Pimp My Keywords

Time For More Social Media?

Do you have more time for more social media?

Google hopes so!

Early reviews of Google+ are good, however:

• Will Facebook users try Google+?
• How many Facebook users will abandon ship and move to Google+?
• Is there enough time to utilize Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Foursquare and others?

Stay tuned...

SEO and Social Media (Part II)

(Second of two parts reviewing how businesses should be using both SEO and social media as part of an integrated strategy)

By Steve Phillips
President
Purple Trout, LLC

You can gain an edge on your online competition by implementing a plan involving both search engine optimization (SEO) and social media.

Here's how:

• Incorporate your website's targeted keywords (developed from strategic research) into your social media profiles, content and updates. This will help improve your social media search results.
• Since search engines index social media content (Google and Bing index social media content in real time) it's possible your social media content might outrank your website content in search engine results. Always make sure your social media content links back to your website. Note: your social media links do not have to link back to your website's "home" page. Create links to page-specific content on your website.
• Social media helps with link building opportunities. Links to your website's pages can be added to social media profiles, updates, blog posts, bookmarking sites, etc. Take advantage of those link building opportunities.
• With RSS opportunities, you can pull your social media content into your website. Therefore, when you create a Facebook or Twitter post, for example, content "spaces" on your website are automatically updated with your new social media posts.

Update social media content opportunities frequently (at least once a day). There's always something to share about your industry and your business with your Fans and Followers.

SEO and Social Media (Part I)

(First of two parts reviewing how businesses should be using both SEO and social media as part of an integrated strategy)

By Steve Phillips
President
Purple Trout, LLC

Answer the following question:

Does your company need to spend more time on social media or SEO?

(a) Social Media

(b) SEO

(c) Neither

(d) Both

The correct answer is Both. If not, then your business is in the minority when it comes to integrating search with social media.

Integrating both:

• Increases the amount of SEO friendly content on the web.
• Generates the number of inbound links pointing to your website.
• Increases the number of results for your company in search engine result pages (SERPs).
• Improves the quality of your website traffic.
• Improves overall search performance.

Studies have found that businesses with an integrated strategy experience slight improvements in ranking position.

Marketing Sherpa reports that organizations that do both SEO and social media achieve a 59% better rate of conversion.

Google Takes Another Crack At Social Media

Here we go again with yet another attempt by Google to move into the social media world with its introduction today of "Google+" (Google Plus).

Give Google credit. They are trying.

They tried and failed with Wave. They tried and failed with Buzz and yet they are trying again to take away a piece of the social media pie from Facebook with Google+.

Isn't there already enough social media noise?

Can users handle Google+ in addition to Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and others?

Doubtful.

Perhaps, users are getting a little tired of social media. After all, nearly six million Americans quit using Facebook during the month of May 2011. Some say they are looking for something new.

Focus On What Won't Change

I've been reading "Rework" by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson, founders of 37signals. It's a quick - but good - read on starting a new business, etc.

However, these words really fly off the page:

"Focus on what won't change. A lot of companies focus on the next big thing. They latch on to what's hot and new."

Kind of like social media.

There are some 50,000 local social media "experts" in every town throwing around big words like "brand" and "image" and "analytics" while checking in via Foursquare at Starbucks with 10 others followed by a "Tweet" and a "Follow Friday" and a "Re-Tweet." 

Boring - and, frankly, a complete waste of time.

It doesn't matter what you're saying if no one's listening.

Note: Some social media "experts" can't go through a day without giving everyone a traffic update; raindrop count; checking in at every restaurant and bathroom in town, followed by details of everything in between including indigestion, puppy updates and what Johnny did at school today. It's all worthless crap that's adding to the noise that's been generated.

At Purple Trout, we focus on one thing: search engine optimization.

SEO is the practice by which we help our clients earn higher rankings in Google, Bing and other search engines.

We do a little bit of of our own social media (very little) and, while we do help some clients with social media, our work is directly connected with our clients' SEO efforts.

Does social media work? Sometimes, but it's not for every business.

Yes, Facebook's still hot. That's it. You don't need to hire an "expert" to start a Facebook Page.

It's still all about getting found. Don't forget that.

Keep working on your website. Write a Blog. Improve your content. Work on earning inbound links. These elements help earn higher rankings in Google and other search engines.

Your potential customers could care less that you're the mayor of Subway.

Quit chasing your tail with the latest social media gimmick and quit listening to the social media "experts."

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 145

Want to encourage more interaction from your customers and prospects?

Of course!

Make sure you place your social tool badgets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) on your website. Better yet, put them on your website's "Home" page. Don't bury them. Place them in the top half of your page so people can easily find them.

