He sported his fair share of terrible haircuts (ahem..The Facts of Life mullet) and starred in some films he’d rather forget (heard of Return of the Killer Tomatoes! No? Me neither).

But with hard work and some savvy career moves, Clooney is now the man with whom you want to work and connect.

Now it’s time for your site to go from Mullet Man to Leading Man. Make your website the George Clooney of its targeted keywords when you use the best link building strategies.

Want to learn more?

• Make Your Page Link-worthy and Attractive
• Get Great Links For Free
• Use Social Media for Link Building

“Now it’s time for your site to go from Mullet Man to Leading Man.”

Make Your Page Link-worthy and Attractive

Just like Clooney, you have to know when the mullet’s got to go. In other words, you have to know what will attract the most links.

Knowing the best link building secrets will put you on that path.

Hopefully, you’re not reading this going “Uh..what’s link building?” But in case you’re not sure, link building is getting external pages to link to your site or a specific page on that site.

But you don’t want just any links. You want quality links to connect to your site. These quality links are key if you want to appear relevant in the eyes of Google.

Google is more likely to rank your content higher for your targeted keywords if you can get external websites to link to you.

So how do you get Clooney’s Sexiest Man Alive status on the Web?

How to get your link building started:

• Create great, compelling content and TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
• Submit what you have to say to press releases or site directories.
• Put your content in front of influential bloggers.
• Get people you know and work with to link to you.

Not so difficult. But often when people start thinking promotion, they start adding up costs.

But not to worry, some of the best link building strategies can be yours for $Free.99.

“Create great, compelling content and TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT.”

Get Great Links For Free

There’s never anything wrong with a little free stuff. Some of the best link building boosts are completely free. You just need to know how to use them.

When you’re building links, the goal is to jump up in search engine rankings.

Below are some (free) smart ways to improve PageRank with link building.

Pay attention to anchor text.

The anchor text (meaning actual text of the link) should be the same as the keywords you’re targeting.

For example, if you write an article targeting the words “George Clooney Oscar nominations” and a linking site uses those keywords for their anchor text, Google will rank you higher.

Again, quality links are key.

The higher PageRank your external sites have, the more Google will think of your site. Search engines look at trusted links more favorably than questionable ones, and you will be rewarded with a ranking boost.

Think of actors who become infinitely cooler or more respected just because they did a movie with Clooney. The same principle applies.

Encourage links to more than your homepage.

When others talk about your site, they’re often tempted to link directly to your homepage. Make individual pages informational and relevant, they need link love, too.

So what smart link building tips have we learned?

• Pay attention to anchor text
• Get quality links
• Encourage links to all pages on your site

Sounds simple, but they really do work. And now that you know, it still did not cost you a dime, think of them as a present.

My gift to you is these best linking building techniques. They’re almost as nice as an Oscar swag bag, right?

“The more traffic you get, (hopefully) the more people will link to you.”

How to Use Social Media for Link Building

Of course, no discussion of the best link building tips would be complete without a reference to social media. One of the best ways to attract links to your page and content is through social media channels.

You can do this by seeding your content. This means submitting and posting content to different social media sites, forums and directories. If you do it right, you will build buzz around the content and encourage sharing. The more people share, the more links you can acquire.

But social media sharing does not stop with Twitter and Facebook. Sites like Digg.com and Reddit.com allow users to submit content for others to vote on. If the community likes what you’ve posted, a link to your content is put on the front page of the social media site.

The more people click the link, the more traffic you get and (hopefully) the more people will link to your site.

The key is being relevant and staying in the front of peoples’ minds. Again, look at Clooney’s long running career. If he did not continuously work on movies, promotions and charity causes, he could have easily become a story on Where Are They Now?

You have to work for your popularity.

Try out these best link building tips and reap the rewards. Just remember to thank me in your Oscar speech.

By Megan Ahern Megan Ahern would like to thank the Academy for all of their link building support. I love you all. Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

Novice search engine marketers might think that targeting the keyword with a higher search volume will get more traffic and sales. However, seasoned professionals know that long-tail keywords get more and better traffic, leading to increased conversion rates.

“‘How to get rid of bed bugs’ is less competitive than ‘bugs.’”



