Which should it be: Pinterest or Google+?

Posted on 15. May, 2012 by in Blog, Freelance SEO copywriting, In-house Content Marketing, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Pinterest or Google+?

Both of these social networks have broken up the Twitter/Facebook monopoly. In the last year, Google+ has gained 100 million active followers and Pinterest has expanded rapidly to become the 3rd most popular social network.

Not surprisingly, marketers have taken notice. Making Google+ and/or Pinterest part of your social media strategy is a smart move. Based on their early performances, these social networks will be an integral part of an effective social strategy from here on out.

Choosing one or the other isn’t necessary – but it’s a smart move if you want more targeted social media marketing. Each social network has distinct user groups, specific benefits and a few drawbacks.

Taking a Look at the Stats

Understanding the difference between Google+ and Pinterest is as simple as looking at the stats for each social network:

What to know about Google+:

  • As of April 2012, Google reports that Google+ now has 170 million active users. (Google)
  • As of January 2012, American users spent an average of 3.3 minutes on Google+. (eMarketer)
  • Websites using the +1 button generate 3.5x the Google+ visits than sites without the button. (HubSpot)
  • Two of the biggest user groups on Google+ are college students and software developers. (Remcolandia)
  • 63% of Google+ users are male. (Remcolandia)
  • Over 40% of marketers report that Google+ is “useful to critical” for their business. (HubSpot 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report)
  • Google+ is expected to attract 400 million users by the end of 2012. (Remcolandia)

What to know about Pinterest:

  • As of February 2012, Pinterest had accumulated 10.4 million users. (AppData)
  • As of January 2012, American users spent an average of 97.8 minutes on Pinterest. (eMarketer)
  • As of January 2012, Pinterest accounted for 3.6% of referral traffic. (Shareaholic)
  • The top interests on Pinterest in the U.S. include crafts, gifts, hobbies/leisure, interior design, and fashion designers/collections. (Ragan.com)
  • 80% of Pinterest’s users are female. (comScore)
  • Pinterest referrals spend 70% more than visitors referred from non-social channels, including search, according to industry reports. (Wayfair)
  • With over 11 million unique monthly visitors (and counting), Pinterest became the fastest standalone website to eclipse the 10 million per month mark ever. (PR Daily)

The growth of both social networks has been impressive – but they clearly have different audiences and different benefits. In order to use one or the other effectively, you need to evaluate your goals.

Know What You Want from Social Media

Knowing your organization’s needs and capabilities for social media marketing will help you select between Pinterest and Google+.

Is your business targeted specifically toward a particular industry, job or gender?

Use the social network that your ideal clients are using. For example, if your target market is developers and other marketers, Google+ is a natural fit. For crafts based businesses, food related companies and products for a female audience; Pinterest would be a much better choice. Speak to the crowd by picking the right platform.

What Type of Traffic are You Seeking? 

Google+ has some unique search engine optimization benefits. Sharing your own links and resources can improve your quality score for your entire site. Having Google+ can enhance your chances for a higher search engine ranking.

Alternatively, Pinterest is a terrific referral traffic generator. If you have some interesting visual elements, product pictures or infographics that you want to spread across the social web, Pinterest is the way to go. Sharing visuals and images can bring more targeted visitors directly to your website.

Can You be Involved Enough to Make an Impact?

Before diving in, do you have the resources to manage another platform effectively? Although Google+ users spend less time on the site than Pinterest users do on their social media platform choice, both require investment and community involvement.

You can’t expect to start a profile, update it infrequently and reap any benefits. It’s better to be involved on a few platforms effectively than spread your resources too thin.

Pinterest vs. Google+ isn’t an issue that will go away anytime soon. With their meteoric rise in users and traffic potential, one or the other is worth your businesses’ time. It just depends on your target market, your traffic goals and your resources.

Do you use Google+ or Pinterest? Or both? Why?

 

About the Author – Courtney Ramirez

Courtney Ramirez is a proud graduate of the SuccessWorks’ SEO Copywriting Certification training program, and CEO of Six Degrees Content. She is passionate about helping small businesses compete with the big boys with skilled SEO copywriting and content marketing. You can connect with Courtney at her brand’s Google Plus page, Facebook, LinkedIn, and on Twitter @CourtneyRamirez.

Today is it: the SEO Copywriting Certification training program – the only online training independently endorsed by the SEO Copywriting watchdog, SEOpros.org – is raising its price! Grab some huge savings and sign up now! Tomorrow will be too late.

photo thanks to TheBusyBrain

 

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending May 9th

Posted on 09. May, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: This week’s latest and greatest Web writing news is about adaptation, whether it’s to changes in content, SEO/search or social media marketing. Google’s string of 52+ updates keep SEO & search pro’s dancing, content marketers take a hard look at their websites, and social media marketers respond to all the new developments in their field with a plethora of how-to’s.

So let’s turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes, shall we? Enjoy this week’s picks!

Content Marketing

In part two of her series on the “annual website cleanup,” Lyena Solomon details 2nd quarter analytics and usability audits at Net Sprinter.

Jason Amunwa pens “Help Your Website Sell More: 11 Overlooked Page Elements That Drive Online Sales” at KISSmetrics.

Beth Fox discusses how to make your content pop with five bullet point basics at Content Marketing Institute.

Pamela Vaughan posts “20 Simple Ways to Boost Blog Subscribers” at HubSpot.

Are you insane? It may help: Neil Patel discusses “How to Become a Blogging Superstar” at SEOmoz.

Dewane Muntunga shares “20 Content Marketing Ideas That Really Work!” at Conversion Cues.

Marketing Sherpa’s weekly Marketing Research Chart shows the results of its survey  of 1500+ marketers that answered: “What are the most valuable inbound lead sources?”

Events:

SEO & Search

Danny Goodwin summarizes the more notable updates (of 52+) that Google launched in April, besides the Penguin update and Panda “refreshes”, at Search Engine Watch.

Heather Lloyd-Martin’s weekly SEO copywriting YouTube post focuses on “SEO content strategies for Google’s Penguin Update,” at SEO Copywriting.

Eric Ward debates the definition of “unnatural” links and lists 15 of the most obvious examples with (his self-described link-bait title) “Can There Really Be 85 Types Of Unnatural Links?” at Search Engine Land

Aaron Wall presents a reality check on negative SEO with “Ha! Bullets Can’t Hurt ME” at SEOBook.

One of the original SEO copywriters, Susan O’Neil, discusses how she keeps her clients a step ahead of their competition with “disruptive innovation,” at SEO Copywriting.

Wasim Ismail interviews Heather Lloyd-Martin on SEO, the Penguin update, and more at his blog site.

Jenny Halasz continues her “Keyword Seed Method” series of how-to’s for beginners with “Time To Reap What You’ve Sown From Keyword Seeds” at Search Engine Land.

