XML vs HTML Sitemaps: What’s the Difference?
Every website has two types of users: The humans: and the machines: Web crawlers (also known as spiders, bots or automatic indexers) use XML Sitemaps to create search engine indexes. Human users use HTML Sitemaps to navigate websites. Does your website need both types of Sitemaps? Let’s find out! What is an XML Sitemap? When... Read More
Glenn WalkerA Beefy Issue: What Alberta Marketers Can Learn From #BoycottEarls
After an intense week of social media onslaught, Earls has reversed its decision to source only Certified Humane® meat and cut out Alberta beef in the process. Instead, the company will be working closely with Canadian ranchers and certifiers to supply its kitchens with meat that is humane and local. A real win-win for both... Read More
Diana GaviriaSee What Happened When Google Sent Our Team a Paint Nite Kit [Time-Lapse Video]
First off, thank you, Google, for sending us this wonderful paint nite kit! Our team thoroughly enjoyed it during last month’s team social and were extremely proud of the “art” we managed to create. Some highlights of the afternoon included: seeing Bryan in a smock, watching Glenn paint an interesting picture then proceed to... Read More
Jodie Worobec3 Ways You Can Market Your Charity Online for Free!
If you work for a nonprofit organization you are probably already very good at producing amazing work with minimal resources and no budget. We at Bluetrain salute you, and we want to help. Since 2004, the number of individuals giving to charity has increased by 100% in Alberta. To take advantage of this promising trend,... Read More
Diana GaviriaI, RankBrain: How Artificial Intelligence is Improving Google Search
Google recently declared RankBrain the 3rd most important ranking signal contributing to search. Since we know there are over 200 signals, this got a lot of people’s attention. But what exactly is RankBrain and how does it affect search results? We’ve learned a lot since RankBrain was first announced in October 2015, and I hope... Read More
Glenn Walker7 Steps to Creating Content that Converts
7 Steps to Creating Content that Converts from bluetraininc The following is a transcript of the session that Diana Gaviria and Shannon Young delivered at iMEDIA Social Media Conference 2016. Today we want to talk about something we feel very strongly has the power to educate, engage and accomplish some of our most important goals.... Read More
Shannon YoungThe Top Questions People Had about The Bachelor 2016 According to Google
If you’re not familiar with us personally, you may not be aware that the Bluetrain team is actually composed of mostly ladies (9 to be exact!) who, despite being highly educated, well read individuals, do enjoy watching a little (trashy?) reality TV every now and then. We’re also fans of the office fantasy pool, in... Read More
Shannon YoungEverything You Need to Know About Schema.org
Imagine you had the power to speak directly to search engines and convince them that your pages were the most relevant to their users. Using Schema.org markup gives you that power. Kind of. Intrigued? Then pay attention, young marketing professional. By the end of this guide you will have learned everything you need to know.... Read More
Glenn WalkerCould 2016 be the Right Year for Canadian Businesses to Expand Abroad?
As we settle into 2016, many companies will be reviewing strategic plans and thinking about sales targets for the year ahead. In order to boost revenue, you might choose to focus strategically on existing markets (as I discussed in this post) or to expand and discover new opportunities. The purpose of this post is to... Read More
Bryan SmithHow to Optimize Your Online Dating Profile with Real Marketing Principles
Research shows that traffic to online dating sites increases significantly the week after Valentine’s Day, so we thought we’d help you put your best foot forward (digitally, that is!). A quick Bluetrain office poll revealed that 40% of our team have tried online dating. And while this alone may not be all that fascinating given... Read More
Diana Gaviria