables and concise commentary.
  5. Recommendations: Offer practical, evidence-based steps for readers to act on the research.
  6. Conclusion and next steps: Summarise the value proposition and suggest further resources or contact points.

Design & Readability

Dense text can deter busy executives, so visual clarity is paramount:

  • Charts and graphs: Visualise statistics with bar charts, pie charts or scatter plots that quickly convey trends.
  • Tables and call-out boxes: Highlight critical numbers or quotes to break up textual content.
  • Pull-quotes: Use branded quotation graphics to draw attention to standout insights.
  • Typography and white space: Select readable fonts and allow margins to give the page room to breathe.

Distribution Strategies

To maximise reach and lead generation:

  • Gated downloads: Host your whitepaper on a dedicated landing page, requiring minimal form fields (name, email, company) to capture leads without excessive friction.
  • Email nurturing: Send drip emails that tease insights and drive recipients back to the full report, positioning follow-up calls or demos.
  • LinkedIn promotion: Share data highlights as LinkedIn posts or sponsored content to target industry audiences by job title and company size.
  • Partner channels: Collaborate with industry associations or trade publications to co-host or co-brand your whitepaper, tapping into new networks.

By investing in high-quality whitepapers, B2B businesses can forge stronger relationships with decision-makers, drive strategic conversations and fuel their pipeline with leads who have already engaged with your most compelling research.

7. Podcasts: Reaching On-the-Go Audiences with Audio Content

Podcasts are on-demand audio programmes that listeners can subscribe to and stream at their convenience—whether during the morning commute, at the gym, or while tackling admin chores. By offering content in a purely auditory format, you tap into audiences who prefer to learn, be entertained or feel part of a conversation without staring at a screen. Common podcast formats include one-on-one interviews with industry experts, solo commentary episodes where hosts share insights, and panel discussions featuring multiple voices debating hot topics.

For New Zealand businesses, a well-produced podcast not only extends your brand’s reach beyond written or visual channels but also builds intimacy through voice. Listeners come to trust hosts over time, and that trust can translate into stronger loyalty and increased word-of-mouth referrals. Whether you’re unpacking marketing tactics, exploring local success stories or providing practical business advice, podcasts allow you to survey niche subjects in greater depth and position your team as approachable experts.

A successful podcast hinges on both consistent content planning and reliable production. You need a clear editorial calendar that maps out episode topics, guest outreach processes and publishing dates. Meanwhile, technically solid recordings—free from background noise or uneven volumes—are essential to keep listeners engaged from start to finish. Like any other content type, promotion is key: optimised show notes, searchable transcripts and bite-sized audio teasers on social channels will help new audiences discover and subscribe to your series.

Production, Distribution and Promotion Tips

Technical setup

  • Microphones: USB mics (e.g. Blue Yeti) are easy to use, while XLR setups (with an audio interface) deliver more control and fidelity.
  • Headphones: Closed-back models to monitor sound without bleed.
  • Recording software: Audacity (free) or Adobe Audition for multitrack editing and noise reduction.
  • Hosting platforms: Services like Libsyn, Anchor or Buzzsprout manage episode hosting, media files and RSS feeds.

Content planning

  • Episode calendar: Plot themes, guest slots and release dates three to six months in advance.
  • Topic research: Use keyword tools and social listening to identify questions your customers ask.
  • Guest outreach: Prepare briefing docs, schedule recordings and agree on promotional reciprocity.

Podcast SEO & promotion

  • Show notes: Craft detailed, keyword-rich descriptions and include time-stamped highlights.
  • Transcripts: Publish full episode transcripts on your site to improve discoverability and accessibility.
  • Social snippets: Edit 30- to 60-second audio clips with captions or waveform animations and share on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

Distribution

  • Directories: Submit your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and other major platforms.
  • Website embedding: Host a dedicated page or blog post for each episode, complete with show notes and embedded players.
  • Cross-promotion: Appear as a guest on related podcasts and invite peers onto your own show to tap into new listener bases.

Monetisation & sponsorship

  • Dynamic ad insertion: Services can insert targeted ads into back catalogue episodes.
  • Sponsored segments: Partner with complementary businesses for brief host-read endorsements.
  • Premium content: Offer ad-free or bonus episodes behind a subscription or membership wall.

By treating your podcast as a strategic asset—one that demands careful planning, clear branding and ongoing promotion—you’ll cultivate a loyal listenership, boost your brand’s credibility and open new channels for lead generation or even sponsorship revenue.

8. Social Media Content: Building Your Brand in Short Form

Social media content encompasses bite-sized posts, Stories, Reels and carousel posts that let you connect with your audience in real time—whether you’re launching a new product or giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your team. In an era of fleeting attention spans, snappy, native content can help your business stay top of mind and drive meaningful engagement. Below are the key elements to master:

Platform-Specific Tips

Each network has its own language and best practice:

  • LinkedIn: Share thought-leadership posts, short videos or swipeable carousels that address industry challenges and spark discussion.
  • Instagram: Use Stories and Reels for quick demos, day-in-the-life clips or customer shout-outs. Carousel posts work well for step-by-step guides.
  • TikTok: Embrace trends and audio cues—think fast-cut tutorials, before-and-after reveals and playful challenges that showcase your brand personality.

Engagement Features

Interactive elements boost reach and build community:

  • Polls and Q&A stickers on Instagram Stories or LinkedIn create two-way dialogue and surface real-time feedback.
  • Live streams—on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn—let you answer audience questions on the spot, launch products or host mini-webinars.
  • Reaction prompts (for example, “Double-tap if you agree!”) encourage quick responses that help feed the algorithm.

Influencer Collaborations

Strategic partnerships can amplify your message:

  • Identify influencers whose followers align with your target market—be it local micro-influencers in Auckland or niche specialists across New Zealand.
  • Structure deals around sponsored posts, co-branded giveaways or affiliate arrangements. Always be transparent: disclose paid partnerships clearly in your captions in line with Advertising Standards Authority guidelines.
  • Track performance with UTM parameters or promo codes to measure real ROI and optimise future campaigns.

