Any marketing agency can say they are strategic, creative, digital, innovative, data-driven, SEO experts, results-obsessed, and capable of transforming your brand. All of that fits into a PowerPoint presentation, and surely, if someone asks ChatGPT to "make me an agency pitch that makes me look good," it will include statements like that. But what happens when, beyond the sales pitch, you start looking at the foundation of the agency and what they have been able to do with their own brand? What does a visit to their website or social media channels, prompted by your curiosity, tell you and communicate? Because that is where words stop mattering as much, and evidence begins. A marketing agency's website is one of the few places where, before hiring them, you can observe how they think, how they communicate, how much detail they put into their own executions, how much they actually know about digital positioning, what work they have done, what their clients think, and how up-to-date they are. In other words: an agency’s website is not just their cover letter. It is a work sample you can audit… And it is worth doing. Before trusting an agency with the responsibility of building, positioning, and protecting your brand, take a few minutes to analyze how they have chosen to build, position, and protect their own. You might discover much more than you expected. Table of Contents The 9 Key Points on How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency Without Falling for False Promises 1. Brand Projection and Visual Identity 2. Substance vs. Facade: Avoid "Black Box Agencies" 3. Technical Mastery of Digital Marketing (SEO and GEO) 4. Real Social Proof 5. Generation and Transfer of Knowledge 6. Clarity in the Comprehensive Service Offering 7. Coherence Between What They Preach and What They Practice 8. Level of Digital Activity and Updates 9. Transparency About the Human Team Behind the Brand Self-Assessment Test: Measure Your Agency's Trustworthiness Using Their Website and These 20 Criteria How to Score Your Current Provider or Prospect's Digital Assets Interpretation of Results: A Very Good Sign or Time to Say Goodbye? Do Not Look for Perfection. Look for Evidence. FAQ The 9 Key Points on How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency Without Falling for False Promises When you are considering hiring an architect to design your house, you want to see their past projects. Hiring a catering service for your wedding requires a menu tasting beforehand. In this same sense, hiring a marketing agency does not have to be a coin toss. You have every right to know the quality of service you will receive. When you visit the website of a Digital Marketing Agency that lists web project development among its services, you are literally navigating inside one of their own executions. Their visual identity, information architecture, copy, user experience, content strategy, search engine positioning, conversion capabilities, brand presence, and attention to detail are right in front of you, ready for your appreciation. And mind you, I am not saying that the way your agency's website looks is a reflection of how you might think yours will look. Werko, for example, has a very specific aesthetic and personality that we express on our website, but that does not mean we cannot develop web projects with other brand personalities. What is relevant is t hat, by understanding who the agency's potential targets are, you can evaluate whether the agency built an ideal showcase or not. Of course, no website is perfect. I insist that a good agency does not necessarily have to have the most sophisticated, expensive, or spectacular website in its industry. But there should be coherence between what the agency claims to know how to do and what they demonstrate in their own digital presence. The question may be uncomfortable, but it is completely valid: If an agency does not apply good marketing practices to its own brand, why assume it will apply them correctly to yours? 1. Brand Projection and Visual Identity The first evaluation is probably the most immediate. What is your initial impression of the website? Ask yourself what feelings the site evokes and produces... can you identify a clear visual identity? Does the content seem logically organized and structured? Do the copy, photography, graphics, colors, whitespace, and typography seem to respond to an intention, or do you feel they were just placed there? What is important in this first impression is to see if you can detect criteria behind the website's design. A marketing agency should understand that every communication detail contributes to the perception of a brand. This applies to a website, but also to a sales presentation, advertising campaign, newsletter, social media post, video, or print piece. Do you see consistency across different executions? If an agency does not care about how its own brand is presented across different channels, what makes you think they will care more about yours? 2. Substance vs. Facade: Avoid "Black Box Agencies" There is an interesting trend among some agency sites: extremely thin pages that practically function as a landing page. An attractive header. A couple of aspirational phrases. Five logos. A form. The end. And for some minimalism fans, this may seem highly avant-garde, innovative, and disruptive. I'm going to burst that bubble: it is laziness and a lack of understanding of HOW web traffic works. This approach not only falls short of providing enough evidence for a prospective client to truly understand whom they are considering hiring. At the same time, it screams that those behind it have no idea how SEO and GEO optimization works because they are not taking advantage of its benefits. And if they do not take advantage of them for themselves, they will not take advantage of them for you. After visiting an agency's website, you should be able to answer, at a minimum: What services do they offer? What services do they not offer? In what areas do they have experience? How do they work? What kind of projects do they complete? What companies have they worked with? What can they show me of their results? Do they have any kind of specialization? What sets them apart from other options? When none of these questions can be answered after browsing the site, you are running into what I refer to as "black box agencies." On the other hand, there are agencies whose positioning and messages seem to boil down to: "We do whatever you need" (but they do not present real evidence of cases where they have done so). Flexibility can be valuable, but it can also hide a lack of depth and focus. And there is a huge difference between "We can do anything" and "These are our capabilities, this is how we approach them, these are our processes, and this is what we have learned by doing them." The second message speaks of expertise. The first does not necessarily. 3. Technical Mastery of Digital Marketing (SEO and GEO) This is probably one of the most revealing evaluations. A modern website does not only have to look good. It must also function correctly as a digital asset and be optimized for discovery. Its structure, information architecture, navigation, speed, mobile friendliness, content, tagging, indexing, and ability to be understood by search engines are all part of the job and demonstrate how good the agency is at bringing similar conditions to the table for your brand. At Werko Marketing Solutions, we have audited multiple websites where relatively basic problems in structure, indexing, or content severely limit a brand's ability to be properly found and understood... And although it may sound boastful for me to say so, we have no problem doing a comparative audit between our SEO and GEO rankings and any other agency you are considering or currently working with. I invite you to get behind the scenes of your agency's website and, under this lens, ask yourself: If an agency does not seem to have thought seriously about how to position its own brand on the internet, why would I blindly trust that they will know how to position mine? 4. Real Social Proof Any company can speak highly of itself. That is why social proof exists. Are you ready to believe in the excuse of minimalism from a site that does not take the time to share what its clients say about them? An agency's website should offer external evidence to back up its claims... and mind you, not all evidence carries the same weight. Of course, a list of client logos is relevant, but it tells us very little. It is much better to have a testimonial from a person who works at one of those companies, describing what it was like to work with the agency. And if, in addition to the quote, there is a first name, last name, position, and photo of the person, then we are talking about a testimonial that is much richer than an image. But we do not have to stop there... agencies that want to make sure their prospects sign with full confidence go to the trouble of building case studies where they document REAL and TANGIBLE results. An agency that has worked with clients successfully for years should have stories to tell. And if we want to play devil's advocate, one could say that when there is absolutely no social proof, it does not necessarily mean the agency does not have good clients or successful projects. It's possible... But what it does mean is that they have not adequately developed one of their own most important commercial assets, and that tells you A LOT about the agency's expertise. Because capturing testimonials, documenting projects, building case studies, and maintaining relationships that allow for public sharing of work are also marketing processes... and an agency should understand them better than practically any other company. 5. Generation and Transfer of Knowledge This is probably where one of the most important differences between agencies lies. There are organizations that basically say: "Trust us. We are experts." And there are others, like us, who allow the market to verify it. How? By sharing knowledge: Articles, podcasts, case studies, analysis pieces, opinions, frequently asked questions, perspectives on trending topics... in short: content that helps their clients make better decisions. We have seen many who operate under the logic of "if I tell you my secrets, the magic is gone." At Werko Marketing Solutions, we have deliberately taken a different stance: we believe that an important part of our knowledge should be public... and it's not that we are altruistic and generous. Our reasons are practical: publishing knowledge also means putting yourself out there, and someone who has nothing to hide has no reason not to do so. When an agency constantly publishes what they think, you can evaluate the quality of their thinking. You can judge whether they truly understand the topics and if there will be a cultural fit with the way your organization also thinks. Through the content an agency shares, you can discover how up-to-date they are, their philosophy, values, and personality. But when none of that is deliberately available, hiring them requires a greater leap of faith. We do not want a prospect to simply believe us when we say we know marketing. We prefer to give them enough information so they can decide for themselves... and I would bet that you, from the client's perspective, think the same way. 6. Clarity in the Comprehensive Service Offering There is another very practical benefit to visiting an agency's website closely: You might discover capabilities you did not know they had... and THAT can open up many opportunities to make bundle package deals, scale economies through comprehensive services in a retainer format, and ensure greater alignment between your various digital marketing tactics if you manage them under one roof. Centralizing digital marketing disciplines and services under a single team can generate: greater coordination; shared learning; fewer vendors to manage; brand consistency; better economies of scale; better communication; ability to connect results across different channels. And this last point is especially important because marketing does not happen in separate compartments. As I have said in other spaces: what we learn from a Google Ads campaign can influence SEO, what we observe on social media can generate new content. What we discover in the analytics of a Meta Paid Ads campaign can modify the content of a landing page. When different disciplines are coordinated, insights can travel between them, and opportunities can be more easily captured. 7. Coherence Between What They Preach and What They Practice We all know the saying, "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" (or "in the house of a blacksmith, a wooden knife"). This criterion summarizes much of the analysis: An agency that sells content but never publishes its own should raise doubts. An agency that sells SEO but whose site cannot be found, too. An agency that offers branding but presents an inconsistent identity does not deserve your time. An agency that talks about user experience while its own site is difficult to use is sending a contradictory signal... and, An agency that claims to make data-driven decisions but never presents results or evidence should explain why. 8. Level of Digital Activity and Updates Marketing changes too fast to work comfortably with an agency that stopped learning... even more so today, now that AI has accelerated changes faster than an F1 single-seater. That is why another simple question you can ask yourself when visiting an agency's website is: When was the last time something happened here? Are there recent articles, new case studies, services that reflect being up-to-date, or analyses of current topics? I am not saying an agency has to publish daily, but if the site feels dusty, moldy, or starts showing "digital cobwebs" because it has had the same content for a year, it is revealing its lack of updates and evolution. 9. Transparency About the Human Team Behind the Brand No matter how much AI pioneers want to sell otherwise, marketing today is still a service that depends on the judgment of people (and that's how it should be if you want to have true insight applied to your brand). Behind every strategy, campaign, design, content, analysis, and recommendation, there are human beings making decisions. That is why, when I see that they maintain anonymity behind a brand or notice that an agency's leaders do not take the time to share their perspectives, it catches my attention. As a client, wouldn't you like to know who runs your marketing agency? What experience do they have? What is their philosophy, and what values do they champion? To state the obvious: Transparency builds trust. And if an agency expects to have access to your information, your business goals, your results, your budget, your reputation, and in some cases even your clients, it seems reasonable to ask for some reciprocity. Self-Assessment Test: Measure Your Agency's Trustworthiness Using Their Website and These 20 Criteria Now comes the interesting part. I invite you to open the website of the agency you currently work with (or the ones you are considering hiring)... and grade them. I am sharing this quick test to make your job easier, and if you prefer, you can also download it here: How to Score Your Current Provider or Prospect's Digital Assets Award: 1 point if they clearly meet the criterion. 0.5 points if they partially meet it. 0 points if you find no evidence. Criterion Yes Partial No Does the website make a good first impression? 1 0.5 0 Does the mobile experience work correctly? 1 0.5 0 Do you clearly understand what services they offer? 1 0.5 0 Do they explain their services with sufficient depth? 1 0.5 0 Do they show projects or a portfolio? 1 0.5 0 Do they present case studies? 1 0.5 0 Do they include testimonials from real clients? 1 0.5 0 Do they identify companies they have worked with? 1 0.5 0 Can you understand something about their methodology? 1 0.5 0 Do they clearly communicate their differentiators? 1 0.5 0 Do they publish original content? 1 0.5 0 Does that content demonstrate real knowledge? 1 0.5 0 Is the content recent? 1 0.5 0 Does their website seem properly prepared for search engines? 1 0.5 0 Is information well-organized and easy to find? 1 0.5 0 Does the site demonstrate attention to detail? 1 0.5 0 Can you find out who is behind the agency? 1 0.5 0 Can you understand their work philosophy? 1 0.5 0 Is their digital presence consistent with the services they sell? 1 0.5 0 After visiting the site, do you trust their expertise more? 1 0.5 0 Interpretation of Results: A Very Good Sign or Time to Say Goodbye? 17–20 points: Very good sign There is enough evidence to back up much of what the agency is likely telling you commercially. You can get to know their work, thinking, capabilities, and experience before hiring them. 13–16 points: Good foundations, but also questions to ask You probably found positive elements, but also some gaps. Use those gaps as questions in your next meeting. 8–12 points: Careful... very careful There is a significant difference between what the agency likely claims to do and what you can verify on your own. That does not necessarily mean they are a bad option. It means you need to obtain more evidence. 0–7 points: Well, goodbye... If an agency cannot demonstrate on its own site a good part of the disciplines it claims to master, you have no reason to consider handing over your brand, your budget, and your trust. Do Not Look for Perfection. Look for Evidence. I want to emphasize something important so as not to be misunderstood: This exercise is not intended to claim that the best marketing agency is automatically the one with the best website. Of course, such a conclusion is far too simplistic. A website is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is a very important piece that allows you, BEFORE signing a contract, to look for evidence of judgment, experience, specialization, knowledge, updates, real work, transparency, and satisfied clients. I constantly tell our team and our clients: impacting someone else's brand is an honor, a privilege, and a huge responsibility. Because when an agency starts working with a client, they are ultimately asking them to trust them to build, position, and protect one of their most relevant assets. Before you have to take that leap of faith with your brand, look closely at how the agency you will work with has chosen to build, position, and protect theirs. FAQ How to choose a good digital marketing agency? To choose a good digital marketing agency, don't just review their sales pitch. Analyze their own website, the clarity with which they explain their services, the quality of their content, their case studies, testimonials, experience, methodology, and digital presence. An agency should be able to demonstrate with its own brand many of the capabilities it promises to apply to its clients. What should I check on a marketing agency's website before hiring them? Check the quality of the design and user experience, the clarity of the services, the depth of the content, case studies, testimonials, clients, methodology, team, and update frequency. It is also useful to analyze whether the site seems properly structured and optimized for SEO and other digital discovery mechanisms. The goal is to find evidence that backs up what the agency claims to know how to do. Can a marketing agency's website indicate how good they are? Yes, although it should not be the sole decision-making criterion. An agency's website functions as a sample of their own work and allows you to evaluate aspects such as branding, communication, user experience, content, SEO, attention to detail, and ability to present evidence of results. If there is a major contradiction between the services they sell and what they apply to their own digital presence, it is worth investigating further before hiring them. What warning signs can indicate that a marketing agency is not a good option? Some warning signs include an outdated website, superficially explained services, lack of projects or case studies, lack of verifiable testimonials, sparse content, little transparency about who runs the agency, and difficulty identifying their differentiators or methodology. Questions should also be raised about an agency that sells SEO, content, branding, or user experience but does not demonstrate those capabilities on their own digital assets. Why are case studies and testimonials important when choosing a marketing agency? Because they provide external evidence of the agency's experience. A client logo only shows that some type of relationship existed, whereas an identified testimonial or a case study can explain what work the agency did, what the client's experience was, and what results they achieved. The more specific and verifiable the evidence, the more information you will have to evaluate the agency before hiring them. Should a marketing agency practice what they preach with their own brand? There should be clear coherence between what an agency sells and what they demonstrate. If they offer SEO, there should be evidence of a positioning strategy; if they sell content, they should publish their own content; if they offer branding, their identity should be consistent; and if they claim to work with data and results, they should be able to show evidence of them. It is not about demanding perfection, but about verifying that they apply the principles they recommend to their clients to their own brand. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

