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Google’s Air First Search Commercial During Super Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:17:32 PST

This past Saturday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt tweeted that Google would be airing its first ever television ad as one of the Super Bowl's wildly anticipated commercials. Although the ad has been on YouTube for the past three months and initially intended for just the Internet, Google’s affinity to this particular ad and its positive reaction from viewers has convinced Google to share it with a wider audience, instead of just utilizing social media marketing (SMM) techniques. What better way to do this than air it during the Super Bowl? Below is the aired ad called Parisian Love.

Google integrated its own sponsored ad in the usual Pay-P er-Click (PPC) area, which links over to their YouTube account and their lesser-known" TV Ads – AdWords" feature (a great cross-promotion strategy since they are anticipating users will use the search term "google tv ad"). Furthermore, of the search queries shown during the commercial, almost all the ads were taken out. The Super Bowl & Google publicity has already made one website take action for future tourists.

Although Google had other advertisements in radio, newspapers, and television in the past, this is the first commercial that featured what Google is prominently known for: their search engine. This TV spot can be seen as a counter-attack to Bing’s recent “search overload” commercial series.

SearchEngineLand.com says,

"Google’s never really had to market itself to consumers, to trot its stuff. The recently held 'Searchology' event didn’t cover anywhere near the range of what Google offers. But if the praise for Bing keeps largely rolling in — if people keep discovering features that aren’t necessarily unique to Bing — Google may find it has to step up."

SearchEngineLand.com surveyed many major companies, such as CNET, Wall St. Journal, and CNN Money, about the Google ad that aired during the Super Bowl and many have given positive reactions. CNET called the spot a "breath of fresh air," while the Kansas City Star called it a "winner" that was much more satisfying than the typical "sophomoric" Super Bowl ad.

If Google is already widely known for their search engine, why spend so much money on advertising it? Well, the advertisement, as said, was intended for the wider audience and meant to create online buzz. The cheaply made, though still expensively marketed, commercial has not only stirred up some buzz, but should cause Bing to become extremely nervous.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Ecommerce 101: Answering Your Most Frequently Asked Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Tisha Palarca) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:55:49 PST

Many business owners want to expand their businesses online, but do not know where to start. Listed below are the top ecommerce questions and their respective answers:

Q: What are the different ecommerce platforms? (Note: this is only limited to Cybertegic’s ecommerce platform offerings)

A: First is Volusion, which is an entry-level ecommerce platform, great for small businesses and startups. It has a basic web store interface and an easy-to-use dashboard control.

Next is the Channel Advisor, a multi-channel e-commerce platform that works best for selling across multiple selling channels such as comparison shopping sites like Amazon, Nextag, eBay, etc., marketplaces, and paid searching. The user has the ability to manage all these channels under one comprehensive ecommerce platform.

Third is the Microsoft Aspdotnetstorefront, the most advanced Microsoft ASP.net based ecommerce platform available. This is suitable for businesses that need a customizable ecommerce store to complement its existing business. It contains hundreds of customizable features such as Wish List, Gift Registry, and more.

Last is the Netsuite, a completely integrated ecommerce system perfect for managing the entire Internet business. This ecommerce platform is great for mid to large sized businesses that are looking for a scalable and customizable reporting capability. Some features include accounting, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and more.

Q: Which ecommerce platform offers product date feeds that can be used for comparison shopping site feeds?

A: The Volusion and Channel Advisor ecommerce platforms are equipped with pre-integrated product feeds; while in Aspdotnetstorefront and Netsuite, the feeds need to be customized.

Q: Which among the ecommerce platforms is the most SEO friendly?

A: All ecommerce platforms chosen by our company are SEO friendly.

Q: Would it be possible to modify our existing website to integrate a new ecommerce platform?

A: Yes, but sometimes, it is more difficult and costly to modify an existing website than to create a new one. Websites should first be evaluated carefully to determine which course of action to take. Things that need to be taken into consideration are: the exact scope of what needs to be done, the existing technology and platform being used, the level of access, and the client support.

Q: Should products be imported one by one?

A: If there are more than one hundred products, a database import efficiently creates product pages. Otherwise, a manual import will suffice.

Q: What is Cloud Computing?

A: “Cloud” means “Internet” and “Computing” means “computer technology,” meaning it is an Internet-based development and use of computer technology. Some examples of Cloud Computing companies are Volusion, Netsuite, Amazon, Salesforce, Google, and Microsoft.

Cloud Computing is divided into (1) IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service, which is am evolution of web hosting and virtual private server offerings; (2) PaaS – Platform as a Service, which provides all tools and facilities needed to support the complete lifecycle of building and delivering web applications and services over the Internet; (3) SaaS – Software as a Service, wherein a provider licenses an application for customers to use as a service on demand.

Coke’s Combination of Traditional and Social Media Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:43:37 PST

he news that Pepsi had decided to completely eschew Super Bowl ads in favor of social media marketing was pretty big, to say the least. In each of the past 23 years, the soda company had chosen to air commercials during the game, evolving to the point where the two had almost become synonymous with each other. Consequently, many interpreted this shift in Pepsi’s policy as a mark of how far social media marketing has come, and how powerful it has the potential to be for a business.

Although both of these things are undoubtedly true, people seem to be forgetting how useful social media can be when used in conjunction with traditional advertising. Much to Pepsi’s likely chagrin, however, Coke hasn’t made that same slip.

In addition to the usual Super Bowl advertising that Coca-Cola has planned, the company is also taking part in a social media campaign using its Facebook fan page. Coke plans to raise up to half a million dollars for the Boys & Girls Club of America by offering gifts on the site that can be sent to other users, and the company will contribute $1 for every gift purchased.

