8020 Small Business Marketing Blog

How Does Google Search Actually Work?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:33:00 GMT

This afternoon I was in a meeting discussing the pros and cons of Search Engine Optimisation. This company had a web site but paid very little attention to it as it had 'never worked'.

While both the owners grasped the need for a new design, I found it difficult to explain the need to make sure the re-design was search engine friendly. They couldn't understand you didn't need to pay Google to have page 1 rankings, and that you just needed to make sure your page was of a high enough quality for Google to place it in the first few results.

You know, as soon as I mentioned title tags and keyword research I could see them both about to nod off, so I got online and did a quick hunt to see if I could find a video on YouTube which made my monologue a little less...Boring.

This video was the answer and I've got to thank Matt Cutts from Google, as I walked out with a new contract and two happy and excited Ipswich business owners.

Although the video is about how Google finds stuff Matt really gives away some of the more important items to pay attention to when you're looking to make a page 'Google' friendly.

Pay really close attention after 1 minute 15 seconds as you get to hear about some of the more important items to focus on when you're getting your pages ready to be indexed by Google.

How To Track Mobile Visits To Your Website Using Google Anlaytics

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:11:00 GMT

I've been asked by a number of clients recently how to know if people are using those fancy-pants smart mobile phones to access their website. So, instead of just writing a lengthy post which, knowing my writing style, will just confuse you even more, I decided to record a video while I was setting this up for a client in their Google analytics account.

The video is less than 2 minutes long and downloaded from YouTube, so at the end there's a bit of promotion to visit this site...You see, I'm already starting to confuse you, so I'll just shut up and let the video do the talking.

If you've got any questions, you know what to do...just fill in the comments box below.

The Seven Types Of iphone User

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:58:00 GMT

This infographic pretty much sums up every iphone user, but they've got to have missed someone, maybe you? Let us know.

This has been supplied by AllAreaCodes.com - What a great way to create some buzz.

by All Area Codes

Keyword Research Creates Highly Targeted Visitors For Small business Owners

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:48:00 GMT

Imagine If you built a house without foundations, it would crumble into the dirt and you'd have to start over. Keyword research is the foundation you build your online business around.

Don't worry if you've already built your website without doing this first, most of the small businesses we help are in this situation. But if you're in the lucky position of not having started yet, this information will save you a great deal of money, time and frustration.

What keywords are and why they're so important

Keywords are words and phrases we type into the search engines to find 'stuff', it's really as simple as this. So if you can show up at the search engines for the keywords relating to your business you can make a lot of money and build a tremendous amount of consistent traffic.

Keywords are basically split into two camps:

Highly competitive 1 and 2 word phases like 'gardening' and 'garden supplies' which are called short tail keywords
Less competitive longer phases like 'kitchen garden supplies' and 'gardening centres in suffolk' called long tail keywords

Usually the longer the phrase the more targeted the searcher and therefore the easier to convert. The shorter the phrase the more search volume but also the more competition. Click the images for full view below.

{module_photogallery,6762,2,,12,300,200}

As you can see in the Long Tail example above for 'gardening centres in suffolk' there are 467,000 competing pages in Google's index. But in the Short Tail example for 'gardening' Google has over 43 MILLION competing pages.

So to rank on the first page of Google for either keyword, you've got to convince Google your page is one of the top 10 best results to show a searcher.

Are you beginning to realise it's not as simple as slapping up a few web pages and waiting for the rush?

Also notice with the keyword that mentions a place, in this case Suffolk, Google also shows a map with some Local results. This is another way to appear for regional results and absolutely free right now. Take a look at our Google local listings and promotions page for more details.

How to find keywords for your business

Finding words and phrases is a never ending process, I'm always on the lookout for words people use to describe my business I've not considered before. There are hundreds of ways to go about this - Speaking to clients, looking at your competitors' text and wordings, doing a brain dump with a pencil and paper, etc. These are things you should be on the lookout for all the time.

But above all of these there are tools you can use which not only give you the related words to your business, but also the number of times each word and phrase has been used at the search engines.

