Posts Tagged ‘search engine’

Blogging – a key part of any online marketing strategy

Client News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Jun 21 2010

The Importance of Your Business Blog

It is widely understood that your website should become the definitive online business/product range information repository and meet the requirements of all customers, markets and occasional site users.  The functionality should facilitate and enhance any online marketing activities e.g. links to business blog, social media pages/profiles and news/press article related pages.

A business blog is a key part of  any online marketing strategy and will create a point of connection with local and regional customers  – it is an essential ‘interest generator’, creating an online buzz about your business and introducing the news, new product information and offers to the target audience.

A business blog is an effective link generator – Google has recently adjusted its search engine results pages to include additional social media filters, allowing users to filter results by type such as blogs, news, video etc.  From this transition it is now widely recognised that Google index blog posts within a very short period of time – sometimes within hours! This change is extreme beneficial when considering SEO.

If you would like more information relating to this post please contact me or join me online: Twitter | Facebook

Further Reading:

Getting Your Blog Posts Right
Blog Post Checklist: 10 Questions to Ask before you publish

Popularity: 2% [?]

5 Tips to Get Your Google Local Listing to the Top!

Client News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Jun 01 2010

With all the search options within the Google portfolio, it is essential that businesses utilise the Google local listings.  Local & business listings are appearing more and more in the Google’s SERP’s in relation to geographical, regional and town/city related searches and users are becoming more and more used to seeing these listings and accepting them as highly relative to their specific searches.

With Google Local listings taking the top spot in most searches, it’s critical that you claim a listing for your business. Once done it is essential that your listing is set up correctly – below we have included some guidelines to help you:

  • Claim and update your listing (and only one listing) – make sure the description is as relevant and keyword rich, in relation to your products and services, as possible. Select the correct business category and make sure you use all contact numbers complete with area codes. Include any additional content in line with other web listings to ensure continuity.
  • Upload images and videos – ensure that you have logos and images of any products in relation to your business type.  Place description tags for each but don’t overdo it and avoid ‘spammy’ labels
  • Cultivate Reviews – this is good for user recommendation – other will be more likely to buy from a previously used and endorsed source, this is your opportunity to get business via online ‘word of mouth’. Encourage your client base to use your business listing as a point to leave reviews and refer to them in additional listings and blog posts
  • “More about this place†– This section is a listing of mentions on the web that Google consider to be relevant and authoritive. It will usually list key listings, blog entries and social media profiles.  This provides the user with a point of reference to find additional information about your business.
  • User Content – this section lists additional user generated resources & mentions of your website and will list mainly sites that allow users to tag and mention additional sources such as Flickr, Google maps and Wikipedia

The Google Local listings are a very powerful (free) resource available via your Google account and we cannot stress enough the value of getting this right.  So, make time to ensure your listing is as good as it can be – and if you don’t have the time, we are happy to help you or do it for you – contact us now.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Hotels & Accommodation Providers | tracking the return on marketing spend

Business News, Client News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Apr 14 2010

Part 1

The Early Years – offline marketing

Tracking the return on marketing spend

Tracking the return on marketing spend

Before I started my own SEO & Internet marketing company I worked in the hotel business for over 20 years and latterly up until 2003 in the marketing of hotels.  One of my tasks was to source associations, organisations and companies such as Visit Scotland, the AA, Best Loved Hotels – that would work to raise the profile of the hotel whilst generating enquiries that would create bookings.

In order to merit the annual fees these sources had to generate business and it was a difficult task ensuring that each enquiry/booking could be attributed to a referring source. The correct processes and procedures had to be in place in order to ensure that all enquiries were sourced correctly – and human error played it’s part to muddy the waters!

In the early years most of the associative marketing activities were done offline but as time has gone on this has changed and online marketing has become the key business driver of any hotel or accommodation provider – gone too are the days of large budgets available to hotels in an ever more competitive market.

Online Marketing – taking control

online marketing - hotels and accommodation providers

online marketing - hotels and accommodation providers

Most (if not all!) hotels and accommodation providers have websites and many have taken control of their own online marketing.  Arguably cheaper and more effective than offline (traditional marketing) many have sought the help of companies like ours who understand their industry and can provide effective SEO (search engine optimisation) in order to achieve good search engine rankings and stay competitive within their market sector.

Whatever the activity, whoever provides the service and whoever your business is listed with online – all must be able to be measured in terms of what business through enquiries and bookings is being generated.

Many of the services purchased in the pursuit of effective online marketing are ‘untried’, you will have only heard about their ability and effectiveness to generate business – whether through recommendation or word of mouth.

Measuring Online Success – ROI (return on investment)

You must be in a position whereby you can make an informed decision as to the ongoing validity of continuing to use a particular online marketing service and for this you must be able to measure its success – each must pay its way!

