The Bonafide Blog

Is Your Google Ad Money Working Hard Enough?

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:33:01 GMT

The rules of Google advertising have quietly changed, and what worked two years ago might be quietly costing you today.

Google Pay-Per-Click advertising remains one of the most powerful tools a small business can use to reach new customers. But "set it and forget it" has never been less viable than it is right now. Between sweeping AI changes, new ad formats, stricter policy enforcement, and rising competition, 2026 is demanding a fundamentally different approach to PPC than what most business owners learned even two years ago.

Zero-Click Marketing: How to Increase Visibility in AI Search Without Website Clicks

Tracy Butcher — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:49:45 GMT

For years, digital marketing success was measured by one simple metric: clicks.

If someone searched on Google, saw your website, and clicked through, your marketing was working. But the way people discover information online is changing. Today, many users get the answers they need without ever leaving the search page.

Marketing Basics for SMBs in the Age of AI: Where to Start

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:47:00 GMT

AI is making marketing faster and more accessible for small businesses, but it doesn’t replace strategy. SMBs still need clear messaging, defined audiences, and thoughtful direction to stand out. The real advantage comes from using AI to support marketing efforts, while relying on human expertise to guide them.

Inbound Marketing Isn’t Just Blogging (And That’s the Point)

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:54:19 GMT

When people hear inbound marketing, they often think it’s synonymous with blogging. Publish a few posts, wait for Google to notice, and hope leads roll in.

Blog content is an important part of inbound marketing, but it’s only one piece of a much bigger picture. Inbound marketing is a framework for how businesses attract, engage, and nurture leads over time. It’s about building trust before the sales conversation ever starts.

A Reality-Check Marketing Checklist: Find New Opportunities in 2026

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:23:00 GMT

January is full of optimism. It’s the moment when business owners look ahead and think, This is the year we get marketing right.

But somewhere between the new year and the end of Q1, that optimism often gives way to frustration. Marketing starts to feel reactive again. Content becomes inconsistent. Results feel unclear. And the same questions resurface: Are we doing the right things? Are we missing something? Is this even working?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not behind. You’re normal.

AI-Assisted Content Is the Future (But Only If You Do It Right)

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:17:01 GMT

Artificial intelligence has officially changed how businesses create content, but not always for the better. With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude at everyone’s fingertips, it’s easier than ever to generate blogs, social posts, and emails in seconds. And that has created a misconception: If anyone can produce content instantly, why hire a professional? Why not let the teenage niece, the office manager, or the most tech-savvy person on the team take over content creation?

Does HubSpot Really Work for SMBs? Here’s Why the Answer Is (Usually) a Big Yes.

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 20:07:00 GMT

If you spend any time in the marketing world, you’ve heard the hype: HubSpot can transform your business. HubSpot brings marketing, sales, and service under one roof. HubSpot is the easiest, smartest, all-in-one growth engine.

But if you're running a small or medium-sized business, you’re probably wondering something more practical:

Does HubSpot actually make sense for you: your team size, your budget, your goals?

Short answer: Yes.
Slightly longer answer: Yes, but only if you use it the right way.

Let’s break down how SMBs can use HubSpot, why it’s worth the investment, and what kind of ROI it can actually generate.

When AI Becomes the Ad Police: How Google’s Automated Reviews Are Hurting Small Businesses

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 12:48:59 GMT

Google Ads has long been a lifeline for small and medium-sized businesses. But lately, a new challenge has been quietly derailing ad campaigns across industries: AI-driven policy enforcement.

Introducing HubSpot's Loop Marketing: A New Playbook for Growth in the AI Era

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:15:00 GMT

What is Loop Marketing? HubSpot’s Loop Marketing is a four-part growth framework (Express, Tailor, Amplify, Evolve) built for the AI era. It helps businesses define their brand, personalize outreach, expand reach across channels, and continuously improve results.

What You Need to Know About HubSpot's AI Breeze Studio

colette@gobonafide.com (Colette Jensen) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:45:00 GMT

HubSpot’s Breeze Studio offers Agents and Assistants to help businesses work smarter. Agents handle complex workflows autonomously, while Assistants support teams with tasks like drafting emails, generating content, and summarizing data. Together, they save time, improve consistency, and help small and mid-sized businesses scale efficiently.