Though the proposed donation is an already benevolent gesture on its own, Coke is also offering a 20 second peek at its Super Bowl ads to users who purchase one of their gifts. As you can probably imagine, this combination of traditional and social media marketing is generating a considerable amount of buzz for Coca-Cola as a company.

In doing so, Coke has essentially provided a near textbook example of how to properly integrate different types of media into one shared campaign. The Super Bowl ad allows them a more traditional branding opportunity, while their social media campaign not only invites users to become active participants, but also rewards them for benefitting a good cause.

Consequently, it shouldn’t as too much of a surprise if it turns out that Coke wins this bout of advertising. Over 2500 Facebook gifts were given out during just the company’s announcement of this advertising project alone, and between now and the Super Bowl, it seems almost inconceivable that Coke won’t reach its goal of 500,000.

Source.

Written by Kenny K.

Social Media and its 4 Fundamental Traits

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:26:04 PST

Amybeth Hale was offered the opportunity to discuss with several of the most well-known players in social media. Of all the attributes they’ve mentioned, there are four key concepts that have helped them become successful in social media: developing relationships, become a digital trendsetter, take risks, and give back.

· Develop Authentic Relationships

o As we've mentioned before, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, encourages his employees to actively contribute and engage with the company Twitter account. Such actions show commitment, which is often times hard to come by. In a sense, developing authentic relationships is like networking. If people remember you for something such as providing advice, they’ll inform their other friends and so forth. It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you.

· Become a Digital Trendsetter

o In this day and age, people are always talking about the latest craze, like the Apple iPad. Although it’s good to be up-to-date, it’s more important and beneficial if you stay ahead of digital trends. Learn the direction that social media is taking and pursue it. By staying ahead of the curve, you will be perceived as a leader.

· Take Risks

o There is a risk in every choice you make, there’s no question about that. But it’s the degree of the risk that determines the reward. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Laura Roeder states, “We need to be brave, get out of our comfort zones, and go to places where people may be skeptical of social media, and of us. We need to evangelize.”

· Give Back

o And of course, give back. Ken Burbary, Ernst & Young’s Director of Social Media, gained attention from his peers by promoting other analytics and data from other social media professionals. Giving back, or “pay it forward”, shows sincerity and, in turn, many will show appreciation in different ways like mentioning you to their peers.

However, it should also be noted that social media shouldn’t be generalized as something only for the younger generation or other specific traits. In fact, the social media successors Hale interviewed with have come in a wide variety of traits such as being self-employed to working for a large corporation, having a graduate degree or learning from life, and people in their 20’s or 40’s. Such negative implications that are typically perceived for social media will only confine you from growing and possibly becoming a social media virtuoso.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Google Working on their Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:18:38 PST

Although we may know Google for their search engine and successful efforts in areas like mobile devices and applications, one area that may have been overlooked are their attempts at social media. Google actually has its own social network called Orkut. It was associated with Google Friend Connect, which helped develop OpenSocial and Google Profiles. Google was hoping that these networks would become something like Facebook, where people can share photos, ideas, and converse with one another. However, it didn’t receive so much feedback or attention as other social networks Facebook and Twitter.

One of Google’s social networking successes is YouTube, where users are able to subscribe/follow, favorite videos, respond, and comment. However, Google has also suffered its fair share in acquisitions, evidenced with its recent fallout with Yelp.

Google’s has recently approached social media marketing gurus Chris Messina, Will Norris, and Joseph Smarr to be a part of their social media team. Even though one of Google’s main focus for 2010 is social media, it may be quite the difficult feat since social media is constantly and rapidly changing. Priorities are constantly shifting and new companies, like Foursquare, are becoming wildly popular. “Although Google has tried to venture into social media, there hasn’t been much success," says Smarr. "Social media can’t be conquered by building supercomputer, but it requires innovations, nurturing, culture, and brand.”

As we’ve mentioned in the past, Google’s shift in incorporating real-time/latest tweets and posts from social networking sites like Facebook are adhering to the growth of social media on the web.

A former Google employee states, “The challenge with Google is that it isn’t in [its engineers’] DNA. It’s not that they don’t care about [social networking]; they don’t even see it. It’s almost invisible to them because their world view is so analytical and so computational.” If Google hopes to take on this challenge and overcome the social media requirements, they will need to invest time, commitment, and resources, as they’ve already done with their newly employed social media team, to juggle all that social media currently and will have in the future.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Speed over Relevance? Google's Answer is No.

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:45:17 PST

With Google’s most recent revamp, Google Caffeine, comes a concern among website owners and the search engine optimization (SEO) community: “Is page speed more important than relevance?” Since many site owners do not have the resources to develop a website that loads at lightning speed, this concern has been growing. Although Matt Cutts has explained that the new algorithm will incorporate several factors that determine page ranking, Cutts emphasizes that speed will never trump relevance. Below is a video of Cutts answering this user-submitted question: “Since we’re hearing a lot of talk about the implications of Page Speed, I wonder if Google still cares as much about relevancy? Or are recentness and page load time more important?”

Cutts says, "No. Relevancy is the most important. If you have two sites that are equally relevant (same backlinks...everything else is the same), you'd probably prefer the one that's a little bit faster, so page speed can be an interesting theory to try out for a factor in scoring different websites. But absolutely, relevance is the primary component, and we have over 200 signals in our scoring to try to return the most relevant, the most useful, the most accurate search result that we can find. That's not going to change."

Of course, don’t take page speed out of the picture. Increasing your site's speed will be beneficial for you in the long run. As expected, Cutts did not specify exactly where page speed stood among the 200 factors. It would be smart, when working with your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, to analyze and test what factors are most important to both Google and you. As you develop your website, think about the future and try to integrate page speed and user relevance for a better overall user experience.

