search engine marketing

The SEO industry is all aflutter with Google’s latest algorithm change that is intended to wipe out sites that are suspect to be link and content farms. Google says: “This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites – sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful.”

Google also states: “At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.” What Google has not addressed here is how they are going to handle sites, specifically large brands, that participate in link or content farms.

In February alone, brands like JC Penney and Overstock.com got their hands smacked by Google for unethical linking practices. While JC Penney’s SEO agency was definitely steering them in the wrong direction by purchasing spammy links, Overstock.com was actually quite inventive in their link buying scheme. Heck, never mind college students, if Overstock.com gave me a product discount just for including a link to their site with a keyword as anchor text, I’d be tempted too. But I digress.

Link farms and content farms have been around for years. Google has always publicly warned site owners that if they participate in black hat SEO tactics, that their site may get “punished” and banned from search results. But not since BMW’s “doorway pages” scheme of 2006 has there been such an uproar.

So why now Google? Could it be that Google is trying to save face from the recent antitrust investigations? Or the claims that they promoted “Doodle-for-Google” to get kid’s social security numbers?

It just seems to me that this latest algorithm change comes at a time when Google is under scrutiny for multiple reasons. Is this Google’s version of crisis management? You decide.

The CreativeMind gang is back from the Inbound Marketing Summit 2010 (IMS) which took place October 6th and 7th at Gillette Stadium in Foxoboro, MA. IMS is the brain child of Chris Brogan, Justin Levy, and Colin Bower of New Marketing Labs.

This was my second time attending and speaking at IMS. I have to say, each year just keeps getting better and better. While last year seemed to focus on big brands and B2C, this year was chock full of great information for B2B companies. Here are the top 5 lessons learned for B2B marketers.

1. Don’t be afraid to engage.
   For the past two days I kept hearing  the buzz word “engage”. Scott Stratten (@unmarketing on Twitter) told a great story of how he gained 10,000 followers on Twitter in 30 days. How did he do it? He engaged with his followers and tweeted about 7,000 times in those 30 days. Now we all can not be as aggressive as Scott with our Twitter engagement strategy (and he doesn’t suggest it, either), however, we can get over our fear of meeting new people and start conversing. Those that do not engage their audience are those that won’t get anything out of social media.
2. Make useful stuff for free.
   No one likes filling out forms to get stuff.  Why not offer whitepapers on your website for free? There are plenty of ways to generate leads by those who download your free whitepaper.
3. Social Media is about building relationships and trust.
   Social media is about being “social” and building relationships and trust. Social media is not about broadcasting your message with the hopes that someone will buy from you. People buy from those they trust. If you’re pushing sales on Twitter, then you’re not doing it right.
4. Write great content.
   While you may have heard this tip before, ask yourself “are we writing really great content?” People share unique, they don’t share “meh” (thanks Mr. Unmarketing).
5. Think outside the box when it comes to lead generation.
   Many B2B companies focus on generating leads with a PPC campaign, then they wonder why their leads aren’t qualified. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t run PPC campaigns, but you should experiment with tools that can reach your target market better and see if it works for you. Try answering questions on LinkedIn, or running a LinkedIn paid ad. Or maybe a Facebook ad would work for you. The point is, social media generates warm leads. Try thinking outside the box the next time your boss says, “run a PPC campaign for this.”

Were you at IMS10? What lessons did you learn?

Google Instant, released a few weeks back, has received lots of mixed reviews. Some hate it, some love it, while some are still undecided. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with Google Instant. Here’s why.

Why I hate Google Instant

1. Seeing the search results page (SERP) change three or four times as I type makes me dizzy.
2. I don’t like it when anyone (even Google) tries to predict what’s on my mind.
3. Patience is a virtue, even for search.
4. The possibility that GI will increase impressions, hence lowering click-through-rate annoys me.

Why I love Google Instant

1. No longer need to hit “enter” on the keyboard – the search results are right there.
2. It’s super fast.
3. It gives me something to do when I’m bored.

What do you think of Google Instant?

It seems as if Google’s been talking about revising their search engine forever, but soon, in the next few weeks, Caffeine will be live. We’ll talk about the algorithm implecations in a moment, but first, let’s look at an example of what a search engine results page (SERP) will look like on the new Google:

What you can expect with Google Caffeine update:

1. Live search results. Notice the Twitter update in the middle of the page. Also, the user can click on “Latest” time-frame to see the most recent results. It’s going to be very important to make constant updates to your blog or website to keep relevant.
2. Universal Search features. We’ve been able to search for video and images (as well as other Universal Search items) since 2007, but now these features are easily located in a left sidebar.
3. The Updates tab. See who’s currently talking about your subject on Twitter. Your social media marketing campaign just got easier.
4. Page Previews. See a snippet of the page before you click on the result.