Read on to learn why you should optimize your site for long-tail keywords:

Long-tail Keywords Drive Traffic that Converts

There are 2 major problems with targeting short-tail, broad keywords:

1. Heavy Competition.
   It’s difficult to crack the first page of search engine rankings for broad keywords. Because a single word is part of thousands of long-tail keyword phrases and hundreds of concepts, there is already a lot of quality content vying for top billing. Often this content is coming from big sites like Yahoo and CNN that have high PageRanks and lots of inbound links, which boost rankings.
2. Low Conversion.
   Someone searching for “bugs” could be seeking information on any one of dozens of topics, ranging from bug collecting to computer bugs. Most likely, this person is also in the information gathering mode, conducting research and not planning on making a purchase. Therefore, few clicks you get from this keyword will convert. We can categorize most of these users as “noes” – they will never take the desired action. If your search campaign focuses on these keywords, your conversion ceiling will be very low – that is, most of your traffic won’t purchase your product or service. One-word keywords have the lowest conversion rate, a measly 7 percent.

On the other hand, there are distinct advantages to targeting long-tail keywords.

1. Less Competition.

“Is buying flowers online for a new girlfriend a good idea?”



2. More Search Possibilities.

   Potential customers can find your website through different combinations of keywords. For example, “is buying flowers online for a new girlfriend a good idea” could potentially rank for:

   • “buying flowers online”
   • “buying flowers for a new girlfriend”
   • “buying flowers for a girlfriend a good idea”

   …and a whole host of other possibilities.

3. Higher Conversion.

   Because they reached your site through a highly specific keyword, your content is more likely exactly what they were seeking. 4-word keywords have the highest average conversion rate (around 37 percent) because these search users can often be categorized as “maybes” or even “yeses.” Long-tail keywords target potential customers who are late in the buying cycle.

They’re past the information-gathering stage and ready to take action. If your website is at its best, they will take that action by buying your product.

“How to get rid of bed bugs” is one example of a long-tail keyword that will draw users more likely to fall into the categories of “yes” or “maybe.” These users have a specific problem and are intent on fixing it. This is where your landing page, your copy, and your website as a whole come into play. These users are already intent on fixing their problem; you must convince them that your product or service will do this.

Long-tail keyword click-through-rates are increasing between 2 percent per year (for 4 words) to 22 percent per year (for 8+ words). Conversely, one-word keywords are experiencing around a 3 percent drop in search results per year.

When comparing 1 broad keyword and 1 long-tail keyword, the search volume of the broad keyword is much larger. However, comparing 1 broad keyword with all of the long-tail keywords combined in a given category shows a different perspective. The majority of traffic volume comes from long-tail keywords.

Check out this graph:

“Target long-tail keywords for better conversion.”

The bottom line: target long-tail keywords and provide persuasive, quality content to raise conversion rates.

Cassie Wallace Cassie Wallace would rather rank for a long-tail keyword than a receive a long-stem rose. Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

This is not to say that Google blindly offers up synonyms for all of your searches, clouding search results with irrelevant sites. Instead, Google says that this use of synonyms will only happen when the search engine algorithm determines that results with the synonym will improve results with useful and important information, such as in the case of “song words”.

According to Google, “for every 50 queries where synonyms significantly improved the search results, we had only one truly bad synonym.” Not bad.

One out of 50 isn’t bad!

Read on to learn how you can write your Web copy to effectively take advantage of Google’s change.

In this article:

• Use a Wide Array of Words
• Don’t Forget the Keyword
• Put the User First when Writing Web Copy

Use a Wide Array of Words

With Google’s new changes, it is now important to consider using an array of words and phrases instead of focusing on only your keyword phrase.

For example, an article targeting “health care communications professional” might also utilize some of the following phrases:

• Health communication specialist
• Medical communications professional
• Professional health care communicator

An article targeting “health care communications professional” might use a variety of phrases.



Google’s tweaks to their algorithm are actually enabling you to write stronger, more interesting Web copy.

Don’t Forget the Keyword

While it’s great to use a diverse selection of keywords, it’s important to still focus on your target keyword.

Include it in key places…

• URL (e.g. /heath-care-communications-professional.html)
• Title
• Heading (e.g. Jane Young, A Health Care Communications Professional that Listens)
• Sub-headings

…and throughout the text. Just don’t forget the number 1 rule of writing…

Don’t forget to focus on your target keyword!

Put the User First when Writing Web Copy

When taking into account Google’s updated algorithm, don’t forget the number 1 rule of writing for the Web or anywhere else. That is, the user comes first. Always.

