14
Nov
Incredible reference infographic (via I’m Not Social) on which factors influence your page’s SEO ranking, and by how much. This should be taped to every digital marketer’s desk! My one criticism is that some of the most important factors are a little bit nebulous— for example, I think everyone wants to produce quality content, but how do we really measure that? However, as a general guide of “things to keep in mind” when creating content online, this chart rocks. You can see that content and sharing/linking are just about the most influential variables when it comes to SEO. More evidence that the internet rewards two things above all else: quality content and engagement. There’s no fast lane to success. Those two pieces of your overall online strategy are essential and they take time and dedication to build. Here are a few other “elements” that I personally enjoy, and think deserve some more attention: Hd (Description): The meta tags in your site’s HTML are one of the easiest and most effective ways to help ensure that your content gets found for the right reasons. Many content creators don’t know about much meta tags because it begins to get into the “code-y” part of digital marketing, and they’re missing out on tons of opportunities for improving search traffic. Including a meta tag on each of your pages helps search engines know what they’re looking at when they see your content. For example, “Online library of taco recipes, Mexican dishes, and meal ideas” would help your page be identified as a good match for searches like “taco meals” or “Mexican recipe library.” Meta tags aren’t a guaranteed ticket to the top of The Google, but they are way useful in tandem with other elements! Lq (Quality): This element measures the quality of the incoming links to your site. Which pages are linking to your content, and how are they each ranked by search engines? If you’re getting linked to by high-quality, high-traffic outlets like CNN, Mashable, or other popular sites, you’re golden. The tough thing is getting those links. That can really only be done through the production AND promotion of high-quality content. Be good and be loud, and you’ll be found! Vs (Stuffing): Don’t you dare do this in your digital marketing or branding content! This is when digital marketers “stuff” tons of desired branding keywords into their digital marketing and/or branding content in order to artificially inflate their search rankings! They think it’s a cheap and fast way to increase effectiveness of their digital marketing and branding efforts, but it really pisses off the digital marketing and branding communities! Digital marketing. Branding. If you’re new to SEO and online content creation, check out the chart and get acquainted with a few of modern marketing’s closest friends. If SEO is your bread and butter, leave a tip or two and teach me the ways of the Force!  30-Day Challenge #10

Incredible reference infographic (via I’m Not Social) on which factors influence your page’s SEO ranking, and by how much. This should be taped to every digital marketer’s desk!

My one criticism is that some of the most important factors are a little bit nebulous— for example, I think everyone wants to produce quality content, but how do we really measure that? However, as a general guide of “things to keep in mind” when creating content online, this chart rocks.

You can see that content and sharing/linking are just about the most influential variables when it comes to SEO. More evidence that the internet rewards two things above all else: quality content and engagement. There’s no fast lane to success. Those two pieces of your overall online strategy are essential and they take time and dedication to build.

Here are a few other “elements” that I personally enjoy, and think deserve some more attention:

  • Hd (Description): The meta tags in your site’s HTML are one of the easiest and most effective ways to help ensure that your content gets found for the right reasons. Many content creators don’t know about much meta tags because it begins to get into the “code-y” part of digital marketing, and they’re missing out on tons of opportunities for improving search traffic. Including a meta tag on each of your pages helps search engines know what they’re looking at when they see your content. For example, “Online library of taco recipes, Mexican dishes, and meal ideas” would help your page be identified as a good match for searches like “taco meals” or “Mexican recipe library.” Meta tags aren’t a guaranteed ticket to the top of The Google, but they are way useful in tandem with other elements!
  • Lq (Quality): This element measures the quality of the incoming links to your site. Which pages are linking to your content, and how are they each ranked by search engines? If you’re getting linked to by high-quality, high-traffic outlets like CNN, Mashable, or other popular sites, you’re golden. The tough thing is getting those links. That can really only be done through the production AND promotion of high-quality content. Be good and be loud, and you’ll be found!
  • Vs (Stuffing): Don’t you dare do this in your digital marketing or branding content! This is when digital marketers “stuff” tons of desired branding keywords into their digital marketing and/or branding content in order to artificially inflate their search rankings! They think it’s a cheap and fast way to increase effectiveness of their digital marketing and branding efforts, but it really pisses off the digital marketing and branding communities! Digital marketing. Branding.

If you’re new to SEO and online content creation, check out the chart and get acquainted with a few of modern marketing’s closest friends. If SEO is your bread and butter, leave a tip or two and teach me the ways of the Force! 

30-Day Challenge #10

(Source: futureranking.com, via gracearreza)

32 notes digital marketing / branding / seo / digital / marketing / search / ranking / content /
12
Nov

Big Corporations: Y U No Use Social Media?

Apparently, social media use among major corporations is on the decline. According to a new study, only about 60% of Fortune 500 companies use Twitter and/or Facebook to further brand interaction… and even more surprising, only 25% of the Fortune 500 maintain a company blog. Why have big brands seemingly given up on social media?

  • Lack of immediate returns. It’s the question every social media enthusiast dreads: “What’s the ROI on this stuff?” What’s the ROI on your office phone, Chairman? Social media is a tool that brands can use to engage with their customers immediately, frequently, and meaningfully. It’s not a simple investment with a set end date that will magically make you rich. It’s an ongoing method of communication with the people who write your paychecks: the consumers.
  • They don’t want to associate with “bad” comments. Big companies take big risks when they expose their brands to the potential slings and arrows of the social media community. A few negative comments might pop up on your Facebook wall. You might even see a critical Tweet or two. But while you may feel like these “negative” interactions are hurting your brand, wouldn’t you rather be a part of the dialogue than not? At least you have the chance to respond, refute, and repent if you’re in the game. Discussion of your brand is going to happen whether you want it to or not. You may as well be in the fray.
  • It’s too hard to keep up. Do we need a Google+ profile? What’s foursquare and why does it matter? How do we engage our Facebook fans on a daily basis? This point is actually quite justified— it’s difficult to create and master a social media voice for brands. There are quite a few moving parts, and those parts are ever-changing. But one way that Big Brands can stay on top of things is by declaring and owning one or two different channels. If you want to be a Facebook/Twitter brand, then share and comment your heart out. If you want to own blogging and thought leadership, post regular high-quality updates and engage on similar industry blogs. Yes, it’s tough to keep up with the latest social media trends. But if you pick one outlet for your brand to master and completely own it, your customers will see that you’re serious.

While it may seem like the “social media for big brands” fad is waning, I think it’s just a reorganization of priorities. They’ve all seen how these tools work, and (hopefully) they have people on staff who know how to utilize them for maximum efficiency. Facebook isn’t right for every brand. Twitter can’t be a unilaterally helpful marketing application. It’s up to each individual brand to reflect and determine which aspects of social media are most useful to them. Once we reach this next plane of adoption, I think we’ll be seeing some of the most interesting and unique social media efforts that big brands have launched yet.

30-Day Challenge #8

6 notes social media / brands / branding / marketing / corporations / advertising / digital / facebook / twitter /