SEO:  Search Engine Optimization Techniques and Types

SEO: Search Engine Optimization Techniques and Types

What is SEO and why is it so important?

Welcome to the ultimate guide on SEO – the secret sauce behind boosting your online presence and driving more traffic to your website. Whether you’re a digital marketing enthusiast or a business owner looking to up your online game, understanding Search Engine Optimization and Marketing is crucial in today’s competitive digital landscape. So, buckle up as we dive into the world of Search Engine Optimization and uncover its best practices, techniques, and types that will help you climb the ranks in search engine results pages!

The success of search engines as businesses relies on the public perceiving their results to be tailored to their needs. As a search engine, such as Google, discovers more links from a certain type of content to a specific resource, it gains confidence in the relevance of that resource for related search queries. This leads to the determination that the resource should receive a high ranking when those queries are made. To aid in this process, there are four main categories of SEO: on-page, off-page, local, and technical. These work together to assist search engines in discovering, crawling, indexing, understanding, and ranking your content.

Best practices and techniques

When it comes to SEO, staying ahead of the game means keeping up with best practices and techniques. One key aspect is optimizing your website’s loading speed – a fast site not only improves user experience but also boosts your search rankings. Another important practice is creating high-quality, relevant content that resonates with your target audience.

Utilizing proper heading tags and meta descriptions can also enhance your site’s visibility in search results. Additionally, incorporating internal linking within your content helps search engines navigate through your site efficiently.  Then reporting on why and how a site moves through search results is critical.

Don’t forget about mobile optimization – ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly is essential for ranking well in mobile searches. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing performance metrics using tools like Google Analytics and SEMRush can provide valuable insights for refining your SEO strategies.

Types of SEO such as technical, local, on-page, off-page

When it comes to SEO, there are several different types that play a crucial role in boosting your online presence.

SEO and types of search engine optimizationTechnical SEO focuses on optimizing the technical aspects of your website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines. This includes factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and structured data.

Local SEO is essential for businesses targeting local customers. It involves optimizing your online presence to attract more foot traffic and leads from specific geographic locations.

On-page SEO revolves around optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. This includes keyword optimization, meta tags, and high-quality content creation.

Off-page SEO refers to strategies implemented outside of your website to improve its authority and credibility. This includes link building, social media marketing, and influencer collaborations.

Each type of SEO plays a unique role in enhancing your online visibility and driving organic traffic to your website.

Keyword research and four types of keywords

Keywords are a fundamental aspect of Search Engine Marketing that cannot be overlooked. By conducting thorough keyword research and strategically incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you can boost your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.

  • Informational: A person wanst to find information
  • Navigational: Includes searches for a specific site or page
  • Commercial: A person wants to investigate brands, products, or services
  • Transactional: The searchers want to complete an action (e.g., buy something or sign up)

In the world of Search Engine Optimization, staying up-to-date with the latest best practices and techniques is crucial for success. Whether you focus on technical optimization, local SEO, on-page strategies, or off-page tactics, implementing a comprehensive strategy tailored to your specific needs is essential for improving your search engine rankings.

Overall, mastering the art of SEO requires dedication, patience, and continuous learning. By following these guidelines and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of search engine algorithms, you can enhance your online presence and drive valuable traffic to your website. Remember: SEO is not just about ranking high on search engines; it’s about providing value to your audience and delivering an exceptional user experience.

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Terms of Service

Last updated February 05, 2024

AGREEMENT TO OUR LEGAL TERMS
We are Web Sawce LLC, doing business as iCita LLC (“Company,” “we,” “us,” “our“), a company registered in Washington, United States at 3625 E 18th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223.

We operate the website https://icita.net (the “Site“), as well as any other related products and services that refer or link to these legal terms (the “Legal Terms“) (collectively, the “Services“).

You can contact us by phone at 720-232-0917, email at marketing@icita.net, or by mail to 3625 E 18th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223, United States.

These Legal Terms constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you“), and Web Sawce LLC, concerning your access to and use of the Services. You agree that by accessing the Services, you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these Legal Terms. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE LEGAL TERMS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE SERVICES AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY.

Supplemental terms and conditions or documents that may be posted on the Services from time to time are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to make changes or modifications to these Legal Terms at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the “Last updated” date of these Legal Terms, and you waive any right to receive specific notice of each such change. It is your responsibility to periodically review these Legal Terms to stay informed of updates. You will be subject to, and will be deemed to have been made aware of and to have accepted, the changes in any revised Legal Terms by your continued use of the Services after the date such revised Legal Terms are posted.