Write naturally, only including keywords where it makes sense and sounds natural. Web copy is for human readers first, search engines second. Push your experience, credibility and personality, not a barrage of keywords.

Besides, Google’s algorithm likes quality content more than keyword density. Write Web copy that informs, persuades and entertains, focus on your keyword and its variations and the rankings will follow.

Cassie Wallace Cassie Wallace writes for people, but never forgets Mr. Google. Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

Before you start to overheat your brain, I should tell you this is a trick question. Who can count that high?

Whatever the number, the largest percentage of these terms make up what SEO enthusiasts call the long tail of search demand.

This article will guide you to understand what the long tail is, tell you why you should use it, and give you some best practice examples.

Read on to find out:

• What is the long tail of search?
• How to get the long tail wagging
• Who is wagging it right?

“… the largest percentage of these terms make up the long tail.”

What is the long tail of search?

As you continue reading, I will impress you with colorful charts and stats about the long tail to persuade you of its awesome-ness. But first I will step back and explain this potentially foreign SEO concept.

The concept of a long tail of search really generated buzz in WIRED magazine. In it, Chris Anderson wrote about this concept and even titled his blog, The Long Tail.

Anderson explains, “The theory of the Long Tail is that our culture and economy is increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of ‘hits’ (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail.”

What does this mean for SEO? Replace “niches” with “unique keywords,” and the concept is working for you.

Next test question: What percentage of all search traffic do the top 10,000 search terms make up?

If you’ve guessed anything more than 18.5 percent, guess again.

3 quick long tail facts:

1. The top 10,000 search terms make up only 18.5 percent of all search traffic.
2. According to Hitwise, if search were illustrated as a lizard with a one-inch head, its tail would stretch 221 miles.
3. The head and body of search equal only 3.25 percent of Hitwise’s total data.

Let’s put this into pictures:

The above chart is an excellent illustration of the long tail of search concept. It breaks up the top keywords by how often they are searched each month. The gray portion represents the long tail of lonely keywords waiting for a nice person to adopt them.

But I’ve always been more of a bar graph person myself.

Here is that same information with each bar representing a chuck of keywords:

These charts show that using the “top” keywords isn’t the best strategy. Sure, you can make sure to include some of the top 500 keywords. But there are over 70 percent of all searches you are ignoring; don’t forget about them.

How to get the long tail wagging

Now that you’ve seen the pictures and numbers, how are you going to start using the long tail?

Matt Bailey, founder of SiteLogic, a web marketing consulting company, encourages clients to focus their attention outside of their top 10 to 20 most popular search terms: “Add up the terms that refer 1-3 visits during the month, and chances are, they will add up to more total visitors than the top terms. On closer examination, most sites will have the majority of their business (sales and leads) generated from these terms that are rarely tracked.”

Next test question: Write down your top 10 search terms.

Now throw that paper out and start a new, more creative list and start following your tail like a 3-month-old puppy.

Who is wagging it right?

Before you go into this last test question, you should do some Google-ing of your own and find some companies already using the long tail of search successfully. Think of this as the equivalent to cheating off of the brainiest kid in the class, only more ethical.

Here’s a list of sites that are waggin’ it right:

• Amazon.com: 57 percent of their sales are from keywords not considered “popular.”
• UK blogger and PR/Media guru, Mark Pack: his top 10 blog posts each month are responsible for only 1/4 to 1/3 of his blog’s total traffic.
• QueroMedia (international marketing agency): this highly successful, European-based agency uses numerous search terms for clients’ campaigns.

You now know what the long tail of search is, the steps to start using long tail searchs, and who you can “cheat” off to use the long tail of search effectively.

Armed with a full understanding of the long tail, you can now answer the last test question: Why haven’t you started using the long tail sooner?

By Megan Ahern Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

• The Importance of PPC for Advertisers
• Bing’s Fight Against Search Overload
• Bing’s Decline

“Microsoft hoped to create more innovation in search, but advertisers aren’t happy.”

The Importance of PPC for Advertisers

Bing is causing trouble for many advertisers who have always relied on the traffic generated by PPC (pay per click) ads on MSN. PPC is an internet advertising system used on websites, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.

It turns out, MSN made some drastic changes when launching Bing from the old Live.com that could have disastrous effects on advertisers and the PPC system.

