SEO Essentials: A New Way to Compete in Search Results

laptop used for AI marketing and SEO Essentials

Like many business owners, I’m a numbers guy. My love of numbers goes beyond math jokes and financial statements to website traffic and conversion data. That’s one reason I’m excited that Packerland Websites launched its SEO Essentials program for businesses ready to compete in search results. SEO Essentials not only handles the technical housekeeping on a website; it also offers advanced Search Engine Optimization strategies to help websites get found online. When paired with Local Presence, SEO Essentials increases a website’s reach, authority, and lead generation.

SEO Results You Can Measure

One of my favorite things about SEO Essentials is the Monthly SEO Progress Report. The report’s Highlights Summary tracks numbers associated with online visibility, website traffic, and conversions. SEO Progress Reports are emailed to our client’s marketing contact every month. It’s easy for marketing teams to forward the email or print out the report to show the business owner or lead marketer.

The Numbers Behind Better SEO Results

The Monthly SEO Progress Report Highlights Summary for a real client shows marked improvement in online visibility, website traffic, and conversions from June to July 2026. These are the types of numbers that excite me.

The website’s SEO Progress Report Highlights

Appeared 8,733 times in Google Search Results, a 23% increase over last month
Received 319 total clicks, a 36% increase over last month
Achieved 2,214 visits, a 48% increase over last month
Achieved 4,431 page views, a 52% increase over last month
Recorded 688 visits from new visitors

The conversions data from the SEO Progress Report

740 people found the company’s business profile
343 found the business on Google Maps
160 phone calls came in
122 people asked directions
484 people went from the business profile to the website, a 14% increase over last month

More Visibility. More Traffic. More Leads.

So, what happened to make these SEO gains? Several of the SEO Essentials services contributed to the increase in visibility, website traffic and conversions.

Onsite blog post: Establish your company as a leader in the field while adding depth to your website.
Website backlinks: Show credibility and authority with backlinks from other websites.
Page optimization and audit: Perform the best in online searches with on-page SEO.
Google Business Profile: Appear in online searches by creating a listing with your business details. It’s free and easy to do.
Geolocation targets: Ensure your website reaches the local and regional audiences you choose.
Keyword topic: Attract consumers shopping for specific goods and services by incorporating keywords into your website conten t.

When SEO Works, The Numbers Show It

SEO Essentials helps websites rank on Google listings and get found in AI Overviews and voice search. Contact us today to talk with our team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about the right SEO strategy for your organization.

Smarter SEO: Win More Customers with AI Marketing

Whether you’re making travel plans, concocting your own recipe, or composing an email, Artificial Intelligence offers great suggestions. On my spring trip to Mount Everest, I asked AI to develop an itinerary for my Hong Kong layover. With the guidance of AI, I packed two days’ worth of sightseeing into just under 8 hours. I especially liked the AI insider’s advice about a perfect spot for photographing Victoria Harbor. AI has proven its value in so many different ways, so why not make the most of AI for your digital marketing?

In recent years, clients started asking us how to incorporate Artificial Intelligence tools into their marketing strategy. They want to go beyond traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and take advantage of the latest technology available. Based on these requests, we now offer AI marketing strategies that move the promotional needle in the right direction. If you’re already optimizing for traditional SEO, you’re on the right track.

AI Is Changing Online Search

With today’s widespread AI usage, search and ranking have expanded beyond Google and traditional SEO to incorporate AI tools. Many people read the AI Overviews that appear at the top of search result pages instead of clicking the links lower on the page. Getting found on the internet isn’t just a Google ranking anymore. The next step, incorporating AI marketing strategies, takes marketing to the next level.

Answer Engine Optimization

Packerland Websites now offers Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in addition to traditional SEO. AEO positions businesses to be the answer to inquiries made to Google, Siri, Alexa, and other AI platforms. Plus, Packerland Websites’ AI Discoverability tools optimize content for ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.

SEO Plans with AI Discoverability

In 2026, Packerland Websites introduced SEO plans that incorporate traditional SEO, AEO, and LLM (Large Language Model / AI Discoverability). Our SEO Essentials and SEO Managed Pro plans achieve results for businesses, even in high-competition industries like roofing, healthcare, hospitality, and banking. Our team also developed an SEO Campaign Planner. With a quick slide across the digital planner, business owners and marketing teams can determine which services fit their budget. We’re still calling it SEO because it’s cleaner than SEOAEOLLM.

Partner With AI Marketing Experts

For the latest in website and AI marketing strategies, contact our team in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We help businesses and nonprofits build a solid online presence with modern, effective websites. Then, we help them increase their reach, authority, and lead generation with Search Engine Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization, and AI Discoverability. Start your AI marketing journey with us today.