The Services are intended for users who are at least 18 years old. Persons under the age
of 18 are not permitted to use or register for the Services.

We recommend that you print a copy of these Legal Terms for your records.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. OUR SERVICES
  2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
  3. USER REPRESENTATIONS
  4. PURCHASES AND PAYMENT
  5. POLICY
  6. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
  7. USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS
  8. CONTRIBUTION LICENSE
  9. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND CONTENT
  10. SERVICES MANAGEMENT
  11. PRIVACY POLICY
  12. TERM AND TERMINATION
  13. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS
  14. GOVERNING LAW
  15. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
  16. CORRECTIONS
  17. DISCLAIMER
  18. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
  19. INDEMNIFICATION
  20. USER DATA
  21. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSACTIONS, AND SIGNATURES
  22. CALIFORNIA USERS AND RESIDENTS
  23. MISCELLANEOUS
  24. CONTACT US

 

  1. OUR SERVICES

The information provided when using the Services is not intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject us to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country. Accordingly, those persons who choose to access the Services from other locations do so on their own initiative and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

The Services are not tailored to comply with industry-specific regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), etc.), so if your interactions would be subjected to such laws, you may not use the Services. You may not use the Services in a way that would violate the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).

  1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Our intellectual property

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Services, including all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics in the Services (collectively, the “Content”), as well as the trademarks, service marks, and logos contained therein (the “Marks”).

Our Content and Marks are protected by copyright and trademark laws (and various
other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws) and treaties in the United
States and around the world.

The Content and Marks are provided in or through the Services “AS IS” for your personal, non-commercial use or internal business purpose only.

Your use of our Services

Subject to your compliance with these Legal Terms, including the “PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES” section below, we grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to:

  • access the Services; and
  • download or print a copy of any portion of the Content to which you have properly gained access.

solely for your personal, non-commercial use or internal business purpose.

Except as set out in this section or elsewhere in our Legal Terms, no part of the Services and no Content or Marks may be copied, reproduced,
aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded,
translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited
for any commercial purpose whatsoever, without our express prior written
permission.

If you wish to make any use of the Services, Content, or Marks other than as set out in this section or elsewhere in our Legal Terms, please address your request to: marketing@icita.net. If we ever grant you the permission to post, reproduce, or publicly display any part of our Services or Content, you must identify us as the owners or licensors of the Services, Content, or Marks and ensure that any copyright or proprietary notice appears or is visible on posting, reproducing, or displaying our Content.

We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you in and to the Services, Content, and Marks.

Any breach of these Intellectual Property Rights will constitute a material breach of our Legal Terms and your right to use our Services will terminate immediately.

Your submissions

Please review this section and the “PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES” section carefully prior to using our Services to understand the (a) rights you give us and (b) obligations you have when you post or upload any content through the Services.

Submissions: By directly sending us any question, comment, suggestion, idea, feedback, or other information about the Services (“Submissions”), you agree to assign to us all intellectual property rights in such Submission. You agree that we shall own this Submission and be entitled to its unrestricted use and dissemination for any lawful purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you.

You are responsible for what you post or upload: By sending us Submissions through any part of the Services you:

  • confirm that you have read and agree with our “PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES” and will not post, send, publish, upload, or transmit through the Services any Submission that is illegal, harassing, hateful, harmful, defamatory, obscene, bullying, abusive, discriminatory, threatening to any person or group, sexually explicit, false, inaccurate, deceitful, or misleading;
  • to the extent permissible by applicable law, waive any and all moral rights to any such Submission;
  • warrant that any such Submission are original to you or that you have the necessary rights and licenses to submit such Submissions and that you have full authority to grant us the above-mentioned rights in relation to your Submissions; and
  • warrant and represent that your Submissions do not constitute confidential information.

You are solely responsible for your Submissions and you expressly agree to reimburse us for any and all losses that we may suffer because of your breach of (a) this section, (b) any third party’s intellectual property rights, or (c) applicable law.

  1. USER REPRESENTATIONS

By using the Services, you represent and warrant that: (1) you have the legal capacity and you agree to comply with these Legal Terms; (2) you are not a
minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside; (3) you will not access the Services through automated or non-human means, whether through a bot, script or
otherwise; (4) you will not use the Services for any illegal or unauthorized purpose; and (5) your use of the Services will not violate any applicable law or regulation.

If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, we have the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Services (or any portion thereof).

