Why Your Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Keeps Rising – And How to Stop It
Why Your Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Keeps Rising – And How to Stop It

In 2024, the average cost-per-click (CPC) across Google Ads rose by 19%, marking the steepest annual jump in recent years. Similarly, Facebook also saw its CPC increase for 80% of industries. 

This spike isn't temporary; it reflects deeper changes in auction dynamics, cut-throat competition, and constantly changing algorithms. It’s already becoming expensive to advertise online, and if your CPC is too high, you’d sweep through your ads quickly without seeing any real impact. 

There can be a number of reasons behind a sudden or even slow rise in CPC. In this article, we’ll uncover the underlying causes and list 10 strategies to bring your ad campaign’s CPC down to a healthy level.

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AdvertisingAlpha ApexCPC, Cost-Per-Click
SEO-Driven Content Marketing Hacks for Explosive Traffic in 2025
SEO-Driven Content Marketing Hacks for Explosive Traffic in 2025

Most content gets published. Very little gets seen.

That’s the harsh reality, despite 68% of online journeys starting with a search engine, over 96.55% of content never earns traffic from Google.

The difference? Strategy.

SEO-driven content marketing bridges the gap between creation and discovery. It’s not about chasing algorithms, it’s about aligning what you publish with how people search. 

When you combine Search Engine Optimization with strong content, you’re not just showing up. You’re showing up with purpose and earning real results.

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MarketingAlpha ApexSEO Content
How to Evaluate an RPO Partner: 12 Key Points to Get Right
How to Evaluate an RPO Partner: 12 Key Points to Get Right

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) providers promise a lot, but few actually deliver.

If you’ve led a hiring cycle that dragged on (too slow, too expensive, too disconnected), you know what’s at stake. Your team burns out. Budgets get stretched. And the roles you needed filled last quarter are still sitting open.

What makes it worse: only 42% of companies are satisfied with their RPO provider, and 60% say the partnership fails to meet expectations.

If you’re a Chief Human Resources Officer, Head of Talent, or People leader, this is your blueprint to evaluate an RPO partner with clarity. We’ll cover the right questions to ask, what to expect, and where most vendors fall short.

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RecruitingAlpha ApexRPO, RPO Partner
How to Run a Test Assignment Before Making a Sales Hire in 2025
How to Run a Test Assignment Before Making a Sales Hire in 2025

Interviews alone often fall short when it comes to predicting future performance, especially in sales. 

According to Deloitte, they’re a poor predictor of candidate potential. That’s why many companies now use test assignments alongside traditional interviews to make more informed hiring decisions.

Salespeople are the engine of revenue growth. Without the right talent in place, even the best products can fail to reach their market. 

To ensure you’re hiring the right person, you need a clear, unbiased assessment process that reveals real skills. Standardized test assignments offer exactly that while also helping to reduce bias in the hiring process.

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SalesAlpha ApexTest Assignment
What Makes an A+ CIO: 15 Key CIO Skills for Tech Leadership Success
What Makes an A+ CIO: 15 Key CIO Skills for Tech Leadership Success

The CIO role has evolved from managing infrastructure to shaping business strategy. 

Today, it’s about driving growth, enabling speed, and embedding risk management into every strategic decision.

In fact, 77% of global executives say CIOs are essential for business transformation. That tells you everything you need to know about how this role has shifted.

Hiring a CIO means putting real weight behind strategic execution. You need someone who drives momentum, clears bottlenecks, and accelerates smart decisions. If that’s not happening, you’ve got friction at the top.

In this blog, we’ll break down the essential skills that separate high-impact CIOs from the rest. Let’s take a look.

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Chief InformationAlpha ApexCIO
July 2025: Top 11 Customer Service / Customer Support Recruiting, Staffing Agencies, Headhunters, & Search Firms
July 2025: Top 11 Customer Service / Customer Support Recruiting, Staffing Agencies, Headhunters, & Search Firms

Excellent customer service isn't just a practice; it's a philosophy that can dramatically influence a company's success. 

Finding the right talent to uphold this philosophy requires more than a standard recruitment process—it demands a specialized approach. This is where customer service and support recruiting, staffing agencies, headhunters, and search firms play a pivotal role.

Specialized recruiting agencies for customer service and support bring a valuable depth of knowledge and expertise to the hiring process. They understand the unique challenges and requirements of these roles, which range from exceptional communication skills to the ability to resolve conflicts and ensure customer satisfaction.

By tapping into their extensive networks and employing sophisticated screening processes, these firms can identify the best possible candidates.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 11 of the best customer service and customer support recruiting partners.

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Executive SearchJake JorgovanStaffing
July 2025: Top 11 Workforce Transformation Solutions & Consulting Firms
July 2025: Top 11 Workforce Transformation Solutions & Consulting Firms

Abraham Lincoln famously said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax." The meaning is even more relevant today — an organization’s effectiveness is always going to depend heavily on the time and resources they invest in their workforce. In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the significance of workforce transformation cannot be overstated. This process is not just about adapting to change; it's about harnessing it to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth within an organization.

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Workforce Optimization, ConsultingJake JorgovanHR Consulting
June 2025: Top 20 Podcast Advertising & Marketing Agencies, Companies, and Services
June 2025: Top 20 Podcast Advertising & Marketing Agencies, Companies, and Services

When people think of podcast advertising, they think of sponsors and big brands paying to run ads on podcasts. For example, a midroll ad or a host-read opening spot. It is undoubtedly an effective way to generate revenue and if your B2B podcast has the traffic, go for it.

