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Is PPC Extinct? How to Survive Post PPC

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Pay per click has been the backbone of many marketing campaigns, but reaching customers through PPC may be an antiquated strategy.   In fact, according to research presented by comScore, the number of people who click on PPC ads has plummeted from 32% in 2007 to only 16% of all internet users in 2009.  Even more interesting is that 85% of all clicks are now attributed to only 8% of all internet users!

Adding more nails to the PPC coffin, however, are browser add-ons that are literally making PPC advertisements invisible.

Ad-Blocking Programs are Changing the Face of Online Marketing

The demand for ad-free web enjoyment continues to skyrocket, and the application developers are taking note, introducing browser add-ons that cloak PPC advertisements.  Adblock Plus for Firefox is a leading example, and since 2006, more than 67,500,000 internet users have downloaded the add-on!  Each week, nearly one million additional users download the program just for Firefox alone.

The staggering numbers of internet users downloading ad-blocking software means that PPC is quickly becoming obsolete as a primary marketing strategy.  This beckons the question: if your PPC ads are made invisible by browser add-ons, how can you reach your target customers?

The Growing Importance of Natural Search Results

With more PPC ads being shielded by browser add-ons, the importance of organic search results grows even greater.   Not only are organic search results the most cost-effective for your long-term marketing strategy, but they also generate more traffic and legitimacy to your website.

With the introduction of Google Caffeine and changes in the algorithm, today’s natural search rankings may be rearranged tomorrow.   For the next generation of online marketing, the importance of fresh content cannot be underestimated for either Google Caffeine or Bing.  Working with your content writer to produce original, fresh, and regular content will help drive your website to the top of search results, improving your market reach and solving the problem of PPC ad-blocking browser add-ons.

Nearly one million internet users download ad-blocking browser programs each week for Firefox alone, but your advertising campaign does not need to be short changed.  Focusing on your organic, natural search results will help your endeavors prosper as the world of online marketing evolves.

2010 SEO Secret: How to Skyrocket to the Top of Google Caffeine Results

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

2010 heralds a year of major changes for Google’s search algorithm – and your website’s rankings within the search engine!  Your New Year’s resolution of propelling to the top of Google may just be answered with Google Caffeine’s real-time results.

“Latest Results” are Replacing Google’s Top Results

Google’s most dramatic update with Caffeine will revolve around its real-time search results.  Superseding all the search results is the “latest results” section, which will showcase the latest blog posts, news stories, press releases, and social network updates pertaining to the search term.   Google published a Caffeine video demonstrating where the “latest results” section will appear, and clearly, this is a traffic gold mine just waiting to be tapped.

Testing has revealed that Google Caffeine’s real-time capabilities are incredibly powerful.  For example, Tweets are being returned in relevant Google searches within mere minutes of publication.  Each time you update your blog with new posts, you can expect a surge of natural traffic from the power of Google’s “latest results.”

How to Capitalize on Google Caffeine’s Real Time Search Results

Clearly, Google Caffeine provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to literally jump to the top of Google’s search results for your important keywords.  Each time your content writer publishes new, relevant content to your blog, searchers will see your website first and foremost.  With your eloquent content writer by your side, climbing to the top of the first page of Google results is now easier than ever.

Even before Google Caffeine is officially unleashed in early 2010, you can already witness the implementation of real-time search in “old fashioned” Google.  Some guinea pig users have randomly seen their Google search results sorted by date, while all searchers can now click on “show options” and select how they want their results displayed:

Google’s goal in organizing search results by time is to generate more relevant, accurate results – and this is certainly good news for every website that is savvy enough to take advantage of fresh compositions from their content writer.

The Decaffeinated Fate of Websites without Updates

SEO experts are speculating that Google Caffeine’s emphasis on fresh, real-time results will not bode well for websites that do not update their content frequently.  Websites that do not add new content may receive poorer search rankings, as there is a greater probability that the website is no longer relevant or accurate.