How to use a corporate podcast to generate leads, build brand authority, and close high-value B2B sales. Depending on the lens you measure it with, a corporate podcast can be a great success or a huge failure. The key, like many things, lies in the definition of objectives: if your goals are to have the most popular podcast in the entire country, I won't tell you it's impossible, but it would definitely be an extremely difficult objective. And one of the most common detractor arguments about whether or not to start a corporate podcast is that there is currently a very large saturation of this type of content, to the point that many executives feel it is not worth venturing into them if they don't get a large number of listeners and/or if they don't generate leads for the business. However, in this article, I will tell you why that argument is not only seen from a very small perspective, but I will give you arguments for why you SHOULD include a podcast within your corporate brand communication mix. And, I'll tell you in advance, a corporate podcast can, in fact, become a networking and B2B lead generation machine through social selling like no other. Table of contents The corporate podcast as a communication channel to include in the marketing mix The audience and objectives of a corporate podcast The corporate podcast as an instrument to build brand authority The corporate podcast as a networking and B2B lead generation machine Challenges of the corporate podcast Clear objectives Production Amplification Results FAQ The corporate podcast as a communication channel to include in the marketing mix Let's start by understanding that currently yes, there's no way to deny it, there are many podcasts in the local, national, and global offer. But using this as an argument NOT to do one is the equivalent of thinking that your company shouldn't have social media just because every other company also has social media, or that your business shouldn't generate content with inbound marketing and positioning objectives just because there is already a lot of content out there. Corporate podcast: It is a serial audio and/or video program in digital format that can be consumed on demand; it belongs to a company and aims to connect with an internal or external audience of the business. At the end of the road, the podcast is one more channel in which the brand can express itself and come to life, just like social media, blogs, newsletters, etc. And one of the advantages is that it is a channel that people are very interested in consuming. According to data from Puro Marketing (2025): 68% of Mexican listeners consider podcasts an essential part of their routine 80% identify it as their main source of information on topics of interest 42% plan to increase their consumption in 2026 In other words, while it is not as feasible that your corporate podcast will become the most listened to based on its format, it is very possible that it can find its own audience. The audience and objectives of a corporate podcast For this argument to work, you must be very clear about who your podcast will be speaking to. Don't make the mistake of many who try to tackle 4-in-1: having a podcast to generate leads, but also to give internal news to their work teams, but also to sell their products, and at the same time share the latest developments in their industry. It's not that the final result can't meet these and other goals, but your focus, your effort, and the WAY YOU MEASURE the progress and success of your project must be specific and well-defined. If you look at this example, the topics covered are too varied to keep a single group of people interested all the time. So, have clarity on what you primarily want to get out of your podcast so you're not later "asking for the moon": If your podcast's goal is to create a sense of belonging among your team, then don't measure its success through lead generation. If your podcast's goal is to showcase your products, then don't expect a lot of people to listen to it. If your podcast's goal is to generate leads, then give it a format that allows you to achieve it realistically. If, on the other hand, the podcast with the objective of creating a sense of internal belonging manages to generate a lead as a secondary effect, excellent! Just take care to be clear that the objective, content, target audience, and measurement of its success must be aligned. The corporate podcast as an instrument to build brand authority A corporate podcast undoubtedly serves to give your business the tools to project that you are experts in your field, EVEN IF VERY FEW PEOPLE LISTEN TO IT. Because the simple fact of telling a prospect: "In the last episode of our podcast we talked about foreign investment in the city and how this benefits companies like yours" already positions you as a company that: Has the capacity to generate content Which means they have the capacity to be professionally organized And they are a company that is surely at the forefront They stay informed on relevant topics Therefore, when they recommend something, they surely know what they're talking about They are not afraid to share knowledge and, Project authority in the industry. So, it will be important to build a strategic podcast format that allows your business to project that authority if that is the goal. The corporate podcast as a networking and B2B lead generation machine To start, if the success of your podcast is going to be measured by lead generation, then its format must be very different from what you were surely imagining. If you had in mind a traditional podcast format where a host presents a topic, talks for about 40 minutes, and at the end invites listeners to follow and share, then the goal of lead generation will be very difficult to reach. In our experience, if what you are looking for is to generate leads through your podcast, the best format is to have guests from outside your company on it. And the leads won't come mostly from the listeners of the episodes, but from the guests themselves. A podcast allows you to invite your B2B prospect to interview them about their industry challenges and pain points, talk about how they have faced them, and how they have achieved their successes. It allows for a space for networking and creating a closer and more human connection. It allows your prospect to see that there are people behind your business, build trust, and therefore have a higher probability of conversion. Challenges of the corporate podcast Now let's talk about the challenges you must take into account to create a podcast for your business and achieve it successfully and without difficulties in the process: Clear objectives It will be important that from the beginning you define the objectives the podcast will have: Who it will be for What the content will be How success will be measured By having clear objectives, it will be much easier to create a strategy to achieve them, including the format it will have and what can be expected from it. Production To make a podcast, you don't just need microphones and a place to record. Part of production is also committing, following up, having order, and scheduling. You don't want to announce that you'll start a podcast only to have 3 episodes and then disappear. This would reflect a lack of professionalism and seriousness. So consider getting a partner and provider who not only helps you with recording and editing, but also handles aspects such as organization, follow-up, and publication of the final piece on platforms, as well as the communication elements that will notify your audience that new content has been published. Promotional image for the podcast "Decidir y Transformar" Amplification If you're already going to be making a podcast, create a strategy to promote it. It can be as simple as creating video clips that serve as a visual hook in your organic social media reels, to a campaign rollout that includes billboards and digital ads. It all depends on your budget and how far you want to go. Results Finally, the measurement of results must be directly related to the established objectives. The agency you hire to manage your podcast should be able not only to give you the numbers achieved month by month, but to interpret them to generate actionable items that allow for gradual learning and progress toward your goals. The success of a corporate podcast does not lie in competing for massive audiences, but in strategically aligning it with your company's specific goals. Whether it's to build authority in the sector or as an effective social selling and B2B prospecting tool through key guests, this format represents an extremely valuable channel within the brand communication mix. With clear goals, consistent production, and proper measurement, the podcast can transform the way your business connects, builds trust, and constructs high-value business relationships. FAQ Is it really worth launching a corporate podcast if there are already many on the market? Yes. Just as with social media or a blog, a corporate podcast is a key channel to express your brand's voice. You don't need massive audiences to be successful; the important thing is to impact your target niche and build a community. How does a corporate podcast help generate B2B leads? Through a format of interviews with potential clients or purchasing decision-makers in your sector. Inviting your prospects to talk about their challenges generates a close relationship, builds trust, and opens the door to social selling in a natural way. What happens if my corporate podcast has few listeners? It still fulfills a crucial role: it demonstrates thought leadership and authority. Sharing an episode with a prospect projects that your company is organized, at the forefront, and masters the key issues of its industry. What are the main challenges when starting a corporate podcast? Defining clear objectives from the start, maintaining consistency in production (so as not to abandon it after a few episodes), and having an amplification strategy through clips for social media or digital advertising. About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

The world of digital advertising and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is changing... and you have to know how to read the signs. Recently, a client asked me a very valid question: if we are increasingly using AI agents to resolve our doubts... Does that mean Artificial Intelligence is going to replace SEM and Google Ads campaigns? If I were to tell you that I have the complete, single, and forceful answer, you would have every right to call me a liar and a charlatan. The truth is that the environment in which all digital marketing tools and channels operate is evolving at an unusual pace and there is no magic ball or DeLorean available to help us 100% understand the future that is approaching. Having said that, the question led me to a series of reflections on the future of Google Ads that I want to share, in order to give some context and contribute from my perspective and experience... And don't worry, I do arrive at informed conclusions and answers to the question posed. Table of Contents The Google vs. ChatGPT and other AIs Environment Just as important as the tool, is WHAT it is being used FOR Trust in Google and Google Reviews vs. Incredulity in the Possibilities of AI Hallucination The Value of Appearing in Google Ads AI Hallucinated Results So, will Artificial Intelligence replace SEM? The Error: Betting on a Single Channel FAQ The Google vs. ChatGPT and other AIs Environment There is no doubt that the world where Google was the only Coke in the stadium is a thing of the past. ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and other LLMs have definitely made their mark in a way that Bing never could (and possibly never will). The emergence of new players on the battlefield could make us think that Google Ads is in danger of becoming less relevant, jeopardizing the future of SEM, right? In this regard, there are two ideas I want to share. One is about the perspective and dimensions of the emerging actors, and the other is about the advantages Google has against these attacks. Perspective: It's true, Google no longer reigns alone, but what many users don't know is that recent statistics published by SparkToro and StatCounter continue to indicate that Google processes 373 times more searches than ChatGPT and that, furthermore, Google controls 73.7% of searches on Desktop devices and +90% of searches on mobile devices. Although it may not seem like it and new challengers to its supremacy have emerged, Google continues to dominate the scene. Google's Advantage: Unlike ChatGPT and Claude, Google integrates AI within a multichannel ecosystem and will continue to do so in the future, according to the latest signals Google gave us during the Google I/O 2026 Conference, which we discussed in a recent episode of our podcast, "Cierre de Semana". ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, etc. agents require the user to go to a site or app, while Google AI is present as an easy-to-access companion in Google Search (even automatically with Google AI Overview), Chrome, Gmail, Google Meet, Sheets, Docs, Slides, Vids, and others. The conclusions of Google I/O 2026 also talk about how Google AI will be a multichannel connector, generating intertwined experiences in online shopping spaces, smart video searches on YouTube, and other spaces. Furthermore, Gemini is increasingly replacing primary assistants on Android mobile devices. Google's multichannel tentacles give it clear advantages to remain present in users' lives. And what does all this have to do with Google Ads? Very simple: at the company level and in favor of maintaining Google Ads as a source of income, Google would not shoot itself in the foot by making this resource that has given it so much, and can continue to give it, an irrelevant space. The latest numbers from Statista, reveal that Google's advertising division accounts for around 75% of the company's revenue, with the rest coming from resources such as Google Cloud, hardware products, and premium service subscriptions. Within the Advertising division, Google Ads is responsible for nearly 60% of revenue, equivalent to almost $200 billion dollars. Given these numbers, I ask you: do you think Google is ready to abandon its bet on Google Ads or will it continue to find ways to keep it current, relevant, and productive? Just as important as the tool, is WHAT it is being used FOR Have you noticed that, regardless of their actual relevance and use, people talk much more about fads and novelties than about what has become part of our daily lives? I believe that in this sense, we continue to live in the wave of the Artificial Intelligence fad, and that is why, although they have a lot of Share of Voice, they are actually less of a challenge to the commercial nature of Google Ads than it might seem... and the key lies in the intention of use. The vast majority of ChatGPT queries have no consumer purchase intent. In a recent piece by Advanced Web Ranking, expert Gianluca Fiorelli indicates that 93.7% of queries done on ChatGPT are of informative value (that is, queries without purchase intent) and only 0.1% are transactional/commercial. And yes, ChatGPT has already given some signals that it will seek to change this (ChatGPT Ads) but if its starting point is 0.1%, I think it has a lot of work left to do. I explain what is behind this reality in the following points: If Google continues to dominate 73.7% of searches on Desktop and +90% on Mobile, and, Only 0.1% of ChatGPT searches are transactional in nature, then: Google is today, and will remain for quite some time, the SUPREME KING of searches with commercial intent... and this is where Google Ads finds ALL its value. It is worth mentioning that, also empowered by the benefits of Google Maps and the power of geolocation, Google is also the king of searches of local relevance. Yes, those that are "give me restaurants near me" remain on Google, and therefore, most of the local relevance campaigns that clients currently do via Google Ads will remain on Google Ads. Trust in Google and Google Reviews vs. Incredulity in the Possibilities of AI Hallucination Google itself has given signals to tell us that "the era of blue links" is changing BUT these claims do not mean that Google Ads is dying, but that it is provoking its own evolution. The Value of Appearing in Google Ads When someone searches on the Internet with the intention of buying, appearing in the first results thanks to Google Ads gives you a huge advantage. You are not only showing your product, but you gain the customer's trust for three key reasons: The right message at the exact moment: Google is an expert at connecting the ideal product with the right person just when they are ready to buy. Brand endorsement: Being visible on the search page shows the user that it is a serious and professional company. Immediate Trust (Stars and Reviews): Ads allow you to display the Google rating and opinions of other customers (Google Reviews). This generates immediate credibility for the buyer and reinforces your brand's authority on the Internet. Google SERP: SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page and refers to the results page that the Google search engine launches after you perform a query. It is indisputable that, just as when you are considering buying something on Amazon or MercadoLibre, you read the signals given by the star ratings and opinions on those platforms, users with commercial intent TRUST Google's algorithm to bring them only sponsored results of HIGH RELEVANCE and QUALITY and in the reading that the rating they have (also displayed in the Google Business Profile, another very valuable Google commercial asset) can give them of those companies/products/services. AI Hallucinated Results Artificial Intelligence sometimes "hallucinates" and invents data. Although this is expected to decrease as technology evolves and we learn to write better prompts, the reality is otherwise: people still fully trust Google's ratings. For this and other reasons, this search engine will continue to be the favorite starting point for comparing options, discovering local businesses, reading reviews, requesting quotes, and making purchases. So, will Artificial Intelligence replace SEM? No, Artificial Intelligence is not going to replace SEM, but it is changing it fundamentally. The changes in the environment are not minor, and yes, they require us to adapt, but HOW we adapt is the key. For informative and educational content: Your best bet will be a Search Engine / Generative Engine Optimization (SEO / GEO) strategy, and less SEM via Google Ads. Why? I anticipate that increasingly, Google Ads will have less success in campaigns whose destination pages are instructional or informative only, and you won't want to pay for ads for that. For commercial sites (sales): Google Ads is still king here. To take advantage of it, it will be important to ensure consistency between the offering, the site messages, the campaign configuration, and the ad groups and ads, as well as capitalizing on cost-efficient campaigns and having the best understanding of buyer personas and audience segmentation that you can achieve. The Error: Betting on a Single Channel Having said this, I will conclude with something I usually repeat to clients. Very, very rarely will a truly effective strategy be single-channel. That is, it's not about choosing between Google Ads and other possible paths exclusively. The key is knowing which tools, messages, campaigns, and tactics you will use, on the one hand, to draw attention at the top of the funnel (Awareness) and, at the same time, close sales (or repeat purchases) at the end. And don't worry... Google Ads is here to stay for a while. Just make sure that whoever helps you invest in them knows what they are doing and builds smart strategies so your budget takes you further. FAQ Is Google Ads still effective in the era of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence? Yes. Although tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok have changed the way people search for information, Google continues to dominate searches with commercial intent. Various studies indicate that the majority of queries made on ChatGPT are of an informative nature, while searches related to product purchases, service contracting, provider comparison, and local business searches continue to occur mainly on Google. For this reason, Google Ads continues to be one of the most effective platforms for generating leads, sales, and conversions. What is the difference between using ChatGPT and Google to search for products or services? The main difference is in the search intent. ChatGPT is mainly used for information, explanations, research, and quick answers, while Google continues to be the preferred platform for searches with commercial intent. When a user wants to compare providers, request quotes, check customer opinions, find nearby businesses, or make a purchase, they usually turn to Google. In addition, Google complements the results with tools like Google Reviews, Google Maps, and Google Business Profile, which help generate trust during the decision-making process. Will ChatGPT replace Google Ads in the future? There are no signs that ChatGPT will replace Google Ads in the short or medium term. Google continues to process a significantly higher number of searches and maintains a dominant position in commercial and local searches. Furthermore, Google has integrated artificial intelligence into products such as Google Search, Gemini, Chrome, Gmail, and YouTube, strengthening its advertising ecosystem. Most likely, companies will need to combine SEO, GEO, and Google Ads strategies to take advantage of both AI-driven informative searches and transactional searches that continue to occur on Google. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