But maybe you don’t have the traffic to attract sponsors, you need to build an audience, or you’re starting a new podcast and you have the budget to launch with a bang. Or perhaps one of your key KPIs is downloads and you want to buy a boost to guarantee your budget moving forward.

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Podcasting, Digital AgencyJake JorgovanPodcasting
June 2025 Top 13 Talent Management Consultants, Services, Companies, & Consulting Firms
June 2025 Top 13 Talent Management Consultants, Services, Companies, & Consulting Firms

If you want to get a competitive edge, you don’t just need awesome products; you need top talent.

Talent management is a strategic imperative whether you’re a global corporation, a budding startup, or anything in between.

But for that, you need the help of experts who can transform your talent strategy into a competitive advantage.

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Consulting, Executive SearchJake JorgovanHR Consulting
June 2025: Top 11 Tech & Software Sales Recruiters, Recruitment Companies, Headhunters, & Search Firms
June 2025: Top 11 Tech & Software Sales Recruiters, Recruitment Companies, Headhunters, & Search Firms

In the world of tech, it’s no exaggeration to say that the right (or wrong) sales talent can make or break your business. 

On one hand, the right hire can skyrocket your sales and growth. On the other hand, a poor hire can set you back significantly. This is where expert tech and software sales recruiters come in. They have the skills and networks to connect you with the best candidates. 

In this article, we’ll share some of the top recruiters, recruitment companies, headhunters, and search firms in the industry to help you make a decision.

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RecruitingJake JorgovanSoftware Development
June 2025: Top 11 HR Outsourcing & Outsourced HR - Companies, Providers, Consultants, & Consulting Firms
June 2025: Top 11 HR Outsourcing & Outsourced HR - Companies, Providers, Consultants, & Consulting Firms

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." — Henry Ford

Outsourcing HR functions is a strategic approach embraced by companies to improve efficiency and focus on core business goals. From payroll to performance management, outsourced HR companies provide a comprehensive suite of services tailored to modern business needs.

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ConsultingJake JorgovanHR Consulting
Podcast SEO 101: How to Rank Your Episodes & Get Found in Search
Podcast SEO 101: How to Rank Your Episodes & Get Found in Search

With over 4.4 million podcasts and more than 48 million episodes available globally, the podcasting industry is more competitive than ever. In such a crowded space, simply producing quality content isn't enough. Without proper optimization for discoverability, even the most insightful episodes can go unheard.

Podcast SEO, or Podcast Visibility Optimization (PVO), is how your show gets found. It involves aligning your podcast titles, descriptions, website content, and distribution strategy with how and where your audience searches. Just like with blog SEO, it starts with intentional content planning and continues through thoughtful promotion.

In this guide, we cover the core strategies that make a podcast discoverable. From foundational best practices to advanced techniques used by top B2B teams, you will learn how to turn each episode into a long-lasting asset that attracts the right audience.

Let’s begin.

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PodcastingSheila Wupodcast SEO
Building a Podcast Studio on Any Budget: What You Need to Sound Professional
Building a Podcast Studio on Any Budget: What You Need to Sound Professional

Sound quality can make or break a podcast. Listeners might forgive shaky content, but not bad audio. In fact, clear sound makes you seem more credible and keeps people tuned in. A 2018 study called Good Sound, Good Research found that people tend to see speakers with clearer audio as more trustworthy and competent.

The good news is, you don’t need a massive budget to sound professional.

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PodcastingSheila WuPodcast Studio
How to Grow Your Consulting Firm with Niche-Driven SEO
How to Grow Your Consulting Firm with Niche-Driven SEO

You don’t need millions of visitors to grow a B2B company. That’s a myth.

What you need is qualified traffic: people actively searching for your consulting services with intent to buy.

In 2025, B2B growth comes from mastering the right digital levers: SEO strategy, content marketing, and online visibility tailored to your ideal client.

This guide breaks down 10 core principles that drive real business growth, higher conversion rates, and better return on investment.

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ConsultingAlpha ApexSEO
How to Turn Podcast Guests into Clients, Partners, or Investors: A Strategic Guide for B2B Companies
How to Turn Podcast Guests into Clients, Partners, or Investors: A Strategic Guide for B2B Companies

For most B2B companies, branded podcasts are treated as content marketing tools: a way to build brand visibility, share thought leadership, and stay top-of-mind with their audience.

But increasingly, podcasts are serving a far more strategic role. They are becoming direct drivers of business development, helping companies convert guests into clients, partners, and investors.In fact, successful B2B podcasts see an average guest-to-client conversion rate of 10%, directly linking podcasting efforts to revenue generation

When structured intentionally, a podcast creates a natural platform to build relationships with high-value prospects. Through meaningful conversations, companies can establish trust, demonstrate expertise, and open the door to future collaboration without relying on a traditional sales pitch.

This article outlines a systematic approach to help marketing managers use their podcasts as more than content engines; but as business development tools capable of producing measurable results.

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PodcastingAlpha ApexPodcast Guest
The Art of Being a B2B Podcast Host: How to Lead Engaging Conversations
The Art of Being a B2B Podcast Host: How to Lead Engaging Conversations

Great podcast episodes don’t happen by accident. Behind every engaging conversation is a host who shows up prepared, curious, and ready to connect. For B2B companies, podcasting isn’t just about distributing content, it’s about building trust, earning attention, and deepening relationships with prospects, customers, and partners.

But hosting a great B2B podcast interview is harder than it looks. 

It’s not enough to ask a few good questions or land a high-profile guest. The real magic happens when the host creates the right environment, one that encourages honesty, sparks insight, and invites listeners to lean in.

In this article, we’ll explore what it takes to lead standout podcast interviews.

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PodcastingAlpha ApexB2B Podcast