January 31st, 2012
by Alan Laidlaw
Google enraged the masses last week by changing their privacy policy - mainly because it reminded everyone that Google had a privacy policy. The company who was formerly a poster child for open source, flipped from serving the 99% to acting like the dreaded 1%. Just before that, Google changed their search algorithm to promote their own social networks (Google+, YouTube) over Twitter and Facebook. The public outcry was so intense that it culminated into bookmarklet called Don’t Be Evil.
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Filed under: SEO | Tags: controversy, facebook, google, SEO, Social Media | View Comments
January 16th, 2012
by Marcus Snyder
2012 is certain to come with a lot of changes in the way that search engines work. More importantly, we’re going to see a lot of changes to the way that search results that show up. I’ve collected a few things that I think we’ll see (or in some cases, see more of) in 2012:
Search algorithms will continue moving toward personalized results.
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Filed under: Content, Paid Search, SEO | Tags: convert, google, Paid Search, SEO | View Comments
December 20th, 2011
by Daniel Hadaway
If you’re planning to begin marketing your business online, there’s a chance you’ve got a plan laid out for all the different types of marketing you’d like to utilize. It’s important to note, however, that while most businesses will see success from all online marketing channels, different types of online marketing lend themselves more favorably to specific vertical markets.
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Filed under: Display Advertising, Marketing, Online Reputation, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media, Web Design | Tags: ad, advertising, audience, click-through, conversion, conversion rates, convert, display, google, Marketing, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media | View Comments
November 8th, 2011
by Daniel Hadaway
Search Engine Land just posted an infographic based on some research they recently wrapped. The 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report provides some key insights into how marketers are viewing the roles SEO, Search and Social Media play in effective marketing:
SEO currently has the biggest impact on lead generation. Marketers (both B2B and B2C) currently view SEO as the most effective tool for generating leads, which isn’t surprising considering the positive perception and emphasis the digital marketing world has placed on it during the past 5 years. But, the current emphasis and “trendiness” of social media as a marketing tool is driving change on this front… Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Marketing, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media | Tags: advertising, display, Marketing, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media | View Comments
September 1st, 2011
by Daniel Hadaway
TechCrunch has an interesting article (and accompanying video) about some of the behind-the scenes info from Google on what goes into providing search results and constantly revising the algorithms to make results more relevant.
You should definitely take four minutes and check out the video, but here are a few key takeaways:
Google changes things constantly. Early in the video it is mentioned that last year alone, Google made over 500 changes to its search algorithm. Some changes were major, and many were minor; but staying abreast of all the latest changes Google is making- and knowing how those changes will affect your search engine ranking is a very important part of maintaining your digital presence.
Google doesn’t arbitrarily change its code. Somewhat conversely from the previous point, Google spends many hours researching every change and its potential impact on users and results. So rest assured, that your page’s ranking isn’t resting on the whims of a corporate giant (well at least not a volatile one). In the last minute or so of the video at TechCrunch, Google explains an anecdote of how one change is monitored and refined. They definitely do their homework!
Lastly, Google does control your fate. The bottom line is that Google does have ultimate control over your ranking within its search engine. They don’t answer to a higher authority than their share holders, as any business would. The whole point of this video being posted is to show the public how responsible and trustworthy Google is with all of this power. But still, it’s not a good idea to place all of your eggs in Google’s basket.
Try dedicating some resources to decidedly non-Google-controlled marketing means like Display, Paid Search (still owned by Google, but you’re paying them so you know you’ll get results!), Social Media, or even a Website designed to convert.
The bottom line is that Google does control what happens on their search engine, even though ti reached critical mass a long time ago. But, be reassured: it does seem like for the time being they are dedicated to constantly improving search results for users, and providing clear concepts on how to rank higher in its results!
TechCrunch has an interesting article (and accompanying video) about some of the behind-the scenes info from Google on what goes into providing search results and constantly revising the algorithms to make results more relevant.
You should definitely take four minutes and check out the video, but here are a few key takeaways:
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Paid Search, SEO | Tags: analysis, display, google, Paid Search, story | View Comments
August 18th, 2011
How to Deal with Negative Comments About Your Company
It really is an inevitability: At some point in the life of your business there is bound to be someone who has a bad thing or two to say about your company. Even if you always do everything right, someone isn’t going to like you, and they’ll be determined to tell the world about it.
More often than not, the first place people go when they have something negative to say about a company these days is Twitter. Of course, they do this because all of their friends are on Twitter, but they also do this because they know your company is most likely on Twitter too!
Twitter (and social media at a higher level) have become the main medium for expressing dissatisfaction with a company or brand. So you need to be prepared to deal with the negative posts when they start showing up. Here are a couple of ideas for how to do that:
Address the issue in private, and ask the poster to remove the negative post.