From the algorithms that decide what we see to profiles capable of interacting like people, the impact of artificial intelligence on social media is changing the very nature of the networks. As much as I would like to stop talking about artificial intelligence on our podcast, Cierre de Semana, or in blog articles, it is almost impossible for me not to do so because the reality is that day after day a new update or implementation arises that this technology begins to offer. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the changes, news, and trends that may be occurring. So I would like to talk to you, in general and digestible terms, about how AI has changed the very nature of social networks and how this ends up affecting us (for better and for worse) as users, marketers, companies, businesses, and more. Table of Contents AI changed the way we discover content AI changed the way content is created AI began to change who we interact with What we still don't know: The true impact of artificial intelligence on social media FAQ AI changed the way we discover content A few years ago, the daily bread of social media was finding out what our friends and family were doing in their lives: So-and-so uploaded a photo of the last time we met. John Doe posted on LinkedIn about an achievement he reached at work. Whatshername published a carousel of her vacation in Rome. While we still have some of that, now "fyp" (For You Page) proliferate. Curiously, the best example of this functionality is TikTok, but in its Newsroom (the page where they publish platform news and official updates), they don't mention how their "fyp" algorithm is powered by "AI" or "artificial intelligence models"; rather, they refer to "our systems." The reality is that it is no secret that TikTok uses AI in its algorithms, but perhaps they are not so vocal about it. However, Meta is much more open about how they suggest content to users. Without going into technicalities (which sometimes even I don't understand), on the portal Engineering at Meta, it is explained how platforms like Instagram use artificial intelligence models to analyze our behavior and predict which posts are most likely to interest us, even if we have never interacted with the person who posted them or if said content has not gone viral. In other words, their goal is not to find the best content on Instagram, but the best content for each individual user. And, as I said, it's not something only Meta or TikTok do; platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn have implemented similar functionalities, obviously "powered by AI." Social networks stopped being platforms where we followed people to become platforms where we follow recommendations. AI changed the way content is created This topic is possibly one of the most controversial surrounding the use of artificial intelligence due to the regrettable rise of "AI Slop" AI Slop: Trash digital content generated massively by artificial intelligence without control. Here we are not just talking about asking ChatGPT to generate an image in the style of Studio Ghibli, or asking Veo 3.1 for a video of a dancing kitten. Social networks themselves have developed their own generative AI content creation tools. TikTok, for example, presented a product in 2025 called "TikTok Symphony." The main features of this suite of tools include: Image to Video (I2V): converts a static image into a video with native TikTok format and style. Text to Video (T2V): generates a video from descriptive text prompts. Showcase Products: uses digital avatars to present products in videos designed for TikTok. TikTok Symphony (2026). But, beyond the features that TikTok Symphony provides (and believe me, many other platforms offer exactly the same), the most valuable takeaway from this social network article is that the suite actually seeks to: Simplify creative production Accelerate idea development Facilitate the creation of specific content for TikTok Allow brands and creators to scale their production without losing creative focus Andy Yang, TikTok's Global Head of Creative and Brand Products, says that: "We are empowering a global community of marketing professionals, brands, and creators [...] By combining cutting-edge technology with human creativity, we are creating a new creative standard, more accessible, more agile, and more inspiring than ever before." If you have listened to any episode of our podcast, you will know what my stance is regarding the use of AI for content generation: NO TO AI SLOP! I am not in favor of those who intend to substitute a trained person for a technology that is far from having that human quality. That said, I am the first to recognize that technological advances have reached a point where AI, well used, can become a tool, and even a process, for a graphic designer, a content marketer, a video producer, etc. In other words, AI is not replacing creativity (or it shouldn't be), but transforming the way it comes to life. The challenge is no longer deciding whether to use AI or not, but learning to integrate it in a way that enhances creative work, rather than substituting it. AI began to change who we interact with It seems that in each of the sub-themes I need to put a warning that this topic is controversial; and that is because here we will talk about a series of trends and decisions that only feed the Dead Internet Theory, a belief that asserts that the internet is almost empty of humans and is dominated by traffic and interactions generated by bots and artificial intelligence. Let's take Meta again as an example and its CEO and founder: Mark Zuckerberg. In April 2025, Zuckerberg was invited to the podcast of writer and reporter Dwarkesh Patel, where Patel asked Zuckerberg about the role of AI in social interactions, to which he replied: "The reality is that people don't have as many connections as they would like. Much of the time they feel lonelier than they would want. [...] You will be able to have a permanent video call with an artificial intelligence." In the same interview, Zuckerberg mentioned that it is still very early to know what will really happen and that it will be society that determines the role of AI (or the products that use it) in their lives. However, despite that uncertainty he spoke of, Meta has tried to push a series of actions that do not reflect the CEO's alleged concern. Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with Dwarkesh Patel (2025). At the end of 2024, (take a breath) Meta's vice president of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes, told the Financial Times about the company's vision that AI profiles would exist in Meta "just like any other account", with a bio, profile picture, and the ability to generate, share, and interact with content. The reaction from the public was immediate: a resounding rejection of the idea. The backlash was so great that in January 2025 Meta began to delete the experimental profiles it had created. However, similar projects at Meta and other platforms have continued to move forward and have led us to a point where these artificial intelligence profiles and avatars are forming part of our social interactions and daily activities. Did you hear that an "artist" (yes, in quotes), whose appearance and music were generated with artificial intelligence, signed a $3M deal with the label Hallwood Media? Her name: Xania Monet. Whether these experiments end up working or failing, the trend is clear: social networks no longer just use artificial intelligence for content recommendations or generation. It is being sought for AI to actively participate in our interactions. The question stops being whether there is a real person behind a profile, a comment, or a message, and starts being whether it really matters that it isn't. That is, in my opinion, the most critical and profound transformation that artificial intelligence is bringing to social networks. What we still don't know: The true impact of artificial intelligence on social media A few years ago it was simple to distinguish between a real photo or video and one generated by AI. It was also simple to assume that there was a real person behind a profile, or at most it was a fake account from a bot farm. Today, those certainties are disappearing. "Will Smith eating spaghetti." The progress of AI Slop from 2023 (first image) vs. 2026. Image credit: Yahoo News. Artificial intelligence is already part of practically all layers of social networks. It is present when an algorithm decides what content to show you, when a brand uses tools to produce videos in minutes, and when a platform experiments with profiles capable of interacting as if they were a person. What remains to be defined is how far that integration will go and how it will change (if it does) our relationship with these digital spaces. The focal point of the conversation, in my opinion, should center on the question: What role do we want AI to play? Do we want it to be a tool that enhances creativity and facilitates repetitive tasks, or are we willing to have it also participate in our conversations, relationships, and even in the construction of our communities? As users, content creators, and businesses, our challenge centers on learning to use this technology with judgment, transparency, and critical sense. At the end of the day, the true value of a social network is not its algorithms or tools, but the people who use them. Sources https://newsroom.tiktok.com/why-this-tiktok?lang=en-GB https://engineering.fb.com/2023/08/09/ml-applications/scaling-instagram-explore-recommendations-system/ https://newsroom.tiktok.com/tiktok-symphony-cannes-lions-2025?lang=es https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/mark-zuckerberg-2 https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/402359/meta-quietly-deletes-ai-profiles-after-public-back.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougmelville/2025/09/27/al-singer-xania-monet-just-charted-on-billboard-signed-3m-deal-is-this-the-future-of-music/ https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/mark-zuckerberg-says-ai-create-104521815.html FAQ How does artificial intelligence change the way we consume content on social media? AI-driven algorithms analyze user behavior to recommend hyper-personalized content instead of just showing posts from friends or followed accounts. What is "AI Slop" and how does it affect social media? "AI Slop" is low-quality content generated massively by AI without creative control or value contribution, which saturates platforms and reduces the quality of the digital experience. Can artificial intelligence replace creative work in marketing? It should not replace it. AI works best as a tool that optimizes processes and enhances human creativity, rather than replacing trained professionals. Are there profiles and influencers created 100% with AI on social media? Yes, platforms and companies have developed avatars and virtual profiles capable of posting, generating music, and interacting with users autonomously. About the author David Santos Digital Marketing Specialist at Werko Marketing Solutions. He has over 10 years of experience in digital marketing. His primary focus is data monitoring and analysis for the management and optimization of digital advertising campaigns, websites, and e-commerce stores. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! 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Creating seamless, unified experiences between your brand and your customers will allow you to bring your business goals to life. How do you do it? Through an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan. Table of contents What Is an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan? How Do I Build an Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy? Benefits of Implementing an IMC Strategic Plan FAQ What Is an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan? Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is a strategic approach to advertising and promotion that aims to create a uniform, consistent message across all channels and media. It involves coordinating every aspect of marketing—advertising, public relations, direct marketing, sales promotions, personal selling, and digital marketing—into a single unified, cohesive, and synchronized strategy. The main goal of integrated marketing communication is to deliver a consistent message to your target audience across multiple channels and touchpoints, leading to a more effective and efficient use of marketing resources. By integrating all marketing communications, you build a comprehensive, cohesive brand image that resonates much more strongly with your target audience. One of the most important aspects of IMC is building customer relationships by focusing on the overall customer experience rather than just selling products. This means developing targeted messaging and content tailored to their specific needs and interests. Integrating your marketing channels also helps boost customer engagement and increase the likelihood of conversions. Your brand should feel like the exact same brand, wherever your customer encounters it. How Do I Build an Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy? To build an effective Integrated Marketing Communications strategy, your brand should follow these steps: Define the target audience: Identify and understand your target audience. This includes demographic data (age, gender, income level, location) as well as psychographic insights (values, interests, lifestyle). Set clear goals and objectives: Establish explicit goals for your strategy, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, boosting sales, or driving customer loyalty. Develop a clear message for brand positioning: Craft a clear message that communicates your brand’s unique value proposition and key differentiators. This message must remain consistent across all marketing channels. Coordinate marketing activities: Ensure that all marketing activities—advertising, PR, direct marketing, sales promotions, personal selling, and online marketing—are 100% aligned to convey a unified message. Select the right marketing channels: Choose the channels that best reach your audience. Based on what you know about them, which channels fit best? Social media, email marketing, paid ads, public relations, events? Allocate resources effectively: Budget and assign resources efficiently for each channel based on its importance, performance, and projected ROI in reaching your target audience. Measure and analyze results: Continuously track performance metrics and make necessary adjustments to improve effectiveness. Optimization is an ongoing process—doing it regularly and diligently is what drives long-term success. Benefits of Implementing an IMC Strategic Plan Building an effective integrated marketing communication strategy will bring various benefits to your brand, including: Consistent brand messaging: An integrated marketing communication strategy guarantees that the brand message is consistent across all marketing channels. This consistency reinforces the brand's values, identity, and positioning, which helps increase brand recognition and brand recall. Improves the customer experience: By focusing on the customer experience, rather than just selling products, the brand offers specific messaging and content that better adapt to its customer's needs and interests. This leads to higher customer loyalty and better conversion rates. More efficient use of resources: Coordinating all marketing activities leads to a more efficient use of your marketing department's resources. This means your business can allocate budget and resources more effectively to reach its target audience and achieve its objectives. Increase in brand equity: As communication with the customer becomes highly consistent through a solid image and a strong brand, the brand begins to differentiate itself from the competition and establishes a strong emotional connection with its customers. Better measurement and analysis: A good integrated marketing communication strategy allows your brand to measure and analyze the effectiveness of its marketing activities with greater accuracy. This means the brand can make data-driven decisions to improve its marketing performance and achieve its goals. An integrated marketing communication strategy helps you achieve a more effective and efficient use of marketing resources and budget, higher customer conversion and loyalty, increased brand equity, and better measurement and analysis of marketing performance. Best of all, with the help of a Brand Strategy Map, you will have the perfect compass to achieve it. If you don't know where to start, contact us and tell us about your project; we can help you. FAQ What is the difference between traditional marketing and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)? Traditional marketing often operates in "silos," where advertising, social media, and PR run on separate tracks, which can confuse consumers. IMC unifies all these channels under a single strategy and coherent message, ensuring customers receive the exact same brand experience everywhere. How long does it take to see results from an IMC plan? The impact on brand consistency and customer experience is almost immediate. However, tangible business results—such as increased conversions or higher brand equity—typically solidify over the medium to long term, as they require continuous measurement and periodic channel optimization. Does a small business or startup need an Integrated Marketing Communications plan? Absolutely! In fact, it is even more critical for small businesses. With limited budgets, IMC helps optimize and allocate resources efficiently, eliminating wasted effort and ensuring every dollar spent on ads, social media, or content contributes toward the same goal. Which channels are mandatory in an IMC strategy? There is no fixed mandatory list because it depends entirely on where your target audience spends their time. A comprehensive plan can include digital channels (SEO, Google Ads, social media, email marketing) and traditional channels (events, PR, personal selling). What matters isn't using every single channel, but seamlessly coordinating the ones you choose. What is a Brand Strategy Map, and how does it help? A Brand Strategy Map is a visual and analytical tool that acts as your business compass. It helps align your brand’s purpose, values, and differentiators with your communication tactics, ensuring your IMC plan stays on course. How do you measure the success of an integrated communications plan? Success is measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aligned with your brand objectives. This includes quantitative metrics (return on ad spend, conversion rates, community growth) and qualitative metrics (brand recall, customer perception). About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

Your website and/or the content you generate is a gold mine waiting for you… if you implement a good inbound marketing strategy with SEO and GEO. Having a website optimized with impeccable SEO and GEO, but without valuable content for your client, is like renting a commercial space in the most premium and busiest area of the city but leaving the space without an exterior sign, with empty shelves, and without products. Of course, people will pass by the space EVERY day, but you are not giving them any reason to enter. And the opposite is just as serious: creating extremely valuable content but having it live on a site that is not optimized for SEO and GEO is like having written the best novel in the world and having kept it in a vault with 10 locks and a combination you already forgot. Many brands invest in digital positioning or creating blogs, but they make the mistake of treating these tactics as isolated efforts instead of viewing them as an Integrated Marketing Communication strategy, without knowing that the real magic happens when you connect the 3 key pieces: SEO (to position yourself in search engines like Google), GEO (so that artificial intelligence like ChatGPT or Gemini recommends you) and, Inbound Marketing (to give users compelling reasons to trust you). In this article, I show you how to make this combination of elements generate a true compound effect on your business's traffic, authority, and sales. Table of Contents Quick glossary to be on the same page: How does inbound marketing relate to SEO and GEO? Every new piece of inbound marketing content is a new entry point for SEO and GEO Proper SEO, GEO, and inbound marketing management builds thematic authority Inbound marketing: one more reason for backlinks that add to SEO and GEO Inbound marketing as an SEO and GEO signal of freshness, periodicity, and relevance The compound effect of Inbound marketing, SEO, and GEO FAQ Quick glossary to be on the same page: Let's start with some nomenclature and definitions because these terms are often used with different understandings. For the purposes of this article: SEO (Search Engine Optimization): It is a series of characteristics and strategies implemented around your website with the intention that it appears as high as possible when someone searches for relevant terms in Google, Bing, or other search engines. And I summarize it this way in general because the task of explaining the hundreds of points we address to increase SEO ranking exceeds the objective of this article and would make it extremely technical. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): In short, it is the evolution of SEO for the age of artificial intelligence. It encompasses all the actions we take so that the website is more easily found and UNDERSTANDABLE by platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, with the idea that when someone is making queries in these AI tools, they are referred to your site as a valuable source of information and/or your message reaches them as the best answer. Inbound Marketing: It is a content generation strategy, based on the idea of attracting customer attention by offering useful and interesting information instead of chasing them with advertising. The idea is to solve their doubts, earn their trust, and accompany them until they are ready to do business with you. The premise is that if we generate value for the prospect, we are getting ahead in the commercial and sales funnel so that when they are in the consideration stage, we have an advantage over competitors. Inbound marketing strategies with SEO and GEO: How do they relate? They are dependent and interconnected strategies. The conclusion I want you to reach while reading this article is that these three strategies are not independent and disconnected avenues; on the contrary, they complement each other in a relationship that is extremely relevant for your brand's positioning. And why do I think it's important for you to reach this conclusion? Here is some anecdotal storytelling: We have seen many clients who ask us to optimize their website for GEO without understanding the value of also doing so for SEO. And this is a mistake. We have seen many clients who ask us to implement inbound marketing strategies to a site that does not have the slightest attention to the basics of SEO and GEO. And this is a mistake. We have seen clients who tell us “we are already implementing a very powerful inbound strategy, making articles every two days” and when we see them, we realize that the articles are not built in a way that favors search engines like Google or ChatGPT understanding, indexing, and referring them. And this is a mistake. We have seen clients who have asked us to prepare their website with the best possible SEO and GEO, and then not take advantage of this structure by feeding it content that will use it to attract customers and prospects. And this is a mistake. And finally, we have worked with clients who have given us the confidence to develop websites optimized for SEO and GEO, followed by an inbound marketing strategy that links content and contributes to the SEO and GEO structure, attacking the market from multiple channels including blog articles, insights on LinkedIn, hooks on social media, and newsletters. And they are constantly increasing their traffic, lead generation, and sales. This is where I want you to get to. And the fact is that what many do not grasp is that inbound marketing is not a complement to SEO and GEO; it is one of the most effective mechanisms to take advantage of them. Inbound then becomes a tool to build the authority, relevance, and thematic depth that modern search engines need to trust a website. Every new piece of inbound marketing content is a new entry point for SEO and GEO This is the key to the relationship between strategies. If your agency understands how data is structured on your website to favor understanding and indexing by search engines, then it can support you in the following steps: Assemble a thematic calendar of inbound marketing articles that contributes to said structure. Generate articles on each topic with relevant content that adds value (E-E-A-T) and the inclusion of keywords and phrases that leverage said structure… And (most importantly and often omitted): Assemble those contents with the appropriate format and metadata so that this effort materializes in optimal indexing by search engines. That is why every article on your site's blog, if well managed, becomes a new entry point for your customers and prospects. The result of good inbound marketing management on an optimized site translates into more indexable pages, more opportunities to appear for specific searches, and more possibilities to capture traffic at different stages of the buying process. Proper SEO, GEO, and inbound marketing management builds thematic authority In most cases, and especially in the B2B world, we see clients' intentions to position themselves as experts in their field. Projecting this expertise and knowledge generates trust, and trust is a key element in every business. To become that benchmark with thematic authority, saying you are an expert once on your website is insufficient. Adding success stories, customer testimonials, and performance statistics helps, and a lot. BUT nothing gives that proof of authority like showing you have it, generating content that puts that expertise on display. Put your expertise on the spotlight. Additionally, it is important for you to know that Google and AI engines do not only evaluate individual pages to determine if the information source is reliable. To determine a site's authority regarding a topic, these engines evaluate the site's total content. To be clearer: imagine an article about gourmet pastry is published on a site where there are 100 other internal pages that are addressing this topic from different perspectives and angles. At the same time, exactly that same article is published on a website whose content focuses on techniques for training dogs. The truth is that 20 years ago, they would have had similar probabilities of being found by Google… but things have changed. The algorithms that dictate the behavior of search engines have reached a degree of sophistication that allows them to not only evaluate the article but the context in which it lives. And that is why a strategic blog that creates content clusters and constantly feeds its space with valuable insights favors with compound interest the positioning of the site itself and, therefore, of the brand. In addition to our own blog, I share with you the case of the Euro Water Technologies site, as an example of a space in which we are working precisely with this focus of thematic authority. Inbound marketing: one more reason for backlinks that add to SEO and GEO In a recent article, I told you how important the backlink strategy is to generate domain authority on your website and contribute to SEO and GEO ranking. Creatively using inbound marketing, in this context, becomes an additional tool for seeking backlinks. Think, for example, that a blog can be a space to generate collaborative posts with guest authors or a space to talk about a project that was done with a particular client and break down its details. Think generously about the homes your content can have BEYOND your own blog and how yielding that content for others is a way to generate a new backlink. To give you our own example, at Werko we have collaborated with other media and sites by sharing our expertise on certain topics that are relevant to their audiences. Consuming our content in other channels and ecosystems, in addition to expanding our reach and introducing us to new audiences, generates referral backlinks that, in turn, add authority to our website. Inbound marketing as an SEO and GEO signal of freshness, periodicity, and relevance Imagine that in 2024 you managed to make your website THE favorite site for Google to direct user traffic when they perform a specific search… but since then, you have not changed ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING on your site. The content is the same, there are no new posts, there is no movement in structures. Even if the content on your site continues to be of the same value, inactivity is sending a very detrimental signal to Google: “this site is abandoned and its content is old.” Make sure you make fresh content for your website. Part of the most relevant criteria that search engines like Google, Claude, and ChatGPT take into account to generate answers and results are the CURRENT relevance of the content, and one of the signals they listen to to evaluate a site in this tenor are: The periodicity of its updates, The generation of new content, And the contextual relevance of the evaluated content. That is why we constantly see in tools like Google Search Console that previously indexed content, over the years, becomes de-indexed. Is it fair? Is it correct? That is irrelevant… the truth is that this HAPPENS. And for the same reason, maintaining a section of current and fresh content on your website, which also helps to position your SEO and GEO structure with the inclusion of keywords and phrases that are its inputs, is crucial. I tell you about our client ARENDE DEVELOPMENTS, who after optimizing their website for SEO and GEO, asked us for an inbound strategy focused on this vision of current content to give signals, not only to search engines but also to their customers, of their ability to stay at the forefront and aware of the most important trends in their segment. With them, we developed a periodic News Digest that positions their brand as an expert and curator of content of relevance for their customers. The compound effect of Inbound marketing, SEO, and GEO I think you know what I mean when I say that well linked, understood, and related, all efforts in the channels in which your brand lives, ADD UP. Having said this, if you understand the correlations between channels and strategies, you can go from ADDING to MULTIPLYING. An ad is effective but stops working when you stop paying. A good article, well managed, well inserted in an SEO and GEO structure, can continue to generate traffic for years. Therefore, inbound linked to SEO and GEO is an accumulative investment and each new entry benefits the others and, as a whole, the site and brand you are seeking to position. The complementarity of these strategies is that while SEO and GEO work to get people and artificial intelligences to find your website, inbound marketing gives them a reason to stay, trust your expertise, and take the next step. FAQ What is the Inbound Marketing strategy with SEO and GEO? It is the integration of valuable content creation (Inbound Marketing) with optimization for traditional search engines (SEO) and artificial intelligence response engines (GEO). While SEO and GEO work to capture visibility, Inbound Marketing provides the value that generates user trust to convert that traffic into business opportunities and sales. What is the difference between SEO and GEO? SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Set of techniques applied to a website to appear in the first search results on platforms like Google or Bing. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): The evolution of SEO oriented towards AI; it optimizes the structure and context of the content so that models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini understand the information and cite or recommend your brand. Why does publishing constant content without SEO or GEO not generate results? Creating relevant content but hosting it on a web without SEO and GEO optimization severely limits visibility. Search engines and artificial intelligences will not be able to index it, understand it, or recommend it correctly, preventing the audience from discovering the brand's value. How does Inbound Marketing help improve thematic authority according to current algorithms? Search engines and AI evaluate the global context and depth of a website on a subject. By creating a blog with content clusters specialized on a topic, the web demonstrates experience, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T criteria), strengthening the overall relevance of the entire site. How does the update frequency of a blog influence SEO and GEO positioning? The inactivity of a website sends a signal of obsolescence to the algorithms. Publishing fresh and periodic content with Inbound Marketing keeps keyword structures relevant and shows Google and AI models that the site is still active and updated with relevant information. Why does Inbound Marketing linked with SEO and GEO generate a compound effect? Unlike paid advertising that stops working when the budget runs out, an article properly optimized for SEO, GEO, and Inbound Marketing continues to attract qualified traffic consistently over the years. Each new piece of content published adds to the previous ones, multiplying domain authority, entry points, and business sales. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

Saying "two years" sounds easy, but those of us who undertake and build an agency know that every month is measured in learnings, challenges overcome, and, above all, in the trust of those who choose us as their allies. Today, at Werko, we celebrate our second anniversary. We didn't want to do it with a simple thank-you speech, but by honoring what truly gives us life: our clients' projects. Looking back fills us with pride. We have worked with local SMBs, foundations that transform lives, and corporations with an international presence across other continents. Below, I share a journey through the stories, challenges, and successes that have marked these first two years of history at Werko. Thank you for being part of this 2nd anniversary. AcadeME: Educational strategy and precision SEO Our friends at AcadeME invited us to design their brand strategy and support them in the start of their operations with the professionalization of their website, which today is 100% optimized for SEO and GEO. Their website is one we constantly use to showcase the flawless execution of an SEO-ization strategy and clarity in key words and phrases. Álbora – Psychology Center: Identity and projection for emotional well-being We were filled with pride to participate with Álbora – Psychology Center on a project that began with giving a name and identity to this space that has such an important impact. We also built their website and provided resources for consistent and high-impact projection through their social networks. Alcuin Parents Club: Visual identity and integral support for an educational community We had the opportunity and great honor to establish a long-term relationship with Alcuin Parents Club, a parents' association of one of the most prestigious schools in Dallas, Texas. We gave visual identity to a series of their key events, designed their utility documents, edited videos, created a series of websites, 3D animations, and provided on-site logistical support. ALINEA: Strategic repositioning to transform justice With ALINEA, it has been a pleasure to reconnect with colleagues with whom I shared battlefields more than 20 years ago. ALINEA is made up of people who have transformed and revolutionized the justice delivery system in Mexico and other countries. The value of their work impacts thousands of people every day, who, thanks to the work of this group of professionals, now have more and better options for resolving their controversies. Werko is currently supporting ALINEA in a multi-service project for the repositioning of its brand and its greater projection. We have assisted them in generating their Brand Strategy, Communication Lines, Channel Mix, and we are in the process of redesigning and updating all their digital channels. Alpine Greens: Branding and digital presence for sustainable agriculture We worked with Alpine Greens, a sustainable agro-industry company focused on providing the best products free of herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides through advanced hydroponics. In this project, we worked on naming, logo, label design, and website development. Ameline: Launch and e-commerce for natural cosmetics We supported the SMB Ameline with their launch event, e-commerce development, and communication strategy through social networks. Ameline is a Mexican natural cosmetic brand that focuses on developing natural formulas that are effective in use but, at the same time, respect and care for the planet. ARENDE: Benchmarking and digital optimization for the industrial sector We worked with the Industrial Developer ARENDE, first supporting them with a benchmarking study of the digital footprint of their main competitors, then taking the learnings from said study to redesign their website and elevate it above their competition not only in visual design and structure but in SEO and GEO ranking, and finally, implementing constant communication tools with their main stakeholders. Ampersand Human: Strategic visibility in the Human Capital sector We worked with Ampersand Human, a Human Capital and Organizational Development consulting project, to ensure their website has the visibility it deserves in traditional search engines and artificial intelligence agents. As a result of this work, we have developed opportunities to collaborate on their clients' projects in the future. Azel Enterprise: Credential videos and global metalworking reach We developed new Credential Videos and redesigned the website for Azel Enterprise, a metalworking company located in Vietnam and California. This project gave us the opportunity to expand the reach of our client portfolio to other continents and experience how interesting it is to work with other distant cultures. BERNA Group: Electronic manufacturing solutions and Google positioning BERNA Group is an electronic manufacturing company that helps businesses design, manufacture, and assemble electronic products through comprehensive PCB, PCBA, and industrial automation solutions. We assisted them with the website development for three of their business lines and their product and service positioning campaigns through Google Ads. Berna was one of our first new clients when we were starting Werko's operations. BISBA: Digital consultancy and inbound marketing for efficiency The digital solutions implementation agency BISBA, received digital marketing strategy advisory services from Werko Marketing Solutions, and we assisted them in launching their inbound marketing operation. BISBA is located in Mexico City and a couple of additional remote locations within the country. Coldwell Banker Flores: Premium property management and high-impact campaigns With Coldwell Banker Flores we developed a dynamic website that allowed them, through a robust CMS management, to maintain a constant update of their premium property listings in the State of Mexico and the Bajío area. We also assisted them in launching their first Google Ads campaigns, segmented to key audiences not only in their properties' locations but in the cities and areas of origin of their main vacation clients. Comforge: Technical SEO and conversion for the furniture market Comforge is a chair manufacturer serving Mexico and the United States. When they came to us, they had a website that was not generating the traffic they expected or estimated from their competitors. An SEO analysis led us to identify a series of critical backend errors, which we corrected. In addition, we implemented a series of relevant changes to elevate their conversion rates and supported them in developing lead attraction campaigns through Google Ads. Creativitá: Visual identity and growth for children's recreational spaces We loved working with Creativitá, an incredible project of a playroom in Querétaro. We helped them with visual identity, logos, and social media strategy. Their project impacts the lives and formation of children, providing them with healthy recreational spaces focused on their healthy development. We have also seen this business expand its services through a party hall. Decidir y Transformar: Integral podcast production and digital legacy Together with Ángel Tejada, we built an extremely interesting podcasting project that we love to produce, called Decidir y Transformar. We worked on the naming, visual identity, concept and content, website, and biweekly, on the production and publication of its episodes across multiple digital channels. We syndicate their content through Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and Castbox, which we also amplify by managing a newsletter and blog from their website and through LinkedIn Newsletters. Additionally, we manage the podcast account on Instagram. Through Decidir y Transformar, Ángel is building a legacy and a library of learnings for new generations, capturing life lessons from leaders in different industries and walks of life. DILEO: Web optimization for office and hospitality solutions We optimized the website for DILEO, a solution firm for offices and companies, highlighting their hospitality services, printing services, and mobility. We took their initial development and elevated their ranking and indexing possibilities by Google, Bing, and artificial intelligence search engines. Easy Mouse Trips: Digital strategy worthy of premium experiences Easy Mouse Trips is the leading agency in VIP experiences for vacations in Disney and Universal theme parks in Mexico. Working with this group has been one of the things we have enjoyed most at Werko. Not only because the people behind this project are incredible, but because we were very pleased to be able to support them in doing justice to their work, reputation, commitment, and effort by helping them have a website that matches. Easy Mouse Trips had a website that simply did not reflect the quality and level of premiumness with which this team delivers its services. Easy Mouse Trips is proud to say it has served "More than 5,000 families turned into happy guests." Having a small contribution to those smiles and happy moments fills us with satisfaction. Epilog Digital Innovation: Brand identity for technological excellence Epilog Digital Innovation is a consulting firm specializing in technological solutions and business profitability. Naming and giving a visual identity to this project was a challenge that led us to more than 100 different proposals, and I mention it because what is behind it is a leadership that does not allow for anything less than perfection. Working with Epilog demanded that we put our best face forward, give our best effort, and use all our creativity to give its starter kit to a brand that continues to grow, expanding its service portfolio and serving clients in different sectors. Epilog was also one of our first clients, and right now we are talking to them again to meet their new needs. Euro Water Technologies: Comprehensive strategy for leaders in water purification Euro Water Technologies was also among the first clients we had the pleasure of working with, and we continue collaborating with this firm today. The exclusive distributor in Mexico for the world's best water filtration and purification system, BWT, sought us out when they decided to start investing in an advertising strategy. With EWT, we implemented our Brand Strategy Map methodology, helped them develop a new visual identity, redesigned their website, developed their e-commerce platform, updated and optimized their site when GEO became relevant, and are currently working on a content strategy with them. Ferrexo: High-volume e-commerce development for SMBs With Ferrexo we worked on one of the most robust e-commerce sites we have ever had to develop, as its product menu numbered in the THOUSANDS! This was another SMB project that we were very happy to support, as we are loyal promoters of Mexican entrepreneurship. Fidex Insurance and Bonds: Speed and quality in content