The source of the SEO industry’s “reputation problem” – “Google Perhaps” – is brilliantly explored by Aaron Wall at SEOBook.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

Cindy King’s weekly wrap of social media marketing news at Social Media Examiner features Google’s new set of social reports designed to “help you measure the impact of your social marketing initiatives and evaluate the effect social media has on your goals and commerce activities.”

Jason Falls posts “Why Forums May Be the Most Powerful Social Media Channel for Brands” at Entrepreneur.

Google v. Facebook, the mobile version: Greg Sterling cites comScore data in discussing the relative time spent on mobile channels with “Most Mobile Time Spent In Apps: Google Has Top Reach, Facebook Has Highest Engagement,” at Marketing Land.

Noting that highly visible box on the upper right hand corner of Google’s search results page, Newt Barrett posts “Why You May Be Screwed if You Don’t Take Google+ Seriously,” at Content Marketing Today.

Lee Odden discusses search and social optimization with “Is Your Optimization Meaningful or Mechanical?” at Top Rank.

Citing Bitly data, Danny Sullivan discusses optimum times for social sharing with “For Social Success, Post to Twitter & Facebook In Early Afternoons, Tumblr in Evenings” at Marketing Land.

Michael King (“iPullRank”) pens a detailed how-to on maintaining your social shares after a site migration, at Search Engine Watch

Events:

 

photo thanks to Thuany Gabriela

 

 

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending May 2nd

Posted on 02. May, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Of penguins and pandas…In this week’s latest & greatest Web-writing news, Google is yet again shaking up the SEO and search community with its latest Panda (3.5) update and webspam “Penguin” update. Meanwhile, content marketers run the gamut from the reality of mobile marketing to linking to email, and social media marketers get thoughtful (yet real) about the industry and that social ROI. Cuddle up with your favorite domestic animal and enjoy this week’s web gems!

Content Marketing

The data is in and the web is dead: Great read by Gini Dietrich on the (current reality and) inevitability of the dominance of mobile marketing platforms over the desktop PC with “The Web is Dead! Long Live Smartphones!” at Spin Sucks.

Angie Nikoleychuk discusses smart content marketing with “How to Boost the Success of Your Link Bait Before You Hit Publish” at Level 343.

Lee Odden shares “12 Timeless Link Building Tips for Business Blogs” at Top Rank.

Mitt Ray discusses how to write white papers and how to use them as part of your content marketing strategy at SEO Copywriting.

Roger C. Parker shares “3 Tips for Increasing your Content Productivity” at Content Marketing Institute.

Tim Ash discusses clarity in landing page design and content conversions with “Do Your Site Visitors Push Your Buttons?” at ClickZ.

So “Is Your Message Missing the Mark?” Jessica Collier discusses honing your landing page message for the best possible visitor experience at Ion Interactive.

Ian Lurie posts “10 ways to get into big trouble in marketing” (with skimping on content being #6) at Portent.

Need to feed the beast? Heidi Cohen discusses feeding the content development and marketing beasts with “7 Places to Find Cheap Content” at her blog.

Citing a study by Return Path, Pamela Parker discusses the incredibly promising new world of mobile email marketing with “Email Marketers Better Prepare For Mobile Opens, New Study Finds” at Marketing Land.

Illustrating with great examples, Corey Eridon posts “The 9 Must-Have Components of Compelling Email Copy” at HubSpot.

Running an email marketing campaign? Ashley Zeckman posts “Convert More Customers: Tips & Tricks For Running A/B Tests On Your Email Campaigns” at Top Rank.

Jeanne Jennings discusses a case study in which revising the email welcome message with a marketing message dramatically improved open and click-through rates, at ClickZ.

Smart all-around insights into content sharing and optimization are shared at TopRank Internet Marketing News with “Ask an Expert: How Can I Optimize My Online Content to Increase Shares and Exposure?”

Marketing Sherpa’s weekly research chart is on the imperative of content creation in improving SEO effectiveness.

The value of consistency (in showing up on your target market radar) is discussed by Seth Godin at his blog.

Did you miss BlueGlass LA? No worries – two different posts cover it in different ways:

The first, by Kevin Gibbons, “50 Tips & Takeaways from BlueGlass LA,” summarizes his tweets sharing on SEO and search to content marketing and much more, at SEOptimise.

The second, by Jason Miller, shares part one of two of “Ten Takeaways from Blueglass LA” (B2B perspective) at Marketo.

Events:

  • CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference begins next Tuesday, May 8th and runs thru the 10th, in Evanston, IL. The conference theme is “ Content Management Meets Content Strategy & Content Marketing.” A whole lotta content going down!
  • MarketingProfs University is offering a live, online “Marketing Writing Bootcamp” from May 10th thru the 23rd (with on-demand access to the recordings thru April of 2013). Use coupon code SUCCESS to save $200!
  • The Content Strategy Conference, ConFab 2012, scheduled for May 14th thru the 16th, is completely sold out, but you can catch live coverage via blogs, updates, and the @confab2012 Twitter stream.
  • Usability Week 2012 Conferences, hosted by the Neilsen Norman Group, are scheduled for May 14th thru the 18th in Washington, D.C., and for June 25th thru the 29th in Chicago.
  • Marketing Sherpa’s Optimization Summit 2012 will be held in Denver from June 11th thru the 14 th.
  • Marketing Sherpa’s B2B Summit 2012 will be held in Orlando, August 27th thru the 30th.
  • Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing World 2012 is scheduled for September 4th thru the 6th in Columbus, OH.

SEO & Search

A plethora of posts greets the SEO & search pro with the double-smackdown of Google’s Panda 3.5 (low quality) and Penguin (webspam) updates:

Danny Sullivan distinguishes between the Panda 3.5 (low-quality content) update and the Penguin (outright webspam) update -  including the winners and losers of Panda 3.5, and his correspondence with Matt Cutts – with a clarifying post at Search Engine Land.  (See source, Search Metrics, for the list of SEO visibility winners & losers).

Sullivan’s original post on Google’s Penguin update has some great background information: “Google Launches ‘Penguin Update’ Targeting Webspam In Search Results,” also at Search Engine Land.

Other enlightening posts on Google’s Panda 3.5 and Penguin updates include:

Aaron Wall’s decidedly no-bullshit take, “The Google Penguin Update: Over-Optimization, Webspam, & High Quality Empty Content Pages,” at SEOBook.

Bill Slawski’s “Google Praises SEO, Condemns Webspam, and Rolls Out Algorithm Change,” at SEO by the Sea.

Chris Crum’s “Google Panda Update: 12 Tips Directly from Google,” at WebProNews.

And of course, there’s Google’s own post by Matt Cutts, Distinguished Engineer, on the Penguin (and Panda) update: “Another step to reward high-quality sites,” at its Inside Search blog.

And for those who believe they’ve been wronged by the Penguin Update, there’s:

Danny Goodwin’s “Google Penguin Web Spam Algorithm Update Feedback Form Now Live,” where Matt Cutts is quoted announcing that you can plea your case or report a site that you think is spammy (“negative SEO”), at Search Engine Watch.

