The New Google+ Local

As it typically goes with social media platforms, not many days go by without the platforms being updated. Shortly after its second Birthday (and after we wrote how awesome it was), Google Places was rolled into a new platform called Google+ Local.  The reviews have been mixed, but we thought we’d share the great, the okay, and the ugly.

This time, we’re going to start with the ugly…

Where did all the content go?  Do you remember filling out all of those details about what make your business special and unique in your Google Places profile?  Well, although you can see it when you’re and administrator looking at your analytics page, to the average user, that content is not findable (or at least we haven’t figured it out yet).

We have also not loved that updates are not appearing in “real-time” so it’s difficult to know if the changes have actually been made.  An example of this has been loading pictures.  We have loaded pictures onto some of our clients’ business pages and although we can see them from the administrator’s page, it has taken up to four weeks for some of them to be visible to the public.  (Anyone else had this problem?)

And what about the reviews?  When the results were served from Google Places there was a photo of the person who left a review along with their name.  That data did not move along with the switch.  Now what you see is a blank image holder and “A Google User” in the area where the name should go.

Eh, this change is just okay…

We know they’re trying to be original, in the attempt to do so, Google took away their stars.  Stars?  The new rating system for reviewers is no longer the option of choosing up to five stars, but rather a rating system.  Reviewers are asked to rate the place based on three categories: Quality, Appeal, and Service.  Although we like the fact that the new scoring allows other users to better understand why a businesses was scored the way it was, some businesses are claiming that not having five stars is hurting their business.

What’s great about it? 

It’s more social (just how we like it)!  After all of the rollout hype, Google+ just wasn’t competing with Facebook before.  Although Google owned the components to make a more Facebook-like platform before, the lack of integration made it less social and thus, less popular.  Now that all of the components are connected, you can “+1” a place on Google+ Local (kind of like liking a business page on Facebok), create a “hangout” there, update a status, and create events (amongst other things).

Overall, we’ve found the changes to Google+ very positive and inviting.  And we’ve been spending more time hanging out there.  We’re excited to see what will be next to come.  How about you?

Please leave a comment and let us know about your thoughts and experiences with Google+ Local.

For years search engine optimization has been a simple formula; Build links to your website, use words people search for in both copy and incoming links. With enough links— regardless of quality— your rankings improved. Googles “link based” algorithm may have made their search rankings more accurate than any other, but it also spawned a new industry of spammers, link spammers. For over a decade link spammers have been giving SEO a nad name. Because you could game Google by acquiring a mass of low quality links, many SEOs did just that. But all is not lost. Google is no village idiot. Recently Google has thwarted the dirty tricks of SEO with a couple of wild animals, the Panda and Penguin.

Every major update Google roles out has it’s own unique label. The two most recent being Panda and Penguin. Penguin originally rolled out in April 2012, specifically targeting websites with low quality links and exact match anchor (link) text. Low quality in Google’s eyes are links from “spammy” websites such as article directories, link farms and junk Wikis. Where these low quality links once helped with SEO, they now hurt your rankings. The update also combats excessive exact match anchor text. Exact match anchor text is when the words used to link to your site match exactly what you are trying to rank for. Again, this used to help your rankings but now it can hurt. If there are an unnaturally high amount of exact match links Google penalizes you for over optimizing.The penguin update, rolled out globally in April 2011 targets thin content. Thin content is described as lots of pages with very little content or poor quality content (duplicated from other sources on the web.) Sites identified with thin content are typically penalized site wide.

Between these two updates SEO has changed forever. SEO used to be much easier. Getting links from directories and articles is simple. High quality, EARNED links is painstakingly difficult. Similarly, creating thousands of thin content pages using recycled content is easy where creating long, unique articles is hard. After the panda and penguin good SEO is having a solid content strategy. High quality, valuable content naturally earns links over time. So it’s time to rethink your SEO strategy. Focus on content and creating value— the things Google has always recommended.

The Dos and Don’ts of E-mail Marketing:
Don’t Let Your Auto Responder Drive Your Prospects Away!

No doubt you’ve gotten them before—the ones you don’t even read anymore.   I see them come into my email and just click delete… it’s because they aren’t user-friendly, or maybe they come too often.  I’m talking about auto-responder emails or email marketing campaigns—the kind that never seem to stop and don’t really seem to have me in mind.  Whoever was of the mindset bombard people with emails and they’re likely to read something apparently has a lot more time to read emails than the majority of us.  Now that you’ve got your campaigning platform chosen, abide by the rules below to avoid some of the most common pitfalls of email marketing (i.e. don’t drive your prospects crazy)!

