Posted by: candice
on Dec 06, 2011
Many SEO specialists and writers alike will be familiar with the old saying, ‘content is king’. For a long time this approach to SEO has yielding great results, drawing internet traffic and rankings to sites which are carefully designed and contain excellent content. However, with the new Google Panda update and the rise of new search types (personal, social, and local to name just three),the SEO landscape appears to be changing – how do we keep up?
Google Unleashes The Panda
Google Panda is the name given to an update of Google’s search algorithm that was announced for the first time in February this year. Named after its creator, Navneet Panda, this new algorithm is based on the browsing patterns of real users that were studied by Google.
This piece of smart software ranks sites according to quality, reliability and speed, filtering out sites that contain too much advertising or are low quality. This new ranking approach has a few implications for those of us involved in content creation and SEO strategy.
Keeping Up – A New SEO Content Approach
As long as the internet exists, there will be a need for quality content. The key issue at the moment is how to tailor your content to the new search environment that Google Panda has created.
In recent times, content farms and other approaches to SEO marketing that included ‘plugging in’ content on a website and waiting for the traffic to arrive have lost their value, with a new and personalised approach being needed. In the era of personalised searches, we need to reach out to web users personally and keep their interest as long as possible,
Getting Personal
Today’s SEO content should be less advertorial and more engaging. We need to tell stories, to keep people interested and returning to our sites. Before developing a content strategy, take into account what your target audience’s wants and needs are. By blending marketing content with general interest content that makes your site entertaining and memorable to users, you will create an optimised site that will keep the traffic coming as the SEO landscape continues to change.
Posted by: candice
on Dec 01, 2011
Since its launch in February 2004, Facebook rapidly overtook its competitors to become the internet’s most popular and commercially valuable social media site. Today, with over 800 million users, it has become an essential platform for internet marketing as well. The new F8 upgrade, which replaces the traditional facebook page with a timeline, promises to take the site to a new level of functionality.
Recognising the success of Facebook as an internet phenomenon and not to be outdone,Google has entered the fray with their own social media site - Google Plus. With its clean-cut design and easy to use features, this new social media site hopes to attract existing gmail users by offering enhanced privacy options not yet available on Facebook.
The Google+ Circles of Trust
The feature that sets Google Plus apart from Facebook is the ability to divide contacts into categories such as friends, family, and acquaintances. This feature allows you to customise your front page and wall for each category, limiting the amount of personal information that people who don’t know you that well will be able to see. The circle system will appeal to privacy-loving users as well as business users who don’t necessarily want to share every post on their walls with colleagues and acquaintances.
In response to this innovation by Google, Facebook now allows users to customise some of their displayed information and wall posts according to categories of friends – Facebook contacts can now be divided into friends and close friends and each blog post can be customised so that it may only be read by close friends.
Facebook’s Timeline
The latest innovation from Facebook is the gradual replacement of the Facebook page with something known as a timeline – a running list of all your Facebook activity from your first-ever post to the present. This new innovation means that users will have to review their history to ensure a clean social networking identity.
Combining The Two
If you just can’t choose between Facebook and Google Plus, it’s possible to create a Google Plus tab on your Facebook page. This will allow you to manage your social media identity easily and take advantage of both sites. Click here for a step-by-step guide.
Posted by: candice
on Nov 29, 2011
Ask any writer what his or her greatest challenge is and you’ll probably get the same answer: writer’s block.
If you sometimes feel a little apprehensive looking at a blank page or computer screen, you aren’t alone. In fact, difficulty in starting a piece of writing is one of the three most common problems that all writers face. After starting the piece, the other two challenges are writing the body without too much waffle and ending the piece correctly.
Each writer has his or her own style, adapting the content according to the type of copy that is being written. Nonetheless, there are several tips that all writers can apply to beat writer’s block. Next time you are struggling to get those words down, ask yourself the following statements:
What is the goal of my copy?
Once you’ve decided on a theme for your piece of writing, or have been given one, you should ask yourself what the copy’s purpose will be. Generally speaking, content marketing copy should aim to both educate and persuade the reader. Once you have a goal in mind, your writing will start to take shape.
Ask the right questions
To a reader who may be interested in the subject you’re writing on, nothing could be better than an article that answers the most common questions he or she may have. To guide your reader through a new and interesting subject, give a brief introduction and then ask – and answer – several questions. Remember to answer them all, because an unanswered question can become a barrier to education and persuasion.
It’s all in the headlines
Before you get down to writing think of a catchy headline and some sub-headings, remembering that these have to be catchy and relevant to the subject you’re writing on. They should also correspond to the questions you are setting out to answer.
