Archive for February, 2010
Web Marketing with Neuroscience – Tip of the Day #5
Feb 26th
People’s brains can do all sorts of tricky things … keep bodies alive, create the internet , that sort of thing. And if you’re in the web marketing game, understanding how they work can be of enormous benefit to your site, and your business generally. Today we continue our ‘Web Marketing with Neuroscience’ series, looking at short term memory and how it affects our internet use.
The limitations of short term memory
Short term memory is also sometimes called working memory. If our brains were like computers (fortunately AND unfortunately, they are not), this would be our RAM. Our short term memory has been observed to be able to hold between 4 and 9 items, depending on the test and the subject. The time duration is highly variable, but averages usually run around 20 seconds. Given the amount of info that we are exposed to on the internet, it makes sense to work with our website visitors’ short term memory limitations as much as possible. So how do you do that?
Working with short term memory
This is actually easier than you might think, and you’ll probably recognise many of the best practice guidelines from other posts we’ve done on usability and web design. So, before you forget what we’re talking about (!), here’s is how you can work within the limits of human short term memory on the web:
- Make sure your pages load quickly: If it takes so long for a page to load that users forget why they clicked it, they’ll just as likely click straight off. Don’t tempt people to look at other tabs while they’re in the middle of the checkout process on your site!
- Change the colour of links that have been visited: This is a site-specific issue, not a browser or computer issue. Every site owner has the responsibility to change the colour of visited links, so users know where they’ve been and feel like they’re running in circles.
- Categorise well: Try to create narrow categories and narrow pages … although not at the expense of maintaining a manageable menu structure.
- Provide a link to the homepage on every page: That way if people forget where they are, there is an emergency link to reset their search.
- Use breadcrumbs: Although, only if appropriate. Not all sites will naturally suit breadcrumbs.
- Offer Live Help and other assistance links within the body of the page: If people have to navigate to the Help section and then back to where they were, chances are that you’ll lose either a purchase or a visitor.
We recommend you check out the rest of our Web Marketing with Neuroscience posts as well … the brain is a fascinating thing, but especially when it could be making you more money 
.
The Life and Times of Google, continued
Feb 25th
A day on which a person living in Australia, America, the UK or Europe doesn’t interact with Google is a rare day. Most of us depend heavily on our computers, our internet connections, and Google. Google is the giant of the SEO world, driving the overwhelming majority of search traffic, and therefore creates a livelihood for businesses worldwide. In that spirit, today we’re continuing our Google gossip-fest from yesterday, checking out the ins and outs of Google’s relationships for our own voyeuristic gain 
Google buys Remail
Remail created an email search application for the iPhone … and as soon as Google saw the word ‘search’ in a product that it didn’t own, that credit card in it’s ginormous wallet really started to itch! It has now bought Remail, and seems close to closing a deal with on2.
Real time search now to include MySpace
Previously only Bing included MySpace status updates, and there was some balance to the world. Now Google’s real time search includes MySpace status updates, Facebook updates, tweets and news results.
Google and Yahoo raise doubts over Conroy’s filter
Stephen Conroy’s controversial internet filter, which would attempt to remove content that has been ‘Refused classification’ by the Classification Board, has taken a hit from Google and Yahoo. Both search engines have said that the filters ‘would not effectively protect children’, and noted that it is the chat rooms and message boards that usually feature material relating to child porn … and these are not usually indexed by search engines anyway.
Google looks to bring 1G per second broadband speeds
It’s the way of the future – Google is now working on bringing internet connection speeds of up to 1G per second to thousands of households. Unfortunately, they are currently located only in America.
eBay Exec is new Google VP of Commerce
The hiring of Stephanie Tilenius of eBay as Google’s VP of commerce has raised talk that Google might be upgrading their checkout process or other ecommerce initiatives.
Facebook more important than Google?
