Latest advice from Google Webmaster Blog on SEO

“‘If everybody minded their own business,’ the Duchess said, in a hoarse growl, ‘the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.’” - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

In today’s Google Webmaster Blog “SEO Essentials for Start Ups in under 10minutes” . While it’s a good summary, it is very broad, but useful to understand Google’s current mindset.

Maybe its the cynic in me, but I can’t help but feel Google is steadily eroding or downplaying the value of SEO, to the long term benefit of PPC /  Ad Words, there again it is all about the Marketing SEO and general online visibility anyway, its no longer just Google results.

Keep it simple, clarify your business competitive positioning and structure the web site content and conversion goals accordingly, use the basic SEO “rules”, and improved ranking & search results will follow.

Contact John by email direct  

Housetrends Magazine – SEO and Digital Media Marketing

Housetrends logo

Housetrends logo

Housetrends is a print and digital magazine dedicated to home and garden design, with coverage in five U.S. cities Dayton, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Tampa Bay, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Housetrends embraced SEO and Internet Marketing to drive more traffic to the digital issues. This year to date, the number of Unique Visitors to the digital edition increased +75% compared to same period last year.

What’s driving the improved online visibility and increased traffic to Housetrends digital edition?

- The unique marketing positioning of Housetrends online:  “Each city was chosen for its own unique sense of style and regional personality, each issue displays the vibrancy and creativity of the market’s community of residents and home & garden professionals”.

- The digital magazine is optimized for the search engines, highlighting local editorial with fresh ideas, photos and home design articles on kitchen, bathroom, furnishings, interior design, home building and landscaping trends.

Special online features and local information / advice e.g. Find A Pro, Housetrends helps people find a professional contractor, designer, remodeler etc in their area and thereby is building its reputation as a “go to” local online reference resource.

- Housetrends ongoing participation in relevant social media channels Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

The growth in Houstrends visitors and readers is also recognized as a significant new regional advertising opportunity by local home and garden suppliers and service companies in Dayton, CIncinnati, Columbus,Tampa and Pittsburgh.

Where else would you go to Explore 4 Greater Cincinnati kitchens and see what their owners and designers think make them special ?

Mobile is the future…for Google at present

Smartphone Usage

Mobile is becoming an essential business tool as Smartphone ownership grows rapidly.

Smartphone Usage

Source: Google Smartphone Research February 2012

Google mobile growth is “mind boggling”…..look at the latest data on Android which is the leading smartphone operating system

  • Total Android devices  in market globally: 300 million
  • Daily activations: 850,000
  • Android apps: 450,000
  • Android tablets: 12 million

While Google dominates the smart phone operating system with Android, Apple is the market leader in tablets with iPad, selling 11 million tablets last quater alone!

Here are some of Google predictions on growth trends in smartphone during the next year:

  • More than 1 billion people will use mobile devices as their primary internet access point.
  • Mobile’s role in driving people into stores will be proven and it will blow us away
  • Smartphones will prove exceptional at driving a new consumer behavior.
  • The ROI on mobile and tablet advertising will increase as a result of the unmatched relevance of proximity.
  • The intersection of mobile and social will spark a dramatic new form of engaging consumers.
  • One million small businesses globally will build a mobile website

————————————————————————————————————

What are the mobile marketing and sales opportunities for your business in 2012? 

Contact John Cullen direct  

Basic Marketing SEO Checklist for Website On-Line Visibility

Marketing Positioning

Dynamic Marketing SEO

As the internet continues to rapidly change and evolve, especially with the influence of Social Media, its important that we remember the basics to achieve online visibility of a website.

The key point to remember is, that it’s not just the mechanics of SEO that I list below, that will make your website stand out, it is your marketing positioning, your unique competitive positioning and the unique content that supports it.

Brand Positioning for Optimum Online Visibility

Brand Positioning for Optimum Online Visibility

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different”.  Coco Chanel

Page Titles

Page Titles are the single most important SEO element on a page.  Most people don’t pay attention to them because they aren’t an element that we spend a lot of time looking at, but they are critical for people searching and for website online visibility. Page titles should have relevant keywords (relevant means describing what this page is about) while also being no longer than 80 characters.

