In a recent post from the Google Analytics blog there is an announcement that will be interesting to watch in the coming months.
It relates to Google saying that from now on, the SSL (secure lock) search on Google will become the default setting for the users that are logged into a Google account. The claim is that Google has done this for privacy reasons to protect a user’s search data.
Google reckon that in the US there isn’t a large percentage of users affected (currently) and it’s in the single digit percentages, however it does mean some things for SEO and analysis of results from organic search traffic.
How does this impact on SEO then? Well I believe in these ways:
It takes us “back in SEO time” in terms of assisting the clients to see that after good, white hat SEO, non branded (non business or brand terms) are on the rise due to the efforts of SEO. It will make keyword rankings one of the only indicators and although still a valuable one, this isn’t the whole message that needs to be reported to a client. It also takes us away from being able to report on traffic with 100% accuracy.
A lack of data going to a client isn’t good for progress in the digital marketing space. Whilst we will still have 100% data from Google’s paid search in AdWords, basically we are having to reply on Google Webmaster Tools search data which doesn’t give us or our clients a “helicopter view” of the real search pattens and channels that are making the SEO campaign a success.
The old “SEO Voodoo Magic” will potentially come back in to play. Will this cause unscrupulous players in the market to cloud the market and leverage the ‘unknowns’? Will it essentially scare clients once again into using poor SEO practices? One to watch here as many of us in the SEO and digital marketing space have spent many years trying to avoid this.
Also, back comes the arguments about the long term future for SEO. Whilst there is definitely still a massive market and need for SEO as long as Google doesn’t become fully paid (I don’t think they ever will), stripping away core data tracking only on SEO Organic results under the guise of privacy only serves to create confusion to clients about what SEO is and does for a business. This is at a time when clients were building to a good level of understanding and knowledge about how SEO and PPC can assist their businesses.
This is definitely one to watch closely over the next few weeks.
Web based conglomerates like eBay and Amazon have been so successful because of their ability to give people what they need, easily.
Now we are starting to see a new generation of start-ups focusing on moving transactions back to local neighborhoods through location-based mobile advertising.
Imagine this….
The Broncos are kicking off at Suncorp Stadium against your favorite team in 1 hour’s time. Instead of going to eBay and bidding on tickets that won’t arrive until next week, now you can utilise location based apps on your mobile. These apps allow you to see what is available within your local area, meaning that you may only have to make a short trip down the road to purchase those hallowed footy tickets.
But these apps don’t stop at tickets! You can see garage sales, jobs, real estate properties, restaurants, surfboards and more, all based on where you are located.
Some app development companies have been very specific in what they are targeting. Real Estate start-ups Zillow and Trulia have focused purely on Real Estate listings. Both apps allow users to instantly browse properties nearby and Trulia has noted that the percentage of its online visitors who also used its mobile app was as high as 46% in some US cities.
Another market that is inherently local is the job market. In the US, startup Zaarly is gaining some traction by creating a peer-to-peer job market. Zaarly allows users to state what they want done – bring me a drink, mow my lawn, teach me algebra – and the price they are willing to pay. Users can apply for jobs that appeal to them in their local area.
As advertising shifts local, here are some tips to ensure that your business is ready:
Crawl before you can walk. If you’re a startup, or you are making your first investment into online marketing, get your backyard right first. Too many companies try to target everything under the sun and forget where their real customers come from.
Be Specific. If you’re a restaurant, make sure that you’re listed on relevant apps like Urban Spoon etc. Keep an eye on what people are saying about your food. After all, if you’re only down the road from someone and they like your food, you’re likely to get them in your restaurant regularly.
Target Local Keywords. When it comes to promoting your website, ensure that you are targeting a mixture of generic and local keywords. People are getting savvier and more specific in the way they search. Searchers are less willing to travel far distances.
Remain Competitively Priced. With everything beingat people’s fingertips through online and app-based devices, it’s imperative that your products/services are competitively priced.
Get Social! Social Media strategies are incredibly effective in breaking down demographics amongst target markets. If your business hasn’t taken advantage of Facebook or Twitter, get in touch with Reload today!
