As usual, Google is always testing new search results and the way the results display. Dr. Peter Meyers of Moz recently noticed a change in the Google search interface. The results displayed included restaurant reviews from Reason, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal when he searched [mexican restaurants].
In a recent announcement, Facebook plans to consolidate its ad offerings down from 27 to close to half of that. Offers for online deals will disappear and they are changing way “Sponsored Stories” are laid out. Expect these changes to slowly roll out.
If you have heard of this NSA PRISM program, you should pay attention now. The Guardian uncovered a top secret document that showed that officials had direct access to systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other internet bigwigs. The document was allegedly used to educate intelligence operatives on the program.
Jade W of Google announced that Google will now start displaying “Are you a business owner?” to direct branded search results. Although it is a minor change, it seems as though Google is attempting to engage small business owners more. Have you started seeing this change for other SMBs?
For those who still use Yahoo as their primary search engine will notice a change in the search results. Yahoo has attempted to de-clutter the SERPs and moving search results higher up on the page. Do you like the new changes? Will you start using Yahoo?
Pinning for SEO: Pinterest Can Boost Your Rankings
Pinterest is a hot topic right now, and not just for people wanting inspiration for their future wedding. While blogs, websites, and the big-name social sites get all the SEO airtime, Pinterest can get overlooked, even though it has huge potential to boost your company’s rankings. With the right tactics, you can start pinning your way to greater exposure, one infograph or product at a time.
Sneak In Keywords
Pinterest may appear to be all about the images, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to scatter your keywords around the site—and doing so can provide a big payoff. Your profile’s “About” section is only 200 characters long, but making those words count will give search engines something to do.
For each board you create, incorporate one or more keywords into the title; that will make them more interesting to search engines, and more likely to be spotlighted. And when you pin, edit your image file names to include keywords, and utilize the 500-character description for each pin to scatter keywords. Remember to go back and edit previously pinned images, too, so you don’t lose those valuable SEO opportunities.
Check and Uncheck
There are two little features in Pinterest that can make all the difference for your SEO. Both are under “Settings.” Make sure the option to hide your boards from search engines is turned off; hiding your pins will defeat the entire point of using Pinterest.
While you’re on your “Settings” page, click the “Verify Website” button. This step certifies that the website on your profile is, in fact, yours, and puts a check next to the domain in search results. That check translates into increased traffic and higher SEO rankings, since both consumers and search engines are more likely to find you legitimate.
Go Outside the Platform
Pinterest, like any social media, is most useful as a connection tool. Link to your website, blog, Facebook profile, LinkedIn profile, and any other sites connected to the company, from your Pinterest “About” section and/or your pin descriptions. Encourage users to view more of what you have to offer by directing them beyond the images on your boards.
Additionally, pull your pictures from outside Pinterest to generate fresh content. While repinning creates connections, new pins draw attention, as they haven’t been seen before. Search engines scan pin quality as well as text, so pin high-resolution images whenever possible.
Board Smart
Think of your Pinterest boards as your welcome signs, drawing in users and search engines with strong titles and an enticing variety. Put your best boards up higher, since viewers often see just the top one or two rows, and edit each board to make sure it has a category. When you sort your images based on customers’ needs and desires, your Pinterest can become a well-organized storefront, even if you don’t sell products. And with the new Pinterest Web analytics, you’ll be able to see at a glance what’s working and what needs to disappear.
Pinterest may have started as a virtual corkboard for the crafty, but it’s exploded into nearly every realm. Take on the pinning challenge and make it work for you!
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.
Earlier this month, Google started slowly rolling out the new Google Places For Business Dashboard which includes an updated interface, deeper integration with Plus, and a promise of faster updates. The dashboard is now available to all new users in the U.S. To help better understand the new features, we have compiled a great list of resources on this much-needed updated.
Recently, Pinterest launched its Web Analytics, allowing for businesses with verified accounts to track how many users are pinning from their site, the number of impressions from each pin, and incoming site traffic that is being generated directly from Pinterest.
Outside of SEO and social media campaigns, many may argue that there is no way to successfully tracking branding and traditional advertising efforts. Pinterest will argue this as this data now allows businesses to successfully track how users are interacting with their pins, products, and most importantly – how they are most likely to convert.