Grow Your Online Visibility with Local Presence SEO

Man at computer using SEO strategies for digital marketing

“Who sent you our way?” It’s one of the first questions we ask every new Packerland Websites client. Many times, they tell us someone referred them. Word-of-mouth referrals are a big part of our success. Referrals help us reach new clients that we might not connect with otherwise. But while word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful ways to grow a business, it shouldn’t be the only way. Websites and digital marketing strategies also help organizations reach new customers.

To be viable in today’s tech-reliant world, organizations need a vibrant online presence. When we build new websites for clients who previously relied solely on referrals, things change. I always smile when I think of a client who was so overwhelmed with the sudden influx of business he said, “How do you turn this thing off?” Businesses get more work and sell more products because of an effective, powerful online presence. A well-built website paired with Search Engine Optimization gets the phone to ring.

SEO Strengthens Online Presence

For anyone new to digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a group of strategies that helps businesses and nonprofits get found online and attract visitors to their websites. (You can read more about SEO in our article, SEO Strategies that Work.) SEO has been a buzzword in website design for years, and Packerland Websites builds SEO strategies into every website. For example, our developers construct websites with a well-organized site structure, quality content, mobile responsiveness, tags, keywords, and other SEO techniques. These SEO strategies provide a sound foundation for websites to get found online.

Local Presence Builds Credibility

In addition to these website design techniques, businesses can attract more visitors with targeted SEO. For companies that want to invest in entry-level SEO services, Packerland Websites offers a program called Local Presence. Local Presence includes a number of services that contribute to a consistent, credible online presence. For example, Local Presence confirms that a company’s name, address, and phone number are consistent across multiple internet directories. Consistency builds trust, so search engines and AI platforms feel safe listing your business. Local Presence verifies and optimizes your Google Business Profile, weeds out duplicate listings, and positions the organization to be found more readily in online searches.

Help Customers Find You

Are you wondering if Local Presence services are right for you? Scan your business at our Business Citation page. See how the internet views your company on the top 50+ directories where customers and search engines look for businesses like yours. The more accurate your citations, the more Google trusts your business.

Choose the Right SEO Strategy

For companies with a brick-and-mortar location, Local Presence offers a marketing boost. More visibility leads to more clicks and more customers. SEO strategies improve the way the internet views the health of your website, leading to higher ranking on Google and other search engines. Contact us today to talk with our team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about the right SEO strategy for your organization.

Google Searches: How a New Patent May Impact Website Visitors

Google Search box with magnifying glass and business owner in the background

Staying ahead of the website development curve keeps us on our toes. The evolution of Artificial Intelligence requires even more vigilance. Here’s one example. Recently, Google applied for a patent to generate entire website pages with Artificial Intelligence. Instead of presenting a list of titles and descriptions for search results, Google Search would create its own page to answer the search query. The pages would be personalized based on the user’s behavior. These webpages might even have their own chatbots, Call to Action buttons, and customized content.

Shift in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What is the effect on websites? Basically, websites may eventually serve as raw material for AI search engines, rather than final destinations for users. Users wouldn’t click a link from a list, and they wouldn’t visit the organization’s website at all. This poses a problem for businesses and nonprofits who rely on their carefully crafted websites to tell their story, market their products and services, and convert visitors into clients.

While it’s important to understand this potential shift in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), let’s not panic. Google patents many technologies, and not every patent becomes a feature in Google searches. We don’t know if Google will roll out this AI feature soon, someday, or not at all. However, we definitely will keep an eye on it.

Focus on Factual Content for Humans and AI

In the meantime, our focus remains on providing the factual content that both humans and AI seek. We advise clients to create website content that is engaging, conversational, company-specific, and well-structured. Organizations need to set themselves apart from the competition as an expert authority in their industry. AI is more likely to cite direct quotes and proprietary data than generic content.

Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Onsite and off-site SEO remains critical to gain traction in a crowded digital marketplace. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is equally important. GEO optimizes digital content for AI tools that offer answers to search inquiries. We build websites that allow AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to crawl the website content. These AI tools supply answers to search inquiries, citing the website as the source.

Prioritizing Engagement & the User Experience

While SEO and GEO strategies are critical for ranking, so is user experience. When a website satisfies the user’s needs and provides real value, that’s when conversions happen. So, Packerland Websites optimizes pages for ranking and for engagement, also. We strategically think about the website’s ranking functionality and a brand’s narrative. Our websites are easily found in online searches. Plus, they answer the questions that users are asking.

Ask Us About Google Search Strategies

Have a question about AI website strategies or digital marketing? Contact our team for easy-to-understand information and advice.