* * *

Purple Trout, LLC is an SEO consulting firm located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

Making the Most of Linkedin - Part II

By Rebecca Ralphy
SEO Marketing & Business Development

In Part I, we explored why it’s important to participate in Linkedin, and how to create a successful and complete profile.

Now, let’s dig deeper about making those Linkedin connections and promoting your business.

Making Connections

First, you need to start connecting with people you know; those you work with, and/or those you’ve done business with. You can easily find these connections by using the Linkedin Search tool.

Once you have started connecting with people, you’ll be able to view their connections, if their privacy settings allow it. This can be very beneficial.

For example, let’s say you’re connected with Susie. You used to work with Susie and you’ve maintained a friendly relationship with her. While viewing Susie’s profile, you see she is connected with George, who you’ve been  trying to connect with but he won’t take your sales calls. Since Linkedin allows you to see this connection, you can ask Susie if she’s willing to introduce you to George.

Event  Sharing

Although connecting with other professionals is the primary function of Linkedin, there are many other things that you can do, such as sharing events.

This is similar to the Events application in Facebook.  Sharing events can be beneficial in a couple ways.

First, it’s opportunity for more people to read and possibly attend your event, so you’re getting some free public relations. Second, if you or one of your employees is participating in a local charity event, you can use Linkedin to promote the event. This not only gives some free PR to the charity, but also to you and your business as well.  

Article Sharing

Similar to Facebook and Twitter, Linkedin gives you the ability to share articles.

While sharing articles is a “must” in Linkedin, you’ll first want to make sure the article is relevant to everyone. Avoid posting industry specific articles to all your connections. Instead, focus on issues that are applicable to all business professionals.

Typically, you should try to post something one to two times a day. If you have some really important news, go ahead and post a third time, but only do this on special occasions. Just like your other social media sites, you need to be posting something at least once a day.

Groups

One of the most important things you need to do is join groups.

There are a wide variety of groups on Linkedin, ranging from industry specific groups to groups of professionals living in the same city.

For example, Purple Trout belongs to the group “Linked Cincinnati” and “Digital Marketing” as both are relevant to our company.

Participate in your groups, but posting articles, comments and discussions about topics in your industry. Check out “Promotions.” This section allows you to give a direct sales pitch to the members of the group.  It’s ok to do this maybe once or twice a month, but not every day.

Building Credibility

Last, but not least, you’ll want to build your credibility.

One way you can do this is by answering questions people ask in your group discussions. Establishing yourself as an expert is very important.

We’ve covered a lot of information about Linkedin, but don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. You don’t need to spend hours on end on Linkedin (after all, you have to do work at some point, right?).  I would recommend spending about as much as you do on your other social media sites if you want to see some real results.  

Making The Most Of LinkedIn - Part I

By Rebecca Ralphy
SEO Marketing & Business Development

It’s no secret many businesses are using Social Media as a part of their marketing efforts. Most of us are extremely familiar with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace.

While learning how to utilize these sites for marketing purposes is definitely important - and should not be ignored - many businesses are forgetting about an incredibly important website designed specifically for professionals: Linkedin.

I used to think it was important to be on Linkedin, but had no idea what to do next. Does that sound familiar?

In Part 1 of this 2-part blog, let's explore why it’s important to be on Linkedin and how to create a successful profile page.

The numbers concerning the growth of social media sites are astounding and Linkedin is no exception. Currently, there are 90 million people on Linkedin, with a new person joining nearly every second. Once you have created your account, you need to start building and completing your profile.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to fully complete your Linkedin profile. Let's get started:

• Education - include your educational background: high school, college and graduate school. All are important
• Work Experience - include your current position and a description of duties, as well as at least two (if not all)  previous positions. Work experience should be detailed, but it doesn't have to be too excessive.
• Profile Summary - this is a brief summary about yourself as a professional. Reiterate your current and previous employment positions, education, specialties and background. This may seem redundant, but it’s important to include.
• Photo - yes, I know you hate to have your picture taken and published, but it's extremely important to include a professional photo of yourself on your Linkedin profile. It will help you get found in search results and it does contribute to having  a 100% completed profile.
• Specialties - include ANY specialties you have. Include your areas of expertise, any industry certifications, or any foreign languages you speak, etc.
• Recommendations - the Recommendations section is often overlooked, yet is incredibly important. This allows for co-workers, clients, vendors, etc., an opportunity to recommend you to others. This can be incredibly helpful if a potential client or employer is looking at your Linkedin profile.
• Headline - this is a brief blurb about yourself which will appears under your name. Although short, it should be an accurate description about what you do.
• Resume - although your profile basically is a resume, you need to include a copy of your actual resume on your profile. If you do not wish to use your normal resume, you can use the Resume Builder tool within Linkedin. This will compile all the information on your profile into a resume format. It’s easy to do, but since you have provided detailed descriptions about yourself and work experience, you will need to do some editing so it’s not incredibly lengthy.
• Keywords - last, but certainly not least, you need to make sure your profile is keyword rich. For example, a Search Engine Optimization  (SEO) firm like Purple Trout would include and target SEO keywords. Linkedin is similar to Google in that profile keywords will help earn you a higher "rank" in Linkedin search results.