Whatever you do, DON’T:

-        Flood your subscribers’ email boxes every day.  Ironically, the people who flood your email are often the same people who complain about getting too many emails.  Well, the bottom line is, “You’re not any different, buddy!”  Time your emails so that customers/prospects/clients don’t forget you, but don’t feel put out.  (We recommend, the day 1 that they sign up, day 3, day 7, day 14, and so on… depending on your business.)

-        Forget to add “share” and “like” buttons.  The power of social media is too strong to ignore—not giving people the tools and the push to share is like not asking for a referral.

-        Forget to allow people to choose their own preferences.  If a reader would be more likely to read your content if it was in their preferred format, why wouldn’t you give them that option?  Platforms like Mail Chimp allow users to choose their settings right when they opt in.  Let them do it!

Whatever you do, MAKE SURE TO:

-        Make it easy to read and do so by optimizing for mobile devices.  More than 30% of emails today are read on mobile devices.  If your emails are not mobile-ready, they are difficult to read and you can kiss 30% of your prospects goodbye.

-        Engage with your customer/client/prospect.  You may have a mission as a business person, but if your message is one sided, your reader will be disinterested.  Ask questions, provide a call to action, and make it feel personal.

-        Be consistent with your marketing message.  If you asked people to join your list using a specific message, then whatever you’re selling should be consistent with that message.  A list means nothing if your prospects aren’t interested in what you’re actually selling.

Email marketing and auto-responder emails are the easiest and most efficient ways to keep your “list” engaged.  Use the tips above and always remember, it’s all about THEM—these are the simplest ways to make your campaign a success.

Okay, so we’re switching gears here from Facebook back to Ads on Google.  Whether you have used Google AdWords for your business, are planning on using ads in the future, or are a consumer who notices ads appear as you search the web, you are a relevant piece of the puzzle and can learn something.

What EVERYONE looking to advertise online should know about writing ads is that all of the same principles of traditional advertising apply to advertising online. The principles are, of course: (1) an offer they can’t refuse; (2) a deadline or limited time offer; AND (3) a call to action. The only difference is the amount of space you have to make an impression and get your point across.  Thus, you have to be very creative and sometimes give something up!

When writing an ad to show on Google, you have only four lines of text to work with.  Google gives you a line for a Headline, two lines for Ad Text, and another line to list your URL.  Each line limits the amount of characters you can use (letters, number, punctuation, spaces, and anything else you push a key for count as characters).  The characters allowed per space are listed below:

Headline – 25 characters
Ad Text (1) – 35 characters
Ad Text (2) – 35 characters
URL – 35 characters

So, you basically have 130 characters to be creative.  Here’s what our experience has taught us:

Check out your competition (always a good place to start), because it’s important to set yourself apart!  Unless ALL of your competition is doing it, you will probably want to include your keyword or keyword phrase in your headline.  A free gift from Google: When you have the keyword in your ad that the user searched upon, Google magically bolds it in your ad copy!  There is some older research that suggests that putting the keyword in your headline will aid your quality score.  However; if most of your competition includes the same keyword in their headline, then put yours in your ad text.

Get into the minds of your customer.  Join the conversation your customer is having in their head by answering their question or need in your headline!  “Trouble with Pay Per Click?” And then tell them how you can help!  Steer away from talking about your company, and tell your ideal candidate how they will benefit or how your product will improve their life.

Common Mistakes of Ads:

No Call To Action (CTA).  One of the most common (and unfortunate) mistakes advertisers make is writing really catchy ad copy and then failing to tell the consumer what to do!  Advertisers who provide a strong call to action (ex: “Act Now,” “Call Now,” “Download Yours!”) get a significantly higher click through rate than advertisers who do not! It is a shame to catch the attention of a user or prospective customer and then not lead them to anything.

Using “we” and not “you” language.  It’s easy to use an advertisement to talk about what your company does from a “we” perspective.  But, it’s more effective to talk “you” in your ads.  Instead of “We help generate quality leads,” turn it around to focus on your customer: “Get quality leads for your business.”