People are more often getting product recommendations and referrals from Facebook than Google, according to the San Francisco Chronic. Of course, this will not outstrip demand for general search information on Google, Bing or Yahoo anytime soon.
MS Uses Google’s own platform to take a swipe
Microsoft has recently uploaded a series of videos to Youtube – hosted by Google – attacking Google Docs and Google Apps. The videos suggest that the applications don’t have the security or on-premises flexibility that most businesses need.
The Life and Times of Google
Feb 24th
If you depend on internet marketing for the success of your business (and there are all sorts of businesses, from eBay to Ricardo’s Hairdresser around the corner, that do), then you will also be very interested in what Google is doing. Every little movement has an immense impact on the search environment … at least, when you are as big and as fat as Google is! So today we turn all gossip rag-ish, and in a testament to the quality of publications like ‘New Idea’ and ‘Famous’, take an intimate look at Google’s life details over the past month or so
Google Buzz - Saving the World?
Google Buzz gets launched to mixed reception
Most gossip journalists concur that Google Buz has been getting buzz in the press for the wrong reasons … the main one being the default privacy settings. In some cases, people feel that their physical safety has been horribly compromised by Google’s Buzz introduction. However, there are some real advantages to Buzz, not the least of which is the opportunity to set up a Google profile and get followed links to websites from a PR10 site.
Electronic Privacy Info Centre complains to FTC
This US based group, concerned over the privacy breaches engendered by Google Buzz, wants the FTC to investigate and consider forcing Google to make Buzz an opt-in feature, rather than opt-out.
Google Books saga comes to an end
In 2005, Google was sued over copyright infringement by a group of authors and publishers, because of the preview feature on Google Books. It seems likely that the lawsuit will be settled in the next week or so, and if it is, Google will be able to create a subscription library for its collection of over 12 million books, sell books direct from its site (bye bye, Amazon!), and display portions of books for free.
Google works on creating real-life Babel fish
Before the Altavista Babelfish search engine (and its AMAZING accuracy … not), it seemed incredible simply that computers could translate between different languages. Now Google is working on creating a more realistic ‘Babel fish’, with Google Goggles. They would use OCR, Optical Character Recognition, to pick up what a text is saying, and then run it through Google Translate, and spit it out in comprehensible form.
How NOT to Get a PR10
Feb 23rd
Ironically, the site pr10(dot)com ranks extremely highly for search terms like “how to get a pr10″. This would be unsurprising … if it weren’t for the fact that every piece of ‘web marketing’ advice on the site is very, very thickly veiled sarcasm. I would almost think the authors deliberately wanted to drop the Pagerank of every site other than their own by using these tactics! So, in retaliation (and courtesy of pr10(dot)com), here is how NOT to get a pr10. Optional subtitle – How to get dropped off the Google index.
Google - not as antiquated as they once were
1. Use hidden text on your site
The suggestion is to colour code your text so that the text is either the same as the background colour, or visually very close. The example given is to use 00FF33 and 00FF66, so that Google will index your keywords on the page but humans can’t see them.
2. Use full stops as links
Put full stops down the bottom of every web page, each one linking to Google, to Yahoo, and to your own site.
3. The ever-increasing non-magical Pagerank
Sorry, this tip is so ridiculous that I have to quote directly from pr10(dot)com:
“This tip is probably the most powerful one on here. Make at least three pages on your site and link them as follows:
Page 1 >>>>>> Page 2
Page 2 >>>>>> Page 3
And this is the kicker
Page 3 >>>>>> Page 1
Google will give points to page 2 from page 1, then to page 3 from page 2, and then – if you link it back to page 1 – it starts all over again. I can’t even count how many points this will end up giving you. Just don’t abuse it too much – or the big sites will complain you are taking too much PR from them.”
4. Use lots of meta keyword tags
Having your meta keyword section stuffed with your keywords may have helped several years ago (and to be fair, the pr10 site is copyright 2002), but nowadays the technique does little to nothing. You won’t get de-listed, but you will have wasted your time.
