Bob Ottaway

It sure seems that way, and that’s a bad sign for our businesses. It looks like we’re in for much of the same until at least September when the Federal Reserve might lower the prime rate by at least...

MOVING SALES IMPROVING: Our moving clients around the country report improving sales and filling up schedules. Is anyone overjoyed? No. But most are keeping busy? Yes. The Fed may even make a ¼ point cut in September, about 75%...

It’s a holiday week, so we’re keeping it short; however, don’t ignore this important graphic:   Switching SEO agencies can prove disastrous, as the graph above shows. When one of our West Coast clients (Client A), who had been...

We’ve never encountered this before, but it’s happening. Be prepared.  The facts: METRO CLIENT: Good-sized client in the biggest market in the US with a big budget. GETTING TONS OF PHONE CALLS “LOOKING FOR JOBS”: The Google ads did...

Many of you are in businesses directly affected by residential home sales.  We had anticipated 6 rate cuts this year, which would have had a direct impact on mortgage rates and, subsequently, home sales. However, the current outlook suggests...

It’s the talk of Wall Street.  It’s the talk of millions of Americans every day.  When can we buy a house? When will mortgage rates dip so we can afford a house?  If your business is dependent on any...

It’s such a simple question, but the answer is often so difficult. Here are the questions you should be asking yourself: WHERE ARE MY SALES PACING? Is my company on trend? If not, how far below?  And for how...

People love to speculate.  People love to predict change.  People love to predict we’re doomed.  Don’t believe a word of it.  Here’s why:  BUSINESS WILL GO ON:  Regardless of how a website search is “returned,” that is, how the...

  There’s a lot of chatter out there about AI and how it’s going to change how customers find your business.  Here are some answers to the questions we get asked the most:   WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT...

Google’s annual developers conference was held this past Tuesday, May 14, 2024. There were over 100 announcements. We’ll break down the most important ones influencing your business and your sales leads. We’ll take it a step at a time,...

We’ve been optimizing websites since 2006 and writing these newsletters just about every week.  That’s hundreds of newsletters.  But we’ve never talked about our personal feelings about SEO.  Today we will, and are joined by other SEO experts to...

Thousands of sites were delisted or dropped in the most recent Google core update that was completed on April 19th.  It was one of the most sweeping updates in years.  If your site took a hit in ranking, here’s...

This week’s Bloomberg Businessweek magazine (p. 64, Apr 22, 2024) has an extensive article on the state of the homeowner’s mind today.  Here are the highlights:  HOMEOWNERS WHO LOVE THEIR MORTGAGE:  51% SHARE OF HOMEOWNERS PLANNING THESE PROJECTS IN...

Now Google is testing placing the Google Ads right in the Organic results.  That’s right, no longer just at the top and bottom of a Google Search Results Page (SERP) but mixed in.  What does this mean for you:...