Selecting an irrelevant landing page. Cardinal sin #1 is sending traffic you’ve paid for to your homepage instead of to a landing page that speaks to the intent of the visitor’s query.  This goes back to joining the conversation in their head.  There has to be consistency between the keyword they searched upon, the ad they clicked on and the landing page they landed on.  If not, you run the risk of loosing them faster than they came.  You have less than 1 second to grab a new visitor’s attention.  This means you better give them the answer, solution or resource that scratches their itch or you’ve just wasted the cost of a click.

Here’s a bit of homework for you:  Go to Google and do a search on the keywords for which you want to be found.  Look at the ads that are served to you.  See if you notice any patterns.  Evaluate how you can set yourself apart and lastly, make note if there are any ads including a call to action.

Please leave your comments below!

Facebook Timeline for Business: You’re Not Welcome

Here at Search Ad Marketing, I can’t say we were all too excited about Timeline coming to Facebook for business Fan Pages.  After all, some of the services we offer businesses are custom Facebook Business Page design along with Facebook advertising campaigns.  The new timeline layout had us scrambling to update all of the custom designed pages we had created in the past, AND rethink our Facebook strategy.

If you’re in the same boat, you may be interested in some of the things we have learned about landing pages since Timeline has gone live.

One of the most important strategies we used in our designs in the past was directing all traffic to a landing page on Facebook where the user MUST first “like” the page before they could see any of the content (we used the “welcome” tab).  Good marketers (like us) used this as an opportunity to “hook” the user with something interesting—providing some kind of free giveaway  for “liking” the page.  Facebook users who were “curious” about the page gave us a “like” AND the freebee gave us the opportunity to “sell” product without having to make a sale.

Facebook Timeline changed this a bit.

NOW, if someone searches Facebook for your business or a business category and lands on your page, they will automatically land on your Timeline wall.  You can’t control this.  No “hook” before they see your page.   And, since the “cover” picture cannot instruct users to “like” your page, you have to get creative!

HOWEVER, after researching the matter further, we realized something hugely important wasn’t going to change. And it’s that you can still choose the tab visitors land on when they click a Facebook ad!  Whew!  SO, if you’re advertising to people on Facebook and they click on your ad, you can direct them to a “welcome” tab, encourage them to “like” your page for a freebee, and give them the “hook!”  Of course, the user can still see your wall without “liking,” but, if your ad brings them to a page with a big fat free offer, the user is more likely to “like” than not.

For those that land on our pages without coming through an ad, we have used the new “pinning post” feature to remind them to “like” our page.  To do this, write a catchy call to action as your status update (ex: “Don’t forget to like our page for your free eBook…”), then post it on your Timeline.  After you’ve posted, click on the pencil icon in right-hand corner of the post and select “pin to top.”  The “pinned” post will then stay at the top of your timeline for seven days.  You can re-pin it if you wish.

Social media sites are changing constantly—new ones are being added, and existing ones are trying to improve or become more interesting.  These changes affect all of us, whether they apply to our jobs or not.  We must be ready to roll with the punches and apply the same principles we know work, but in a modified way.  If you have questions or are struggling with the changes, please send them our way and we can work through them together.

The Switch: Facebook Fan Pages turn to Timelines!

They’re here! Whether you like it or not, on March 30, 2012, all Facebook Fan Pages will be converted into the new Facebook Timeline format.  The news of the switch has rocked the marketing boat for some of us, but we’re rolling with the waves and have some exciting things to share about what the new Timeline format can help YOU do for your business!

Why the changes?

There is a shift going on right now on Facebook—moving in the direction of “telling a story.”  Timeline is a way to brand your company, showcase its history, and humanize it a bit.  For companies that have a deep history and are using social media for branding purposes, this will work particularly well.  (Just think of the opportunities companies like Time Magazine and Cambell’s Soup have to “tell their story.”)  Smaller, newer business (like Search Ad Marketing), will just have to be a little more creative with our use of the new Timeline features.

So, what are some of the new features of Timeline?

1)     Well, to the average viewer, the biggest change is the Cover Photo. Instead of just a profile photo or graphic, Timeline now offers an opportunity to display a large photo that spans (almost) the entire width of your Fan Page.  This is a great opportunity to display your brand, as long as you stay within Facebook restrictions: No direct calls to action; you can’t ask people to “Like” your page; and you may not display promotions.

2) Timeline.  The “Timeline” on the right of the page, allows you showcase company milestones like, when you were “founded,” if you had a name change, awards given, or anything you would like.  AND, it’s easy to add a milestone!