management Fidex Insurance and Bonds is one of the clients who decided to stay with us after we separated from our former partners, reflecting trust in the quality of the work and service they received from those of us who lead Werko today. I am fully grateful every time they have praised and celebrated our speed and quality of response to their content development needs for social networks. It has been two years of multiple exchanges and joint growth, and I am sure many more are coming. Formando Emprendedores Sociales: Brand Strategy for social empowerment Working with Formando Emprendedores Sociales is a project that took more than a year to germinate. Our first contact was accidental but very enriching. We loved learning how they are impacting and empowering children, and for that reason, we did not hesitate to offer our services at a non-profit rate. Being an operation with few hands but great reach, their operational priorities had the organization focused "outward," even if that meant neglecting their inward analysis and the consistent building of a strong brand. We are very pleased that despite having spent a year playing with the idea of collaborating with them, we are today in the middle of implementing a Brand Strategy Map project that will give them the strategic vision for the future of their brand. Furthermore, I am proud to share that this work has opened the door to an invitation to join their Board of Directors, an honor that I will assume with great pleasure very soon. FEMSA Foundation: Strategic methodology for causes with impact I remember when the then-Director of FEMSA Foundation looked for me, expressing her concern about ensuring this project was born with the correct brand strategy. They had been working with an in-house FEMSA marketing team and a business consulting firm but were not entirely satisfied. What was behind it is that those who had been providing services simply did not speak the language of organizations, associations, and non-profit foundations and, therefore, did not quite hit the nail on the head. When we finished the work, having implemented a Brand Strategy Map with the participation of foundation executives, and personalities from Tec Salud and EGADE, I was filled with satisfaction hearing from our client "this is exactly what we needed to start off on the right foot." How incredible to know that through a methodology developed by Werko, we could leave our small mark on the incredible work this foundation does to promote culture, support early childhood in Mexico in intellectual, social, and cognitive development, and communities lacking water security. FYMPSA: Resilience and reconstruction of digital foundations With FYMPSA we came across a series of adventures that made us grow as a team and develop processes that today make us have more solid foundations as an agency. A client whose domain had been hijacked by the previous agency, a series of challenges in terms of their business flow, and a drive to keep moving forward despite adversity, made FYMPSA an important school that showed us what we were capable of in support of those who place their trust in us. GeneraVolt: Identity development in record time The image and naming for GeneraVolt had to be developed in record time because this project required institutional presence at an upcoming event and they had prioritized other parts of their business. Our Design team hit a home run with this work, and our client was more than satisfied. Grupo Trelham: Strategic consensus for brand identity Grupo Trelham, a family holding company, had spent months with its members discussing the graphic direction of its identity. They couldn't agree, and the back-and-forth was distracting them from their business objectives. Our methodology for developing graphic proposals was the answer that allowed them to elevate the debate beyond "I like it" and "I don't like it," directing them toward a consensus on "what we want to communicate." Another success for our Design team. KOLDROLL: Digital performance and Always On campaigns We were very pleased to serve the company KOLDROLL for more than two years, generating high-impact campaigns in Always On format and with Performance Max eventualities linked to a strategic calendar that allowed them to leverage the most important events in their industry. In our first year working this account, we achieved a 20.5% increase in lead conversions from their website, exceeding the Google benchmark rate by more than double. Coach Paco Revilla: Personal brand projection and positioning Coach Paco Revilla has spent several years helping professionals project themselves and obtain better results using his P.O.D.E.R. methodology for effective conversations. What he lacked was a website worthy of his services and enabled to position his brand in the main search engines. We loved being able to provide this service. PMS: Digital infrastructure rescue and migration The company PMS, a provider of electronic solutions for manufacturing, had lost access to the editing roles of its website as a result of a partnership dissolution that overlooked the handover of digital properties. They needed to make critical modifications to capture leads and update their content. Our solution? We cloned/reproduced the site on another platform and migrated the DNS records to leave that previous space in limbo while regaining control of the site. We also took the opportunity to make backend corrections that were limiting its projection. Today, our client is registering leads frequently and can move their business forward. Polish Me: Appointment capture and digital presence Polish Me was another case of an SMB we supported when we started our operations as Werko Marketing Solutions. We built a website that functioned as a center for capturing appointments, spreading promotions, and projecting the brand. This beauty salon was recently sold by its owner and is no longer online, but we remember it with great affection as it was one of the projects with which we were able to experiment and learn new functionalities in business flows embedded in a website. SpeedPay: Landing Page optimization for efficiency SpeedPay, one of the strongest extrajudicial collection firms in Monterrey, came to us mentioning that their efforts in Google Ads had stopped generating the results they were used to. With SpeedPay, we were able to apply one of our main differentiators at Werko: not focusing only on what you think your pain point is, but conducting a thorough analysis to provide better solutions. They wanted us to run their campaigns... we realized that what was limiting them was primarily the Landing Page Quality variable. Their destination page for active campaigns was very poorly constructed, which subtracted credibility in Google's eyes and made each conversion lose cost-efficiency. We redesigned and optimized their website first and THEN executed the campaigns. The change was notable, and their conversion rates increased considerably. It's not about selling for the sake of selling, but about supporting our clients in achieving their goals. TAG Insurance: Impact activations for the construction sector TAG Insurance came to us with a new ambition to approach the construction and real estate development market. We helped them by developing an integral marketing strategy to attack said segment, supported them in taking over the relevant conversation in key moments, spaces, and events for the industry, and assisted them in executing high-impact activations in a massive forum at Cintermex. This project also allowed us to team up with our friends at WOW Factory, whom we respect and enjoy working with very much. Since then, TAG Insurance continues to trust us with specific requests when design opportunities and needs arise. We are pleased to know that we are supporting them in improving the way they present themselves to their clients. Taléntika: Site re-engineering for talent recruitment The Taléntika project was similar to SpeedPay's, in the sense that a strong brand was looking to exploit the benefits of the Google Ads world but lacked the expertise to do so. Just as with SpeedPay, when we did our analysis, we noticed that starting campaigns directed to the site they had at that time would have been a very poor use of our client's budget. The cost per impression, per click, and per conversion would have been very high... so we did our job: we corrected and redesigned the website, also taking advantage of generating self-management modules that today allow Taléntika to self-administer the publication of vacancies they are looking to fill, as one of the most recognized talent hunting firms in the Monterrey market. Terra Regia: Strategic allies in marketing and urban development What can I tell you about Terra Regia? They have been one of our most constant clients and have provided us with multiple moments of pride and satisfaction. One of Terra Regia's mottos is "We Create City. We Develop Monterrey." Can you imagine what it feels like to develop the brand architecture for this company? That's how our relationship with them began, with a project at a strategic level that involved their entire Board of Directors. From this experience, we became advisors to their first Marketing team, assisted them with organizational design and job descriptions and roles within the marketing team, were invited to panels to select their talent, developed their first Marketing Plans using our MWB methodology, renewed their website, and even worked on a corporate project for the identification, detection, and mitigation of risk events. Furthermore, we are providers of their management platform for all social media accounts and digital advertising campaigns for each of their developments. Our relationship with Terra Regia goes beyond being client-provider. We consider ourselves their trusted marketing allies. TúDsiD: Technology and strategy for citizen participation TúDsiD is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote and increase the rate of citizen participation, understanding that it is through participatory and informed societies that we achieve functional, effective communities and good government at the service of their populations. We helped them to be born. From market studies, identifying technological platforms that promote citizen participation, qualitative and quantitative analysis exercises, development of their visual identity and action plan, to designing their website and giving them continuous optimization support, we are pleased to put Werko Marketing Solutions' expertise at the service of noble causes. Wow Factory: Technical optimization and SEO for memorable experiences I have known Wow Factory since this successful company was born and began with the dream and ambition of a talented professional who had developed a master's degree in event production filling others' pockets and dared to undertake. When I led teams at HEINEKEN Mexico, I had the pleasure of opening the doors and teaming up with Wow Factory, building experiences that their collaborators still talk about today. The enormous level of professional respect we have had for each other since then has led to finding ways to work on projects together. In each of the roles I have held since leaving HEINEKEN, I have found in WOW FACTORY a most trusted ally. And that is why when the direction of the requests changed—this time they asking for our support—we did not hesitate to jump on the project. WOW Factory had a visually very powerful website, but behind a very pretty facade, fragile foundations were hidden with neglected elements. Broken links, navigation that generated a confusing user experience, inconsistencies in keywords, and a series of technical deficiencies were tying up the projection potential of this company through its website. They urgently needed a change, and we signed up to conduct a total optimization of their SEO and GEO. Traffic has increased, and the business remains booming. Their commitment to quality is unwavering. 2nd anniversary, and many more to come. These projects are a reflection of who we are at Werko: an agency that doesn't look to sell for the sake of selling, but to immerse itself in the root of each business to offer honest, real, and high-impact solutions. From rescuing domains or rebuilding websites from scratch to care for our clients' budgets, to sitting on administrative boards or designing the brand architecture of large developers, these two years have been an extraordinary school. To each of the clients appearing on this list, and to those yet to come: THANK YOU. Thank you for trusting our criteria, for allowing us to challenge with strategy when necessary, and for making us part of your ranks. This is just the beginning. To many more years creating spaces, driving brands, and transforming realities together! FAQ about Werko What types of projects and businesses does Werko work with? Over these past two years, we have collaborated with a wide variety of clients, ranging from local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and startups, to non-profit foundations, personal brands, and large corporations or urban developers with an international presence. What are the main services offered by Werko? We specialize in providing honest, comprehensive solutions that cover: Brand strategy and architecture: Branding, naming, and visual identity. Web design and development: Corporate websites, landing pages, and robust e-commerce platforms. Search engine optimization (SEO & GEO): Optimization for traditional search engines and AI search assistants. Digital marketing and performance campaigns: Google Ads and inbound marketing. Inbound marketing and multimedia content production: Social media management and full-service podcast production. What sets Werko apart from other digital marketing agencies? We don't just "sell for the sake of selling" or run campaigns without a solid strategy. We dive deep into the roots of each business using our own proprietary methodologies—such as the Brand Strategy Map or MWB—to identify genuine opportunities. If a website isn't ready to convert, we prefer to optimize its technical and SEO foundation before spending a single dollar on advertising, always protecting our clients' budgets and business goals. Do you have experience recovering or migrating compromised digital infrastructure? Yes. Throughout our journey, we have successfully helped clients regain control of their digital footprint. We have resolved highly complex cases, from cloning and migrating websites whose access was held hostage by previous providers, to fixing critical backend errors and broken links that were holding back business growth. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! 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Many agencies offer website development services, but how do you ensure they develop a good website before hiring them? In this article, I will give you the advice I wish I had known before hiring an agency to develop the website for the business where I worked, because I was once a client too. I clarify in advance that you won't end up being a web development expert after reading this article, but what you will have are the tools to evaluate the probability that whoever is selling you a web development service will end up doing a good job and that the investment you make will have a good return (or in short, so they don't take advantage of you when they make your website). Table of Contents 7 tips to ensure they develop a good website for you Visit your service provider's website Review their portfolio and web development project references Ensure they have certifications in the platforms they build their sites on Ensure they take the time to understand your business and what you want to achieve Ask them to clarify the processes Understand basic technicalities and ensure they are included in the proposal Glossary of basic SEO terms: Try to get your ownership Extra: They offer to integrate Schema Markups and FAQ FAQ 7 tips to ensure they develop a good website for you What you need to ensure they develop a good website for you is an ally. More than a service provider, someone proactive, who proposes and challenges your ideas if you are a bit lost. Someone who gives you clarity and is committed to you and your business. But to differentiate the charlatans from those who are more likely to give you what you need, I give you the following tips: Visit your service provider's website Basically, what you need to do is navigate through their page, click on their different sections, observe a little, and ask yourself: "Does this page seem very well-made, average, or poorly made?" To determine this: Check if the page can be navigated and read without problems on both your computer and your cell phone (i.e., if the page is responsive to mobile devices). Review if, when you enter the Home page, what they do is quickly understood thanks to the messages they communicate. Identify if they don't have pages or buttons that show an error when you click them. Observe if they have visible buttons (calls to action like "Contact Us") and if they work. Analyze if, when you navigate their page, you can do it logically and simply. Review if the site is aesthetically consistent: they use legible fonts, texts have no errors, and the images they include are relevant. Check if the site loads quickly, meaning it doesn't take more than 3 seconds to load. And finally, think if this looks like a page from someone who can build the website that will be the face of your business. Basically, what you want to determine is if this agency you are considering is a "shoemaker with no shoes" or if they truly apply their knowledge and talents to their own business. That is, someone who is dedicated to making websites should have a very good website, don't you think? (If they didn't, it would be like going to a dentist who has crooked and yellow teeth 🚩). Review their portfolio and web development project references It is important that you take a look at the past site developments they have done, and get an idea of the type of deliverables they provide. This will give you an idea of what you can receive from them. (You can review the previous point again, but now with the pages they delivered). Similarly, check if there are references or comments from past clients about those projects to ensure that other people have already had a good experience. Ensure they have certifications in the platforms they build their sites on By the way, in Werko we are WIX Partner level Legend thanks to our high volume of successfully executed projects. If they tell you they build websites in Wix, make sure they have a Wix certification. If they say they build them based on WordPress, check that they have WordPress certification. Don't let someone improvise with your website. Ask them what their credentials are for the platform they are proposing. And if what you need is a native HTML development (in some cases it is still justified), it is MUCH more important to ensure that besides making it look good, they know how to optimize from the code. If you don't know how to validate this, it is important to approach a trusted expert. I mention this because of the LEAST optimized websites we have seen on the market, most are victims of a programmer who did a project directly in code without knowing how to optimize it for good visibility and ranking in search engines. Ensure they take the time to understand your business and what you want to achieve An agency that is going to make a good website for you takes the time to deeply understand your business. What is your industry? Who are your clients? Who are your competitors? What is your differentiated value? What is your objective? Etc, etc, etc. Your website is your calling card and the digital home of your brand, it is where prospects and clients will arrive to understand who you are and what you can do for them. But if from the start someone is "guaranteeing" they will put your website in first place on Google, and you haven't even sat down to talk with them or they haven't asked about your business 🚩, it means they won't take the time to translate your value proposition to your client. In order to effectively transmit and communicate the essence of your brand and your differentiation on a website, your agency must understand who your business is; if they don't, they may end up communicating poorly like a game of "broken telephone." Those who don't take the time to understand your business are likely selling you pre-made sites and structures that apply the same for a law firm site as for a nail salon... don't waste your time with promises like that. On the other hand, besides understanding your business well, they should understand what your expectations are for this website. Part of this is asking you to provide references of other websites to be able to deliver something that is on par with them or even exceeds your expectations. Ask them to clarify the processes The development of a website implies certain steps, methodology, and times that have to be coordinated to carry out its construction. The agency that develops your site must give you clarity on those processes and reflect it in a work schedule that also indicates what information they need from you and when, so that the project comes out on time and in form. "We'll see as we go" is not a process and in the vast majority of cases, it will lead to your website being published late and below your expectations. At the end of the day, the development of a website implies the collaboration of both the client and the agency: One provides information that the other presents attractively while ensuring the technical details are optimized. Speaking of technicalities... Understand basic technicalities and ensure they are included in the proposal A website that is poorly optimized in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like a car that has no engine. It can look very pretty, but it's no good for taking you anywhere. SEO: Search Engine Optimization is the optimization done to certain website