The launch of Pinterest for Business in late 2012 welcomed businesses to develop professional profiles and the implementation of “pin-it” widgets. Naturally this has been great for businesses across the board! Not only does having a professional Pinterest board increases brand awareness and a brand’s social presence, but also provides another avenue in generating site traffic.
By implementing social sharing widgets on a new product page, allows for users to quickly view a product they are interested in, and repin this great finding to the world of Pinterest.
So, yes we know how great Pinterest is, but what we really need to know is how it can make us money! As a business owner, our job is to create shareable content to promote products, and Pinterest’s job is to push it out. With this tool, we can track exactly how our marketing content is being socially pushed out! Businesses can now track how many pins are being pinned from the site, the impressions generated by each pin, and the number of repins generated by the original pin. Tracking of clicks and social reach is also available. Pretty cool we can now track the click through rate (CTR) for a specific product or pin!
Successfully tracking how customers pin their favorite blouse to a board where all their followings can see it (impression), allowing for new followers to visit your site (traffic), and potentially buy that same blouse (conversion), is a dream come true for e-commerce sites!
From a business perspective this allows us to really understand what our target market is interested in. Tracking which pin is the most successful allows us to analyze specific, engaging content that may lead to a higher conversion rate.
With social media constantly growing and changing, and the need to market businesses on social platforms only increasing, the launch of this new tracking device may even convince other business to get on board with Pinterest.
Now, how much longer until we see ads on Pinterest?
For those of you who don’t know, before Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf South, New Orleans was on a steady rate of decline. However, the city we love to call home here at Search Influence is in the middle of a major renaissance. News sources across the nation have reported New Orleans is the fastest growing city in America.
Population in April 2010: 343,829
Population in July of 2011: 360,740
Change in population: 4.9 percent (national average 0.73%)
With all of these growth changes and increase in jobs, New Orleans has also become a hub of entrepreneurial activity. Forbes recently said New Orleans is one of the biggest brain magnets in the country, attracting young, innovative minds. It is reported that 427 out of every 100,000 adults started up a new business in the New Orleans metro area, which is 40% above the national average.
Many of these entrepreneurial efforts are tech-based. Companies such as Idea Village and LaunchPad have helped young tech and digital media entrepreneurs start their businesses, giving them advice, a place to work, and grants. Marketing firms, apps, and software are all being developed in this city, which is quite shocking considering this has always been a city known for being 10 years behind everyone else. Kickboard, started by Jennifer Medbery after teaching at a charter school, is software that provides a centralized location for teachers to record their students’ progress.
Even Search Influence was founded during Katrina’s aftermath, and along with this city, we have grown at a rapid rate. In 2011 we made it on Inc. 500’s list of fastest growing companies, and we are now the largest online marketing firm in New Orleans. Digital media has many different facets, and we are proud to offer SEO, social media, and paid search services.
New Orleans institutions such as the Audubon Institute, Naked Pizza, and Southern Costume Company have integrated the digital space into their marketing efforts. Naked Pizza tweets on a regular basis, and they have truly embraced pop-culture (I strongly encourage you to watch their Harlem Shake video).
The Audubon Institute and Southern Costume Company have opened their marketing efforts to include social media promotions and building their brand on Facebook.
Digital Media, online marketing, and social media have become vital factors for today’s businesses to succeed. It’s all about the conversation and being transparent with your customers. We are so happy to report that our city and businesses are flourishing due to technology and media advancements.
1. How does social media affect your SEO? – Search Engine Journal Does Google really pay attention to social signals? As more and more users share content through social networks, Google is taking note to what gets shared and has even trying to capitalize on that by starting Google+. Some users may use social media to see what is newsworthy, but you definitely have to watch how your company manages its social presence. How are you taking advantage of social media for your business?
2. Google’s Algorithms – How does it all work? – Search Engine Land
Did you know that the web is made up of over 30 trillion individual pages? Take a look at Google’s most recent infographic on “How Search Works.” The graphic is divided into three parts: crawling and indexing, algorithms, fighting spam. Check it out.
