Category: Industry Insights

SEO Secrets, Tips & Tricks – Why it’s Not Worth Your Your Time — Graywolf’s SEO

Everyone wants to say they have a surefire array of “secret ingredients” that will launch your website to optimization superstardom — but like most things in life, it’s not that easy. Michael Gray takes on the phenomenon, eschewing the tips-and-tricks way of thinking for old-fashioned discovery of what works, why it works, and how to make it work again when something goes wrong.

Google Points Out 5 Common SEO Mistakes [VIDEO] — Marketing Pilgrim

The rumblings of a Google algorithm update are now impossible to ignore, and you should be preparing your site for the shift. The update targets “overly-optimized” sites — however, even if your website is unique, solid and purposeful, this informative video is worth checking out for the detailed explanations and helpful strategies that lead Google developer Maile Ohye offers up.

Social Media Disconnect: It Matters, But We Have No Strategy — Small Business SEM

A study carried out on high-ranking business executives shows a serious disconnect between the realization of the importance of social media, and the impetus to carry through with brand-building campaigns. Would the phenomenon be even more pronounced with small business owners?

5 Interesting Pinterest Marketing Campaigns> — Mashable

Pinterest is the new hotshot in social media establishments, drawing record-breaking growth numbers and unique visually-focused sharing. Check out some of the most notable campaigns in recent memory — getting any ideas for your own business?

Netflix and Yahoo Pin Their Hopes on Original Content — Marketing Pilgrim

Online video giant Netflix and has-been search engine Yahoo don’t seem to have much in common — except for their shared interest in web-only, direct-to-screen video. Find out what these companies are doing to revolutionize ad-free (but not revenue-free) video accessible to anyone with a connection, and pick up some tips for your own use along the way.

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Google Is Watching You (Or Not): New Privacy Policy Takes Effect Today – Search Engine Land

— Google says their new privacy policy will open the door to new products and services for the public. The idea is to simplify privacy across all of Google’s properties without affecting user’s experience. Browsing and search history controls should remain unchanged, so why are there so many articles warning “Google is watching you?”

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What Susan G Komen Doesn’t Understand About Communities and You Should – SEOMoz

— Global neighborhoods don’t form around organizations; they form around the major issues of the day. When an online community responds to a breaking headline, they can pop up, grow, and disappear overnight, but their impact on your business could be lasting. Online reactions to the Susan G. Komen public relations debacle offer insights into how you can leverage a network to build your brand and manage your reputation.

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Why Small Businesses Need BOTH Social & Search – SmallBusinessSEM

— Local search and social media are two essential ingredients for a successful online presence. Recent surveys like the Local Search Study show that the answer to the question, “should we be spending more on search or social media?” is both. The study found that 63 percent of consumers were more likely to engage with a local business if they are available on a social network. However, the study confirmed that consumers avoid social networks when they need to search.

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Twitter Brand Pages Adding E-Commerce, Contest Features? – Search Engine Watch

— Following in the footsteps of Facebook, Twitter will be allowing developers to create “experience” apps for business brand pages in 2012. Increased user engagement would mean more time on Brand Pages and a bigger share of advertising revenue for the social media giant. Is e-commerce the next step for the Twitter platform?

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Are You Using the Right Keywords On Your Site? A Simple Three-Rule Test – SearchEngineJournal

— There are plenty of quality keyword tools. However, there is also no shortage of metrics that claim to help you determine the value of a particular keyword. While some of these stats provide insight, you should not rely on them when making your selections for SEO and PPC. Here’s a quick three-rule test for making better choices when it comes to keywords.

Optimizing Search Engine Marketing For Seasonal Opportunities — Search Engine Land

If you’re in the business of beach umbrella retail, snowblowing equipment, spring cleaning or other seasonally-related product or service, chances are you’ll be interested in this article explaining how to stay on top of the trends and perfectly time your campaigns to get the most out of the busy season.

Reaching Your Target Market Through Social Media — ProNet Advertising

Engaging your customers and building a brand online is a crucial part of competing in the contemporary business world — read this article to learn more on how to maximize the potential of every part of your social media activity.

SEO 101: Getting the Right URL Structure — Graywolf’s SEO

Poor URL structure can be an enormous impediment to your site’s optimization. Don’t fall into the trap of multiple addresses for single pieces of content, keyword stuffing or overly complex directories — Michael Gray gives you the skinny on how to create concise, effective URLs for your site that are linkable and crawlable for maximum efficiency.

How to land cool speaking gigs — SuccessWorks

While you endeavor to build your business’s success online, you shouldn’t let your personal brand offline fall by the wayside either. Conference speaking is a skill crucial to succeeding in many industries — here’s a beginner’s guide to nabbing the gig you want and creating an effective and memorable presentation once you’re on stage.

The Marketer’s Guide To Pinterest — Social Times

Have you joined up with new image sharing platform Pinterest yet? This handy graphic from Social Times illustrates why you should be joining this quickly-expanding sharing site, along with helpful tips on adding pin buttons to your site, establishing a presence with your own board and making sure the media on your site is pinnable.