configuration categories "behind the scenes" so that search engines like Google, Bing, and others can correctly "read" your page, understand what it's about, and suggest it to their users. So, to keep you from being caught off guard, I'm going to give you a brief basic glossary of SEO terms that your website should have as a minimum, and if your service provider doesn't include them 🚩, you should consider other options. Glossary of basic SEO terms: Favicon: It is the tiny icon that appears on the website tab. It is usually the business logo. Title tag: It is the text that appears on the website tab and is the one that appears in search results. Meta description: It is a small descriptive paragraph that appears in search results, below the title tag. Preview image (social share or thumbnail): It is the image that will be displayed when you share the page on social media. Image alt text: It is a text description of each of the images that appear on your website. Keywords: These are keywords that users use to search for things like what you offer, and therefore, your website must contain them so that search engines find you (and if one day you want to do Google / SEM campaigns, having relevant text will help them be more effective). Header structure (H1, H2, H3): Headers are tags that are put on the titles that appear on your website. A correct header structure has only one H1 (main title tag) per page, and for example, does not jump from H1 to H3, but has a logical sequence. Mobile responsive: A mobile-responsive site is a site that looks good, is functional, and navigable on computers as well as tablets and cell phones. That is, the images and texts adapt to the device in question. Domain: It is the address of the website. E.g. www.werko.mx Webhosting: It is the digital space where the information of your website is stored (Note: This is purchased separately from the domain). Backlinks: These are links that point to your website, coming from other websites. Indexing: A tag that tells search engines that this is a page that DOES want to be found (there are noindex tags to indicate completely the opposite and are used, for example, on pages exclusively for internal use for the company). Security certificates (SSL): It is a digital file that certifies that your page is secure, and makes it appear as HTTPS instead of just HTTP. Google does not favor pages that do not have SSL. DNS: It is the abbreviation for Domain Name System, and it is a system or guide that "translates" your domain name to an IP number so that the webhosting and the browser can find your website. Try to get your ownership Unfortunately, there are website service providers whose business model is to charge for details that, in my opinion, should already be included in your page. I once heard of a provider in Monterrey who charges their clients an additional fee for making their page have security certificates (SSL), plus, if one of their clients wants to take their site to another webhosting, the client has no control over their website. Therefore, make sure you know what your service provider's terms and conditions are, and that you are the owner of your property. For example, here at Werko, our clients' sites are hosted on our platform but the moment a client requests their property, their DNS connections are transferred where they indicate. The page will always belong to the client. Extra: They offer to integrate Schema Markups and FAQ If besides all of the above, your service provider offers to integrate Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sections to your website that will also have their integration with Schema Markups, say yes! Schema Markup: It is an HTML code that is added to the website, and that helps search engines understand what your page is about. In this way, your page will be much more prepared to be found and recommended by search engines, both traditional (Google, Bing, etc.) and Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.). So now you know, I hope this guide has been very useful to you. Most likely in the near future, with technology advancements, I will have to update these tips, but today, these are the tips I can give you to help you better choose your website development service provider. Of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be very happy to hear from you. FAQ How can I evaluate a web development agency by visiting its own site? To determine if the provider is professional, you must navigate their page and verify the following: That the site is responsive and reads well on both computer and cell phone. That on the Home page, what they do is quickly understood. That they don't have pages or buttons that mark an error when clicked. That they have visible and functional call-to-action buttons (like "Contact Us"). That navigation is logical, simple, and loads in less than 4 seconds. That it maintains a consistent aesthetic with legible fonts, error-free texts, and relevant images. What are the basic SEO terms that a web development proposal should include? Your provider should include essential elements in the "behind the scenes" configuration such as the Favicon, title tag, meta description, preview image, image alt text, use of keywords, and a correct header structure (H1, H2, H3). It should also contemplate the domain, webhosting, backlinks, indexing tags, and SSL security certificates. How do I ensure I keep ownership of my website? You must carefully review the provider's terms and conditions to ensure that you are the absolute owner of your property. A good ally should give you full control so that, if you decide to move your site to another webhosting, it is possible to transfer your DNS connections without obstacles or excessive charges. About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

Just like in basketball or soccer, where the question of who is the "GOAT" (Greatest of all time) is an eternal debate, in the world of marketing it is common to hear people asking "which is the best agency?" so on this occasion, I decided to share in a few lines, the answer I consider most accurate. The best marketing agency isn't necessarily the biggest or the cheapest. It's the one that understands your business, shares your goals, and has the processes, capabilities, and experience to generate measurable results. Table of Contents The question about "the best marketing agency" is ill-posed Why do so many companies end up disappointed with their agency? How to choose the best marketing agency without basing it only on price Is the biggest agency really "the best marketing agency"? Is "the best marketing agency" the most creative one? Is "the best marketing agency" the one with the most recommendations? The 6 criteria for choosing the best marketing agency (for you) 1. An agency that understands your business model and wants to boost it. 2. An agency that has clear processes 3. An agency that is transparent in accountability and results measurement 4. An agency that isn't afraid to say NO 5. An agency that has comprehensive capabilities 6. An agency with which there is cultural compatibility Is Werko Marketing Solutions the best marketing agency for you? FAQ The question about "the best marketing agency" is ill-posed Because, just as I spend hours debating with my son about the supremacy of Michael Jordan over LeBron James (mind you, I do it for fun because I know there is no single answer, but we enjoy the conversation), it is impossible to define the best because there are multiple variables to grade and some even have NOTHING to do with the conditions and characteristics of the agency, but with the client's profile. More important than placing a medal on "the best marketing agency", is identifying the ingredients that make for a good fit between the client's pain points, needs, and desires AND the agency's capabilities to UNDERSTAND and SERVE them, generating consistent RESULTS. Why do so many companies end up disappointed with their agency? I share with you some of the causes I have identified, having been on both sides of the equation (because for a long time I was a client and prospect of agencies, and now I have the pleasure of offering our services). How to choose the best marketing agency without basing it only on price It's natural to want to watch the budget. After all, nobody wants to spend more than is necessary. However, when price becomes the primary criterion for selecting a marketing agency, companies end up paying more than what they are saving. And the problem is not hiring an inexpensive agency. The problem is assuming that all agencies deliver the same value and that the only difference between them is the price at which they are offering the same service. I'll give you a concrete example: we know several "agencies" (I purposely put the word agencies in quotation marks) that promise to handle your company's social media management at prices that are sometimes as low as 30% of what we charge. Werko team meeting with clients. As a reference, we: Carry out a thorough process to define content strategies that contribute to the desired positioning of your brand, Establish communication lines that we index and monitor their performance to plan future content, Plan content calendars and mock up to correctly reinforce the messages, Propose and develop designs aligned with a brand manual, Schedule posts using cutting-edge technology enabled by machine learning to identify optimal times by channel and audience and to ensure that posts contain the meta-information to achieve greater and better reach, Our reports don't just publish vanity metrics directly, but present analysis based on indexed content and comparing with main competitors. We do this by putting your brand in the hands of experts who have optimal use licenses and work tools. I recently contacted one of these "agencies in quotation marks" and realized it wasn't a group, but rather it was a recent graduate with no professional experience or sector knowledge, who basically asks ChatGpt to auto-generate copy and art without any strategic direction and publishes manually. Of course, their Instagram profile had over 50K followers although their posts generated no reaction (a bot follower farm in Russia surely appreciated the 5 dollars paid to build their fake community). In marketing, the consequences of a bad decision are rarely reflected only in the invoice amount. They are reflected in lost opportunities, campaigns that don't generate results, months of work without a clear direction, and the need to start over with another provider. Is the biggest agency really "the best marketing agency"? There is a common belief that bigger agencies necessarily offer a better service. After all, if they have hundreds of employees and recognized clients, they must be the best option, right? Not necessarily. Large agencies often have extraordinary talent, robust methodologies, and access to significant resources. However, they also operate under structures designed to serve large accounts. This means that many medium-sized companies and brands end up becoming secondary clients within a long list of priorities. A photo from the launch of Heineken's "Heroes Wanted" campaign. I remember when I worked at HEINEKEN MEXICO and was responsible for the Coors Light brand. Our budget was miniscule compared to the Tecate Light brand, which is the highest volume brand in the portfolio of this brewing company. Even so, and due to the "benefit" of group hiring, the same creative agency that served Tecate Light served us and we even had the same person assigned as account executive. The result was that when both the Tecate manager and I needed something, my call was always answered later. The art we requested took longer and was often of considerably lower quality (it was noticeable they were assigned to junior designers within the team). Even sharing the same sales ticket, the service level was radically different because the agency felt it had more to lose if it failed the big brand. The best agency is not necessarily the biggest. It is the one with the right structure to accompany your company in the stage it is in. For some organizations that will mean working with a multinational, large-scale agency. For others, a highly specialized boutique agency will be a better investment. Is "the best marketing agency" the most creative one? It is indisputable that creativity is important and is an essential ingredient in any marketing effort. However, it can be dangerous if it is the only variable used to select the agency you are going to work with. Many clients can be impressed by an agency's creative portfolio without asking something much more important: did that creativity generate business results? Did that creativity serve to position the brand and help it meet its objectives? There are times when executions are very creative and very entertaining but don't even make you remember what brand presented them. A campaign can win awards, accumulate thousands of views, or receive recognition in the industry and still fail to generate sales, leads, or growth for the company that hired it. That is why I will always prefer and value more having received EFFIES (awards for advertising efficiency) than the awards I received from Círculo Creativo. Both are valuable and both involve a lot of work, but it gives me greater satisfaction to have put creativity at the service of the business objective. Because at the end of the day creativity is a tool, not an objective. The best agencies understand that creativity must be inserted into the pursuit of a clear strategy. Before asking themselves how to get attention, they ask themselves what behavior they want to generate, what problem they are solving, and how they will measure success. In marketing, creativity without strategy is entertainment. Creativity with strategy is growth. Is "the best marketing agency" the one with the most recommendations? One of the most important decision drivers when someone looks for an agency is the recommendation they received from someone who already worked with a specific team. I recently saw a study that mentioned that in the B2B world around 75% of qualified leads originate from referred sources and it doesn't surprise me. It's easy to think "if it worked for my friend, it will surely work for me" and often that evaluation is very accurate. I want to be very clear in saying that recommendations from current and past clients are among the things we value most at Werko Marketing Solutions and effectively, they have been one of the sources that most feed our commercial funnel. Having said this, I think it is important that each client understands that behind a recommendation is a specific situation, a specific budget, a specific pain point or need, unique capabilities, sector in which it operates, etc. An agency well recommended by one client is not necessarily going to be the best agency for another, although a good experience is usually a reflection of the meticulous work behind delivering a professional service. More important than finding "the best agency", you have to look for "the agency that is best for what I need." The 6 criteria for choosing the best marketing agency (for you) If we already established that there is no "the best marketing agency", but the one that suits you best specifically, I don't want to leave you with just that. Rather, I share with you 6 things worth looking for to validate that correct fit so you can reach the agency that is "the best for you." Want to evaluate if your current agency meets these criteria? Schedule a conversation with our team. 1. An agency that understands your business model and wants to boost it. Any agency that promises results like "X guaranteed leads per year" indiscriminately must be disqualified immediately and labeled as a fake. First, because in our world there are no guarantees or magic formulas. Second, because it is illogical to think that someone who doesn't understand if what you sell is penthouse apartments in Florida or nuts in a hardware store in Chattanooga can promise you the same volume of leads applying the same tools with the same budget. To work effectively with you, an agency must dedicate time to fully understanding critical elements of your model to be able to propose the right strategies and tactics. If they don't take the time to understand, Who are the ones making the purchase decision for your product or service, What your commercial processes are like, What the moments of truth are, The average value of your clients, The stages in your commercial funnel and their normal time per stage, Specific factors that generate trust in your market And the true differentiators of your product, Then they will hardly be a valuable ally to position your brand and pursue your objectives. A tool that we developed precisely to achieve this level of understanding and alignment is our Brand Strategy Map, which also serves many other purposes of strategic value for our clients. Beware of agencies that have the same solution and the same promise of success for everyone. 2. An agency that has clear processes Avoid complications and surprises by ensuring your agency has clear processes and reviewing that those processes are compatible with the way your company or brand operates and its expectations. By this I mean clarity of processes and proven methodologies. Someone who operates based on methodologies can very easily outline schedules, define workflows, and give clarity around roles and functions. If you ask me to develop a website, I must be able to very easily present my way of working and explain each of the phases so that you know how meticulously we work, have visibility of times, stages, and decisions, and can check if that is compatible with what you are looking for. Beware of agencies that "we'll see and adapt as we go." Companies without clear processes usually fail, either in time, in form, or both. Does the agency you are working with have clear processes? Are these processes compatible with what you are looking for? 3. An agency that is transparent in accountability and results measurement Beware of agencies that always give you good doctored results or that don't define what it will mean to successfully achieve a project. Also beware of those that don't define their efforts based on specific objectives. I have said it many times: it is in function of a healthy and fruitful relationship that it is relevant to have an understanding of the Measures of Success. Let me give granular examples to make the idea clear: if together we establish Brand Awareness objectives in a campaign and I ensure that all variables are set to pursue that objective, the success of that campaign cannot be measured by conversions in phone calls. The alignment between setting objectives, developing tactics to pursue them, and consistent accountability is very important and your agency must not only know it, but ensure that you understand it too. Good agreements help ground expectations, strengthen relationships, and celebrate success. 4. An agency that isn't afraid to say NO Have you noticed that any idea you want to bounce off ChatGPT is always received with an "Excellent! What a great idea you had" even though you could be saying the most stupid thing that ever occurred to you? That level of condescension is fueled by instructions that privilege liking you over telling you the truth... and if you dislike getting it from an AI, it should make you REVOLTED to get it from who you are supposedly looking for to be your ally and protector of your brand health. Beware of companies that prefer to sell you something you don't need than tell you the truth... or those that just to close a sale tell you they can do something that isn't really in their DNA to deliver. I talk more about these situations in this article I wrote a year ago but which is still very current. 5. An agency that has comprehensive capabilities This may seem obvious, but it's worth saying. If an agency offers a specific service, it must be able to show you that it has the capabilities to deliver it at the level you need it. For example, if they say they can design your website with SEO and GEO logic, they should be able to show you how they do it and give some examples. It is also worth recognizing the value of working with agencies that understand the interconnections between tools and can manage them: An agency that knows about Search Engine Marketing (SEM) understands that part of its success depends on having a Website Destination optimized for SEO and recognizes that results from a Google Ads campaign can fuel the cost-efficiency of organic traffic generation efforts. Whoever offers Backlinks strategies should be able to link those efforts with Schema Markups work that potentializes them even more. The one who understands analytics knows they can get from a social media performance report, actionable truths to execute in email marketing campaigns. The most successful strategies, especially in digital marketing, are those that recognize the links between tools that are part of the ecosystem. The agency that can integrate these learnings into multi-channel efforts will always be leveraging its efforts much more in favor of your results. In digital marketing, it is better to work with agencies that have comprehensive capabilities than with One Trick Ponies (agencies specialized in a single service) that operate excellently in disconnected silos without taking advantage of the systemic vision. 