I’ve been running digital marketing businesses for over 13 years and I have to say some of the best teams to work with are search engine optimisation or SEO teams.
This is because in the SEO game you have many different areas that make up the team. And a smooth running and engaged SEO team can really make a huge difference for client’s websites and their revenue opportunities.
Staff within an SEO team include SEO Consultants, Account Managers, Project Managers, Account Directors and ROI staff. Then there is also all the support staff such as the Administration team, the SEO content writers, SEO link builders and so forth.
I’ve found over the years that these tips below are some of the best ways to get the SEO success that every client deserves:
Ensure the SEO team are all on the same page. Not the same “web page”, but in terms of their communication strategies between each other. Make sure that they know how each part of the SEO process works.
Provide the SEO team with the right tools to do their job. Things like SEOMoz and Rank Tracker are a given, and if there isn’t a certain tool available, then I recommend looking into building it in-house. This is what we have done with our CRM solution and the SEO team love it.
Make sure there is a “Life/Work Balance” policy within your organisation, and the SEO teams know that you really care about their time away from the office too. I find a balanced environment in and out of the work increases SEO productivity and gets the team away from the screens. We have a pool table in our office that is used all through the day (mainly by the SEO team) as they tell me it’s a great way to clear they heads during a quick break.
Overall, it’s the same as in any busy working team. Look after your SEO staff and they will look after your client’s rankings. And this is what it’s all about.
Google’s recent rolling algorithm update,“Panda,” was aimed at improving the quality of search results, and due to the extent of the update, it captured a great deal of attention all over the world.
These changes caused many businesses to panic throughout the online world, as many companies saw a sudden drop in their search engine rankings, and were unsure why.
Why another update?
According to Google, this update was released to take another step towards giving people the most relevant results to their search queries, and was aimed at those websites and pages which have shallow and narrow content.
Google has been transparent in their efforts to improve their search engine, through rolling out continuous revisions and improvements to their algorithms, and the latest revisions saw emphasis being placed on the relevancy and quality of content. With the latest update to Google’s algorithm, the content appearing within organic results is more relevant to the subject being searched.
It goes back to the question of whether the search results best reflect the given search parameters. This means that Google has to separate the chaff from the grain, and if a website does not have anything to contribute, it is discarded.
How was this update developed?
Google’s algorithm change was a lengthy process. Data was extracted from Google searches, click-through rates, Chrome and Android use, and from Google toolbar usage. Survey results from critics and ordinary users were also used to develop the update.
Google Panda was a long term machine learning project which aimed at looking at the data, making it understandable, and then mining it for clues on what users wanted. Using machine learning techniques meant that the algorithm could continue to evolve and address the fundamental question of search: did the search results cater to the user’s needs?
A range of questions pertaining to web content and how valuable the content was were put forward to critics and, in turn, used to build and develop Google Panda. These questions included;
Was the site informative, unbiased, and was it authoritative?
Whether they would recommend the site to others?
Were the articles well-written, readable and understandable?
Would they trust the site for medical information?
Would they be willing to give personal information and credit card data to this site?
Did they enjoy the site or have any complaints about the site
Did the site add any value-added proposition?
Did they read any other pages on the site?
And if they would go back to this web page?
Since the announcement of Google Panda, there has been a continuous rollout of small updates, with the latest updated; Panda 2.3.
So, how do websites meet Google Panda guidelines?
What it all boils down to is that Google can and will be more aggressive in changing search result rankings, which, as previously mentioned, adds more value for their users when using the search engine.
In order for websites to rank highly in Google, they need to present a unique value added proposition to the user, and have well-written content which is informative and entertaining. Thus, the overall usability of a website, user behaviour and quality content are now key factors for SEO.
Following on from Toby Jenkins’ (of Bluewire Media) post about his experience with the Saasu accounting system, we’ve decided to share some of our own highlights and favourite features of this amazing web based accounting software.
