What’s Happened in Social Media Over the Year
Jan 13th
The Year in Social Media: 2009
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As we did last year, we have gone back through our archives and picked out some of the most noteworthy social media items we have covered since 2009 began. Now that 2009 is almost over, it was worth going back and seeing what all has happened.
January
In January, Twitter announced that it hired Kevin Thau as Director of Mobile Business Development, and that he would be working on a variety of different fronts as Twitter’s “first official business development guru.” LinkedIn introduced a new Polls feature, and launched a bookmarklet for IE. MySpace Music made deals with Nettwerk Music Group, INgrooves, IRIS Distribution, and RoyaltyShare to bolster its catalog by hundreds of thousands of songs. YouTube expanded its e-commerce platform and started letting people delete their own comments. Digg launched the “People who Dugg this also Dugg” feature.
February
In February, LinkedIn launched a set of HR Tools and launched a German version. MySpace launched a mobile redesign, and Digg updated its algorithm. Facebook introduced polling ads, changed its terms of service, made some design changes to profile pages for businesses, opened its corporate blog to comments, introduced the comments box widget, and launched the “like” button. Google introduced the Social Bar and launched Friend Connect integration with Blogger.
March
In March, Twitter brought its search box to most people’s Twitter home page, and changed the “replies” tab to the “@username” tab. Twitter also adjusted the title tags for member pages. Where they used to go “Twitter / username” they would now go “User’s Real Name (username) on Twitter”. Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis offered to buy a spot on Twitter’s Suggested Users list.
Facebook launched a redesign, started including updates from Pages in the news feed, changed pages to operate like profiles, and changed the status box to the publisher box. They launched the ability to let users chat within apps, added ad spots to Pages, relaunched Facebook Marketplace to be powered by online classified service Oodle, launched Facebook Connect for the iPhone and iPod Touch, launched some new ad targeting options, and enabled Page owners to let people sign up to become fans via text message.
Google began implementing Portable Contacts, launched the Friend Connect API, blended user-generated content into search results on Google Maps, made Google Reader more social with commenting, allowed for richer Gmail messages, and started its own Twitter accounts.
YouTube changed the name of some video sections, LinkedIn did some redesigning of its own and enhanced Direct Ads, and MySpace was stamped on a credit card.
April
Google launched an event gadget for Google Friend Connect, the Digg-like “What’s Popular” gadget, and the “Get Answers” gadget for Friend Connect. Google also gave profiles vanity URLS and started putting profiles into search results.
Facebook made it easier to organize friends, opened its stream up to third-party developers, added electronic signatures for public pages, worked with the blind on accessibility, began making app recommendations, and readied its next steps in governance.
Twitter started integrating search into its interface more, and CNN showed that you can buy/sell a Twitter account. Scientists created a brain-Twitter interface.
StumbleUpon broke away from eBay and enhanced its “web stumbling.” Digg launched the controversial DiggBar. Reddit launched a video site, AOL launched SocialThing, and Yahoo shifted its focus to social altogether. YouTube launched the beta version of YouTube RealTime. MySpace got some new management.
May
In May, Yahoo 360 went away, Digg dropped shouting, LinkedIn upped usability on the Action Bar, the Wall Street Journal gave its employees social media rules, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau released its social advertising best practices and social media ad metrics.
Google introduced Google Wave, launched a recommendation gadget for Friend Connect, launched comment translation for Friend Connect, and added more social features to Google Reader. Twitter launched full two-way SMS support for Telus, Virgin Moible, and Koodo Mobile, making it available on every major operator in Canda. Twitter also changed how users view replies.
Iran lifted its ban on Facebook, and Facebook rolled out real-time streams, announced an app directory overhaul, added pop-up notifications, and linked accounts with Gmail. YouTube launched a new way for brands to engage audiences, and began letting you log-in with your Google account.
June
In June, Facebook began offering keyword suggestions for advertisers, simplified the inbox, began letting users get friends’ updates via text message, and launched the Live Stream Box.
YouTube launched a page for movie trailers, FriendFeed added file sharing, LinkedIn got a new CEO and updated its search tool for recruiting, MySpace cut a big chunk of its staff, StumbleUpon launched a URL shortener, and Digg started showing Digg Ads.
July
In July, Google launched its Facebook page, MySpace launched its email service, and LinkedIn introduced custom profiles for companies. YouTube launched its 3D experiment, doubled the size limit of uploads, and gave users the ability to share YouTube Insights stats.
A Twitter documentary was announced, and Twitter itself gave businesses a new resource and started making hashtags link. Facebook addressed privacy and photo use for ads, gave businesses a way to increase their Facebook fans, and added the ability to create events from the publisher.