How Twitter Can Improve Your Management (in 140 Characters or Less) — Inc.com

It’s said that brevity is the soul of wit, and nowhere is that more apparent than the mandatory 140-character limit of Twitter messages. Inc.com’s Frank Addante takes you how the confined space can actually help you structure your management style and clarify your goals.

Elections, The Olympics and the End of the World: What’s Next for Social Video — Marketing Pilgrim

With political campaigns being broken on the strength of dislikes alone and views of adorable owls skyrocketing to unprecedented levels, it seems evident that Youtube is here to stay. Get the skinny on what leveraging its inherent shareability can do for your social media presence.

SEO: A Force for Good — Search Engine Watch

While the search engine optimization industry certainly has its monetary side, its ideal functionality is helping search engines discover and rank content in a way that is intelligible and relevant to the user. Check out this foray through the brighter side of optimizing and targeting!

Variety: The Spice of Life, and Your Blog — Small Business SEM

While writing a “home run” post every single time seems great on the outside, it can get wearing on your readers after a while. Check out this article to find out how to mix and edit your blog in order to get the maximum benefit out of your writerly efforts.

Promoting Your Old YouTube Videos — ProNet Advertising

While sharing your videos upon release is important, their productivity never really expires when you follow these easy tips to keep your archives working for you.

Everyone out there is sharing and talking about the latest crazy thing they saw online.  “Did you see that video?” “Have you heard about that picture of [so and so]?”  We’ve all heard it.  We’ve all said it.  Viral sharing is so ingrained in our cultural subconscious that one may not even realize that this is just the beginning of 21st century marketing.

Through websites such as YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, Pinterest, and Facebook, we are seeing that average people, not just celebrities, are providing worldwide commercial and “niche” entertainment. Independent artists are getting their visions seen.  Video bloggers are getting their voices heard.  Little moments in life that would normally be forgotten are now being shared with the world.

But this is not just for entertainment value anymore. It can be a new jumping off point for small to big businesses that provides the opportunity to create value and ROI through the means of social sharing.

So let’s start with the simplest question: “why?”  Why is viral marketing spreading the way it is?  Why is it that some things explode with popularity while other things are left in the world of the blind?  Instead of going through a sociological breakdown of it all, let’s just keep it simple.

1.   It’s Hilarious

• Embarrassing Content – the worst human condition possible.  However it is always funnier when it happens to someone else.
• Cute Content – Whether it be furry animals dancing, silly babies yapping, or an owl being petted.
• Outrageous or Satire – Comedy skits such as Derrick Comedy and Shit Girls Say that delve into the absurdly funny.

2.  It Can Connect

• Political Content – Videos, blogs, or pictures that represent what side of the political line we fall under
• Personal Content – What it’s like to go through a breakup, the struggles of quitting smoking, or being insecure about one’s image are quite universal and people can relate to it.
• Religious Content – A sharing of spiritual beliefs in a world of a thousand religions. Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus received almost 12 million views in just 5 days.

3.  It’s Shocking and or Interesting

• Shocking – Cars flipping on the interstate, old ladies hitting police officers, or rioters being maced.  Things that we don’t normally see that prove that this is no ordinary world.
• Interesting – Whether it be scientific research like the marshmallow test, or the broadening of a subject matter, interesting topics can keep us deep into research for hours on end.

So what does this mean for SEO?  Not only can a viral marketing piece entertain and have a mass audience buzzing,  it can be a great way to promote brand awareness and link sharing through authoritative sites.  By creating a share-worthy piece of content, companies can expect that more and more views can be achieved, thus placing their product or services deeper into the human awareness.

“Did you see that video?” “Have you heard about that picture of [so and so]?”  So the next time you hear it, the next time you say it, ask yourself why.  What’s the last thing you shared?

Google’s home entertainment foray: Why the Motorola deal may work – ZDNET
With the acquisition of Motorola, Google is developing a home-entertainment system to take on Apple TV. Google has failed in this market before with Google TV. Google TV, to many users, was too much, too soon to succeed. Motorola has the technology in their already-existing cable boxes to help expedite this process. Will you try out this new software?

Survey: People Largely Negative About Google’s Personalized Search Results – Search Engine Land
In survey of 400 people to see what their thoughts were about Google’s personalized search tactics, 45% of the people surveyed said they would not like Google search results to be personalized at all. Would you prefer your results in an objective worldwide form, or should they cater to your history?

Paid Search Ad Copy Auditing – Whiteboard Friday – SEOMOZ
First-time Whiteboard Friday contributor Brian Rauschenbach explains how to optimize your ad copy on your paid search ads. Some great ideas from this video are testing shorter ad copy, creating multiple ads to compete with each other, and creating localisation to target certain cities.

How to Take Advantage of Apple’s Rise to Mobile Market Dominance – Search Engine Watch
With consumers using fewer and fewer personal PC’s, mobile marketing is considered the next big thing to many experts. By 2014, mobile Internet usage will overtake desktop internet usage. Can Apple’s iAd service get it together to start making money like Google is pulling in on the Android platform?

What is your SEO Social Signals Strategy? – Imedia Connection
Krista LaRiviere goes over how important social signals are to get Google to see your content as relevant. Social signals include Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+. Fresh content published to these platforms will improve this strategy.