6. An agency with which there is cultural compatibility One of the most underrated factors in choosing "the best marketing agency" for your needs is cultural compatibility. Beyond experience, technical capabilities, or the size of the agency, it is fundamental that both organizations share a similar way of working, communicating, and making decisions. An agency may have an impressive portfolio, but if its pace of work, level of structure, style of communication, or strategic approach doesn't fit with your company's expectations, the relationship will probably end up generating frustration for both parties. In the end, an agency is not simply a provider; it is an external team that will actively participate in important decisions for your business growth. The best client-agency relationships are not those that generate fewer disagreements. They are those where there is enough trust to have difficult conversations when the business needs it. Is Werko Marketing Solutions the best marketing agency for you? Hopefully yes... because we love finding clients with whom we can achieve incredible results. If you are looking for an ally, it's worth getting to know us and evaluating if we could form a successful binomial. At Werko: We prioritize strategy clarity BEFORE execution That's why our slogan "We think before we brand." We like to deeply understand our clients and the environment in which they operate to have better ideas on how to tackle their needs. We measure everything that can be measured We are Sprout Social Agency Partner And we don't skimp on the cost of doing it. That's why we have top-level tools like Sprout Social and we are certified in the use of analytics tools. That's why we always report based on value variables for the client and ensure our campaign efforts are linked to clear objectives and pre-agreed Measures of Success. We are boutique-expansive in scale We are an agency that works with hybrid collaboration formats. We have a relatively small in-house team but a network of trusted collaborators and allies whom we call upon as needed and per project. This enables us to have a flexible talent pool while controlling fixed costs, so that we can offer you top-level services at more competitive prices and with greater capacity and response speed than large agencies. This scale also ensures that your account and its needs are never distant from our organizational leaders. Over 20 years understanding how companies from multiple sectors make decisions Just check the CV of the Werko leadership team and our success case portfolio to value one of our most important differentiators against agencies of our scale. We have experience in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, consulting, and B2B. We love connecting the dots in digital ecosystems And we have the installed capacity and comprehensive services to do it. We are passionate about having fun with our clients while pursuing their objectives together And I believe that is what is behind each of the opinions they share with us when we conclude projects or project milestones or in each rating they leave on our profiles. The best agency is not the biggest. It is not the most famous. It is not the cheapest. It is the one that understands your business, shares your way of working, and has the ability to help you reach your goals. For many medium-sized companies looking for growth based on strategy, technology, and measurement, Werko Marketing Solutions can be that partner. We want to be the best marketing agency for the best clients. Do you want to be one of them? Let's talk. FAQ How to know if a marketing agency is good? A marketing agency is good if it has methodologies and processes in its services, gives clarity on expected results, has comprehensive capabilities, good client references, has a broad portfolio, fits with your organizational culture, and understands your business model. How much does it cost to hire a marketing agency? Hiring prices for a marketing agency are very varied in Mexico depending on the scope of the projects, ranging from no less than 500 USD and can exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars. What is the difference between a boutique agency and a large agency? The main difference between a boutique agency and a large agency is the quality of personalized attention that a boutique agency can give. Generally, a large agency faces communication challenges with its clients. How long does a marketing strategy take to give results? A marketing strategy is a medium and long-term bet. There are no magic formulas that work immediately. But with strategic planning and execution, results can be achieved consistently in a few months. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

Your website might look perfect... and be practically invisible. You just launched your new website. You invested time and money, had revisions and multiple discussions, but you finally arrived at a version you liked. And you even took the precaution of ensuring it was responsive and optimized for all types of screens. It looks incredible on laptops, tablets, and mobile devices… but no one visits it. What's happening? I'm going to confront you with a hard truth: search engines don't just rate websites based on their design and content. They also measure and use REPUTATION as an important filter. This is true for traditional engines like Google and Bing, as well as for LLMs used as search engines (ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, etc.). And how is a website's reputation measured? One of its main indicators, if not the most important one, is called BACKLINKS. Table of Content What are Backlinks in SEO? How Do Backlinks Affect a Website's SEO Performance? 1. Authority building. 2. Better positions in search results. 3. Faster indexing. 4. Trust and the E-E-A-T model. Why didn't my agency tell me about Backlinks for SEO when they built my website? Quality over Quantity: Not all backlinks are equal Backlinks are a marathon, not a sprint Quick Wins (not shortcuts) for Building Backlinks. Start Today. Add your business to relevant directories. Leverage your business's natural relationships. Publish valuable content. Generate content for others. Testimonials and Success Stories. Public Relations and Earned Media. If your website is an island that no one knows about, it's time to turn it into a tourist destination. What are Backlinks in SEO? Well, first, what is SEO? Simply put, without getting into too many technicalities, SEO is everything you do to make your page more visible and "findable" for search engines without paying for ads. The goal of this is to generate intentional traffic organically. And for practical purposes, GEO is its equivalent, but for you to be more findable by the AI platforms that are increasingly being used as search engines. A backlink is a link that another site generates to yours. Now then, a BACKLINK is a link that another site generates to yours. There are different types of backlinks with different implications and values, but for now, stick with the idea that when someone puts a link to your site on theirs, they are sending a signal to the internet that contributes to the positioning of YOUR site. It is a vote of confidence, a reference from a third party who is saying "this site offers something of value." And the obligatory reflection: not all votes of confidence are worth the same. If Tony Hawk says "your daughter has an incredible ollie," it will be worth much more than if her godmother says it (no offense to your cheers, Eva 😊). Similarly, the source of the backlink referring to you has a significant impact on your site's positioning. “This content is valuable, relevant, and trustworthy” – The best signal a good backlink with high authority can give us. In the world of SEO, backlinks fulfill a function similar to the quotes included on the back cover of a book. What they say matters, but also who says them. The greater the credibility of the backlink source, the greater authority it will project onto your site. How Do Backlinks Affect a Website's SEO Performance? There are many ways, but practically speaking, we can summarize this into a few crucial points. The four main ways an effective backlink strategy will help your site be better identified by Google's algorithm (and its counterparts): 1. Authority building. Search engines assign an authority score to your domain (your website address). The more quality backlinks you have, the better authority rating you will have, and your site will be categorized as more trustworthy. 2. Better positions in search results. In organic results (non-paid), the most trustworthy pages in each category tend to occupy better places in intentional search results. Simplifying the sequence, the way Google reads it is: This user is looking for X. In my menu of options to offer as a response to their search, I have 10 sites that I think are what they are looking for. They have similar content and an offering related to the user's search. Of the two best, which are similar in content, I see that "A" has 50 good backlinks and its domain authority is 74, while "B" has no backlinks. The best answer to their search is "A." 3. Faster indexing. Search engines are constantly looking for and evaluating new content on the internet to understand how it should be indexed. Imagine a library that has very organized sections, categories, books organized according to multiple variables, but in the back, it has a huge storage room in complete disarray. The indexing process is what happens to take a book from that storage room and place it on its best shelf. In this sense, imagine backlinks as a series of light spots that are illuminating your book in that storage room and shouting: “It's best to place this book first!” 4. Trust and the E-E-A-T model. In other articles, I've already talked about the importance of E-E-A-T and used it to encourage you not to fall into the trap of automated low-value content generation using LLMs. Now I share with you that E-E-A-T is not only a matter of authentic content but also of those who REFER to your content. Backlinks give an additional qualifier to those pieces of information that are part of your website and were put there to attract traffic... and here it's worth mentioning that this is true not only for organic traffic but also for generating cost-efficiency in your paid campaigns (for example, in Google Ads). Why didn't my agency tell me about Backlinks for SEO when they built my website? I'm not going to give you excuses, but blunt truths. Most websites are bought and sold with a launch logic and not a long-term growth one. In the market (and here both client and provider are equally guilty) website projects usually start the day the client gives the down payment and end the day the site has its GoLive. Therefore, developers focus primarily on Design, Content Loading Performance, Responsiveness for different devices, and Functionality. If you're lucky and work with a serious agency that has this muscle, SEO-based structuring is also included. Backlinks help you elevate the authority of your website. And I want to be very clear in saying that ALL of that is important for having a good website... but a void remains in discussions and strategies not planned to generate Backlinks. They are not part of a site's deliverable because it is not something that is built "on the site"... Furthermore, their generation is the result of continuous and constant work, which has a beginning but truly no clear end (you can always be chasing one more backlink) and they are easily displaced by considering them "a pending task for later and for someone else." And although I maintain that there is a co-responsibility between client and provider, I return to something I have said many times: "the client does not know what they do not know and does not have to know what they do not know." As I write these lines, I think about the additional effort that those of us in the position and with the knowledge must make to correctly instruct the client to see that a good website build is only the beginning of its success. We have to be more effective in generating awareness about the importance of backlinks first... and then, helping clients develop strategies to capture them and elevate the authority of their sites. By doing so, we will truly be supporting their business objectives. Colleagues from other agencies, we have work to do. Quality over Quantity: Not all backlinks are equal Many times, cheap comes at a high price, and apparent shortcuts lead us to hit a wall. When it comes to backlinks, it is important not to fall into the temptation of the "easy solution." I can already imagine you, who are reading this, asking Google or some LLM, “how can I buy backlinks?” and seeing search results with lists and lists of services promising “1000 backlinks for 25 dollars.” PLEASE, don't fall into the trap. These services were born to deceive. In the worst cases, they are sites of dubious origin that you wouldn't want to trust your credit card data to... and in the BEST cases, they are mechanisms that will generate a vast quantity of backlinks... that will DAMAGE your ranking. Let me explain: what these services do is link your page to sites that, without any relevance or context, are willing to generate the backlink because they were created for that purpose. There is no reason for the backlink, and these are sites that, for the same reason, have a very poor domain authority rating. Don't try to trick Google… Google hates when you do it and takes it into account. If it notices that your site starts being illogically referred to by irrelevant sites, it will tag it as spam and put a red flag on it. Google wants to give its users the best search result. Interpreting that your site is trying to “cheat” to appear does not inspire confidence. Instead of buying 100 weak, illogical, and low-domain authority backlinks, focus your efforts on figuring out how to achieve ONE good, high-authority backlink. Focus on relevance in your industry, contextualization, and earning that reference instead of generating it artificially (more on how to do this below). Backlinks are a marathon, not a sprint I know it's a cliché, but it's also true. Achieving good positioning via backlinks takes time… but the good news is that although the beginning can be difficult, with a good strategy behind them, they usually gain momentum and accelerate. Think of it as developing a professional reputation. At first, it's difficult because no one knows you, but through consistency, networking, and value generation, you can reach a point where another cliché becomes reality: “Make a name for yourself and you can rest.” A good reputation reaches a point where it has natural traction, and what used to take titanic efforts becomes almost automatic. And for that reason, I want to help encourage you to run the first kilometer of this marathon, knowing that as you progress, you'll pick up more pace. Quick Wins (not shortcuts) for Building Backlinks. Start Today. We already know: high-quality backlinks are not something a developer codes into your site, but a resource that needs to be chased out there. It's not in your territory but in that of others. Even so, there are things that fall into YOUR field of action to start capturing them. For example: Add your business to relevant directories. In your industry, whatever it may be, there are relevant communities. There are Chambers, Associations, Councils, Forums, and other types of groups.... And they are not just isolated directories without context. They have a REASON FOR BEING and intrinsic value. Often, precisely because of their nature, they are hosted on high-authority domains. Registering your site, your company, your business, in these relevant spaces is a quick win that, in addition to generating a good backlink, lets a community—which is surely visited by your potential customers—know that you exist. It is a double success. Leverage your business's natural relationships. Every company has clients, suppliers, and/or collaborators. Each of them represents a potential backlink. Think about who is easy to access to ask them to put a link to your site on theirs and give them relevant reasons to do so. A very natural way is even a link exchange (I reference yours in exchange for you referencing mine, and we both win). Publish valuable content. In addition to addressing a well-structured CONTENT strategy for SEO, publishing high-value "shareable" pieces makes it much easier and promotes backlink generation. Give the world out there REASONS to refer to you. Think of articles, quick references, guides, and/or downloadable resources that others would want to share with THEIR audiences. Earn the privilege of a backlink through the quality of your content. Generate content for others. It is easy to focus your efforts on generating valuable content in your own articles and news section. Because of course, we want them to come to OUR website. But what would happen if, in addition to generating content for your site, you do the work for others and "gift" them valuable content for their spaces? Although it may seem counterintuitive, with a good selection of other spaces, publishing content outside your site can actually become a way to extend your reach to other channels. And in the process, generate natural backlinks. Imagine, for example, that you write an Op-Ed in an informative medium in your industry and include a link in it to get a downloadable or an executive version of the article... BAM! Immediate backlink and possible referral traffic from an audience that didn't know you. Additional positioning, amplified reach, and better SEO ranking. The effort was worth it. Testimonials and Success Stories. On your website, you probably included a section where past clients speak well of you... What if you spoke well of them? Think of content like articles and/or success stories that you can put together that not only showcase your good work but also project your clients positively. If you put these pieces on your website and make sure your clients know that content exists, they will likely want to refer THEIR audiences to the piece at some point. Give them reasons why THEY want to generate traffic to your site by telling THEIR clients: “Look how well they speak of us in this space.” Here is just one example of this type of tactic. Public Relations and Earned Media. Media outlets, newspapers, specialized magazines, etc., usually have high-authority domains. Although this effort may be more laborious than other tactics I share, it's worth considering: How can you earn a space in their publications? In what spaces can you be to achieve their coverage? And when you achieve it, be sure to take the time and care to ask that they include a reference to your site in their publication (in most cases, doing so is not just a favor for you, but part of publishing a better, higher-value deliverable for their readers). If your website is an island that no one knows about, it's time to turn it into a tourist destination. Having a good website that no one knows exists is like being sure that somewhere in the world there is a paradise island that we have not discovered. It is useless. In the current digital ecosystem, well-qualified visibility is key, and in that sense, every good backlink is a bridge stretched to your island that connects it with your audience and inserts it into a functional, high-trust network.... And when your island is well-connected, travel agencies (search engines and AI agents) have no problem promoting it as an ideal destination. References https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide https://ahrefs.com/blog/what-are-backlinks/ FAQ What is the difference between SEO and GEO regarding backlinks? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on optimizing your website so traditional search engines like Google or Bing rank you in their organic results. On the other hand, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is its equivalent for AI platforms (like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity) that are increasingly used as search engines. In both worlds, high-authority backlinks act as a critical reputation metric: they prove to both Google and AI agents that your content is trustworthy, relevant, and worth recommending to users. Why is it dangerous to buy cheap backlinks for my website? Buying cheap backlink packages (like those promising thousands of links for a few dollars) is a trap that will damage your rankings. These services connect your page to low-authority websites that lack any relevance or context. Google hates when you try to cheat the system ; if it notices your site is being weirdly referenced by irrelevant portals, it will label it as spam and red-flag it. In modern SEO, quality always beats quantity. How do backlinks help speed up my content indexing? Search engines constantly crawl the internet to evaluate and index new content. If you imagine a bookstore with a massive, completely disorganized warehouse in the back, indexing is the process of taking a book from that warehouse and putting it on the right shelf. Backlinks act as spots of light shining on your book inside that dark warehouse, shouting: "You should index this book first!". How do backlinks relate to Google's E-E-A-T model? The E-E-A-T model (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) isn't just about creating authentic content and avoiding low-value automated AI text. It also evaluates who refers to your content. When a reputable website links to yours, it acts as an external vote of confidence. This grants your domain an extra trust qualifier, which improves organic rankings and drives cost-efficiency in paid campaigns like Google Ads. What are the fastest and most ethical ways to build quality backlinks? To earn natural, high-authority backlinks without cheating, you can implement direct strategies: Relevant Directories: Register your business in industry-specific chambers, associations, or councils that already hold high domain authority. Guest Blogging: Write valuable content, such as an Op-Ed or guide, for third-party media outlets in your sector and include a link back to your site. Natural Partnerships: Leverage existing relationships with clients or suppliers to naturally exchange links. High-Value Assets: Publish downloadable resources, guides, or shareable articles that give others a genuine reason to reference you. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! 