3 Things For March 3rd, 2024
A Cautionary Tale, Contact Forms & Email Deliverability, ChatGPT vs. Gemini
A Cautionary Tale
Not taking care of SEO equity equals large losses.
It’s always ‘all the things’ over time that really make a difference. I was looking at some Google Search Console results last week. Search Console is one of my favorite reporting tools – it’s all about organic activity on your website and how it’s doing in search.
We lost a customer last year after years of working on their search engine optimization. They were on an ‘all the things’ complete package of consistently looking at and improving the technical components of SEO, adding content, optimizing content, social media, email marketing, digital ads, as well as some off-line marketing. Over the course of 7 years, we had steadily and consistently seen an increase across the board for performance. Rankings went up, clicks went up, impressions went up, and conversions went up.
They went with another company to launch a new website. Their new site, aesthetically, looks very nice. But year over year results show that their organic clicks decreased by more than 100% losing nearly 800 clicks a month. Their impressions went down by 500%.
When we launch a new site, we always do an audit to make sure we don’t lose any SEO equity that has built up over time. It’s a little heart-breaking to see something like this happen. What went wrong? Why did we lose the client? I don’t know exactly. Internally, we’ve looked at what we could’ve done differently – possibly better communication. But a fact of business is that business will be gained, and it will be lost; sometimes people just get sold by someone else. I hope we get them back.
In the meantime, I have a cautionary case study. The details matter, doing ‘all the things’ has a significant impact, and sometimes there are technicalities that we may not be aware of that can make a huge difference (one way or another). Appearances matter, but they don’t tell the whole story. Make sure you look for the guy behind the curtain.
Secure Your Contact Form Submissions Against Recent Email Deliverability Changes
With the recent email deliverability changes from giants like Google and Yahoo, ensuring your WordPress site’s contact forms reach their intended inbox has become a bit trickier. It’s a bit like navigating through a newly set obstacle course. But hey, no worries! That’s exactly what we at Strategy 3 are here for—to guide you through these updates with ease and keep your email communications smooth and uninterrupted.
By integrating SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) with your WordPress site, we’re essentially upgrading your email’s ticket class from economy to first-class. WordPress’s default mailing system can sometimes drop your important contact form submissions into the dreaded spam folder, or they might not even arrive. Thanks to SMTP, and our team’s savvy setup, your emails will not only avoid the spam trap but also gain a fast track through the stricter filters set up by email services, including the recent ones by Google and Yahoo.
If you’re feeling the pinch from these email updates and want a reliable way to ensure your messages are getting through, let’s chat. Strategy 3 is all about making your WordPress website’s email delivery as reliable and stress-free as possible. Drop us a line, and let’s keep your emails flowing right where they need to go, no matter what Google and Yahoo throw our way.
Finding The Right Words – Gemini vs ChatGPT
Finding the right words is my job, but it often requires a certain amount of research. I try to know a little bit about everything, but alas, at the end of the day, I am only a human. Enter, the amazing chatbot! If you’re not familiar with or maybe haven’t tried a chatbot yet, give it a go. Or better yet, take the title of this blog post, and see what comes up.
I have been using ChatGPT for some time now to gather information on a topic, rephrase statements, or generate content on a subject. However, I’m a big fan of Google products, so when Google unveiled its latest chatbot, Gemini (formerly known as Bard), I wanted to compare.
Like ChatGPT, there is a free and more advanced (paid) version of Gemini, but for this comparison, we’ll focus on the free options. Also, it’s important to note that even though they are both considered chatbots, the intended user experience is slightly different. ChatGPT is designed to solve problems conversationally, like chatting with an expert on a subject. Gemini, on the other hand, focuses on providing accurate information, streamlining the user experience, and saving time.
One advantage of Gemini is that it utilizes Google’s vast knowledge, while ChatGPT tries to answer a question relying on its training data, which can occasionally lead to out-of-date information. Here’s a great example, when I entered “Gemini chatbot versus ChatGPT” into Gemini, it gave me some great information. ChatGPT on the other hand brought back this, “As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, there isn’t a widely recognized or established chatbot named ‘Gemini’ that I’m aware of.”
Testing the two I found Gemini to be more proficient when it comes to online searching and integrating the information into more nuanced responses, however, responses from ChatGPT were easier to use. Here’s another example. When I put a short phrase into ChatGPT and asked it to “rephrase,” it came back with a great response, clean and to the point, whereas Gemini gave a lengthy response about grammar, simplifying the language, or trying different adjectives.
At the end of the day, it’s all about how you use it. If you’re looking for an AI option to help you come up with more nuanced information on a topic, try Gemini. If you want quick, clean answers to queries, stick with ChatGPT. If you’re researching a business, and want to ensure you’re getting the latest information, go with Gemini, if you’re researching a business topic, go with ChatGPT.
Finally, if you’re a big fan of Google and its suite of products, you may find Gemini’s ability to interface with Gmail and Google Docs a big advantage.
Kate Miner
(253) 219-2211
kate@strategy3degrees.com