Finding a way to address a customer’s complaint via the medium he or she used to express that complaint can do a lot to solve negative feedback. Doing this says “We’re paying attention to you and your criticism and will meet you where you are to resolve this for you.”
Once you’ve resolved the issue, it may be appropriate to ask the person to remove the negative post. This should only be done when you perceive the original post to contain factual inaccuracies or exaggerations about your business. The idea is not to erase the incident from existence, but to ensure the truth is being told about your brand. If someone says “I came to XY Restaurant yesterday and my sandwich was horrible”, you should leave it be.
In situations like the one above where it is not appropriate to ask someone to remove a negative post, you should encourage him or her to create a second post, highlighting the positive outcome and how you addressed their complaint. In the above scenario it may be “Big thanks to XY Restaurant for contacting me and giving me 2 free lunches in the future, in order to make it up to me!”
Many times addressing the issue directly can turn a negative into an eve bigger positive!
Provide an alternative location for customers to voice complaints.
It never hurts to attempt to prevent a negative comment from being posted about your brand in the first place. Create a page on your site, and link to it from your social media profiles, that is dedicated to accepting critiques and feedback from your customers.
Many times this will be enough to encourage the customer to communicate via this direct channel as opposed to a public social media post.
Of course, once you receive the negative feedback via this page/form, make sure to address it! Customer service is still important to your customers and your business, so don’t neglect it!
One thing to never do: Get into a public argument.
The last thing you want as a brand is have your audience become polarized by a public battle with a disgruntled customer. Avoid confrontation in public like (insert scary disease here)! No one wants to see that in their social media feed and it won’t turn out good for you, no matter what!
Negative critiques of your business will eventually happen. It’s important to keep an eye on what’s being said about your brand and stay proactive! Stay on top social media platforms and communities and remember: Your reputation exists whether you choose to control it or not!
by Daniel Hadaway
It really is an inevitability: At some point in the life of your business there is bound to be someone who has a bad thing or two to say about your company. Even if you always do everything right, someone isn’t going to like you, and they’ll be determined to tell the world about it.
More often than not, the first place people go when they have something negative to say about a company these days is Twitter. Of course, they do this because all of their friends are on Twitter, but they also do this because they know your company is most likely on Twitter too!
Twitter (and social media at a higher level) have become the main medium for expressing dissatisfaction with a company or brand. So you need to be prepared to deal with the negative posts when they start showing up. Here are a couple of ideas for how to do that:
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Filed under: Online Reputation, PR, SEO, Social Media | Tags: controversy, facebook, followers, online reputation management, PR, reputation, reputation management | View Comments
January 25th, 2011
(Note: This article references “scam”-related suggestions in Google, but really could be about any negative-keyword or term that Google may be suggesting about your brand.)
While most companies would love to show up higher in search-engines, can you imagine a situation where showing up first on Google is a bad thing?
This blog has an interesting article about a client that had this exact issue. Google was suggesting the company’s brand name + the word ’scam’ in their suggested results.
How would you feel about a company if when you typed in their name, the word ’scam’ was added to the brand name and suggested by Google?
While this function of Google is certainly useful for finding companies that truly ARE scams (and avoiding them), what happens when Google gets it wrong? Or more importantly: why is Google getting it wrong in the first place? Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Content, PR, SEO | Tags: Content, google, Marketing, PR, reputation management, SEO, word-of-mouth | View Comments
July 26th, 2010
While the meta tag description does not directly affect the search rankings, it is still a crucial element of on-page SEO.
Why?
The meta description tag can be a deciding difference between a user clicking through to your site … or moving on to your competitors.
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Filed under: SEO | Tags: meta description, meta description best practices, meta description tag, meta description tips, seo meta description | View Comments
June 17th, 2010
Arguably the most important on-page element when it comes to SEO optimization, the title tag is a crucial bit of meta information that you (or the search bots) can’t afford to neglect.
A bit of background on the title tag:
- Describes the page content – Conveys to the user and search bot exactly what this page is about.
- Influences (along with the content of your page + other elements) page relevancy.
- Shows up in three important places – Search results page, browser, social media and browser favorites/bookmarks
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Filed under: SEO | Tags: on page seo, seo optimization, title tags, title tags for seo, title tags in search results | View Comments
May 24th, 2010
Keyword research is your bread and butter for understanding more about your target market and your customers – to predict demand and shift if needed – so you can offer the products, services and most importantly content that potential customers are already seeking. It’s not exactly a crystal ball … just the next best thing for connecting with your prospects.
There is a plethora of meaty information to help you navigate the keyword research process, but before you dive in head first and absorb an abundance of expert knowledge on refining your keyword list, first consider building what SEO expert Aaron Wall calls a “seed list.”
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Filed under: SEO | Tags: keyword seed list, paid search marketing, seo keyword research | View Comments