Digital Marketing That’s a Perfect Fit

Your online presence can be a lot like that old favorite shirt tucked in the back of your closet. The shirt is soft, familiar, and once perfect. You loved it because it helped you look and feel your best. But over time, the shirt fades, stretches, and stops fitting the way it used to. You hold onto it for what it was, not what it is today.

Digital Marketing That Works

Your online marketing works the same way. It may have performed beautifully in the past, but times change and styles evolve. If your website or branding no longer reflects who you are, it’s time for an update. Maybe your company offerings changed over time, as you phased out some products and services and introduced others. Perhaps the About Us page or Home page text and images need updating to reflect your current brand. Maybe the phone isn’t ringing like it used to, and you’re out-of-touch with your target market. If potential clients look at your website, will they be excited to work with you or buy from you?

Website Building & Hosting

The Packerland Websites offers website building and hosting services to bring your brand into the modern age. A powerful, effective website will get the phone to ring again and get customers to your online or brick-and-mortar store. Not sure where to start? Our digital marketing team will meet with you for a FREE, no-pressure marketing review. We will put our digital tools and decades of marketing experience to work for you. We want every business and nonprofit organization to perform at its best to reach their online goals. Check out your organization’s online presence with our free online scanner.

Contact Us for a Free Marketing Review

Let’s get your digital presence fitting you perfectly again. Contact us today for a complimentary review of your organization’s online presence and ways to take your business or nonprofit to the next level.

Harness the Power of AI Website Ranking

business owner with laptop for AI ranking

The internet highway runs at top speed, especially with Artificial Intelligence (AI) merging into the fast lane. Today’s businesses and nonprofits know that driving the information superhighway keeps them top-of-mind with consumers. To get found on the internet, organizations need Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools and strategies. (Learn about SEO by reading What Is SEO?) Now, businesses and nonprofits are running into a new SEO challenge –staying up-to-speed with AI for website searches. How do organizations give AI the exact information for website ranking in a format that AI understands?

Attracting Website Visitors with SEO

Before AI become mainstream, SEO primarily focused on the robots crawling and indexing the internet for website ranking. These search crawlers don’t view webpages like humans do, so web developers use specific tools to help the bots understand the text on a website. The robots index websites to determine where the website should appear on a search results page like Google. Organizations with higher rankings gain more exposure and therefore are likely to attract more visitors to their websites.

Enabling AI to Understand Web Content

With the emergence of AI, web developers needed to find a tool that allows AI to search a website better. Traditional SEO tools are well-designed for search crawlers but not for reasoning engines like AI. AI systems get bogged down with nonessential information when they try to process webpages. To solve this issue, digital professionals created a super-cool tool that’s added to the root of a website. LLMs.txt support allows AI to better understand and utilize web content.

Appealing to Humans & Search Engines

Basically, websites now cater to three audiences for website ranking. Of course, humans are the primary audience. The secondary audiences are AI assistants for reasoning engines and search bots for search engines.

Incorporating the Latest Technology

To achieve the best results for our clients, Packerland Websites incorporates the latest technology available for website development. Thus, our team is incorporating the AI tool into the WordPress websites we build and maintain. Packerland Websites already offers on-site and off-site SEO techniques, but the AI technique is different. These AI-specific files are based on a website’s content. So, if website administrators update the content on their websites, then the files need to be updated as well. By doing so, AI can scan a website and find the most up-to-date information.

Giving Clients a Techy Edge

Contact us for more information about SEO, AI, and website development. We love “riding shotgun” with our clients as their partner in digital marketing. Packerland Websites gives clients a techy edge in a competitive marketplace.

Website Evolution: From Fish Tale to High-Function

Marketing evolution in website development

Twenty-five years ago, I created my first website, Fishing With Bill, to showcase my passion for walleye fishing and promote my tournament sponsors. Since that time, I have witnessed an astonishing evolution in website development and digital marketing. In today’s competitive marketplace, a website isn’t a novelty anymore. Successful businesses and nonprofits understand the value of their digital presence. They know that a website is a key to increasing sales, building customer loyalty, and establishing brand recognition. Today, business and nonprofit leaders operate in a world of emerging artificial intelligence (Stay Ahead in SEO: Strike a Balance with AI-generated Content) and user-friendly, do-it-yourself website development options. It’s tempting to put on a “website developer’s hat” and think you can build the same website as a marketing company can build.