August
In August, Facebook was readying a new ads manager, made subtle changes to its design, announced plans for privacy improvement, started integrating directly with Twitter, launched its own real-time search, implemented restrictions on sponsored status updates, updated open stream APIs, acquired FriendFeed, and began letting developers sell physical merchandise for virtual currency.
Twitter quietly took a step toward security, and announced plans to launch a feature that makes the service location-aware. Izea launched “Sponsored Tweets,” and Tweetmeme brought analytics to retweeting.
Google reader got more social features, YouTube placed more emphasis on search and launched its own AdSense-like promoted videos. Delicious showed off new features for sharing, search, and its homepage. StumbleUpon made some big changes to its toolbar.
September
In September, Google turned the whole web into an exclusive social network with SideWiki. Yahoo launched a new contacts API, Yahoo profiles became social media profiles, and the company launched the Twitter-like Yahoo Meme in English. Microsoft added MySpace activity updates to Windows Live, and Bing announced it was readying sharing features for search results.
A sick poll was discovered on and removed from Facebook, and Facebook announced its translation plans, and that it had roughly the same amount of people as the entire U.S. population. Facebook also added tagging from status updates, and launched Facebook Lite in the U.S. and India.
MySpace Music launched in Australia, and Myspace users started being able to sync updates with Twitter. LinkedIn made profile organization easier, a record label was launched for YouTube stars, and YouTube began readying a friend-finder feature.
Pizza Hut and other brands used Twitter to help feed the hungry, Digg made changes to its nofollow policy, the Washington Post’s leaked social media policy faced criticism, and real-time search engines Collecta and OneRiot launched APIs.
October
In October, Bing scored deals with Twitter and Facebook, while Google scored one with Twitter. Mozilla shared its plans for integrating social media and email into one inbox, and Twitter partnered with its first charity. LinkedIn announced that it surpassed 50 million users.
MySpace introduced new music features, StumbleUpon launched a new design with more of a search focus, YouTube got real-time search for comments, and the only known video footage of Anne Frank appeared on YouTube.
Facebook confirmed testing of a new design, made share buttons more useful, gave groups walls, tried harder to get page owners to verify, and presented new obstacles for application developers. They also launched the Create Application API.
November
In November, Google eased the retrieval of SideWiki entries for entire sites, Google Wave got a feature for following, and Google launched some new features for Google Friend Connect.
Facebook tested new design changes, and continued work on privacy changes. Facebook and Twitter both made their way into dictionaries and onto video game consoles. Twitter made geotagging tweets possible, and talked about plans which would make its suggested usres list more like Twellow’s. Twitter also changed launched Twitter Lists, gave apps access to people search, rolled out the controversial retweet feature, and changed “What are you doing?” to “What’s Happening?”.
LinkedIn opened up its platform to developers, Yahoo began showing tweets for news results, MySpace launched new music charts, Salesforce announced its “Facebook for the enterprise,” YouTube connected news outlets with citizen reporters, PayPal launched new APIs to take over mobile and social apps, Microsoft launched a big redesign of MSN, Opera launched Opera Unite, Digg launched Digg Trends.
December
In December, Google, Facebook, and YouTube all got new URL shorteners. Twitter continued expansion into new languages, and announced plans for business features. Google launched real-time search in the search results.
LinkedIn began testing a new design, and launched faceted search, Facebook began giving translators awards, adjusted privacy controls, and formed a board for online safety, MySpace launched new APIs, upgraded users’ mobile experience, and acquired iMeem, Bing launched new maps with apps, and Yahoo deepened its integration with Facebook. Digg released a new version of its API. Also, the new FTC guidelines went into effect.
Wrapping Up
Of course, there has been much more that has happened over the year in social media. I think it might be close to impossible to cover every single thing. Were there things that happened that you think should have been included here? Add them in the comments. That will only serve to make the piece more comprehensive for future readers.
Social Media Optimization – Shifting the Landscape of Search
Jan 13th
Social media optimization (SMO) is an important ingredient within your SEO and SEM campaigns. In the past, social networking sites were not much more than an oddity. Today, many have received enormous ranking authority from top search engines. If you are not leveraging these sites to improve your exposure and communicate with your niche consumer, your search engine positions are vulnerable to your competitors.
In this article, we will describe the influence that SMO currently has on search engine marketing. We will also give you the rules of engagement for executing an effective social media optimization campaign. We’ll explain what SEO social media is, and the advantages of hiring an experienced SEO consultant to spearhead your social media optimization efforts.