Being someone who is admittedly a marketer’s dream consumer (i.e. someone who is sold on ‘pretty’ packaging and frills), I was instantly sold on the visually pleasing nature of the Saasu online accounting system and was convinced that it would transform our business.
Although I’ve learned many times over that a nice parcel with expensive trimmings does not always equal a great product, Saasu has proven to be much more than just a pretty face!
Having trialled Saasu over the past six months for Reload’s daily accounting tasks, we’ve been constantly surprised by the regular innovations, updates and general forward thinking of the Saasu team. It seems that, every time you log in there is a new addition that makes the system more powerful and more user friendly too!
Furthermore, with its clean and user-friendly interface (in comparison to the outdated and clunky MYOB), it is closer to the web based systems that we have become accustomed to using on a day-to-day basis.
Let’s look at some of Saasu’s features that make our life that little bit easier at Reload Media:
Ability to Have Multiple Users
Our previous accounting system only allowed for one user at a time. Having Saasu means our bookkeeper, accounts team and management can all have access to our accounts at the one time.
Online Bank Feeds
The ability to have online bank feeds is MUCH more time efficient than manually entering data, and it means your bank accounts are always current. It’s also extremely simple – you just need your login details from your regular business online banking.
Sale/ Purchase Payments
Another huge time saver Saasu offers is their ‘Sales and Purchase Payments’ tab. This handy tab allows you to apply multiple payments for different invoices rather than entering them in one by one.
Tags
Similar to ‘Jobs’ in MYOB, tags allow you to find information about certain transactions or accounts. This has been particularly helpful with sales, as you can search your custom tags in order to gain information about revenue received via different departments.
Dashboard
Your dashboard is the ‘home page’ for your Saasu accounting system. In one quick look you can see a cash flow graph, a summary of your finances and accounts receivable/payable. This can also be customised depending on the information that is most important to your business.
Accessibility
Saasu will always be there for you! Accessibility was a huge motivator for us in migrating over to Saasu. As we are not always in the office when we need to access our accounting system, Saasu provides us with the flexibility of being able to login from anywhere whenever we need to. This is great for checking and interacting with the accounts whilst travelling interstate and internationally.
Multiple Currency Support
Saasu supports 43 currencies, on both sales and purchases! This is especially important for Reload Media’s international expansion.
As Reload have learned with Saasu, there is always more to come. Sassu are constantly evolving their product to meet the needs of their users. No longer do you have to wait for yearly product updates in the mail. Being web based, new features are added almost overnight. This is great for the consumer who is always asking for more and wants it to appear instantaneously (like us!). As is the nature of our lives today we want things to be fast and accessible.
Reload Media highly recommend the integration of Saasu into any business that is interested in a ‘fashion forward’ accounting system that is clean, easy to use, highly accessible and constantly innovating. This is one item we won’t experience ‘buyer’s remorse’ over!
Are you using Saasu? Let us know your experience with the system in the comments section below…
In an unsurprising move, Google has this week launched its own social networking platform in direct competition to Facebook, called Google+.
The signs had been there for a while that Google was planning a move into social. The launch of +1 earlier this year was obviously a precursor to something bigger.
But now that it has been released, there’s two big questions:
Why has Google gone head to head with Facebook?
Will Google win?
Why has Google Gone Social?
Let’s start with the first question. The reason is simple, they want to make their search results better (and tap into the ad revenues that come with it).
Google has realised for quite a while that social recommendations play an important role in determining what content is best on the web.
With Facebook and Microsoft having previously signed a deal to incorporate Facebook ‘likes’ into search rankings in exchange for Bing powered search functionality on Facebook, Google was left out in the cold when it came to ‘social search.’
Google is very aware that social recommendations, likes, tweets, etc, are just the newest form of ‘link juice’ that search algorithms have been based on for the last fifteen years. But with Facebook closing ranks and giving access to Bing/Yahoo, Google was in real danger of missing out on social ranking factors.
Their solution was to launch +1 (Google’s version of a ‘like’).
However, this only gave them part of the picture. Without knowing anything about the person doing the +1′ing, Google was in the dark as to whether the user was a real social influencer or a ‘Nigel no friends.’ In other words, they didn’t know whether any given +1 was a really valuable recommendation, or one worth next to nothing.