- it's a bit like walking down the street and every person who's interested in your 'stuff' has a big red arrow pointing at them...How easy would that make finding high quality prospects?

Again, for the professional optimisers out there are tools like Wordtracker and KeywordDiscovery, both paid products, which will be used in conjunction with Googles' free keyword research tool.

But the Google tool is so powerful you'll need to be doing some pretty serious number crunching to need the paid tools.

Below are two screenshots taken from the Google Keyword Tool

{module_photogallery,6763,2,,12,300,300}

You'll notice I've chosen 'gardening' as the keyword to research. In the first screenshot is the default result you will get back from Google, showing you all the keywords and the amount of times each one has been searched the previous month in Google.

In the second screenshot, I've chosen to show more information regarding the keywords:

How much you'd likely pay in positions 1-3 if you're using Google Adwords to drive traffic
What the keyword trends are for the particular keywords

To choose more options just select them from the drop down box just above the number 2 in the second screenshot.

What can you expect if you start to build targeted pages on your web site with keywords used at the search engines?

Below are three screenshots taken from the statistics package we use to track traffic to clients' sites. All three are from the same month so you know we're not just picking our best results. They show the number of visitors to each client site, (names removed for privacy purposes), and the proportion of the visitors sent free from the search engines.

Key:

Blue line is total number of visitors to each site
Yellow line is the number of visitors sent from the search engines after they typed in a keyword/phrase

{module_photogallery,6764,3,,12,220,80}

You'll notice all of the sites would only have a tiny trickle of visitors if it wasn't for the fact each site is being found at the search engines when people type in their keywords.

The other point to notice is the consistency of the traffic. Once you get high rankings the traffic just keeps coming month after month.

Get your keyword research and website blueprint

To make sure your website is set up for words and phrases people use on a daily basis at the search engines, let us build you a professional keyword list which will also act as your web site blueprint.

For more information please contact us on 01394 286263

Google Places Rankings - Looks like Google just changed the local playing field

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:14:00 GMT

Doing some updates on the google 7 box for local SEO clients this morning using my usual technique of checking the results in the main browsers - Firefox, Explorer and Chrome when I got these results...

Google Chrome: Keyword: photographers stowmarket

Internet Explorer: Keyword - Photographers Stowmarket

Then I tried another modifier 'wedding' and changed the location to ipswich. So the keyword became 'wedding photographers ipswich' and here is the result thrown up with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer:

As you'll have probably noticed, the map has been moved over to the right hand column, obscuring what used to belong to the top positions in Google Adwords (which I can only assume will create a massive drop in click through's for the people who had these positions).

In the left hand nav bar there's now a places icon, taking the searcher directly to the Places pages for that keyword.

And finally, the organic results and Place Pages have been blended together giving the local searcher an even more useful result as each one has addresses and telephone numbers. On some there's even photo's to draw the eye in.

Is this something Google is testing from one of their many datacentres. If it is there's a major shift in getting ranked on the horizon for local terms with Google Places Rankings now even more important for small local business owners.

Here's Some Friday Fun For You

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:20:00 GMT

If you're drinking tonight, don't say I didn't warn you...

And if you need some help after your binge, call these people...

Google's New SEO Starter Guide Is Live

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:27:00 GMT

Google has just updated their SEO Starter Guide for 2010, and It's pretty damn good for anyone who's new to online marketing and search engine optimisation.

It covers all the bases and includes chapters on:

SEO Basics
Site Structure
Optimising Content
Dealing with Crawlers

There are also sections on SEO for mobile phones and how to track all the changes you make.

If you want to know how the Googlebot works and grab some useful hints and tips to get your website ranking in the top ten, then this little gem will point you in the right direction.