If you are looking to increase your page speed, Google offers a list of tools developed by Google and third-party developers to help increase the speed of your page.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Social Media Marketing: Yelp for Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:26:44 PST

A few days ago, Tory Johnson, Founder/CEO of Women for Hire, and George Stephanopoulos discussed Yelp’s Business Owner Tools on Good Morning America. Johnson says that aside from recommendations from family and friends, consumers rely heavily on user-generated reviews. She further explains that Yelp is a free social media marketing (SMM) tool for business owners to register their business and provide information, photos, and promotions. In addition, Yelp can be used to respond to reviews (either publicly or privately).

This local restaurant utilized Yelp to include current promotions, photos, and a business owner profile.

Since Yelp is largely based on a wide demographic of consumer reviews, they highly discourage solicited reviews. Such reviews may actually be seen as spam and redirect potential customers elsewhere. Yelp also has an automated review filter that can remove such solicited reviews from business pages.

Below are three strategies to attract potential consumers to your Yelp page without seeming solicitous:

· A good strategy, related to a previous post, is to include a link to your Yelp page in your e-mail marketing signature.

· Yelp’s Flickr page offers Yelp badges for business to print and co-branding online.

· If you offer free WiFi at your business, configure your router to show your Yelp page as the home page when customers connect.

Although people may have generally used search engines like Google or Craigslist to find job listings, Johnson makes a point that some businesses have used Yelp’s Offers & Announcements tool as a means for hiring.

Yelp, and other social media marketing (SMM) sites, are free resources that can be utilized to promote, advertise, and even list job openings. However, be careful of strategies you may employ to attract customers. Tactics that may seem helpful, such as asking users to write a 5 star review, can actually be harmful.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Social Search and Search Engine Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:32:41 PST

In the waning months of the previous year, Google began to introduce its Social Search experiment. For anyone unaware, Social Search functions by displaying results that are customized for you and based on the people in your social network. If, say, you’re looking for opinions on local French restaurants, Social Search would link you to a blog post that a friend may have written that includes a review of local French café, in addition to the usual results. Essentially, the idea behind this is that because you likely know or are acquainted with this person, the chances of you trusting their opinion on the subject are higher.

Although it’s been a Google Labs opt in since October of 2009, the search company is making the service available to all users as a beta product within the next several days. However, with its new beta implementation comes a few new features as well:

In addition to merely displaying results from within your social network, Google has also included a Social Search “dashboard” which displays a few bits of relevant information. That information includes exactly who’s considered part of your social circle and how you may be related to them, and a list of your content that may potentially appear in the search results of those users. While informative and undoubtedly useful, it unfortunately lacks a way to remove others from your circle or modify the list in any way.

Of equal note, is the news that Google has expanded Social Search to include images. Similar to the fashion in which relevant content from contacts may start appearing in others’ search results, any image searches will also display pertinent photos drawn from their Picasa or Flickr accounts.

As always, of course, whenever Google introduces something new to its search, it’s important to consider what impact it may have on search engine optimization (SEO). Despite the fact that we won’t truly know how to work with it until it’s more widely put into use, there are already a few ideas of how businesses can use the function to their benefit. Making more contacts through Gmail is an obvious course of action, along with fully fleshing out your Google profile.

Source.

Written by Kenny K.

Top Five SEO Scams and Tips on Avoiding Them

noreply@blogger.com (Tisha Palarca) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:48:39 PST

Search engine optimization scams are flooding the Internet, taking advantage of the entrepreneur’s desire to be at the top of Google’s search engine results page. Below are the top SEO scams along with some tips on how to avoid them:

Guaranteed top 10 placement and continuous top SEO rankings for your site for only $$$ a month!

Although the possibility of your site ranking high exists, chances are, it’s only for really low competition keywords. Legitimate and proper Search Engine Optimization is a tedious process that involves real inbound links, great content, and top-notch titles. There are no guarantees in SEO, but when done the right way, there’s the potential to get you to page one. Also, if these so-called SEO companies can immediately take away your rankings and hold it hostage against your monthly fees, then it is not real SEO.

Tip: Legitimate search engine optimization companies do not make any promises. Specific rankings cannot be guaranteed as nobody controls search engines.

Our search engine optimization methods are trade secrets. We cannot disclose our SEO procedures to you.

Some SEO companies will say that their search engine optimization procedures are “intellectual property rights”. Stay away from these SEO companies. Real search engine optimization experts have a real passion for SEO and enjoy educating their clients about the process. Real SEO does not involve heavy secrets. It just involves a lot of common sense and doing things the right way.

We know someone who works in Google, Yahoo, etc.

This is a total lie. Some SEO companies brag that their inside contacts can get you to number one in major search engines but in reality, nobody can have a “special relationship” with search engines. You cannot jump through the whole search engine optimization process all because you “know someone inside”. Real SEO is a process that involves nothing but the best practices.

We can get you thousands of inbound links!

While we all know that link building or link popularity can boost site rankings, it is the quality of the link that matters. Also, this is a nice way of referring you to link farms, something that could make all your search engine optimization efforts in vain.

We submit your site to thousands of search engines and directories.

First of all, the number of combined search engines and directories will never reach a thousand. Secondly, search engines find you through inbound links. There is no need to index and re-index your site as it is deemed useless in the proper practice of search engine optimization. As for directories, if they actually did submit your site to even a fraction of a thousand, you can be assured that they used an automated submission program, something that will kill your SEO efforts.

Tip: Link building is a manual process that, when done wisely and properly, can prove to be a worthwhile investment for search engine optimization.

Search engine optimization is never a hurried procedure. SEO done unethically can get sites up to rank as quickly as 1-2-3 and give you huge, immediate gains, but only temporarily. The repercussions? You risk losing your domain permanently, you could be blacklisted from search engines, and your reputation could be tainted.

Be careful. Search engine optimization not done the right way is not real SEO.