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Unify customer insights with your value proposition to align your teams under a single strategic vision. In a professional services company, the marketing team wanted to implement an advertising campaign where the brand would be shown as more modern and “young,” since the way it currently communicated to the end client was somewhat old-fashioned and made it seem outdated, causing losses of new prospects. The sales team disagreed; showing the brand as young invisibleized the more than 30 years of experience they had in the market; the focus should be on showing the company as one with a great track record but up-to-date with the latest technology trends to face the challenges of current businesses. Nothing “modern,” the route, they said, should be “solid and experienced.” Some companies have a lot of "brand documents" that don't help the business in any practical way. The Commercial Directorate asked them for alignment, so they dug into documents that they might be able to use to support their proposals: They found that, for example, the company had a “Brand Platform” document, but it was only a statement of intent, and it ignored the active role of the brand in front of the customer. On the other hand, a while ago, a consulting firm had charged them a lot of money for a document called “Brand DNA,” but that only mentioned the brand’s purpose and promise, as well as the mission, vision, and values, yet there was no clarity on actionable steps for the customer. They also had a “Brand Brief” that they sent to the agencies they worked with, but that one only talked about the visual identity and the brand voice. They had a market and competitor study that was very descriptive, but lacked true insights. The “fragmentation” of brand documents with partial information, and the lack of involvement of the sales and marketing teams in their preparation, caused a lack of alignment: They couldn't agree and made the brand inconsistent, and worst of all, their customer perceived a brand that it was not. Does that sound familiar? The good news is that there is a brand strategy model that not only unifies its most important elements with your client's insights, but also makes sales, marketing, and other teams that have to project the brand to the customer, finally aligned. What is a Brand Strategy Map? A Brand Strategy Map is a brand strategy model that unifies the customer and your offering in a single document, centering the role your brand plays in meeting the needs of your consumers. A Brand Strategy Map helps define the role of your brand, linking your customer with your offering. Other models forget the benefits perceived by the customer, do not consider the active role that brands have in front of their clients, or are temporary, not strategic or permanent. Unlike them, a Brand Strategy Map seeks to be a document that sets the standard for how the brand comes to life in the different channels where it has a presence, in the way it serves its customers, and by providing a compass to guide the actions of the teams that make it possible. The 5 Pillars of the Brand Strategy Map This brand strategy model is built around the definition of 5 fundamental pillars: The Target Customer I won't tire of saying it: Knowing your customer and who they really are is gold for your business. It's not just about knowing demographics, but truly intersectionally understanding what they value, what they are not interested in, what factors lead them to purchase, among other specific details that help you better understand their logic and actions. In this way, this brand strategy model gives you actionable insights to implement in your brand and its relationship with its consumers. Product or Service Benefits Many people fall into the trap of only highlighting the functional benefits of the product or service behind the brand. For example, if they sell a laptop brand, they highlight things like: RAM level, screen type, processor, size, weight, etc. And they forget that beyond the functional benefits, the customer also perceives products in an emotional and social way. So this pillar of the Brand Strategy Map does just that: define the functional, emotional, and social benefits to create true differentiations from the competition. Reasons to Believe This pillar refers to the reasons why your customer should believe what you tell them. Basically, these are the arguments that tell them why you aren't selling “smoke.” Just think about it! In current times, there are many fraudulent products or services, and consumer distrust is greater than ever. What arguments, data, or proof do you have that your product is the “best,” the “fastest,” the “most effective,” etc.? Personality and Voice If your brand were a person, what kind of person would it be? How would it speak? What values would it have? Defining all that helps to understand how it will relate to its environment: in its advertising, in communication on digital channels, in its customer service, in its after-sales service, etc. Having the sales, marketing, and customer service teams aligned under the same understanding helps to strengthen your Integrated Marketing Communication Plan. The Role and Essence of the Brand The role your brand plays is the bridge between the client's problem and your solution. It is its reason for being and existing. Having a clear understanding of this, during the application of this brand strategy model, helps us reach the core that ties everything together: The brand essence. And be careful, the essence is NOT a slogan, nor is it a phrase that is created and saved only to be forgotten in a drawer. The essence of a brand is what defines it in a few words. It is not fleeting, it is the foundation upon which everything is built and upon which decisions are made. Hidden benefits of the brand strategy model: Brand Strategy Map Beyond having a document that includes the pillars of a Brand Strategy Map, implementing this brand strategy methodology in your business brings much deeper benefits. Because the methodology involves the most important people in the organization—those who deeply know the customer and the product/service, as well as those who are, by nature of their functions, decision-makers regarding the brand—it is easier to achieve organizational alignment across teams. The process of creating the Map, let's say, “forces” the areas (such as sales, product, management, marketing, customer service, or others) to “sit at the same table” and, without friction, contribute to the construction of the brand cooperatively. It is easier to agree with something I helped build than to agree with something for which I wasn't even asked my opinion. Even more so when I have so much to contribute! For our agency, Werko Marketing Solutions, this model is not just a deliverable; it is a team management tool because when finished, everyone “speaks the same language.” Finally, what I want you to take away is that the Brand Strategy Map is a methodology that large companies like Heineken, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and many more apply, but which Werko Marketing Solutions has designed a way to make much more accessible, while maintaining its quality. Success examples of Brand Strategy Map implementation Some of the brands that have entrusted us with the responsibility of building their Brand Strategy Map are: Euro Water Technologies Sintec Consulting Fundación FEMSA ALINEA Group AcadeME Formando Emprendedores Sociales Terra Regia and... ourselves, Werko Marketing Solutions (we practice what we preach). "I loved the whole project. Werko helped us find our brand's compass and map. Plus, the website they created finally reflects what we've wanted for a long time." Cecilia Garza Marketing Director of Terra Regia "Top-notch service, focused and friendly. Very professional, their experience is evident and they inspire confidence at all times. Thank you for supporting us in our process of improving our communication and image for our clients." Rafael Lobo Niembro Partner of Alinea Un Brand Strategy Map is not only an exercise with a deliverable document that puts an end to chaos, but it is the difference between spending on advertising and investing in advertising, in knowing what to do and what to take action on, or being lost trying to hit the target. About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.

Web accessibility is not just a technical issue or a practice intended for a few users. It is an element that directly impacts the browsing experience, SEO positioning, and a site's ability to convert visitors into customers. I would like to start this article by making something very important clear: I am not, nor do I pretend to be, a design expert. My area of expertise is different, focused on digital advertising, social media, and more. That said, what I am going to tell you in my article is something so crucial for web design and development that even someone without a designer profile must understand its impact. And yes, as you can see from the title, I'm going to talk about how important it is to have a website that is accessible. Table of contents: What is web accessibility? Why is web accessibility important? The Most Common Accessibility Errors Low contrast between text and background: Images without alternative text: Poor header hierarchy: Poorly labeled forms: Navigation not accessible by keyboard: Links and buttons without clear context: Sites poorly adapted to mobile: Incorrect use of ARIA: Multimedia content without subtitles or transcriptions: Unclear or non-existent error messages: SEO and web accessibility, are they the same? What is web accessibility? Let's start with the basics, what is web accessibility. The most accepted definition by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative says that: Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can: perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web contribute to the Web Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the web, including: auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, or visual. The above definition is possibly the most elementary understanding of what this concept implies. In fact, accessibility arises from the needs of people with some type of disability. However, the concept has evolved to encompass other benefits. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) mentions that accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, improving the user experience, including users of mobile devices, smartwatches, or people connected to a slow speed internet network. Why is web accessibility important? It seems to me that, as a concept, what accessibility is is clearer, but in practice it is more than that. It is a factor that directly influences how visitors to your site interact with it and, therefore, impacts the results you get from it: form submissions, product purchases, newsletter subscriptions, whatever. An accessible website allows more people to explore it and complete actions in a seamless way, without problems or friction. In other words, happy visitors because they can navigate a website without problems. This has a favorable impact on KPIs such as average session duration, bounce rate, and conversions. On the other hand, an accessible website helps in the SEO ranking of search engines like Google. Clear structures, legible content, and logical navigation not only help site users, but also help people "out there" find your site more easily. Furthermore, and as I mentioned a moment ago, accessibility is not only for those people with some type of disability, but also for users who are browsing your site in less than ideal conditions (again, like the ones I told you about in the previous section). Ignoring this is shooting yourself in the foot because you are limiting the potential of your website. At the end of the day, your site can have the best content in the world: interesting, entertaining, educational, etc., but if people cannot consume it in the best way, it is as if you had no content. The Most Common Accessibility Errors Finally, what everyone came for, I share with you this list of accessibility errors. Once again, these are failures that WebAIM has identified from the analysis of billions of pages: Low contrast between text and background: This means that the site text is difficult to read because colors are being used that do not generate enough contrast with each other. It is the most common error (over 81% of the pages studied), especially because some designers prioritize looking "modern," "crazy," "with punch," or some other adjective and leave aside that people can suffer eye strain or even discomfort from trying to read something that is not easy to read. Here I share a tool that I really like using to solve these types of cases. Images without alternative text: A site's content is not just the titles and paragraphs you write, but also the videos and images that accompany them. However, not all people can see this visual content: either due to some type of disability or simply because they are connected to a very slow network and cannot load the images correctly. When the latter happens, for example, instead of displaying the image, what is known as Alt Text, or alternative text of the image, is displayed, which (in theory) should serve to correctly describe what the image is showing. Website builders like Wix or Wordpress usually have fields where you can write the alternative text. Make sure to do so because it also helps Google better understand your site. Poor header hierarchy: Just as in a Word document we have a title, subtitles, headings, and paragraphs, a website also has them and we usually identify them with HTML tags such as H1, H2, H3, etc. As a general rule, a page on your site should only have one H1. It often happens that multiple H1s are used because it is believed that the larger the title, the more visible the text will be. And yes, that may be true, but what is actually occurring is that navigation is complicated and generates confusion because we don't understand which text is most relevant. Also, imagine you are visiting the site from a mobile device with a small screen. Saturating it with text that looks enormous will end up covering your entire screen. Correctly hierarchy your content! Poorly labeled forms: Nearly 49% of Start/Home pages have poorly labeled forms. This means that the site owner intends for users to fill out a series of fields to collect data from them (usually: Name, Email, and some additional Message). However, if we don't make it clear what we want from them, how will users know what to fill in the form? Remember, any friction users feel is one more reason they have to abandon your site and you would be losing a user, a new subscriber, and/or a potential customer. The minimum we can do is indicate what data goes in each field and which fields are mandatory to fill out. An extra step is to use what is known as placeholder text, which is a kind of example left for users to say: "Look, in this field I am expecting you to write this." Once the user enters the first character in the field, this placeholder text disappears, as it has fulfilled its function. I share an example so that what I mean is clearer: Navigation not accessible by keyboard: This error is perhaps more difficult to understand because we normally navigate a website with our computer mouse or with our fingers on a touch screen on our cell phone. However, there are users who for one reason or another need - or prefer - to use the arrows, Enter, or Tab, from the keyboard to carry out their navigation. This is especially critical in page elements such as drop-down menus, search filters, or action buttons. If the user cannot access them or gets "trapped" at some point in the navigation, goodbye! Fortunately, platforms like Wix Studio and Wordpress include these features to ensure that websites are navigable by keyboard, but it never hurts to do a double check to be sure. Links and buttons without clear context: Clickable buttons are, par excellence, the best option for showing a Call-to-action (call to action) that we expect users to carry out. They are essential elements within the construction of a website, but they are dependent on context. If you place a button that says "Click here," without additional information around it, do you really think users will click it? It is not just a matter of distrust but of not understanding what the site expects users to do. In addition, screen readers - those tools that describe by voice what is being shown on the screen of the user using this functionality - the only thing they will tell the user will be "Click here," without any additional context. Sites poorly adapted to mobile: According to StatCounter, more than 53% of global web traffic occurs from mobile devices. This behavior has been a reality in recent years: fewer and fewer users use their computers to browse. Hence the importance that the website you design can be not only visually attractive but easily navigable in its adaptation to mobile. Some elements that can create a poor user experience on mobile can include: text that is too small or exaggeratedly large, buttons that are difficult to press, overlapping elements, unnecessary horizontal scrolls, etc. The truth is that there are many site templates that are designed thinking more about desktop than mobile. Therefore, we must ensure that the user experience is as good on mobile as it is on desktop, to avoid an increase in the bounce rate or a decrease in conversions. Even more so if this is a criterion that search engines like Google consider important for SEO ranking. Incorrect use of ARIA: In HTML, ARIA is known as a set of special attributes to improve the accessibility of websites, and they are intended especially for users who use screen readers. These attributes do not change in themselves how a website looks, but rather serve as support for this assistive technology by telling it, for example: "This is an icon to close a pop-up window." In general, available templates bring an element in their native HTML that precisely fulfills the function of ARIA, so in many cases it is not necessary to add ARIA to the HTML, but it is good practice to make sure what is included and what is not in a template, if you are using one. Image credit: web.dev Multimedia content without subtitles or transcriptions: There is audiovisual content (that is, videos) that is completely dependent on audio. Imagine a corporate video talking about how your business is the best and presenting real testimonials from your customers in front of the camera. The audio is key to the video. Therefore, it is essential that it includes subtitles for those users with a hearing disability or who cannot "consume" the audio because they are in an environment that does not allow it (they are not wearing headphones, they are in a noisy place or in an environment that requires silence, etc.) Subtitles increase user retention, improve comprehension of the material, support assistive technologies, and facilitate consumption. In addition, transcriptions help index content correctly by search engines like Google. Unclear or non-existent error messages: Between 48% and 51% of analyzed pages suffer from this problem. Think about the last time you tried to fill out a contact form, register on a platform, or finalize a purchase online and, suddenly, a generic message like "An error has occurred" appeared or some fields were marked in red without further explanation. The reality is that many websites do not correctly communicate what went wrong or how to resolve it, which increases friction and, therefore, user frustration. This often happens in forms where mandatory fields are not clearly identified, passwords do not meet certain requirements that were never explained, or expected formats (such as phone numbers or emails) are not evident. The problem is not only one of user experience; it also directly affects conversion. Each additional friction point increases the chances of a user abandoning a form, a checkout, or a registration process before completing it. In addition, many error messages depend solely on visual elements such as the color red, which represents a barrier for people with visual difficulties or color blindness. An effective error message should clearly indicate what happened, why it happened, in which field it happened, and what the user should do to fix it. SEO and web accessibility, are they the same? I mentioned almost at the beginning of my article that accessibility helps in the SEO ranking of a website. Still, it would seem that they are the same, right? If you are avid readers of our blog, listen to our podcast or we have had the fortune of having had you as clients, you will be able to notice that many of the errors I just listed are equally linked to SEO. In fact, we usually tell our clients that they are actionable items to attend to if our SEO audit so indicates (and it is almost always the case). The reality is that these two concepts are closely related because they share the same objectives: to create easy, high-quality experiences for users. Many of the elements that Google considers important for positioning a website are also aligned with good accessibility practices. Note: SEO and accessibility are not the same. There are practices specifically focused on positioning and others centered on assistive technologies. However, when a website is well constructed from the user experience, normally both concepts end up benefiting each other. In other words: a more accessible site is usually also a site that is easier to understand, navigate, and position. References: W3C (2026) Introducción a la accesibilidad web W3C (2026) Sumario de WCAG 2 WebAIM (2026) The WebAIM Million StatCounter (2026) Desktop vs Mobile Market Share Worldwide About the author David Santos Digital Marketing Specialist at Werko Marketing Solutions. He has over 10 years of experience in digital marketing. His primary focus is data monitoring and analysis for the management and optimization of digital advertising campaigns, websites, and e-commerce stores. Subscribe to Marketing Insights! And receive a bi-weekly newsletter directly to your inbox so you're among the first to know.