Internet Marketing Blog

Last year in the month of August we talked about Internet Marketing Blogging and how it is the perfect way to share helpful tips, express opinions and show your businesses personality.  Blogging is an effective way to bring in traffic to your companies site. So what seems to be the problem? Why is it so difficult to post a blog article daily? Ok monthly?

As Google continues to weed out the quality web content from the garbage, many site owners are recalibrating and reprioritizing their online marketing efforts. And while ever-greater emphasis is being placed on social activity, the foundation of a solid web presence is still built upon on-page SEO. This is the boring, code-based stuff that most site visitors pay little attention to but is precsiely where Google starts when it first finds and indexes your site. 

It's not all black & white

In 2011, the culprit was Panda - Google’s multi-part algorithm change that shocked the web by dropping the rankings of hundreds of thousands of previously highly touted sites. 

In a recent post, Doug discussed the basics of off page and on page SEO and how you can start generating higher rankings for pages on your website with link exchanges, blog post comments and directory comments. However, for those that are actively pursuing those links and want to improve their SERPs (search engine ranking positions), here are some specific tips on how to start generating those links.  

When I hear a client ask "What is SOE?" (yes, I hear it mis-spoken often) or say "I need to be at the top of Google now that our site is up" I have to make a split second decision on how I'm going to respond. The things I consider are:

How much time do I have?

This is the second part of our "New Year" round-up of the news stories and trends from 2011 that we believe will be of the greatest impact to you when you seek to maximize your internet marketing and advertising efforts in 2012. View the first three events we noted and key takeways here. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 HERE

Mobile – Moving On Up
In late 2011, comScore reported that mobile devices accounted for 7% of all web traffic. More than half of that non-computer traffic came from Apple’s mobile operating platform, and a third was Android-based. The release of devices such as Kindle Fire will continue the progression of changing internet traffic patterns. To capitalize on these shifts in how customers find and interact with you, you must consider how to make your content and presentation easily accessible on devices that are used by people who are on the go.

Google Gobbles Up Zagat
In early September, one unusual acquisition barely registered
a blip in the new cycle: Zagat, the staid, old-school publisher of those burgundy-covered restaurant review guides, had been gobbled up by Google. We have seen how trust and reliability are becoming more important to Google's ranking algorithms, and this deal underscores that point. Having lots of customer reviews – a prime example of “user-generated content” sends the right kind of message to Google about your website. Moreover, customers trust reviews, so the more positive reviews people see about your business, the more likely they will be to contact you. Google Places, Angie’s List and Yahoo Local are just some of the review destinations you’ll want to consider.

Steve Jobs’ Death Reminds Us About The End Game
Steve Jobs’ death was a watershed event that folks aren’t likely to forget anytime soon. The news broke internet traffic records as search engines and social media sites were flooded with searches and posts focused on the event. The death of a man whose hallmark was “usability” tested the usability of many news organizations, resulting in slowdowns and timeouts on mobile sites. Jobs was a hardware visionary, but the books, articles and interviews that became so popular after his death were a reminder that product success  – whether it’s a mobile device, an application or a website – depends on creating “sticky” relationships. Create an experience that makes your customers want to come back for more, and they will.

Online Marketing Takeways

4. With smartphones and tablets being used more by customers to research and purchase products and services, it will become increasingly important for your site to be mobile optimized. When creating a separate website, content shouldn't duplicate your main site.

“How does SEO work?” We’re approaching the end of 2011, and webmasters and content providers have been optimizing websites in some way, shape or form for nearly a decade and a half. But we at SEM Zen still hear that question quite frequently, because there really isn’t a set, stock answer to what’s involved in successful search engine optimization.

If we had to explain, say, scooter advertising, we’d have it a lot easier – as we were recently reminded when a member of one of our LinkedIn marketing groups introduced himself and one of his flagship products to the network:

“Scooter advertising is exactly what it sounds like. You pay a company to carry your advertisement around on a mobile billboard that is attached to a scooter. This advertisement can be parked anywhere around town or driven around during the day to generate interest in your products and services, no matter what you need. It doesn't really matter what business you are in, either, because this is a marketing tool that can help any business to become more successful. Best of all, this type of advertising is much more affordable and gives a better return on investment than many marketing campaigns currently available today.”

What do online marketing and holiday shopping have in common – beyond Exhibit 1 (Internet) often facilitating Exhibit 2 (gifts/commerce)?

Getting started is generally the hardest part of either process, regardless of whether your destination is SEO or FAO Schwarz.

As the power and reach of the web evolves, your online success will be directly associated with the ever-growing importance of localized content.


This is already apparent -- searching for "pizza" in Stratford, Connecticut on any of the search engines will yield far different results than for a search using the same keyword in, say, San Diego, California.

Internet marketing copy used to have to basically read something like this for folks who hoped to have their websites rank well in the SERPS (search engine results pages):

Search engine online