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Email Marketing Trends of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Tisha Palarca) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:00:55 PST

According to the “2010 Marketing Trends” survey done by StrongMail, online marketing spending is expected to increase this year. For the survey, over 1,000 business executives across a wide range of industries were contacted. Below are some of the highlights of the report:

89% of respondents plan to increase or maintain their marketing spending this year.
69% plan to increase email marketing spending.
59% plan to increase social media marketing spending.
69% plan to integrate social media and email marketing.

“Marketers today are getting more sophisticated, leveraging on the Web’s viral aspects,” said Kristin Hersant, StrongMail’s corporate marketing director.

According to Hersant, below are the possible directions where email marketing will be headed this year:

Targeted Segmentation and Marketing. This could be utilized to produce a referral program with customers who are most active with their brand as they are deemed as top influencers. Tools that will help marketers examine engagement metrics and know who the most active users are on their lists are finally being released to the market. UnBound Technologies and Rapleaf Inc. are among the companies who, based on your lists, can determine which of your recipients are active on social media sites as well as the networks they are on.

As cited by 46% of the respondents of the survey, marketers reported a desire to improve segmentation and marketing.

Using Video in Email. This can help marketers increase relevancy. With videos, it becomes easier to promote things that customers are interested in. Technology that converts videos into animated GIFs also seems promising.

Relevance Engines. This is a new technology in email marketing that will become more important this year as it allows one to perform easier A/B testing.

With these new tools, marketers will be able to test immediately and create a winning subject line even in the midst an ongoing campaign.

Making Better Use Of Existing Resources and Information. As cited by 68% of the respondents, marketers plan on making better use of the resources and the information they already have on hand.

With this in mind, marketers should increase their level of personalization and targeting. Sending email messages based on the purchasing history of customers is something that marketers could be doing but aren’t.

Source

Claiming the Top 10 Search Engine Results for your Company: The Basics on Reputation Management

noreply@blogger.com (Tisha Palarca) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:43:13 PST

Your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts have earned you top results for your product or service, but how do you actually own the top results for your brand or company? Below are some of the basics on Reputation Management:

Your Social Media Profiles are Extremely Important. Some top ranking social media profiles are company Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, Digg, StumbleUpon, FriendFeed, YouTube, etc. profiles and pages. Having a profile on top ranking sites gives you the opportunity to rank on the first page.

Several things can be done to optimize your presence in such social media profiles. For starters, the keywords that you are focused on (like the name of your company or brand) should be set as the profile name and user ID. Filling out the bio or “about us” section can be helpful. However, make sure that your profile content is unique so it will not be considered a duplicate. Finally, get some links to your profiles as it could help in the ranking of your company’s name. You may opt to link your website to your profile, inviting visitors to “join” or “follow” you on certain social networking sites.

Press Release + Search Engine Optimization (SEO). One aspect of reputation management is writing press releases. When doing so, add a few of search engine optimization (SEO) tactics by placing targeted keywords in the title and the header. Most importantly, mention the company name within the body of the press release. Invest in good distribution partners such as MarketWire, BusinessWire, PRNewswire, and the like. Utilize free but quality distribution sites as well, such as FreePressRelease and PRlog.

Never Undervalue the Power of Linking. Search for positive mentions of the company and develop a linking strategy. This search engine optimization (SEO) tactic may push your company or brand to the top of search results.

Develop Subdomains. When doing a search for “CompanyName”, search engines deliver a variety of results. Your company’s website will most likely only appear once in search results. However, other official “CompanyName” websites can still rank, but they must give an illusion that they are a separate website. This is where subdomains come in. Even if there is a direct relationship between the “CompanyName” website and the subdomain, search engines will still rank this in top 10 as it is seen as an independent site. Include targeted keywords in the title tag. The values and links already established with the root domain will be reflectrf in the subdomain, and in a short time, earn the top positions in searches of the name of your company. Remember, however, that subdomains must only be used if there is enough content to support a website.

Build and Optimize Your Company’s Other Official Websites. If your company is involved in charity work, it is a good idea to build a website which refers to all charitable acts the company is doing. Do some basic search engine optimization (SEO) tactics by including your company’s name in the title tag and the content. Placing the company name in its official website (www.CompanyNameNews.com or blog.Cybertegic.com) certainly does not hurt search engine indexing.

These are only but a few methods you can use in gaining ownership of your company or brand in top search engine results. But, by following the above mentioned strategies, you are assured that you are doing everything to protect your most valued asset – Your company, Your brand, and You.

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Company News Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Tisha Palarca) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:19:05 PST

For the past six months, Cybertegic has been continuously helped clients reach the first page of Google and Yahoo search results for their keywords. Cybertegic’s month-to-month successes in this area serve as examples of the company’s dedication to the ethical practice of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

At Cybertegic, we really hold true to our motto, “creating online businesses that generate results.”

For this month, we are proud to announce our latest search engine optimization (seo) success:

LollicupStore.com, online authority of Torani Syrups and other beverage needs

Keywords	Search Engine
*Peppermint Syrup*	Google
*Lychee Syrup*	Google
*Thai Tea Leaves*	Google
*Da Vinci Syrup*	Google
*Boba Tea*	Google
*Torani Sauce*	Google
*Pumpkin Spice Syrup*	Google
*Restuarant Blender*	Google

CeriWholesale.com, large online distributor of wholesale shoes

Keywords	Search Engine
*Bumper Shoes*	Google
*Wholesale Shoe*	Google
*Wholesale Women's Shoes*	Google
*Wholesale Wild Rose Shoes*	Google
*Wholesale Fashion Shoes*	Google
*Wholesale Shoe Prices*	Google
*Lady Wholesale Shoes*	Google
*Wholesale Shoes*	Yahoo

CeriJewelry.com, large online distributor of wholesale jewelry

Keywords	Search Engine
*Wholesale Large Rings*	Google
*Swarovski Rings Engagement*	Google
*Epoxy Ring*	Google

Another News Update…

Cybertegic’s website has just received a facelift! The newly designed website features intuitive navigation and offers complete and comprehensive information on the various Internet marketing services of the company. Side widgets were also added to provide our users different ways of getting regular updates from us via different social networking sites.

