Tudor Lodge is delighted to be working with Hoopla Loans (https://www.hooplaloans.co.za/) – using our expertise of the UK and US lending market and transferring this overseas to South Africa.

We were approached by Hoopla to help with their SEO (search engine optimisation) and help overcome their fall in rankings following a Google algorithm update that impacted the brand in June 2021.

Google has an algorithm update every few months to ensure that users get the best quality in searches – and sometimes this can impact even well-known and successful companies. So to overcome this, Tudor Lodge were hired to reassess their on-site and off-site work and help get the site back to the top of Google and ranking where it deserves to be. 

We have undertaken the following steps to recover the website’s rankings:

Technical fix-up

We started with Hoopla Loans with a technical fix-up, running through all the meta-titles, descriptions, headings, internal links, external links, sitemaps and images – to make sure that the site is technically clean from top to bottom. This ensures that the site can be optimised and indexed fully from this point onwards. In terms of the meta-titles, we ensured that these were optimised specifically for Google’s loans algorithm, making sure that they include certain words and phrases to maximise performance. With technical SEO 99% complete, this gives us the opportunity to build on other areas such as scaling up the content and improving the backlink profile and from this point onwards, we will only need to make small technical adjustments, since getting this out of the way early is of paramount importance.

Fresh content

A great way to get re-indexed by Google is to upload new and fresh content, as a way to say ‘Hi Google, come index me.”

We have created more than 10 new landing pages which are more than 1,000 words long and include a range of target keywords to help rank for all the loan related search terms. With fresh content, this is an excellent way to get back into Google’s good books and next we can work on a number of guides and blog posts to consolidate Hoopla’s position in the industry as an expert.

New links and backlink clean-up

The backlinks are key to any SEO campaign and this refers to any links that point back to the Hoopla website from external sites. With some good links and some spammy links in the background, we made a conscious effort to remove any low quality links and replace them good, authoritative links from real sites. We have started with a round of 10 good quality links and am to increase this to 20,30 and 50 over the remainder of the year, building up strong authority from real, newsworthy and business-focused websites.

In terms of results, the website saw an initial spike following the implementation of our changes. We expect to see slow, but strong changes emerge in the coming weeks. But as with Google’s temperamental algorithm, we may have to wait until the next update to see the true value of our work – and this could be within a matter of months. 

Everyone working in the digital marketing landscape knows that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every single business is unique, with different goals, audiences and budgets, and with that comes a whole world of digital growth strategies to explore.

That’s where two of the digital marketing scene’s biggest players – Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) – come into the mix. Though both tools do great work at driving traffic to your site, they operate in completely different ways and deliver slightly different results 

So, how do you know which one is best for your business? Let’s break it down and explore the strengths of each approach to gain a better understanding of what they’re all about.

What is SEO? (and why does it take time?)

Let’s start with the long game. SEO is all about optimising your website to steadily climb the organic search rankings on search engines like Google and Bing. Think keywords, content, technical performance and a healthy sprinkling of backlinks – it’s a mix of art and science. 

SEO doesn’t deliver results overnight, but when done right, it pays off in spades. We call it a grower, not a shower, but that phrasing hasn’t caught on yet for some reason. If you’re willing to take it slow, you’ll be rewarded with steady and sustainable growth. 

Because the results you get from SEO are incremental, the month-on-month traffic increase is more manageable from a business operations perspective. As you make gains digitally, you can respond and adapt your business model strategically, i.e. you may need to expand your workforce or grow your office space to facilitate new business.

Once you’ve earned those high-ranking positions, the traffic you receive is free. You don’t have to increase your investment to maintain it; it will stay the same. With the right partner, your traffic and conversions will continue to grow, meaning your ROI will get bigger and bigger year after year.

Plus, SEO builds credibility and authority, essential for developing your brand, extending your reach and strengthening the relationship with your existing audience. People tend to trust organic results over ads, which is crucial for your reputation.

To summarise, SEO is best for:

• Businesses looking for manageable, sustainable, long-term growth

• Building authority in your industry (hello, thought leaders!)

• Those who can afford to be patient – we promise the payoff is worth the wait

What is PPC? (and why does it work so quickly?)

If SEO is a marathon, then PPC is a 100-metre sprint. A form of paid advertising, PPC requires you to bid on keywords to win ads at the top of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). You know those ‘sponsored’ links you see above the organic results? That’s PPC in action. The general consensus amongst many is to scroll to the organic listings, but there are a percentage of users that are prolific ad clickers. When done properly, ads are a very quick win.

Here’s how it works: First, the advertiser (could be you, an agency, or a freelancer) finds and chooses keywords relevant to their products or services. They’ll then make a bid for advertising spots for those keywords. Finally, they’re automatically ‘entered’ into an auction for those spots whenever someone searches for those keywords, and whoever bids the highest amount for the spot will secure it. 

