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The #1 B2B marketing blog for curious, lifelong learners.

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SEO + Content: A Checklist for 2019

Consistently creating content that readers love and search engines rank is no easy task. Many elements must be addressed for your voice

Increase Website Conversion Rate: 7 Tips to Stop Losing Time and Money

What does it look like to build a successful online presence for your business, grow your brand following and increase

Inside Directive SEO Training: The Hottening Part II – Electric Boogaloo

“We want to make sure we’re coming with the best ideas that will get the most lift for our clients.

Directive Accelerates Massive Growth with Opening of International Office in London

Rapidly growing search marketing agency takes successes overseas with expansion to the UK October 25. 2018 – IRVINE, Calif. –

Inside SEO training: Hotjar — The Hottening Part I

An inside look into our informative SEO training sessions. This week Andy Monte, our amazing Director of SEO, goes over the

Budgets & Spending: Gather Data Quickly so You Can Get to Efficiency Faster. Here’s How

I have a quick question I wanted to go over with you that we get a lot from our clients.

What are the best techniques for off page SEO in B2B?

Today we’re going to answer a question from Quora, that we also get from our clients a lot, which is:

The Ideal Skill Set for a Search Marketer [VIDEO]

Hey everybody. My name is Garrett Mehrguth. I am the CEO and co-founder of Directive Consulting and today we’re going

The Power of Asking Why in Search Marketing [VIDEO]

Hey everyone! My name is Garrett Mehrguth. I am the co-founder and CEO of Directive Consulting and today we’re going

Directive Answers Quora: “What’s the best way for a B2B business to build links for SEO?” [Video]

If you’re looking for the best ways to build links as a B2B business, I have three for you that

Directive Answers Quora: “Should I spend on SEO and link building to get high traffic for my site that caters to B2B?”

We get this question all the time. A lot of people understand the value of PPC when it comes to

How To Leverage Your Product Market Fit to Increase Volume [VIDEO]

Today we’re going to be talking about product market fit and how it’s an undervalued role or skill set for

How to Reassess Your Google Ads Budget [VIDEO]

Today, we’re going to talk about how to reassess your Google Ads There’s a lot of tools out there for

How to Create a Landing Page that Converts and Sells Your Services [VIDEO]

Today we’re going to talk about how to create a landing page that converts and sells your services. [ Pssst. Did you

How To Use Content Marketing to Build Your Brand Identity

Today, we’re going to talk about three ways you can use content marketing to build your brand identity. [ Pssst. Did you

The Gap Between Google and Results: Here’s What You Can Do About It [VIDEO]

Today we’re going to be talking about the gap between Google and results and what you can do about it.

People Keep Asking: “What’s the Difference Between Marketing & Advertising?” Focus on This Instead.

Essentially, it’s not so much about what the difference between marketing and advertising is — so much as making them

What Does Marketing No Longer Do for B2B Companies [VIDEO]

What does marketing no longer do for B2B companies? I think we spend so much time focusing on “what does

4 Vital Marketing Roles That Your Organizational Chart Needs to Include [VIDEO]

Hello, everyone! I’m excited to chat with you today about four marketing roles that your organizational chart needs to include.

Powerful Ways to Improve Your Internal Marketing [VIDEO]

As marketers, especially in B2B, it’s critical that we can internally share what we are trying to accomplish. So today

What is B2B Marketing? Principles That Differentiate You From The Rest [VIDEO]

What is B2B marketing? — It sounds like such a simple question. [ Note: Learn or retain more by reading? We got you.

Which B2B Prospecting Tool is Best For You? [VIDEO]

Hi, everyone! Today we’re going to be talking about which B2B prospecting tool is best for you.   Don’t miss

B2B Consulting: Here’s What You Need to Ask Before Hiring an Agency [VIDEO]

If you’ve ever thought about hiring a B2B consulting firm, here are some amazing questions that you should ask before

Do You Have A B2B Copywriter? Here’s Why You Need One. [VIDEO]

Hey everybody! Today, we’re going to talk about 3 reasons why you need a B2B copywriter. It’s an underrated position

Should Your B2B Marketing Be Interactive? [VIDEO]

Hello, everyone! Today, we’re going to answer the question, “Should your B2B marketing be interactive? Should B2B interactive marketing even

Hacking SEMrush For Targeted Lead Generation [VIDEO]

Hey there, everyone! Today, we’re going to dive into a targeted lead generation hacking strategy by using SEMrush. Let’s explore

SEM for B2B: Lessons Learned from 40+ Accounts [VIDEO]

Hi, everyone! Today we’re going to talk about SEM for B2B and the lessons that we’ve learned from 40+ accounts.