Pamela Vaughan’s “What to Do if Your Search Rankings Were Hurt by Google’s Penguin Update” at HubSpot.

And for those who believe they have been hacked by web spammers:

Citing Matt Cutts, Chris Crum reports that included in Google’s Webspam/Penguin update are sites that have been hacked by spammers (“The other kind of spam Google is dealing with”). An explanation and resources for help are at WebProNews.

Crum also reports on Google’s unprecedented move of sharing about the “human raters” in determining its algorithms, at WebProNews.

Asking what we all may be wondering, Bas van den Beld posts “Can We Still Trust Google?” at State of Search.

So how does the Google search engine actually work? Brad Kuenn explains at Vertical Measures.

Another great SEO 101 tutorial, on how to use HTML meta tags, is posted by Kristine Schachinger at Search Engine Watch.

For the more advanced, Ian Lurie shares “4 tips for technical SEO” (“for starters”) that every technical site audit should include, at Portent.

Lyena Solomon posts smart considerations for 1st quarter website spring cleaning, from SEO and PPC audits to cost-effective social media strategies, at NetSprinter.

Lars Lofgren discusses the four types of Google Analytics goal types that are essential to businesses, at KISSmetrics.

Beyond SEO lies WPO? Krista LaRiviere discusses the all-inclusive “WPO” with “The Hierarchy of Web Presence Optimization” at gShift Labs.

Tim Schmoyer posts the ReelSEO summary for the week with YouTube Changes, Google Indexing Embeds & Adwords for Video – with a video about Google addressing “discovery problems” on YouTube.

Vanessa Fox discusses the expansion of search query data to 90 days using Google’s Webmaster Tools, and kindly offers a refresher, at Search Engine Land.

Josh McCoy discusses SEO competitive analysis with “3 Pillars of SEO Competitive Analysis” at Search Engine Watch.

Julie Joyce posts “Why Link Builders Need To Do More Than Just Build Links” at Search Engine Land.

Sujan Patel posts “Social Shares: The New Link Building” at Search Engine Journal.

Garrett French posts “How Limiting Your Google Queries Makes You a Better Link Prospector” at Search Engine Watch.

Ian Lurie discusses enterprise SEO with “Easy SEO Wins For Big Sites” at Search Engine Land.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

Mark Lazen pens an insightful read, “Right-sizing your Social Media Management Process,” at Social Media Today.

Level 343’s Gabriella Sannino discusses community building and “friends” with “Stop Everything You’re Doing In Social. You’re Fired.”

Sam Ford posts “6 New Maxims For Social Marketing” at Fast Company.

Josh Peters posts “60 Minutes to a More Efficient Social Business Strategy” at Mashable.

Kate Rose posts “5 Reasons Social Media Isn’t Working For You – And How To Fix Them” at business2community.

Bas van den Beld asks if social media activity can really boost rankings, sharing a fun infographic, at State of Search.

eMarketer posts “For Brands, Social Media Shows Returns but Measurement Hurdles Remain.”

Brian Solis discusses Frank Eliason’s book, @Your Service, with “Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.”

Rachelle Ayala posts the “Seven Sins of Social Networking” at Rachelle’s Window.

Mike Lewis posts “Evolving Social Media Analytics: Insights from Marshall Sponder” at Social Media Today.

If you can’t beat ‘em? In an interesting twist, “Flickr Teams With Pinterest For Easy Sharing & Proper Attribution,” reports Greg Finn at Marketing Land.

So Facebook is about to raise $5 billion from investors. It gets even more interesting with Jeff Bullas’ “20 Interesting Facts, Figures and Statistics Revealed by Facebook.”

Brittany Darwell reports that “Facebook says it sent more than 160 million visitors to Facebook-integrated mobile apps last month,” at Inside Facebook.

Hide and go Facebook tab seek? Nancy McCord posts “Facebook Business Pages – The Hidden Tabs – Can You Find Them?” at SiteProNews.

Ann Smarty discusses how to analyze your tweeting style from the readers’ perspective with 3 “addictive” tools at Internet Marketing Ninjas.

Dan Zarrella discusses the free Twitter tool, TweetCharts, which allows you to analyze Twitter data for any search term (and more), at HubSpot.

Nisha Kaushal posts “Why Twitter Needs to Change to Keep Up with Social Media Marketing” at Webbiquity.

Harry Gold posts “27 LinkedIn Social Media Marketing Tactics” at ClickZ.

Stephanie Sammons shares “5 Tips to Build and Grow Your LinkedIn Network”  at Social Media Examiner.

Events:

Would you like to know more about writing for Google?  (This is especially important since their latest algo update, Penguin, just rolled out.) Simply visit the SEO Copywriting Buzz page, and sign up to receive either the daily or weekly newsletter (or both), and receive Heather’s “How to write for Google: 25-point checklist” whitepaper, free!

photo thanks to cnystrom (Chris Nystrom)

 

 

How to use the rule of 3 to supercharge your writing

Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by in Blog, Conversion writing, Freelance SEO copywriting, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Greetings! You’re in for a fun treat: learning all about the secret awesome sauce of powerful copywriting, held dear and effectively applied by marketers, advertisers and speech writers alike…the rule of three.

Described in detail by Heather in this week’s SEO Copywriting how-to video, once you learn about this tip, you’ll think “Oh my goodness – this is EVERYWHERE!” And it is, because it is a tried-and-true strategy that has stood the test of copywriting time.

Tune in as Heather explains what the rule of three is, and shows you how to employ the rule of three in your Web writing, from creating killer benefit statements to engaging taglines to fantastic web copy…

What’s the “rule of three”?

What we know collectively as copywriters is that grouping things in threes tends to provide a greater impact, and when speaking it tends to roll off the tongue easily. This is something that speechwriters and marketers have been using since the beginning of copywriting time.

  • Grouping things in threes provides a greater impact – and makes the list easier to remember.
  • Old school marketers have been using this technique since the beginning of copywriting time (and speech writers, too!)

So if you think about the advertising messages or slogans out there, you see this rule of 3 happens everywhere:

  •  “Just do it” – Nike
  • “Tune in, turn on, drop out” – Timothy Leary
  • “Blood, sweat and tears” – The band, and the saying
  • “Words and phrases and clauses” – Conjunction Junction

Heather had to use the little screenshot from “Conjunction junction,” because if you grew up in that generation then you know the lyrics, “Words and phrases and clauses.” Again, the rule of three is used to make something stick in the readers’ or listeners’ minds.

So here are some ways that you can edge this rule of three into your copy….

Use three benefit statements

One of the first ways you can incorporate the rule of three in your copy is to use three main benefit statements. While this is especially applicable to your home page, it is actually something that you can do on your other web pages as well.

  • Rather than listing a bunch of benefits, limit yourself to your top three heavy-hitters.