The Influence Of Social Media Optimization On Search Marketing
Search marketing has always relied upon exposure in the search engines to drive targeted traffíc. For years, gaining that exposure was based solely upon the development of your site and generating links pointing to your site. Both are still important today. However, social media optimization has shifted the landscape of search marketing.
Google once maintained several disparate search platforms for blogs, videos, news, and similar types of “social” content. Each functioned as a separate search engine with its own set of organic listings.
A few years ago, Google blended the listings from each platform into a system called Universal Search. Bing and Yahoo have since incorporated similar systems. Universal Search is now used as the primary index. That means blogs, videos, and news have been incorporated into the natural listings, pushing many sites off the first page. This is one of the reasons social media optimization has become a critical piece of search.
Another factor that has influenced search marketing is the increased ranking authority given to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and similar sites. These too, have quickly gained control of a significant amount of search territory.
Social media optimization preserves your current natural listings while helping you to gain even more search exposure. By using blogs, videos, and social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, you can capture a greater number of organic positions.
Your Social Media Optimization Campaign: Rules of Engagement
There are several rules of engagement for launching and executing a social media optimisation campaign. If you ignore them, your SMO efforts will be far less effective than otherwise.
First, you should do everything possible to encourage your audience to link to your site. Integrating a blog is valuable because your content can be updated over time, attracting loyal readers. Encourage readers to bookmark, tag and “Tweet” your blog posts by installing a button plug-in.
Second, link liberally as a resource for your visitors. Social media optimization is dependent on assisting others achieve what they’re trying to do. Once you engage your audience, help them find the resources they need by linking to them. Eventually, your site will become regarded as a resource hub, which will help you attract inbound links. That’s a vital component of SEO.
Third, you must be able to identify your market. Social media optimization relies upon the connections you establish with niche communities. You need to properly target them in order to engage them and generate content. This is true whether you’re engaging them through YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, or your blog.
Fourth, integrate tracking tools to measure and monitor the success of your social media optimization campaign. Track mentions of your site and company. Watch your site’s progress in the natural listings for your main keywords. Generate linking reports showing inbound links pointing to your domain and specific pages. Tracking your metrics is crucial in order to determine whether your SMO campaign is effective.
SEO Social Media Optimization Explained
Each of the elements of a social media optimization campaign that we have described thus far dovetail seamlessly with SEO. The ongoing content creation, tagging and bookmarking, attracting inbound links by being a resource for your audience – these are essential for pushing your website higher in the search engines’ listings. SEO social media optimization leverages a new set of tools to accomplish the same goal as SEO: more exposure for your site on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The challenge is knowing how to use those tools effectively.
The days of launching a basic SEO campaign within a competitive space and watching your site rise in the search engines’ results are long gone. SEO has become far more complex than it was a few short years ago. This is why many companies have made the decision to hire an SEO consultant. Social media optimization has transformed SEO from a relatively straightforward strategy into a complicated science. Having an experienced hand at the wheel helps to navigate the uncertain terrain.
If you want to boost your exposure in the search engines’ listings, consider social media optimization a priority.
Top 10 Highlights Of CES 2010
Jan 13th
1 – LG CF3D Is First Full HD 3D Single Lens Projector
LG unveiled the LG CF3D 3D projector today at the CES 2010. The LG CF3D is the world’s first Full HD, 3D Single Lens Type Projector.
The LG CF3D is featuring a brightness rating of 2,500 ANSI-lumens and a high contrast ratio of 7,000:1. The CF3D also features TruMotion 120Hz for smoother images – a technology previously only seen on flat panel HDTVs.
2 – Sony Bravia LX900, HX900 And HX800 3D TV Series Unveiled At CES 2010
Sony unveiled its 2010 BRAVIA LCD HDTV line featuring its first 3D HDTVs at the CES 2010.
The line is made up of 38 models ranging in screen sizes from 60 to 22-inches.
The Sony LX900 series offers integrated 3D functionality with Sony’s 3D active shutter glasses and built-in 3D transmitter, while the HX900 and HX800-series are 3D capable using Sony 3D active shutter glasses and 3D transmitter (each sold separately).
The 3D models incorporate a frame sequential display and active-shutter glasses that work together with Sony’s proprietary high frame rate technology reproducing full high-definition 3D images.
3 – Parrot AR.Drone Is the Hottest CES 2010 iPhone Accessory
The CES 2010 did not officially start yet, but the Parrot AR.Drone already made it on my short list of CES 2010 coolest products. The Parrot AR.Drone is a quadricopter piloted with an iPhone or iPod touch that carries two cameras that deliver live video feed onto your iPhone. How bloody cool is that? (watch video below).
