Google Changes You Need To Know

by Alison on May 12, 2012

Google is constantly changing the way they search the Internet to deliver the best content possible to you.  I am thankful that Google does this!  If I am searching for information on science projects for my kids school or looking for an orange computer mouse for my daughter, I expect Google to come back with the best matches for my search – and they do, more than any other search engine out there – every time!  Thank you Google!!!

So why am I posting about this?  How is this relevant to you as a business owner and/or blogger.

First:  Google is putting a heavier importance on the freshness of your web site.  Meaning if you don’t update your site regularly, you will lose top placement for people searching your product or service in favor of the more recent web site.

Second:  The Content Pull is Greater for your site.  Meaning Google will look at not only your title but also a snippet of your page to see if your content is truly relevant to the search.

How do you use this to your advantage?  You need to update your pages often and make sure what you are writing is relevant and has the right words in the title and content.  The easiest way to do this is to hire someone to make changes on a bi-weekly or monthly basis to your site.  I do this regularly for clients and the results are amazing!  If you are interested in this kind of help, fill out our contact form for a free review and quick quote.

To read about more updates Google has made, check out this article on Recent Google Changes Digital Agencies  Should Know.

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This is the title of a recent Infographic shared through LinkedIn Groups (by the way, if you don’t use Linked In for business, you are missing a huge opportunity to network, find top hiring talent, learn about your competitors, etc.)!  But back to this topic …. So I clicked on the link and read through the 10 reasons.
Facebook vs Blog 10 Reasons Business Blogging is Better than Facebook [Infographic]

I don’t agree that blogging is “better” than Facebook but I do agree that it is equally and sometimes more important and here is why:

The Top 10

#1: Control – True, you have more control over your blog, but just like a Facebook page, your blog must build its audience.

#2 Reach Multiple Audiences – Completely True, In order to reach people in Facebook, they must like your page, so your “reach” is limited to your number of likes and shares.  Plus, depending on the time of day, only a % of those people will receive your post in their feed and they may not look at their feed …

Using your Facebook Page successfully takes skill and practice.

#3 More Clicking – If someone is on your blog and sees an interesting word that has been linked to another article of yours or your business site, then they are more likely to click on the link.  You need a Facebook button on your site to show that you are current in today’s social world but it is not a highly clicked button (disclaimer:  depending on the type of audience you are after, moms use Facebook Pages often).

#4 Offer More Value - I don’t agree with this one.  You MUST offer more value on both your Facebook Page and your blog in order to attract and maintain the interest of your audience.

#5 Content Hub – I don’t think this makes blogging better than Facebook but it show the importance.  Both are the voices of your business – A blog is intended to share content and information, while a Facebook Page should be used to promote and engage your audience.

#6 News Feed – For those who don’t know what a News Feed is, you can subscribe to all blogs with a feed and receive a notification of new content.  This is especially useful when you want to follow several blogs at once.  The nice thing about News Feed for Blogs is that, if someone subscribes, they will see your content where as Facebook doesn’t guarantee 100% reach on any post (which is one of the reasons to post often).

Think of your subscribers/traffic (# of likes on your page or traffic to your blog) as your circulation

Think of your reach (% of people who see your post because they subscribe to your feed on your blog, or actually receive it in their Facebook news feed) as your actual readers.

#7 Long Shelf Life – Completely Agree with this one.  Time is on your side when you are dealing with online business presence.  So, articles written will benefit your business for years to come.  Facebook Pages are a short “here and now” marketing tool.

#8 SEO – 100% agree here.  If you are looking to move up in the search results, article writing is the most effective method I have ever used and I promote it regularly!  In fact, if you want a free review of how your business is doing online in the search engines, make sure to contact us with your request.

#9 Bigger Payoff -  I don’t agree here.  I think they are both good investments in different ways and depending on the type of target market who buys your product or service, Facebook Pages may be equally important to business blogging.

However, business blogging is always important, regardless of your intended market!

#10 Stability – Yes, Facebook likes to make changes, which can be frustrating to someone who doesn’t use it regularly, however adapting to changes online is important because they happen every day.  And, as you use Facebook more, the changes are less daunting.

The Top 10 Reasons Business Blogging is better than Facebook Infographic was produced by Patrick Redsicker and posted online.

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Hiring for Internet Marketing Tip

April 28, 2012

With the explosive growth of the Internet has come a flood of SEO experts – the people who say they can get you to the top of the search engines.  Included in this group are:

1.  Legitimate SEO Experts
2.  Spammers
3.  Web Designers who are optimizing your site
4.  A Relative who does it on the side
5.  The Yellow Pages / Online Directories
6.  The person you turn to for marketing
7.  And a host of marketing professionals… Read More

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What Is The Point of Facebook Pages?

April 16, 2012

  I was recently asked, “what is the point of a Facebook page?”  And I think that is a really valid question.  Many businesses don’t understand why they should have or even care about a Facebook page.  Here is how to look at that page:

AS A BUSINESS

The whole point of a Facebook page is to make announcements and connect with your customers and potential customers.

Your Facebook page should be used as an area for new services, new … Read More

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Networking

April 10, 2012

Tony Hsieh CEO Zappos New York Times Best Selling Author Happiness Expert Customer Service ExpertThere is a great opportunity to become well known in the business arena with a little networking and social media.  I think one of the most important pieces to this form of  marketing is the physical appearance at networking events.  Regardless of how often you are online, the people who have met you in person are the ones most likely to pay attention to your online banter.  So the question becomes how do you maximize your time, your online presence, … Read More

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Third Party Giveaways

April 5, 2012

We live in such a social world today – always online, reading, sharing, commenting and reviewing.  One way to draw attention to your business is with a giveaway.  Of course, you can do the giveaway yourself but if you want exposure to the most new potential customers, running a giveaway on a third party web site / blog is what you should do.  Take for example www.MomsinVegas.com – a newly launched local giveaway web site which showcases a new business … Read More

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Social Media Linking Tip

March 28, 2012

Do you ever get confused about what social media is linking to what?  I was updating all my feeds this morning and it can get confusing.  Here is a tip to help you stay organized!

Tip:  Keep a notebook just for your web information.  Each page represents a different web site or a different service.

Example:

Page 1:  www.cymglobal.com

Page 2:  Social Media Connections

Page 3:  www.youtube.com/cymlearntheweb

Page 4:  www.momsinvegas.com

…. and so on ….

Then write below the title … Read More

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Pinterest – A Hot Topic

March 15, 2012

We follow all new Internet technologies, especially promising social sites like Pinterest. Once you join Pinterest, you will notice a “feed” of images … those come from the Pinner’s you follow (and your pins show up on the “feeds” of the people who follow you). Pinterest also links to your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts, making it that much more powerful.

It is tons of fun and is in the process of exploding. We are helping our clients create and manage … Read More

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Silence

March 8, 2012

Some of the most awkward moments I have ever spent in a store was when there was no music.  Silence.

It is slightly uncomfortable to be in a room with the owner keeping one eye on you while going about his/her business.  Typically the experience stays in my mind and unless I am desperate, I don’t visit that store again.

Strange right?

What if this was the one thing that ten customers had on their mind and it is keeping … Read More

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Who Cares About Pinterest?

March 6, 2012

I care about Pinterest.  My clients care about Pinterest and if you have a business on the Internet, you should too!

First off – What is Pinterest?  Simply put it is an online bulletin board of photos, arranged on a board you create based on a subject.  As the “pinner” you get to comment on the pin and the image links to it’s original location (i.e. the business’s web site or product).

Check out my Pinterest to see how … Read More

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