Big Companies Getting Busted for Using Black Hat SEO

Huh... in mid-February the New York Times reported that JC Penney's was investigated and found "guilty" of using an inbound link scheme to get top Search Engine positions. Imagine that. A big company using a (most likely) big SEO firm that bought some paid link networks, suspiciously around holiday time. AND, thousands of bogus links pointing to Penney's site were cropping on totally unrelated sites. A couple of other "smoking guns" were found such as web page titles that did not match the link anchor texts and random "inconspicuous" links were appearing in the footers of, again, unrelated sites. 


Of course, JC Penney's denied any knowledge of the crime and promptly fired their (most likely high-priced) SEO firm. AND, Penney's site has been penalized by Google to the point that it's not showing up in the coveted #1 & #2 spots it had gained during the holiday. Actually, it's been reported that the Penney's site is not showing up at all in any non-branded keyword searches. You still find the Penney's site using their name but not by searching with keywords such as "bedding", "dresses", "home decor", etc. which were at one time showing Penney's as #1 or #2 in search results. 


Interestingly enough, Overstock.com was ratted out by a competitor for an inbound link building scheme that involved bribing .edu sites (with a 10% discount) to include Overstock's links on those highly valuable sites.


I have to say this is good news. It's about time those with the bucks start earning their top positions like the rest of us have to.  Now, companies like Penney's and Overstock may have to put some dollars into an online reputation management campaign instead of costly Black Hat SEO Strategies.


It's not nice to fool Mother Google!


Carole

SEO Keyword Research & Development - The Life Force of Your SEO Strategy

SEO keyword research and development is absolutely necessary for the following situations:

• Establishing a domain name for your new website
• Creating a new website
• Updating an existing website
• Meta data completion
• Starting a blog
• Posting to a blog
• Developing a social networking presence
• Maintaining a social network presence
• Posting a video to social media sites
• Tweeting
• Writing online press releases
• Writing online syndicated articles
• Updating website content
• Updating a social networking profile
• Building inbound links
• Fill in the blank...

But, (you observe) Search Engine Optimization is not on the list! Actually, all of the above is all about SEO.   Everything in the list, above, contributes to the success of your SEO Strategy - if - you know the most powerful keywords to use and how to use them.  

Keyword research and development isn't really very exciting but do you ever look at breathing in and out as exciting? You should!  Keyword Development is as necessary and life sustaining to your SEO Strategy as breathing in and out is to your body.  I find that to be very exciting!

Top 10 SEO To Dos for 2011

For those of you who are easily intimidated by a full-blown SEO Strategy for advanced search engine rankings, expanded brand recognition, enhanced reputation management, and improved business development here is our Top 10 Checklist of Search Engine Optimization “must dos”:

1. Have a professional complete keyword research and development. The established keywords can be used in your website content, social media posts, and search engine marketing.  Make sure to take advantage of geo-targeted keywords for Local Search if applicable.
2. Review your website keyword usage and adjust according to an updated keyword R&D.
3. Schedule monthly (at least) reviews of your website analytics or web logs. Look for trends that are bringing the best results (such as the keywords getting the most referrals).
4. Add new pages to your website:  find new topics (and keywords) of interest to your audience for the focus of your new pages. 
5. Post updated content on your web pages with the correct use of strong keywords.
6. Research and implement new ways to get free, high quality, inbound links. Use keywords in text inbound links when possible.
7. Find out the inbound links your competitors are getting and try to get the same links that they have – as long as they’re free and of high quality. 
8. Complete regularly scheduled competitive analyses.
9. Check out your web logs and review your site logs and in Google Webmaster Tools to identify the 404 error pages that are showing up. Correct those errors.
10. Update your copyright notice.

Did you notice that the majority of the above recommendations included keywords usage? That’s no accident. Many website owners aren’t getting the best results possible because they don’t understand or pay attention to the power of keywords. Keywords are our SEO friends.

Got any good keyword stories? Please share – we’d love to hear about your good (or bad) experiences with keywords.

Carole

Time to See the Light – Social Media Can No Longer be Denied

If you’ve been living in a cave (or in denial) Social Media may not seem to be important to your company.  But it’s time to see the light: Social Media can help you achieve your online marketing objectives. Actually, Social Media can help you achieve your business objectives.

The Advantages of a Social Media Strategy 

Companies of all sizes in a variety of U.S. and global industries are finding that Social Media brings a few unexpected, yet valuable results:

• Increased Website Traffic
• Improved Customer Relationship Management
• Enhanced Reputation & Industry Leadership Positioning
• Business Development Success

SEO is Greatly Impacted by Social Media

If the above results you can get from Social Media aren’t enough to convince you to deny your denial of the importance of Social Media – there is yet one more reason why it’s time to step into the social world we now live in: Google uses data from your social media presence as an important algorithm in determining your position in organic search positions. (Bing algorithms have included social media performance for a while.)

A few of the social media activities Google will be evaluating include:

• Quality Twitter Followers (not just reciprocal followers)
• Retweets (Twitter)
• Liked Tweets
• Links to Facebook Profile

So, wha’ dya think? Isn’t it time to integrate Social Media into your SEO Strategy?

P.S.

Of course, there is a technical process that you must follow for best results:  Social Media Optimization.

SEO Vital 5 for 2011: Take a Step Back

As we all get excited about moving forward in 2011, I would like to suggest that we take a step back when it comes to Search Engine Optimization.

Make Basic SEO One of your 2011 Business Resolutions

A successful Search Engine Optimization strategy needs to include a variety of tactics to push your site further up the search engine listings. But, with all the new advancements in technology and digital marketing it’s easy to become overwhelmed, side-tracked, and more at risk of losing a strong online presence (or never getting one in the first place).