Keyword Density

Another key measurement of promoting your keywords efficiently, check out to the SEO Tool Live Keyword Analysis

Links

Internal Links help people navigate the site including the “search engine robots”  and a good link strategy helps with search rankings

URLs

From a usability standpoint describing what the page is about in the URL can help someone figure out what they are clicking on.  The key is early planning of the positioning, website goal, structure and architecture, Google advises “ Consider organizing your content so that URLs are constructed logically and in a manner that is most intelligible to humans (when possible, readable words rather than long ID numbers)”. I recommend using hyphens rather than underscore in URLs. For more detailed information visit Google URL Structure

Alt Tags

All images need descriptions using Alt Tags to provide details of the image or the destination of a hyperlinked image.

Headings 

Paragrah headings should be identified by <h1>, <h2>, <h3> HTML elements on a page.

Meta Keywords and Meta Description

The key SEO elements are the famous “meta tags” for each page, meta keywords and meta description.  Although Google currently does not even look at meta keywords  it is still a best practice, and a good SEO disciplne.

Site Map

Provide SiteMap for vistors to navigate and search engines to confirm the website structure

Submit SIte to All Search Engines

The basic step many people miss or ignore

Webmasters Account with Google and Bing

Helps identify any problems quickly and improves interface with search engines

Contact John Cullen direct  jccullen@proteusism.com

Freeman Schwabe – B2B Blog – a Growing Success

Check out the Freeman Schwabe Machinery BlogFreeman Schwabe Machinery logo

The Freeman Schwabe Blog only dates back to March 2011, but already has had a significant impact and contribution to Freeman Schwabe business.

The Blog continues to grow and has provided an increase in qualified visitors/ referrals to the Freeman Schwabe website as well as direct contacts looking for information and request for quotes (RFQs).

A Business Blog complements a Business website and provides an opportunity to increase the “business brand visibility” to your potential audience.

The focus of the Blog, as with the website, should be providing visitors with information and should avoid becoming a “sales sheet”.

Succesful Blogs deliver extra value and newsworthy items, the Freeman Schwabe YouTube Channel is a regular item as we add new Videos and new Video formats including Machine Information Training Videos:

  • Cutting Press Overview
  • Safety Features
  • Maintenance Tips
  • Special Features

Distinct Advantages of Business Blogs

  • Speed of Blog Post being published, indexed and appearing in search results
  • Allows a one-off entry highlighting the “latest and greatest” topic for a business
  • Has a promotional feel and creates curiousity
  • Adds to buisness share of search results page delivery
  • People subscribe anf follow topics
  • Allows broader reach as each Blog is indexed for search on its own merit
  • Word Press is FREE
  • Its easier to update randomly than the “regular dialogue” required with Facebook
Thoughts / Feedback let me know
Visit Proteus Internet Marketing website, and send me ideas, comments and input on how to improve the site  (which is long overdue for a “relaunch”).

Setting up a You Tube Account

You Tube Logo

You Tube Logo

1. Sign up for YouTube Account by  creating Google account

2. Edit your You Tube Channel – use drop down menu by your account name

 My Channel

My Videos

Subscriptions

Inbox

Settings

Sign Out

3. Go to My Channel to organize Videos on Your Channel and to set up PlayLists / Groups of Videos

4. Go to Videos in drop down menu to edit Information on Videos: Title Description and Tags

5. Change look and Design of Channel with templates of Themes and Colors

You Tube Settings

6. Add personal Information

7. Add Geographical Location of Video Work

Check out Freeman Schwabe You Tube Video Channel

Positive Magazine – Creative Lives, People, Places and Events

Positive Magazine logo

Positive Magazine logo

Check out Positive, an online and print magazine which explores creative lives and the people, places and events that inspire us.

Sam Wilder is building a new magazine which features compelling photos, original illustrations and beautifully composed stories that capture creativity, inspiration, strength and innovation

Sam describes Positive as “a media company with a heart for others, hope for the future and optimism in the journey”.