Kudos to Cybertegic’s team of search engine optimization (seo) experts!

Congratulations to LollicupStore.com, CeriWholesale.com, and CeriJewelry.com for reaching page one!

Here’s to a bigger and better Cybertegic in 2010!

Local Search Engine Optimization: Are You on the Map?

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:14:52 PST

Since Google and Yelp displays local business related to a user's search query, local search engine optimization (SEO) has become important for brick and mortar businesses that primarily cater to its area. It is important that businesses try to position themselves and make it easy for people to locate on the search engine results page (SERP).

Although businesses may want to jump into it right away, there are different aspects in regards to local search engine optimization (SEO). These aspects are local maps, organic local search engine optimization (SEO), and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising. But before we get started, it should be duly noted that local search has a saturation point, meaning there is a limit to the possible and actual visitors.

Local Maps: Search engines like Google and Bing provide local maps for users when searching for neighboring businesses. However, the local listing is limited to a certain number of businesses. A useful tip for staying within the local listing is having your clients leave reviews. Other similar websites that provide local business map function include Yelp and Citysearch. Take Yelp for example: Yelp has been a growing sensation for locating local businesses. Many people look to reviews to see if the business, restaurant, services are good or bad.

Organic Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO): This refers to the natural search results that typically appear below the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads or local map. Just like search engine optimization (SEO), certain keywords are used, more so than others, for local searches. These keywords, or search terms, are important because it allows your website to be indexed on the search engine results page (SERP). Hopefully, in time, these keywords on your website will help for optimization and lead to link building.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC): This refers to the advertisements you see at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). As the term indicates, the advertiser must pay a certain sum when the hyperlink is clicked. Some businesses intend to be seen and will try to get on the local map listing, on the local organic results, and use a pay-per-click campaign.

Whatever business you may be in, be certain that a local business is competing for your clients. Although these points are just referring to local search engine optimization (SEO), there are other strategies available such as social media marketing (SMM), e-mail marketing campaign, sponsorships, etc.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Socializing through E-mail Marketing Campaigns

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:51:31 PST

Since social media has become such an integral part of so many lives, well known companies such as Nike, Intel, and Atari have taken notice and begun their own Facebook/Twitter account to engage with consumers. Although such companies are continuing advertising through TV, radio, etc., the most anticipated means is through e-mail marketing campaigns.

Top companies have already begun revitalizing their e-mail marketing campaigns and include links to their Facebook and Twitter. The inclusion of both social media links within e-mails has exponentially increased from 2007 to 2009. This year only leaves room for more growth due to the level of ubiquity and the increasing development for such social media applications.

StrongMail has published an updated report for possible 2010 Marketing Trends. The top three choices for increased spending are e-mail marketing, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO), with 69%, 59% and 42% respectively.

In the first graph, over 40% are planning to integrate both social media and e-mail marketing this year. The second graph shows that over 50% have either already begun or are looking into it.

Those who have already begun their e-mail/social media marketing mix have reported 42% improvement and 35% others report no improvement. Although these statistics may not seem quite pleasing, this is only the beginning and there is still much room for improvement. Asking people to follow or become a fan is just the tip of the iceberg. The real measure for success is the engagement and interaction with the customer. These actions will not only keep them as loyal consumers, but hopefully spread the word to their network of friends to join and follow.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Why You're Bothering with Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:17:50 PST

There’s a bit of a widespread problem plaguing a fair amount of companies. Too often, they dedicate an inordinate amount of time, resources, and personnel to developing a presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter without having a plan for what they’re doing, or why they’re on them in the first place. Typically, their only reasoning is that they should be simply because it seems to be the de facto thing to do.

This, however, isn’t to say that they shouldn’t be on those sites. Facebook and Twitter have both clearly shown that they both are power players in the realm of social media marketing, and that doesn’t appear likely to change at any point in the near future. What’s important for businesses to understand is exactly why social media matters.

Social media marketing represents a form of connection with customers. Not just current and past ones, but also potential future ones as well. Mediums like Facebook and Twitter represent an easily accessible means through which communication with these groups is possible. Website analytic statistics can easily help you determine just how much traffic is being driven to your site from social media sources, and allow you an understanding of where both existing and prospective clients are located online.

Additionally, utilizing social media marketing can be a significantly cheaper alternative to traditional advertising. Brand recognition is essential to being competitive in markets that are often volatile. However, with meager budgets for traditional advertising though mediums such as television, radio, and newspapers, successfully spreading word of your company can be problematic. A wide-ranging social media marketing campaign, on the other hand, is a relatively inexpensive way to keep consumers talking about your brand. While it’s admittedly unlikely that you’ll see an influx of sales through Twitter or Facebook alone, using them as means to communicate news or offer discounts gives you a better chance of creating a sustained presence.

Being active with social media can allow you to stem small problems before they grow beyond your means. Because it allows you to communicate directly with your clients and customers, it also gives you the opportunity to observe comments they make about your business and allows you the chance to solicit feedback from them. By addressing their concerns directly, you give the impression that you care enough to hear their concerns and are committed to making their experience with your company a positive one.

Source.

Written by Kenny K.

Facebook’s Fan Page: Your ‘Other’ Website

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:09:29 PST

One of the more notable tools in regards to social media marketing (SMM) is the well known social network, Facebook. What started off as an unassuming website to connect with friends, Facebook is now used by major national companies such as Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco, whose Fan page grows every minute.