Websites Fulfill Their Marketing Potential

However, a website that’s simple to build is like an attractive cover on a book. While the book cover may look fantastic, the story inside may be a real dud. The same goes for websites. Thinking you’ll achieve exceptional marketing results, no matter what website developer, written content, or web platform you use, is an illusion. Webpages that aren’t built to attract visitors or get Google’s attention will fall short of their marketing potential. A website that’s “just OK” will achieve results that are “just OK.”

Modern, High-Functioning Marketing Tools

Will your business or nonprofit settle for a mediocre website that’s good enough? Or do you want a powerful, effective marketing tool that reaches your audience, makes you money, and builds your brand’s credibility? As a professional website developer since 2011, Packerland Websites has developed hundreds of modern, high-functioning marketing tools that lead to success.

Interactive, Optimized WordPress Websites

Instead of just a brochure on the internet, websites should be more interactive. Building an interactive website requires advanced design skills, especially on the “back end” of the website that visitors don’t see. Plus, a website should be easy to find. The WordPress websites we build have exceptional built-in search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. SEO techniques help our clients rank on Google search engine results pages. Getting found in a crowded, competitive online marketplace is challenging. Yet it’s the first step to bringing visitors to your website where they can interact with your brand.

Versatile & Secure E-Commerce

Many companies want to create websites to sell their products online. Professionally developed e-commerce websites can exponentially expand your sales territory. Don’t miss out on easy sales with an inferior e-commerce store! A versatile, secure, and easy-to-manage e-commerce store doesn’t just happen. E-commerce websites require an attention to detail that only an experienced website developer can provide.

Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Accessibility is another factor to consider when designing a website. In addition to the obvious features like ramps, elevators, and closed captioning, the Americans with Disabilities Act also covers websites. Following ADA guidelines gives people with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else to engage with your website. (ADA Compliance for Websites: Stay Accessible and Out of Court).

Customer Service & Support

The final factor to consider in modern website development is the support available after a website is launched. At Packerland Websites, we take this customer service very seriously. We provide complimentary training and tutorials, enabling clients to update their websites with ease. For complex updates, clients can submit a support ticket to have their issue resolved within a week. Plus, they can call our offices in Green Bay, Wisconsin, or Marquette, Michigan, to talk with a native English-speaking website developer. Businesses and nonprofits with a DIY or AI-created website certainly don’t receive this level of customer service.

Contact Packerland Websites Today

Yes, it really matters who builds your website. Success hinges on the expertise of the developers and the advanced digital marketing tools they use. Our college-trained website developers create websites as tools to accomplish your specific goals. For a powerful, effective website, contact us today.

Nonmobile Websites Get a Flat Tire in New Google Ranking Process

“My website has gone missing!” a business owner recently told me. “I don’t see it anywhere on Google when I search for it. How are people going to find me now?” This business owner was obviously concerned about being dropped from search engine rankings.

Google Migrates to Mobile Indexing

So, why did this business’ website suddenly drop off the Google ranking list? Simple answer: The website wasn’t mobile responsive. On July 5, 2024, Google migrated to mobile indexing for Google Search. As a result, Google stopped indexing websites that are not accessible on mobile devices.

Woman with mobile device checks Google ranking

Mobile-Responsive Websites are Ranking

Here’s some background. Google Search uses Googlebot, a smartphone tool, to crawl mobile-responsive websites. The Googlebot indexes and ranks websites based on this process. Google Search exclusively indexes websites with content that resizes for smartphones, laptops, and tablets. If your website isn’t accessible on mobile devices, your website is no longer indexable. Therefore, Google no longer is ranking your website, either.

Consumers Consult Search Engines

Dropping out of Google ranking certainly is concerning, because Google is the king of search engines. People search online for everything these days. Typically, they search Google ranking more often than Yahoo, Bing, or other search engines to find the products and services they seek. That’s why a well-built, mobile-friendly website isn’t just a luxury for today’s small businesses. Mobile-compatible websites are a necessity!

Packerland Websites Optimizes for Google Search

Packerland Website optimizes websites with industry-leading digital marketing tools and practices. Beginning in 2013, we incorporated mobile compatibility into every website we built. A website with a mobile-friendly design resizes and reformats to fit any screen. Users with a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device can easily navigate and read webpages. Additionally, with one-touch dialing, users can press a button to call a business or nonprofit. So convenient! They also can click on an address to view a Google map – leading them to your doorstep.

Contact Us for Mobile-Compatible Websites

The time has come and gone to upgrade all websites that don’t resize for mobile devices. Contact us today to get started on a mobile-responsive website designed to achieve your goals. Our websites are more than just a business card on the internet. Instead, our websites act as tools to accomplish specific goals, like a Swiss Army Knife of Marketing.