Bing’s Fight Against Search Overload

The advertisements promoting Bing claim that the search engine does a better job counteracting “search overload,” offering higher quality results that are more relevent to the search–allowing you to find the information you’re seeking faster. The term “Search overload” aptly refers to the vast amounts of inconsequential information we receive when searching a particular topic through a search engine.

To the severe vexation of PPC advertisers, Bing has taken its fight against “search overload” to a new level. If the “organic listings”, the search engine listings that appear because of their significance to the searched terms, are more relevant to the search than the paid listings, then no advertisements will appear–hence, no clicking takes place. This greatly limits the marketing that advertisers enjoy from the PPC system.

“Bing has taken its fight against “search overload” to a new level.”

Bing’s Decline

Advertisers on MSN are not the only ones suffering from this new search engine. Natural Search, a blog specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), the system of increasing the volume of traffic to a website from search engines, found that MSN’s search tool has suffered a dramatic drop in searches–up to 40%–since the launching of Bing.

This drop may be explained by certain characteristics of Bing. For instance, the search engine displays only the first five organic listings on the first page–more listings appear on consecutive pages that searchers rarely view.

This lack of Bing traffic further affects the advertisement’s success; as few people visit the search engine, advertisements will enjoy fewer clicks.

Contrary to Microsoft’s hopes, most people still use Google to meet their search engine needs. In October 2009, Bing’s “search share,” the market share for its browser, was 9.9%, and has been steadily dropping since. In contrast, Google’s market share reaches above 70%, making it the most widely used search engine in the United States.

By Bryn Dehmcke Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

“Meanwhile, we struggle to pick from a collection of 30 CDs!”

Quality Unique Content Makes All the Difference

Why is having quality unique content so important? Search engines are completely aware of the content that already exists on the web, so creating content that merely duplicates existing content will earn no points in the search engine rankings. Search engines revel in quality, unique content and are constantly looking for updated, fresh and legitimate websites.

Visitors to your website will also appreciate quality content. People want useful information, not just clever pics and millions of links. Unique website content will increase the number of visitors returning to your website over and over again. Value is gained when other websites want access to the unique articles on your website. And as we know, other sites adding hyperlinks to your content increases PageRank.

Unique Content: Literally Unique vs. Conceptually Unique

Because of the high volume of websites that inhabit the web, sites wishing to optimize their visibility and sustain that visibility long-term should harness the concept of having unique content. Additionally, it is valuable to understand success will come when unique content is unique from a conceptual standpoint and not necessarily a literal standpoint.

“I’ve not been this confused since Duchamp’s ‘The Fountain’.”

So, what exactly is the difference between literally unique content and conceptually unique content?

Literal
Taking the literal approach to adding unique content will likely do very little to increase the visibility of a website because the actual information on the site can be found elsewhere.

This approach provides unique syntax and diction for the information provided, but the information can be found on other websites. Here is a humorous (and not suggested) technique for those looking to add unique content to their site using the literal technique.

Conceptual
Conceptually unique content takes a little more thought than plowing through a thesaurus to reword paragraphs or throwing together keyword-rich text. Instead, conceptually unique content presents new ideas, innovations, new twists and new ways to present information to the reader.

Value is added to any preexisting information or services using this technique because the goal is to create something better or different than what already exists. Doing this takes some effort but is definitely worth the potential outcomes versus going the literal route. So, how do you go about creating conceptually unique content?

Developing Unique Content

Before developing unique content for a website it will be very useful to think about the following first:

• Nobody is going to visit a website that provides information that another website provides in a better way
• What kind of websites do you enjoy most? How are they unique?
• Observe what’s already on the web and note any holes or gaps in the content that can be filled or done better
• Make sure content is actually useful, informative and relevant

After doing this, think about the content that will be provided on the website and present the information in a different way. Try to fill in any holes or gaps that are observed on similar websites. Content becomes quality content when visitors find the information on your website valuable.

So keep the reader in mind when writing your content. Content should be relevant to the topic and informative so Web users will stay on your site and hopefully return to it again.

Next, it is most important to keep your website updated. As you create your website, content may become stale. Keeping a site regularly updated will increase rankings on search engines which will lead to more visits to the website. Dormant content on a website breeds no visitors; so, keep the information fresh and updated.