One of the main benefits for setting up a Facebook account is the ability to establish and maintain relationships with consumers. Some great examples include my previous post about Atari’s promotion for their upcoming game using Facebook and Twitter, and Del Taco’s radio advertisement for their “Super Special Show.” By interacting and developing relationships with consumers, these companies hope that these current consumers and fans will in turn promote to other peers or customers. Thus, increasing more traffic to your Facebook page.

But don’t forget about that your Facebook page should only be used as an extension of your company website. The page is merely used to draw users to visit your website.

Your Facebook fan page should incorporate much of the content already on your website, which offers visitors the opportunity to learn about your brand and direct them towards your sales or business presence. Coupled with general information (such as background information and your vision/mission statement), photos, videos, links and tabs can all be used to boost interaction and educate the visitor about your brand. Hopefully, these engaged fans will create a domino, or viral, effect and bring new potential customers.

Source

Written by Chris C.

The Relationship between Link Building and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:02:56 PST

One of the big players of search engine optimization (SEO) is link building, which refers to the incorporation of inbound links to a particular website. It is vital to understand that the quality of the links determines your overall page rank and the amount of directed traffic from search engines like Google. Since link building and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand, your page ranking may decrease due to poorly executed link building. Consequently, the quality and content of your links are vital for page ranking through search engines. Below is a guideline for good link building:

· Know Your Competition

A great starting point for link building is understanding your competitors link building methods. Look at your competition and see if they are focusing solely on something specific or multiple things, such as blogs and social media. This strategy can point you in the right direction and be the foundation for your link building.

· Is your website user-friendly?

One of the most overlooked areas about a website is it's ease of use. User-friendly websites are easy to navigate and read for both users and search engines. Another growing concern about website design is being mobile friendly.

· Content, Content, Content.

It comes to no surprise that the quality and content when link building is in direct relation to your page ranking. Good content will keep the reader intrigued and increases the possibility of sharing among other peers with the same interest.

· The Importance of the Right Keywords

When dealing with search engine optimization (SEO), it is important to choose the right keywords not only have relevance to your related business, but are also ranked highly among the chosen keywords when using a search engine.

· Business Contact Information

Keep in mind to use domain specific e-mail addresses or a business related one to reduce spam when including contact information.

· Inclusion of Social Media

Don’t forget that social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are now being incorporated in the search engine results page (SERPs). Such social media sites are growing for networking and incorporate share functions to distribute media and breaking news to their social network.

If done correctly, good link building can produce successful results in page ranking and increase traffic.

The image above is a link strategy chart that depicts the five main categories of link building.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Language and Search Engine Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:14:35 PST

Because of all the technological advances that have been made in computing over the past decade or so, it seems amusing, if not a bit frustrating, that we still lack the ability to teach computers something as common as human language. While, admittedly, language can be rather complex, its details aren’t necessarily any more or less intricate than say, forming a proper strategy for a chess match. And yet, although we have the ability to write chess software complex enough to compete with even the best players, we still can’t manage to get a computer to understand words with the fluency of the average fifth grade student.

The inability of computers to understand language creates a bit of a problem for search engine optimization (SEO). Using a search engine, obviously, involves words. And because it involves words, a computer’s capacity to understand them is crucial for returning the most relevant results.

Synonyms are a key example of the importance of this function. Say for example, someone working with search engine optimization (SEO) is using the term, “kitty” as part of a keyword. When a person conducts a search in which that term is one of the words, a search engine has to understand that the same term with the word “kitten” used in its place is still relevant. Although this appears to be a relatively basic understanding, it can be incredibly difficult teaching this symmetry to a computer.

For people involved with search engine optimization (SEO) then, it’s rather fortuitous that Google’s search algorithm has made a number of strides in this regard. As seen in the above example, the company’s search engine already has the ability to make these kinds of simple distinctions. Of note, is the fact that the search engine results page (SERP) bolds the synonymous words, even though it wasn’t the actual term searched for by the user. This allows that user to understand why the result is shown, especially if the original term wasn’t included in the result.

As one would imagine, this has a few implications for search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Because Google’s algorithm has shown that it’s capable enough to understand lingual concepts as complex as synonyms, simpler notions such as pluralized words also display as relevant results. Consequently, it’s often advantageous to use a pluralized version of a word (i.e. computers vs. computer), as the search engine is likely to understand that the two terms are essentially the same thing, and your keyword (computers) will still show as a result in a search for the singular version of the keyword (computer).

It’s important to note, however, that such a strategy isn’t fully reliable. As noted earlier, the subtleties of language can be difficult for software to comprehend, and as such, Google’s algorithm is still occasionally prone to mistakes. Regardless, being aware of such strategies and limitations is key for proper search engine optimization.

Source.

Written by Kenny K.

Atari’s Social Media Marketing Strategy for Star Trek Online

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:09:54 PST

With the success of the recent blockbuster Star Trek, Atari has been creating commotion using various social media marketing (SMM) techniques for its upcoming game “Star Trek Online.” Marketing companies, such as DKC Connect, have joined in the efforts to campaign for its February release.

One of their social media strategies is their use of Twitter. Their Twitter account has generated over 2,800 followers and incorporated an application that allows users to have their tweets translated into Klingon, a fictional language from Star Trek. Not only does this promotion attract both loyal fans, it's also a clever integration of Star Trek and digital/social media.

Another familiar social media outlet that is being used is Facebook. Their Facebook fanpage has an application that allows fans to upload or use their profile picture and become part of the many races in the Star Trek universe.

Furthermore, Del Taco and Atari are partnering up to promote their game. Del Taco's Facebook fanpage has integrated a Star Trek Online tab, which allows users to interact with trailers and downloadable content for Star Trek.