  1. PURCHASES AND PAYMENT

We accept the following forms of payment:

–  Visa

–  Mastercard

–  American Express

–  Discover

–  PayPal

You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made via the Services. You further agree to promptly update account and payment information, including email address, payment method, and payment card expiration date, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed. Sales tax will be added to the price of purchases as deemed required by us. We may change prices at any time. All payments shall be in US dollars.

You agree to pay all charges at the prices then in effect for your purchases and any applicable shipping fees, and you authorize us to charge your chosen payment provider for any such amounts upon placing your order. If your order is subject to recurring charges, then you consent to our charging your payment method on a recurring basis without requiring your prior approval for each recurring charge, until such time as you cancel the applicable order. We reserve the right to correct
any errors or mistakes in pricing, even if we have already requested or
received payment.

We reserve the right to refuse any order placed through the Services. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household, or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same payment method, and/or orders that use the same billing or shipping address. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers, or distributors.

  1. POLICY

All sales are final and no refund will be issued.

  1. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

You may not access or use the Services for any purpose other than that for which we make the Services available. The Services may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors except those that are specifically endorsed or approved by us.

As a user of the Services, you agree not to:

  • Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Services to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory without written permission from us.
  • Trick, defraud, or mislead us and other users, especially in any attempt to learn sensitive account information such as user passwords.
  • Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Services, including features that prevent or restrict the use or copying of any Content or enforce limitations on the use of the Services and/or the Content contained therein.
  • Disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Services.
  • Use any information obtained from the Services in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person.
  • Make improper use of our support services or submit false reports of abuse or misconduct.
  • Use the Services in a manner inconsistent with any applicable laws or regulations.
  • Engage in unauthorized framing of or linking to the Services.
  • Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) viruses, Trojan horses, or other material, including excessive use of capital letters and spamming (continuous posting of repetitive text), that interferes with any party’s uninterrupted use and enjoyment of the Services or modifies, impairs, disrupts, alters, or interferes with the use, features, functions, operation, or maintenance of the Services.
  • Engage in any automated use of the system, such as using scripts to send comments or messages, or using any data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools.
  • Delete the copyright or other proprietary rights notice from any Content.
  • Attempt to impersonate another user or person or use the username of another user.
  • Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) any material that acts as a passive or active information collection or transmission mechanism, including without limitation, clear graphics interchange formats (“gifs”), 1×1 pixels, web bugs, cookies, or other similar devices (sometimes referred to as “spyware” or “passive collection mechanisms” or “pcms”).
  • Interfere with, disrupt, or create an undue burden on the Services or the networks or services connected to the Services.
  • Harass, annoy, intimidate, or threaten any of our employees or agents engaged in providing any portion of the Services to you.
  • Attempt to bypass any measures of the Services designed to prevent or restrict access to the Services, or any portion of the Services.
  • Copy or adapt the Services’ software, including but not limited to Flash, PHP, HTML, JavaScript, or other code.
  • Except as permitted by applicable law, decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of the Services.
  • Except as may be the result of standard search engine or Internet browser usage, use, launch, develop, or distribute any automated system, including without limitation, any spider, robot, cheat utility, scraper, or offline reader that accesses the Services, or use or launch any unauthorized script or other software.
  • Use a buying agent or purchasing agent to make purchases on the Services.
  • Make any unauthorized use of the Services, including collecting usernames and/or email addresses of users by electronic or other means for the purpose of sending unsolicited email, or creating user accounts by automated means or under false pretenses.
  • Use the Services as part of any effort to compete with us or otherwise use the Services and/or the Content for any revenue-generating endeavor or commercial enterprise.
  • Use the Services to advertise or offer to sell goods and services.
  • Sell or otherwise transfer your profile.
  1. USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS

The Services does not offer users to submit or post content. We may provide you with the opportunity to create, submit, post, display, transmit, perform, publish, distribute, or broadcast content and materials to us or on the Services, including but not limited to text, writings, video, audio, photographs, graphics, comments, suggestions, or personal information or other material (collectively, “Contributions”). Contributions may be viewable by other users of the Services and through third-party websites. As such, any Contributions you transmit may be treated in accordance with the Services’ Privacy Policy. When you create or make available any Contributions, you thereby represent and warrant that:

  • The creation, distribution, transmission, public display, or performance, and the accessing, downloading, or copying of your Contributions do not and will not infringe the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or moral rights of any third party.
  • You are the creator and owner of or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, releases, and permissions to use and to authorize us, the Services, and other users of the Services to use your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Services and these Legal Terms.
  • You have the written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable individual person in your Contributions to use the name or likeness of each and every such identifiable individual person to enable inclusion and use of your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Services and these Legal Terms.
  • Your Contributions are not false, inaccurate, or misleading.
  • Your Contributions are not unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, pyramid schemes, chain letters, spam, mass mailings, or other forms of solicitation.
  • Your Contributions are not obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, violent, harassing, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise objectionable (as determined by us).
  • Your Contributions do not ridicule, mock, disparage, intimidate, or abuse anyone.
  • Your Contributions are not used to harass or threaten (in the legal sense of those terms) any other person and to promote violence against a specific person or class of people.
  • Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law, regulation, or rule.
  • Your Contributions do not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party.
  • Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law concerning child pornography, or otherwise intended to protect the health or well-being of minors.
  • Your Contributions do not include any offensive comments that are connected to race, national origin, gender, sexual preference, or physical handicap.
  • Your Contributions do not otherwise violate, or link to material that violates, any provision of these Legal Terms, or any applicable law or regulation.

 Any use of the Services in violation of the foregoing violates these Legal Terms and may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your rights to use the Services.

  1. CONTRIBUTION LICENSE

You and Services agree that we may access, store, process, and use any information and personal data that you provide following the terms of the Privacy Policy and your choices (including settings).

By submitting suggestions or other feedback regarding the Services, you agree that we can use and share such feedback for any purpose without compensation to you.

We do not assert any ownership over your Contributions. You retain full ownership of all of your Contributions and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your Contributions. We are not liable for any statements or representations in your Contributions provided by you in any area on the Services. You are solely responsible for your Contributions to the Services and you expressly agree to exonerate us from any and all responsibility and to refrain from any legal action against us regarding your Contributions.

  1. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND CONTENT

 The Services may contain (or you may be sent via the Site) links to other websites (“Third-Party Websites”) as well as articles, photographs, text, graphics, pictures, designs, music, sound, video, information, applications, software, and other content or items belonging to or originating from third parties (“Third-Party Content”). Such Third-Party Websites and Third-Party Content are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, appropriateness, or completeness by us, and we are not responsible for any Third-Party Websites accessed through the Services or any Third-Party Content posted on, available through, or installed from the Services, including the content, accuracy, offensiveness, opinions, reliability, privacy practices, or other policies of or contained in the Third-Party Websites or the Third-Party Content. Inclusion of, linking to, or permitting the use or installation of any Third-Party Websites or any Third-Party Content does not imply approval or endorsement thereof by us. If you decide to leave the Services and access the Third-Party Websites or to use or install any Third-Party Content, you do so at your own risk, and you should be aware these Legal Terms no longer govern. You should review the applicable terms and policies, including privacy and data gathering practices, of any website to which you navigate from the Services or relating to any applications you use or install from the Services. Any purchases you make through Third-Party Websites will be through other websites and from other companies, and we take no responsibility whatsoever in relation to such purchases which are exclusively between you and the applicable third party. You agree and acknowledge that we do not endorse the products or services offered on Third-Party Websites and you shall hold us blameless from any harm caused by your purchase of such products or services. Additionally, you shall hold us blameless from any losses sustained by you or harm caused to you relating to or resulting in any way from any Third-Party Content or any contact with Third-Party Websites.

  1. SERVICES MANAGEMENT

We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to: (1) monitor the Services for violations of these Legal Terms; (2) take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in our sole discretion, violates the law or these Legal Terms, including without limitation, reporting such user to law enforcement authorities; (3) in our sole discretion and without limitation, refuse, restrict access to, limit the availability of, or disable (to the extent technologically feasible) any of your Contributions or any portion thereof; (4) in our sole discretion and without limitation, notice, or liability, to remove from the Services or otherwise disable all files and content that are excessive in size or are in any way burdensome to our systems; and (5) otherwise manage the Services in a manner designed to protect our rights and property and to facilitate the proper functioning of the Services.

  1. PRIVACY POLICY

We care about data privacy and security. Please review our Privacy Policy: https://www.icita.net/privacy-policy/. By using the Services, you agree to be bound by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Legal Terms. Please be advised the Services are hosted in the United States. If you access the Services from any other region of the world with laws or other requirements governing personal data collection, use, or disclosure that differ from applicable laws in the United States, then through your continued use of the Services, you are transferring your data to the United States, and you expressly consent to have your data transferred to and processed in the United States.