“Updated. Unlike your lonely daily-calendar”



For those who may be feeling inadequate in developing their own quality unique content for a website, there are options available: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) services specialize in creating effective content for websites. SEO writers work to market the website in a positive light and can be very helpful to utilize.

Branding Brand is an interactive marketing company that specializes in SEO.

What to Remember About Unique Content

Increasing the visibility and search engine rankings for your website can be as simple as making sure you have unique content for your website. Think about your target audience and what it wants that it can’t find elsewhere.

Present information in a unique light that will attract more visitors, as well as other websites that add hyperlinks to your content.

Finally, remember to keep your website updated. Fresh content will increase your presence on search results – giving your website the competitive advantage that is necessary amongst the millions of websites that exist out there in the cyberworld.

Ashley Reid Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

The whole point of optimizing a site is to see results based on higher site traffic, higher conversion rates, and increased sales, so it is always good to hear a success story. Payne was able to increase the site traffic on the Tribune websites by 20 million in just three years. An article by Rachelle Money featuring Payne’s success accounted his journey with the Tribune Company and laid out some important aspects that are sure to give results for other sites.

“Online you can take a newsstand and put it in the middle of Times Square by doing good SEO…”

Much of Brett Payne’s success came from convincing three groups of people of the possible success of an ongoing SEO campaign:

1. Yourself (The site SEO Manager)
2. Site Content Writers
3. “Outside” Forces

1) Convince Yourself (Be a Student of the Keyword Research Game!)

The main way to gain confidence in your site’s SEO campaign is through constant research and gathering of useful data. As a part of a company’s site or some other type of site, it becomes very easy to be subjective or use uncommon knowledge when trying to determine how a customer will think about your site or the products you offer.

Understanding how the consumer will translate what they are looking for into a search engine, can only be achieved a few ways:

1. Direct communication with your customer base through focus groups, surveys about company/product word associations, etc.

2. Keyword Research. There are many available keyword research tools that will help determine which keywords are best for your site, where your site already ranks on major search engine results, as well as provide you with other valuable information.

A Few Keyword Research Tools

1. Google Analytics
   Tells you, how people:
   • Find your site
   • Navigate through it
   • Become customers

   Compare your site usage metrics with industry averages and track Flash, video, and social networking sites and applications.
   Uncover trends, patterns, and key comparisons with funnel visualization, motion charts, and mapping.

2. Wordtracker
   Allows you to search specific keywords, view the number of searches and evaluate the number of competing websites for that keyword based on a couple different search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN).
3. RankChecker
   Allows you to know where your website ranks in the search results. Firefox RankChecker extension allows you to easily check your website rankings in Google (US and international), Yahoo, and Microsoft Live search.

After researching what keywords will be profitable for your site, be sure to use a page’s targeted keyword in its title as well as in its link text. These are two of the ways search engines look for matches and will help increase your optimization.

“There are many available keyword research tools—use em!”

2) Convince the Site Content Writers

The first thing Brett Payne did when arriving at the Tribune was grasp the resources that he had, and move them all in the same direction. Since Payne was working at a news site, he knew that he would need to convince/educate the journalists and editors about optimizing online content.

At first, he gave a presentation to the journalists about SEO and how they would use it, but then did something more interesting. He tapped into their competitive spirits. Payne proclaims, “Every time stories from that 25% (pro-SEO journalists) hit the top of Google, an email went out not only to them but to their bosses as well. I sent a short email which said great job, your story got the first page of Google, you have driven this much traffic to our site – and that reaffirmed to them that this (SEO) was the right thing to do.”

Instead of becoming another content editor himself, he left if up to each writer to optimize their own content. Each writer became a part of the SEO process, feeling more connected to the results (no pun intended) they saw. This success pushed the journalists to convince the skeptical journalists to get on board with the idea, without Payne having to play the bad guy.

With everyone at the site on the same page, a very crucial aspect of SEO is still remaining; link building with other sites.

“Make sure everyone’s on the same page.”

3) Convince “Outside Forces”

Aaron Wall, CEO of the online leading SEO website SEOBook, says “Link Building… Time-intensive. Frustrating. Sometimes confusing. Yet Unavoidable. Because ultimately, it’s still the trump card for higher rankings.”

With the Tribune Company, Brett Payne had direct access to a system many will not. Using the 50 Tribune websites, he is able to link traffic to any specific site with a relevant article from the rest of the sites. Without this convenience, gaining inbound links is still doable.

