Internet Marketing
September 1, 2010
LocalPack Covers Local SEO Bases
As if there aren’t enough obstacles for the underdog, strong brands received a boost in Google SERPs this week. The algorithm update that presents up to seven results from the same domain within a search results page was a topic of discussion during today’s SEM Synergy. And so were those challenged by the update — small brands and businesses who may fall out of SERPs as Google favors big brand domains.
Also taxing small and local businesses is the decreased click-through traffic that results from a Google SERP with a local one-pack. In a thread on Webmaster World, webmasters compare their experiences with local one-box traffic, in one instance reporting a 19-25% CTR from a one-box and a 37-40% CTR from straight Web results (in position one for both scenarios).
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August 31, 2010
Who Are You Up Against? Sizing Up the Competition
While Bing-Yahoo! and Google battle it out to win the hearts of searchers around the world, businesses everywhere are locked in a similar struggle for your attention and dollars. But before you dedicate resources to beating the competition, it’s important to be sure of whom your competition is. With an environment like the World Wide Web, your SEO competition can be anyone and everyone, and can change daily. It helps to know simple tasks that can be performed about once a month if you’re in a very competitive space. So, when tackling the question of who your worthy opponents are, the process may go a little something like this.
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August 30, 2010
Search Engine Marketing Blog Lessons: Tales from the Blogging Trenches
The advice that business should blog is great and all, but the more pressing question, by far, is how. When I’ve sat down with clients to start them on the track to business blogging, there are many questions and much uncertainty, of the creative and technical nature. As the author of a search engine marketing blog, it’s kinda my thing to think about both sides of the coin: the SEO benefit as well as the creative and community building aspects of blogging. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re staring at a sparse screen, looking to leverage the benefits of a blog.
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August 27, 2010
Friday Recap: Cheeseburger Edition
Can I get a hallelujah for Friday? Here are some fun and interesting stories to get you to your weekend.
First, how about a trip in the time machine? Employee orientation videos from Wendy’s make a good point. People learn better when instructions are rapped, with belting riffs and glamour shot lighting. [I feel like I’m ready for an exciting career in fast food. –Susan]
At least Wendy’s was trying to reach their team in a popular medium of the time. Knowing your audience and their interests is an important part of building community. Ben Huh, founder of Cheezburger Network, knows a thing or two about online community management. He was my guest on this week’s SEM Synergy and I couldn’t share this with you earlier, as I was in video editing purgatory, but now I can!
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August 26, 2010
Please Don’t Go No. 2 on SEO Copywriting
I’m at the grocery store the other day and the cashier asks me what I do for a living. I tell him I’m a writer.
Him: “Oh, really? What genre?”
(Looks like he just met a celebrity. I chuckle.)
Me: “Not that kind.”
Then I thought to myself, Why should I laugh? Copywriting is certainly an art, and when you add SEO copywriting into the mix, I might as well be Pablo Neruda (a little overboard?).
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August 25, 2010
The Danger of Dismissing Social Media’s Value
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but there is business value in social media marketing.
How’s that for a news flash, guys?
Not like I’ve never said it before. So why again now? Well, the idea that social is a waste of time caused quite a stir on Hacker News today as Spencer Fry’s Down With Social made its way to the top. Fry makes a strong argument, however, we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Why Fry thinks social media has no business value:
- Skills needed for community managers are present throughout the organization. Devoting a full-time person to the job is a waste of resources.
- Social media is not a fit for every business. Some sites are better served without social features.
- Social media marketing can’t be measured effectively. Spending without knowing the return on investment is throwing money away.
So here’s where I beg to differ.
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August 24, 2010
Non-Profit SEO Corner: Starting Out
Did you know that in Niger, the world’s poorest nation, the lack of access to clean water causes blindness, disease and social inequity?
68% of people in rural Niger drink contaminated water.
1 in 4 children die before the age of 5.
85% of women in Niger are illiterate.
And all those issues can be helped by providing the simple life necessity of clean water.
On Saturday I started a project with a charity group to promote the cause of Wells Bring Hope online. It’s an exciting proposition: take the organization’s current site and social media presence and see how far you can take it. The all volunteer team is crafting a communications strategy, more or less, from the ground up. Like many SEOs and social media marketers starting a client project, we aren’t starting from scratch, but are working with the platforms already established.
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August 23, 2010
Search and Social News Bites
Is it just me or did anyone else find it tough to stay up on search industry news with SES San Francisco flying by? Now, going through my feed reader, a number of important news bites are jumping out. Thought these might be worth sharing.
Google Streaming Search Test
Evidence of a test within Google search engine results shows the displayed results changing as a query is entered into the search box. One user reports that the Google home page automatically shifts from a search box on the predominantly white page to a results page with ads as a query is entered. Such instant preview search technology is also called “incremental search.”
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August 20, 2010
Friday Recap: Chasing Butterflies Edition
What a week! Hope everyone had a good one, and that those at SES San Francisco arrived back home safely. Susan’s back in the office, which is a joy in the writers’ room, because that means more smiles, stories and presents! (Yay, conference swag!)
Just for you she brought back a packed-to-the-brim archive of liveblog coverage of SES. A million thank yous to the guest livebloggers (Some of them first timers on the liveblog circuit! They’re naturals!) who pumped out comprehensive reports of sessions with thoughtful advice and opinions. I’m talking to you, Alan Bleiweiss, Brent Rangen, Jayme Westervelt, John Ellis, Jonah Stein and Michael Martin. Oh, BCI’s own Susan Esparza and Bruce Clay Australia’s Kate Gamble didn’t do too bad either. 
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August 19, 2010
Advanced Keyword Research — SES San Francisco
Moderator:
Christine Churchill, President, KeyRelevance
Speakers:
Ron Jones, President/CEO, Symetri Internet Marketing
Wister Walcott, Co-founder & VP of Products, Marin Software
Aaron Lauper, adCenter Product Team, Microsoft Advertising
Stacie Susens, Director of Client Strategy and Development, Resolution Media
If you have a chance, I highly recommend reading the blog that covered Andy Beal’s Google reputation presentation. Tons of great nuggets of information in his presentation in regards to doing reputation management for your company. However… don’t leave before you read this one on Advanced Keyword Research, of course!
For those of you who think keyword research isn’t that important, think again. Keyword research is something that can make or break a campaign – paid or organic or even social. Let’s see what the panelist have to say about advanced keyword research.
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