Hence, along comes Google+. By creating their own ‘Facebook’, Google can now see actual information about the person doing the +1′ing. Things like how many connections they have, how influential they are, how often they “hang out” with other influential people, etc. In other words, they are now able to weight +1′s so that a really influential person may be be worth +1, but others may only be worth +0.01.
Relating this back to search results, if all the really influential people (or “cool kids”) are +1′ing certain sites and pages, then those pages are likely to appear higher in the search rankings.
Obviously this has major implications for SEO, but that’s an article for another day!
So will Google win?
I’m going to go out on a limb and say “yes.”
But… not overnight. Google has made a product that takes the best parts of Facebook (connecting with friends, sharing photos and links, etc) but has seemingly managed to overcome the areas that Facebook has continued to struggle with.
In areas like the grouping of friends (called ‘circles’ in Google+), default privacy settings, “hanging out” (by location) and mobile use, Google has a clear upper hand.
The privacy and grouping of friends will probably be the biggest reason users will switch, and every time Facebook has a privacy saga (which is quite often), Google+ will be there to recruit the deserters. There’s also rumours that Google is working on a Facebook import tool, so you can bring your entire Facebook life across (photos, posts, videos, etc) in one go. If that’s true, it’s brilliant.
They also couldn’t have launched it at a better time, with Facebook usage in the United States falling for the first time in Facebook’s history.
What’s more, Google have followed the tried and tested ‘by invite only’ launch that worked so effectively for Gmail.
So, my big call for the day is this:
By 1st July, 2016 (exactly five years from today), Google+ will have more users than Facebook, and by a considerable amount.
Some of you may be calling that statement ridiculous given Facebook’s size and massive head start. But consider what happened when Google took on Microsoft’s Hotmail with Gmail using a very similar strategy.
Also consider MySpace, which only this week was sold off by News Corp for a paltry $35 million (a whopping $550 million lower than what they paid for it) and less than 4% of it’s all time high valuation of close to $1 billion. (As a side note, this massive loss is attributed to the same person who says he “knows users will pay for online news content”, but again an article for another day).
So whilst I do feel that Google+ will ultimately become more successful than Facebook, today marks just the ‘beginning of the end’ for Facebook.
Facebook will continue to be popular, and the companies that have invested into building Facebook fan bases will still see great returns on their investment for a number of years, and probably even after Google surpasses it. What this case shows, however, is that you need to be prepared for when the next social platform or web trend comes along.
The really smart companies are already making a move with Google+ to see how they can reach those ‘early adopters’ and get the jump on their competitors.
Back in 2009 Google released Google Places, a portal for business owners to display their physical business location information. In late 2010, Places listings started appearing on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), which modified the rankings for all searches that Google’s algorithm deemed would benefit from geographic targeting.
Prior to this, Places listings were only accessible via a search within Google Maps.
In a further update, the Places listing map was moved on the top right hand side of the page – in what used to be AdWords territory!
After this critical alteration in Google’s search algorithm, it is now more vital than ever for every business to have their Places listing claimed, and most importantly, optimised.
So how can businesses take advantage of Google Places?
There are a few things to remember when creating your business’ Google Places listing:
Claim your listing! This can done quickly and easily by either a phone call, SMS, or your very own post card from Google!
Fill out as many of the fields as you can, paying special attention to the description and categories. This will have a significant impact on results, so choose these categories as wisely as you choose your website’s keywords.
Upload photos to entice users to stay on the page and explore the entire listing.
Encourage customers, friends and business partners to leave reviews on your listing in order to show Google that your listing is an authoritative source of reference.
Finally, and most importantly, a link back to your website not only shows your visitors where to go, but also provides a healthy link in Google’s eyes.
Google Places listings also offer a personalised dashboard which provides similar traffic statistics as Google Analytics, through which you can view:
How many people have checked your listing;
which keywords they have used to find it;
and various tips and hints to maintaining your listing.