  1. TERM AND TERMINATION

These Legal Terms shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Services. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE LEGAL TERMS, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT NOTICE OR LIABILITY, DENY ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICES (INCLUDING BLOCKING CERTAIN IP ADDRESSES), TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY REASON OR FOR NO REASON, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FOR BREACH OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR COVENANT CONTAINED IN THESE LEGAL TERMS OR OF ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. WE MAY TERMINATE YOUR USE OR PARTICIPATION IN THE SERVICES OR DELETE ANY CONTENT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU POSTED AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION.

If we terminate or suspend your account for any reason, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new account under your name, a fake or borrowed name, or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party. In addition to terminating or suspending your account, we reserve the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation pursuing civil, criminal, and injunctive redress.

  1. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS

We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Services at any time or for any reason at our sole discretion without notice. However, we have no obligation to update any information on our Services. We also reserve the right to modify or discontinue all or part of the Services without notice at any time. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, price change, suspension, or discontinuance of the Services.

We cannot guarantee the Services will be available at all times. We may experience hardware, software, or other problems or need to perform maintenance related to the Services, resulting in interruptions, delays, or errors. We reserve the right to change, revise, update, suspend, discontinue, or otherwise modify the Services at any time or for any reason without notice to you. You agree that we have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, or inconvenience caused by your inability to access or use the Services during any downtime or discontinuance of the Services. Nothing in these Legal Terms will be construed to obligate us to maintain and support the Services or to supply any corrections, updates, or releases in connection therewith.

  1. GOVERNING LAW

These Legal Terms and your use of the Services are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington applicable to agreements made and to be entirely performed within the State of Washington, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

  1. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Informal Negotiations

To expedite resolution and control the cost of any dispute, controversy, or claim related to these Legal Terms (each a “Dispute” and collectively, the “Disputes”) brought by either you or us (individually, a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”), the Parties agree to first attempt to negotiate any Dispute (except those Disputes expressly provided below) informally for at least thirty (30) days before initiating arbitration. Such informal negotiations commence upon written notice from one Party to the other Party.

Binding Arbitration

If the Parties are unable to resolve a Dispute through informal negotiations, the Dispute (except those Disputes expressly excluded below) will be finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT THIS PROVISION, YOU WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A JURY TRIAL. The arbitration shall be commenced and conducted under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and, where appropriate, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes (“AAA Consumer Rules”), both of which are available at the American Arbitration Association (AAA) website. Your arbitration fees and your share of arbitrator compensation shall be governed by the AAA Consumer Rules and, where appropriate, limited by the AAA Consumer Rules. If such costs are determined by the arbitrator to be excessive, we will pay all arbitration fees and expenses. The arbitration may be conducted in person, through the submission of documents, by phone, or online. The arbitrator will make a decision in writing, but need not provide a statement of reasons unless requested by either Party. The arbitrator must follow applicable law, and any award may be challenged if the arbitrator fails to do so. Except where otherwise required by the applicable AAA rules or applicable law, the arbitration will take place in United States, Washington. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Parties may litigate in court to compel arbitration, stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator.

If for any reason, a Dispute proceeds in court rather than arbitration, the Dispute shall be commenced or prosecuted in the state and federal courts located in United States, Washington, and the Parties hereby consent to, and waive all defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction, and forum non conveniens with respect to venue and jurisdiction in such state and federal courts. Application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) are excluded from these Legal Terms.

In no event shall any Dispute brought by either Party related in any way to the Services be commenced more than one (1) years after the cause of action arose. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.

Restrictions

The Parties agree that any arbitration shall be limited to the Dispute between the Parties individually. To the full extent permitted by law, (a) no arbitration shall be joined with any other proceeding; (b) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be arbitrated on a class-action basis or to utilize class action procedures; and (c) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be brought in a purported representative capacity on behalf of the general public or any other persons.

Exceptions to Informal Negotiations and Arbitration

The Parties agree that the following Disputes are not subject to the above provisions concerning informal negotiations binding arbitration: (a) any Disputes seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of the intellectual property rights of a Party; (b) any Dispute related to, or arising from, allegations of theft, piracy, invasion of privacy, or unauthorized use; and (c) any claim for injunctive relief. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.

  1. CORRECTIONS

There may be information on the Services that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update the information on the Services at any time, without prior notice.

  1. DISCLAIMER

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  1. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, OUR LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE ACTION, WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF THE AMOUNT PAID, IF ANY, BY YOU TO US DURING THE THREE (3) MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO ANY CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OR $500.00 USD. CERTAIN US STATE LAWS AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DISCLAIMERS OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.

