Ice Nine Online

Want a sneak peek of SearchGPT, the new AI-powered search engine from OpenAI? Join the waitlist! Link in the comments.

Google's search popularity is not declining despite the rise of ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI sites.

In fact, the average number of Google searches per desktop user is increasing. The percentage of traditional search engine users who also use AI platforms has grown by only two percentage points over the past year. Google's share of combined desktop and mobile web traffic remained essentially unchanged between May 2023 and May 2024.

Even users of AI platforms haven't abandoned their old methods: 99% continue to use traditional search engines.

Source: Datos' "Consumer Search Behavior: What’s Changing and What’s Not in the Age of AI?" white paper. Link in comments.

At Ice Nine Online, we pride ourselves on crafting exceptional digital experiences that not only meet but exceed our clients’ expectations. We are thrilled to announce that the website we built for Emporos has been honored with a DotCOMM Gold Award! This achievement underscores the dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit that went into this project.

Ice Nine Online and Emporos: A Collaborative Success Winning the DotCOMM Gold Award | Ice Nine Online At Ice Nine Online, we pride ourselves on crafting exceptional digital experiences that not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations. We are thrilled to

Kicking off the post-holiday week with a bang! 🎉 Just got a stellar new client review, bringing us to 72 reviews with a 4.9-star rating on Google! ⭐️

🎆 Happy 4th of July from Ice Nine Online! 🎇

Wishing everyone a joyous Independence Day filled with great food, fun, and fantastic celebrations. Stay safe, enjoy the festivities, and have a great time!

"Matt from Ice Nine came to our corporate headquarters to conduct a full-day workshop on digital marketing, with an emphasis on SEO. Technical SEO, keyword research, content marketing, on-page SEO, and link building were just some of the advanced areas our teams gained insight in. We always try to learn and improve, and it's safe to say our team learned a ton! The breakout sessions with specific direction on setting up digital infrastructure and running ongoing digital campaigns for two of our business units was very helpful."

Always use lowercase URLs! 👇

Mixed case URLs can be tricky to type correctly and may cause server issues. Keep it simple and consistent with lowercase URLs for a smoother user experience.

The WordPress 6.6 Beta 1 is here and ready for testing! Get a sneak peek at the exciting updates in this release, focusing on polish, flexibility, and some cool new features:

🔍 Enhanced Data Views in the Site Editor

🔄 Synced pattern overrides to maintain design consistency

📝 New publish flow for a seamless editing experience

🎨 Expanded style variations for more design options

📐 Native Grid layout for the Group block

🔧 Negative margins for creative overlaps

🔙 Auto-update rollbacks for peace of mind

"We're thrilled with the website that Ice Nine Online planned, designed, built, and launched for our company. The design is modern and makes it really easy for our customers to find what they're looking for on our site. They even helped us with the migration of our e-commerce store and Sage sub-domain configuration. Their project management is great - we always knew when the next meeting and project milestone would be and they did a great job of keeping the project on track. They respond back very quickly to emails and calls. Now that the site is live, we're thrilled with the result!"

At Ice Nine Online, our CMS of choice is WordPress. We're not alone. WordPress powers over 40% of websites!

It’s super flexible, letting you create any type of website you need, whether it's a business website, blog, shop, or multimedia site. Plus, it works great with tools like Google Analytics and many popular marketing plugins, helping you boost your and track performance easily. With so many customization options, your site can grow and change as your business does.

The Role of WordPress in Your Digital Marketing Ecosystem | Ice Nine Online Jumplinks:

In 2024, the SEO landscape is shaped by technological advancements (especially as it relates to AI) and shifting user behaviors. Digital marketers and businesses must adapt swiftly to remain competitive and effective.

This comprehensive guide delves into key trends and offers actionable strategies for harnessing new SERP developments and gaining visibility in Google, Bing, YouTube, and other search engines.