The screenshot example shown here is from You Need A Budget (YNAB). As you can see, on their home page they have three main benefits bullets:

  • A Proven Method
  • Amazing Software
  • Free, Live Classes

So all of the benefits pop! They stand out, and as readers it’s really easy for us to quick-scan the page and see exactly what’s in it for us.

Create a “rule of three” tagline

  • Can you distill your company’s essence down to three main statements? Sure you can!

So here we have an example from GAIAM, with their tagline:  “live | learn | grow.” And Mind Body’s tagline:  “Love your business.”  See how well that those three-word groupings slide off the tongue, and provide a powerful impact?

Again, this is something you can do for your own business and for your clients’ businesses!

Think in threes when you write your copy

The third thing to remember is to think in threes when you write your content:

  • There are lots of ways to structure your copy so that you’re able to really leverage the rule of three.

So for example, here we have 37 Signals, presenting their web content in three main points: “Frustration free web-based apps for collaboration, sharing information, and making decisions.”

Another great example is from Despair, Inc. – Heather loves their demotivational posters. Again, we see three concise main points: “Demotivational Posters. Invented here. Perfected here.”

And even looking at Google’s copy, where they’re promoting Google Drive, they use three main bullet points: “Create and collobarate,” “Store everything safely,” and “Search everything.”

So again, once you’re hip to this rule of three, you will notice that it is everywhere – in advertising messages, in books, in magazines, and in speeches – and again, this is something that you can use in your own copy to help that copy pop and make a greater impact.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s SEO Copywriting how-to! If you have any questions or topic ideas for Heather, let her know: you are encouraged to email her [at] heather@seocopywriting.com or tweet her @heatherlloyd. See you next Monday!

Would you like to know more about writing for Google?  (This is especially important since their latest algo update, “Penguin”,  just rolled out.) Simply visit the SEO Copywriting Buzz page, and sign up to receive either the daily or weekly newsletter (or both), and receive Heather’s “How to write for Google” whitepaper, free!

photo thanks to lrargerich (Luis Argerich)

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending April 11th

Posted on 11. Apr, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Mystery…suspense…who dun it…and why? In this week’s latest and greatest Web-writing news, SEO & search pro’s suspect a sneaky weekend Panda update is behind maimed rankings, social media marketers investigate why Facebook really bought Instagram, while content marketers (not so mysteriously) talk up blogging and email marketing. Many twists & turns in this week’s episode – end the suspense with these satisfying selections! Enjoy…

Content Marketing

Kaila Strong discusses quality lead generation (part 1) via content – and understanding it – at Vertical Measures.

From a B2B perspective, balancing lead generation quantity with quality is posted at Marketo.

Also in the B2B vein, Lee Odden posts “5 Ways to Win with B2B Content Marketing & Social Media” at Top Rank.

Good content creation eluding you? Heather Lloyd-Martin shares strategies for recovering your writing mojo with “How to write sizzling Web content, every time” at SEO Copywriting.

Hugo Guzman posts a thoughtful read on broadening your marketing perspective with “The evolution of digital marketing expertise.”

Marketing Sherpa features email marketing in its weekly research chart with “Email marketers who quantify ROI are in the minority.”

Nathan Richter shares four ways to use email to improve website conversions at ClickZ.

Citing a recent customer survey conducted by ExactTarget, Cynthia Boris posts “When it Comes to Sharing, Email Still Rules,” at Marketing Pilgrim.

Christine Dunn makes the case that “Email is Still the Best Way to Share Content Among Consumers and Businesses” at Content Marketing Institute.

On the fence about blogging? Gabriel Gervelis presents analytics data in favor of blogging, as well as time-saving tools, at Search Engine Journal.

Anna Ritchie pitches “The Ultimate Guide to Blogging,” available as a free download, at Content Marketing Institute.

More resources for blogging are at KISSmetrics, with a nicely segmented list of “44 Must Read Resources on Content Marketing.”

Ann Smarty shares her “guest article quality assurance flowchart” at MyBlogGuest.

Neil Patel posts “10 Lessons Seth Godin Can Teach You About Blogging” at QuickSprout.

Seth Godin discusses the growing phenomenom of “twitching” in the accelerated world of the social internet.

Lauren Sorenson posts “Why Marketers Should Invest in Visual Content Creation” at HubSpot.

Barbara Apple Sullivan discusses the relatively new marketing practice of “mobile brand engagement” at iMedia Connection.

Jakob Nielsen discusses the two different designs required for a good user experience (mobile vs. desktop users), and shares “cross-linking to make it all work.”

Roger Dooley discusses gamification and the psyche’s reward system with “Juice Your Marketing with Dopamine” at Neuromarketing.

Brendan Cournoyer posts “3 Things to Look For when Hiring a Journalist for Content Marketing” at Content Marketing Institute.

Writing a marketing ebook? Pamela Vaughan shares “11 Essential Elements of a Well-Designed Marketing Ebook” at HubSpot.

Events:

  • iMedia Connection has scheduled its iMoms Summit for April 22nd thru the 25th in Orlando, FL.
  • MarketingProfs University is offering a live, online “Marketing Writing Bootcamp” from May 10th thru the 23rd (with on-demand access to the recordings thru April of 2013). Use coupon code SUCCESS to save $200!
  • The Content Strategy Conference, ConFab 2012, scheduled for May 14th thru the 16th, is completely sold out, but you catch live coverage via blogs, updates, and the @confab2012 Twitter stream.
  • Usability Week 2012 Conferences, hosted by the Neilsen Norman Group, are scheduled for May 14th thru the 18th in Washington, D.C., and for June 25th thru the 29th in Chicago.
  • Marketing Sherpa’s Optimization Summit 2012 will be held in Denver from June 11th thru the 14 th. Register by April 30th for early bird savings of $300!
  • Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing World 2012 is scheduled for September 4th thru the 6th in Columbus, OH.

SEO & Search

An Easter surprise from Google? As reported by Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable (Webmaster World thread), dozens of SEOs and webmasters noticed significant “changes in Google referrals” (i.e., up to 40-percent dives in traffic) over the weekend, fueling speculation of a quiet (but dramatic) update.

Chris Crum elaborated on the suspected Google update at WebProNews, with “Google Update Suspected by Webmasters Losing Traffic,” noting a Panda “refresh” update may be the culprit.

Turns out that the big G was indeed the butler who did it: Clarissa Sajbl reports that Google is “focusing on foul links and link-building strategies” and site/page over-optimization with “Google’s Latest Panda Roll-Out: April 2012: The Basics” at State of Search.

Really? Danny Goodwin reports that according to a U.S. poll (ABC News/Washington Post), Google is “loved” more than Apple, Facebook, and Twitter – at Search Engine Watch.

Matt McGee reports that besieged search giant Yahoo is undergoing a company-wide restructuring and that its search stays alive, “at least on paper,” at Search Engine Land.