The good news is, if no one clicks on your ad, then you don’t have to pay for it! The bad news is if someone clicks it and doesn’t make a conversion on your site, you still have to pay for it. This could mean paying for 10 visitors through an ad, where only one actually buys something from your site. To mitigate this, you want to ensure your ad is relevant and that the site journey that follows for the visitor is a strong one that encourages them to convert (we also design and build websites, focusing heavily on user experience… just saying).

The real beauty of PPC is its speed. Once your campaign, new product, or new service is live and ready to go, you can start driving traffic immediately with targeted paid ads. It’s brilliant for time-sensitive promotions or generating leads fast. But there’s a catch: when you stop paying, the traffic stops too. The moment you stop bidding, your ads disappear from the SERPs. It’s a short-term solution, but it works to provide a cash injection that you can invest back into your next marketing steps.

To summarise, PPC is best for:

• Businesses wanting to invest in fast wins

• Launching new stuff to audiences quickly

• Gaining immediate visibility in competitive markets

Which strategy is better?

There is no right answer to this question (sorry, folks). The ‘better’ strategy is the one that aligns with your goals and budget. Here’s when each service is most beneficial:

When SEO shines bright

If you’re in it for the long haul, SEO is the way to go. It’s perfect for businesses looking to establish themselves as industry leaders. For example, if you’re a local coffee shop, appearing organically for ‘best coffee in Norwich’ could keep new customers streaming in for years to come. We’re partial to lattes, ourselves.

SEO also works wonders for e-commerce sites. People trust organic results, which is especially true when they’re considering actually buying something, so ranking well can boost sales big time. Yay! Plus, once you’ve optimised your site, that organic traffic keeps rolling in without ongoing ad spend.

Another, perhaps less obvious benefit of SEO is that you get a more steady increase in traffic. If your business is unable to handle a sudden influx of visitors, all of them converting, then consider that you may not currently have the capacity for the sudden attention PPC can bring.

Pro tip: It’s important to remember that SEO isn’t just about keywords. Technical aspects like page speed, mobile-friendliness and site security also play a huge role in how well you rank. It’s a puzzle we love piecing together.

When PPC takes the spotlight

Need fast results? PPC is your best friend. Whether you’re launching a product, running a seasonal campaign or trying to break into a busy market, PPC gives you the immediate visibility you crave.

For example, if you’re hosting a two-day event, SEO won’t have time to kick in – but a targeted PPC campaign can fill those seats fast. You can also use PPC to target very specific audiences with precision, from location to age group to interests.

Pro tip: With PPC, data is everything. Tracking and tweaking your campaigns ensures you get the best bang for your buck. And don’t worry, we’re all over it.

Do you have to choose just one?

Absolutely not, because here’s the thing: SEO and PPC aren’t rivals – they’re teammates. A combined approach can be incredibly powerful in bringing your site traffic. While you’re waiting for your SEO efforts to bear fruit, PPC can give you the visibility boost you need. Once your organic rankings are strong, PPC can support specific campaigns or fill in gaps where SEO might struggle. Or, you can choose to dominate all of the top spots, snuffing out any competition by getting all of the lion’s share of traffic. It really is up to you.

Think of it this way: SEO is your steady, dependable friend who’s in it for the long haul. PPC is your go-to mate for when you need a hand fast. Together? That’s an unstoppable best friend duo – like Joey and Chandler.

Need help with your strategy?

At Nu Image, we don’t do cookie-cutter solutions (as much as we love a good biscuit). Our hardworking and passionate team takes the time to really understand your business and recommend SEO, PPC, or the right mix of the two to achieve your goals. 

Ready to boost your online presence? Let’s chat and find the strategy that works for you. Give us a call on 01603 859007, or send us a message on our site’s live chat.

There can’t be many people whose jobs haven’t been affected by the pandemic – whether that’s newly working from home, being furloughed or even losing a position permanently. But it’s had a particular impact on women, with their job losses outpacing men’s significantly in 2020. So why have they been so hard hit, and what can employers do to try to put things right?

Despite huge advances in gender equality in the workplace, it’s safe to say that women have always shouldered the bulk of unpaid care work at home. And this has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures have meant parents who work have had to cope with the added strain of childcare and home-schooling, with a lot of the responsibility falling disproportionately on women. Add to this the fact that a lot of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic are female dominated (e.g. retail, creative industries and hospitality), and the fallout is likely to have an extremely detrimental affect on women’s career progression for years to come. In fact, it might be years before we completely understand the long-term effects of all this. But we’re already seeing how women are suffering.

What’s happened to women in the workplace?

Deloitte recently carried out a global survey which found 70% of women who have experienced disruption to their routines because of the pandemic believe this will slow down the career progression. PwC’s Women in Work Index (which reports on gender parity in the workplace) has previously always shown good progress being made – but in their Women in Work 2021 report, they said they expect the value of the index to fall back to 2017 levels.