The main ways to convince other sites to link to your site are to:

1. Have useful, interesting articles
2. Launch a link exchange campaign
3. Promote your content

It is important that the sites that are linking to your site are in relevant fields and are trusted by search engines. The more trusted the site, the more weight the search engine will place on its outbound links. Using these principles from Brett Payne and others like him will get everyone on your site working in the same direction toward better SEO productivity.

By Chris Streeter

How things used to be…

People used to send letters and pay bills through the mail. Friends and family used to keep in touch via landline phones and face-to-face conversations. The newspaper was one of the main sources for news, and classifieds were much more popular before the use of Craigslist. All of these mediums are still used to an extent, but it is fascinating to see how the Internet has changed many aspects of our lives.

Remember “snail mail?”

How things are changing…

Socialnomics, a book written by Erik Qualman, refers to the importance of people with the media as their enabler. Because of the media, the planet in which we live is now faster, easier and well-connected. People can read and write reviews on products that can be shared around the world. Families can stay connected by the keys on their computer, and now, the keys of their mobile device.

Want to learn more? This article will explain:

• Largest Referral System
• News Finds Us
• Multiple Individual Redundancy is Reduced
• Why new ways are better than old ways

Largest referral system

The Internet has turned into our largest referral system. Before making a purchase, any information can be searched for – from your favorite cosmetic to a single-family home. Most people will trust the information given to them by their peers and will buy accordingly. Finding information on the Internet makes purchasing items and products much more convenient.

One of the old ways that products were referred was through TV advertisements. This way was very effective at the time, but has become less effective now that the Internet has supplied consumers with the information wanted to purchase products.

The Internet makes it very easy to find products, but it also gives the information about them instantly. The Internet will continue to thrive as the largest referral system because of the ease of retrieving information, and the instant ability to have the information on hand.

The Internet also allows pictures and personal information to be displayed for all eyes to see. It is very easy to “google” someone and find out all information on them before first words are even exchanged, so preparation for interviews and first dates has changed.

The Internet has changed the world, but the real question is: how will people change the world with social media as their enabler?

Does Google make you “feel lucky”?

News finds us

There is no need to look for the news anymore, or pay for pricey newspaper subscriptions. The news finds us these days, and the content is free. People can also enjoy the fact that they can get the news from the comfort of their home, and if they are on the go, news can be delivered with one click of their mobile device.

The reality that the Internet has changed everyone’s lives is not a shock to anyone, anymore. The statistics and facts from the book Socialnomics are very interesting to see. They show how our lives have changed, and how fast they will change in the future. Life before the Internet is slowly being forgotten and would never be accepted after we have had a taste of it. The necessity (or addiction) to the Internet allows the world to become a place in which mail can be received within seconds instead of days of being sent.

It is hard to not be bombarded with the latest news updates on the many social sites and search engines on the Internet.

The world has become a place in which everyone can find out anything. There are no secrets—the Internet knows all and tells all. The Internet has changed our lives forever. It has not only changed the way we work, but it has also changed the way we communicate with each other.

Twitter allows us to let the world know what we are doing at all times of the day. Flickr allows pictures to be uploaded and shared with anyone on the globe. MySpace and Facebook allow long lost families to be reunited and friends to keep in touch from all areas of the planet.

There are no secrets anymore…

Multiple individual redundancy is reduced

Instead of doing my own trial and error research by purchasing a product and testing it, I can do research by looking at reviews of those who have already gone through the trial and error. This is a behavior I share with many people today.

One of the major changes spurred from this new behavior affects the Super Bowl in the future. The fans of the Super Bowl watch of course for the game, but many watch for the commercials. However, the new trends in consumer behavior threaten television ads like those seen during the Super Bowl. The problem with the broadcast Super Bowl ads is that they’re not as targeted as the Internet allows for; viewers may not have any intent to purchase no matter how interesting the commercial. Also, consumers may believe these ads have a bias that Internet reviewers do not possess. Therefore, these Super Bowl ads that are worth millions of dollars will not be as big of an influence as people using social media. The influence of our peers are becoming one of the greatest tools that we have ever seen.

Marketing from the past will stay in the past; many people are now looking to the words of their peers to sway their choice on purchases.

Now, ads can target us better than ever.