3)     Message Privately with Users.  Now, more like with personal Facebook Pages, you will be able to exchange private messages with Facebook users.  This is especially cool for customer interaction, as concerns or requests could be dealt with in private.

4)     Pinning Posts. As you update your Facebook Timeline posts, older posts are pushed further and further down the page.  However, the new Timeline offers the ability to “Pin” more important posts which will keep them at the top of your Timeline for 7 days.  This is a great workaround for marketers to always display a “Call To Action.”

In the end, Facebook Timeline is still all about engaging with your customers and “likers.”  If you want to give your visitors a positive experience, it is still up to you to provide them with content that they will find interesting and direct them to it.  Stay tuned for more information on how to use your Fan Page’s Timeline to promote your business!  For now, give some thought to how you to tell your story!

It may not seem like a big deal, but if your company does not already have one, developing a mobile website should be pretty high on the priority list.  Why, you ask?

Well, because now, more than ever, people are using their mobile devices to find information on the internet while on the move—an action that will only become more common over time.  Accessing the web via a smartphone can easily be one of the most convenient occurrences of modern technology, but it can just as easily turn into a frustrating experience if the user is not re-directed to a mobile site.

A mobile website is a site designed specifically to be accessed only from mobile devices.  This being said, the design and content are geared specifically toward mobile end-users… translating to less content, larger print, and print that fits on any mobile screen (so you don’t have to scroll from left to right).

How do I decide which content to include?

So, we’ve established that your mobile site cannot simply be a carbon copy of your regular site.  But, how do you decide what makes the cut?

Simple.  When people access information from their smartphones, it’s because they are away from their computers.  What, on your website, would be the most useful information someone would need on the go?  Your address with driving directions?  Hours of operation or a phone number?  Upcoming events listed with their locations?  An understanding of your business and the information people need to know about it while out and about should help you answer these questions and help you determine what stays and what does not appear on the “landing page”!  Always include links to your other site, full articles, etc., so that you don’t lose anyone who is looking for something in particular.  But, just don’t let everything clutter the page.

How do I create a mobile site?

Good news—it’s easier than you think! If you would like try a crack at developing your own mobile website, some great resources that can help you are http://www.mobify.com and http://www.mobisitegalore.com/. If you would prefer to consult some of the experts, the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan lists some good resources, here http://www.gomobilemichigan.org/resources/companies/mobile-web-developer.html.

Having a mobile site that is user-friendly and provides relevant information can put you ahead of your competition.  Go get started!

Announce Yourself: SEO Press Releases and How to Use Them

So, now that you’ve got your webpage proofed for SEO and Google love (Google Page Rank), it’s time to get found on the first page of search (remember, very few people look past the first page of results when it comes to Google search results).

One of the easiest ways to boost your Google Search Results ranking is by writing and submitting a SEO Press Release.

How It Works

Keywords.  If you ‘ve been following this blog, you’re probably sick of the term “keywords,” but know yours and understand how important they are.  A Press Release is one more place where your keywords appear and are associated with your site.  Your keywords associated with outgoing links (considered inbound links to your site) will direct more traffic to your site.

Getting Started

First of all, know that you can write a press release for pretty much anything.  Offering a new product or service?  Having a friendly competition or giveaway?  Don’t hesitate—write a press release about it.

You can pay for some PR sites like www.PRWire.com, or do a quick Google Search for free Press Release Websites, create logins, and write and submit away!

Tips and Tricks:

• Submit a few Press Releases and your page will “move up” in results pretty quickly.  To hold your place in the Google Search lineup, it’s not a bad idea to submit a few Press Releases per month.
• Just like your page, you should keep your keep your keyword density at about 3-5%.  If you use your keyword too much, you may get flagged as Spam.  You want to include it just enough so Google will find your page relevant.
• Take advantage of multimedia.  Don’t hesitate to use video, graphs, charts, and link to other relevant content on the web (like other people’s blogs).

Common SEO Press Release Mistakes:

• Too many Press Releases.  It’s not uncommon for SEO Press Releases (if done properly) to bump a site onto page one of Google Search Results.  However, getting PR-Happy can backfire if you write too many.  Don’t go overboard.
• Writing an SEO Press Release like an ad.  It’s important to make sure your Press Release is informative, tells worthy information, and offers something of interest to the reader, but it should sound like a short article, NOT a sales pitch.
• Littering your SEO Press Release with your keyword.  Not only can it get you flagged for Spam, but it will also bore your reader.  If someone is reading your press release and see only your keyword but no other relevant information, do you think they will follow the link to your site?

