What Good Digital Marketing Actually Looks Like for a Small Business

Jeremy Beckett2026-06-08T18:00:37+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Advertising, Customer Engagement, Digital Marketing, Digital Skills, Digital Strategy, Engagement, Paid Ads, Social Media, Social Media Conversions, Social Media Management|

A lot of businesses chase followers, engagement, and reach - and then wonder why none of it translates to enquiries. Good digital marketing is quieter than that, and a lot more specific. Here is what it looks like in practice.

5 Signs Your Marketing Agency Is Taking Your Money and Delivering Nothing

Jeremy Beckett2026-06-08T17:59:54+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Accurate Data, data, Digital Marketing, Google Analytics, Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Reporting, Review Management, Reviews|

This is one of the most common conversations we have. A business owner hired an agency, paid for months, sat through calls, received reports - and their pipeline has not moved. Here are the five signs something is genuinely wrong.

JB’s Digital Update 22nd June 2026

Zyrene Fernandez2026-06-22T15:27:09+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Advertising, AI, AI Search, Audience Targeting, Automation, data, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, Google, Google Ads, Google Maps, Local SEO, Meta, Paid Ads, PPC, SEO, SEO Tools, Social Media Strategy, Threads|

Google quietly opted advertisers into new customer list targeting, Maps became a little louder, Ad Manager gained an AI assistant, Threads crossed 500 million users, and trust in AI search slipped again. Different stories, same pattern: platforms keep asking for more trust while giving users more reasons to be cautious.

JB’s Digital Update 15th June 2026

Jeremy Beckett2026-06-16T18:21:20+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Advertising, Analytics, Attribution, Digital Marketing, Google, Google Ads, Google Maps, Local SEO, Marketing, Marketing News, Marketing Strategy, Meta, Paid Social Media, Performance Measurement, PPC, Reporting, Revenue, Search Marketing, Seasonal Marketing, SEO|

Google Analytics gets a little easier to work with, Google's AI Max migration slows down, attribution becomes harder to trust, Meta wants marketers thinking about Christmas already, and Local Services Ads keep expanding. Different stories, same theme: the platforms keep adding layers while marketers are left figuring out what actually matters.

JB’s Digital Update 8th June 2026

Jeremy Beckett2026-06-10T11:15:38+10:00Categories: Content Strategy & Creation, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: AI, Content Strategy, Customer Relations, Digital Marketing, Digital Skills, Google, Google Ads, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Open AI, Paid Ads, Search Marketing, SEO, SEO Strategy, Social Media, Social Search, TikTok, TikTok Ads|

Google is adding social profiles to Discover, AI still struggles with accuracy despite the money being poured into it, publishers remain uneasy about AI Overviews, TikTok wants a bigger role in real-world events, and Meta is expanding AI business messaging. Different stories, same trend: platforms are working hard to become the middleman in more of your customer relationships.

Google AI Mode: Why You Should Suddenly Give a Stuff About Your Customers

Jeremy Beckett2026-05-26T18:24:37+10:00Categories: GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation|Tags: AI Overviews, AI Search, Content Strategy, Customer Experience, Digital Marketing, GEO, Google AI Mode, Google I/O, search strategy, SEO|

Google has renamed Search to Ask. AI Mode picks one business to recommend, not ten to rank. It bases that recommendation on how well your information satisfies the customer's decision process, including concerns they haven't voiced. Different search pathways recommend different businesses for the same query. The shift is gradual but the direction is clear. Understand your customers, give them what they need, and the AI will recommend you. Ignore them, and it will recommend someone who didn't.

5 Reasons Your Competitors Show Up on Google and You Don’t

Jeremy Beckett2026-05-12T15:19:48+10:00Categories: Content Strategy & Creation, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, PPC & Paid Social, SEO|Tags: Content Creation, Content Planning, Digital Marketing, Google Business Profile, Google Reviews, Local SEO, Page Speed|

If you have ever Googled your own services and watched a competitor appear above you, you know how frustrating it feels. The good news is it is rarely down to luck. There are specific, repeatable reasons why certain businesses dominate search results - and most of them are more fixable than you think.