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  1. USER DATA

We will maintain certain data that you transmit to the Services for the purpose of managing the
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relates to any activity you have undertaken using the Services. You agree
that we shall have no liability to you for any loss or corruption of any such
data, and you hereby waive any right of action against us arising from any such
loss or corruption of such data.

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Visiting the Services, sending us emails, and completing online forms constitute electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications, and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications we provide to you electronically, via email and on the Services, satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS, AND OTHER RECORDS, AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES, AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED BY US OR VIA THE SERVICES. You hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature or delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by any means other than electronic means.

  1. CALIFORNIA USERS AND RESIDENTS

If any complaint with us is not satisfactorily resolved, you can contact the Complaint
Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California
Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N
112, Sacramento, California 95834 or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 or (916)
445-1254.

  1. MISCELLANEOUS

These Legal Terms and any policies or operating rules posted by us on the Services or in respect to the Services constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and us. Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Legal Terms shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. These Legaerms operate to the fullest extent permissible by law. We may assign any or all of our rights and obligations to others at any time. We shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage, delay, or failure to act caused by any cause beyond our reasonable control. If any provision or part of a provision of these Legal Terms is determined to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision or part of the provision is deemed severable from these Legal Terms and does not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. There is no joint venture, partnership, employment or agency relationship created between you and us as a result of these Legal Terms or use of the Services. You agree that these Legal Terms will not be construed against us by virtue of having drafted them. You hereby waive any and all defenses you may have based on the electronic form of these Legal Terms and the lack of signing by the parties hereto to execute these Legal Terms.

  1. CONTACT US

In order to resolve a complaint regarding the Services or to receive further information regarding use of the Services, please contact us at:

Web Sawce LLC

3625 E 18th Ave

Spokane, WA 99223

United States

Phone: 720-232-0917

marketing@icita.net

NEWS: iCita Launches Search Analytics Reporting

NEWS: iCita Launches Search Analytics Reporting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 27, 2024 – Spokane, WA and Longmont, CO. iCita launches much awaited search analytics reporting set of products  called Marketing Insight Search Reports for Businesses after being refined and researched for the past ten years.  Marketing Insight Reporting is a series of organic and paid search analytics in the form of custom and pre-built reports that give great insight for companies that want to get and stay on top of how they are ranked in search results.  Through the extensive use and training, iCita is finally at a stage to allow subscriptions to different levels of monthly analytics reporting.

(more…)

Marketing and Content Strategy Budgets

Marketing and Content Strategy Budgets

Marketing and Content Strategy Budgets

Marketing and Content Strategy

Why you need a marketing budget

Developing a marketing budget not only provides structure and organization to your overall marketing strategy, but it also serves various crucial purposes. Firstly, it helps you prioritize which projects to invest in by allocating funds accordingly. This ensures that the most important and impactful initiatives receive adequate resources for successful implementation.

Additionally, having a well-defined budget allows you to earmark funds specifically for software license purchases, enabling your team to leverage advanced tools and technologies that can enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, comparing year-over-year progress becomes significantly easier when you have a comprehensive understanding of how much was allocated each year across different projects. This analysis enables you to identify trends, patterns, successes, or areas where adjustments might be needed moving forward.

Finally, calculating the return on investment (ROI) from your marketing endeavors becomes possible with a well-planned budget in place. Being able to determine the effectiveness and profitability of various activities gives valuable insights into resource allocation decisions going forward while ensuring accountability within the team.

Marketing strategies vs. marketing plans

While marketing strategies and marketing plans both play a crucial part in your business’s success, it is imperative to understand the significant distinctions between them. The main differentiating factor lies in their respective time horizons: a marketing strategy encompasses long-term intentions, whereas a marketing plan primarily addresses short-term goals.

Think of the strategy as the overarching framework that guides all your marketing efforts towards achieving specific objectives and fulfilling your brand vision. It involves carefully analyzing market trends, identifying target audiences, establishing competitive advantages, and determining key messaging themes that resonate with customers over an extended period.

On the other hand, a marketing plan focuses on tactical implementation within a defined timeframe—typically ranging from three months to one year—and acts as a detailed roadmap for executing strategic initiatives effectively. This includes delineating specific campaigns or promotions, allocating budgets across various channels like advertising or social media platforms while ensuring seamless coordination among different teams involved. By recognizing these contrasting yet complementary aspects of nullmarketing strategies and plansnull , businesses can strike an optimal balance between long-term visioning and short-term execution for sustainable growth.