It Just Gets Worse For Yellow Pages

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:09:00 GMT

I know this is not 'new' news anymore, but yellow pages has taken another dive from the hearts, minds and wallets of small business owners. According to a recent survey of 'micro-businesses' conducted by Vistaprint, only 11% say they'll be using them in the future and a whopping two-thirds say they have 'no interest' in using yellow pages for marketing purposes anymore. Take a look at the following image:

The survey was conducted last April from 1,100 of their customers. The stats are from Micro Businesses (10 or less employees) and the question they were asked was what marketing channels they were using now and which ones they'll be using in the future.

Notice how Yellow pages got the highest 'no interest reply' at 66%, with only 11% saying they planned on trying it in the next twelve months. These figures tie in really well with our own clients and many have now decided against Yellow Pages in the future and we are seeing a big move to more direct methods where the owner hasd greater control and management.

Another marketing channel worth mentioning is 'online advertising' where 19% say they'll try it in the next 12 months. Social Media (Facebook and twitter etc.) and 'online direct marketing' (email marketing) also scored pretty well and are high on many agendas.

It's definitely worth having a look at their survey as there are some other interesting results, but I'm pretty disturbed by the thought that 'friends and family' is the top reply when asked where they get their marketing advice, scary.

Here are the full survey results on Vistaprints Blog.

First Month Local SEO results for Ipswich car servicing centre are in

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:50:00 GMT

It's been just over a month now since we launched the new and improved website for Ipswich car servicing and repair garage, Landspeed. So I thought a quick update on the Local SEO work we're doing for them would be a good thing to cover...

That and the fact I've bought 2 more cars from them in the same time frame, so they're definitely on my mind and in my wallet :)

First page search engine results In 1 month

There are four main keywords we've decided to target initially; car servicing ipswich, car repairs ipswich, main dealer servicing ipswich and mot ipswich.

I'm glad to say Landspeed now ranks on the first page of Google and Yahoo for all four terms and are obviously number 1 for their name Landspeed. The amazing thing to understand though, is the fact the search engines are now the main marketing channel for the website. In other words, the Landspeed website is visited by more people who type in these phrases at the search engines than by any other source.

To put that in perspective for you, it's more than doubled the amount of visitors to their business in just ONE MONTH. Now doubling visitors to any website isn't that difficult, but when you consider the terms we're targeting, car servicing ipswich, car repair ipswich etc., these are not just visitors, they're highly targeted visitors and therefore convert at a much higher rate.

Getting in the top 3 positions will make these figures look laughable

It's a well documented fact in SEO circles the only places to aim for are the top three positions on Google for the simple reason the most people click these links.

I'm not talking a small amount either. In an eye tracking study conducted by Cornell University they found approximately 80% of all searchers click on the first three rankings and then it's like falling off the side of a mountain - The fourth result gets just 4% of the clicks.

As the top three positions are the most wanted, it's rare to be able to achieve this with just on page SEO, so now the game for Landspeed turns to link building.

In my humble opinion, building strong, one-way text backlinks from high quality sites is the single most important thing any website owner can do. You see, Google sees every link as a vote, just like the ones we're about to cast in the up coming election. So the site with the most and highest quality links pointing to their pages - Wins.

Sounds too simple doesn't it? It's often the simple things people overlook, which is why every one of our clients enjoy not only first page rankings on the main search engines, but top 3 rankings where the lions share of potential clients are.

If your website only has a trickle of visitors and you'd like to turn it into a torrent of high quality leads, find out more about our local search engine optimisation services.

Breaking news: Google launches translation for animals on Android

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:54:00 GMT

Google just keep on releasing application after application; Google Wave, Buzz and now Google Translate for animals.

This is breakthrough technology which allows you to translate a huge amount of animal noises and sounds into English, making it possible to literally talk to the animals.

Just head over to: http://www.google.co.uk/translateforanimals/

Landspeed Ipswich launch new website and are an instant hit at Google

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:48:00 GMT

Landspeed have undegone a massive change in the last few months and have decided to concentrate solely on car servicing, car repairs and MoT's. They'll still be able to find you a car at the best possible price using their car sourcing system, but their central Ipswich showroom is now full of exotic cars provided by Proveeda.