If you only make one New Year’s SEO resolution, it should be solely focused on updating your website constantly with content.  As we ring in the New Year, make sure your content writer is standing by, ready to compose fresh content that will jolt your website to the top of Google Caffeine’s search results!

Will Google’s New Caffeine Engine Jolt Your SEO Rankings?

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Google Caffeine promises to recharge the search engine with significant changes, but how will this impact your website’s ranking?

Based upon a Digital Connections analysis, the change could be dramatic.  For example, in evaluating 10 two-word keywords for the retail industry, more than 47% of websites that currently appear on the first page were dropped in Caffeine.  For 10 of the four-word long tail keywords evaluated, nearly 26% of websites currently ranked first in search results lost their position in Caffeine.

The Caffeine update promises to be as dramatic as the “Big Daddy” update that occurred in 2005 and 2006.  According to Google, Caffeine will improve the “size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness” of its search engine – which could mean major changes for your SEO efforts.

Why Content is the Real Caffeine King

The search engine marketer’s adage, “content is king” holds more weight for Google Caffeine than ever before.   In an effort to deliver quality search results, Google is reducing the weight of backlinks.  Instead, the search engine will be ranking websites with better content higher in the results than those with better backlinks.   This means that Google will return more searches based upon the on-page text your content writer composes, rather than the keywords of backlinks to the website.  Indeed, content returns to its pinnacle reign as king in Caffeine.

With Caffeine, there will be more than one way to benefit from the power of content.  Google Caffeine may offer real-time search, which would allow users to sort search results based upon temporal relevancy.  The value of real-time content has already been made apparent with Bing.  This makes publishing frequent, relevant, and timely articles from your content writer even more important in improving your ranking and driving traffic to your website.  Updating your blogs and issuing press releases can all help to jolt your pages upwards in Caffeine.

Prepare for Changes in Your Keywords

Based upon beta testing, the world of keywords will also change in Caffeine.  The competition amongst single keywords will amplify, while decreasing amongst long-tail searches.  Google Caffeine intends to index a higher volume of pages, which will increase the amount of competition for single keywords.  However, there is good news for the webmaster.  Google will be more accurately indexing long-tail keywords, which translates into less competition for these phrases.  Although you may experience more competition for your single keywords, you should also enjoy a growth in traffic from more relevant long-tail searches.   Now is the time for your content writer to begin targeting your articles for powerful long-tail keywords.

When to Expect a Shot of Caffeine

The full rainbow of changes that result from the Caffeine update remain to be seen.  However, we do know there will be a bevy of intriguing factors that Google Caffeine will begin using to rank websites, including site speed.

One data center has already been switched to the Caffeine algorithm, and according to Matt Cutts, a wider introduction of Caffeine will occur throughout multiple Google data centers after the holidays.  Before 2010 arrives, make sure your New Year’s resolutions include preparing for the jolt of Google Caffeine!

Santa’s Gift to Your Bottom Line: Your Jolly Web Content Provider

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Long before the turkeys start shivering and Santa Claus takes his red suit to the dry cleaners, businesses should begin preparing for holiday profits.  Leveraging your web content provider allows you to capitalize on powerful marketing materials, while giving you the time needed to focus on the core of your business operations.

From penning holiday prose to composing cheerful newsletters, your web content provider is a creative resource for marketing ideas.  Consider the myriad of ways your freelance writer can help you prepare for the bounty of holiday sales.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, now is the time to begin preparing for the bounty of holiday sales!

How to Jumpstart Your Christmas Sales in August

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Santa Claus is coming to town – but if he can’t find you online, you should check your SEO list twice.

Too many businesses wait until November or December to begin adding SEO content to their websites.  Alas, paying a freelance writer to create content during the late holiday season may not maximize the SEO benefits.   The search engines can take weeks, if not months, to fully spider and index new content on your website, especially if you do not make updates regularly.