5. Link to a Google page that contains all the inbound links to your site
This supposed magic trick just doesn’t work! The in vitro data is not supported by in vivo testing. You are supposed to link to pages that link to your sites using “link:www.whatever.net”, thus listing all of the inbound links for that page and pushing up their Pagerank, and therefore your own.
If these tips didn’t seem so much in earnest, I would laugh at them … as they are published on the net, I certainly worry that they’ve irrevocably hurt many people’s SEO rankings.
5 More SEO Strategies You Can Do in Ten Minutes
Feb 22nd
In some ways, SEO and internet marketing are very big tasks. However, there are plenty of component tasks that you can undertake to help push up your rankings, that take less than ten minutes. Today we give you the fast lane version of the SEO handbook!
Life in the fast lane
1. Answer a question on Yahoo Answers
This is one of the biggest and most popular question and answer sites on the net now, and even new questions rank quite well in Google for search terms phrased in the form of a question. Answer a question that you have expertise in, provide a link to a relevant resource on your site, and you’ve just marketed yourself, sir!
2. Create a list
There’s no need for your articles all to be 1000 word rants. Keep your list short and simple, and try to make sure that the resources it offers aren’t available elsewhere on the web in the same context.
3. Link out to someone else, and let them know
I you like a company, a product or a service, link to them from your website (as long as the link is relevant and in context!). This is the equivalent of bringing a batch of muffins over to someone ‘s house … a great pretext for further conversation and friendships. Good karma online can never hurt your SEO rankings!
4. Comment on a blog post that you find thought-provoking
However, only if you can add something to the discussion. Telling the author that he’s created a great post will never encourage people reading the comments to click on your link … adding something useful or insightful to the conversation will.
5. Work on your LinkedIn profile
Especially if you are in B2B operations, your LinkedIn profile is a valuable web marketing tool. Expand your connections, update your resume, join in with Group discussions, etc.
5 Acceptable SEO Techniques to Learn From the Black-Hatters
Feb 22nd
One thing that few self-service style SEO guides make clear is the distinction between white-hat and black-hat tactics. SEO is a tool that can be used in a variety of different ways … so while a fork can be used to pick up food, it can also be used to stab somebody. Google is trying to avoid being stabbed with the forks they hand out, in the form of the reward that their algorithm provides to different sites! However, every current black-hat technique started out as a legitimate way for Google to differentiate between sites for relevance. So how can you get back to basics, and safely use those ‘black-hat’ style techniques?
Black and White Hat SEO are opposite sides of the same thing...
1. Hide your text
Black hatters use hidden text for nonsensical keyword stuffing. Legitimate sites can still get the benefit of any keywords that may be located in hidden text, but without cluttering the page itself, using JQuery effects like mouseovers to make text appear, etc. Here is a legitimate example (text in the question marks).
2. Mis-spelled terms
It is a popular black hat technique to try and rank for misspelt versions of popular terms, for example, ‘credtit report’. If you have a common misspelling in your industry, define it somewhere on your page, and let visitors know the correct version.
3. Grow your own farmed links
Create a network of related blogs in house, each focusing on a niche within your company or industry. A single person should be able to manage four or five, still very professionally.
4. Pay for your links
But not in the standard black hat way – donate to charitable organizations or community organizations that have a ‘Sponsors’ page with followed links.
5. Do some brand jacking
Do you have a legitimate tale of disappointment from a corporation? People love to complain, and they love bad news, and they love to hear about how terrible a place is before they do business with them. It is a legitimate purpose – just don’t overdo it, your site will develop a negative ‘aura’!
5 Indirect Ways to Build Link Popularity
Feb 20th
When it comes to SEO, the on-page stuff is fairly straightforward. Your web content in most cases will be dictated by your business offering, and if you follow best practices like setting up a regularly updated blog, etc, there is a limited amount you can do to differentiate yourself from other businesses who have their own web marketing experts.