Parrot is positioning the Parrot AR.Drone as a video game for the iPhone. It combines wireless, video and gaming technologies to allow real-world objects and conditions, like a tree or wind, to become a part of the video gaming experience.
4 – Panasonic 152-Inch Full HD 3D Plasma Is World’s Largest
Panasonic unveiled at the CES 2010 the world’s largest 152-inch 4K x 2K definition Full HD 3D plasma display. It looks like big is the new thin again.
The new Panasonic display features a new plasma display panel (PDP) Panasonic developed with its new efficient quadruple luminous efficiency technology.
The technology enhances PDP’s unique advantages as self-illuminating device, contributing to delivering an overwhelming immersive experience to viewers.
5 – Alienware M11x 11-inch Gaming Notebook Hits CES 2010
Dell unveiled the new Alienware M11x 11-inch Gaming Notebook at the CES 2010 today.
The Alienware M11x packs the graphics power of a 15-inch laptop in an 11-inch form factor.
Details about the Alienware M11x are still sparse. You can sign-up to win one, but there are no details on hardware, price and release date available.
6 – Plastic Logic QUE proReader Launched At CES 2010 And Available For Pre-Order
Plastic Logic today unveiled QUE, the world’s first proReader. More than an eReader, QUE is designed specifically to provide a premium reading experience and access to content anywhere anytime, while simplifying the multi-faceted lifestyle of business professionals –and to literally lighten their workload.
The Que proReader is still no color eBook reader but with QUE truVue you can read newspapers and magazines on the QUE almost like the paper versions or even better. QUE truVue based on Adobe Reader Mobile SDK displays layout and photos of magazines like on paper on the QUE.
7 – Cool Ion Twin Video Is World’s First Dual-Lens Hand Video Camera
ION announces ION TWIN VIDEO, the world’s first video recorder with front and back lenses at the CES 2010.
The ION TWIN VIDEO is the first video recorder that allows you to capture both your world and your reaction to it. This interesting camcorder makes interviews, vlogs, and creating videos for YouTube and Facebook easy thank to live-editing features that include picture swap, split screen, and picture-in-picture.
8 – Toshiba ZX900 CELL TV Hits CES 2010
Toshiba unveiled a CELL TV for the U.S. market at the CES 2010 dubbed Toshiba ZX900. Toshiba has already a CELL TV on the market in Japan. A CELL TV has the CPU power of the Sony PS3 built-in.
For the flagship ZX900 Series, Toshiba combined the power of the CELL processor with its new KIRA2 Super Local Dimming LED Display. KIRA2 is positioned as “Twice as Bright!” as it has an amazing 1,000 cd/m2 brightness. In addition, KIRA2 also has 512 controllable zones (5X that of previous local dimming models) for precise control over black levels. This allows the KIRA2 to create an unmatched 9M: 1 Dynamic Contrast, creating the ultimate picture quality package.
9 – Skype Enabled TVs Coming From LG And Panasonic At CES 2010
Today at the CES 2010 Skype announced partnerships with LG and Panasonic to offer Skype–enabled HDTVs.
Skype software will be embedded into the Panasonic line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs and in 26 new LG LCD and plasma HDTVs with NetCast Entertainment Access.
Both lines are expected to be available in mid-2010. Both LG and Panasonic will offer specially-designed HD webcams that are optimized for Skype video calls as separate accessories that can be plugged into the televisions. These webcams support 720p HD and include special microphones and optics that can pick up sound and video from a couch-distance.
10 – Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Tablet Hands-On Video
Lenovo unveiled at the CES 2010 a very cool Hybrid Tablet computer dubbed IdeaPad U1. The IdeaPad U1 is not one but actually two computers. The screen on its own is a Tablet running on Snapdragon. If you put the screen back into the keyboard housing, the U1 switches to a Windows 7 Intel Core Duo notebook computer. Pretty cool!
Jim Louderback of Tekzilla got his hands on a Lenovo IdeaPad U1 at the CES 2010 and published a hands-on video that you can watch below.
Internet Advertising: What You Need to Know For Your Business
Jan 13th
Internet is a place which is visited by almost all of us each day. It is the best way to search for things which you are not able to find with the help of other sources. Thus, internet is the best place to advertise one. Internet provides you with all possible options for your search while you take aid of a search engine. Internet ads may be placed on the pages of these search engines or different web pages of different sites. The cost of internet advertising is decided o the size of your ad.
