Web Savvy Marketers

Thank you Google and Bing for validating my SEO viewpoint

SEO VoodooFor several years now, I’ve rebelled against SEO Voodoo.

What I mean by SEO Voodoo is the process of hyper-focusing on optimizing your website to the detriment of building a good website.  Folks get so caught up in the SEO hype—keywords, link building and so on that they forget that good content will cause people to naturally link to your website and will include the keywords that apply to your material.

Instead,  I’ve promoted the concept that a well-designed website with well-crafted, informative content is a far better investment than spending time and money on voodoo search engine optimization.  At times, I’ve had clients look at me as if I had two heads. Sadly, in some cases they’ve gone out and hired someone else to do the voodoo.

That’s not to say that I dismiss SEO concepts.  I employ practical SEO principles as I build and maintain  websites. I believe in classic html SEO practices like creating relevant unique page titles, using heading tags to highlight topics of the website,  and I believe in cross-promoting your business and website online with social media sites and e-mail marketing.  As a practice I create 301 redirects if I redesign a site and the urls change.

But I’ve never bought  into the practices of “guaranteed” SEO tactics — you know — things like cramming keywords into your content, artificially creating links and some of the other crazy ideas the SEO specialists recommend to my clients.

Some SEO tactics, like keyword cramming, are kind of like a guy stuffing a sock in his pants. It might entice some visitors, but they’re disappointed when they get there.

I guess I figured the search engines were smarter than that or maybe I just figured it was more important to create a website that focused on your user’s experience.  You know, spend time to create useful content that might actually sell your product or service?

It seems, Google and Bing might agree with me. Last week, Matt Cutts from Google and Duane Forrester from Bing had a conversation at SXSW about SEO.  You can listen to to their conversation here.  Among some of their points (paraphrased):

  • over-optimization is a problem that can reduce the relevancy of search results and Google is trying to solve the problem
  • if you’re not engaged socially, you’re missing the boat
  • algorithms are not static—many variables affect search results
  • search engines try to do what’s best for their constituents – the searchers
  • spend less  time on building artificial links and more time on creating news or content that other sources will pick up
  • instead of trying to beat your competitors at the SEO game, offer more compelling content than your competitors
  • don’t buy links, instead:
    1. work on social media
    2. on becoming an authority in your industry
    3. if someone is doing an article on you, ask for a link

So take the advise of some of the search engine pros and focus on creating good content for your website; it may serve you better than SEO voodoo.

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Inspiration & Ideas From the Twitter Feed

Cruising through my Twitter feed last night and I came across this inspiring infographic – 22 Ways to Create Compelling Content.

Who doesn’t need inspiration occasionally? I know I do. It’s been some time since I posted any content let alone compelling  content to my blog.  Lacking time to nurture inspiration this week, I decided to  simply post @copybloggers infographic for now so I can refer to it for inspiration when time allows. I believe that makes this post a combination of #1 (using content from other blogs), #2 (group brainstorming via Twitter) and #5 (guest post).

Thank you @copyblogger for allowing me to use this infographic on my blog and to @MichelleShaeffr for retweeting it so I came across it in the feed.

22 Ways to Create Compelling Content - Infographic
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

What’s Not to ‘Like’?

Not long ago, one of my kids was approached by a peer who asked point blank, “Why didn’t you friend me on Facebook?” The response was given with a raised eyebrow and a funny look,  “’Cuz you’re not my friend…?” with an unspoken “Duh!!” tacked on the end—not the expected response from a teenager in this media-saturated world.  10% of the 157,418,920 Facebook users in the US are between 13 and 17*—and many of those one and a half million teens (!!!) want to ‘like’ and have ‘likes’ from everyone else—I mean, who doesn’t want a lot of friends?

Well, we of the older mindset have learned with age to be more selective with what we do, when we do it, and with whom.  Call us paranoid—or just old—but it simply doesn’t seem right to have 673 friends, and we definitely don’t have the time to ‘like’ everything we see. We truly aren’t interested in what you found in the couch cushions, and we aren’t going to ‘like’ a post about what your dog regurgitated. Yes, we have become discriminatory.