When to Start for SEO’s Sake

Creating your holiday content in August or September will maximize the Christmas cheer your bottom line enjoys in December.  By starting early, the search engines have ample time to crawl your website and update their search results.  While starting your holiday SEO efforts early may take planning on your part, the rewards are certainly worthwhile – both in the sense of increased holiday sales and decreased advertising costs, such as expensive PPC campaigns that spike in cost near Christmas.

Content to Optimize for Search Claus

There are a variety of strategies your freelance writer can employ to optimize your holiday content, including:

While the sun may be shining and your tan has not begun fading, now is the time to begin optimizing for the holiday season.  By planning ahead, you can ensure that your bottom line will not cry or pout this year when Santa Claus comes to your town.

The Cure to Summer Doldrums: Social Networking Secrets

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

While the sun may be cheerfully shining outside, retailers and Wall Street investors are facing the gloomy height of the summer doldrums.  If your revenues are currently in the summer slumps, consider utilizing the power of social networks to jumpstart your sales.  With a freelance writer by your side, you can connect with existing and potential customers and help the sun shine on your bottom line.

Capitalize on Social Network Users – Whose Numbers Have Doubled Since 2007

According to Forrester Research, 55.6 million adults, or one third of the American population, regularly visit social networks.   In fact, social networks are used more frequently than even instant messaging!

Based upon the number of monthly visits thus far in 2009, the five most popular social networks are:

With all this impressive data in mind, how can your online business capitalize on the surging popularity of social networks?

Connect with Your Existing Customers and Develop Lifelong Loyalty

Indeed, it is much more cost-effective to retain an existing customer than to attract a new one.  Social networks present you with a fantastic opportunity to develop a closer relationship with your existing customer base.   When you connect with your customers on a personal level, you foster a deeper loyalty – which translates well for your repeat business revenues.

By communicating with your existing clients through your social network accounts, you give them a glimpse into the personalized workings of your business.  Whether you ask your freelance writer to post about new products, compose amusing stories of experiences around the office, or host giveaways, social networks allow you to connect with your customers on an entirely new level.

On your website’s blog and in the footer of your emails, place an icon of your particular social network and invite your customers to become your “friends.”  Before you know it, you will develop a league of followers that translates into a stronger bottom line for you.

Publish “Linkbait” Articles to Find New Customers – Hook, Line, and Sinker

Linkbait articles, which can be funny, controversial, or a highly useful resource, remain one of the foremost ways to generate exposure and new customers for online businesses.   Your freelance writer composes a linkbait article specifically to garner the interest of social network users.   This is the type of content that becomes viral, spreading to thousands of potential customers who may have otherwise never visited your website.

Once your freelance writer composes the linkbait article, simply post it on your social network profile.  Or you can publish the article directly on your website and “Tweet,” “Digg” or “Stumble” the content, bringing traffic directly to your website from the social networks.

Use Incentives to Power the Momentum of Your Social Networking Efforts

Give your social network “friends” reasons to consistently stay abreast of your activities.  Consider hosting regular giveaways through your social networking profiles to stay in the forefront of users’ minds.  Encourage users to check your profile regularly through incentives.  For example, you can offer all customers who mention the coupon code “Facebook” free shipping.   When you entice the social networks with giveaways and incentives, your following can only grow stronger.

Social networks are a powerful marketing tool just waiting to be tapped this summer.  Enlist your freelance writer’s prose, don your creative giveaway cap, and you are quickly on your way to sunnier revenues!

4 Characteristics Your Freelance Writer Must Possess

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Content reigns as the internet king – but who is helping you build your online business kingdom?  While many would like to become your freelance writer squire, not all word-wielders are created equal.  Before you give any freelance writer a dubbing ceremony, make sure the powers of her pen will maximize your website’s branding, exposure, and revenue potential.

