A 5 step process for creating or refreshing a business blog
Whether launching a new WordPress blog or, as in my case, relaunching an existing blog, there are many issues to consider and a number of ways to approach the project.
Having recently redeveloped and redesigned a WordPress blog, to help other marketers, I thought I would share some of the considerations that we took into account. I've split the project up into two parts; this first post focuses on the objectives, planning and resource considerations. The more "hands-on" functionality and implementation considerations will follow in Part 2.
To add a bit of context, 3 years ago, a brand I now work on, set up a skiing blog called Ski-buzz, run on WordPress. Set up on a free theme and with minimal amounts of additional resource or budget it started life quite slowly. Unbranded, sitting on its own (totally separate domain) and growing slowly…
A more effective way to utilise online paid media spend?
Since we're still firmly in the midst of a recession, it is still the challenge for businesses to grow and invest wisely. Hopefully this doesn't mean you have stopped testing new ideas / channels. While this post isn't covering anything amazingly new, I hope it will inspire you to consider a different way of utilising your online paid media budget. Think differently! Compared to traditional PPC and Display advertising, the targeting and ideas below can potentially generate you a better ROI.
What is Remarketing?
Remarketing is a term now associated with online display advertising since Google adopted this name when it started offering AdWords remarketing in 2011. It refers to where adverts are specifically targeted at people who have visited your website before and are tracked by an adserving service like AdWords. As a concept, remarketing can cover both prospects and customers alike, the…
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17 Sep 2012
A small business campaign example shows which calls-to-action work best
Giulia’s family runs the popular Italian restaurant ‘Al Gatto Nero’, in Poole in the UK, and they get customer interactions with QR Codes every day.
Giulia’s goal is to spread the word about their delicious stone-baked pizzas. She decides to use QR codes to get more Facebook likes and more enewsletter sign ups. Good move!
As there are several places she wants to use QR codes, Giulia decides to use the Campaigns and Sources to track which places give her the best results.
She has already registered for a free account at www.freeqrcodetracker.com, so she logs in and starts by creating 2 campaigns:
Campaign #1: “Facebook – get more likes”
Campaign #2: “enewsletter – get more sign-ups“
Giulia now creates…
More DIY tips for SEO
Whenever I'm training I'm nearly always asked for useful tools that aid the digital marketing process. This is particularly the case when discussing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the process of getting better search engine rankings.
I have therefore drawn up this introductory guide to the SEO process for marketers, starting with an introduction to search engine spiders Robots. We'll also discuss two of the free tools/techniques that are available from Google to assist you with this initial phase of SEO.
First step:Help Search Engine Spiders or Robots read your pages.
Spiders or Robots are bits of software that read your pages to find new and updated pages, and returns the content to the Search Engines to be indexed. If they can't read your site, then…
UK PR pros need to conquer the entire digital mix to remain competitive – fast!
A recent post I wrote for Econsultancy entitled “SEOs will slaughter careless PR agencies” generated an almighty storm in its comments section. That’s how I wanted it to be, because the subject of who owns search engine optimisation (SEO) within marketing is really important to the future of PR agencies and, on an individual level, PR practitioners. PR should own organic search, but instead it’s the SEO agencies who are learning PR or partnering with PR agencies to mop up business.
As you may be aware, in the last 18 months Google has unleashed a couple of updates to its algorithm – Panda and Penguin – in an attempt to make search more relevant for users and punish sites which it deems “low quality”. Panda, for example, put the emphasis on trustworthiness, design, speed and rates…
3 DIY SEO approaches to start SEO if you're not an SEO expert
This post discusses a few of the relatively straightforward "do-it-yourself" things you can do in-house to improve your SEO, before you decide to call in outside help. I hope it will also be helpful to small business or startups who don't currently have budget for SEO. As SEO specialists we're often asked by friends, families or colleagues "where do I start?", "What matters?". These are the areas I recommend as a start.
Where to start your DIY SEO?
If you’re not well versed in Search Engine Optimisation (explanation), then the task of optimising your website can appear to be extremely daunting. There is a lot of jargon to learn, numerous horror stories floating about and lots of conflicting opinions to consider.
You have to understand all these issues before you can actually start…
Practical tips to review and improve an Adwords Campaign
When reviewing an account that hasn't been optimised, it's important for the paid search marketer to review that the basics are right. Bells and whistles are all well and good for later on, but if you fail to grasp the foundation principles of a paid search campaign, you’ll struggle to grow successfully. There are always new, exciting and innovative developments in paid search, all of which can distract you from the crux of your campaign.
A strong account structure forms a strong foundation for every successful Adwords account. If a PPC account does not adhere to best practice, the keyword quality score can be restricted, and effective management of the accounts can become a huge, uphill challenge. In this post I give 7 tips that are a core part of my approach to getting more from Adwords campaigns.
TIP 1. Micro manage high converting keywords
Conversions in…
A summary of key issues you should be considering when looking to choose an affiliate network
If you launch an affiliate programme you will need to ensure that you have a tracking solution in place. One of the most popular solutions is to work through an affiliate network.
Affiliate networks essentially act to facilitate relationships between affiliates and clients. The basic service they offer is tracking and payment of sales - but affiliate strategy, reporting and affiliate recruitment are also available depending on the service level you require. I thought it would be helpful to outline some areas I recommend considering when making the decision on which network to use.
What will it cost?
The first question marketers ask. Naturally! This will most likely be one of the main areas for you to consider because of affiliate marketing’s performance-based payment structure. Most networks will…
An overview of the options available for TrueView YouTube advertising
AdWords for video allows you to advertise in a similar way to the traditional TV advert - your advert can be displayed on a video before, during or after it or in the Youtube and Google Display Network search listings. The big bonus is that you don’t have to pay unless someone watches your entire advert. Adwords has been innovating a lot over the last year or so with its TrueView ads now available in a range of formats on mobile (from August 2012):
YouTube have also recently produced the ‘Advertiser Playbook’. It is a detailed guide (122 pages) to using YouTube and AdWords and includes the latest (2012) best practice information and strategies for building big audiences on YouTube and increasing traffic to your website.…
Practical tips and an example of creating a content plan for SEO
This is the 11th step in the 12 part series on SEO. In this article I’m looking at the crucial role of content marketing and providing easy-to-implement tips on how you can use it to support your SEO program.
Why is content relevant to SEO?
There are several ways in which content can support SEO by boosting search presence:
1. Content drives search presence
It's simple, to be found by searchers and search engines, you have got to have something for them to find. But to compete it needs to be outstanding content. Moving into 2013, content is still king as it helps you build webpages & other content assets (e.g. videos) that can be indexed. This applies to database driven product pages for e-commerce as well as CMS driven content pages like Buying Guides and Articles.
2. Content variety can increase SERPs penetration
Search…