Eric Ward warns of signs of over-optimized linking in light of Google’s over optimization penalty, also at Search Engine Land.

Stoney G. DeGeyter also discusses Google’s over-optimization penalty – asking if you’re ready for seven “what-if’s” – at Search Engine Journal.

Aaron Wall posts his interview with Internet Marketing Ninja Jim Boykin on “… links and the changing face of SEO….” at SEObook.

Danny Sullivan takes a look at Google’s “project glass” – “Google’s Siri For Your Eyes” – embedding its video on the product, at Search Engine Land.

Bill Slawski discusses how Google might index “link behavior” information at SEO by the Sea.

Dr. Pete entertains the question “What’s Better – On-page SEO or Link Building?” at SEOmoz.

Rand Fishkin suggest five “Non-Intuitive Search Queries & Resources for Link Building,” also at SEOmoz.

Long-tail SEO and the overall success of an SEO campaign are the subject of Ray “Catfish” Comstock’s post, “4 SEO Recommendations to Target the Long Tail,” at Search Engine Watch.

Nick Stamoulis discusses five key indicators that your SEO campaign is working – from a long-term, big-picture perspective – at SEO Copywriting.

Bharati Ahuja discusses the key quality factors influencing your search presence with “Forget The Keywords And Focus On The Keyness Factor Of The Content” at WebPro Tech.

Level 343 talks about the preventative care of your website, providing helpful details down to coding issues, with “Proofing for Problems: SEO and Web Development.”

Kerry Dean gets down to the basics of sound SEO and site optimization with “In This Bright SEO Future, Don’t Forget The Basics,” at Search Engine Land.

Ben Goodsell posts a how-to on getting the most out of SEO extensions and add-on’s at Search Engine Watch.

Lars Lofgren discusses “8 Google Analytics Features Every Site MUST Have Enabled” at KISSmetrics.

Jonathan Allen posts the delightful “Personalized Search, Clients from Hell and How Not To Be An SEO” – the three winning animation shorts from Linkdex Stories’ competition, plus his own – at Search Engine Watch.

Speaking of Search Engine Watch, it provided some exceptional coverage of SES New York sessions, including:

  • “Integrated Marketing: Why Search Needs a Large Seat at the Table,” by Eric Enge.
  • “Competitive SEO Analysis: Data, Creativity & Understanding the Competitive Landscape” by Derek Edmond.
  • “7 New Ways to Think About SEO & Converged Media Metrics” by Andy Betts.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

Josh Constine and Kim-Mai Cutler report on Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, turning “its budding rival into its standalone photo app,” at TechCrunch.

Citing Mark Zuckerberg’s own blog post, Om Malik goes beyond the headlines with his insight into the real reason Facebook bought Instagram at GigaOm.

ClickZ’s Christopher Heine reports that Facebook’s Instagram purchase was to boost its mobile strength.

At TheNextWeb, Harrison Weber predicts that Google’s response will be to buy an Instagram competitor (“and fast”).

At Mashable, Joann Pan discusses the (free) photo app, Pinweel, as an alternative to Instagram.

“LinkedIn Group Search” headlines Social Media Examiner’s weekly news.

Citing Experian’s new 2012 Digital Marketer study, Search Engine Watch reports that Pinterest is now the third most popular social network (behind Facebook at #1 and Twitter, #2).

Kailei Richardson answers marketers’ questions about Pinterest, beginning with what the social platform is to begin with, at iMedia Connection.

Michael Gray discusses “Why Website Owners Should Be Using Pinterest” at his blog.

Bryden McGrath posts a how-to on uploading more original content to Pinterest (and discusses copyright issues) at Portent.

Discussing Facebook’s upcoming IPO, Mark Schaefer posts “Why Facebook will become the most dangerous company on earth” at {grow}.

Jason Keath releases “The 2012 Facebook Advertising Report,” based on a group survey effort, posting the results via infographic and offering a free download at Social Fresh.

Brian Solis reports that “Brands Give Facebook F-Commerce an F” at his blog.

Miranda Miller pulls some valuable insights from Social Media Examiner’s industry survey with “The 5 Ws of Social Media Marketing: Industry Survey Insights,” at Search Engine Watch.

Also taking a deeper look into the SME industry survey is Gini Dietrich, focusing on local search and Google, at Spin Sucks.

Shelly Kramer posts a sharp read, “Data and Contextual Analysis: The Road to Good Decisions,” at V3 Integrated Marketing.

Kristi Hines posts “Measuring Socia Media ROI & Goal Conversions with Google Analytics 5” at unbounce.

Debra Donston-Miller posts “5 Social Media Metrics That Matter Now” at The Brain Yard.

Jenn Deering Davis discusses “5 Essential & Easy Social Media Metrics You Should Be Measuring Right Now” at KISSmetrics.

Matt McGee posts “How to Find Your Customers on Social Networks” at Small Business Search Engine Marketing.

Brian Solis posts “Meet Generation C: The Connected Customer” at his blog.

Marcus Sheridan shares “5 Creative Tips to Increase Blog Traffic and Boost Your Business” at Social Media Examiner.

Matt Nicholson posts “How to Shield Your Brand’s Social Reputation” at Jeff Bullas’s blog.

Ashley Zeckman shares “5 Tips for Taking the ‘FUD’ out of Twitter for Employees” – fear, uncertainty and doubt – at Top Rank.

So “How Followable are You on Twitter?” Matt McGee poses the question to small businesses at Small Business Search Marketing.

Finally, Debby Hemly posts “26 Elements of a Gamification Marketing Strategy” at Social Media Examiner.

Events:

 

Don’t miss a post! we’re now offering our readers the option of a daily email alert so you can be notified of our blog posts as soon as they’re published! Sign up at dailySEOCopy@aweber.com to receive your reminder that your dose of SEO Copywriting’s tips, expert interviews, or weekly industry news awaits you. No post that day, no email for you.

 

photo thanks to rberteig

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending April 4th

Posted on 04. Apr, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Information is power: In this week’s latest and greatest Web-writing news, marketers are handed volumes of information garnered from the latest industry research and surveys. SEO and search pro’s face some 50 Google updates, social media marketers digest the latest industry survey report, while content marketers examine every which way to better their business. These powerful pearls of info (and much more) await you like goodies in an Easter basket…enjoy this week’s yummy picks!

Content Marketing

So are you making these mistakes with your content? Level 343 goes beyond the usual posts about copywriting errors with an in-depth look at content snafu’s that happen to the best of us.

Lee Odden answers 12+ business blogging and community building questions (from twitter chats) at Top Rank.

Jeff Freund discusses strategic site content optimization with “A brand’s guide to content marketing” at iMedia Connection.

E-marketers should note a recent eMarketer article, discussing the importance of opt-in in creating loyalty.

Struggling with sales content? Heather Lloyd-Martin posts a 3-part video guide on “how to write killer sales copy” at SEO Copywriting.