User-Generated Content Campaigns

Tap into your fans’ creativity to build trust:

  • Launch a branded hashtag and encourage customers to post product photos or success stories. Feature the best entries on your feed to show appreciation and inspire others.
  • Photo- or video-based contests—prize draws for the most creative UGC—can quickly spread awareness and drive traffic back to your site.
  • Reposting customer content not only fills your calendar with authentic posts but also gives your community a chance to shine.

Content Calendars & Scheduling Tools

Consistency is key—and planning saves time:

  • Map out themes, special dates (NZ public holidays or industry events) and posting cadences in a simple spreadsheet or with a tool like Trello.
  • Schedule posts in advance using platforms such as Buffer, Hootsuite or Later, freeing you up to focus on real-time engagement.
  • Regularly review analytics—reach, comments, shares and click-throughs—to refine your calendar and double down on the formats and topics that resonate most.

Harnessing social media content effectively means knowing where your audience spends time, what sparks conversation and how to keep your brand voice consistent. By blending platform-tailored posts with interactive features, influencer partnerships and user-generated campaigns—all managed through a solid content calendar—you’ll build a short-form strategy that drives both engagement and business growth.

9. Email Newsletters: Direct Content for Your Subscribers

Email newsletters are a direct line of communication with your most engaged audience—subscribers who have opted in to hear news, tips, exclusive offers and industry insights straight into their inbox. Unlike one-off announcements or social updates, newsletters build an ongoing conversation, nurturing relationships, driving repeat visits and guiding readers towards your services.

Before you hit “send,” it’s crucial to respect New Zealand’s anti-spam regulations. To comply with NZ anti-spam laws, follow the three essential steps—consent, clear identification and a simple unsubscribe option (see guidelines). Adhering to these rules not only keeps you lawful but also builds trust with your subscribers.

Building and Segmenting Your Subscriber List

A healthy newsletter list starts with effective lead magnets and onboarding:

  • Lead magnets: Offer valuable resources—like an ebook or webinar—to encourage sign-ups.
  • Sign-up forms: Place them prominently on your website, blog and landing pages.
  • Welcome sequences: Automate a series of emails that introduce new subscribers to your brand and set expectations around frequency and content.

Segmentation is equally important. Group subscribers by interests, purchase history or engagement level. That way, your content remains relevant—whether it’s a special offer on a product they viewed or industry updates tied to their role.

Planning and Crafting Your Newsletter Content

A well-planned newsletter keeps readers looking forward to your next edition:

  • Templates and tone: Establish a consistent layout and brand voice.
  • Frequency: Strike a balance—monthly or fortnightly often works best for busy SMB audiences.
  • Personalisation tokens: Use first names, dynamic content blocks or behavioural triggers (e.g. “Based on your interest in SEO…”) to make each message feel tailored.

Content can range from curated blog highlights and upcoming events to exclusive tips and behind-the-scenes stories. Always include a clear call to action—whether it’s downloading a resource, registering for a webinar or booking a consultation.

Measuring Success: Key Metrics and Optimisation

Tracking the right metrics helps you refine your newsletter over time:

  • Open rate: Indicates how compelling your subject lines and sender name are.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Shows how engaging your content and CTAs are.
  • A/B testing: Experiment with subject lines, send times and email layouts to identify what resonates best.

Use these insights to tweak your approach—adjusting frequency, segment criteria or content mix until your newsletter becomes a powerful lead-nurturing tool. Many of our clients rely on Engage Digital’s Digital Marketing Subscriptions, which include ongoing email marketing services to manage this process end-to-end (view service).

By building a compliant, well-segmented and insights-driven newsletter programme, you’ll maintain direct engagement with your audience—turning subscribers into loyal customers and brand advocates.

10. Webinars: Interactive Learning and Lead Nurturing

Webinars are live online events that combine presentation, screen sharing and real-time engagement—ideal for educating prospects, answering questions on the spot and generating high-quality leads. By offering interactive sessions on topics your audience cares about, you position your business as an authority and nurture participants through the sales funnel with minimal friction.

Planning & Platform Selection

Start by choosing a topic that addresses a pressing challenge or opportunity in your industry—whether it’s “Growing Your Shopify Store” or “Local SEO Tips for Auckland SMEs.” Decide on the format (solo presentation, interview or panel discussion) and invite knowledgeable speakers—internal experts, clients or industry partners—to add credibility.

Select a reliable webinar platform that suits your audience size and budget:

  • Zoom: familiar interface, breakout rooms and polling features.
  • GoToWebinar: robust analytics, custom branding and automated reminders.
  • Microsoft Teams: easy integration with Office 365 and company directories.

Test your connection, audio and screen-share settings well in advance to avoid last-minute hiccups.

Registration & Promotion

Your landing page is the gateway to registrations—keep it clear and persuasive:

  • Headline that highlights the key benefit (“Boost Your Conversion Rate by 20%”).
  • Brief agenda or session outline.
  • A single form with minimal fields (name, email, company).
  • Social proof, such as past attendee numbers or a testimonial.

Promote the webinar via segmented email invites to warm leads, a series of reminder emails and sponsored social ads targeting relevant job titles or interest groups in New Zealand. Leverage LinkedIn Event posts and encourage speakers to share with their networks.

Engaging Attendees

Interactive elements make your webinar memorable:

  • Live polls: gather opinions in real time and display results instantly.
  • Q&A sessions: invite questions through the chat box or a dedicated Q&A panel, then answer the most pressing queries on air.
  • Downloadable resources: offer checklists, templates or infographics that attendees can use immediately—reinforcing your expertise and driving further engagement.

Keep presentations concise, use clear visuals and switch between slides, screen share and speaker video to maintain energy.

Post-Webinar Follow-Up

Timely follow-up turns attendees into nurtured leads:

  • Send the recording on-demand within 24 hours, along with slide decks or resource links.
  • Create an on-demand webinar library on your website to capture late registrations.
  • Develop a nurture sequence—automated emails that share related blog posts, case studies or service offers tailored to your webinar topic.