They're a friendly, enthusiastic bunch with all the experience and diagnostic equipment needed to compete with the main dealers but at much more wallet friendly rates, and I should know, they've been supplying and servicing my cars since 2001:)

This has led to the re-launch of their new web site which includes full lead capturing and automatic follow up using The Hub automated marketing system.

Their new car servicing site went live 4 days ago and Google already have them on the first page for the keywords we agreed to target, namely:

Car servicing Ipswich
MoT Ipswich and
Car repair Ipswich

Using the drag and drop web form creation wizard made it simple to create customised lead capture forms on each of the main selling pages, which automatically create a customer record in the back end CRM, making it simple to follow up with any future promotions and offers with just the click of a button.

Now we know the site has been set up properly for Google it's time to start stage 2 of their marketing, a link building program to make sure the pages already listed are soon in the first 3 places for maximum traffic and conversions.

Watch this space...

How Fresh is Your Marketing Message?

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:47:00 GMT

When was the last time you took a good look at your website?

I'm not talking about a loving glance at the pretty images and graphics you have on your home page, I mean when was the last time you looked through your whole site?

Nothing stays the same. Everything is changing including your company and your customers' needs. What was a great selling point six months ago may not be so relevant today.

Time for a spring clean

It's good business practice to review your web copy every six months or so. Not only will you have changing products and prices, but your customers will have new problems for which they'll be looking for answers.

A stale marketing message will turn your readers off faster than anything. If, when they look at your site, you are telling them the same thing again and again they are going to get bored and look elsewhere. You must ensure your key message moves with the times - after all you don't want to try and sell your customers flares when straight-legged jeans are all the rage.

How do I know what they want?

Knowing what problems your customers have is always going to be tough. So how do you ensure you're giving them what they want?

The simple answer is to ask them. A frequent survey of your customers to find out what they think of your products, how satisfied they are with them (and your service), and even whether they have any suggestions that can improve your product/service, is priceless.

You'll be gathering information directly from your consumers - how powerful is that?

If they tell you what they want and you act on it there's a pretty good chance you're going to sell shed loads!

If you're worried about motivating them to complete the survey, combine it with a free prize draw so they have a reason to respond. It doesn't have to be anything ridiculously valuable - perhaps 10% off their next order, a bottle of champagne - use your imagination, but it should be something that will appeal to your customers.

Shout about it

If this reasearch brings about big changes - new products, new services, new pricing structure, new website - let everyone know about it.

Send out an email to all your existing customers, send out press releases (both on and off line), mention it in your next newsletter...the possibilities are endless. One simple survey could result in a load of free publicity for your business.

By following these simple techniques you're going to be seen as a proactive company; one that listens to its customers and reacts to their feedback. This will help gain trust and bring in business through exisiting clients and referrals.

So make sure you diarise regularly to review your website. Survey your customers and keep one step ahead of your competitors.

Blogging Is The New Yellow Pages

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:29:00 GMT

5 Reasons why you should be blogging

Blogging is hardly a new concept. It's been around a number of years. At one time it was seen as the realm of the 'geeky techy types' (not wishing to offend anyone) but today it is something that everyone should be doing, especially if you are in business.

What blogging gives you is a platform from which you can discuss your opinions and impart information to the masses. And that's a lot of people. Consider for a moment the number of people using the internet today. There are millions of receptive ears and eyes out there ready and waiting to read your inner most thoughts.

Why should I blog?

That's an easy one - because it is the most cost effective and powerful way to market your business.

Today's market is different to the 'good old days'. People are far more savvy now and it takes more than a flashy looking advert or catchy strapline to make them part with their cash. Today it's all about relationship building and nurturing trust. After all, if someone doesn't trust you why would they want to buy from you?

You are probably sat there (especially if social media marketing hasn't 'got' to you yet) thinking you are perfectly happy with your Yellow Pages ads. Well, if that's the case, good luck to you. Just watch out for the stampeed of competitors who are dashing past you.