SEO Trends in 2024: AI, Zero-Click, AEO, Topical Authority, Authenticity, Authorship, Oh My! | Ice Nine Online In 2024, the SEO landscape is shaped by technological advancements (especially as it relates to AI) and shifting user behaviors. Digital marketers and

Founded in 2014, Ice Nine Online started as a small Chicago-based company with a big vision: to help our clients achieve their online goals through innovative digital strategies while educating their teams along the way.

Today, a decade later, we have not only met that vision but have continually set new standards in the digital landscape. This success is not solely ours; it is a shared achievement with each of you who trusted us, challenged us, and grew alongside us.

Celebrating 10 Years in Business: A Heartfelt Thank You from Ice Nine Online | Ice Nine Online Hello, and welcome to a very special moment in the journey of Ice Nine Online. As the founder, I am thrilled to share that we are celebrating an incredible

For local , your Google Business Profile is crucial. However, don't neglect Bing! Bing offers a similar service called "Bing Places for Business."

With Bing's steadily increasing search market share, now is an opportune time to review your business profile on Bing and make necessary adjustments.

Additionally, Bing Places for Business features an option that allows you to sync your profile information automatically with your Google Business Profile. Then, by keeping your Google profile updated, you ensure the info is also correct on Bing.

WordPress just released version 6.5 “Regina,” inspired by the innovative jazz violinist Regina Carter. This update brings new tools and enhancements, making WP site building more intuitive and creative.

WordPress 6.5 "Regina" is Here! | Ice Nine Online WordPress just released version 6.5 “Regina,” inspired by the innovative jazz violinist Regina Carter. This update brings new tools and enhancements, making

B2B businesses must constantly adapt and refine their content marketing strategies to stay competitive. One strategy that has worked exceptionally well for our B2B clients is the "Hub & Spoke" content marketing model.

This approach offers a structured and systematic way to organize and deliver content, improve SEO, and enhance overall marketing efforts.

The Hub & Spoke Approach: Turbocharging B2B Content Marketing | Ice Nine Online B2B businesses must constantly adapt and refine their content marketing strategies to stay competitive. One strategy that has worked exceptionally well for

Tip: By setting up a tracking template in Microsoft Ads, you capture each ad click accurately in , allowing for detailed performance analysis. Here’s a quick guide to setting up a tracking template:

1. Log into Microsoft Ads and decide if you're applying the template at the account level or for specific campaigns.

2. Navigate to the tracking section under "Account settings" for account-wide templates, or "Settings" for campaign-specific ones.

3. Enter your tracking template, incorporating UTM parameters, for example:

{lpurl}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={adgroupid}&utm_term={keyword}

4. Click "Test" to ensure your template is working as expected, then click "Save".

This is what the tracking template above would track in GA4:

Source of the traffic (utm_source=bing): Identifies the traffic as originating from Bing, allowing you to distinguish it from other sources in GA4.

Medium of the campaign (utm_medium=cpc): Specifies that the traffic came through a cost-per-click (CPC) campaign, helping you analyze the performance of paid versus organic traffic.

Campaign ID (utm_campaign={campaignid}): Dynamically inserts the ID of the specific campaign the click came from, enabling you to track and compare the effectiveness of different campaigns.

Ad Group ID (utm_content={adgroupid}): Provides information on the ad group within the campaign that the user clicked on, offering insights into which sets of ads are performing best.

Keyword (utm_term={keyword}): Captures the specific keyword that triggered the ad, allowing for granular analysis of keyword performance and its impact on user engagement and conversions.

Keep an eye on your campaign performance in GA4 post-implementation, and be ready to adjust your template for any new tracking needs.

It can be tempting to Google your own brand name – or keywords related to your business – to identify if you’re doing a good job of promoting your business on Google.

However, Googling your own keywords is not a good indicator of whether or not you are ranking organically or showing Google Ads for a keyword. It’s also not a good indicator of whether your target customer is seeing you in Google search.

This post covers why Googling your own keywords is not a good indicator of search marketing success for Google organic listings and Google Ads.

Why Googling Your Own Keywords Is Not a Good Indicator of Search Marketing Success | Ice Nine Online It can be tempting to Google your own brand name - or keywords related to your business - to identify if you're doing a good job of promoting your business on

Thinking about changing your digital agency? It’s a big move, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ve put together a straightforward checklist to help you transition smoothly to a new digital agency, from assessing your needs to managing the handover process.