3 Must-Have B2B Market Research Tools That You Need Today
Check out the 3 tools our expert tech marketing team uses every day here at Directive: SEMrush (gather keyword data & look at
Do You Have A Terrible Lead Generation Landing Page? [VIDEO]

Do you have a terrible lead generation landing page? Let’s find out. Don’t miss a video! Subscribe on YouTube! [ Note: Learn

3 B2B Marketing Examples That You Probably Haven’t Tried Yet [VIDEO]

We’ve found 3 B2B marketing examples that you probably haven’t tried yet. We’re going to start at the bottom of

Simple 8 Step Demand Generation Strategy [VIDEO]

A lot of times, as B2B marketers, we struggle with how to generate demand for our product or service and

3 of the Best B2B Marketing Websites That Will Inspire You [VIDEO]

Looking for inspiration to revamp your B2B website? In this week’s video, we’ll discuss 3 of the best B2B marketing

How To Increase B2B Sales Leads With Paid SEO [VIDEO]

Hello, everyone! Today we’re going to be talking about how to increase qualified B2B sales leads with paid SEO. Learn/retain

10 Rules for Thriving at an Agency

I worked briefly at an agency a couple of years back and the experience was just alright. I thought I

Increase Leads & Revenue by Focusing On Marketing Impact, Not Activity.

In today’s fast-moving world, being a marketer means more than it used to. It used to mean that you could

Why Improving Failed AdWords Campaigns Creates the Best B2B Advertising Campaigns

Not all AdWords campaigns are created equal. Unfortunately, many of them fail. That might be a hard pill to swallow.

How to Build a Marketing Dream Team in 2018

Every year brings with it new and exciting developments for marketers. As it is, marketing is a fast moving industry

Why Sales Reps are Your Smartest Marketers

Crappy in-house marketers are expensive. They charge you more money than they should, and they bring in fewer clients than

Why You Should Ditch Your Traditional Marketing Funnel (And Do This Instead)

Most marketers use the same funnel. It’s a funnel that starts with awareness and ends with conversion and retention. One

Why A Good SEO Agency Won’t Implement Your Keyword Suggestions

That’s a provocative title, isn’t it? It blatantly implies a few things. First, that you don’t know what you’re doing

Part 4: B2B Content Marketing

A common thread for many B2B buyers is the search for knowledge. For every challenge they face, they want information

Focusing Your Brand’s B2B Content (Part 3)

How does your audience perceive your B2B brand? The answer to that question will determine the success of all of

An Innovative Approach for Aligning Marketing with Sales

Not all clients are created equal. You’ve witnessed this first-hand as a B2B marketer. The number of prospects that tell

The Hard Truth About CTR

Click-through rate (CTR) is one of the first metrics on the monthly report. Everyone obsesses over it, wondering why Campaign

Monthly Reporting Is Not Enough

How many leads did you reach this month? If you’re a marketer, chances are you already have a report handy

Got Your Budget Cut? Here’s What to Do About It

While the majority of marketers are expecting increases to their marketing budget this year, 14% are bracing for a cut.

B2B Marketing Basics: Understanding Your Audience (Part 2!)

Effective B2B marketing is kind of like the third date. You’ve gone out twice before, each time carefully gathering and

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The Recipe for a Winning B2B Facebook Ads Strategy

While a majority of B2C companies are crushing the social media marketing game, many B2B organizations are lagging behind. Even

Don’t Start a Campaign without these 11 B2B Marketing Tools

High conversion rates aren’t an accident. There’s nothing fluky about them. Yet only 22% of companies feel that their conversion

5 B2B Marketing Strategies to Show Up on the First Page of Google without Ranking Organically

There are absolutely no guarantees with SEO. You could spend thousands of hours (and dollars) trying to organically rank for

3 Marketing Activities to Increase Your Google SERP CTR

Keyword rankings used to be more important than they are today. The vast majority of clicks went to the first

Why Monopolizing SERPs is Your Next Best B2B Marketing Tip

Today’s SEO is far more nuanced and sophisticated than even just a few years ago. That’s because search engines are

Why Your B2B Marketing Plan Stalls: How to Break Down the Silos in Your Organization

Digital marketing has been run in silos since the beginning of time. The SEO people “do SEO.” The PPC people