Atari has also employed an “Easter Egg” tactic. Not only have they’ve posted the access codes for a free game trial on gaming websites such as MMOGamer.com and IncGamers.com, but they have also done PR work with notable online websites such as Mashable, SciFi, and GeekGirls.

Jonathan Anastas, Atari’s VP of marketing, said,

“Other promotions have focused on ad networks and Google SEM/SEO...We’ve more than doubled our digital spend each month for the last three [months],”

As Anastas mentioned, they are shifting their focus towards search engine optimization (SEO). Their goal was to optimize certain keywords such as" Star Trek Online" and "Star Trek game" so that the results would be found at the top on the first page. Atari hopes that these social media marketing (SMM) strategies will be able to not only help promote the game, but to reach out to users by means that haven’t been traditionally used before.

Written by Chris C.

MMA’s Success with Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:32:09 PST

One of the more notable stories of social media success is Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA). Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC), uses social media marketing (SMM) tools, such as Twitter, to continue the growth and loyalty of fans of UFC.

Dana’s use of Twitter allows followers to be updated and feel closer to the world of UFC by posting short tweets about his daily life. He even posts his location and offers free tickets to events if fans are able to find him. Josh Turner, a MMA Gospel writer and loyal fan, is a prime example by taking advantage and winning tickets from Dana. Dana's Tweets and Facebook are even used to bring stories to followers first hand.

However, Dana’s involvement is just part of the impact social media has on the MMA. Even fighters Shane Carwin and Kurt Pellegrino are involved with Twitter and Facebook. These social media marketing tools allow the fighters to communicate and keep fans updated with their daily activities.

But social media are not strictly for individuals. MMA Gospel Radio reports that their involvement with social media sites was key to their success and helped them develop a loyal fan base. These tools allow fans to keep updated with the latest news, follow fighters, and communicate with other fans who share the same passion. MMA has and continues to show that social media is a powerful tool. Its success with social media will maintain and grow their loyal followers.

Source

Spam Within Search Engine Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:42:21 PST

Spam is a word that we’ve all grown to hate. Unfortunately, the word has, at least to some degree, almost become synonymous with the internet. Despite an abundance of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques available to be employed, chances are, anyone involved with search engine optimization (SEO) will encounter spam first hand at some point or another.

Although the growth of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques has had an effect social media marketing (SMM), it's also come with the adverse consequence of evolved spam as well. This spam, at least in regards to social media, has more of an effect on the users you have built a relationship with rather than search engines. It goes without saying that websites would prefer to avoid spam altogether, although doing so is typically much easier said than done. So, as long as it's likely to be around, it's best to know exactly what sort of social media spam you're dealing with.

Blog comment spam is among the more pervasive types of social media spam you're liable to come across. This type of spam takes the form of a comment posted on a blog that has little to absolutely no relation to the post itself. As you could probably guess, its primary function is to advertise whatever it is that the spammer is attempting to push.

For all the annoyance caused by blog comment spam, however, it's a relatively decrepit and inefficient means of spamming. Accordingly, this type of spam has begun to give way to more advanced spamming methods, as the line between it and legitimate contributions have becoming increasingly blurred.
Even Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is no less susceptible to spam than other platforms. Because of Wikipedia's feature of allowing anyone to add information about almost any subject, the site has come to be almost universally accepted as a premier source for garnering information about nearly anything. Unfortunately, the open nature of the encyclopedia and its exposure to an open social media community also serves as one of its weaker points.

Because Wikipedia is seen as an almost ubiquitous source of information, it's natural for many companies to try to incorporate the site into their social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) plans. However, if not careful, changing your company's page on the site to cater more towards your marketing techniques can easily cross the line over to spam territory. While the immediate consequences may be few, there's the chance that a Wikipedia page with an abundance of marketing techniques can cause a loss business respect as a result of being seen as spam.

Ultimately though, don’t be deterred by the fear of being seen as spam. A combination of both Wikipedia and social media can be quite helpful. It’s all about providing quality information and investing time to be engaged in social media.

Written by Chris C.

How not to use Twitter for Social Media Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:18:04 PST

The idea that businesses can use social media marketing platforms like Twitter to promote their brand and their products isn’t exactly a new one. Companies like Ford, JetBlue, Marvel, and even sports teams like the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Mavericks have used it to engage consumers and fans of their product. Individual celebrities, Shaquille O’Neal being one notable example, have also used Twitter as a way to maintain a dialogue with their fans, allowing them a degree of direct promotion of projects they may be involved with, or just as a way to keep themselves in the limelight.

Despite these and other readily available examples of how to properly use Twitter, a number of companies still seem to be going about it completely wrong. Granted, it’s admittedly a bit daft to say that somebody’s using Twitter improperly as there are no rules for using such a platform, and you’re pretty much free to do what you wish with it. So, let’s just say that these are a few examples of companies and public figures not taking advantage of the ways Twitter can help their brands.

1. You have a large amount of followers but only follow a few, if any, people
Take for example, Jack Johnson’s Twitter. For anyone who’s unaware, Jack Johnson a soft rock musician, popular among college aged kids for his soothing melodies. One would think that because his demographic is almost perfectly aligned with the type of person who’d be on Twitter, he would be doing all he’d can to use it to market himself. Well, think again. Although he has a relatively low amount of followers on his Twitter for a celebrity (7,530), he’s following an extremely low number of people for anybody (0). This gives the impression that he doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of his fans, regardless of whether or not this is true.

2. Your stream is filled with nothing but status updates
The Miami Heat of the NBA are perhaps among the worst in this regard. Let’s just say that a feed like this would be expected more from a team like the Los Angeles Clippers. As the team is completely ignoring an opportunity to engage their fans, and build a team community through Twitter, it should come as no surprise that their average attendance has dropped for third year running.

