Facebook. Beyond its immense social networking power, its 500 million members, and the fact that its homepage is now the most frequented web page on the entire Internet, Facebook is a place where people share content; lots of content. Over 360 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook every single year. That’s around 1 billion individual posts daily, over 694 thousand posts every minute and just over 11,500 posts every second (for those who are counting). Oh, and it’s increasing all the time. Read More
The Facebook EdgeRank Algorithm
Monday, August 23rd, 2010SEO Friendly Fonts: Google’s New Font API
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Quite a few of us at 6S Marketing have a background in some aspect of web development, so when we come across something techy that benefits both SEO and webdev, we never shy away from the chance to geek-out a bit. Dealing with image-headers is one such case.
Style vs SEO-Friendly Semantics
Until very recently most web browsers only supported a handful of standardized fonts. If a web developer needed to use a unique font within a page, they were often forced to resorted to work-arounds such as embedding the font within an image file. This practice, most commonly associated with image headers, can be optimized with proper use of alt attributes and image file names, however we find that these two simple optimizations are often ignored. This presents a problem as search engines have historically had difficulty identifying the focus of image content when not accompanied by other optimization signals. Read More
SEO Tips: Google Page Speed
Monday, April 19th, 2010Have you ever Googled something, clicked on a promising result, and then been frustrated by being directed to a page that takes forever to load? When this happens to me, I almost always navigate away from the slow page and back to the search engine to browse for other results. A page’s loading time, also referred to as a page’s speed, has a serious impact on a user’s experience. And as providing positive user experiences is at the core of Google’s philosophy, page speed is now officially a ranking factor within Google’s search algorithm.
How To Rank In Google Local
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009If you have ever tried to list a business in the top few or so positions in Google Maps without success, you’re not alone. This can be a frustrating and fruitless effort on any Marketer or Business Owner’s part. Determining which information to include, how to best include the information, and where to include it can be a time consuming task.
This Whitepaper will cover the following topics:
- What is Google Local?
- Where Google validates & gathers business information
- How to create a proper & well optimized Local Business Listing
- How to create Local Business Ads in AdWords
- Mobile Ads for Google Maps for Mobile
- Global Recommendations
- Google Local Quality Guidelines
- Google Local Reporting Capabilities
- Conclusion
Download the Google Local Whitepaper »History
In March 2004, Google introduced Google Local, offering relevant neighborhood listings, maps and directions as a local search platform. This was Google‟s answer to “Localize” search results in the global search realm.
In February 2005, Google Maps goes live offering an even more advanced form of localized search with plotted business locations relevant to the type of business searched for.
Present
Three years later Google Local has combined with Google Maps to offer traffic information, transit information, street views, and the ability to serve both sponsored and free business listings.
What Is Google Local?
Google Local is a combination of Google Maps and localized business listings, search results & sponsored Ad serving. The two Ad serving components that make Google Local are:
- Google Local Business Center (LBC)
- Google AdWords
The Ads created in the LBC and AdWords are called Google Local Listings.
There are two types of Local listings that are served in Google Maps:
- Business Listings – Free business listings created in the Local Business Center. These can be used by those businesses that do not have a website.
- Business Ads – Sponsored (paid) business ads created in Google AdWords. Part of the AdWords Online Advertising platform, these Ads are for those businesses that do have a website.
To truly ensure maximum exposure online and full benefits of Google Local, it is recommended that both of these listing types be utilized.
For the full 6S Marketing Whitepaper on Google Local, 
Download the PDF
Emerging Trends in SEO
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 |
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| Download PDF Version Since search engines have never published their algorithms and are not likely to do so in the foreseeable future, the field of Organic Search Engine Optimization is usually furrowed by doubt and uncertainty. In this landscape the one guarantee is change. |
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Synonymous with Google as a household name, is the rise of search in today’s online marketing mix and this keeps SEO strategists constantly on their toes to stay ahead of the game. In July this year the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) reported that online advertising figures for Canada had risen 38% in 2007 from the previous year. This shows the increasing importance that marketers are placing on the web. Pertinently, the greatest growth in online spend was search.Earlier this summer Microsoft described its focus on search technology as ‘mission critical’ to reporters at Associated Press. Following a failed bid to buy Yahoo Inc, the software giant turned to Social Media data mining and persuaded Facebook to incorporate Microsoft’s Live Search engine into their site. Meanwhile other search engines are focusing on vertical fractures – like Ask.com’s 3D search (where relevant multimedia results are displayed in a panel without users leaving the page) or sites like Zillow which specialize in real estate, Avvo who deal with everything legal and Technorati – experts in the blogosphere. While the big guns battle it out for dominance and the lesser-knowns progress laterally, we can expect to see some dramatic changes on the search scene in the coming months. |
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| All this points to increasing weight and value being placed on the role of the Search Engine Marketer. And with the conversion rates between organic and paid results continuing to favor the organic listings, the pressure is on to anticipate and work with updates from the search engines.At 6S Marketing in Vancouver, staff strive to keep up to date with the emerging trends in organic search engine optimization. Here are six key areas in which SEO strategists focus. A six-point guide to SEO at 6S: Personalized SearchWhile personalized search is an established functionality, Google and the other search engines are competitively Geo LocationGoogle has long been logging users’ IP addresses and serving results based on where the searcher is in the |
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Link QualityThese days, more and more emphasis is being placed on the quality of link building. In 2003 when Google Search Functions on Social Networking SitesTechCrunch recently reported that Google is in final negotiations to buy Digg for about $200 million. Aside About The Author: John Blown is the Managing Director of 6S Marketing Inc., Canada’s largest Search Marketing Agency. As a
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Online Marketing in an Unstable Economy
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 |
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| Download PDF Version Experts and checkbooks around the world agree, the global economy is entering recession conditions accompanied by stock market behavior unseen since the 1930’s. Businesses across industries are being forced to tighten spending for fear that sudden movements in this thin ice environment will create the crack that sends their company into icy and unforgiving waters. |
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Out of the ashes, however, rise well-placed industries able to weather the economic storm, and perhaps even benefit. Online marketing is one such industry. Remaining strong as companies slash traditional marketing and advertising budgets, the strength of this niche industry highlights the benefits offered by online marketing that have set it apart, and at an advantage.