Track attendance and drop-off rates to refine future content, then invite top-engaged participants to a one-on-one consultation or discovery call.

By weaving webinars into your content mix, you offer hands-on learning and personalised interaction—powerful tools for both educating prospects and accelerating their journey from curious attendee to loyal customer.

11. Interactive Content (Quizzes, Calculators & Tools)

Interactive content invites your audience to move from passive consumption to active participation. By asking users to input information—whether answering quiz questions, entering figures for a calculator or clicking through an assessment—you deliver personalised outputs that resonate more deeply than static text or images. Not only does this boost time on page, but it also captures first-party data that you can use to qualify leads and tailor follow-up campaigns.

Common Formats

  • Quizzes: Personality tests, knowledge checks or recommendation quizzes that guide prospects to the right solution.
  • Calculators: ROI estimators, savings planners or pricing tools that show immediate value based on user inputs.
  • Assessments & audits: Readiness surveys, maturity models or interactive infographics that adapt as users progress.
  • Interactive infographics: Click-through data visualisations where each click reveals new insights or next steps.

Benefits of Interactive Content

Interactive experiences stand out for four key reasons:

  1. Data capture – Every interaction is a touchpoint you can track, enriching your CRM with user preferences and contact details.
  2. Lead qualification – Tailored outputs help you identify high-intent prospects who complete a quiz or calculator to solve a real business problem.
  3. Increased engagement – Personalised results often lead to higher completion rates and longer sessions compared with traditional content.
  4. Social sharing – Users love to share quiz results or calculator findings on social channels, extending your brand’s reach organically.

Building Your Own Tools

You don’t need to write code from scratch to launch interactive content. Several platforms offer drag-and-drop builders:

  • Outgrow lets you design calculators, quizzes and recommendation engines with data-driven logic.
  • Typeform specialises in engaging, mobile-friendly forms and quizzes with customisable design.
  • Interact focuses on marketer-friendly quiz templates that integrate with your email and automation tools.
    For fully bespoke experiences—such as embedded microsites or advanced data dashboards—you may choose to partner with a web developer familiar with JavaScript frameworks or low-code platforms.

Best Practices

  • Clear instructions: Guide the user step by step and set expectations for completion time (e.g. “This quiz takes two minutes”).
  • Mobile responsiveness: Ensure buttons, inputs and results display correctly on phones and tablets.
  • Branded design: Match colours, fonts and tone to your brand guidelines so the experience feels cohesive.
  • Shareable outcomes: Offer simple social-share buttons or embed codes so users can brag about their results—spreading your content for you.

Measuring Success

Track meaningful metrics to understand impact and iterate:

  • Completion rate: The percentage of visitors who finish the quiz or calculator.
  • Lead conversion: How many participants submit their email or contact details.
  • Time on page: Average duration, which often correlates with engagement.
  • Social shares & embeds: The number of times your tool is shared or embedded on partner sites.
  • Follow-up engagement: Email open and click-through rates from those who received tailored results.

By weaving interactive content into your marketing mix, you create memorable, tailored experiences that educate prospects, qualify leads and encourage social sharing—fueling a more dynamic, data-driven growth engine for your business.

12. Customer Reviews & Testimonials: Leveraging Social Proof

In a competitive market, genuine feedback from satisfied customers can be the most persuasive endorsement of your products or services. While both reviews and testimonials offer social proof, they serve slightly different purposes. Reviews—often star or rating-based—provide quick, at-a-glance reassurance, whereas testimonials deliver more in-depth stories and authentic voices that highlight specific benefits. By showcasing this user-generated content in the right places, you build credibility, reduce buyer hesitation and ultimately drive more conversions.

Collection Methods

Gathering reviews and testimonials should be an ongoing, automated part of your customer journey. Common tactics include:

  • Automated email requests shortly after purchase or service delivery
  • In-product or in-app prompts when users complete key actions
  • Post-purchase surveys with a rating scale and optional comment field

Integrate review requests into your CRM or e-commerce platform so that every happy customer receives a timely invitation to share their experience.

Authenticity & Legal Requirements

Trust hinges on transparency. Avoid any appearance of “fake” or edited reviews and ensure you comply with the Commerce Commission’s guidelines on genuinely sourced endorsements. For clear rules on disclosures and online testimonials, refer to the Commerce Commission’s guidance on online reviews and sponsored content.

Display Strategies

Where and how you display social proof can make a significant difference:

  • Star ratings on product or service pages, prominently positioned near the “Buy” or “Enquire” button
  • A dedicated testimonials page featuring customer quotes, headshots and company logos
  • Embeds or widgets that pull in live reviews from third-party platforms like Google Reviews and Facebook

These placements reinforce trust at critical decision points—whether a visitor is browsing your catalogue or completing a checkout.

Encouraging Ongoing Feedback

To keep the pipeline of social proof fresh, consider:

  • Incentivising reviews with discounts, entry into prize draws or loyalty points
  • Turning standout testimonials into mini case studies or video stories for deeper impact
  • Integrating user-generated photos and comments into your social feeds and website galleries

By rewarding feedback and celebrating customer success publicly, you encourage more clients to share their stories—fueling a virtuous cycle of trust and advocacy.

Taking the Next Step with Your Content Marketing Strategy

Using a diverse mix of content types keeps your audience engaged at every touchpoint. Blogs boost your SEO and authority, videos forge emotional connections, podcasts cater to on-the-go listeners, and interactive tools deliver personalised experiences. Together, they form a resilient content engine that attracts visitors, builds trust and nudges prospects toward a purchase.

If you’re ramping up your efforts, start by choosing two or three formats that align with your audience’s habits and your team’s skills. For instance, you might pair a weekly blog post with a monthly webinar and a fortnightly email newsletter. Focusing on a handful of channels ensures you maintain quality and consistency—two pillars of lasting engagement.

Next, map out a three-month content calendar. Jot down core themes, publication dates and distribution channels, then assign ownership. Beside each entry, set clear KPIs—such as page views, lead sign-ups or social shares—and schedule a monthly check-in to see what’s resonating. This simple framework keeps you accountable, highlights what’s working and flags opportunities to pivot before you invest too heavily.