Empowering Nonprofits: Access to Low-Cost Tech Solutions

Money is tight for nonprofit organizations working to do good things in the community. Software, IT services, and website design put a strain on a nonprofit’s meager budget. Oftentimes, nonprofits want to streamline operations by using the latest technology, but they can’t afford it. They know they can run their organization more efficiently with full access to technology, and they’re looking for a “Fairy Godmother” to grant their wish.

Free or Discounted Tech Solutions for Nonprofits

Thankfully, the “Fairy Godmother” has arrived! Packerland Websites now partners with an organization that provides free or deeply discounted technology products, knowledge, and services. This organization serves as a nonprofit tech marketplace. It partners with leading tech brands including Microsoft, Avast, Adobe, Intuit, Cisco Meraki, HP, DocuSign, Hootsuite, and Zoom. Thus, nonprofits receive the technology services they need at a price they can afford.

Technology Solutions: Maximizing Impact on a Budget

Products include hardware, software, cloud-based resources, managed IT services, unlimited Help Desk, access to tech consultants with verified nonprofit expertise, and skills training online courses. Plus, participants can connect with other nonprofit leaders through online community forums. How is this possible? The organization built a tech product philanthropy service in which partners donate products or offer lower fees on their products. About 75 philanthropy partners provide a full range of technology products and services. The organization is committed to helping nonprofits achieve their goals, despite limited budgets.

Corporate Philanthropy from Packerland Websites

Packerland Websites bases its corporate culture on serving others, so it’s no surprise that we registered as a philanthropy partner with this tech organization. We greatly discount our website-building services for nonprofit, community organizations. The Packerland Websites team works with churches, schools, foundations, charities, and associations of all types. We build websites for nonprofits starting from scratch or revamping their current website. Find out more by reading our article: How It’s Built Matters: 8 Website Building Essentials. We currently manage more than 80 nonprofit websites and donate about $75,000 in in-kind services to nonprofits every year. Generosity is a hallmark of our small business. Find out more by reading our article: Discover the Heart of Packerland Websites: A Culture of Generosity.

Affordably Transforming Nonprofits’ Web Presence

Want to transform your nonprofit’s web presence for pennies on the dollar? Contact us for a complimentary website assessment to discuss your nonprofit’s goals and vision. Afterward, we’ll develop strategies, tools, and technology to engage your audience and donors, too. Whether you’re launching or optimizing a website, we can help your nonprofit make the greatest impact.

Supporting Economic Vitality for Small Business Owners

Originally published by Main Street America

In partnership with American Express, the Backing Small Businesses grant program supports economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach. This year, eligible small business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change.

Applications will be accepted from 9:00 am CT on March 14, 2024, through 11:59 pm CT on April 7, 2024. The application period will end once 5,000 applications have been submitted, even if that occurs before the deadline.

What types of businesses are eligible?

Businesses must meet the following criteria to apply:

The applicant must be an owner of the business.
The applicant must be at least age 18 years or older.
The business must be in a “bricks-and-mortar” location and operate in an older or historic main street, downtown, or commercial district in the United States. The business must have occupied their current bricks-and-mortar location since January 1, 2024. (Home-based businesses, even those located in historic neighborhoods, are not eligible. Brick and mortar businesses located outside of historic downtowns and commercial corridors, including, but not limited to, office parks and shopping malls are also not eligible.)
The business must be an independent business and not part of a franchise.
The business must employ 20 or less full time employees.
The business must have been in operation on or before January 1, 2023.
The business must be a business entity in good standing in the state in which it was formed and the state in which it does business.
The business must have an active business license, if required by state or local government. (Applicants may be asked to provide documentation if selected.)

What types of grant expenses are eligible?

Eligible grant expenses include but are not limited to:

Accessibility Upgrades (Examples: ramp, menu translation, accessible website redesign for visually impaired people, etc.)
Community Events and Programs (Examples: open mic night, public educational/training workshops, hosting community fund raisers, partnerships with other small businesses)
Equipment and Inventory (Examples: point of sale device/software, purchasing of items for sale, display cases, kitchen equipment)
Marketing (Examples: investing in social media campaign, building a website, etc.)
Operational Strategy (Examples: branding package, accounting software, business coaching, and other types of support that would increase the viability of your business)
Physical Improvements (Examples: signage, awnings, painting facade, new shelving, new lighting, etc.)
Sustainability Upgrades (Examples: solar panels, rain garden adjacent to business, investing in reusable/compostable/recyclable packaging alternatives, etc.)
Technology Upgrades (Examples: building an online storefront, online ordering system, or other e-commerce platform)
Utilities (Note: Must not be more than $2000 or 20% of the requested funds)
Note that payroll expenses are not eligible.