Hence, if your ad is huge you will have to pay a huge amount too. The basic tool of deciding the cost of your advertisement is the number of pixels that it has used up. You have to pay cost per pixel to the website or the search engine that you put up your ad on. Other criteria for deciding the cost are the popularity of the website, daily visits to the website or the webpage. Pay per click can also be criteria for paying to the website or the search engine that has your advertisement.
Internet advertising is not easy though. You need to update your ad quite frequently as there are many regular users that have to visit the same page, much number of times. Thus, to maintain the novelty, the advertisement should be renewed after a short while. You can give a project to advertisement companies instead of managing the ad yourself.
Theadvertisement companies post the advertisement on the desired websites, keeps the advertisement updated from time to time, lets you know about the upcoming websites and search engines. The company also provides you with statistics telling you the number of clicks that our advertisement has had. You can mange your advertisement company project and see to it that they do what they promise in the following ways:
1. keep a check:
Keep a check on the company and stay in contact with them. Ask them to keep you updated with the work they are doing with your ad. Check the work they are doing from time to time. Manage time to make visits to the companies to get new ads done.
2. give them ideas:
Many times, these companies put up not up to the mark ads on to the internet and we don’t even bother to keep a check on them. So, we should give personal visits to the company and get the ad updated from time to time to get maximum results.
3. make them work:
As you have paid them, you need to get out maximum work out of them. Tell them your idea and ask them to come up with maximum ideas and quotes that can be a part of your advertisement. You can give the rough ideas and tell them to frame these quotes for you. Witty quotes may help attract maximum results.
Last but not the least; see to it that you provide all the services that you are boasting about in the ads. This may help you increase your customers.
Easy Search Engine Optimization Guide
Jan 13th
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a particular discipline within web design, intended to increase the site’s rankings on a search engine. Since many users who search for a topic will select a site from the first page of results, or may stop after only a few pages, most web masters want their content to be displayed at the top of the page rankings.
There are a number of techniques that can be used to promote your web site within the search engine page rankings, and a number of pitfalls to avoid. Since the field has grown and evolved over the years, there is a body of knowledge and professional debate about it, as well as some long-standing myths and hold-overs from previous techniques that no longer work.
Pitfalls include:
- “Magic formulas” for keyword density
- Dictionary-like lists of keywords in page headers
- Filling tags and headers with irrelevant content
- Using invisible tags or keywords to “trick” the web crawler
- Using link exchanges or farms
Time-tested techniques include:
- Offering high-quality, unique content
- Becoming or utilizing recognized authorities
- Carefully soliciting links from high quality, professional contacts
- Structuring your site to be easy to crawl
Getting into SEO means sifting through all of the information available on how to optimize, determining which information is relevant and current, and then applying the best of it to your own project. Doing so cost effectively is critical.
You can chooseto do your own SEO on your web site, or contract the work out to professional SEO services. Whether you do the work yourself or hire it out should be a careful business decision, based on the current size and completion level of your site, the amount of user traffic it can handle, the amount of time and skill you can dedicate to the SEO project, and of course your budget.
If you choose to contract the service, do your research on firms that are professional and well respected. As with any other web-based service, caveat emptor. There are good firms and scam artists, clear terms and fine print. Be sure to check the SEO provider’s references, and ensure that you’re paying for site architecture and content changes, rather than simply for pay-per-click contracts. Avoid any that guarantee you a particular page ranking or sound too good to be true.
By far the best technique for increasing your search engine page ranking (SEPR) is simply offering high quality content that users find valuable. The more people value and respect your site, the more respected bloggers and sites will link to you, thus increasing your rankings.
Remember that the point of SEO is to drive users to your site. You should never find yourself sacrificing a user-friendly experience or the quality of your content for the sake of the search engine bots. Search engines are themselves web sites that must offer a high quality experience to their users, so they will heavily penalize sites that use technical “tricks” that degrade their own user experience. More importantly, a high page ranking is irrelevant without a good web site that keeps users coming back.
What Trends and Apps Do YOU Think Marketers Can’t Do Without in 2010?
Jan 12th
As a part of the Small Business Trends expert group, I get to write articles that are posted on the Open Forum blog. My last article “10 Must Do Marketing Tips” got a lot of traction, so I thought I’d do another kind of list article that people could use in the coming months as they put together their marketing plans.
My idea was to pull together a list of hot applications; some that I use a lot and some that I wish I could use more. Well, in the process of doing the research I found that Guy Kawasaki did a post on his Favorite Apps on the Open Forum blog. “RATS!”, I thought. ”He beat me to the punch.” Undaunted, I started looking for another twist.
So now, I’m exploring the top trends and apps that YOU think marketers and small businesses can’t do without!
