Monthly archive: September, 2011

The Onion’s Coverage of Congress Taking Hostages shows the Power of Twitter

September 29, 2011, by No comments yet

By: Ryan Miller

The following is an opinion piece, and the views expressed below may not reflect the views of Advance Search & Social as a whole.

Starting earlier this morning, The Onion began reporting that Congress had taken a group of schoolchildren hostage and were demanding a ransom.

The tweets began as such:

This of course, being The Onion, is a complete fabrication and was a pre-cursor build up to a series of articles now being published on the website starting with Congress Takes a Group of Schoolchildren Hostage. 

However, many people without a sense of humor or knowledge of The Onion, blindly believed the original tweet “Witnesses reporting screams and gunfire heard in Capitol building” true.  So much so that Capitol Police had to come out and say that there is no credibility to these stories or the twitter feeds.  It reminds me, to some degree, of Boston’s overreaction to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force viral promotions back in 2007 in which light-up Mooninites were mistaken as bombs.

So, did The Onion finally go too far with their satirical coverage?  Absolutely not.  This is what The Onion does, and it does it very well.  That anyone was even fooled for a moment shows just how organized The Onion is with its parody of real news if anything.    

For those that are engrained in the social sphere though, this should be taken as continued proof of the power Twitter holds over our current intake of news, information and most importantly the ability to start conversations.  If you aren’t using Twitter to get your message, your updates and your news out there you are missing out on starting some great conversations and driving traffic to your site.  Can you imagine what this blow-up is doing to The Onion’s pageviews right now?

Kudos to The Onion for sticking with this!  Despite the outcry, including ABC News, @theonion is still making updates regarding the current hostage situation, leading me to believe the entire staff is saying to the world “screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke”.

Ryan Miller is the SEO Manager for Advance Internet and freely admits to having a twisted sense of humor. You can follow him on Twitter @cromiller and add him to your circles on Google+.

Essential Tips to Navigating Google+ Now That It’s Open to the Public

September 26, 2011, by No comments yet

By: Ryan Miller

Google’s new social network platform, Google+, is a little over three months old now. During the initial field testing, excitement for the platform quickly spiked as those in the tech and marketing industries took to the new social network to see how it worked and how it could be leverage to their advantage. 

Several major updates were incorporated during the field test, including the +1 Button becoming more integrated into the social network and the launch of a games section which includes Angry Birds. Now that Google+ has finally come out of field testing for the general populous, it is time for it to be fully embraced by the public. 

 If you’ve never used Google+ and aren’t sure if it’s worth establishing an account, this humorous (but poignant) video will set you straight.


Too long; didn’t watch? In short, don’t fight Google+. Eventually it will become so engrained in all of Google’s properties you’ll begin using in one form or another whether you intended to or not.  The sooner you embrace that notion the better head start you’ll have at getting used to the platform.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are a few things to remember:

  1. Currently, Google+ is only open for individual users.  Google has stated that branded entity accounts are coming in the future, but for now Google+ is only available for personal use.  That being said, there are a few test accounts for businesses including Ford’s plus profile. 
     
  2.  Your account can accrue followers much like Twitter, in that people can begin following your account without your permission.  And vice versa, you can begin following others without permission.  
     
  3.  Your “About” page can feature as much, or as little information about yourself as you want to share, and can include elements such as Tag Line, Bragging Rights, Occupation, Employment, Places Lived and Links.


     

  4. Categorizing who you follow into Circles is one of the cornerstones of Google+, which allows you to more easily track updates from specific people you are following and publish content that can only be seeing by specific people.  Google has an in-depth walkthrough on how Google+ Circles work.
     
  5. Google+ incorporates elements of Twitter (real-time updates and microblogging) and Facebook (sharing videos, photos, links).  Use the circles to manage who sees these updates and whether or not they can be reshared by others.
     
  6. Google+ has its own set of shortcuts and mark-up code to enhance your postings.  Here’s a quick Google+ cheat sheet to help with the most commonly used shortcuts, which also includes reminders for some basic Google+ functionality.


     

  7. Much like Facebook, you can share content you find on the web via +1 buttons.  We discussed the ability to share content via +1 buttons in a previous post.
     
  8. As a signed-in Google User, you may see some search results based on what your connections in Google+ have previously +1’d.  You would not see these same search results if you were logged out. Additionally, Google has stated that the +1 Button will be used as a social signal in their ranking algorithm.