3. Instead of actually tweeting, you use Twitter for nothing but press releases
If you’re going to be on Twitter, don’t just be on there for the sake of being on there. A quick glance at the TGI Friday’s restaurant chain’s feed shows nothing but a stream of sleep-inducing tweets about company news rather than anything that might actually be of interest.

Again, although there’s no definitive way to use Twitter correctly, these companies, people, and teams are inadvertently passing up on the chance to engage in a dialogue with the people following them, and consequently, an almost invaluable opportunity to do some quality marketing and brand building. Lest anyone forget, Twitter’s primary function, even before any of its social media marketing uses, is to allow people to interact with each other. So, do yourself and your company a favor and interact with your customers.

Written by Kenny K.

4 Social Media Marketing Styles via Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:50:21 PST

It doesn't come as a surprise to hear that marketing and Twitter go hand in hand in as a strategy for social media marketing (SMM). Twitter has become the medium for reaching the critical mass. There are four major types of marketing styles: the Conversationalist, Conversationalist Marketer, the Salesman, and the Broadcaster. Each type shows a different effort and style of social media marketing when posting Tweets.

The Conversationalist

Conversationalists, as the name implies, are users who are more inclined to partake in conversations instead of using Twitter for business purposes. Users, such as Geoff Livingston, are independent consultants and/or thought leaders who benefit professionally from their presence on Twitter. These users show genuine involvement in conversations and do not mix in business into their Tweets.

The Conversationalist Marketer

As you can tell from the name, this strategy is slightly different from The Conversationalist. Users that employ this strategy may regularly link to things related to them, such as a blog, book, or e-newsletter. But they still engage themselves in conversations on a regular basis.

The Salesman

Even though this social media marketing strategy is about selling, it is also about occasional being engaged on Twitter and providing useful information or links. Although this strategy may not seem favorable to some, there is an audience out there that will find the end product to be useful to them.

The Broadcaster

Another term that you may associate with The Broadcaster is “spammer.” These users are on Twitter for business and to only self-promote. They do not participate in Twitter activities such as ReTweeting (RT) or @replies. But don’t automatically give “The Broadcaster” a bad rep. There are users, such as George Stephanopoulos, who simply Tweet news. There are also users who follow companies or local businesses strictly because a good coupon, discount, or tweet may appear.

Although those are just four types of social media marketing styles, they’re simply the more generally used ones. You aren’t confined to using just one, two, or even any of the ones listed. You can come up with your technique and style with a combination of the ones listed or another one that you’ve grown accustomed to.

Source

Written by Chris C.

Gaming and Social Media Marketing Done Right

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:27:09 PST

Two years is a lifetime in social media marketing. Tweets are constantly being sent out, Facebook statuses rarely remain static, and even Google has decided that the future of search is going to be in real-time. As the cliché goes, “if you’re not moving forward, you’re getting left behind.” At no point in time has this been more true.

By and large, the gaming industry plays by these same rules. Titles released as recently as a month ago are quickly tossed aside in for the latest flavor of the week without as much as a second thought. This is a world where the target demographic speaks in a language that is generally unintelligible to anyone who is either A. over thirty years of age, B. has an IQ of over 73, or C. still has any hope for the future of humanity. As a company, you pretty much consider your product a wild success if you manage to keep people talking about it for over a week.

So, how is it that in this type of climate, Valve Software has managed to maintain an interest in Team Fortress 2 despite the fact that the game is over two years old? As with anything else, the quality of the product is obviously important. Among gamers, Valve is one of only a select handful of companies who are immediately associated with quality content. In an industry filled to the brim with cut-throat reviewers and a merciless audience, that sort of brand reception is invaluable. But even then, there are clear limits on what it can do for you.

What sets Team Fortress 2, and Valve, apart is the way they’ve continuously used social media marketing to engage their fans and customers. Through both the game’s official blog and forums, the members of Valve’s development team have maintained a constant dialogue with members of the Team Fortress 2 community. It’s no small accident that seeing the team proactively solicit comments, suggestions, and even criticism that eventually makes its way to the game has allowed the company to generate a degree of loyalty from its customers to both itself and its product.

Additionally, Valve constantly employs some tried and true social media marketing tactics which result in surges of sales. Much in the same way that companies are often encouraged to use platforms like Twitter to offer discounts to customers, Valve often uses their game client to announce surprise discounts and limited availability in-game items, which has the effect of keeping customers engaged as they’re constantly on the lookout for these updates.

By doing this, Valve is actively using social media to show its customers that the community matters as much as the content of their game. The community in turn, has responded by actively supporting the company through continued purchases of the game and spreading positive word of mouth which keeps sales at a consistently high level.

Accordingly, in the face of an industry obsessed with the latest game du jour, Valve has managed to create both a revered company identity and a product that has lived far beyond its expected lifetime.

Written by Kenny K.

Caffeine Goes Live

noreply@blogger.com (Cybertegic) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:04:43 PST

According to Irbtrax, an SEO Internet Marketing firm, Google has started rolling out the Caffeine update to its search algorithm, and the effects of it have already begun to manifest themselves. The company reports that, although Caffeine has yet to be implemented in its entirety, some sites have already seen their rankings fluctuate, search speeds have improved, and there are now enhanced search engine result pages (SERPs).

The most visible result of the revision is the inclusion of real time searches. As many have doubtless noticed, search results have begun to integrate live feeds from Twitter, as well as news sites and blogs, which are constantly updated to provide the most current information.

As stated by Irbtrax founder Scott Moir, “Having witnessed 'Real Time' search in action on several occasions, it's obvious that Caffeine is going to increase the demand and value of strong Social Media platforms.”

The update should largely prove useful for social media marketing, as its relevance is set to see a large increase as a result of the new real time search. Because search results are now being updated by the second, as opposed to the hourly or daily changes under Google’s old search, the interest in information obtained through social media is likely to be weighed more heavily.

Written by Kenny K.