Leave a comment below with your ideas.
So far, I’m listing Google Wave (c’mon people register and start using it, it’s no fun being there all alone!) Virtual collaboration will only start getting bigger and better.
Location-based applications like BrightKite were floundering and maybe before their time. Now FourSquare has gotten into the mix. I’ve registered and posted a couple of things, but still don’t see how it will replace Twitter.
Augmented Reality Apps are getting popular on the Andoid systems and iPhone. I’ve been asking around about how a small business can be sure that they are included when potential customers are scanning the area with their phones.
So there you have it — send me your ideas and links. Don’t forget to leave a link to your blog so I can give you credit!
8 Tips on How to Start an SEO Campaign
Jan 12th
Several small & mid size businesses contact us daily for SEO consultation and helping their websites rank well on search engines. One common question we always hear is:
“Where and how do I start my SEO Campaign from?”
A couple of points to note before we start -
We are assuming that you already have the domain name because finding a good domain name would be a separate topic.
Here are some of the most important steps that you can yourself take care of before going to any SEO company to manage your search engine marketing campaign.
1. Find your targeted keywords
The first and most important step is to determine what are the most important keywords for which you want your website to appear on search engines? You know your business more than anyone else. You know your target audience. So find out 10 phrases which you think that your prospective customers will search for.
2. Set the title of your website pages right
After you have decided on your keywords, the next step is to set them up properly. The title of your web page is the very first thing that any search engine crawler will read and take as a factor to rank your website. Your homepage title should contain your targeted keyword. All the other pages of your website should have title related to the content of that respective page. For e.g., the title of the registration page should be “Registration”. Keep in mind that you are not promoting your “registration” page. The idea is to “set things right”.
3. Set up meta keywords and description
Though Google has said they do not read meta tags content we still advise to put your targeted keywords in meta name=”keywords”/ field and one line description of your website in meta name=”description”/ field in your header tags. Many other search engines will still read them and Google won’t give you negative marks for that.
4. Unique content for the home page
Your website’s homepage should have a unique content describing your business. This introductory text should have the phrases that are in the title of the page. Experts say that you should use your targeted keyword 2-3 times in every 200 words so as to not get caught up for keyword stuffing. If possible, put your local business address and phone number on home page & contact us page to get noticed on “local business results” on Google.
5. Business Blog
Google loves a blog and so do the other search engines. Having a business blog pays – and this is something you should always remember. Whatever business you have, you must write 1-2 posts every week about your business. The articles can be about an industry news, a website update, a new recruit in your company – anything that relates in some way or the other to your business.
We recommend using wordpress because they are easy to set up and the come up with various SEO Plugins that help in optimizing your blog for search engine rankings.
6. Install Web Analytics
Once your website is up, you would definitely want to monitor your traffic. Any analytics software will show you how many visitors come to your website daily, where are they coming from and which keywords do they use on search engines to get on to your website. These are the most important metrics.
We suggest using Google Analytics!
7. Monitor your website rankings
Of course you are just starting your campaign. You might not be in top 100 on Google but sooner or later if you do the right things at the right time, you will find yourself in top 10 for that elite group of your targeted keywords.
We, at KPMRS, offer this service for free. You can register your website with your targeted keywords and we will monitor your rankings on daily basis. You can be rest assure to get notified by email as soon as your rank has changed for Google, Yahoo or Bing. This will even help you track the work done by whichever SEO company you have chosen for your campaign.
8. Setup business profiles on social media websites
Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Delicious are some of the buzz words today in social media industry. Setting up your business profile on these & similar websites are must for a starter. Maintaining & optimizing them is again a different topic of discussion about which we will soon post here.
We hope that you found this list a good starting point to help you set up your SEO Campaign. We also advise our clients to educate themselves by spending 30 minutes daily in reading latest news in the SEO world. You may not be professionals but you sure don’t want to appear dumb when you talk to a SEO Company. Official blogs of Google, Bing, & Yahoo are good starting point but there are hundreds of freelance bloggers that can provide really valuable information as well a few ones that we love
http://www.addme.com (Highly Recommended)
http://www.dailyseoblog.com
http://www.seo-theory.com
http://www.seomoz.org
http://www.webmasterworld.com (Highly Recommended)
Well, we have finished our part. Time for you now to add more points which you think would be useful for a beginner in the SEO world.
How to create a sitemap
Jan 12th
Site Map Making Using Google Maps
A sitemap of a website is similar to the table of contents of a book. Sitemaps are important because it guides web surfers to the particular part of the website they have a point of interest in. With it they would save time following links and get right to the point instead.
