Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re left with some unanswered marketing-related questions, you’ve come to the right place.
Advertising
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a paid digital advertising strategy designed to increase a website’s visibility on search engine results pages. By targeting high-intent keywords, SEM helps brands appear when users are actively searching for specific products or services. Campaigns can run on search engines like Google and Bing, as well as social media platforms and trusted third-party advertising networks, giving businesses multiple channels to capture qualified traffic and accelerate conversions.
Online advertising can run across several channels, depending on where your audience spends time. Common options include search ads, display ads, shopping ads, video ads, and sponsored email placements. For search engine visibility, platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising help your brand appear when users actively look for your products or services. If expanding reach is the goal, social media advertising offers strong targeting capabilities, with LinkedIn often being the most effective option for industrial and manufacturing audiences.
Determining whether your ad spend is worth the investment starts with tracking how users engage with your website. Conversions—such as form submissions, quote requests, contact page visits, or newsletter sign-ups—help indicate whether your traffic is turning into real opportunities. By monitoring these actions alongside metrics like cost per conversion, lead quality, and overall engagement, it becomes easier to understand if your budget is driving meaningful results and supporting your business goals.
There’s no single platform that’s universally “better”—the right choice depends on where your audience searches. Google offers the largest reach and typically delivers the highest search volume. Microsoft Advertising (Bing) often provides lower-cost clicks and strong performance in B2B and industrial markets. Tools like Google Analytics help identify which search engines are already sending traffic to your website, making it easier to determine which platform aligns best with your target audience and goals.
An impression is counted each time your webpage or ad appears on a user’s screen in a search engine. For example, if someone searches “injection molding” and your URL is shown on the results page—whether they click or not—that appearance is recorded as an impression.
CTR (click-through rate) is the percentage of users who click on your ad or URL after seeing it. It’s calculated by dividing clicks by impressions. A higher CTR generally indicates that your messaging, relevance, or placement is resonating with searchers.
Digital Marketing
A common indicator that a new website is needed is simply asking this question—if the thought has surfaced, there’s likely a reason. A strong digital presence is essential for brand visibility, credibility, and lead generation, and your website often serves as the first impression. If the current site lacks visual appeal, relevant content, updated imagery, or clear information, a redesign or full rebuild is usually the right move.
Performance data can also help determine this. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console reveal whether users are engaging effectively. Metrics such as total users, time on page, pages per session, and bounce rate provide insight into whether visitors are finding value or abandoning the site. If engagement is consistently low, outdated, or underperforming, it’s typically a sign that a new website will better support business goals.
You don’t have to blog, but it’s one of the most effective ways to strengthen your SEO. Blogs allow you to target keywords, key phrases, and long-tail searches that your core website pages may not naturally capture. Search engines rely on this type of content to understand what your business does and when to display your site to users.
For example, if someone searches “who has available resin near me,” and you’re a resin distributor, a blog answering that question gives your brand a chance to appear. A post such as “Resin Shortage? Here’s What’s Available Now” can highlight capabilities, materials, and availability—helping searchers discover your business even if they weren’t aware of you before.
1. Strengthen your SEO foundation.
Review your keywords, page content, title tags, and meta descriptions to ensure they align with the searches you want to appear for. Strong on-page SEO is the most effective way to increase organic traffic without paid ads.
2. Stay active on social media.
Increase your posting cadence and share valuable, industry-relevant content. Social platforms are free visibility channels that help position your brand as a subject matter expert and drive users back to your website.
3. Publish blogs regularly.
Blogging expands your keyword footprint, supports long-tail search visibility, and helps answer questions your audience is actively searching for. It’s one of the fastest ways to grow organic traffic at no cost.
4. Utilize email marketing.
Build or refine an email list and share helpful updates, insights, or resources. Most email platforms offer free tiers and provide metrics like open rate and click-through rate—making it easier to identify interested users and encourage repeat website visits.
Website performance data can be accessed through tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which provide insights into traffic, user behavior, search visibility, and technical health. If you want engagement metrics tied to your business listing, Google Business Profile offers data on searches, views, calls, and direction requests. For websites that receive significant traffic from Microsoft search engines, Bing Webmaster Tools is another free platform that delivers similar analytics and search performance insights.
Content marketing is a strategic approach centered on creating valuable, relevant content tailored to a specific audience to build trust, strengthen brand authority, and guide users toward meaningful actions. Its purpose is to attract, educate, and engage potential customers in a way that ultimately supports lead generation and profitable growth.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of improving how web pages appear and rank in organic search results. It involves optimizing content, technical structure, and on-page elements so search engines can better understand your site. The goal is to increase visibility, drive qualified traffic, and position your brand higher in search results without relying on paid advertising.
SEO can be improved by implementing core best practices that help search engines understand and trust your website. This includes optimizing keywords, writing clear and compelling title tags and meta descriptions, building internal links, earning backlinks from reputable websites, improving page speed across all pages, and adding descriptive alt text to every image. Consistently applying these fundamentals strengthens visibility, user experience, and overall search performance.
SEO is important because search engines continually update how they crawl, rank, and display websites. Without proper optimization, your chances of appearing in top search results decrease—even if your products or services are the best fit for the user’s query. Strong SEO ensures search engines can understand, trust, and accurately surface your content, helping your brand stay visible and competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Keywords are the words or phrases people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. In SEO, keywords help search engines understand what your content is about, allowing your website to appear for the queries most relevant to your business.
Social Media
The best time to post on social media often depends on your audience, but manufacturing-focused accounts typically see the strongest engagement on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Industry studies also show that posting between 9 AM and 1 PM aligns with peak activity across most platforms, making it a reliable window for higher visibility.
Getting started with social media begins with defining your goals and understanding the audience you want to reach. Choose the platforms where that audience is most active, build a simple content strategy, and commit to a consistent posting schedule. Make sure your profiles are fully optimized, use relevant hashtags for discoverability, and engage with users to build credibility. As you post, review performance through analytics and refine your approach based on what resonates most.
For most manufacturing companies, LinkedIn and YouTube are the strongest platforms. LinkedIn allows you to reach engineers, buyers, operations leaders, and decision-makers with professional, industry-focused content. YouTube is ideal for showcasing processes, capabilities, technical walk-throughs, and educational videos that appeal to machinists, toolmakers, engineers, and other hands-on professionals.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X are best used for culture-driven content—team updates, community involvement, behind-the-scenes posts, and employer-branding efforts.
Common mistakes include creating content that doesn’t match the audience’s knowledge level, interests, or industry needs. Understanding your followers’ roles, demographics, and challenges is essential for effective messaging. Another frequent issue is inconsistent posting. If the goal is to build credibility, thought leadership, or subject-matter authority, consistency is crucial—audiences rely on brands that show up regularly with valuable, relevant content.