Carl Friesen discusses how to use opinions to create powerful content at Content Marketing Institute.

Carol S. Valdez posts 4 steps to repurposing content (& looking sharp!) with “Repurpose Web Content Like a Fashionista” at Shelly Bowen’s pybop.

Ken Lyons posts “63 Free (or Almost Free) Ways to Market Your Business” at Search Engine Watch.

Seth Godin discusses “The essential question to ask before extending your brand.”

Reb Carlson interviews JESS3’s CEO Jesse Thomas and designer Tiffany Farrant-Gonzalez about turning dirt-dull company data into compelling visualization at The Content Strategist.

Are you in the cloud? MarketingProfs asks if your business needs a cloud broker.

Ann Smarty shares a summary of her latest #myblogguest Twitter chat that turned into a real-time group brainstorming session of content ideas for various niches, at My Blog Guest.

Jack Aaronson pens the delightful “You Can’t Cure Stupid: When It’s OK to Lost Customers” at ClickZ.

Ahava Liebtag  posts “5 Questions to Ask before Jumping on the Infographics Bandwagon”at Content Marketing Institute.

Events:

  • iMedia Connection has scheduled its iMoms Summit for April 22nd thru the 25th in Orlando, FL.
  • MarketingProfs University is offering a live, online “Marketing Writing Bootcamp” from May 10th thru the 23rd (with on-demand access to the recordings thru April of 2013). Use coupon code SUCCESS to save $200!
  • The Content Strategy Conference, ConFab 2012, scheduled for May 14th thru the 16th, is completely sold out, but you catch live coverage via blogs, updates, and the @confab2012 Twitter stream.
  • Usability Week 2012 Conferences, hosted by the Neilsen Norman Group, are scheduled for May 14th thru the 18th in Washington, D.C., and for June 25th thru the 29th in Chicago.
  • Marketing Sherpa’s Optimization Summit 2012 will be held in Denver from June 11th thru the 14th
  • Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing World 2012 is scheduled for September 4th thru the 6th in Columbus, OH.

SEO & Search

Citing Google’s 50 March (“search quality”) updates, Matt McGee summarizes the more salient points at Search Engine Land.

Following up on “Women who made SEO great,” the second wave of outstanding women leaders in the SEO & search industry are featured at SEO Copywriting.

At Search Engine Watch, Greg Jarboe posts SEW’s “Exclusive Interview on Search Industy Issues with Sloof Lirpa,” the reclusive founder and director of the Sloof Lirpa Center for the Study of Long Tail Profitability.

Search Engine Land posts an insightful read that takes an in-depth look at the “SoLoMo” trend, with “The Golden Triad Of Search Marketing: How To Leverage It For Massive Success.”

David Gould posts a creative read on “What ‘Draw Something’ Teaches Us About Website Optimization” at Vertical Measures.

Summarizing participants’ Twitter feedback from the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, Jim Sterne posts “Today’s 5 Top Analytical Problems” at ClickZ.

Avinash Kaushik posts “Multi-Channel Attribution: Definitions, Models and a Reality Check” at Occam’s Razor.

Econsultancy has released a new report examining the customer journey across multiple, interrelated marketing channels, Marketing Attribution: Understanding the Value Across the Customer Journey.

Jenny Halasz continues her series for SEO beginners with “How To Develop A Keyword Plan” at Search Engine Land.

For those in retail, Dan Morrison posts “keyword expansion resources and strategies,” also at Search Engine Land.

MarketingProfs posts the brief, basic “3 Ways to Know Your SEO is Working.”

For the techie/advanced SEO, Daniel Butler gives “the lowdown on structured data and Schema.org” at SEOmoz.

In his weekly Q&A video, Arnie Kuenn explores the question of whether Google+ will play a big role in future search results, at Vertical Measures.

Eric Ward posts the sharp “Dark Side of the Links: It’s All Fun & Games ‘Til Google Catches On” at Search Engine Watch.

Sujan Patel lists the 15 best link-building tools at Search Engine Journal.

Craig Bradford posts a helpful, no-nonsense guide to building passive links for those without the luxury of a link-building budget at SEOmoz.

Josh McCoy weighs in on the linking discussion with “Internal Linking, the Other Linking” at Search Engine Watch.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Examiner has released its fourth annual social media marketing industry survey (2012) in which “…more than 3800 marketers reveal where they focus their social media activities, how much time they invest and what the rewards are,” states Michael Stelzner. The 42-page report is available for (free) immediate download thru April 19th.

Lee Odden discusses highlights from the SME 2012 industry report (above) at Top Rank.

Cheryl Burgess invites leading marketing experts to weigh in on what constitutes a social brand, sharing their insights at Blue Focus Marketing.

Mack Collier asks what the difference is between a brand advocate and a brand ambassador at his blog.

Brian Solis posts “The 6 Pillars of Social Commerce: Understanding the psychology of engagement” at his blog.

Jeff Bullas discusses “Why Content is the Foundation of your Social Media Marketing” at his blog.

Gini Dietrich posts the (important and) insightful “Five Things to Watch Out For as Facebook goes Public”at Spin Sucks.

Citing a recent report from Simply Measured, Greg Finn reports that Facebook’s Timeline yields a 46-percent higher engagement per post, at Marketing Land.

Corey Eridon debates Pinterest vs. Google+, asking which of the new social networks is worth marketers’ time, at HubSpot.

Eugen Oprea posts a helpful, step-by-step how-to on tracking social media traffic with Google Analytics at Social Media Examiner.

Matt McGee reports that Twitter’s new guide for small businesses is “pretty good,” at Small Business Search Engine Marketing.

Jon Elvekrog shares four smart Twitter tactics for brands at iMedia Connection.

Five reasons why LinkedIn is boring – but in a good way -  are discussed in a guest post by Anthony Juliano at Convince and Convert.

“LinkedIn Networking Gets Easier” headlines Social Media Examiner’s weekly news.

Finally, another great post by Brian Solis: “Survival of the Fitting: 10 important tenets to survive Digital Darwinism.”

Events:

 

Don’t miss a post: we’re now offering our readers the option of a daily email alert so you can be notified of our blog posts as soon as they’re published! Sign up at dailySEOCopy@aweber.com to receive your reminder that your dose of SEO Copywriting’s tips, expert interviews, or weekly industry news awaits you. No post that day, no email for you.

 

photo thanks to uberculture (Jeremy Noble)

 

 

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending March 14th

Posted on 14. Mar, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

The spring equinox is just around the corner –  have you noticed its telltale manic weather in your locale? Perhaps reflecting the March madness is this week’s latest and greatest Web writing news, as it defies any coherent, unifying thread!

Content marketers are all over the map with talk about blogging, e-mail design and more, while SEO and search folks run the gamut from detailed how-to’s to overarching thought pieces, and social media marketers discuss everything from YouTube to authority to social link graphs…name it, it’s being chatted up…So hang onto your hat and enjoy an early spring blast of news & links!

