13 Places to Look on Your Next Google AdWords Account Audit

When you first take a look at an AdWords account, it can be daunting. Here are some ideas on where to look first to get things rolling and start optimizing the account. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

6 Questions to Ask [Yourself] Before Hiring a PPC Agency

Hiring a PPC agency doesn’t have to be a fingernails-dragged-slowly-across-a-blackboard event, if you have a few fundamental questions answered to start. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Marketing as Worldbuilding: The Links

I know, I know. I piled on the tips and tools. It’s OK!!!! Here are the links, related content and slides from my Marketing Worldbuilding talk: 30 Tips For Better Content If you want a bunch of ideas for creating better places, check out this presentation and links Google Trends … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Introduction to Amazon Ads Strategy

Amazon is more popular than ever. Take full advantage of the platform by promoting your products through Amazon Ads. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How to: Avoid Word Vector Hysteria & Trend Surfing Idiocy

Everyone's suddenly writing about word vectors. They're not new. Here's how to avoid panic, and why our industry is losing its freaking mind. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Deodorant & Other Challenges: How I Get Content Ideas

How do you write mind-blowing content about deodorant? Very carefully. In this post, I walk through my ideation process, and where I get my content ideas. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Top 5 Most Common PPC Mistakes Beginners Make

Jumping into something new for the first time is never easy. PPC is no different. There is a lot going on, and if you are brand new to it, there is plenty to trip you up. Here are some top things we see happen often to newbies. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

The Complete Guide to Robots.txt

A handy guide to robots.txt files, what can go wrong, and how to use them effectively. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Four HTML Tags Every Digital Marketer Must Know

As a digital marketer, you don't have to be an HTML genius. But you SHOULD know four crucial HTML tags. Read this post to learn them. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How to Achieve Content Nirvana

Content marketing. It sounds so simple. There are dozens of new gurus born every day. Here's the secret they don't tell you. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Why I Use Markdown, & You Should Too

This is a continuation of my rant about lean content and time management. You might want to read those, too. I once had to convert a Word document to a web page. Once. After spending hours deleting mso-style blocks and cleaning up thousands of lines of crap, I swore (and swore, a … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What I’ll Do When Google Dies

Like any nerd worth a damn, I like to plan for the zombie apocalypse. I know whose house I’ll go to (he has guns and edged weapons). I know what vehicles I’ll take (bicycles, duh). I know my weapon of choice (a shovel – perfect for the spearing brain smash). But I have a new… Rea … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What Is the User Experience of Content?

Content is critical to user experience. Did this content answer the question it meant to answer? Is it easy to read? Does it show people where to go next? | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Making amazing content: The links

This is a steadily-growing list of links from my talk about amazing content tactics: The slides Lean content: An effective web writing workflow from Ian Lurie More Information 14 Little Things to Make Blog Post Content Better | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How to Write a Decent SEO Recommendation

Don't let your SEO recommendations get lost in translation. Learn how to speak your client's language when it comes to SEO. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How To Run A Great Marketing Brainstorm: The Creative Warm-Up

Warm up those creative muscles so your team can put their best ideas forward. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Keyword Research and You

Whether you’re thinking about starting a company, revamping your current business, adding a new product line, or just making sure your current SEO approach is on the right track, keyword research is a fundamental part of the process. The reason keyword research is so indispensabl … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Product Feed Optimization for Google Shopping

Targeting your audience on Google Shopping is a little different than most are used to. Learn some tactics to optimize your efforts and save yourself some money. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Working Content Meetings May Just Save Your Toes

If you've experienced the inevitable breakdowns and frustrations of content marketing with a big team, this is for you. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Why Can’t I See My PPC Ads?

There are a lot of moving parts that determine when and where your PPC ads will be displayed. It can be very frustrating. Learn a few of the top reasons you are having a hard time viewing your ads in the wild. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Google AdWords Display Banner Specifications and Best Practices

Trying to get started on the Google Display Network? Follow these guidelines and best practices to get strong banner ads. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What “Lean” Really Means

In cycling, to handle a turn at high speed, you lean. As you enter the turn, you push down on the outside pedal, and you lean slightly more than seems prudent. You complete the turn. Then you sprint out of the corner, leaving your competition behind. Marketers often equate “lean” … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

AdWords Call Extensions and When to Use Them

Call extensions are a powerful tool to help improve the quality of your search ads. They are an especially good idea for any local business trying to drive calls or get people in the door. Learn how to set them up in your account. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

AdWords Changes in 2016: What You Should Care About

Last month, Google announced some changes coming to AdWords this year, which gives advertisers some additional tools to work with. Unlike some major changes in the past (e.g. enhanced campaigns), you have very little reason to panic over these announcements. Are these changes rev … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What are AdWords Location Extensions?