So there go. A quick guide as to the basics of Google Places listings!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!
Google have officially announced that Ad Sitelinks are now available in an embedded format. Although this will only affect your AdWords campaigns if you already have Sitelinks enabled, it means that Sitelinks can now be embedded directly into the description lines of your ad text, rather than being displayed below your ads.
How might this affect your ads?
Firstly, in order to actually have the links embedded as your ad text, the Sitelinks you set up need to match or be similar to what’s in your ad. Google will then automatically use your ads text to link to the specified pages of your website, rather than displaying the Sitelinks underneath the ad.
Google believes that embedding the links in this way will entice more users to click on your ad. The reason being that potential customers can simply click on the part of the ad that they found to be most relevant to their needs, which consequently may not always be the headline.
However, one advantage to the basic Sitelink format was that when they are displayed below your ad, the amount of space your ads have on the search engine results page is increased. This can ultimately lead to standing out from your competitors with an extra element to the normal ad format.
Why the change?
As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, we believe that Google is attempting to improve the look of paid advertisements. This is evidenced through the many changes ad formats have undergone lately such as the first description line of your ad displaying as part of the ad headline, destination URLs displaying only in lowercase and automatically including “www.” in every destination URL to make ads look more like organic results.
And now, Sitelinks will be embedded within ad text. It will certainly be interesting to see how embedded Sitelinks will affect click through rates and overall campaign performance.
Have you ever wanted to find out the exact page URL that referral traffic has come to your website from?
Just follow the three simple steps below in order to achieve this in Google Analytics!
STEP 1: Set Up a New Filter in Your Google Analytics Settings
STEP 2: Wait For Data
Next, you’ll need to wait for some data to build up as this filter is not retroactive.
STEP 3: Voila!
After a day or so, check back on your top referring pages by clicking through to Visitors > User Defined on your left hand analytics panel (as it appears in June 2011).
You should be seeing the full referral URLs now:
Feel free to leave a comment if you were successful in setting up your filter. Otherwise, let us know if you need a hand!
There are plenty of so called “social media experts” out in the digital marketplace at the moment. However, there are few things you need to consider before forking over your hard earned cash to your chosen social media guru.
Firstly, as search engines are now factoring in social media content and interactions into their algorithms more and more, it is a no-brainer that social media is becoming a critical factor in the online success of your business. However, it is important that your chosen social media partner develops a strategy to suit your business needs and objectives.
I see a few parallels with the late 90′s. Back then, many web design companies were trying to push every business into building an eCommerce powered website – even if there was no strategy behind it.
I see this happening in the Social Media landscape today. Many companies and ‘experts’ are simply pushing for their clients to build Facebook pages and twitter accounts without giving a second thought as to the reasons why the client needs these mediums or how they should be using these channels.
Choosing the right channels is a critical factor in any Social Media strategy. Where a Facebook page might be the best way to engage customers for one client, a poignant, industry leading blog might be the best solution for another.
It is also important to remember that, although social media can be very powerful, it often cannot replace the relationship building power that a simple lunch with a client can have.
Does your business rely heavily on offline relationship building and high valued, ongoing clients? If so, your social media strategy would not be customer relationship management focused.
However, I do personally believe that the integration of social media is critical to the success of the modern business; but only if an air tight social media strategy has been drafted first.
I have complied six top tips that I believe will help you narrow your search:
Look for a company who is aligned with your business vision and mission. They need to understand your “DNA” and all that you stand for so that they can correctly look at the reasons for setting up your social media strategy.
Choose someone with proven success and a good track record in developing successful, custom social media strategies for their clients.
Make sure you have a meeting with your company/strategist to discuss or determine your social media goals and objectives.
Find out from your company/strategist what they envision to be the optimum strategy for your business. Do you agree with this? You don’t want to pay lots of money on a strategy you are not comfortable with or do not have the resources for.
Demand that a content calendar is developed as part of your social media strategy. If they don’t know what this is then do not hire them!
In a recent post from the Google Analytics blog there is an announcement that will be interesting to watch in the coming months.