Sitemaps are also where search engines look at if somebody is looking for a particular keyword or phrase. If you have a site map, you can most likely be searched.
Creating a sitemap, now with software technology surging in, is relatively easier than before. You need not be a programming guru to be one. All need is a notepad, a program editor, and some patience. Here’s how you do it:
Create the listing on a notepad.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a notepad. Any word processing program will do. First off, make sure to type in all the parts and pieces of your website. Include all pages and all links you have. Create it as if you listing the contents of your book. Make a draft first. You’re sure no to miss something out this way.
Create a new page for your sitemap.
You can insert the sitemap on your website on one of its pages or you can create an entirely different page for it. Using your notepad, incorporate all tags necessary to it to make another webpage. Open up your website creator program and tag your sitemap using it. If you have created your website on your own, this will be easy for you.
Create a link for the sitemap.
You won’t be able to view the sitemap if you won’t put a link for it, of course. Create the link on the front page of your website so that visitors can view it right away and be directed appropriately.
Check your work.
It is important to validate the functionality of the links you created on the sitemap. Test each and every one in there and if you get an error, be sure to fix it accurately. Run throughevery single page to make sure that all are accounted for.
Upload your work.
Place the sitemap now on your live browser and double check it. It should function as smoothly as the dry run. Error should be minimal at this stage since you already have verified it locally.
The steps provided herewith is the manual way of creating a sitemap. These days, if you search hard enough on the web, you will find online programs that will do all these work for you. All you have to do it type in the URL or the link of your website and they will create the sitemap with click of a button.
Of course that method is generic. All of you who have created their sitemap that way will have an end product that is all the same, plus there’s that possibility that something else will be inserted in there too. Then again, the process is less taxing and way, way simpler.
But if you want a more personalized output, and you are pretty good with computers and programming yourself, better make one of your own. And since you made your website anyway, creating sitemap is just like creating any other page on the website. Other than you’ll know for sure the links are accurate, you can organize the links the way you prefer it to be. Major parts of the site are emphasized compared to less significant. This is important especially if you are selling products or offering services online.
Sitemap is vital to a website. People search the web a lot for something. If your website has what that particular person is looking for, and your sitemap reports it, then you have a new customer looking at your items. Not only that, they will see some other things up for sale that they might be interested in as well.
Sitemaps, be it generated by a program automatically or you made it yourself, presents the same purpose. That is to lead your visitors to where they’re likely headed, and for you to be seen on the World Wide Web through search spiders. So with these, make sure your website has a sitemap of its own, lest make one.
Top 15 Things You Loved to Talk About in 2009
Jan 11th
1. eBay Wants its Sellers Back
This article received the most commentary by far from WebProNews readers out of every article we produced this year.
2. Top 10 Frustrations for eBay Sellers
Another article on a related subject was also discussed frequently.
3. Does DMOZ Still Have a Place in Search?
Indicating that DMOZ is still definitely a topic worthy of discussion, DMOZ’s value was debated thoroughly in the comments on this article.
4. Do You Respect DMOZ After 11 Years?
DMOZ was also a hot topic after the company had its 11th birthday. It was quite interesting to find out what people thought after 11 years of the directory’s existence.
5. eBay Competitor Bonanzle Continues Big-Time Growth
As was made clear in a number of eBay articles we ran, a lot of users of that site were not very happy. Competitors took advantage. This was a look at the success of one competitor in particular.
6. House Says Bloggers Don’t Count As Journalists
The bloggers vs. journalists debate is always a hot one. Of course when the government gets involved with that debate, some heavy commentary will ensue.
7. Apple Fans Respond To The “Droid Does” Advertising Campaign
Apple fans love to talk. So do Apple haters. That point was very clear in the comments we received on this article.
8. Netbooks: Moving in Right Next Door to Useless
Mike ruffled some feathers with his criticism of the Netbook phenomenon. Although he certainly had plenty who agreed with his views.
9. Can eBay Win Back Sellers with a Shift in Focus?
eBay sparked some interest yet again when it announced its focus on the “secondary market”.
10. eBay Unleashes Changes Galore for Sellers
Any time eBay makes changes that affect sellers, you can pretty much guarantee that people are going to talk.
11. Is MySpace Toast?
MySpace’s future is discussed as Facebook takes over as the dominant social network.
12. Google: Page Speed May Become a Ranking Factor in 2010
Google’s Matt Cutts dropped a hint that page speed may be considered as a ranking factor by the search engine soon. Some think this is a great idea, others think it’s horrible.