3. Google releases change history in Google Analytics – Search Engine Watch
If you logged into your Google Analytics recently, you will notice a new change. Google has added Change History in Google Analytics, which allows you to see what historical edits were made to the account. This is pretty neat and helps you keep track of what changes were made if you work with multiple admins.
4. Groupon fires its CEO Andrew Mason – Social Media Today
Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon, was let go this week after board members were questioning his role in the company. As the daily deal market becomes more competitive and oversaturated, Groupon saw its stock decline since its initial public offering in 2011. Did Groupon make the right decision to go public? What does this mean for future IPOs?
5. Will Pinterest help Nars generate meaningful leads? – Mashable
Nars launched an interesting social media campaign last month on Facebook to promote their new Andy Warhol-inspired collection. Now they are launching a new campaign on Pinterest to see if they can generate actual sales from the popular site. Partnering with three popular Pinterest users, these pinners will develop their own boards on each of their accounts to offer early access to its new Satin Lip Pencil collection. Nars is stepping up their social media plans. Will others follow suit?
I get a lot of questions from clients about starting or maintaining a paid search or Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign. While we at SI are undoubtedly convinced of the positive impact a paid search campaign can have on a small business, others need more information before committing. Some of the most frequently asked questions about a paid search campaign include:
“What are the advantages and disadvantages of a PPC campaign?”
“Why should I do PPC if I rank in the first position organically?” in the same sense, “Should I start a PPC campaign until I start ranking organically?”
“Why should I pay for people to click on my website when they are already looking for my brand?”
“How will this help my business, and what should I expect for an ROI?”
So, what are the answers to these important questions facing small businesses? Here’s my take:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a PPC campaign?
Starting a PPC campaign allows you to show up in the Google search results for search terms that you may not rank for organically.
A PPC campaign allows you to set daily and monthly budgets for the keywords and areas you want to target. If you are selling a product or service that is sold out or fully booked, you can allocate your budget to a different product or service with a simple click.
You also have more control over the locations where your ads show. With SEO, you are building overall site authority, and while you may be targeting specific geo-modified keywords, you could potentially rank in other locations. With paid search, you can set your preferred locations as well as the exact geo-modified keywords you want to target.
One of the main benefits of a paid search campaign is that results can be instantaneous. While it typically takes 30-60 days to fully optimize a campaign to see optimal results, you can begin receiving leads or making sales the first day your ads are live.
Will paid search marketing ads still help me if I rank in the first position organically?
The answer to this is, of course, “YES!” — but let me tell you why.
For terms that you do rank for organically, having a paid ad allows you to claim more “real estate” on the search engine results page and increases the likelihood that people will come to your site. People tend to believe your site is more authoritative because Google allows you to show up more than once on the page. According to Search Engine Watch, 34 percent of paid search clicks occur when the same website ranks organically on the page. If the paid search ad is paused, only 11 percent of the traffic generated by the ads will be replaced by the organic clicks.
Having a paid search campaign gives you the ability to control your message through your ad copy and change it easily and often if necessary. You can create unique ads for specials and seasonal offerings and have them rank in top positions quickly. This allows your ads to always be relevant.
PPC also gives you the ability to control the message and content of the landing page to which you send your visitors. You can optimize this landing page for conversions and sales, with less focus on keyword-related content.
Finally, you have the ability to test ad content, landing pages and keywords on a larger scale. You can determine which calls to action are driving traffic and which keywords convert the best in a shorter time frame. Then, you can apply this knowledge to your SEO campaign.
Side Note: Running a paid search campaign will NOT improve your organic rankings.
Should I start a PPC campaign until I start ranking organically?
You should most certainly start a PPC campaign immediately. However, see the question above for why you should continue the campaign even if you rank in the first position organically.
Why should I pay for people to click on my website when they are looking for my brand?
Besides the points mentioned above, there are many reasons to bid on branded keywords.
Competitors may be bidding on your branded terms and you will want to ensure you are showing in the top position for your brand.
Branded clicks are very inexpensive, as you are going to be the most relevant result for your brand, and Google will “reward” you for that.