JB’s Digital Update 11th May 2026

Jeremy Beckett2026-05-12T15:15:11+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, Content Strategy & Creation, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Technology & Development|Tags: Ad Blocking, AI, AI Governance, AI Search, Broad Match, Campaign Management, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Marketing Strategy, Negative Keywords, Organic Traffic, Paid Ads, Paid Social Media, Reddit, SEO, SMB Marketing, SME, Social Media, Social Media Strategy|

Another week of marketers trying to regain control: negative keywords still matter, publishers are blocking AI crawlers, AI governance has entered the meeting room, Reddit wants SMB ad dollars, and marketing leaders are quietly rebuilding workflows around AI. Same pattern underneath all of it really, less blind adoption, more caution around who actually benefits.

JB’s Digital Update 27th April 2026

Jeremy Beckett2026-04-27T15:49:41+10:00Categories: Content Strategy & Creation, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, SEO, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Agentic AI, AI Marketing Tools, AI Search, Content Marketing, Content Strategy, Conversions, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, eCommerce, Generative Engine Optimisation, Generative Search, GEO, Local SEO, Marketing Strategy, SEO, SEO Strategy, Trust|

Conversion gains still come from fixing friction, brands now need to appear in AI search, ecommerce must adapt to AI shopping assistants, trust is becoming visible again, and IBM has given GEO a corporate stamp. New interfaces, same pressure: be clear, credible, and easy to choose.

JB’s Digital Update 13th April 2026

Jeremy Beckett2026-04-13T13:46:56+10:00Categories: Content Strategy & Creation, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: A/B Testing, AI Content, AI Context, AI Marketing Tools, AI Prompts, Audience Targeting, Campaign Management, Content Marketing, Content Strategy, Customer Relations, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, Email Marketing, Generative Engine Optimisation, Generative Search, Google Ads, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, Local SEO, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Paid Ads, Paid Social Media, PPC, SEO, Technical SEO|

PPC “best practices” collapse under testing, AI works better with context than clever prompts, loyalty is often decided after purchase, messaging fails when the audience is wrong, and AI content still wins only when it’s good. Five different stories, one familiar pattern, the basics still run the show.

JB’s Digital Update 18th November 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-11-18T18:20:06+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, Content Strategy & Creation, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Agentic AI, AI, AI Marketing Tools, Content Strategy, Conversions, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, eCommerce, Google, Google Search Console, Holiday Advertising, Information Architecture, Marketing Strategy, Meta, Meta Ads, Paid Social Media, Social Media Strategy, TikTok|

This week: Google adds long-awaited chart annotations, TikTok unveils a full Holiday Hub, Meta drops its 2025 ads checklist, SEO gets a reality check in the AI era, and Google launches new agentic shopping tools.

JB’s Digital Update 11th November 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-11-14T10:28:46+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: AI Marketing Tools, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Conversions, CRM, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, Email Marketing, Email Strategy, Google Search, Google Updates, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, PPC, Project Management, Reporting, SEO, SEO Strategy|

This week: Google’s been moody again, ChatGPT wants a slice of ad revenue, marketers are being told to stop bragging about traffic, AI Overviews are eating everyone’s clicks, and someone finally reminded us that emails should actually do something.

JB’s Digital Update 4th November 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-11-04T11:39:27+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, Content Strategy & Creation, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: AEO, AI, Attribution, Blogging, Content Strategy, Conversions, CRM, Customer Journey, Digital Marketing, Email Strategy, Lead Generation, Marketing Strategy, Meta Ads, Paid Social Media, Performance, PPC, Search Intent, SEO|

This week: AI is forcing clarity back into blogging, Meta’s gunning for better Q5 leads, attribution models are finally growing up, SEO and PPC are learning to share, and email marketing gets a much-needed wake-up call. The theme? Less noise, more strategy — and a reminder that the basics done well still outperform shiny new toys.

JB’s Digital Update 29th October 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-10-30T11:56:36+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, Email & Customer Relations, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management|Tags: Conversions, Data Privacy, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, eCommerce, Email Conversions, Email Marketing, Email Strategy, Google, Google Analytics, Google Search, Google Search Console, Marketing, PPC, SEO, Social Media, Social Media Strategy, Technical SEO, TikTok|

This week, Google Maps ads level up with scrollable sitelinks, AI starts bargain-hunting on behalf of your customers, marketers are finally being forced to prove real impact, B2B brands rediscover the power of storytelling, and email quietly keeps every other channel alive and well.