While working with Sam on the SEO of the Positive On-Line Magazine, I enjoyed reading the different articles, and can recommend three which proved particluarly entertaining and inspiring:

http://www.positivemagazine.com/Positive-Magazine/Spring-2011/Gil-Shapiro/ Where others saw junk, Gil Shapiro saw art. “I’ve always been interested in what people seemed to have little or no respect for,” he says, “our history.”

http://www.positivemagazine.com/Positive-Magazine/Spring-2011/Knotty-Girls-One-man-rsquos-love-affair-with-women-and-wood/ Like a well digger finding water with a divining rod, he finds the sculpture of a female form in each piece of wood.

http://www.positivemagazine.com/Positive-Magazine/Spring-2011/Magic-Amsterdam/ There is a ribbon of humanity that weaves its way through all cultures and it is nowhere more evident than Amsterdam.

New web site www.ultrachloraseptic.co.uk – Now Indexed and Live!

UltraChloraseptic Logo

The new web site www.ultrachloraseptic.co.uk is live and ready to compete in the tough UK marketplace. Just in time for “the season” of coughs / colds and sore throats!

UltraChloraseptic Logo

UltraChloraseptic website

UltraChloraseptic is great product which actually works, as it says it should.

Now, there’s a novelty! Great brand!

Interesting to see how fast the SEO changes impact consumer search and business results, analytics in place and tracking, watch this space!

Check out the commercial, on YouTube   

UltraChloraseptic UK TV Commercial

Tips on Effective Implementation of QR Codes

Disney Poster with QR Code

QR Codes and Mobile Usage

Smart Phones

Disney Poster with QR Code

Disney Poster with QR Code

“71% of smartphone users search because of an ad they’ve seen either online or offline; 82% of smartphone users notice mobile ads, 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase as a result of using their smartphones to help with shopping, and 88% of those who look for local information on their smartphones take action within a day.” Google Research

Effective Implementation of QR Codes 

Effective usage for QR codes, focuses on giving people a reason to scan the code

  • Explain how to use
  • Link to a Landing Page with specific “call to action”
  • Optimize website or landing page with smart phones and mobile devices
  • Place the QR Code somewhere visible
  • Explain benefits of use
  • Experiment with colors and size
  • Create a clear “call to action”
    • watch the new video
    • download coupon
    • enter competition here
  • Track QR code performance with analytics

Shortening URL’s

As QR codes mainly linked to URLs, which in turn affects the size of the QR code, bit.ly and goo.gl  automatically generate a QR code for shortened links.

Check out Proteus Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing Mix – Positioning, Competitive Advantage and Consistency

1. Effective Marketing starts with the strategic positioning of a business service, product or brand.Proteus Internet Marketing

Identifying the need or opportunity in the marketplace and developing a service or product to offer a sustainable competitive advantage.

[Example with current client: UltraChloraseptic.co.uk sore throat spray in UK “unlike lozenges…our numbing spray goes right to where it hurts, giving you relief in seconds”.

2. So regardless of how successful you can implement SEO and ongoing effective Internet marketing campaigns, determining the optimal marketing positioning and continually updating the distinct competitive advantage / offering is what will determine long term profitable success.

[Example with current client: Oxfordshire-Hotels.co.uk a private hotel group of 5 distinct hotels in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire offers personal friendly service and local knowledge & advice, at each hotel, in addition to quality rooms and restaurants.

3. Consistency in approach across all new media is critical, to achieve a consistent core message and for brand image and brand building.

Google search and Social Media have increased the reach and frequency we can achieve to communicate direct with potential consumers, so consistency in copy style, images and design is critical, to achieve synergy and the cumulative marketing benefit.

[Example with current client: FreemanSchwabe.com  based in Cincinnati, is a global OEM specializing in the design and manufacture of the most complete line of Die Cutting Hydraulic Presses. The message is communicated consistently on the Website, in email on Constant Contact, on YouTube videos, LinkedIn, Flicker and Blog.

For more information on Internet Marketing and Marketing Optimization visit www.ProteusISM.com 

Executive Coaching – Training in the Essentials of SEO Marketing – Cincinnati, Ohio.

Proteus Internet Marketing

Proteus Internet Marketing Executive SEO Coaching for Business Owners, in the Cincinnati, Ohio,
Who want to improve their business knowledge of the latest tools in…..