13. The AP’s Desperate Attempt To Outlaw Search Engine Links
A discussion about the Associated Press and fair use of content.
14. Murdoch On Blocking Search Engines: “I Think We Will”
News Corp. CEO Murdoch said some interesting things about how it plans to distribute its content in the future. This is still a hot topic.
15. Shocker: Facebookers Not Happy With Redesign
I’m sure you recall the big Facebook redesign. A lot of people are still bitter about it.
Looking back at some of these articles, it’s hard to believe they’ve all come from just this year. It’s amazing how much has happened in search, e-commerce, and social media. The rate at which everything changes and evolves is really quite astounding. I guess that can be attributed to the real-time nature in which we consume information now, and the sheer amount of content that is poured onto the web every minute of every day.
10 Must-Do Marketing Tips for 2010
Jan 11th
One of the most common questions I get asked is what marketing activities pack the most punch when there are so many to choose from? If you’ve been asking yourself that same question, then you’re in luck. I’ve pulled my most popular tips for small business owners right here:
1. Get on Your Soapbox: A solid brand position is rooted in a passionate commitment to the customer. What do you believe about your industry, product or service? What possibilities are you creating for your customer? What’s your customer’s burning issue and in what ways does your company solve it. Get on your soapbox, speak and write passionately about it and your ideal customer will be drawn to the message.
2. Update Your Site and Start a blog: If it’s been more than three years since you’ve updated your site – it’s time to take a fresh look. Have you started a blog? These days, web sites and blogs are almost interchangeable. They can be hosted for free and often come with free high-end design templates that only require you to write content. Look at your web site and blog as free or low-cost advertising to your prospects and customers. Use the blog to tell them about the latest new products or services. Have you solved a customer or technical problem – share your experience on the blog? Customers will love the extra information. Prospects will have reasons to choose you.
3. Create a social media policy: Social media is not a fad any more. It’s time to stop experimenting and start managing your social media strategy. Create a policy around social media, even if you’re only a one-person operation. Your social media policy should include your objectives for each site and any rules you have around posts, articles, pictures, etc. Creating this policy will eliminate employee confusion, problems and PR and potential digital reputation management nightmares.
4. Build and Combine Lists: You probably have some kind of customer list (or three) lying around. This is the year to combine these names into a single customer list. Start with a basic spreadsheet and then start grouping your customers into segments or categories. Now do the same with your prospects. Having one, updated master list will make communicating with customers fast and easy.
5. Market Directly: Why spend thousands of dollars on advertising that you can’t control? If you know where you customers live, you can reach out to them personally and directly. You’ll find your marketing spending power double or triple by simply diverting your advertising dollars to direct marketing.
6. Do Videos: If you have a product or service that shines in demo mode, then videos are an ideal and cost-effective marketing tool for you. Open a corporate YouTube account and upload demos and live presentations for your prospects to find and customers to access.
7. Productize Your Services: It’s much easier to understand and purchase something that looks like a product. Notice that even software downloads or e-books actually look like a tangible product so that people can have a sense of what they are purchasing. Turn your service into a product by giving it a name, describing your process as a specification and then charging a flat rate instead of by the hour. You’ll find that it’s easier to sell, easier to buy and more profitable for your business.
8. Mobile Marketing: Globally twice as many people use text messaging than e-mail. Chances are your customers interact more with their PDA than they do with their computer. Mobile Marketing Programs allow your customer to opt-in and request certain kinds of messages and updates from you. If you’re a restaurant, use mobile marketing to update customers on specials. Mobile marketing is currently a wide open space. Use it to market to hard-to-reach customers.
9. Referral system: Stop treating referrals like a happy accident. Run a referral program that includes regular meetings with people who agree to enthusiastically refer you. Start by creating a referral guideline that outlines what sets your business apart, profiles your ideal customer and describes what they might say that should trigger a referral to you. Put your focus on attracting “Centers of Influence” and “trusted advisors” who will refer you to their clients and customers. It’s like having a free salesforce!
10. Focus on Ideal Customers: Decide to only work with profitable customers. Identify customers who are happy with what you offer and refer you. Profile them in detail; what’s important to them, what are their 7 biggest frustrations? Outline in what ways your company gives them what’s important and eases their frustrations. Now go get more customers just like that.
Have you tried any of these tips already? What have been your results. Do you have some must-do marketing tips for 2010? Share them here!
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About the Author: Ivana Taylor is CEO of Third Force, a strategic firm that helps small businesses get and keep their ideal customer. She’s the co-author of the book “Excel for Marketing Managers” and proprietor of DIYMarketers, a site for in-house marketers. Her blog is Strategy Stew.