Economic WoesRecessionary trends across world markets have spiraled in recent months and show no signs of stopping soon. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that global economic growth is due to slow to 3.9% this year and be stunted an additional 3% in 2009, bringing economic activity to the lowest levels experienced since 2002. Despite the intervention of governments around the world to rescue economies in peril, numbers continue to dip in sales, equity value, and consumer confidence. US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has stated that despite an injection of $700-billion into the economy, an increasing number of firms that were previously stable are likely to fail in the months ahead. |
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Traditional Marketing and Advertising: Downward TrendsUnfortunately, the traditional marketing and advertising sectors are bearing the brunt of the current economic conditions budget cuts. Emarketer reports that 59% of marketing executives initiated a decrease in spending on traditional marketing in 2008 and 65% decreased budgets for traditional advertising. Additionally, the Newspaper Advertising Association of America reports that total newspaper advertising revenues fell by $3-billion in the first six months of 2008, marking the lowest level in 12 years. The Strength of Online MarketingIn stark comparison to the struggling traditional marketing sectors, online marketing firms have been steadily building market share for several years and are surprisingly unaffected by the current failing markets. Displaying a clear strength in a clearly chaotic business environment, both paid search and online advertising revenue have grown by 28% since 2007. Marketing Sherpa reports that 29% of medium to large businesses in Canada plan to increase their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) spending in the upcoming year. Explaining it AllDuring a recession, the initial instinct for most managers is to cut back on marketing expenditure – leaving them vulnerable to strategically minded competitors. But why shouldn’t they be strengthening marketing efforts to ensure market visibility when competition is tightest? -Businesses aren’t forgetting marketing completely, but simply being strategic about how and where they spend their money. Evidence reveals that the only areas in marketing avoiding the current budget cuts are online. The uncomplicated reason behind this is that marketers are not likely to cut budgets that drive sales efficiently with an attractive ROI. |
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| Online marketing is quite the opposite. Businesses who advertise online or use SEO can track and measure precisely how their company was discovered, the keywords used in a Google search, click through rates on advertisements, and direct sales results based on internet ads or searches. With this specific knowledge, tailoring campaigns to a particular market becomes easier and ROI can be easily monitored.
2. Flexible Messaging With traditional marketing and advertising methods, there are no second chances at making an impression or communicating a message effectively. Once an ad is placed and printed it is essentially permanent. Online marketing is a much more forgiving and flexible option. If it is shown that internet ads are not getting enough attention, companies can quickly and easily make strategic adjustments and reap the rewards. Changes to direction, strategy, and style can all be made with the click of a mouse. Using internet marketing, managers are able to ensure that their marketing strategy is in line emerging trends quickly and efficiently. 3. A Focused Approach Using traditional marketing, a business can purchase a magazine ad or bill board in hopes that in the right place and at the right time their message will convince a potential buyer to purchase or become interested in their product or service. This approach does produce some results, but suffers from inaccuracy and high inherent costs. Additionally, many consumers are used to traditional approaches, and tend to ignore them. Modern consumers change the channel during commercials, skip over ad space, and have essentially tuned out such passive advertising methods. Using internet marketing, a company can hone in on specific customers that are searching for a particular product or service. Rather than convincing a customer to try their product, internet marketing works to position a company as a resource for those consumers actually seeking their specific business offerings. 4. Cost Effectiveness SEO and internet advertising is quite cost effective in comparison with traditional marketing and advertising, especially taking into account the factors explained thus far. A comparison of costs shows that the creation and distribution of an offline leaflet/magazine typically takes between 16 – 23 days to develop and deploy, compared to 4 days for an electronic version. Pair this with the fact that response rates from electronic publications are typically higher (20%) in online promotion versus offline (5% – 7%) and we have a clear winner for the savvy marketing dollar. In the current economic conditions, more than ever, it is important to think strategically about where and how a marketing budget is spent. Those who understand this will be able to reap the rewards of greater market share when the economy eventually rebounds. With online marketing options showing marketers greater value, flexibility, and insight into the changing trends of the market, we can expect to see more companies advertizing online to help their firm weather the storm and succeed in the future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7659086.stm http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7660236.stm http://www.gannett.com/investor/data/2008/data0808.pdf http://images.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006621 http://www.iabcanada.com/newsletters/080703.shtml http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/tpcpa/feb2001/internet.htm
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