So, it’s time review my Vital 5: the basics of SEO that will help your company start off the New Year with a solid foundation for your 2011 Internet marketing initiatives.

The SEO Vital 5

1. Website Design.  No matter how gorgeous your site may be if it isn’t developed with user and SEO-friendly components, it’s not going to bring your company the results you may be expecting or needing.  Make sure you have a good SEO-friendly architecture: your link structure must be properly established and navigable. Additionally, one mistake that many designers and developers make is that they are not aware of canonical URL issues. (Get in touch with Awareness Creation for more details about this potential SEO penalty situation!)  If you’re the beholder of the beauty of your site, take a closer look to make sure it’s not just a pretty face.
2. Keyword Research & Development.  Before any content for the website is written, it’s necessary that research is completed to discover the terms that are actually being used by your audience. Marketers often think they “know” the terms being used by people who are searching for information about their products or services. However, professional research will often shine a different light on the keywords that must be used within the website, meta data, and all online communications content. Once a user-centric list of keywords is established, these keywords can help propel your website to the top of search engine listings as well as help you better reach your audience. Also, be aware of the proper use of keywords within meta data and content – it can make or break your SEO success.
3. Web Content Optimization. Website copywriting is not the same as any other marketing copywriting. Many companies still use content from their print materials for their website content – which is not going to help improve the user experience or search listing positioning. Website copywriting requires an understanding of the science and art of online copywriting not only for websites but for all online communications.
4. Inbound Link Building. The number of links coming into your site is not as important as the quality of those inbound links. Many marketers are still under the wrong impression that as long as they have hundreds (or thousands) of incoming links, they’re golden. Not so. Search engines pay attention to who is linking to your site and how those links were acquired. Keeping up with inbound link building requirements will improve your search engine positioning.
5. Ongoing Web Analytics Review & Reporting. Many website owners have a wealth of information at their fingertips about the performance of their website, campaigns, SEO, and audience trends but never take advantage of that resource: website analytics applications or web logs. If you don’t have a web analytics application intact, get Google Analytics; it’s free, and it will provide invaluable information about the realities of your website. Of course, interpreting the data takes some expertise but it is worth it. Web logs are not my favorite resource but if you have them at least look into them to see if you can scrape together some useful data. Web logs (usually provided by your hosting company) are a little clunky to go through and may tend to focus more on technical rather than user issues but use ‘em if you got ‘em.

Each of the vital tactics, above, must be integrated into one Search Engine Optimization Strategy. So, the first thing I recommend is that you get a professional strategy established and follow it to the letter. If you don’t have the resources to implement the strategy all at once (the best option), create a monthly plan that will include SEO deliverables. Once your SEO Strategy is in place, keep it going – SEO is not a one-time thing.

It is possible – and vital - to get on the right SEO track for 2011. At a loss about how and where to start? Do you feel your existing SEO is not delivering the results you need? Or, are you a commitment phobe not wanting to deal with the continuing requirements of a relationship with your SEO? No worries, just get in touch with an expert SEO Consultant.

Here’s wishing all of you successful SEO and a fabulous 2011!

Carole

Online Advertising: Still a Good – No Make that Great - Investment

According to a report by Online Media Daily*, online display ads’ click-through-rates (CTRs) were going through a period of decline since the financial crisis became our reality. However, online advertising has now reached a state of equilibrium and the CTRs are no longer declining.

I have to say that my clients have had great success with their online advertising.  We haven’t experienced a decline in CTRs. The worst months have had somewhat flat performances but no declining CTRs. And, our online campaigns continue to bring exceptional and cost-effective brand building opportunities to our clients.

A research report by comScore stated that “two-thirds of Internet users do not click on any display ads during the course of a month, and only 16% of Internet users account for 80% of all clicks.” The comScore research also indicated that “display advertising continues to have an influence on user behavior even at low CTRs.”

Perhaps, part of the decline in CTRs was not because of the effectiveness of the display ads but due to the fact that many ineffective ads have been written and many campaigns have not been setup as well as they could have been.  Advertisers wanted to jump on the online advertising bandwagon but didn’t really understand the mechanics of a successful campaign or how to write the best online ads.

So, I continue to recommend online display ads (specifically Google & MSN PPC ads) to clients because we’ve seen some great results in building brand awareness, CTRs and conversions. I also continue to recommend you get professional help for the most successful online advertising campaigns.

Happy Friday!

Carole

*The complete Online Media Daily article. 

The Health Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Medical studies have determined that being social can lower your risk for illness. What many have not yet realized is that being social can fix what ails their businesses. Social Media may be just what the doctor orders to help your company begin the healing process.

Just what are some of the benefits of Social Marketing?

• Buzz Creation
• Lead Generation
• Opportunities to Promote Products & Services
• Build Relationships with Past, Present & Future Clients
• Increase Web Traffic
• Build or Repair Your Reputation
• Improve Brand Recognition
• Real Time Search Engine Placements

Awareness Creation now has Social Media Marketing services and Social Media setup services that help your company get on and stay on a healthy regimen of Social Media - one of the most effective and least expensive channels for online advertising. Social Media is no longer just an online party for those under 21:  

• More than 1.5 million local businesses have pages on Facebook.
• Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.
• Twitter has nearly 175 million registered users.

If you would like more information about Social Media Marketing, just let us know and we''ll send you a copy of our Social Media Marketing Overview. Or, just visit our Social Media Marketing web page.

Be Social & Prosper!

Carole