…..Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization….FAST!

The Goal of  Executive Coaching / Training in Internet Marketing and SEO:

Provide you as a Business Executive / Owner with up to date knowledge of Marketing Optimization ( SEO, PPC, Social Media, Blogs) so you understand:

  • how to develop a relevant Internet Marketing Strategy
  • how to implement an efficient Internet Marketing Plan for your business
  • what time frame, resource and organization is required to implement the internet marketing plan
  • how to set appropriate goals and metrics for your business
  • how to measure your progress, and how to continue improve going forward

The Executive Training / Coaching is structured for busy business owners to gain significant practical knowledge of Internet Marketing and SEO that would take months to learn by books and research.

Ideal for small business owners or business leaders who want to get up to speed on how to utilize Internet Marketing / SEO in their company, and want to get an qualified independent professional marketing view on the SEO essentials for their business, and know how to use it, FAST!

  • what is behind all the acronyms and labels: SEO, SEM, Social Media, etc
  • what constitutes a well designed web site
  • how a web site should be structured to be effective
  • how to maximize visitors to your company website
  • what are the Marketing benefits of the new Digital Media / SEO
  • how to manage the Marketing aspects of Search Engine Optimization
  • how to improve website ranking, to get on #1 page on Google Results
  • how to gain more business leads through your company website
  • how to measure and monitor results, to gain a competitive edge and sustainable advantage
  • how to use a Blog and Facebook to promote your business further

Outline of SEO Executive Coaching / Training Sessions:

A choice of 1 Full Day or 2 Half Day Marketing SEO Training session, is available depending on depth of current knowledge and the level of information required, and availability of dates on both sides.

Executive Coaching sessions on SEO and Internet Marketing can also be organized on a One-to-One basis (which is the recommended approach), or to a Small Group of your Management Team.

Benefits Gained from Marketing SEO Executive Training / Coaching : 

  • Learn the Essentials of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and improve how your company manages your website and the marketing opportunities within digital media marketing.
  • Each Executive Coaching / Training session will be custom prepared to your business and competitive marketplace
  • A detailed analysis of your company website and competitors, identifying the opportunities to be gained
  • Choice of Seminar Audience: One-on-One or Small Group of business executives
  • Custom designed to your level of understanding and your needs of Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization
  • Step by Step plan to improve use of your company website and a roadmap for developing an Internet Marketing Strategy
To Review John Cullen’s Professional Biography go to www.ProteusISM.com website based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

To find out more information contact John Cullen direct:   

Marketing Optimization SEO – Less About the Category more about Internet Marketing

Looking at the growing list of my current clients you will notice they cover a broad mix of traditional business categories whether “pigeoned holed” as B2C or B2B, Hospitality, Consumer Goods or Small Business, it shows that the needs and skills in delivering Marketing Optimization SEO results crosses all sectors and all industries.

It’s also clear that it takes vision and commitment from the top leadership / mangement in each business to recognize the opportunity that Internet Marketing Optimization offers for their businesses.

Art Classes Cincinnati – Greg Storer teaches art classes all ages & all abilities in CIncinnati, USA

Freeman Schwabe Machinery – Global OEM of die cutting presses in Cincinnati, USA

Murine® - Range of over the counter (OTC) eye drops products in UK

Oxfordshire Hotels – Private Group of great hotels in great locations in SE England, UK

Superior Linen and Apparel - Linen Rental and Apparel services in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana USA

Ultra Chloraseptic®, – The best selling sore throat spray (OTC) in UK

The need of each business is about knowledge of the new marketing tools available within Internet Marketing, and how to exploit them, within the current budgets and resources, and of course the key is knowing how to implement search optimization to improve the company Website search ranking and convert visits to purchases / enquiries.

But it’s also become a matter of broader marketing reach and coverage through writing a Blog with relevant content and Social Media Marketing i.e. Facebook Page, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, Google Maps / Places, Bing Local, Yahoo Local,

At the center of Internet Marketing SEO is understanding the core positioning of the business and its competitive advantage and building the internet marketing strategy to deliver specific  goals and measuring progress in achieving them.

For more information visit Proteus Internet Marketing for Targeted Internet Marketing Solutions