Checklist For Transitioning To A New Digital Agency | Ice Nine Online Thinking about changing your digital agency? It's a big move, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. In this blog post, we've put together a straightforward

Nothing beats starting the day with a new 5-star review! It's incredibly satisfying to see such positive feedback from an Ice Nine Online client 😁

Launched in 2003 as a simple blogging platform, has transformed into a powerful content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. Its flexibility, ease of use, and extensive range of features make it the go-to choice for marketers aiming to enhance their digital presence.

The Role of WordPress in Your Digital Marketing Ecosystem | Ice Nine Online Jumplinks:

Your online reputation is a pivotal business asset. Negative content on the web can significantly impact your brand and profitability.

This guide provides tactics to manage and remove negative online content, safeguarding your business’s digital reputation.

Managing Online Reputation: Proven Tactics to Overcome Negative Content for Businesses | Ice Nine Online Your online reputation is a pivotal business asset. This guide provides ten effective strategies to manage and remove negative online content, safeguarding your digital reputation.

For B2B businesses, one of the most effective ways to identify digital marketing opportunities is to create a customer journey map.

A customer journey map is a visual representation that illustrates the steps your customers go through when engaging with your company. The purpose of a customer journey map is to provide a clear and insightful story about your customer's various interactions with your brand.

We like to create customer journey maps following the typical stages of a B2B customer journey: 1) Awareness 2) Consideration 3) Conversion 4) Retention 5) Advocacy. However, you can customize your customer journey map to follow your typical customer life cycle.

It helps you to personalize your marketing efforts. By understanding customer behaviors at each stage of their journey, marketing content can be tailored to meet specific needs. It also allows for the optimization of digital touchpoints, ensuring a smoother and more effective customer experience.

A customer journey map shines a light on gaps and opportunities in the digital experience. Visualizing the various touchpoints your company has with customers before, during, and after an engagement reveals areas where you can improve customer communication and improve your marketing initiatives.

Also, a customer journey map ensures consistency across all digital channels, building trust and brand recognition. By focusing not just on attracting customers but also on retaining them, it forces you to think through your processes for customer loyalty and repeat business.

We're proud to share this recent client review from a project where we audited a Google Ads account for a prestigious multi-billion dollar Fortune 500 company.

In general, Ice Nine Online is reviewed very highly: 4.8/5 in aggregate between Google, Clutch, UpCity, and Facebook reviews. View our recent client reviews.

Recent Ice Nine Online Client Reviews | Ice Nine Online In general, Ice Nine Online is reviewed very highly: 4.8/5 in aggregate between Google, Clutch, UpCity, and Facebook reviews.

As the clock strikes midnight, we're filled with gratitude and excitement for what 2024 holds. To our clients, partners, team members, and friends in the wider community: may this new year be a canvas for fresh ideas, joyous moments, and prosperity for all. Here's to a year of growth, success, and shared achievements!

In today’s fast-paced digital marketing landscape, B2B businesses must constantly adapt and refine their strategies to stay competitive. One strategy that has worked exceptionally well for Ice Nine Online‘s B2B clients is the Hub & Spoke content marketing model. This approach offers a structured and systematic way to organize and deliver content, improve SEO, and enhance overall marketing efforts.

The Hub & Spoke Approach: Turbocharging B2B Content Marketing | Ice Nine Online In today's fast-paced digital marketing landscape, B2B businesses must constantly adapt and refine their strategies to stay competitive. One strategy that has

When considering building an intranet for your company, there are a myriad of options available to you. Yet, one name that you might not have immediately considered for this purpose is WordPress.

Known for its prowess in the website, blogging, and content management world, WordPress offers a host of features that can serve well in an intranet environment. Here’s why should be at the top of your list when building a company intranet.

Why WordPress is a Great Choice for Your Company Intranet | Ice Nine Online When considering building an intranet for your company, there are a myriad of options available to you. Yet, one name that you might not have immediately