JB’s Digital Update 14th October 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-10-14T15:47:26+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: A/B Testing, AI, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Conversions, CRO, Digital Marketing, eCommerce, GA4, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Paid Ads, ROI, SEO, SEO Strategy, TikTok, TikTok Ads|

Google’s phasing out Call-Only Ads, GA4 still can’t behave across domains, marketers are measuring the wrong KPIs, GenAI search might ruin discovery, and TikTok just booked a flight into travel ads. Here’s what’s happening — and what smart marketers should do next.

JB’s Digital Update 7th October 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-10-07T19:04:14+11:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, Content Strategy & Creation, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, JB's Digital Update, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Social Media Management, Technology & Development, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: Accurate Data, AI, AI Overviews, Content Planning, Content Strategy, Conversions, Digital Marketing, GA4, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Influencer Marketing, KPI, Online Marketing, Paid Ads, ROI, TikTok, TikTok Ads|

Google’s phasing out Call-Only Ads, GA4 still can’t behave across domains, marketers are measuring the wrong KPIs, GenAI search might ruin discovery, and TikTok just booked a flight into travel ads. Here’s what’s happening — and what smart marketers should do next.

JB’s Digital Update 24th September 2025

Jeremy Beckett2025-09-24T16:34:57+10:00Categories: Content Strategy & Creation, Digital Marketing & Strategy, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, Technology & Development, Virtual Chief Digital Officer, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer|Tags: AI, AI Marketing Tools, AIO, Automated Bidding, Brand Management, Content Marketing, Content Planning, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing, GEO, Google Ads, Paid Social Media, PPC, Product Strategy, Reddit, ROAS, SEO, SEO Strategy, SEO Tools|

AI hype hasn’t killed SEO, Google’s giving Smart Bidding more freedom, service packaging is the new profit engine, Reddit’s become AI’s favourite answer source, and Amazon Ads just handed us an AI creative assistant. This week’s theme? Shiny toys vs solid fundamentals — knowing where to experiment, and where to stick with what works.

How to Use Predictive Analytics to Improve Campaign ROI

Jeremy Beckett2025-06-23T20:26:22+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance, CRO and Conversions, Digital Marketing & Strategy, PPC & Paid Social|Tags: Accurate Data, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, Performance, Predictive Analytics|

Tired of guessing what will work? Predictive analytics helps you stop wasting budget and start making data-backed decisions. Predictive analytics doesn’t replace your strategy — it sharpens it. From customer behaviour forecasts to conversion-ready targeting — here’s how to use prediction properly.

Building a Content and Link Strategy for a Major Insurance Conglomerate

Jeremy Beckett2025-07-08T16:31:43+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance Case Studies, Belmore Digital Case Studies, Content Strategy & Creation Case Studies, Conversions & CRO Case Studies, Development & Technology Case Studies, Digital Marketing Case Studies, Social Media Management Case Studies, Training & Upskilling Case Studies, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer Case Studies|Tags: Back Link Profile, Content Marketing, Content Planning, Content Quality, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing, External Links, Keyword Research, Link Building, Linking Strategy, Market Research|

With no unified SEO strategy in place, a major Australian insurer turned to Belmore Digital for help. JB developed a content and backlink framework grounded in relevance, user intent, and long-term value—leading to stronger rankings, higher-quality backlinks, and sustained growth in organic traffic.

Driving Change in a Large Australian Bank Despite Internal Challenges

Jeremy Beckett2025-07-08T16:31:18+10:00Categories: Analytics & Performance Case Studies, Belmore Digital Case Studies, Conversions & CRO Case Studies, Development & Technology Case Studies, Digital Marketing Case Studies, SEO Case Studies, Training & Upskilling Case Studies, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer Case Studies|Tags: Client Management, Conversions, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy, PPC, Search Rankings, SEO, Technology Strategy, VCDO, VCMO|

When a top Australian bank’s internal teams resisted change, Belmore Digital stepped in with diplomacy and strategy. By implementing incremental improvements and building stakeholder buy-in, JB helped the bank enhance its SEO, PPC, and overall digital performance—laying the groundwork for long-term success.

Diving into the World of Digital Marketing: Expert Perspectives