Ready to accelerate your results? Our team at Engage Digital can help you build and execute a tailored system that aligns content types with your growth objectives. Get in touch for a free discovery session and let’s craft a custom content marketing plan that turns your strategy into measurable success.

Google is the king of search. It’s how people find information on the web, and as a result, Google has become the most important tool for businesses to find their audience. With Google’s search bar at the top of every user’s results page, it makes sense that Google dominates this market. In fact, they own over 90% of it!

And that’s not even taking into account their many other products such as Maps, YouTube, Android and Chrome Browser. For any business looking to get found online in today’s competitive marketplace, understanding how Google thinks is crucial.

Google knows what people are looking for, so if you can answer those questions with your content and keyword strategy—you have a better chance of showing up higher in searches. Below we’ll explain some strategies you can use to get more traffic from Google Search and rank higher for your keywords.

How to Rank on Google

There are a few ways to rank higher on Google. The first is to use their keyword planner tool, which is a free tool that allows users to input keywords and see how valuable they are. You can also use tools like SEMRush or Moz tools to get more accurate keyword data. Search engine marketing (SEM) is another great way you can achieve success by driving traffic back to your website.

Another strategy you can use is getting links from authoritative websites that Google values highly. This strategy improves the quality of your website’s backlink profile and gives you an edge in ranking for the keywords you’re targeting. As we’ve mentioned, having a well-rounded backlink profile will help you dominate online searches for your target keywords, which leads us to our last point!

One of the most important tips for ranking on Google is creating content that people want to read so that they’ll come back again and again with their search engine query. You need to make sure your content has good topic relevancy, it isn’t too long, and it’s updated regularly.

Finally, you need good site navigation so that visitors can easily find what they’re looking for quickly! If visitors don’t feel like they have time to explore your website because it’s too busy or complicated—they won’t stick around!

Google’s Core Results

First, it’s important to understand Google’s core results. If you want your website to rank on Google, you need to create content that improves the user experience, which is what Google looks for in all their search results. The goal of a search engine is to provide relevant information.

Google wants the most easy-to-find and relevant information they can find so they can improve the experience for their users. The easiest way to do this is by providing multiple answers and giving users more information than just one page or website.

One of the most important things to remember with Google’s core results is that they only show 10. In order for your site or business to be found, you need to be better than what 10? This doesn’t mean you should just spam your site trying tons of different keywords but rather focus on optimising for a few keywords that will get you the most traffic.

Google’s 3 Key Results Types

Google has 3 key results types. They are:

  • Direct Answer
  • Knowledge Graph
  • Knowledge Panes

Now, these 3 result types have different weights across the search engine, and Google also uses other signals to help determine what rank you’ll get in the search engine.

Direct Answers are the most closely related to your keyword, and they weigh heavily in your position on the search engine. In fact, they’re ranked by how many people search for them each month. So if you want to rank faster and more consistently, it’s important that you use your keyword in your content a lot and make sure it’s visible on the front page of Google Search.

Knowledge graphs are a new type of result that is appearing more frequently in searches now that we’re moving towards a knowledge-driven world where people will want answers from experts rather than just searching for keywords or information that might not be accurate or up-to-date. The advantage of using knowledge graphs is that you can show up when someone searches for something specific in relation to an expert guest on your website or blog, or social media account–which would then bring them back to your site to read more about their topic of interest!

Knowledge Panes are very similar to traditional websites with their own domain names, but instead of being called “www.” they’re called “knowledge.” They’re designed as a starting point for users who don’t know where else to search.

Google’s 4th result is its paid ads.

Google’s 4th result is its paid ads. Advertisers pay Google to be the top ad in their results, and it pays off! When you’re looking for a new venture, or are just launching an online advertising campaign, consider how much you’re willing to spend on your advertising. If you have a budget set aside, make sure to create a budget for your Google ads.

Your budget should include things like keywords that will generate traffic, target audience demographics to reach, and the maximum amount of impressions you’ll allow per day. This will give you more control over what gets shown in your ads and better chances of being seen by people searching for your keywords.

Tips for Ranking Higher in Google Search

Keyword Research – It’s important to know what people are searching for on Google. If you have a niche or industry that is competitive, then it can be difficult to rank #1. You need to identify your target keywords and know the search volume and competition levels.

Content Selection – Google looks at content heavily in their ranking algorithm. They do this to make sure they’re only showing people content that’s relevant and matches that person’s search terms. If you use SEO best practices, your website will be more likely to rank higher in Google Search results.

Internal Linking – Google ranks websites with high-quality content, so if your site has a lot of quality content, there’s a good chance it will rank higher in Google Search results. To increase your internal linking opportunities, consider linking out from all the pages on your site—not just specific pages that are relevant to your keyword research.

Page Optimisation – Page optimisation refers specifically to how well optimised each page is for search engines like Google. If you have optimised every page with keywords and other important information like “Related Searches,” then Google will give you points for optimising each page which increases your overall ranking power with the right amount of effort!

Title Tags – The title tag is the most important part of any webpage because Google uses it heavily in its ranking algorithm. So, if you want to get ranked higher on google searches, make sure your title tag includes the keywords you want people to search.

Rank high in Google for Local Demand

Google’s search algorithm has a lot of moving parts. As a result, Google uses many signals to determine the ranking of websites, sometimes even giving human beings the final say in what ranks where. One of the most important aspects that Google takes into account when determining rankings is relevance. In order to rank high for your keywords on Google, you need to be relevant to those searches.

What does this mean? Well, it means you want to make sure your content answers people’s questions about your products or services. You need to show the provider the information they are looking for. So if they type in ‘online marketing,’ you want to make your content as helpful as possible by providing valuable information and resources on how to get started with online marketing right away.

This strategy is especially useful for local businesses because people are searching locally first before looking nationally and internationally.

Rank higher in Google for Niche Demand

If you want to rank higher in Google for a specific keyword, you need to understand the needs of that niche. Consider what people are asking for, and then make sure that your content provides that answer. You can also try creating a list of potential keywords and then brainstorming ideas for how to optimise them.