Email Blast Examples: The B2B Guide to Email Marketing

These days B2B marketers have to choose from a seemingly endless selection of different campaign options. There’s the usual assortment

Our Unique Approach to Content Marketing in 2017
You've probably read time after time that in order to build your company’s brand, the least you should have is an active blog
9 B2B Directories to Generate Demand and Leads
Being listed on the right industry directories has always been so important.Ever since the Yellow Page, it's been important to show up where
Complete Guide for Guest Blogging on Your Industry’s Top Blogs
Let's dive into my process for publishing on Moz, Wordstream, Marin, Raven, Acquisio, Wordtracker, Convince & Convert, Kissmetrics, and more.
Why Bother Getting AdWords Certified + How To Do It
There are many resources available that will help you not only pass the Google AdWords Certification exam but more importantly, excel at AdWords.
B2B vs B2C Marketing: The Differences Every Search Marketer Should Know

If you’ve spent any time reading up on digital marketing trends you’ve probably run into the terms B2B and B2C

B2B Marketing Segmentation for Every Stage of the Funnel

As a company grows, their digital marketing strategy must grow with it. Demand may increase, visibility may grow, and your

15 B2B Landing Pages That Convert

For the average B2B company, building landing pages that convert is an important job. Your products and services are the

8 B2B Marketing Conferences to Remember in 2017 (+7 Tactics to Make the Most of Them)

Whether you’re looking to connect with customers, potential partners, or like minded thought leaders, B2B marketing conferences can be filled with

10 Tips To Build a Consistent B2B Content Marketing Plan

Sometimes creating content is easier said than done. Business owners and bloggers get busy, and it’s all too easy to

The Difference Between B2B Demand Gen & B2B Lead Gen (Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse)

B2B marketers frequently use the terms “demand generation” and “lead generation” interchangeably. As vague and confusing as they may sound, they

A Detailed Guide to Building a B2B PPC Report

Let’s be honest, building reports probably isn’t your favorite part of the job (especially when the numbers aren’t great). But they are

Grading the Site Speed of 100+ Computer Hardware Sites

Search engine users are not generally known for the lengthy attention spans. The truth is that you only have a

10 Necessities for Your B2B Marketing Strategy

In the B2B space, efficiently marketing your brand across your most profitable channels is a must. As a B2B marketers,

The Complete B2B Marketing Guide

B2B marketing is no easy task. There’s a constant battle between: do I target my exact buyer with account-based marketing

Landing Page Analysis: Breaking Down CTAs for the Top 100 SaaS Sites

If you’re managing any form of paid digital campaign, you have probably spent a great deal of time optimizing your landing

Ranking the Keyword Value of 180 Series C Software Companies

Overview As an agency that specializes in B2B marketing, we’ve seen our fair share of keyword strategies. More importantly –

Understanding Content’s Role in the B2B Sales Process

These days, content is a huge part of the B2B sales process. Companies used to only utilize outbound marketing and

Why SEO Keyword Strategy is Important
When looking to increase traffic on your site or blog, using relevant keywords should be step one. A strong keyword strategy is important
25 Ways Data Science is Changing B2B Marketing
Data science is on every tech marketer’s radar these days. It has enabled marketers to determine exactly whom their audiences are and how
15 B2B Marketing Books You Need to Read
Staying up-to-date with the latest tech marketing trends and strategies is crucial for achieving success in today's fast-paced business landscape. Check out our
Is Social Media Important for B2B Demand Generation?

The importance of social media for B2B is in constant question. The primary question being, “Does social media generate MQLs?” This

Lead Nurturing Strategy: How to Create a Killer Drip Email Campaign with Wishpond & MailChimp

Most of us love it when our website and individual pages convert new site visitors into actual leads or sales.

Omnivores of the SERP: Eat Up More Market Share

The more universal and user-based search becomes, the more important taking up more market share on each SERP becomes. In

B2B Mobile Marketing Strategy : Optimizing Your Content for B2B Mobile Search

B2B Mobile marketing is steadily taking up a larger and larger percentage of search interactions. Your mobile marketing strategy needs

Setting Up Your B2B Pay Per Click Services the Easy Way

The distinction between paid and organic search can be a daunting one. The idea of paid for advertisements makes everything

The Right Recipe: Blending Paid and Organic Search Campaigns

Internet marketing can be a tricky business. It takes an incredible amount of data and customization of your content and

Using Video to Improve Your CRO and Customer Relations

  Imagine you are perusing through an online dating site and you come across an advertisement for the exact person

Solving tough challenges for ambitious tech businesses since 2013.