However, in business we know we need to network and talk, make friends and get as many people to like us as possible–in both the real and the virtual world. We also realize that for some the word ‘like’ has become a super-sized commitment to be a part of the everyday minutia of the world–but unlike taking out the garbage and cleaning the bathroom, it’s something we can choose not to do.  So why do it?  Why should you ‘like’ us?

It’s pretty simple.

Web Savvy Marketers Facebook Page
What's Not To Like?

When we at Web Savvy Marketers ‘like’ you, it’s because:

  • We value you
  • We value something you’ve said or done
  • We want you to succeed

When you ‘like’ us, it means:

  • You value us
  • You value something we’ve said or done
  • You want us to succeed

It’s not complicated. Your newsfeed won’t be stacked with invaluable, irrelevant nonsense from us–although we will include you when we’re having fun! We will share our ideas, what works for us and doesn’t, and we’ll want to hear about what makes your business tick–your challenges and experiences.

So let’s avoid that awkward middle-school-hallway moment, “Why didn’t you ‘like’ me on Facebook?” and support each other with a click on that little thumbs-up.

What’s not to like?

*http://www.checkfacebook.com/

Avoid copyright infringement or it will cost you…

Just because you can search Google Images or other photography sites and find images online that might look good on your website, doesn’t mean you have the rights to use them on your website.

I’ve run into clients and prospects  who are under the misguided assumption that images on the web are free for the taking.  Not so.  In fact, if the stock photography companies find that your site is using pirated images you could be fined hundreds or thousands of dollars. And they will find you.  I’ve had clients who have loaded images onto their website (that were unknowingly pirated from an online source) and eventually they get a call from Comstock or some other Stock photo house demanding payment for the use of their image.

Always make sure that you have the right to use images that you place  on your website (or any marketing materials).  There are many royalty free stock photos you can purchase for use on your website for fairly low cost.  IStockphoto.com is one that we use frequently to purchase stock photography.

Music is another component that people like to pirate.  It is not legal to use a song you’ve purchased and downloaded onto your IPod as background music for a video you post to YouTube.  Sorry.  SoundDogs.com is a good source for music and sound effects.

I don’t have to tell anyone that it’s plagiarism to copy text from another site.  Do I?

Holiday Shopping Suggestions – Supporting Small Business Cyber Shops

The holiday shopping season kicked off with some distasteful Black Friday incidents last week.  Hearing about these unsavory incidents makes me glad I’ve never bothered with  Black Friday,  I’m more of a Cyber Monday kind of gal, and I  support Small Business Saturday. I think it’s important to support your local small businesses including brick and mortar and online stores.

Although the big kick-off shopping weekend is over, I’m sure there’s more shopping to be done.  If you prefer to avoid the mall hubbub and feel like staying home in your jammies and doing some on-line shopping this holiday season, here’s a list of clients who are small business owners that sell or show products online.  They’re all reputable honest people with great products.  The * indicates you may need to call to purchase.

Art

Astrology Calendar & Services

Books

Food & Beverage

Health & Fitness

Jewelry

Motorcycle & Auto Accessories

Travel Services

Museum Store

And Finally, Santa Claus

Happy Holidays!

My Secret Weapon – Google and an unknown 13-year old

Today I had a unusual call from a long-time client. (I promised not to reveal her name).   She apologized for calling me because the problem had nothing to do with her website or her online marketing but she was extremely disoriented because her computer screen had flipped upside down.

I laughed.

“How did that happen?” I asked and then I chuckled some more.

Apparently my client  had accidentally hit the combination of keys that’s the shortcut for flipping your display.  Yeah, that’s a handy shortcut. Thank you Microsoft.

“It’s not funny,” she said. “Not only is the screen upside down, but the mouse is backwards”.

I laughed again.  “Did you try turning the mouse upside down?” I asked.

Meanwhile, while poking fun at my client I did a quick Google search for “upside down display screen”  and I quickly found a forum where others had run into the problem.  Scanning the forum I saw one that  began with “I’m 13 years old and I have the answer to the problem…”

The 13-year old recommended going to the display settings where you will find the option to flip your screen.   Who knew?  I’m 53 years old and I didn’t know that option existed, but Google and the 13-year old kid made me look like a hero.  Thank you Google and unknown 13-year old (you little smartie-pants).

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