Google is committed to making Google+ work, and has stated that the general populace has seen but a fraction of Google’s intended goal with their new social network.  It is already speculated that Google+ will become the #2 social network within the next twelve months.  So, have you started using Google+ yet?

Ryan Miller is the SEO Manager for Advance Internet, and an active user in social media. You can follow him on Twitter @cromiller and add him to your circles on Google+.

John Carcutt Participates in Google News Ranking Factors Survey

September 22, 2011, by No comments yet

This week a new website, http://googlenewsrankingfactors.com, was launched to outline the positive and negative things that news publication websites can do to rank in Google News. This information is based on a survey of the top SEO experts in the field of news optimization, including Advance Internet’s own John Carcutt, who was hand selected to participate.

The website includes essential information such as:

  • Top 10 Most Important Google News Ranking Factors
  • Top 10 Negative Google News Ranking Factors
  • Article Page Keyword Factors
  • Article Page Non-Keyword Factors
  • Time-Based Factors

The following is a press release published in coordination with the launch of the website.

How Does an Article Get to the Top of Google News?

PASADENA, CA—(Marketwire – Sep 22, 2011) – Today at the Online News Association conference in Boston, MA, Perfect Market, Inc., Local SEO Guide and Newsknife released a new survey detailing never before seen insights into how articles are ranked by Google News — www.googlenewsrankingfactors.com. Respondents included the news publishing industry’s most influential online strategists. Participating news SEOs have worked with publishers including The New York Times Company, The Tribune Company, Time Warner and Conde Nast.

The result of the survey is a list of the “Top Ten Most Important Google News Ranking Factors,” including tactical approaches and insider commentary on emerging trends. The report reveals many new insights about how to get content ranked highly on Google News and also clarifies myths and misperceptions around how articles make it to the top of the Google News page.

News ranking factors may surprise many online strategists. Unlike ranking factors in Google.com, where domain authority is widely believed to carry influence, ‘category authority’ is “massively important” when determining Google News rank. Similarly, ‘authority’ matters, but it’s much more likely the category focus of the site pulls more weight within the news ranking algorithm.

Other insights from the survey include the fact that being the first to publish isn’t necessarily important when determining Google News rank while neither is the publisher’s authority.

Commentary:
“Media companies are particularly interested in learning more about the ins and outs of Google News ranking factors, which are quite different than the standard Page Rank algorithms associated with web search optimization,” said Tim Ruder, chief revenue officer, Perfect Market. “News SEO requires an intricate, specialized understanding. My colleague Sheigh Crabtree and I are grateful to the news SEO experts who participated in this survey, lent us their expertise and helped form the analysis for this groundbreaking research.”

“Ranking for top stories in Google News is the Holy Grail for news sites, yet there has been little public discussion within the SEO community of how to do it,” said Andrew Shotland of Local SEO Guide. “As an SEO consultant who has worked on some of the largest news brands in the world, I thought others would benefit from asking some of the best SEOs out there to share their knowledge of how Google News works.”

“Clearly news publications that rank consistently at the top of Newsknife spend effort to get there,” said Neil Pharazyn, founder of Newsknife. “These Google News ranking factor insights will give news SEOs a better focus on what works.”

Resources:

This site is a must-read for anyone connected to publishing news online, and the recommendations should be considered crucial tools for success in Google News.

The State of Social Media (or Why Aren’t You Using It for Marketing?)

September 20, 2011, by No comments yet

By: Ryan Miller

Are you still not sure if this whole “social media” thing is worth your time and effort, and just a fad that will fade out soon? Is there enough unique traffic in social media to warrant your advertising dollars? The fine folks at Nielsen have compiled and just released their Social Media Report Q3 2011, featuring a massive amount of data to answer that question.  The short answer is “yes”.  Keep on reading to get the long answer.

Nielsen has found among other things that:

  • Social networks and blogs continue to dominate Americans’ time online and now account for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the internet.
  • Social media has grown rapidly – today nearly 4 in 5 active internet users visit social networks and blogs.
  • Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other U.S. website.
  • Close to 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone.
  • 70% of active online adult social network users shop online; 12% more likely than the average adult internet user.
  • 53% of active adult social networkers follow a brand, while 32% follow a celebrity.

One of the key takeaways from the information is seeing the breakdown of social media users demographics. It is vital to understand who that audience is, how to target their interests and what percentage of your marketing budget should be spent where.  As seen in this chart below, the majority of social media users are 18-34 year old females.