Solidify Your Specific Content Needs

Before you begin your search for a freelance writer, take a moment to reflect upon your content needs.  The more you fully understand your content aspirations, the more precisely you can hone your quest in finding the perfect freelance writer.  There are two overarching elements to consider in your content planning process:

How to Evaluate Freelance Writers

With your branding style and content goals in mind, you can begin reviewing prospective freelance writers.  Keep in mind that most freelance writers specialize in a particular genre or niche, ranging from fiction to SEO web content.  Choosing the right freelance writer means hiring one whose specialty is in line with your specific needs.

The right freelance writer can be a powerful addition to your online kingdom’s round table.  By choosing an ideal wordsmith, you can tap into the powerful potential of the internet and maximize your bottom line.

3 Ways to Communicate Better Online

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Communication is more than a line of nouns, verbs, and adjectives strung together with punctuation.  Instead, communication should be focused on achieving a goal, whether it is eliciting an emotional response or enlightening the reader with interesting information.

The power of written prose is especially important online, where you do not have body language, voice tones, and facial expressions upon which to rest your communication laurels.  With this in mind, there are three time-tested strategies that can certainly help you and your business communicate better online.

Trust that Your English Teacher was Right about W/C

Your English teacher’s red pen was right – at least about the dreaded editing abbreviation, w/c, otherwise known as word choice.  Passive and bland words are not sufficient online, where the reader’s attention is easily swayed by millions of competing websites.  Instead, you should always look for more powerful alternatives.  Is the sweater you are selling light blue in color, or is it a Hawaiian teal?  Do you want your customer to “shop at our spring sale,” or “enjoy discounts up to 50% at our spring sale extravaganza?”  To communicate better, the first step is to choose words that are powerful, create an image in the reader’s mind, and deliver your message.

Communicate with the Finish Line in Sight

In business, the success of your communication is measured by the numbers of increased sales and revenues.  With this in mind, it is critical to ensure that your freelance writer or SEO writer completely understands the goals you wish the content to achieve.  Are you attempting to garner trust and authority in the industry?  Would you like to convert visitors into paying customers?  Is your goal to cement your clients’ brand loyalty?  These goals are each served by very distinct types of content.  To communicate better, you must understand your goal and convey it clearly to your freelance writer or SEO writer.

Speak Only to Busy People

Internet users are notorious for their short attention spans.  With the incredible plethora of information available online, it is no surprise that internet visitors are finicky and have expectations of finding the content they need instantaneously.

To communicate better with online users, you must speak with a busy person in mind.  Would you elaborate painstaking details to a busy CEO?  How long would your elevator pitch to a Wall Street broker be?  Keep your online content concise, and you will capture the attention of the internet user.  Make use of sub-headings, lists, and bullet points, and you make the busy internet visitor’s reading task even easier.

The websites that communicate better than their competitors understand the psychological power of word choice, the importance of driving home their end goal, and the short attention span of internet users.  With these perspectives in your arsenal, it’s time for your content to communicate better.

Secrets from a SEO Writer: 3 Ways to Improve Your Backlinks

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

In the SEO pie, backlinks take up many slices of importance.  As the primary method in which Google differentiated the quality of its search results from its competitions in the early dotcom days, backlinks are particularly utilized by Google to determine the legitimacy, relevancy, and authority of a particular website.

How can you, dedicated webmaster and business owner, improve the strength of your website’s backlinks?   Before you embark upon your link building campaign, keep in mind that quality should always be first and foremost.  For example, a dozen quality backlinks are much stronger for your SEO endeavors than thousands of PR 0 or PR 1 links.

With that said, there are three legitimate strategies that you can utilize to enhance the strength of your backlinks.

Befriend the Social Networks

Web 2.0 has been a godsend for link building campaigns.  Each time an article or blog post on your website gets submitted to the social networks, you enjoy a backlink to your website.  The more people that vote, “Digg” or “Stumbleupon” your content, the stronger the results for both your traffic and SEO efforts.