A lot of this is down to women juggling extra responsibilities at home while still working – something which is negatively affecting their work/life balance and their mental and physical health. As well as this, unfortunately, it’s still the case that most senior decision-makers are men. So they might not be aware of the types of problems women have had to deal with during the pandemic. This poses a real threat to gender equality in the workplace. It’s not just about parents either – women without caregiving responsibilities at home are struggling due to the need to be ‘always on’, whatever the time of day or night. It’s taking a real toll on their well-being.

All of this is likely to lead to more women leaving the workforce permanently – something which could irretrievably damage gender equality, and also have a huge economic effect.

The problems in detail

1. Women’s performance is being negatively affected

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) recently released a briefing note about how mothers and fathers have been balancing work and family under lockdown. One of its key findings is that women have been spending less time on paid work and more on household responsibilities. And that the time they do spend on paid work is more likely to be interrupted by things going on in their households (according to the briefing note, before the pandemic mothers and fathers used to be interrupted during the same proportion of their work hours; now women are interrupted over 50% more often). This is of course going to affect their abilities to do their jobs. And it could then lead to them missing out on promotions, bonuses or pay rises, and slow down their career progression.

2. More women than men are working flexibly

According to the Deloitte survey, more than a third of women are now working from home full-time, compared to 1% before the pandemic. Obviously agile working like this does have several positive effects, like fewer interruptions and less time off sick or on holiday. But with more women having to apply for flexible working than men, it could lead to male-dominated workplaces –  a real step backwards. Women who work away also often don’t get the support or mentoring that being in the office regularly can bring – something else that can put a real dent in their career progression.

3. The gender-pay gap

A survey of women working in corporate jobs in the US showed that more than a quarter are considering reducing their working hours or leaving the workforce for good as a result of the pandemic. This will mean even less women in leadership roles, further increasing the gender-pay gap.

In recent years many companies have put great initiatives in place to try to tackle gender inequality at work. But it’s likely they’ll need to put these on hold while they recover from the financial effects of the pandemic which is another worrying development.

What’s the answer?

With no clear end to the pandemic in sight, it’s clear that employers are going to have to make positive changes in the next few years to help women continue to advance in the workplace.

So what can employers do to help to lessen the effect of the pandemic on their female staff? Deloitte have come up with six steps that organisations can put in place now to support their workers both during and after the pandemic.

• Make flexible working the norm: this doesn’t just apply to working parents – it needs to be available to all workers. And it also doesn’t just mean working from home (although that is part of it) – it’s about making sure that people’s working arrangements give them the best possible work/life balance while still benefitting the business. Workplace cultures must support people who take advantage of this for whatever reason – whether that’s down to caregiving responsibilities at home or something else – without penalising them.
• Lead with empathy and trust: leaders and managers must have open and supportive conversations to build trust with their teams and promote an empathetic culture – so they can understand any problems or constraints their employees are facing.
• Promote networking, mentorship and sponsorship: these types of resources can be a real boost to career progression. But they must be offered in a variety of ways so women don’t feel excluded from them (for example by only offering early morning networking breakfasts that clash with responsibilities at home).
• Create learning opportunities that fit with employees’ daily lives: most women want to progress their careers. But the usual ways to do this (e.g. professional development courses) often don’t work for people with a lot of responsibilities outside of work. So employers need to find creative ways to allow their staff to get the expertise and support they need in flexible ways (e.g. tailored online learning that they can do at their own pace).
• Remove unconscious bias in reward and promotion processes: unconscious bias due to people’s backgrounds or gender is something that lots of organisations have been working hard to address. But the pandemic means employers also need to factor in bias towards women who want to work remotely because of unavoidable commitments at home, especially as these relate to caregiving responsibilities.
• Make diversity, respect and inclusion non-negotiable: 30% of women in the Deloitte survey said they’ve experienced non-inclusive behaviour (like being excluded from meetings or projects) at work. And this is a big reason for them not wanting to progress within an organisation. It’s not enough just to have a diversity and inclusion policy in place either – employers need to address problems like this head on to make sure people are living the right values at work. All day, every day.

What we’re doing at Pure

We’ve run our Women’s Leadership Programme for some time now for women who want to boost their confidence at work, develop their leadership skills and build a new network. But we’re changing things up for 2022 to play our part in alleviating some of the extra pressure on women caused by the pandemic. So we’re making it more accessible than ever before. We’ll be delivering it using a mixture of remote learning and face-to-face meetings, spread over a number of days. All to give working women access to as wide a support network as possible.

Since 2014 over 100 women have taken part in the programme. And 26% of them have later been promoted. If you think it could make a difference to your working life, or know someone else who could benefit, head to the programme’s website to find out more.