Google AdWords location extensions are an ad extension that allows advertisers to show their physical business address with their text ads. Ideal for all local businesses, both large and small. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

High ROI is Costing You Money

Aiming for the highest-possible ROI? You're probably losing revenue. Try balancing ROI and audience growth, instead. See what happens. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

5 Effective Ways to Use the Google AdWords Keyword Planner

The keyword planner tool in Google AdWords can be a quick, easy, and powerful way to build up a strong keyword list and improve account performance. Learn some of the ways it can be utilized. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

The Dangers of Putting PPC in a Silo

If you're running PPC as a stand-alone channel, without fully integrating it into your overall marketing effort, you're missing out. Here's why. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

AdWords Location Setting Tips For Your Small Business

Location targeting is a strong tool for PPC advertisers. This is even more true for small business. Understanding how the tool works can make a huge difference in your ability to reach your audience. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How to: Edit and proofread

You HAVE to edit and proofread your work. Here's how to do it fast, even if you've read your writing over and over again. 9 quick steps. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Improve Quality Score in 5 Easy Steps

Quality Score is probably the most important metric for PPC accounts. Optimizing is easier said than done, though. Take a look at our tips to get a starting point. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Teach me something

This post is more than my usual rant. It’s going to make people squirm. Hell, it made me squirm, because we’re all guilty of my topic: Marketing content has become meaningless word puke. My dark epiphany I did some research today. I wanted to learn a new thing about marketing. So … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What are UTM Codes? …and Why You Should Use Them

Analytics is a powerful tool for marketers, and without it, you are flying blind. You need to empower your analytics tools by setting up proper tracking parameters for all your marketing campaigns. UTM codes are a great way to do this when using Google Analytics. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

30 Content Tips – Slide deck and links

Here’s the deck from my presentation, 30 Little Things To Make Your Content Better: And here’s the video: Links Grammarly: A great proofreading app Hemingway App: Computer-driven editing for more concise content Go learn HTML here Very rough pages showing my HTML examples. View s … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Mixed Emotions – Facebook grapples with the art of surfacing sentiment

An OpEd on Facebook's inclusion of "Dislike" & Emoji: whoever does the best job of surfacing sentiment from users across digital will win. And win huge. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What is Quality Score?

Quality Score optimization is a tricky thing. It has a huge impact on your paid search efforts, though. Do you fully understand it and how to improve your score? | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

6 Ways to Organize Your PPC Account to Improve Performance

There are many different strategies for account structure but which is best? Learn a couple of our favorites that we have seen success with. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

5 Inexpensive Ways to Grow Your SMB Online

Growing your online business while on a budget can be a tough task. Take a look at these 5 tips and strategies to help your business thrive with little to no extra cost. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Amazon and Google SEO: My presentation

Update: Now, get 2 for 1! I’ve added my Retail Global slide deck, which gets to the core of these changes and gets more concrete about how to deal with word vectors. Scroll further down for the original Resonate presentation, and relevant links. Needs into Wants: Amazon, Google a … | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Leading Edge Analytics – Data Driven Marketing

Aspiring to run a more data driven marketing program? Analytics Architect Michael Wiegand looks at a survey of CMOs wishing the same. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Pooping Bowling Balls and Other Content Truths

29 random thoughts about content and copywriting, from titles to post length. Read Ian Lurie's tips, & his take on life as a marketing writer. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Building Successful PPC: Understanding Campaign Settings

Just getting started in PPC but know where to start? Take a look at our 6 part series for building PPC accounts on a budget. With this post focusing on account settings. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Building Successful PPC: Structuring your Google AdWords Account

Just getting started in PPC but know where to start? Take a look at our 6 part series for building PPC accounts on a budget. With this post focusing on account structure. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

3 PPC Musts for the Small Fashion Retailer

For the fashion business without a giant team, without a giant budget, and starting on the DIY marketing track: here are three simple but essential AdWords strategies to keep you competitive and improve overall ROI from PPC. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

How to Write Sincere Marketing Copy

Trying to balance sincerity with selling in your content? Time for some lessons from a very old philosophy. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

5 Critical Tips for PPC Success for Small Businesses on a Budget

Running PPC campaigns on a budget is no easy task. Check out of top 5 tips to give you a leg up on the competition. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

What Are Google AdWords Sitelinks?

Sitelinks are a great tool to help strengthen your AdWords ads. Learn some best practices and how to set them up in your account today! | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago

Executing a Successful Local PPC Strategy

Read on for the key elements of a successful local PPC strategy, a few tips on how to execute it, and what to expect after you execute. | Continue reading


@portent.com | 8 years ago