There are several additional profile areas you can choose to complete, but only if they apply. These would include certifications, patents, applications, polls, etc.

Time to do some homework and get started on the tips I've provided above. Then, come back next week for Part 2, which will focus on how your company can better leverage Linkedin. 

Crucial Tips For Getting More Web Exposure With a Press Release

By Camella Lobo
Content & Social Media Strategist

Using an online newswire to distribute a press release is an effective way to promote awareness of your company and drive website traffic. But before you spend hundreds of dollars sending out digital releases, you should tailor your tactics to garner the most exposure.

By determining your objectives for the release ahead of time, you can concentrate your efforts (and your funds) to meet the right marketing needs, whether it's SEO, brand exposure or targeting a specific region.

Do Your Homework

An imperative part of getting the most out of a press release online is knowing what features come along with each service's standard newswire release. If your objective is SEO, it's even more important to know which template features a service (PR Web, Marketwire, PR Newswire, etc.) offers.

In this case, it would be helpful to email or call a newswire associate and run down the following checklist:

How many embeddable links does the service allow in a release?

The more the better. Link building has been called the "holy grail" of SEO. The more links to your site you send into the Internet, the stronger your site. But quantity isn't necessarily quality. A point below will explain that further.

Can you create links with anchor text within the release?

This is the most important question you should ask. Creating anchor text with targeted keywords linked to your site is a great tactic to boost your SEO efforts. There are several newswires that offer this feature but others that don't at all. Make sure you go with a service that allows you to embed targeted links into anchor text. Also, the same rules for using keywords on web pages apply to press releases. So think about what you want to target before you write.

Where is the release syndicated?

Your press release will get picked up and published on other relevant websites. But the strength of the link within your press release is dependant upon where it is aggregated. For instance, getting your release picked up by Yahoo! News is more optimal than syndication on a tiny news site. Get a list of their top syndicators.

Is it possible to target specific industries and regions?

Most online newswire services will allow you to target specific cities, states, trades, etc. You want to optimize your release distribution to include the industries and regions that are most applicable to your content and keywords. Find what kind of targeting the service offers and if your content fits those criteria.

Releases, Web Style

Once you've decided on a service that fits your SEO needs, you can focus on writing great web content that people might actually read. Look, press releases are boring. Try to not fall into the pattern that everyone else does. Find something interesting to say. Here's your chance to say something different -- something people might actually want to share.

Find a news angle.

First rule here - don't be lame. You know what is news related and what is not. For instance, you are a nonprofit that has been working with water conservation for years and there is a drought. This would be a good time to put out a press release. Here's a bad time - You sell bicycles and a movie was just released featuring a scene where someone is riding a bicycle. Use your best judgment.

Write content for the web.

Your press release is on the web. Write to fit the way people read on the web. You know the drill - short sentences, bullet points, direct language. Brush up on web writing and tailor your content accordingly.

Write to your audience.

Press releases on the web are no longer filtered through editors or reporters. They. Are. On. The. Internet. People can Google them. If you're releasing a new product for kids, why are you talking like a sedated robot? It's a fine line. At the end of the day, you want a journalist to write about your product and get the info they need, but you should use the press release to extend the tone of your brand, not kill it.

* * *

Camella Lobo is a content and social media strategist with Internet Exposure, a Minneapolis web design agency.

* * *

"Pimp My Keywords" is a blog covering all things Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media and Pay Per Click. The blog is written by Purple Trout, LLC, a Cincinnati Search Engine Optimization firm, now celebrating its sixth-year in business!

The Importance Of Social Media Monitoring

By Michael Cohn

As important as social media is for your business, once you have built all of your social media profiles and are engaging other people online regularly, it is equally important to monitor the effectiveness of social media for your business.

In this age of sophisticated technology, even if you don't have a desire to be involved with social media for your business, you really don't have a choice. You have to keep up with your customers and your competition. If you don't get involved, you will be giving up your edge and other business people will shine in the eyes of potential and current customers and you will be left behind.

It is extraordinarily important to have an effective and assertive social media marketing campaign in which your branding is solid and your business offerings are highlighted and appear compelling and attractive. Monitoring the results of your social media marketing campaign is equally important. You need to keep your finger on the pulse and have as much control as possible over the flow of your business success so that it will be extremely easy to identify what is working and what is not working.