If you’re a website owner, webmaster, marketer or blogger, I’m sure you thinking… “ok Google’s revision is great for the searcher, but what about me? What do I need to do to make sure I rank well on the new Google?”

There are a few algorithm changes that have come to light that anyone involved with the running of a website should know.

1. Speed your website loads. Yup, if you have a slow loading site either due by old technology, too many large images, or a flash intro, then your ranking may suffer a bit.
2. Broken links. Google is all about offering the searcher relevant information. If broken links are found while your site is indexed, you may see lower rankings as a result.
3. Website design. On page factors such as meta titles, meta descriptions, alt tags, current content, still play a factor, but now the design of your site will have an effect as well.
4. Social Bookmarking. Yes, that’s what I said. Social bookmarking will be a major factor in page ranking for 2010.

If your site has been optimized for search engines, you may be in good shape. If you’re not sure if your site meets the latest standards, please feel free to ask us, we’ll give you an honest answer.

I just read a blog post by my friends at Beaupre, a high-tech PR firm in Portsmouth, NH, that got me thinking. Mike McGrail wrote a post about the recent announcement that the Pulitzer Committee is now accepting submissions from online-only publications. This announcement is great news for the Search Marketing industry.

As a search marketing specialist, I read LOTS of online publications, some of which are Pulitzer Prize worthy – in my opinion anyway. I read through the 14 possible Pulitzer Prizes for online journalists. In the SEM industry, two categories in particular sound promising:

9. For distinguished commentary, in print or online or both, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

10. For distinguished criticism, in print or online or both, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

I’m sure we all can think of a few online journalists that would qualify for these categories. My favorites include Loren Baker of Search Engine Journal and Maki of DoshDosh.

Who do you think is Pulitzer Prize worthy? Leave me a comment with your votes.

UPDATE: 7/16/08

We’re in! CreativeMind Search Marketing has been approved to beta test the tool. We will let you know what we find.

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This week Google announced their latest product, Ad Planner, a media buying and planning tool. This tool is designed to allow advertisers to pick and choose the websites their ads appear based on demographic data. Now advertisers can make informed advertising decisions with a few clicks of the mouse.

According to Google, with Google Ad Planner, you can:

• Define audiences by demographics and interests.
• Search for websites relevant to your audience.
• Access aggregated statistics on the number of unique visitors, page views, and other data for millions of websites from over 40 countries.
• Create lists of websites where you’d like to advertise and store them in a media plan.
• Generate aggregated website statistics for your media plan.

Currently this tool is only offered to agencies by invite only. CreativeMind Search Marketing has inquired about an invite. Hopefully, we will be one of the lucky advertisers to beta test this product.

For more information on Google Ad Planner, visit http://www.google.com/support/adplanner/

Small business owners approach me every day regarding their website performance. They have a website, which they feel is great, and are confused as to why the general the public aren’t swarming the site. There may be many reasons why websites doesn’t receive visitors. Small businesses can increase the amount of website traffic by avoiding these five most common website mistakes.

1. Search Engine “Unfriendly” Design

When a small business makes the decision to get a website, they must be aware of the different ways a website can be designed. There are web designs that are search engine friendly and a whole lot that are “unfriendly” to search engines. Flash websites may be pretty, but they have a very tough time getting indexed by search engines. Websites designed using Frames may be inexpensive, but your site will virtually be invisible.

2. No Website Plan

Every website must have a plan and goals. The largest mistake small businesses can make with their website is not defining their website goals. Ask yourself “what do we want the visitor to do when they land on our site?” If you’re not sure, then your website goals are not clear. Clear goals help convert visitors into customers.

3. Lack of Calls to Action

There is nothing worse than landing on a webpage and having to search for the information that you’re looking for. By placing clear calls to action on your website, your visitors will be more likely to make an action instead of hitting the back button.

4. Poorly Written Copy

Small business website owners typically work within a tight budget when launching their website. Hence, they tend to write the website copy themselves. If you do write your own website copy, make sure you have other business professionals proof your website before it goes live. Grammatical errors or typos will cause the website visitor to immediately leave your website.

5. Ignoring Search Engine Optimization

Websites do not attract visitors by themselves. Your website needs to be positioned high on search engines in order to reach your target visitor. Search engine optimization is the process of improving a website’s online visibility by researching keywords your target visitor uses to search, implementing these keywords in specific areas of the content and code, and building links to the website. This process takes time and energy. When in doubt, it’s best to consult with an SEO professional.

I’ve been a fan of Aaron Wall of SEOBook.com for a few years now. I’m an avid reader (and watcher) of his blogs. While I knew that video blogging (or vlogs) have grown in popularity over the years, I never really thought of using them myself until recently.