Why new ways are better than old ways

The new ways of marketing are better than the old ways, like banner and TV ads, because they are more efficient and consumer-centric.

Some of the new ways of marketing are through social mediums such as Facebook and Twitter. Using social media for marketing allows information to be sent to many people in a small amount of time. There are other strategies such as creating content for blogs that can be seen by a large audience.

Knowing how to SEO is also a very powerful marketing strategy. If your business or product that you are marketing is ranked high on search engine result pages, then you have instant exposure, and the interest is already there if it was searched for.

Using consumer reviews is another effective marketing method. As aforementioned, many people look to their peers for advice and thoughts when it comes to purchasing a product. Consumer reviews play a very important role in why one product is purchased over the other. Marketers can not only learn how to improve from consumer reviews, but can gain affirmation on what they’re doing right and can promote positive reviews by quoting them.

People will still be the best marketing tool. So it is important for marketers to see the value people have and use it to their advantage. Social media is certainly a tool through which marketers can get the word out, but social media presents other opportunities for marketers. By using social media, marketers can learn more about their audience’s:

• Wants and needs
• Language
• Attitude toward their company or product

The Internet which allows another means of communication (i.e. social media) enables the marketing, but it is people in the end that will make the difference in the future.

There are things that have and probably will stay the same. Some of the core marketing strategies and policies will continue to make businesses thrive. Some of these policies will be thriving, but that doesn’t mean that everything will.

There are many businesses that refuse to use these new strategies and will also want those that work for them and those that they work for to be used to their these old approaches. This will most likely turn into the downfall of a company. Businesses have to be able to welcome the new strategies into their homes and offices, so they do not become a thing of the past. The future is coming fast, and all who do not jump aboard, will be left behind.

The good news is that consumers will win in the end, because the quality products and services will be highlighted and purchased. This will allow quality products to thrive and thus allow consumers to thrive in a society where quality products are advertised and shown for what they really are.

Codi Fleet Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

Brand your business; show up higher on a search engine result page.

Brand Preference

According to Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Webspam team, it is not simply the popularity of commercial brands that catapults them to the top of search results but rather the elements of a brand including “trust, authority, reputation, PageRank, and high quality.”

Google’s algorithm update which gives sites owned by big brands an increase in rankings is not a plot to further inflate big businesses, but rather a way to provide better search results for users.

“Brands are the solution, not the problem,” according to Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “Brands are how you sort out the cesspool.”

By eliminating what Schmidt refers to as the “cesspool”, businesses that are truly relevant to a query are able to show up higher in search results.

So, how do you legitimize your business in regard to search results?

Building Authority Through Branding

Through the branding of your business or product, you achieve authority in your market and in search results. Consumers trust and respect brands because of the expectations, thoughts, and feelings associated with a brand.

Much like high school popularity, as a brand, you have to be known, liked, and trusted.


“As Willy Loman always said, It is important to be well-liked!”

But how do you reach the esteemed status of a brand?

It’s All About Who Knows You

The more people that are aware of your brand, the stronger your brand. Creating brand awareness allows for your business or product to be recognized.

Brand awareness can be achieved in a variety of ways:

• Marketing campaigns that target your niche market
• Utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques
• Product placement
• Blogs
• Social networks (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter)
• Article directories
• Links to your site
• Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
• Press releases

Personality and Good Looks to Match

So you’ve put your business or product out there and have made your target audience aware of your existence, but how do you keep them interested?

When attempting to maintain popularity and interest in your market, you cannot simply rely upon innovative site design, a cool color scheme, and flashy advertising. It takes both looks and personality to cement your business or product as a brand.


“Sorry Bozo, the colors just won’t cut it.”

The content and aesthetic appeal of your site must work together in order to establish your business as a brand. The personality or image your business creates is a crucial aspect of conveying your marketing message.

Creating a “likeable” personality through content involves many of the basic tenets of SEO:

• Write unique content
• Use descriptive titles
• Use keywords to boost search engine ranking
• Encourage participation through blogs and comments
• Use diverse links with keyword anchor text

Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd

It is vital that your business differentiates itself from other businesses. Just as those within the hierarchical social scene of high school strive to stand out and be special, so should your business.

Focus on your unique value proposition:

• Identify what your market wants and needs
• Know your strengths as a business or product
• Create a marketing message that sets your business or product apart
• Clearly and effectively communicate what your business or product offers
• Research trends
• Be the only choice for your customers

Build Trust

Just like any real-life relationship, trust is essential.