How much do you spend on your Yellow Pages advert every year (or its equivalent)? Is that really value for money? You might argue that it reaches a wide audience. Sure, it probably does, but how many of those people are likely to be potential customers? Advertising like that to the masses doesn't mean you will get an equivalent ROI.

By using social media and especially blogging, you will be writing and giving information about your particular field. The people who read your blog posts are interested in what you have to say (if they weren't they wouldn't have been searching for the content in the first place). Therefore the traffic that your blog will drive to your website will be targeted traffic - they are people looking for what you are offering.

Therefore your blog will be constantly delivering targeted traffic to your website. A constant stream of willing buyers - how powerful is that? Plus you don't have to stump up a heafty annual fee for the priviledge.

When you consider how many people are turning to the internet today to find service providers, the internet is where your company needs to be before it's too late.

Now, earlier I mentioned 5 reasons why you should blog, well, here they are:

1. Simple

Before you throw your hands in the air and claim to be a complete non-techy let me tell you something - you don't need any advanced technical knowledge to blog. Simply write about your industry, 'how to' articles, experiences, industry news etc.

2. Authentic

Your blog will be sharing information with your readers. You won't be overtly selling them something. Therefore this subtle marketing approach will help you build relationships with potential customers and elevate you to expert status in your field. If they can see you know what you are talking about they are more likely to come to you when the time is right for them to buy.

3. Free

That's a fabulous word, isn't it? Apart from the initial set up of your blog the only cost in running it will be time. Why pay for expensive off line ads (or online for that matter) when you can reach far more people (targeted people) through your blog?

4. Credibility

I touched on this one earlier. The idea of your blog is to impart your knowledge. People love to find out information on line. It might go against the grain to give away free information like this but just think how powerful it is. By giving help and advice you are building trust between you and your reader. You are building an association between your company name and a particular field - when they want to buy who are they going to go to?

5. Increase your marketing

Give your readers ways of subscribing to your blog (e.g. by RSS or email) so they can always be kept up to date. Build a marketing list by offering a newsletter (either through the blog or your main website). You can even use your blog to run an informal survey to guage your readers' interest in new ideas. Link your blog posts back to your main website to drive traffic to it.

I hope this post has whetted your appetite to dip your toes into the world of blogging if you're not already doing so.

Blogging will reach so many more people than traditional marketing methods. It will drive targeted traffic to your website and help your search engine rankings. GIve it a try - what have you got to lose?

Claim your free Google Business Listing before someone else does

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:51:00 GMT

Google Local is quickly replacing the Yellow Pages as the most used tool for finding local and regional businesses. Google has spent millions developing this service which remains free to all businesses right now but many unclaimed listings are being hijacked by spammers and crooks.

When you perform a local search at Google eg. 'accountants ipswich' the first results you'll see will be a map with local results to the right.

Because they appear at the top of the results page, they are an easy and highly effective way to drive quality visitors to your business - Whether you've a web site or not.

We've been working with local Ipswich companies and helping them claim their listings with some spectacular results, so if you haven't claimed your listing and want more customers this month take a look at our Google local business listings service.

Small businesses can't afford to ignore the internet anymore with proof like this

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:28:00 GMT

6.2 Billion searches performed online, in the UK, in December 2009

Take a look at these recently released search statistics from ComScore comparing 2008 to 2009.

In December 2009 there were 6.2 Billion searches performed in the UK, the vast majority of which were conducted at Google. This figure adds up to a massive 35% increase in searches performed in December of 2008.

...Someone's losing out.

We all know the Newspapers are having kittens about collapsing advertising revenues and Yellow page advertisers have noticed a big dip in the number of enquiries compared to the golden days of yesteryear, so getting to grips with marketing and advertising online is no longer an option for business owners, it's an absolute must, or face the consequences.

I know this sounds like a bit of a rant, and it is - This is too important to mess about with. This is happening right now and there's no sign of it slowing anytime soon.

If you were thinking of gettng round to optimising your website in 2010, don't delay. Here's a search engine optimisation case study where we helped our client increase her website traffic by over 6,100% and her return on investment is currently well over 10 times her outlay.