In addition to monitoring the results of your social media efforts, it is also important to have a good understanding of who is saying what about you and your business and exactly where those people are saying what they are saying. It is important because you will want to respond to them as soon as you read what they have written.

When it comes to the social media monitoring tools, there are some terms that it will be helpful to become acquainted with, including:

Influence: If you have customers who have strong opinions about your brand, it is essential to understand how those customers influence others. You will want to know

• How many followers they have
• How many retweets they get
• How many comments they get as a result of their blog posts
• How many outside links point back to their blog 

Many of the monitoring tools that don't cost money measure those things and all of the monitoring tools that cost money include it.

• Sentiment: Are the comments that you are receiving positive or negative? Most of the monitoring tools used today have the capacity to distinguish positive from negative (assign sentiment) automatically. This is very useful if you have a brand that gets a high volume of mentions; however, it is not as useful if your brand doesn't get that sort of attention. In that case, manual verification is recommended before you make any final decisions based on the influence data.
• Workflow: The definition of workflow in this context is assigning, responding, and tracking social media. If your workflow is effective, it will help you to avoid double responses and potential opportunities that you may have missed. 
• Volume: Volume is the amount of buzz that is surrounding your brand and your offerings. Many of the monitoring tools are able to record volume based on specific keywords over time. This is a great way for you to measure how effective your marketing efforts and your social media marketing campaign are when combined with sentiment. You can understand a great deal by watching the spikes in the graphs that are generated by your monitoring tool.

The following are some of the most effective social media monitoring tools that are being used today.

• Google Alerts: This is an extremely popular and effective social media monitoring tool. Google Alerts allows you to create keyword searches for the name of your business or the names of your competitors. You will then receive the results of your searches in your inbox or through your RSS feeds. If you combine Google Alerts with iGoogle (Google's portal), you can build a concise page that will contain the most current results for the keywords that you have chosen. You should definitely consider using Google Alerts. It doesn't cost any money and it is very easy to set up.
• Twitter Advanced Search: When you use the advanced feature of Twitter's search tool, you can generate very powerful searches. Once your search has been set up, you can save the search terms as an RSS feed so that the information that you are receiving is always current. 
• HootSuite: You can manage multiple social media accounts across LinkedIn, Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and MySpace. Even though HootSuite is actually an account management tool, it has a very large user base and has powerful functionality. When you have updates, you can add them to more than one social media profile at a time, click through, automate updates and monitor your buzz. 
• Twazzup: This tool focuses on Twitter. It puts everything on one page. Among its features are influencers, top links and sentiment.
• TweetDeck: This is available for Mac, iPad, iPhone, Linux and Windows. TweetDeck is a good tool to manage your social media profiles across LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Foursquare, and Google Buzz. 
• Social mention: This is a combination of metrics that are simple to read (including reach, sentiment, strength (volume and day), and passion). Social mention will track Twitter, blogs and blog comments, news, images, audio and video. You can save your searches as an RSS feed so that you can continue to have current information.
• Icerocket: Icerocket allows you to watch over Twitter, blogs, news, the web, images, and many other things. Some of the features are a listing of mentions and a topic cloud. Icerocket also gives you the ability to bookmark your search results and allows you to return to them later. 
• Addict-o-matic: This is a consolidated page that matches searches in Twitter, Digg, Flickr, blogs, and more. Addict-o-matic has a one-page dashboard, is free of charge, and does an amazing job of placing all of your "buzz" in the same place. 
• Boardtracker: This works by grabbing buzz from forums and message boards. A list of some of Boardtracker's features includes an influencer list and a topic cloud. A slightly negative feature is that there are advertisements mixed in with your search results. However, you can purchase a premium version that will not have the advertisements as part of the search results. This is a really handy tool if your customers are more active on forums and message boards than any other type of social media. 
• Seesmic: This is similar to HootSuite. The two tools have the capability to manage many accounts at once in common across many of the social media channels.

Conclusion

Social media monitoring tools and the metrics that they bring to you are extremely important to the success of your social media marketing campaign as well as the ultimate success of your business. If you don't pay attention to how your business is doing, you are really only doing half of the job. It is the difference between walking around in the dark and having an illuminated path that allows you to have an understanding and an awareness of how your business is doing and how you can continually make improvements that will bring you more and more exposure and a rock-solid reputation.

Many companies are using social media monitoring to strengthen their businesses. Those business people are savvy enough to realize the importance of social media, how it positively influences their businesses and how critical the monitoring piece of the strategy is to their ultimate success.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. Please contact us at CompuKol Communications for further discussion on how we might be able to assist you and your team.