Rank higher in Google for Brand/Keyword Demand

One way to rank higher in Google is by understanding the demand for your keywords. If there’s a lot of demand for your keyword, then you have more chance of ranking higher.

In this case, you would need to create content that answers the questions people are searching for in order to rank higher. This means you want to answer these questions with the best possible information and use powerful words that show up on page one for high-demand keywords. In addition, you can also include common misspellings and synonyms of your keywords as long as they fit into your on-page SEO efforts.

Another strategy to increase your chances of ranking in Google is by creating a blog. Blogs are becoming more and more popular with search engines because they help users find what they are looking for quickly and provide relevant information about topics they care about.

Additionally, blog posts typically get shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. And when it comes to rankings in Google, it’s important to remember that blogs tend to rank better than websites because people are looking for quick answers rather than large volumes of content.

Conclusion

A well-planned SEO strategy can provide your business with a steady stream of qualified leads. With proper SEO, your business will be able to rank on Google and get the most traffic possible. But success doesn’t come without effort. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Posted in SEO

The success of your website depends on the quality of traffic it receives. Therefore, mixing and matching the right digital strategies can generate substantial website traffic. While you might deliver the best message, product, and service, it would mean little until you attract your target crowd regularly and reliably. Learning how to increase your website traffic is one of the best ways to achieve these goals.

1. Prioritise Content Marketing

Content remains king. This concept applies to all types of online content, including visual, video, and written articles, because engaging content keeps site visitors coming back for more. While SEO strategies can improve your site’s searchability and align with the crawlers to raise SERP rankings (search engine results page), you should also tailor your content to your readers’ interests. 

2. Leverage Paid Ads

Paid ads are some of the most effective ways of getting your site across to your target audience. First, you should thoroughly research your target demographic before deciding on a paid ad platform. Identifying your audience’s interests, locations, and ages can help you pinpoint their most frequented platforms and increase your chances of engagement. 

Also, consider the type of ads applied in your campaigns. While video ads may seem highly popular, market research shows that 49% of people click on text ads, 31% on shopping ads, and only 16% on video ads. 

Similarly, you should have a systematic tracking method for paid ad metrics to ensure that the money you spend goes to good use. Regularly checking your paid ad campaigns helps you evaluate their effectiveness and re-strategise if necessary to optimise their impact. 

3. Constantly Refine On-Page SEO

SEO provides a proven formula to connect your site content with your audience, and it usually has three components: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO. 

On-page SEO refers to your website’s attributes, including meta descriptions, tags, well-positioned headers populated with keywords, and short paragraphs. The effectiveness of your SEO campaigns largely depends on the on-page SEO components. Therefore, managing on-page SEO as a set of living documents that require constant tweaking for the best results is essential. 

For instance, combining evergreen and seasonal keywords can help you reach a broader audience, especially during peak seasons like the summer holidays. Also, search engines like Google tend to revise their SEO practices, so keeping up with the latest updates helps drive more traffic to your website. 

4. Develop Effective Link-Building Strategies

Links make up a considerable part of off-page SEO. Internal and external links are the two main types, and both can help you improve site traffic in different ways. Therefore, applying each kind to your website might be advantageous. 

Internal links facilitate the site navigation process for your audience. For example, clicking on an internal link on your blog may take your reader to a deep service page (i.e., pages that take four or more clicks for access from a home page) and generate website traffic for that part of your site. 

External links bridge your site content with other websites and work well with search engine crawlers as part of technical SEO. Google rates the equity or value of an external link differently from an internal one, prioritising them for ranking purposes. The search engine also determines the usefulness and credibility of your website by assessing the quality of your external links. 

You might consider external links similar to a peer-review article’s citations, supporting its content’s authority and authenticity.  

5. Optimise Email Marketing 

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies for generating business revenue, with an estimated $36 for every $1 spent. This marketing type can be a real game-changer if you wish to generate website traffic from your target demographic, with a mailing list engaging and attracting constant traffic. 

Periodic email newsletters can also help keep your audience interested in your offerings by providing exclusive tips, discounts, content, and tutorials that redirect your readers to your site. 

An advanced mailer allows you to manage your mailing list easily and offers customisation features to give each email a personal touch, further driving engagement. 

6. Keep Your Google Business Profile in Top Form

Your Google Business Profile represents your company’s online public image, and optimising it will help generate website traffic. For example, organic user searches on Google will turn up your Google Business profile, where potential site visitors will form their first impressions of your business. 

While conventionally, site visitors and customers would navigate to your business home page to acquire more information, they will now turn to your Google Business Profile for the same purpose. 

Consider including information that optimises your business reputation, such as high-resolution photos of your company and products, customer reviews, and valuable contact information such as operating hours and a link to your website, which directly generates website traffic. 

Videos are also highly effective ways of introducing your business to potential customers, where studies show that 53% of customers want to see more video content from companies they support. 

Closing Thoughts on How to Increase Your Website Traffic

Having an easily navigatable site is only half of the battle won. You will need to provide the guiding lamps that lead your most valuable audience to your winning content. Engage Digital can help you discover the most effective methods and tools to connect with your target audience without the guesswork. 

Book a call with us to say hello to the Engage Digital team! Together, we will discover the full potential of your business’s marketing growth. 

Marketing can be a complicated business.

What elements will give us the best results. Should we be posting to social media more regularly? How much should we spend on Google Ads? Is our website good enough?

As a growth marketing agency, we’ve tested them all and surprise, surprise, there is no one magic bullet. Even businesses within the same industry are faced with completely different products, opportunities and challenges.

That being said, over time we’ve narrowed our digital marketing approach down to a proven growth marketing formula, that we represent in our proprietary canvas. And from this model, we use comprehensive planning templates to analyse and deliver personalised tactics for our clients’ businesses.

