Archives for September 2010

Link Shorteners and SEO

Today Google launched their proprietary link shortener, and there are a number of reason you should consider blending it into your social media networking and marketing – with SEO being one of them.

2010Sep30_Google QR Code

Why Do We Need Link Shorteners?

For the uninformed, link shorteners such as the Google shortener take links such as the permalink to my blog post from yesterday, which is about 98 characters, and shorten it to 18 characters. Here it is using Google’s shortener: https://goo.gl/TyiS

You can understand the primary value of link shorteners is to conserve space, especially when you are posting on Twitter, you can visit HighMark SEO Digital Marketing to undertand more what SEO is about.  In the early days of the social Web, there were just a few services for shortening links, with TinyURL being one of the first.

Today, link shorteners serve a number of purposes beyond just shortening longer links, with analytics being one of the most significant.  When you use the popular bit.ly link shortener, which is still my favorite, you get some great analytics that tell about your Web traffic.

Analytics and QR Codes

A little trick with any bit.ly url is to simply add the “+” sign after the link and plug that into your browser and you will get some nice analytics.  This is a great way to validate how much traffic your competitors websites are really getting.

If you think that’s cool, try this:  add “.qr” to a Google shortened link and you will generate a QR Code that will take you to the original link.  The QR Code above to my blog post from yesterday was generated in that way.  You can use the QR Code scanner on your mobile device to scan that code and it will take you to that post.

Here’s an earlier post I made that will help you learn more about QR Codes and how they are and can be used, including how to download the appropriate scanner (for free) for you mobile device, whether that be an iPhone or Android.

What This Means For SEO

Proprietary link shorteners provide valuable information that search engines use to attract advertising dollars.  This is why Twitter recently launched its own link shortener.  In addition to preparing to launch one of their own, Facebook has said they will start breaking the bit.ly links.

Why?  It’s all about aggregating and controlling data (with links being a vital source) that advertisers can use to find new customers.

As far as the Web is concerned, Google is still the major player in search.  However, Twitter is the king of real-time search and Facebook may well be the challenger to both Google and Twitter.  90% of Facebook’s revenue this year is from advertising – and that figure is expected to eclipse a billion dollars.

Facebook’s semantic search engine, which taps into the minutiae of data on your profile and behavior as you engage with friends, is arguably the future of search.  It allows advertisers to target an audience with unbelievable accuracy.

So Many Choices and So Little Time

One of the shortcomings of the Google link shortener, as compared to bit.ly, is there is no easy way to quickly copy and paste that link. It’s cumbersome to use.

Nevertheless, you cannot ignore Google’s dominance of search on the Web today.

My suggestion is to diversify to ensure you have equal coverage in all of these venues.  Just as you should wisely diversify your financial investments to minimize the risk of the unknown, I would suggest doing the same with your investment in your equally valuable small business marketing content.

That’s what I plan to do for now.

As I learn more, I’ll be sure to share my thoughts with you.

How about sharing yours with a comment.

If this has been useful, subscribe to the feed, or click on the Facebook LIKE button to share it with your friends.

Enjoy the weekend…

and don’t forget the film – The Social Network – premieres tomorrow! …Jeff 

Why You Should Love Facebook Like

If you are a marketer or small business owner, your best friends are those that are compelled to interact and engage, and otherwise Like your message. These consumers of your information are the heavy users that every marketer should be targeting. 

2010Sep29 Facebook Like Button

The Ideal Customer is a Heavy User

Years ago I was playing golf with a senior executive with McDonald's.  It was fascinating for me to learn how they approach their marketing, which for the most part completely ignores people like me.  I haven't dined at McDonald's in a very long time, but when I did, it was for the salads or a light breakfast on-the-go.

McDonald's is most concerned with the habits of the heavy user – those that eat at McDonald's more than once a day, and often up to a dozen times every single week!  They want to know every bit of demographic information they can about that consumer.

The Value of Friendships

And so do you.  This is why the Facebook Like button is so important to your information marketing. According to newly released statistics, those that Like your content are your heavy users – the ones that frequently stop by and freely share with their friends.   

It gets even better.  The average Liker of the information you work so hard to create typically has 2.4 times as many friends as the typical Facebook user.  That's right, birds of a feather flock together.  It stands to reason then that ever click of that button on your blog is gold!

This indeed explains why the Facebook Like button on this blog has increased my click-throughs by approximately 100%. And on certain occasions, I've noticed a spike of nearly 300%. You can imagine how much fun that is for this marketer to witness.

Like Attracts Like

The point is that sharing is one thing.  Liking is another. It may not be an order of magnitude (which would be a jump of 1000%), but I foresee a time when that is indeed possible.  Why?  Because friendly people that like to interact are most likely to associate with friends who share those same qualities.

You could even call this … Like attracts LIke!

Now for some demographics.  In general, those that click that Facebook Like button are younger. When it comes to reading news online, they average 34 years, as compared to the average age of 54 for the readers of print editions. 

I personally like knowing that I'm attracting a younger audience that will be around for a while, with new readers and subscribers filling in the vacuum that is created as they move up the ladder.  If you are planning for the long-term, this is a viable strategy for ensuring to your longevity.

It's certainly integral to the plan for my small business.

If this has been useful – be a friend and click on that Facebook Like button to share it with YOUR friends!

Until tomorrow, Jeff 

What's Inside Matters Most

In challenging economic times such as these, consider measuring your work against benchmarks of what is possible, as opposed to what is presently being done. This will help you avoid outside influences that will distract you from what matters most for your small business.

Read the full article

Free-for-All Web Marketing – Part 1

Freely sharing content on the Web is one of the most powerful methods of marketing available to your small business today. Yet, it is also one of the most misunderstood.

Read the full article

Productivity Simplified

Regardless of the type of work you do, you can simplify your productivity by focusing on the necessary elements: It’s a simple matter of managing your time, ideas, and the tools that work best for you.

Read the full article

Customer Driven SEO Leads You to Their Favorites

It is no coincidence that what is relevant to your customers is also what works to achieve higher search engine rankings with Google. This is why I always recommend small businesses optimize for their prospects and customers first, and for the search engines second.

Read the full article

I Agree with Mark Zuckerberg

When you make social into something that is nothing more than a check-box on a list, then you have lost the one thing that makes it social – YOU! It’s not a layer. It’s the foundation.

Read the full article

SAY What?

The handwriting on the wall is now etched in stone.  TypePad has been acquired by ad network VideoEgg. VideoEgg actually acquired Six Apart, which is the parent company of TypePad and Moveable Type. Moveable Type is the platform used by mega blog Huffington Post, as well as many others.  Does this mean changes for TypePad […]

Read the full article

Why Mobile Marketing is Essential for Your Small Business

Small businesses do not have the resources of larger companies, which is why they have to rely on what they do best – being flexible and maneuvering with greater speed. This is why mobile devices are ideal for capitalizing on your small business capabilities.

Read the full article

True Expertise Breaks Through to The Audience

When expertise is capably delivered to your audience, customers, or clients, it will be readily received, enthusiastically consumed, and more likely to be acted upon. And you will make a difference as a result.

Read the full article