Archives for posts with tag: SEO
Newer Entries »

SEO Starting to Register with Small Companies

October 15, 2008 //
1

A recent Telegraph article highlighted how small businesses are starting to recognise the need for effective search engine optimisation (SEO) and in getting their websites recognised and noticed by the search engines. No great news there, this has been growing for a while and more and more small businesses are becoming interested in what not just SEO, but also PPC could do with their business.  The problem is that there aren’t many agencies out their who can effectively service small businesses, with their tight budget constraints often contradicting the importance of the activity to them.  The article references one agency who seem to do this (who I have never heard of by the way!) and there are a couple of other quality agencies who offer PPC and SEO for small businesses.  But all too often a small business owner is left trying to do the work themselves and learning what they can through online help guides, or relying on ineffective off the shlef tools, just leading to further disappointment.

SEO is an art and one which cant be picked up too easily through reading forums and help guides.  You will always come across conflicting advice and confusing technical recommendations you dont have the expertise to carry out.  In my opinion it is always best to seek out expert advice on such a complex topic and for the agencies that can provide this cost effectively there is a large market out there to go after!  It is also a market which is growing as more and more businesses move online to realise the potential it holds.

Tags , , ,
Categories Search Engine Optimisation

Digital Marketing Set to Benefit from Recession

October 15, 2008 //
1

I have questioned in the past whether affiliate marketing is set to benefit from the economic doomand gloom spreading around the world at the moment due to its relatively guaranteed return on investment.  This message is now being expanded by the press to include other areas of digital marketing and the whole spectrum of online advertising due to its measurability and accountability. 

A recent poll by toprankasked 400 business marketers “What 3 Internet marketing tactics will you emphasize most in the next 6 months?”.  The results showing SEO top of the digital agenda with 149 votes, Blogging second with 134 and Pay per click third with 107.  These are pretty high statistics for a group of people who were not necessarily Internet focused and would undoubtedly be considering these channels against other offline possibilities.  It shows a growing confidence in these channels from mainstream marketeers and a growth in understanding of the benefits to the business.

Similarly Jonathan Mendez is Spitting in the Face of Pessimism regarding the recession and saying that Internet firms with a solid model should be relishing the prospect of economic downturn as long as their business model is built on the right foundations.  Suggesting that Internet advertising models which are based on return and performance are set to benefit, and even prosper in a period where marketers will be prudent with their spending.

I have to agree with these pieces, when the purse strings are tightened, the only channels which will be considered are those which can bring the least risk.  and with their measurability and accountability online channels are bound to come out on top.  What they maybe dont account for is that the advertisers businesses also have to survive in order for them to be spending money.  Many finance companies for example are cutting online budgets at the moment, not becasue the channel isnt performing, but because their OWN market is in disaray, similarly with property advertisers.  But on the whole, digital marketing should come out on top which bodes well for those involved int he industry.  Bring on the recession I say!

Tags , ,
Categories Digital Marketing

American Express advise against using SEO agencies

April 7, 2008 //
2

In a recent report into “Online Solutions” aimed at imparting advice on how to develop an effective web presence American Express have advised companies not to “waste money” on search engin optimisation specialists.  Apparently suggetsing that this is a sure fire way to get your site banned from the listings.  This is a very strong statement and one which Im sure please their incumbent SEO agency, Greenlight!  Imagine being the agency for a company who makes a statement like that! Cant fill you with much confidence for your next contract renewal.  I wonder whether the phrase “expensive” and the warning about being penalised refer directly to Greenlight’s work or whether this is jus a coincidence!?!

The full article is here and I have copied the offending paragraph below:

—  optimize your search engines

Search engines, like Yahoo! and Google, are usually the first place people will look for you. Make it easier for them to find you. Yahoo! and Google offer tools to let them know the site map structure of your Web site. Also, using clean U.R.L.s such as yourdomain.com/store/widgets instead of yourdomain.com/store.php?id=42&categoryID=widgets will increase your chances of getting indexed in a search engine. Finally, don’t waste money on so-called Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) specialists. Search engines are very quick to penalize sites that try to trick their filtering techniques, and once your site has been put on Google’s blacklist, it will take forever to get off.

Tags , , ,
Categories Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO

SEO is dead!

July 2, 2007 //
0

It has become more and more apparent recently that google has become over reliant on inbound links for determining its natural search engine listings. Analysing the websites which appear in the top positions for some of the most competitive keywords around (notably car insurance) will see that the one thing they have in common is an abundance of inbound links.

Through working with a companies trying to break into this elite it has pretty much become a case of, if you cant beat them join them. After trying every which way to do it through effective on page work it has become obvious this isnt enough. Without spending a small fortune on inbound links it just isnt going to be achieved.

Surely this cannot be the best way for a search engine to provide the most relevant results for a user query? Obviously within this the sites will be ordered by the traditional on page factors, but by placing so much emphasis on the links google is creating tiers within the search results:

Tier 1: those with a substantial link building programme (and large budgets)
Tier 2: those with less budget but well optimised sites
Tier 3: the remainder

Without a change in strategy or finances a company will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible to break into the top tier.

Tags , ,
Categories Google, Search Engine Marketing, SEO
Newer Entries »