“Trust can be tough to develop.”

So now that your business or product has established that it’s more special than the other businesses or products in your market, you must earn the trust of your target market.

Your Web site must ensure its audience that it:

• Is not a scam
• Contains useful and valid information
• Is relevant
• Offers guarantees on which your business or product can deliver

But how do you show your customers that you’re the real-deal? Try to:

• Anticipate customer needs and questions
• Show that you’re a real person
• Link to credible sources
• Use customer testimonials and endorsements
• Offer interactive opportunities such as commenting

Bringing It All Together

The importance of branding is now greater than ever due to algorithms being weighted towards brands. Brands are receiving preferential treatment when it comes to Google search results. Through establishing your business as a brand, your business will rank well.

When branding your business or product there are five essential tips that will take you to the top of Google search engine results:

1. Establish your business as a brand
2. Create brand awareness
3. Have creative and informative content
4. Communicate your unique value proposition
5. Gain the trust of your target market

By adhering to these tips in order to make your business a brand, you are sure to better your odds in the popularity contest that is Google search results. See, branding is arguably less complicated than high school!

Julia Cowher “Julia wasn’t quite ‘brand name’ in high school, but thanks to Branding Brand she now ranks higher than ever.” Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.

[why is seo important]

91/month

• #1 – www.redlineseo.com – PR0
• #2 – www.galleon-seo.co.uk – PR3
• #3 – www.webnauts.net/seo.html – PR6

SEO is important because more people click on the organic search results than the paid.

“Top organic results = ROI!”

Paid Search (Google Adwords)

Let’s say you owned a Chinese Restaurant in Pittsburgh and paid for a Google ad on the right side of the search results.

“chinese restaurant pittsburgh” gets typed in 260 times a month on Google according to the Google Keyword tool.

After advertising on Google for 30 days, you realize the following with paying for “chinese restaurant pittsburgh”

• “chinese restaurant pittsburgh” got 260 impressions (people that typed that in)
• 13 people clicked on your ad and landed on your site (13/260 = 5% click through rate or CTR)
• You paid Google .91 cents a click (13 * .91 = $11.83)
• 5 of them made online reservations (5/13 = 38% conversion rate)
• The average order is $60 ($60 * 5 customers = $300)
• You spent $11.83 to generate $300 in monthly revenue

“Paid ads on the right-side can generate money.”

More people click on Organic Search

So now you say to yourself, wow, 38% of people that land on my website after typing in “chinese restaurant pittsburgh” are making online reservations and I only spent $11.83 to generate $300 in revenue!

Can’t I pay google more to get more than 5% of people that searched for “chinese restaurant pittsburgh” to my website?

Nope. You’re maxed out on the paid side of things, but did you know that up to 60% of searchers click on the first Organic Search Result?

The impact of being #1 (60% CTR)
Let’s say you were the #1 search result for “chinese restaurant pittsburgh” … you could expect the following:

• 260 people a month searching for “chinese restaurant pittsburgh”
• 156 people clicked (landed) on your site (156/260 = 60% CTR)
• 59 of them made online reservations (59/156 = 38% conversion rate)
• The average order is $60 ($60 * 59 = $3,540)
• Monthly revenue is $3,540

The impact of being #2 (20% CTR)

• 260 people a month searching for “chinese restaurant pittsburgh”
• 52 people clicked (landed) on your site (52/260 = 20% CTR)
• 20 of them made online reservations (20/156 = 38% conversion rate)
• The average order is $60 ($60 * 20 = $1,200)
• Monthly revenue is $1,200

“…But, being in the top organic spot is priceless.”

Is it really free money?

No, in order to show up high for the term, “pittsburgh chinese restaurant” you need to do the following.

1. Look at your competition … can you beat them?
2. Write lots of relevant content that people love to read and comment on
3. Make your website a place that other people talk about and link to online

It may cost $3,000 a month to make this happen and get yourself ahead of the competition, but the $3,540 you make in month 4 will be free money moving forward, as long as your competition doesn’t try to outdo you.

;o)

Joey Rahimi Joey is from Manhattan, NY but has been living in Pittsburgh for over 10 years now. He is a die hard Steelers and Knicks fan, and really loves PITT Basketball (Carnegie Mellon is D3). Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.