Basic marketing channels include:

  • Web sites
  • SEO projects
  • Content marketing (pillars, keyword focus)
  • Advertising (billboards, SEM, TV, radio, etc.)
  • Public relations
  • Social media marketing (SMM)
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Email campaign
  • Text/SMS campaign

Marketing budget as a percentage of revenue and by industry

In 2021, marketing budgets as a percentage of gross company revenue were as high as 13%, but in 2022, marketing budgets declined to 8.6%. The decrease can be attributed to a how companies were preparing for 2023 and 2024.   2024 is showing that companies are having more faith in long-term solutions such as SEO and content marketing.  They see the benefits of a plan that is authentic and rich in experiences.  Generally speaking, in a marketing study, marketing budgets for 2024 could increase based on 42% of the respondents, while 32% are decreasing their budget.

In terms of overall trends, it’s interesting to note that for the years 2022-2023, marketing budgets have increased as a percentage of company revenue compared This suggests that businesses are recognizing the importance and value of investing more heavily in their marketing efforts and are planning the same changes for 2024.

After two years where digital spending dominated nearly 70% of marketingbudgets, the allocation of spending between digital and offline channels has now shifted towards a more equitable split. This shift can be attributed to people becoming more engaged with events and seeking more personal interactions post-pandemic. More than half (50%) of digital spending is being allocated to paid channels such as social media and advertising on search engines.

Marketing Budgets by Industry

Banking, Finance,Insurance, and Real Estate 9%
Communications media 12%
Consumer packaged goods 8.5%
Consumer services 6%
Healthcare 18%
Manufacturing 13%
Retail wholesale 14%
Service consulting 21%
Technology 21%
Transportation 8%

As a marketer, it’s important you use these percentages as benchmarks, especially for industries allocating low marketing budgets. It could also mean this is an arena where you and your team can shine following strategies that are effective.

Content marketing strategy

Content marketing is an innovative and dynamic marketing strategy employed by businesses to captivate, involve, and sustain their target audience. By generating and disseminating pertinent articles, captivating videos, insightful podcasts, and various other forms of media content, companies effectively establish themselves as authorities in their respective industries. This approach not only fosters brand awareness but also ensures that null customers keep the business at the forefront of their minds when they are ready to make a purchase.

Through content marketing’s multifaceted nature, businesses can not only attract potential customers but also nurture existing relationships with current patrons. This strategy enables brands to consistently deliver valuable information and engage with consumers on a deeper level while simultaneously building trust and loyalty within the market landscape. Content marketing thus serves as a powerful tool for organizations seeking sustainable growth and long-term success in today’s highly competitive commercial sphere.

On average, small businesses paid between $467 – 5,024 per month for Search Engine Optimization activities.  Companies in general reported these statistics:

  • 47% research their audience
  • 46% perform search engine optimization (SEO)
  • 45% are publishing more content and publishing more frequently
  • 44% said improving the quality and value of their content has led to success
  • 42% said updating existing content has boosted their content marketing value
  • 41% said analyzing their competitors influenced the success of their strategy
  • 40% said creating more visual, and video content improved their content marketing

In addition to these necessary content marketing components, respondents had a lot to say about which tactics boost content ranking the most:

  • 55% create more content and post more frequently
  • 53% are focusing on improving the quality of their content
  • 37% are prioritizing research-driven content
  • 36% said they are improving their technical SEO

Tips for using your budget wisely

1. Customer journey must always the focus
2. Marketing agencies can help
3. Support and get and inhouse team
4. Repurpose and update content
5. Evaluate underperforming channels
6. Re-evaluate your strategy regularly
Three Voice Search Techniques For Top SEO Results

Three Voice Search Techniques For Top SEO Results

The world has transformed into using voice search more than ever before and the trend is growing and becoming main stream. This means that the more you want to expand your reach to your target market, you need to know that your target market is becoming more conversational in how they interact with the web. Your company must allocate more dollars and resources toward optimizing for conversational voice search in your SEO marketing strategy.

Companies must now also optimize website content for mobile-first and online keywords focusing on long tail keywords. Here are three methods to transition into conversational voice search to take advantage of how your audience is changing.

First, keep in mind these main points:

  • Question keywords should be targeted.  Voice search queries contain a lot of question words like how, what, when, why, where. The next time you add keywords for voice search, make sure you include these.
  • Long-tail keywords complete a question, and people have been sticking to this approach when using voice. Don’t ignore long-tail keywords when you optimize for voice searches.
  • “Filler words” must be included in questions which make the question more conversational and human. The examples of filler words are “I, the, of the, on the, to, for,” etc.