Content Marketing

Lee Odden discusses how to increase your blog traffic, readership and community at Top Rank.

Chris Tynski posts 35+ tips and tools for mastering blogger outreach at BlueGlass.

So are the content needs of your audience caught in your blind spot? A sharp read by Mark Burgess at Blue Focus Marketing.

Here’s a bright thought: using data to find those most likely to “click” is posted by Gabe Donnini at Marketing Land.

Wayne English posts a how-to on using “sound” reputation management as a way to respond to negative feedback at Content Marketing Institute.

Julie Perry answers three common questions about creating web videos for online marketing at Target Marketing Magazine.

Jeff Bullas lists nine “awesome” reasons for using infographics in your content marketing at his blog.

One fish, two fish… What Dr. Seuss can teach you about copywriting is artfully penned by Heather Lloyd-Martin at SEO Copywriting.

Marketing Sherpa’s Research Chart of the week features the rising financial expectations among CMOs for their email marketing programs.

In a related email marketing post, Marketing Sherpa features a how-to on email design with five insights to improve open and clickthrough rates.

Stacey Acevero posts a great infographic on the evolution of a PR pro at PR Web.

Christine Dunne posts that mobile app content standards are paralleling smartphone adoption at Content Marketing Institute.

Greg Sterling delves deeper into the prevailing headlines/thought about consumers’ supposed preference for the mobile web to app’s at Search Engine Land.

Four “hot” analytic trends to make your digital marketing strategy both effective and profitable are featured by Neil Patel at KISSmetrics.

Cheryl Burgess takes on the ROI of business blogs with “Do the Math to Calculate the ROI of Business Blogs” at Blue Focus Marketing.

Events:

SEO & Search

Hope for the keyword data challenged (aren’t we all): Ben Goodsell posts “Recovering (Not-Provided) Keyword Data” at Search Engine Watch.

So are you using the right keywords on your site? Stoney G. DeGeyter posts a simple 3-rule test at Search Engine Journal.

Dr. Pete posts an open letter to new SEO’s at SEOmoz.

Also for new SEO’s: Jenny Halasz posts tips for growing your keyword “seeds” with Excel formulas at Search Engine Land.

In an opinion piece, Andy Baio discusses the whole Yahoo-suing-Facebook-over-patent-infringement bruhaha at Wired (Epicenter).

Brian Massey (“The Conversions Scientist”) posts an astute how-to on designing your website for profit (rather than your ego) at Search Engine Land.

Jill Whalen posts how giving has its own SEO rewards at her own site (High Rankings Advisor) and again at SitePro News.

C.C. Chapman (co-author of Content Rules) shares his take on SEO, Google’s Search Plus, and more via an interview posted at SEO Copywriting.

Ian Lurie posts how marketing “hubris” (remember anything from college humanities?) will get you killed (especially in search) at Conversation Marketing.

An exceptional read by Aaron Wall on Google’s big-brand bias (and much more), “Branding & the Cycle,” is posted at SEObook.

Rand Fishkin discusses SEO nomenclature with “The Brand of SEO and the Trend of Inbound Marketing” at SEOmoz.

Bill Slawski sleuths out a missing piece of the Google search puzzle with “How Google Data Centers may be Split between Regional and Global  Data” at SEO by the Sea.

Citing Google’s latest Webmaster tools update, Vanessa Fox questions whether its revamp of its crawl errors is for the better at Search Engine Land.

Avinash Kaushik posts “ A Big Data Imperative: Driving Big Action” with his usual acumen at Occam’s Razor.

Eric Ward posts “4 reasons the social link graph will have to improve” (from a search perspective) at Search Engine Land.

Will Critchlow shares the link-building tools used at Distilled (many of them free) with his guest post at SEOmoz.

Greg Finn posts how “Google Meets Miss Manners” by encouraging searchers to thank those who +1’ed content directly in search results – no kidding – at Search Engine Land.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

New YouTube changes headline Social Media Examiner’s weekly news.

Kerry Dean shares his mission for finding the perfect social-sharing badge implementation with “The Internet: It’s Like Real Life, Only With Buttons,” at Search Engine Land.

Danny Goodwin posts a quick look at the latest reports showing how social is influencing advertising with “Social Ads Work For Google (+), Facebook,” at Search Engine Watch.

Eric Enge interviews Bing’s Paul Yiu on “Author Authority and Social Media” at Stone Temple (Consulting).

Erez Barak discusses “3 Social Marketing Communication Methods” and when and how to apply each at Search Engine Watch.

Matt McGee reports that Twitter has bought Posterous (and will “keep it alive, for now”) at Marketing Land.

How to optimize Twitter, from being real to using hashtags and more, is posted by Lisa Buyer at Search Engine Watch.

Mack Collier posts a how-to on writing blog posts that both Google and Twitter will love.

Brian Solis discusses how “Enterprise Social Networking is More Than Facebook Behind a Firewall.”

Level 343 talks social privacy (or the illusion therof) with “The Right to Demand Your Social Passwords?”

Stephanie Sammons shares four tips for creating a LinkedIn company page at Social Media Examiner.

Events:

  • MarketingProfs’ SocialTech 2012 Seattle (B2B Social Media Marketing Distilled) is scheduled for March 30th, with a Workshop day on March 29th.
  • SocialTech 2012 Online If you can’t make it to the live event, MarketingProfs will be streaming its B2B Social Media Distilled (Seattle, above) on demand.
  • Social Media Success Summit 2012 - Social Media Examiner’s Online Conference begins May 1st and runs for four weeks.

 

Trying to get your copywriting business up and running? Check out SuccessWorks’ new training program, the Turn Content Into Cash Copywriting Business Bootcamp. The next 6-week program starts on March 19th, but space is limited – register now to reserve your spot!

 

photo thanks to Muffet (liz west)

 

Our 5 hottest SEO copywriting videos

Posted on 05. Mar, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Greetings! Today we’re featuring our five hottest SEO copywriting video how-to’s, according to our YouTube viewers.

From what SEO copywriting is to creating a killer home page to optimizing for Google’s expanded site links, our YouTube subscribers found these five of our 53 videos (to date)  the best of the bunch.

Counting down in order of popularity, from the all-time hottest Web-writing tip to the fifth most popular video, here they are! Enjoy and share…

 

Hot Video Tip #1: How many words should be on your home page? A closer look  

In this video, Heather shares guidelines for your site’s home page wordcount, then discusses moving beyond counting words to the factors that matter most when writing your home page. Tune in to learn what those factors are!

 

Hot Video Tip #2: 5 sure-fire ways to create a killer home page  

As the second conversions opportunity following the search engine results page, your home page is the most important page on your site. Here, Heather addresses five proven ways to create a killer home page that serves both the search engines and your readers.

 

Hot Video Tip #3: What is SEO copywriting and why is it important to my site?