As most of my readers know, I’m in the process of making my SEO Consulting business official. That is, I’m working on developing a business plan and getting all my ducks in a row (an actual website is one of those ducks). In the process of doing so, I’ve obviously have been doing a ton of research relating to all the boring details of business plans (demographics, market research, competitor analysis, taxes, etc.).

In the midst of my research, I found myself landing upon vlog after vlog. Then it dawned on me, since video blogging is such a great vehicle for driving a ton of traffic to a site in a short period of time, why not integrate vlogs into the SEO mix for small businesses.

My initial thought was to use vlogs the same way we use press releases (or in conjunction with a press release). Say for example, you’re a small business and you’re opening a new location – one would normally send out a press release, right? Well, why not also make a video blog post about the new location, show it off in your video, highlight the benefits, and maybe give tips to others in your industry who are also considering an expansion. Post both the press release and the vlog on your site (fully SEO optimized, of course), and watch the traffic pour in. Add an immediate call to action on each landing page, and there ya go, SEO success!

Websites, like cars, need periodic maintenance. Maybe not after every 100,000 miles (or visitors), but definitely regular updates are required. Like your car, when cared for properly, your website will run smoothly and without a glitch. If neglected, the repairs needed may cost far more than it’s worth.

Unlike cars, there is no handbook to refer to that tells us what to do when. The type of maintenance needed and the time frame it should be completed within is all up to us. However, there are certain things to look for (and maintenance to perform) on your website to keep search engines indexing your site and to keep the “search engine” light from coming on.

How to tell if your site’s “search engine” light is on?

• Your Site Has Not Been Updated Since It Was Created
• Your Site Does Not Have a Search Engine Friendly Design
• The site is not easily navigated
• New Products/Services Are Not on the Website
• No Keyphrases in the Title & Description Tags
• Missing Keyword Phrases in Body Copy
• Lack of Calls to Action on the Website
• Website is not ranking on search engines
• Lack of Website traffic

How to turn the “search engine” light off.

• Redesign your website for visitors

o If your site has not been updated since it was created, the easiest way to solve this problem is to redesign the website. Yes, redesigns are time consuming and costly, however, with Web 2.0 technologies in place, you may not have any other choice.

• Add regular content to the website

o Whether you have new products or services or not, regular content additions are needed on your website to keep search engines coming back. Adding new pages with quality content or revising current pages are an easy fix. Also consider adding an FAQ section, press releases or news items, a blog, podcasts, .pdf files.

• Conduct keyword research and add relevant keyphrases to the Title and Description tag on each page. Also be sure that your body copy includes keyphrases as well.

• Add “Calls to Action” on your website

o First you must determine what you want visitors to do on your site, and then make it easy for them to do so. Whether you want your visitors to download a newsletter, fill out a form, buy a product, or contact the sales department – each call to action should be easy to find and prominent within the site design.

Still not sure if your website’s “search engine light” is on? Contact CreativeMind Search Marketing for a FREE website evaluation.

So you’ve decided to hire a professional SEOto optimize your website. Great! Now what? Well, before you sign on the dotted line be sure you asked the most important and fundamental questions.

Q: What type of techniques will you use to optimize my site?

A: If the answer is “we can not reveal our secrets”, run for the hills. A good SEO will walk you through the steps they take to optimize your website – they will also reveal their pricing. You want to hire a company or consultant that you can trust.

Q: How many pages will you optimize?

A: All of them! Beware of search marketing firms that optimize per page. Many inexperienced SEO’s will say they will optimize your home page and a few other pages of the site. A well-rounded search engine optimization campaign will include every page of your site.

Q: Will you guarantee results?

A: While a guarantee would be great, there are no such things as guarantees in this industry. The Search Engine Marketing industry is forever fluctuating. Major search engines change their algorithms so frequently that search engine results can not be promised.

If the potential SEO you are interviewing says that they will guarantee first page rankings on major search engines, DO NOT hire this person. No one can make such a promise, not even Google.

Q: How long will it take to see results?

A: A good SEO campaign is a long-term strategy. If an SEO firm says that your project will take 1-3 months, they are inexperienced and are not committed to your company. A reputable SEO firm will monitor and tweak the campaign regularly. Most SEO campaigns start at a minimum of 6 months and may last years.

Q: What are your best practices?

A: There are no “one size fits all” strategies in the SEO industry. The firm you hire should emphasize that the SEO strategy they set out for you fits your company and website goals.

The SEM firm or SEO consultant should not only follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, but should also present you with different options in achieving great results.The SEM campaign should include on-site optimization as well as link building, a PPC campaign, and social networking (if applicable to your business).