There are many parts to our Growth Marketing Canvas and it’s defined over 3 discipline segments:

  • We’re continuously strengthening the Growth Pillars; improving the product offering, continuously tweaking a compelling Value Proposition.
  • It’s a step-by-step application of prioritised marketing tactics and campaigns across a Customer Conversion System (a sales funnel).
  • And it deploys a Technology Stack to build efficiencies, reduce costs and report on progress.
The Engage Growth Marketing Canvas

With all this potential marketing complexity though, I’m often asked where an organisation should start! What growth marketing parts should get the most attention? It’s like applying the Pareto Rule – what 20% of action will give me 80% of the overall results.

What if the key to future business growth and success lies in focusing on just the core marketing components and doing them well.

So, we’ve distilled our comprehensive Growth Marketing Formula down to just the 5 core ingredients needed to grow your business – execute these well and you’ll set your marketing up for success…

1. Understand your Customer

Ensuring you are targeting a willing, hungry and profitable audience is, without a doubt, the most important step of any marketing campaign.

Analyse your customer base and find out everything you need to know; What social media platform are they on? What their values are in life, what they watch, what they read, what issues do they face related to your industry and product.

Find out what your customers want and what moves them, before you go spend a lot of money marketing. Draw up personas for your top 2-3 customer groups – rank their importance and the share of marketing they should receive from you.

2. Define your Value Proposition

A value proposition is a clear statement of the tangible results a customer gets from using your products or services. It’s outcome-focused and stresses the value of your offering to the customer.

For [target customer] who [statement of the need or opportunity], our [product/service name] is [product category] that [statement of benefit]. 

What are our customers’ pain points and desired gains?
What key customer problem do we provide a unique solution for?

Hit people over the head with what makes you different. 

3. Set a North Star Metric

Your North Star Metric is the metric that your company uses as a focus for growth.

This measure should be an indicator of the performance of our growth marketing tactics, not necessarily a KPI of the overall business.  e.g. Spotify: Time spent listening. Uber: Rides per week.

To qualify as a North Star, a metric must do three things: lead to revenue, reflect customer value, and measure progress.

4. Attraction Marketing

It starts here – if you’re not drawing in a market then the rest of your sales funnel is starved.

Attraction is a critical part of a systematic, scalable sales system. You need tactics in place that are attracting quality leads to your content, website or location.

Fundamentals here include SEO and Google Ads but may also involve display ads and retargeting, emails to targeted lists, cold call outreach, social media, content marketing and PR.

5. Testing and Optimising

Rapidly iterate through experiments to optimise marketing throughout the funnel.

Use A/B testing to improve landing page conversions.

Apply incremental changes to Google Ad campaigns for continual improvement to Cost-per-acquisition over time.

Experiment with cold call outreach and compare performance to other channels.

Test at a low cost and scale the tactics that show promise against your North Star Metric and other KPIs.

While there is always room for fundamental leaps, much of the gains from growth marketing are marginal and incremental.

Run experiments, prepare to fail, pivot quickly, amplify successes.

Takeaways

Our 5-ingredient extract is a distillation of our wider Growth Marketing Formula. Its where 20% of effort will get you 80% of all possible gains. So, if time and money are limited then make sure your focus is on these 5 essential components of your marketing plan:

  1. Understand Your Customer – target willing, hungry and profitable audiences.
  2. Define your Value Proposition – define what’s in it for your customer, why should they buy from you?
  3. Set a North Star Metric – the one measure that will define success – if it increases, your business grows.
  4. Attraction Marketing – just one part but responsible for fuelling your whole sales funnel – no traffic, no conversions.
  5. Test and Optimise – run experiments, prepare to fail, pivot quickly, amplify successes.

The simplest way to think about Google’s Core Web Vitals / Page Experience updates is that user-friendly sites will rank higher than sites that aren’t user friendly.

The good news is if you’re already providing a high-quality page experience for your visitors, you may not even have to do anything differently.

However, if your website maintenance and SEO is something that has had little attention over the past year, then now would be a great time to invest in improving your users’ page experience, while boosting your page ranking, or at least ensuring you don’t slip into Google oblivion!

Google Rewards Your Website for Being More Usable

Over the past few years, Google has developed several user experience signals, including measures of mobile-friendliness, HTTPS-security, and browsing safety.

Most recently, the company created Core Web Vitals, which helps monitor website speed and functionality. These metrics offer concrete ways for owners to measure the user experience of their site.

But Google ups the ante in 2021 to categorically state that after the mid-year update, Page Experience will be a direct ranking factor.

The Importance of a User’s Page Experience

If Google thinks your website users will have a poor experience on your pages — measured by a new set of metrics called Core Web Vitals — Google may not rank those pages as highly as they are now.

The new metrics aim to measure how a user will perceive the experience of a specific web page through technical considerations like how fast a page loads, if it’s mobile-friendly, is it running on HTTPS, the presence of intrusive banner ads and if content jumps around as the page loads.

The New Core Web Vitals

Page experience has been important to Google (and users) for some time and Google algorithm updates during 2021 are adding refined metrics around speed and usability. These refinements are under what Google calls Core Web Vitals.

Core Web Vitals metrics

Core Web Vitals include real-world, user-centred metrics, that give scores on aspects of your pages including load time, interactivity, and the stability of content as it loads. They fall under these metrics:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading performance. LCP is a measurement of how long it takes for the main content of a page to download and be ready to be interacted with. What is measured is the largest image or block of context within the user viewport. Anything that extends beyond the screen does not count. To provide a good user experience, sites should strive to have LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
  • First Input Delay (FID) measures interactivity. FID is the measurement of the time it takes for a browser to respond to a site visitor’sfirst interaction with the site while the site is loading. This is sometimes called Input Latency. An interaction can be tapping a button, a link or a key press and the response given in response. Text input areas, dropdowns, and checkboxes are other kinds of interaction points that FID will measure. To provide a good user experience, sites should strive to have an FID of less than 100 milliseconds.
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability. CLS is the unexpected shifting of web page elements while the page is still downloading. The kinds of elements that tend to cause shift are fonts, images, videos, contact forms, buttons and other kinds of content. To provide a good user experience, sites should strive to have a CLS score of less than 0.1.