Fill in the rest
Once your basic writing skeleton is laid down, fill in the gaps and let your creativity soar! Since you know what questions to answer you won’t find yourself waffling and a focussed writer is always a good writer. Don’t forget to edit your piece, reading it as if you are seeing it for the first time and making changes accordingly.
Posted by: candice
on Nov 24, 2011
Do you sometimes feel like your social media presence isn’t bringing you the results you’d like? Maybe you started out with a lot of interest and activity that has dwindled, or you may feel that your campaign lacks focus and isn’t attracting the kind of attention you’d like. Whatever the cause of your social media plateau, there are a few easy-to-implement ways of resolving it:
Who are you following and who’s following you?
One of the best ways to create a social media presence with real credibility is to be part of a larger network. No matter what social media site you happen to be using, the connections you make have a lot to do with the success of your campaign.
While having a large network is great from a numbers point of view, you need to be quite selective about who you follow and who follows you. The more credibility the other people and companies in your network have, the more you will have too. Don’t feel bad about removing less-useful contacts if you feel your social media presence doesn’t benefit fully from them.
Pay attention to what you say
Every time you put your message out there, it has an impact on your social media presence. With so many eyes on your status updates and announcements you need to make sure that you produce quality content and also balance your marketing message with other content that will give you credibility.
When you are pushing your own message, make sure it’s engaging and also informative. It really needs to stand out if it’s going to attract and keep other peoples’ attention.
Remember to include content that is not directly related to your campaign. Whether you are recommending useful websites, engaging in fundraising for a good cause, or just taking part in stimulating conversations you will gain a reputation as someone worth following – and others who are worth following will soon be following you!
Keep your goals in mind
Finally, always remember what the purpose of your social media campaign is and what goals you would like to achieve. If things go awry, make some changes and you’ll be a step closer to success.
Posted by: candice
on Nov 03, 2011
The process of designing and launching a website can be long and sometimes quite challenging. Especially if your site requires a number of photo uploads and e-commerce functionality, you may be considering launching it without some features and adding them over time.
Then again, you wouldn’t want your site to look unprofessional. This brings you to a crossroads: either you launch the site as-is or face delays that could affect your website’s authority. What is the best strategy?
Posted by: candice
on Nov 01, 2011
The power of social media to carry a marketing message is now being harnessed by businesses around the globe. From Facebook pages to Twitter feeds and many more specialised applications, social media networks are changing the definition of “word of mouth” as prospective clients are made aware of new products and service providers through a whole new marketing channel.
With the variety of social media platforms on the internet and the time needed to create and monitor a company footprint online, many business owners are too busy to fully explore the potential of this powerful tool.
Posted by: candice
on Oct 27, 2011
Any effective internet marketing campaign must rely on quality content that informs and excites clients, serving their need for useful information while carrying the marketing message effectively.
For copywriters, achieving this balance is a delicate and often difficult task but one that can be made simple and easy by using a few basic guidelines:
Posted by: candice
on Oct 25, 2011
If you’re planning an event in the near future and looking for a unique and effective way of marketing it, look no further than Facebook. Every day, millions of users log on to Facebook and among them are a lot of potential guests who may be interested in your event. Whether you have a guest list in mind or are focussed in sparking interest for a public event, Facebook may be the perfect way to spread the word.
Getting Started
First of all, you’ll need to create your event. How you do this is up to you, but two major options you should consider are whether to create the event using your personal profile or using a fan page. The advantage of using your personal profile is that you have a list of friends who can be invited by private message. If you use a fan page, which is dedicated to the event, you will be able to upload photos and use the page as a content generation and marketing tool but friends who are invited will have to interact with you through the fan page updates.
Posted by: candice
on Oct 20, 2011
Recent trends in customer behaviour show that people are opting to buy from local businesses, using the internet to find an appropriate company and relying on customer reviews to make their final buying decision.
Whether you own a restaurant or café, a laundry business, a B&B, or deliver specialised products like wines and chocolates to your clients’ doors, now is the time to establish your presence on the internet. You can also make sure the reviews your business gets reflect the quality and service you strive to offer your clients and customers – this is a great driver of referrals and new business.
Posted by: candice
on Oct 18, 2011
Whether you use Twitter for business or personal use, you may be pleasantly surprised at the number of people following you. Even if your Tweets are reaching hundreds of followers you should be asking the simple question: “Are they really paying attention to what I say?”
If you are a business owner who is exploring online marketing as a tool to generate new business or communicate with existing clients, you may be familiar with Twitter’s valuable role which complements content generation by creating daily customer awareness. The number of new and existing clients who follow your company’s Twitter account may be large, but can you be certain that they are taking in the message contained in your tweets?