Get your link popularity with ... a skateboard!
Link building, though, is where some websites truly excel, and build top rankings for themselves. Today we’re looking at some of the sneaky, indirect and very effective ways to build links for a site! There’s no instant reward of seeing your link come up in a blog comment or at the bottom of an article … but a little effort can go a lot further here.
1. Build trust in your site
Do this by minimizing grammar and spelling errors, having an About Us section, allowing customers to contact you via phone as well as email, putting up a Privacy Policy (and noting on email signup forms that you do not sell or rent email lists), and adding payment security accreditations.
It certainly doesn’t get you any links directly … but don’t forget that people’s own site ranking may go down if they link to a ‘bad neighborhood’. Remove all possibility that your site could be seen as such, and you could get a lot more links with no extra ongoing effort.
2. Answer a question
Most of the question forums on the internet don’t provide ‘followed’ links – that is why this is an INDIRECT method of link building. If you answer a question on Yahoo Answers, Google Groups, or Wikianswers exceptionally well, providing a link to relevant resources (that would be your site), there is a good chance that people writing their own blog posts will pick up on it and link to you also.
3. Use Wiki
Add links to Wikipedia pages which link to other pages, which link to your site. If your site got a great review on a blog, try to add that link to a relevant page. The keyword being relevant!
4. Write a review
People are often nervous about buying things online, when they have to hand over the money long before even seeing the packaging of the product, let alone trying it. Reviews are big business on the web, so write an honest and thorough one and it will become a needed (and linked to) resource.
5. Trade a link
BUT! BUT! Only with sites that will send you relevant and qualified traffic. If you have a business partner that offers something complementing your own products and services, write a blog post on them, or find another way to trade links with them. This should obviously not be overused, at the risk of getting a Google penalty.
Should I Use a Facebook Group or Page to Promote My Business?
Feb 19th
Recently we’ve been looking at Facebook for web marketing and SEO – specifically at the two main methods for businesses to connect with people on Facebook, through Groups and Pages. We mentioned that from a consumer point of view, the two are much the same; but from a business perspective each offers their own benefits and drawbacks. So today we’re going to toss the coin with you and help you decide … Group or Page? Group or Page?!
The old style of non-virtual group!
To recap:
Just to recap the difference between Groups and Pages (and save you sifting back through the old posts!), a Group:
- Can be created for free
- Are simple and have plenty of viral potential
- Members can ‘invite’ other members
- Have a limit on the number of your members you can blast message at once
And Pages:
- Can also be created for free
- Are more highly customizable than Groups, including applications, Flash and other rich content
- Have no limit on the number of members you can blast message at once
- Are a little more difficult to share
- Are often the ‘official’ version of a product – Facebook has been taking action against Pages that aren’t administered by the official company or group, in response to a joke Barack Obama Page.
Most popular business choice … Pages
Pages are the most popular method of social media marketing on Facebook for businesses. This is because they have several eency weency features that Groups don’t have. These include:
- A shortcut URL, so you can promote the page more easily outside of Facebook
- Allowance for extra applications, Flash etc, as mentioned above
- Visitor statistics can be monitored
- Pages can cerate Events through the Facebook Events function, and invite their fans
- Can be promoted with ads, whereas someone must be logged into Facebook to access a Group
But don’t close the book on Groups yet!
One striking difference which can impact the culture of your social media marektin greatly is simply the language Facebook uses for members of the public to connect with your business on Facebook. Consider that:
- With Groups, people can ‘become members’ and ‘invite friends’
- With Pages, people can only ‘Become fans’
This small linguistic matter can create an entirely different feel for the Page/Group, and your business culture and brand should determine which is best.
That said, the differences are quite minor … and both are great for social media marketing, general internet marketing and SEO!