Cumulative Layout Shift Issues
Cumulative Layout Shift Issues
Cumulative Layout Shift Correct Function

Other Page Experience signals

Image Source

How to Measure Your Core Web Vitals

While there are some excellent 3rd party apps that help SEO agencies like Engage quickly define and record website performance issues, Google now has a comprehensive suite of SEO Tools that we can use to directly detect what Google sees when it crawls our client’s websites.

LCP and CLS can be measured in the lab or in the field, while FID as a metric can only be measured in the field as it requires a real user to interact with your page.

Field tools

Lab tools

  • Lighthouse to identify technical details that web developers and technical SEO experts need to find out how to improve LCP
  • WebPageTest allows you to compare performance of one or more pages in controlled lab environment, and deep dive into performance stats and test performance on a real device.
  • TestMySite allows you to diagnose webpage performance across devices and provides a list of fixes for improving the experience from WebPageTest and PageSpeed Insights.

Run your Own Page Experience Tests

Check out your site on Google’s TestMySite tool for free. Even share your findings with your developers or send Engage an email to discuss your results…

It’s in Google’s best interest to help you improve the overall User’s Experience so they have other performance measurement tools like web.dev. – this will measure how well your website supports your users. If there are areas where it can improve, you’ll get immediate steps to increase your metrics. For a comprehensive free report try out Google’s Web.Dev

Prioritise These 3 Website Elements:

1.  Responsive Website Design

Your site visitor should be able to view your pages properly before you worry about your Google mobile ranking. Google recommends using responsive web design instead of maintaining and optimising a separate mobile site.

2.  Page Load Speed

Every millisecond of delay in your page load speed or website load time negatively affects the user. You can rely on PageSpeed Insights as a straightforward Google performance test tool for website load time.

3.  Quality Content

As potentially impactful as the page experience update is, high-quality content is still more important than user experience alone. Google stated in its original announcement that it will continue to prioriti1se sites that offer the best information, even if the page experience is slightly worse than pages with lower-quality content.

Google Page Experience Checklist:

Use the following checklist as a quick guide to the things you need to do to optimise your Google Page Experience metrics. With Google’s algorithm focusing on a page-level basis, prioritise your most important pages first.

Page Experience Signal Checks

  • Main page content loads in 2.5 seconds or less
  • Page input delay is 100 milliseconds or less
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score is 0.1 or less
  • Zero failing URLs on the Google Core Web Vitals report
  • Zero failing URLs on the Mobile Usability report
  • URLs pass the Mobile Friendly Test tool
  • URL Page Speed Insights scores are 90 or higher
  • No issues detected on the Security Issues report
  • Website passes the Safe Browsing site status checker
  • HTTPS implemented and no mixed content errors
  • No intrusive interstitials or pop-ups

We also recommend checking:

  • Website content is relevant, useful and readable
  • Use responsive web design
  • Upgrade your website hosting
  • Keep your website framework and plugins up to date
  • Minimise the number of requests your page makes
  • Compress or remove large files
  • Optimise your media elements – video, animations
  • Fix all broken internal links and redirects
  • Monitor your Page Experience report weekly

Article References

As clever as we are, Engage didn’t make this stuff up – we’ve gathered content for this article from other SEO experts including: Google Developers, Spyfu, Neil Patel and Thrive Agency.

Takeaways

Over the past few years, Google has developed several user experience signals, including measures of mobile-friendliness, HTTPS-security, and browsing safety.

More recently, they have created a new set of signals, called Core Web Vitals, which help monitor website speed and functionality. These metrics offer concrete ways for SEO experts like Engage to measure the user experience of our clients’ sites.

Google prioritises five areas that contribute to a website’s page experience:

  1. Core Web Vitals
  2. Mobile friendliness
  3. HTTPS
  4. Safe browsing
  5. Intrusive interstitial content

Page experience is now a key factor in search engine rankings.

If you want to rank well, you need to have both great content and a good page experience. You might still rank well with just one or the other, but it’s not enough anymore. To truly maximise your results, both are necessary.

So, if your website hasn’t had a lot of content or SEO love lately, perhaps now is the time to put some investment into upgrading your user’s experience – auditing, and upgrading your site and improving your position versus your competitors – all with the advantage of ranking better with Google search.

Contact us today on 09 309 5050 or email phil@engagedigital.co.nz if you would like more information about our Page Experience and SEO services!

If it was just for informing your new website visitors of what past customers think of your quality products, how easy the website was to use, or how wonderfully you resolved problems, then displaying reviews and ratings on your website would be worth it.

Shopping online; assuming the flowers will be delivered, hoping that the shirt fits, praying the headphones will meet your expectations, takes a leap of trust from your customers – the more they see you, engage with you or read positive reviews about you, the more they will trust your brand and your ability to deliver.

CXL research showed that review stars in search engine results significantly improve click-through rates, by as much as 35%.

Reviews provide that level of trust and confidence – in fact, 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site which has user reviews. They may not take your word that you have outstanding service or that your product does what no one else’s does, but they will be believe happy (or disgruntled) customers.   

So, while Customer Reviews are great for business in general they’re also very influential with Google. If your site shows on a Google results page with a 4 or 5-star rating, all other things being equal, it’s going to get more clicks than sites with no stars at all. Visitors will be heading your way with a positive impression of what you offer before they even click.

Some businesses see an increase in click through rate as much as 20-35% after implementing star ratings in their search results.

Many SEO experts also believe that good star ratings and reviews will also help improve your search position, if only because people are more likely to click a result showing a star rating and therefore a higher click through rate and traffic volume will rank you higher with Google anyway. 

Product Reviews vs Seller Reviews

Product review stars are different than seller ratings. Product review stars pertain to the products themselves while the seller review stars reflect a business’ standing. 

A product review typically reads something like “I loved the solid craftsmanship of this product” while a seller review is more likely “Awesome company to deal with – great customer service.”

The stars that display in Google Organic search results are almost always product reviews.  

How to Get Star Ratings in Google Organic Search Results

To get star ratings on your Google Search results listing you need to use “schema.org markup” or structured data. This is the code that google will read and interpret when indexing your website. It clearly labels your content and tells Google that your business name or phone number or review copy is exactly that and not just random words on a page. Adding review markup code to a product page will allow that product to show stars in search results.