If your online marketing has been targeted toward attracting new business through standard websites, AdWord campaigns and display banners, these stats may make you think twice about reallocating some of that budget into social media.  Among other points, social media users are 47% more likely to be heavy spenders on clothing, shoes and accessories, 75% more likely to be heavy spenders on music and 45% more likely to go on a date.

Social media as a form of communication and engagement isn’t going away any time soon.  It doesn’t matter what your personal opinions may be on Facebook and Twitter or that you think you don’t have time for it.  What does matter is that your potential clients and consumers are using these platforms, they engage with companies within social media, they talk about products and services they like and they have many friends who trust their opinion.  So, why aren’t you in the social media sphere yet?

Stats and charts cited here are from Nielsen’s Social Media Report: Q3 2011.  You can read then entire report at nielsen.com.

Ryan Miller is the SEO Manager for Advance Internet, and an active user in social media. You can follow him on Twitter @cromiller and add him to your circles on Google+.

Google’s “Get Your Business Online” Promotion – What Does it Mean For SEO Agencies?

September 7, 2011, by No comments yet

By: Ryan Miller

Google, in association with Intuit, is rolling out state-by-state an initiative to get small and local businesses online. The first state targeted is Texas, and the full details can be found at http://www.texasgetonline.com/

The promotion provides qualified businesses an assortment of free services for the first year of the contract, and is designed to get businesses involved and working with online advertising space. As part of the program, businesses can expect to receive at no cost:

  • A free, easy-to-build, professional website
  • A free customized domain name and hosting for one year
  • A free local business listing on Google Places
  • A free customized domain name and hosting for one year
  • A free local business listing on Google Places
  • Free tools, resources, and local events
  • $75 Google Adwords coupon

After one year of service, the business may maintain their website for a monthly fee. There are some limitations to the hosted website as well; it must be built on Intuit’s Website Builder using their templates, and the free website is limited to three pages.

Beyond the monthly cost after the first year, a deeper look into the offer reveals plenty of opportunities for the business to be upsold by Intuit, including costs to have more pages on the website, email service, and the ability to run an ecommerce website. For Google, this is an opportunity to get more detailed business content into their Places section to drive search traffic and to get businesses hooked on using Adwords.

This service is not for businesses that already have any established online presence, but is instead targeted toward businesses that have zero online presence and are looking for a way to break into the digital space for the first time and get their name out there.  This is not a SEO or comprehensive marketing service by any conceivable means.

How Can Agencies Respond to Prospects That Ask About This Service?

While agencies’ products and services may differ in terms of deliverables, KPIs and goals, there are some overall truths that can universally apply when discussing with prospects:

  •  The adage “you get what you pay for” is important here.  This is a free service and designed to give businesses the absolute barebones online presence.
     
  • This service is not intended for businesses that already have a website and are serious about increasing their online visibility, market share and client base.
     
  • This is not a search engine optimization service for businesses. Businesses will not receive keyword research from SEO professional that will target converting traffic.
     
  •  This service does not provide any external link building to the business website, or any business citation listings on other local directories, both of which are key elements for the success of natural SEO and Local SEO respectively.
     
  • This service does not include any social media options to leverage connecting clients and businesses on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
     
  • This is a “do it yourself” service, and relies on the business to set-up and maintain. It does not provide the staff support that comes with agency product packages that may include filling out the Google Places Profile, writing keyword-rich META content, writing quality site content, providing site audits and recommendations, link building etc.

Is The Service Worth It? 

For businesses that are expanding into the online space for the very first time, do not have budget to fully invest in online marketing and aren’t afraid to get their hands a little dirty, the Get Your Business Online route works as a good stepping stone to see what online marketing has to offer. 

For any businesses though that are seriously looking to invest in online marketing, the best bet is to begin speaking with a trusted SEO Agency that can provide expert knowledge and a comprehensive strategy to meet your goals. 

Ryan Miller is the SEO Manager for Advance Internet. You can follow him on Twitter @cromiller and add him to your circles on Google+.

Recently Forrester Research came out with a report focusing on the fact that today’s Chief Marketing Officers are woefully inexperienced personally with social media, and that this is a huge problem.  As author Chris Stutzman argues, you need to become deeply involved with social media on a personal level in order to know how to take advantage of it for your business.   And if you aren’t, there is no way you truly can…

September 6, 2011, by No comments yet

Social Media and the Marketer: You Need To Do It To Know How To Use It