4 Things You Should Know About Facebook PAGES for Web Marketing
Feb 18th
From the user perspective, there is little difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group. Both allow you to connect with like-minded people or ‘brand’ yourself … whether those like minded people are fans of breastfeeding in public, the 5th gen iPod classic, or saying “Bond … James Bond“. From a company perspective and for internet marketing purposes, though, there are a few differences which could make a big difference to the ease and effectiveness of your Facebook marketing.
What are the features of a Facebook Page?
Facebook pages can have inbuilt applications, HTML and Flash in them – they’re a lot purdier than Groups are. It’s not only form, though, Facebook pages have much better functions than Groups – the applications make the most difference.
Pages are displayed a lot more prominently on people’s profiles than Groups are. If you click on a Friend’s ‘Info’ tab for their profile, the Groups are listed in order of joining, as a mess of blue hyperlinked text. Pages are much more spaced out, and they have their own individual little icon … however, the viewer does have to click a link to see any more than the most recent five or six pages joined.
What is the cost of setting up a Page?
Zero, zip, zilch, nothing, nada – there is no cost to set up a Facebook page, at least in terms of putting it on Facebook. However, if you want your page to have the additional functionality of applications or rich content like Flash (and you aren’t a web developer yourself), there is a cost involved in having that set up and troubleshooting done when they inevitably break. Of course, there is also an internal cost in administering the Page – replying to questions in wall posts, posting blogs, notes and reviews, and generally creating enough content to make your Page worthwhile for fans. In this respect, the cost is much like setting up a website – you can get a template for free, but if you want to personalize or add value, you’ll need to factor in some dollars.
Page Title considerations
Can you think of a way to engage your readers at the level of friends, or people with a common interest, rather than as a business? For example, if you manufacture underwear that stays where it is put, your Page could be titled ‘I would rather walk around with a wedgie than fiddle with my underwear in public’, or something similar. If you have an effective unique selling point, you can have a page that engages your potential customers like this!
4 Things You Should Know About Facebook GROUPS for Web Marketing
Feb 15th
While figures do vary according to the particular survey and geographic region, there is no doubt that Facebook is one of the most popular websites of the noughties. It took a while for businesses to find their feet with Facebook web marketing – for quite a while, all you could do on the site was play Vampire Wars, after all. Nowadays, though, Facebook Groups are well-recognized as one of the primary methods of social media marketing. We explore what you need to know about Facebook groups for web marketing success.
What are the features of a Facebook Group?
Many of us are familiar with the features of an ordinary profile page on Facebook. A Group page is simply a page where people of similar interests and values can come to discuss things and post related content. When you set up a Facebook Group, you can use the platform for:
- General discussions via the wall (although conversations can get a little messy)
- Post photos related to your topic
- Post videos related to your topic
- Post links to related content across the web (although these are not followed by Google and therefore don’t count toward link popularity)
- Sending news and updates to your Group members
What is the cost of setting up a Group?
As far as Facebook is concerned, there is no cost to set up a Group. However, you will certainly want someone either within your organization, or outsourced, to administer the group. When somebody posts a question about your product or service, the polite thing to do in social media situations is to answer it .
Group Title considerations
People on Facebook often use Groups as a ‘bumper sticker’ for their profile. If you create a group name that is bumper sticker-ish, you instantly increase appeal for these people. Use a bit of humour, and make sure you go into detail about the group’s purpose in its title. Here are a couple of good examples:
- People Who Always Have To Spell Their Names For Other People
- I Flip My Pillow Over to Get To The Cold Side
- Unlike 99.99% of the Facebook population, I was born in the 70s.
- When I was your age, Pluto was a planet
Do you have a running joke in your company or industry that other people relate to? You can see that the groups that have no direct link to companies or monetization of any sort often do well.
If you get popular…
You’ll have to think about all sorts of different things, like assigning someone to administer the group on a more permanent basis, weeding out spam links in the comments and wall posts, and developing a strategy for marketing with the blast messages.