Note that there are two types of review schema markups available:

  • Single review with a single rating. When you use schema markups for individual reviews, things are straightforward. You have several items available to add into your code – the product reviewed, the review body, the author, the date published, the review rating, and the publisher.
  • Aggregate ratings. If you have multiple reviews available and an average rating calculated, you can use the aggregate ratings markup which adds rating and review count options.
  • Check your work for errors with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
  • To ensure that Google indexes your changes, resubmit your XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
  • Check your results within a few weeks through an organic keyword search.

Writing Review Schema Markups

You’ll need to add markup code to a product page that will look something like this:

<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Product">
<img itemprop="image" src="product-image.jpg" alt="Product Name"/>
<span itemprop="name">Product Name</span>
<div itemprop="aggregateRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/AggregateRating">
<span itemprop="ratingValue">4.5</span>
out of <span itemprop="bestrating">5</span>
based on <span itemprop="ratingCount">32</span>user ratings.
</div>

Check out the full list of schema types here. Google gives their own rundown of how to use Review rich snippets here, plus look up other Content Types in their sidebar menu. 

Structured-Data-Markup-Helper

There are several ways to write the review schema markup and get it on to your website:

After you have that code on a product page, you should:

  1. Check your work for errors with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
  2. To ensure that Google indexes your changes, resubmit your XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
  3. Check your results within a few weeks through an organic keyword search.

Strangely, given it’s reputation for authenticity, Google is not requesting proof of accuracy of these review statements at present. It’s likely that Google will change this stance eventually so we don’t recommend falsifying review information. And don’t use review rich snippets on your home page – google deems this as an “unnatural” place to find a product review.

How to Get Seller Ratings Stars on Adwords

Seller ratings are an automated extension type that showcases advertisers with high ratings. While we can get Product Rating stars in organic search results for “free”, bar the time and resources required for review collection and schema markup, until 2017 we had to subscribe to an aggregation service for Seller Rating stars to appear with Adwords. However, Google now bases seller ratings on several sources, including:

  • Google Customer Reviews, a free program that collects post-purchase comments on behalf of advertisers.
  • Aggregated performance metrics from Google-led shopping research.
  • Shopping reviews and ratings from google-approved independent review websites including:

Before signing up to a service, make sure to check if the plan includes both Seller Ratings for Adwords, Google Shopping (PLAs) ratings and Product Reviews – and only pay for what you need.

Seller ratings will only show when a business has at least 150 unique reviews and a average rating of 3.5 stars or higher.

Google Customer Reviews for Free

Once installed in to your Checkout process, Google Customer Reviews will offer a survey opt-in that allows your customers to provide feedback about their shopping experience on your site. You stipulate a time allowance for shipping and Google automatically sends a survey email after the expected delivery.

You can also add a Google Customer Reviews badge to your site helps which identifies your site with the Google brand and increases customer trust.

Check whether your ecommerce platform like Magento, Shopify and BigCommerce has a preconfigured app to take care of the cart integration.

Once enough ratings and feedback have been collected:

  • Seller Ratings are displayed under your Google Shopping (Merchant Center) Dashboard
  • Seller Ratings will qualify to appear on your Google Shopping Ads and Adwords ads
  • An aggregate rating can be displayed on your website within the Google Customer Reviews badge

Google Customer Reviews vs Paid Aggregators

The plus for Google’s own Customer Review process is that its free and relatively easier to pin to your ecommerce checkout but you have little control over the message copy and design of their independent approach.

The advantages of the subscription-based review aggregators are that they provide convenient and well-designed onsite review callouts and badges, with automated email review request systems, plus the reputation and trust of their relevant businesses. Services can also cover Product reviews for organic search results. A paid Google-approved provider gives you more opportunity for automation and customisation and integration into your website with review and ratings callout display. Plus, the paid systems can work across multiple channels including Google, YouTube, Yahoo, Facebook, Bing and Twitter. They can be set to collect Seller Reviews, Product reviews and Local Reviews.

product reviews shopper approved

Product Reviews for Service-based Websites

Note, if you have a service based business you can get product reviews for free since you’re not going to syndicate anything into Google Shopping. For example, finance companies can create service pages like “personal loans,” “car finance,” and “home mortgages”. Each of these service pages would act as their “product” reviews.

Check if you have a Seller Rating

  1. Go to the following URL:  https://www.google.com/shoppin…
  2. Replace “address.co.nz” with your domain (do not put http or www in front).

Key Takeaways…

  • Seller Reviews and star ratings for your business, displayed by Google in paid and organic search results and Maps, provide valuable information to customers and help them make purchasing decisions. They can help your business stand out more prominently than your competitors. Businesses must accumulate at least 150 reviews in the past 12 months from approved sources for Seller Reviews to show.
  • Product Reviews show star ratings in Google Shopping ads and Product Listing Ads (from approved reviews) and organic search results (from website schema). You must have a minimum of 50 reviews across all your products. A product must have at least 3 reviews for star ratings to show on Shopping Ads, though products with fewer than 3 reviews are eligible to show star ratings on the Shopping property.
  • If you sell products on your website make sure you take advantage of Product Schema & Review Schema. And for that matter other schemas like Organisation, Person, Local Business and Restaurant.
  • Actively request reviews and ratings from customers – automate this process within your website, request reviews within the website and via email, filter out consumer complaints where practical and spread reviews over Google+, Google Customer Reviews and approved review aggregators.
  • Check your Product Review schema work for errors with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
  • Create a link for customers to write reviews from Google Places
  • Pursuing Google+ reviews could still be the easiest way to at least ensure that you have star ratings for branded searches.
  • Star Ratings on Google Adwords requires a little more authenticated work but can be produced for free by requesting customers to write reviews via Google Places and by using Google’s automated Customer Reviews within a shopping checkout.
  • Google Approved review aggregators offer other features including automated campaigning of customers, website banners and review displays plus their independent trust status but their subscription services can be expensive.
google customer reviews
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