People searching for your brand are more likely to convert, and you want to be where they are searching.
How will this help my business, and what should I expect for an ROI?
Search Influence tracks all aspects of a paid search campaign, similar to how we track success for SEO. We provide call tracking numbers for campaigns and set up form tracking to attribute leads directly to paid search campaigns. Our monthly reports include a list of leads, cost per lead, clicks, click through rates, and average cost per click (among other factors). This helps our clients determine if the leads we provide are valuable and what leads are becoming actual customers. ROI will vary depending on industry, but we strive to provide a positive ROI for every client.
So if you are wondering if you should start a paid search campaign, the answer is almost certainly “Yes!” With effective research, targeting and analysis, you can have a successful campaign that will generate leads and sales for your business.
I’d love to hear your opinions on PPC, so leave a comment below!
Search Influence was named in the first Flyover 50, a list compiled by Five Elms Capital to highlight the 50 fastest-growing companies in the central U.S.
Topping the list is Appcore, a company based in Des Moines, which provides cloud computing infrastructure. To be considered for the inaugural Flyover 50, companies applied or were nominated, and the top companies were determined by a percentage of growth in revenue.
In order to qualify, a company’s revenue must have exceeded $1 million in 2011 and be based within a 20-state area in the central United States.
The 50 honorees are invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Mid America Corporate Growth Conference in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday.
View the complete list of Mid-America’s fastest growing companies here.
Search Influence is a national, full-service online marketing company based in New Orleans. The largest online marketing company on the gulf coast, Search Influence employs 35 full-time employees and 40 contract writers to support hundreds of direct and white label customers. Search Influence was co-founded by Will Scott and Angie Scott in 2006.
Take Seven Steps to Social Media Heaven today! 90 million users can’t be wrong: Google+ is the newest and fastest-growing social network, recently opening its doors to small businesses. The multifaceted integration with search, social discussion and sharing, and the rise of a platform for authority has made Google+ a must for any business.
Sharing meaningful content and interacting with your users
Measuring what Google Plus does for your Business
Strengthening your site for Google Plus for Business
Going beyond social and making a difference in social-search.
Find out the latest tricks and tips in social media today. Download our eBook to get started.
What Can a Google Plus For Business Page Do?
With an engagement rate topping 60%, Google+ is a goldmine of social interaction. Hangouts with your users, highly-targeted circles, and integration with both search and other Google apps makes Google Plus for Business a worthy investment for any small business. But it’s a complex social network, and less intuitive than Twitter and Facebook — make sure you know how to traverse the rapids of this new social network by downloading our Google Plus for Business eBook now!
A well-tuned Google+ page can be a conduit for discussion, a traffic generator, and a wellspring of highly targeted and engaged website visitors both on and off the social network. Find out today how to focus the energy from Google+ to your business by building your business page and what aspects make effective social media campaigns on Google+.
Running around in Circles? Confused by it all? Contact Search Influence today to get your Google Plus for Business page running at full steam.
The new kid on the block has opened itself to businesses in two principal ways. Unlike Facebook, which focuses on admin-managed pages, and Twitter, which couldn’t care less if a person, place, or animal is represented in a feed, Google initially maintained its focus on people in its business-level implementation of its social network, not announcing any kind of branded pages. Then Monday’s announcement of Facebook-style business pages opened a new avenue for marketers, if only those in selected niches. Both new tools allow for the implementation of the “authority” metrics hinted at in numerous Google quality documents.
But should a business even have a Google+ presence? Facebook of course is ubiquitous, and Twitter has proven itself to be a direct customer relations tool. Google+, however, has languished as Robert Scoble’s main soapbox and Android users’ photo repository. Google+ isn’t a lead generator, lacking the customization of Facebook tabs, and it isn’t a customer service tool, lacking the plurality userbase (8% of the US) Twitter enjoys.
Applications of Google+ for Business
But it’s not just those on the social network who will benefit from business applications of Google+. Integration with search and the use of the network as an authority metric seem to be major advantages of Google+ for businesses. Once set up correctly, a robust Google+ profile can give authority to local ranking and regular integrated SERP rank depending on page type. Unsurprisingly, this leaves the active maintenance lacking; however, even that aspect can be worthwhile in the right niches.