#1 –  How Can I Focus On The Mobile Experience and Voice Search?

As a marketing professional you need to consider the many aspects of content when creating content.  Make sure it is relevant and valuable to your target audience, including:

  • What are their needs?
  • Where are your customers searching for information about your product or service?
  • What types of search questions are they using to find answers?
  • How are they searching?

The future of SEO marketing will be altered by voice search the most due to the shifting landscape of online search on mobile devices.

  • Optimize Site Speed For Mobile: Most online traffic is coming through mobile devices.
  • Keep Site Crawlable: To ensure Google and understand and can find your content on a mobile voice search.
  • Don’t Use Flash: Flash is not supported by many mobile devices.

#2 –  How Is Natural Language Used More?

The difference with a traditional search engine is that, in a voice search, only the top answer will be highly relevant. Based on how content is conveyed to the user, marketers must ensure that landing pages are designed in a specific way to showcase long tail keywords and a short, yet comprehensive response to the voice result to easily find it.

People use many different terms and they interact with search engines differently when using their vocal cords than they do with a keyboard. Instead of using very short phrase, voice search queries are more natural-sounding questions or statements.  You must ensure that landing pages are designed in a specific way to showcase long tail keywords and a short, comprehensive response.

SEMRush Voice Assistant Stats

SEMRush Voice Assistant Stats

#3 –  How Do I Create A Question and Answer Style Format?

Optimize your content for voice search with more conversational tones with a question and answer format.  Most voice search queries come in the form of a problem and this help align your content with the needs of your customers, but it will also assist Google to know the context of your website.

Create blog posts and product catalogs where you provide relevant content by answering questions. This is a great way to optimize because a lot of users to type in questions when they are looking for information.  Then use real questions that your customers ask you as a basis for the content you create. Include actual questions in the H2 and H3 sections of your material and provide a quick answer with supporting content below.

Voice Search SEMRush Example

Topic Research tool from SEMrush

Continue With Confidence

As technology continues to evolve, you will have the unique opportunity to reach your customers with content based on what, when, and where they search. Voice search is a great way to speak to customers who are using mobile devices and who are on the go.

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Do You Know Your Brand’s Story – Here’s How to Start

Do You Know Your Brand’s Story – Here’s How to Start

Did you know that by creating the story around your brand it engages your future customers more than anything else?  A brand’s story is so important that it is more important then telling people what you sell.  A book by Donald Miller has done a great job of simplifying this concept.  The book is called Building a StoryBrand and is available for sale on Amazon (links below).  As you may know iCita has been building marketing plans, landing pages and integrating CRMs for over 15 years.  But when I saw how this book conceptualized the steps and the story, I really enjoyed it.  When you start reading the book, you will begin to see what grabs you and motivates your actions in almost every part of your decision making life.  This applies especially to your purchase decisions.

A good story always has these seven elements:  

  1. A character
  2. Who has a problem
  3. Meets or finds a guide
  4. The guide has a plan
  5. And motivates them to action
  6. Sometimes it ends in failure
  7. Or it can end in success

How you communicate all these steps makes your story, and your brand, compelling. You must know that your brand is not the main charactor of the story – your customer is. You make the customer the hero.  You need to position yourself into the story by being the guide who helps the customer win the day.  If the customer is still not sure, you need to give them an easy way out while still staying in touch. The concept works wonders for landing page campaigns when you target a specific demographic segment.

Before starting down the story path, you must first ask these seven questions that clarify the power of your brand’s story.  The answers will be the core building blocks to your future marketing communication.

  1. What do your customers want?
  2. What are your customer’s external, internal, and philosophical problems?
  3. Have you positioned your brand as the guide to the hero (the hero is the customer)?
  4. Have you created and communicated a clearn plan fo rthe hero to win?
  5. Are your calls to action clear?
  6. Have you identified the consequences you are helping the hero avoid?
  7. Have you helped the hero imagine how you (your brand) can improve their lives.

Take your time and work through these questions on paper and in your head.  Start to apply these to movies, brands you love, places you shop, then see if you recognize the guide, the story and what they are making you feel (or the problem they are solving) that moves you to action.

I recommend purchasing and reading or listening to the Donald Miller’s book.  It offers great marketing insight.

Building A StoryBrand website >>

Order on Amazon >> 

 

 

Get a plan in place

Our Approach Is Different

  • We listen
  • Work together
  • Measure success

We know how you feel, so let’s talk


iCita plan step one 1
Schedule a call
Step 2 of a plan
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Step 3 of the plan
Move forward

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