If I pay company £X /year to be listed on company Y’s website and it generates £Z in business, my ROI is ABC%

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In part 2 | How to – measure your online marketing efforts

If you would like more information relating to this post please contact me or join me online: Twitter | Facebook

Popularity: 6% [?]

The Role of SEO in a Web Build Project

SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Nov 13 2009

I have read many articles on delivery of web projects, how to plan them and who does what in what order. Designers, developers, programmers, SEO’s, they all play a vital part in the delivery of a great site that works.

Recently I came across a great article by Eric Enge at Search Engine Watch putting the case for the SEO … read the article

Popularity: 4% [?]

is the answer always in a search engine?

Business News, Technology | Posted by Katie
Aug 19 2009

google-logoIn this 21st century, more than at any time leading up to the present day, a significant number of the world’s population have become computer literate or have knowledge of the computer world at the very least. Our education system involves ever increasing tuition and usage of computers both in the classroom and for research so that future generations will be better equipped to integrate into the life that is ahead of them.  No one knows what lies ahead although experts in the Internet search facilities have their own visions of what may yet be achieved.

This is an era of razor edge financial dealings, split second decisions involving huge sums in the closure of commercial deals. On-line banking allows everyone with access to a computer the ability to transfer funds from one account to the other, instantly or at a pre-set date from and to anywhere in the world.  This effectively side-steps that telephone call or personal appointment at the bank when time is of the essence.  Obviously owning a computer doesn’t just give us more flexibility with our banking, computers store and collate a level of data that is completely unheard of within our own heads and gives us the ability to have access to information immediately and therefore the information required can be produced in days, hours and even minutes, essential in this age when everyone wants/needs the answers ‘now’.

With the various programmes available for purchase on the market, together with the Internet access to unlimited destinations or points of interest, the personal computer has now become as important as the car in getting us what we want and where we want to be but without leaving our chair. The natural progression of this generated freedom has been an increasing demand for information of every conceivable nature.  Hence the search for holidays that can now be booked on line, flight tickets that can be purchased, bus and train travel timetables that can be viewed, the best prices for our groceries – the list is infinite, but the one word for everything is search.

In this new area of industry, search was first made possible by the start of Google in 1999.   In less than 10 years they have become one of the most powerful companies in their field. During this period of time they have come to realise the importance and potential of the search engine in all fields, monitoring the enquiries being made and converting these to specific categories and requirements, 24/7.   Google has set goals, objectives, rules and regulations for web designers to make as much of the world’s information available on line whilst making it as search engine friendly as possible.  Google’s tools bar highlights specific areas of search i.e. news, finance, and sports for ease of use. Consequently Google have become the foremost experts in this industry, whilst constantly striving for more sophisticated and finite search, ever aware of its importance to the public and website clients, whose sites are being visited.

However, alongside its importance in education and commerce, the computer has not remained in the sole domain of the general public. It has also become a very important asset to our police force, security, armed forces, politics and health (NHS), to mention but a few and the amount of data that can be contained for a limitless period of time is beneficial to all. For example this enormous memory bank has aided the police in solving cold cases, as more and more up-to-date information is added to their database. It is also possible to track the individual use of a person when studying their search patterns – especially pertinent when tracking the viewing of pornography, for instance. In a lighter vein, perhaps you are a follower of CSI – then you will be aware of computerised information and facilities – matching fingerprints, firing grooves on bullets, blood types etc.

The natural progression of this ‘life after the inception of Google’ was to attract other interested companies to the arena, bringing their own ideas on the manner in which search should be constructed. The concept that competition is good for everyone is not a bad one. Exclusivity breeds power which equates quite naturally to overall control.  What happens when the server goes down, or there is a dispute of any kind? We all know what it is like when there is a power failure should you be caught in the supermarket or a lift!!  It is healthy that there should be alternative search engines all striving to give that level of search demanded today. Even a recession, of the kind we are now experiencing, can result in the growth of new areas of business. What better than a new website giving a shop window of your products directly to the searching public rather than continuing to meet the overheads on business premises.

So, new search engine companies will continue to start up, some larger than others but all with a common aim – to achieve the perfect search – either in specific areas or overall.  Access to the Internet began with a dial-up service charged by the minute which has progressed to a monthly chargeable broadband service with the added benefit of wireless connectivity.  It will be both exciting and interesting to see where this next will lead us – the world is our oyster!

An important reminder in closing: it is believed that it is imperative that the written word and manual storage of information and knowledge sources are not totally eclipsed by this ever encompassing search system. Neither should this part of our education system be allowed to disappear.  The learning of spelling and grammar are every bit as important in our every day lives and is imperative when learning a new language. Holding debates, within the school environment, also breeds confidence and allows for social graces – crucial in possible future commercial dealings or peace- keeping exercises.  So perhaps we use computers too much?  Perhaps Google has stopped up from opening up a dictionary or encyclopaedia?  Who knows, but we mustn’t lose these skills in this Internet age.

Popularity: 6% [?]