Internally, Hangouts combined with Google Docs allows decentralized businesses a face-to-face online collaboration tool. Users can avoid the loss of communication from short text comments in edits, enriching group writing and design. This use of Docs can help a variety of businesses, both for internal meetings and for work with clients. The possibilities previously hinted at are relatively endless, and make Google+ a must-have for remote businesses, some design firms, and any company needing to build something in front of a customer or each other without being in the same room.
But most companies don’t need that kind of ability for real-time document editing. For them, Hangouts provide a simple way to start webinars, live shows, and other almost TV-styled content. Something like SEOmoz’s Whiteboard Friday could be live broadcast with question-and-answer, recorded locally, and quickly uploaded to YouTube or another video site, then added to a website for further life out of the content. If live videos would take too much effort, even a simple video exclusive to Google+ can help drive uses both to your Plus Page and create user interaction. This kind of direct, personal, and instant communication with users and the ease of creating something for all visitors is nearly unprecedented in social media.
How Your Employees
Keeping with the focus on both users and non-users of the network, Google+ offers ways to interact with customers outside of the realm of the social network — being the only outlet for rel=”author” and introducing rel=”publisher”, the best way to get your personal face and name ad your company’s image in the SERPs. Reinforcing the authority metrics hinted at in Panda and the related effects, Google+ is the gatekeeper for bridging the gap between semantic and visible authorship in the SERPs, and the exposure and connection of a face and name to a business can humanize and connect with customers in a way that couldn’t be done for someone who isn’t just signed into Facebook. “The face in the SERPs” is perfect for any company with a regularly maintained blog or article section. Similarly, a company might see its logo next to its web site when rel=”publisher” is implemented.
Using Google+ to Put Your Face in the SERPs
Happily, WordPress sites have a relatively simple solution for implementing a multi-person rel=”author”. It does the first step for you, linking to the author page with rel=”author”. Then, add your canonical Plus account url to the Website field in Your Profile under Users:
Place your canonical Google+ url in this field under User > Your profile
Then, you need to edit the theme, adding this to the body of either your main template, or the author template, author.php, omitting the if-statement:
<?php if (is_author()) {
$curauth = (isset($_GET['author_name'])) ? get_user_by('slug', $author_name) :
get_userdata(intval($author));
?>
<a rel="me" href="<?php echo $curauth->user_url; ?>">
Visit me on Google+
</a>
<?php } ?>
This will get the author name if it’s set, then get all of the user data, then display the url from that author in a link with the all-important rel=”me”.
Oops! Not what you'd like to see…
Similarly, to set up rel=”publisher”, just a link tag on all pages without rel=”author” on it will connect your site with your company Google+ Page. Why only on those pages? Because as Search Engine Land’s rich snippet test shows, Google will prioritize author over publisher.
Once it’s all set up, check your url in that same Rich Snippet Tester tool, making sure it shows your face and name. The wait time on recognition from Google is inconsistent, but such connections are key to establishing authority.
Google+ Establishes Thought Leaders
A secondary effect of individual commercial Google+ profiles is that giving a face to a URL can create a sense of thought leadership, pulling in longer-term researchers with high quality informative articles and blogs. Having one author connected to your name will heavily associate the one person with the site; having multiple writers will strengthen the authority of each writer as an individual source of quality knowledge. A logo, if well-chosen, transforms the SERPs into display ads. Through either, one positions their employees as experts and their company as prominent: certainly an admirable position.
Google+ might not be for every business, even businesses that rely on their current Apps as the underpinning for their online productivity. However, for businesses with the specific needs for which Google+ provides killer apps, Google+ is a perfect addition to the social media profile of your business. Furthermore, it’s ease of setup provides deep support beyond social interaction, leaving much utility even for more straightforward businesses.
As usual, Google is always testing new search results and the way the results display. Dr. Peter Meyers of Moz recently noticed a change in the Google search interface. The results displayed included restaurant reviews from Reason, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal when he searched [mexican restaurants].
Pinning for SEO: Pinterest Can Boost Your Rankings