Press releases are a great way to get found on the first page of search results, follow these tips and tricks and you’ll find press releases are an effective SEO strategy.

How Do You Rank?  Google, PageRank, and How To Rank HIGH!

If you’ve been following this blog then you’ve received an education on keywords:

Keywords identified.  Check.
Keywords placed. Check.
Keywords=optimized for success.

What else is important in getting found, you ask? PageRank, has a lot to do with appearing in top search results.

PageRank is Google’s way of deciding how important a website is. PageRank (PR) is roughly determined by the number and importance of links pointing to your website.  Think of every link directing traffic to your website as a “vote” to increase your PR.  With every link to your website, your PR potential goes up!  The quality of “votes” is also important and taken into account when your site is ranked.  Websites with high PageRanks of their own help your PR more than websites with low PageRanks (although, no “vote” hurts).  It’s not the only factor, but it is an important one taken into account by Google when your website is ranked for search.

PageRank is determined by other things, as well.  One thing that’s for certain—Google is looking out for your customer!   Pages that provide a better user experience are given a higher PR.  So, it’s important to keep your customer in mind when you’re creating a design.  This means that usability needs to be simple, to the point, and interesting.  It also means that the keywords you are being found for need to match the content of your website—Google will not have trickery!

What YOU Can Do To Increase Your PageRank:

-        Become active on various social media platforms.  Use Facebook, Twitter posts, and blog commenting all to link back to your page.  Linking back to your page will add value to your site and PageRank.

-        Add more pages to your site.  Your PR potential increases with the increase in number of pages to your site.  The more pages your site has, the more opportunity your page has for a higher PR.

-        Link to your homepage as much as possible, and include the “http:” http://www.yourhomepage.com.  If you link to www.yourhomepage.com/html www.yourhomepage.com/index, and yourhomepage.com, although YOU and I know that these are all the same page, Google will see them as different and calculate separate PageRanks for them.

What HURTS your PageRank.  What NOT TO DO:

-        DO NOT copy and paste content from another site.  Google does not support plagiarism and even if you’re quoting someone or something, keep it short, because it will hurt your calculation.

-        Don’t have ads running on your landing page.  Google sees these as directing traffic away from you.  These hurt your PR.  (And, why would you want to redirect someone from your first page?  You have worked really hard to get them there.)

-        Don’t list your keyword over and over and over again.  Your keyword should have a density of 3-5% throughout your site/page.  If your keyword density is too high, Google’s “feelers” will flag your site for spam (which means all of your SEO efforts were made in vain).

-        Keep your website and pages on your website focused.  If you’re a small company selling products that vary drastically, feature them on separate pages of your website.

Thank you to Janak Mehta of PREasy for his discussion on SEO at Pay Per Click Club.

So, you’ve done your keyword research.  Trends and Insights have got you jumping, and now it’s time to compete with the 50,000+ competitors out there to be found on the first page of Google Search results.  So, what will set your keyword apart?

Keyword Optimization, of course!

The placement, frequency, and geography of your keyword are all important pieces of your Keyword Optimization puzzle.

SAM, what is Keyword Placement?

When I refer to keyword placement, I’m talking about optimizing content by making sure that your relevant keyword is EVERYWHERE on and in your page!  Your keyword should appear in the body content of your site/page, should be tagged, AND should be a part of your URL.  A cute URL is not as important as a relevant one.

How often should my keyword appear, SAM?

Frequency is a VERY important factor in optimizing your keyword.  We call the frequency of your keyword, “Keyword Density.”  Keyword Density ≈ (Keyword Phrase) ÷ (# of words). Ideal keyword density is approximately 3-5%, and can be easily calculated at http://www.keyworddensity.com/.  Remember, a keyword density which is too low, won’t optimize your site.  If your keyword density is too high, you could be flagged for keyword spamming.

SAM, what does geography have to do with Keyword Optimization and SEO?

Great question.  I am referring to varying types of media.  And by using the word geography, I’m asking you to see your site/page, and all forms of media in a bubble-chart layout.  If you’re trying to populate the web with your content, you need to “cover a lot of territory.”  Make your mark in a video, podcast, blog, article, and connect them all to your website, making sure to use your keyword strategically in all locations.