However, with so many webmasters and publishers submitting content to the social networks, how can your website rise to the top – or rather, the front page of social networks?   The answer lies within the catchphrase “linkbait.”  There is no fishing or phishing involved in this strategy, but only interesting, catchy content that will garner the short attention spans of the average social network user.  Have your freelance SEO writer compose a piece that is controversial, highly resourceful, creative, or funny to increase the chances of sitting on the front page of the social networks.

Be Generous with Your Knowledge

If you have niche experience or unique knowledge, then sharing your wisdom can reap rewards for your SEO efforts.  You can publish a white paper, “how to” article series, or a report that others can download for free.  Bloggers and publishers in your industry will be keen to offer value to their readers – meaning that they are looking to link to interesting, unique information.

Even if writing is not your forte, you can convey a list of ideas to your freelance writer, who can compose the prose that will garner you the industry backlinks you seek.

Lean on the Traditional Article Directories

Last but not least, the traditional article directories are still a reliable source of generating backlinks to your website.  While there are literally thousands of article directories today, submitting your content to ones that have high Page Ranks will build powerful one-way backlinks to your website.  Remember to hyperlink your important keywords in the resources box to maximize the SEO impact of article directory submissions, rather than simply listing the URL.

By taking advantage of these legitimate strategies, you can indeed have your SEO cake and eat it too!

Blogging for Branding: How to Blog Your Way into the Heart of Your Customers

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

From Coca-Cola and GM to Southwest Airlines and Marriott, companies everywhere are jumping on the blogging bandwagon.  In fact, 60 Fortune 500 companies publish blogs on their websites.  Even Martha Stewart is blogging!

Reach Out and Virtually Touch Your Customers

Blogging continues to be a very powerful branding strategy, one that may be even more promising than advertising campaigns.  What other medium gives you direct, unadulterated contact with your customers?  TV, radio, print, and even PPC ads all feature one-way communication.  In contrast, through the prose penned on a company blog, you can connect with your customers on a personal level, giving your target audience a chance to comment and provide feedback.

In addition, blogging is a powerful and affordable way to reinforce your branding strategy.   For example, Southwest Airlines’ “Nuts about Southwest Blog” publishes humorous, personality-infused posts about new events and corporate culture that continue to extend its quirky branding strategy, while simultaneously connecting on a personal level with passengers.

With the branding benefits of blogging (no alliteration intended), how can you market and maximize the impact of your company’s blog? 

Steer Clear of Advertising

While it may seem counterintuitive, you should not use your blog posts as an opportunity to advertise – at least, blatantly.  Instead, the most successful corporate blogs provide interesting value and personal insight.  For example, in a recent entry, Bill Marriott blogged about how the recession is impacting Marriot Hotels and what all companies can do to effectively cut costs to stay profitable.  Coca-Cola’s historian Phil Mooney shares interesting tidbits of information about the beverage company’s illustrious past.  Martha Stewart becomes even more endearing when she shares photos of her kitchen and the adventures of her adorable French bulldogs.

The common thread that runs through all of these corporate blogs is that they are not utilizing the platform to blatantly advertise or toot their own proverbial horn.  Instead, through sharing personal insights and interesting information, they are building brand affinity, a strategy that allows the customer to feel a deeper connection with the company.

With brand affinity created through your blog posts, you don’t need to vulgarly advertise.  For example, if you read Bill Marriott’s post about the fact that he is personally cutting 75% of his 2009 salary to minimize the number of employees that need to be laid off, wouldn’t you want to naturally make a reservation at a Marriott Hotel because you feel a personal connection with Bill?   Or if you read Southwest Airline’s blog and have been keeping track of flight attendants Jodi and Christie on The Amazing Race, wouldn’t you feel inclined to click the “ding” button on the right sidebar to make a reservation?   None of these blogs blatantly promote their businesses, but the subtle, humanizing connection translates into a healthier bottom line.

Whether you compose your own blogging prose or hire a freelance writer to express your thoughts, one fact is certain: your corporate blog can lead you right into the hearts and pocketbooks of your customers!

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