Digital marketing doesn’t have to be a labyrinth forever. If you’re a small business owner or leader, chances are you’ve Googled things like, “Why isn’t my business showing up on Google?” or “Do I really need an Instagram for business?” Here’s a roundup of digital marketing FAQs our team answers on a regular basis.
No question is silly and not every one has a single right answer! We get that when you’re running a business or a team, you just want things to work so you can move on to the next task…kill time and skip a few Google searches with this 5-minute read.
Table of Contents
1. What is digital marketing?
It’s how people find your business online. It includes everything from your website and Google listing to online reviews, ads, emails, and even blog content.
When someone searches for a service you offer and finds your business, that is digital marketing in action. The goal is to help more people discover you, trust you, and contact you.
2. What’s the difference between a domain and hosting?
Your domain is your website name. It is what people type into the browser to find you. For example, yourbusiness.com is a domain.
Hosting is how all the pieces of your website, like your images, text, and pages, are stored. It’s what makes your website actually show up when someone visits your domain.
You need both to have a working website.
Think of it like this: If your domain is your digital street address, hosting is the building where everything lives. Without hosting, your domain has nowhere to go.
Choosing a good hosting provider also helps your website load faster and stay online, which is important.
3. Why does my website show up two different ways?
You might notice your website loads as both www.yourbusiness.com and yourbusiness.com, or sometimes as http instead of https. Even though they look similar, search engines can see these as different websites.
If both versions are active, Google might think you have duplicate content, which can hurt your rankings. It can also make your site look less trustworthy to visitors.
The fix is simple. Your developer or marketing team should set up a permanent redirect so all versions point to just one preferred version.
4. Why can’t I find my business on Google Maps?
This is one of the most common digital marketing FAQs we get. Here are the top reasons your business might not show up in Maps:
- Your Google Business Profile is not verified
- Your address, phone number, or category is incorrect
- You do not have any reviews yet
- Your profile has not been fully filled out
Fixing your Google Business Profile can help you appear on Maps and in local search results. This is a core part of local SEO and one of the first things we help clients improve.
5. Can I get more leads without redoing my whole website?
Yes, you can. A full redesign is not always the first step. Start with these quick wins:
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
- Ask for reviews from recent customers
- Write blog posts that answer common questions
- Add your business to trusted directories like Yelp or Angi
- Share simple updates or job photos on social media
Small actions like these can boost visibility and trust without touching your website’s design.
6. How many reviews should I have?
There is no perfect number, but consistency matters. Aim for at least two to four new reviews per month.
According to BrightLocal, 87 percent of people read reviews for local businesses.
If you are not asking for them regularly, you may be losing leads to competitors who are.
The easiest time to ask is right after a job is completed. Send a direct link and make the process quick.
7. What are keywords, and how many should I track?
Keywords are the words and phrases people search for on Google. Some examples include:
- “roof repair near me”
- “best plumber in Lakeland”
- “how to get rid of ants in kitchen”
Most small businesses can start by tracking 20 to 50 relevant keywords. Focus on services you offer and the areas you serve.
The goal is not to rank for everything, but to rank for the searches that matter most.
8. What types of keywords should I use?
It helps to use a mix of keyword types:
- Local keywords include your city or service area
- Informational keywords answer common questions
- Branded keywords include your business name
- Transactional keywords show buying intent, like “book termite inspection”
Using a mix helps your business show up at different stages of the customer journey.
9. Should my landing page look like my website?
Not completely.
Your website is like a full brochure. It tells people who you are, what you do, and gives them lots of ways to learn more.
A landing page is more like a flyer for one specific thing. It has one clear goal—like getting someone to book a service, call you, or fill out a form.
It should still look like your brand (same logo, colors, and tone), but it should be simpler and more focused. Keep only what supports the goal. Remove anything that might distract the visitor.
If someone lands on the page, they should know exactly what to do next..
10. Should I still write blog posts, even if they aren’t local?
Yes. Blogging helps you stay visible online, even if the content is not tied to a specific city. Even if the post is not explicitly about your offered service.
Google values helpful content.
If you find the keyphrase “home water quality” and write a blog post that answers “how to test water quality in your home”, that could attract traffic from anywhere, but it still builds your authority. And it may help someone local decide to hire you.
On the other hand, if you do no keyword research and just decide to write a blog post about why your services are important, you probably won’t see much (if any) traffic.
We recommend posting blogs (based on FAQs you notice and optimized for valuable keywords) consistently. It’s a critical part of a long-term SEO strategy. Even two posts a month will make a difference!
11. What else can I do to improve my online marketing?
Here are a few simple tasks that many businesses overlook:
- Set up Google Search Console to track site health and rankings
- Reply to all reviews, even the tough ones
- Use tracking tools to see where leads are coming from
- Keep your name, address, and phone number the same everywhere online
These actions take very little time but can have a big impact on how your business performs in search results.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve answered the top digital marketing FAQs, you should feel a little more confident about what your business needs online.
But if you’re still not sure where to start, or you’re ready to do more with your marketing, we can help. Schedule a free consultation with our team and we’ll build a strategy that works for you.