In one of the more fundamental of her 53 YouTube video posts, Heather defines what SEO copywriting is – and what it is not – as well as why it is essential for a website to achieve competitive search rankings.

 

Hot Video Tip #4: How to write for Google’s Panda Update

About a year ago, when Google rolled out the first of its Panda updates (penalizing the “content farms” and also initially called the “Farmer Update”), many folks saw their search engine rankings take a dive. In this video that still holds true today, Heather discusses how to satisfy the Panda with substantive content.

 

Hot Video Tip #5: How to write for Google’s expanded sitelinks

With Google’s expansion of its search results to include a “six-pack” of website links came a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the extra real estate with optimized page titles and metadescriptions. In this video, Heather shows just how to go about doing that for maximum search engine appeal.

 

Want more SEO Copywriting goodness? There’s two ways you can get it: You can sign up for the daily newsletter via dailySEOCopy@aweber.com (just shoot an email over and they’ll get you signed up) or sign up for the weekly SEO Copywriting newsletter. Either way, you’re sure not to miss any of our how-to videos, tips, expert interviews, weekly news roundups, or Heather’s own insights!

photo thanks to p.Gordon

 

 

3 ways to transform your sucky sales copy into conversions-driving gold

Posted on 06. Feb, 2012 by in Blog, Conversion writing, Direct reponse copywriting, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

Welcome back! In this week’s SEO copywriting how-to, Heather builds on her video of last week: How to tell if your sales copy sucks.

Realizing there are several more ways to tell that your sales copy sucks, here Heather addresses three more characteristics that mark bad sales copy – and then shares on how to go about fixing them so that your sales content pops off the page.

Tune in to learn how refining your website’s tone and feel, sharing specific benefits with your readers, and using keyphrases deftly can transform your sales copy from sucky into conversions-driving, reader-focused gold!

1. The tone and feel is off base

While this is an issue that mostly affects B2B sites, any website can suffer from this malady.

  • Think about your reader when you’re writing your copy – what would you say if you spoke with them in person?

There’s something about sitting down and writing something – especially Web copy – that flashes some folks back to high school English class.

They then create this very formal-sounding document that would stand up really well in an English class, but when it comes to communicating and connecting online it falls short.

  • A more “formal” tone and feel does not make you sound smarter.

In another scenario, there are some companies that believe that a formal tone and feel makes them sound smarter, and automatically conveys that they are an “expert” in their field.

  • Newsflash! Formal tone and feel does not an expert make.

So instead of flashing back to that high school or college English class, or thinking that a formal tone and feel is what you need (which, in some cases it could be, depending on your audience and subject matter), again try to think about how you would communicate with folks if they called you directly.

Then, try to translate that to what you are writing online so that some warmth and personality shine through.

  • If you’re not sure if you’re connecting in this fluid and natural way online, consider sharing your sales copy with someone who knows you, as well as your company.

Ask them: “Does this sound like me?” and “When I talk to folks online, is it the way I usually sound, or am I making myself sound different somehow?”

A trusted colleague or editor can give you some valuable feedback about how you can loosen up and warm up your copy with personalized content, but still manage to convey a solid and credible business tone and feel.

2. You don’t provide any real information because “you want people to call you.”

Sharing just a hint of your helpful information that doesn’t give away too much may seem savvy. Wrong!

Yes, it may sound edgy, it may sound interesting, but at the end of the day it doesn’t convey the benefits your company can provide prospects.

  • Guess what? People probably won’t call you.

If you’re going down this path as a marketing strategy, the very real possibility is that folks probably won’t bother to call you. After all, your competition is only a back-click away.

It’s so easy for folks to realize that “Given company X isn’t providing me with any helpful information, let’s check out what company Y has to offer.”

  • Always showcase your value, expertise and benefits.

So be sure to track what your competitors are doing (and not doing) and make sure that you provide substantive information that addresses what your audience cares about.

Giving your readers solid information is a fantastic way to showcase your expertise and value, as well as inform them about exactly what you can do for them.

3. You add a bunch of keyphrases “just in case.”

  • It won’t help.
  • It will turn off your readers.
  • Did I mention that it won’t help?

It’s somewhat (darkly) funny that Google Analytics demi-god Matt Cutts has come out with a video discussing the myth of keyphrase density, and the myths surrounding the myth – only to hear folks say “Well, I know what he said, but I still have this feeling that if I add a few more keyphrases to my content that’s going to make all the difference – I’m going to make all sorts of money and my life is going to be grand!”

Ah, if only it were so. But it’s not real or realistic, so please: Don’t do this.

Instead, focus on your readers and do those things that will best help them.

Remember: focus on your reader, not SEO for SEO’s sake

  • Yes, you do want to add keyphrases to your content.
  • Yes, you want to make sure that you have those SEO copywriting bases covered.
  • But adding random keyphrases or repeating keyphrases or doing anything that detracts from valuable content is not going to help you and it’s gonna turn off your readers, so DON’T DO IT!

Thanks for joining us for this week’s SEO copywriting how-to video! If you have a question for Heather, you can tweet it to her @heatherlloyd or email her via heather@seocopywriting.com. And be sure to check back next Monday for another hot Web-writing tip – it may well answer your question. See you then!

 

Learn the latest SEO copywriting and direct response skills while realizing your full freelancing career’s income potential: check out the only industry-recognized and highly proclaimed SEO Copywriting Certification training program today!

photo credit to trindade.joao

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEO content marketing roundup, week ending February 1st

Posted on 01. Feb, 2012 by in Blog, SEO Content marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Tips and techniques, web writing

In this week’s latest and greatest Web-writing news, all is relatively quiet on all fronts as marketers drop the SOPA bone and focus on Google+ and Search+: Content marketers discuss practicalities, strategy and channels; the SEO and search community find ways to either deal with, benefit from, or work around Google’s Search+; and social media marketers share ways to integrate the Google+ platform and use Pinterest. It’s definitely a you+ world out there, and it looks as though it’s here to stay…enjoy!

Content Marketing

Perhaps the most balanced and comprehensive post to come out all week about the Google+/Search+ hybrid is Lee Odden’s “Google+ Optimization vs. Community Building: Pros & Cons of Google SPYW” at Top Rank.

Need content for Google+ and the Twitter stream? Heather Lloyd-Martin suggests you go “old school” and cultivate your portfolio of marketing tips like the pre-internet copywriters did with their beloved “tips booklets.” At SEO Copywriting.

Level 343 posts a smart discussion about budgeting for online marketing and measuring ROI (bonus – an actual ROI formula) with “Marketing Online – What Was That ROI Formula Again?”

Jeff Bullas discusses five lessons from Coca-Cola’s new content marketing strategy (and builds on his “liquid content” thesis) at his blog.

Adapted from a newly-released HubSpot e-book, an ode to the content editorial calendar – with an exemplary guideline – is shared by Sara Goliger at HubSpot.

Citing PQ Media stats, Brafton News reports that businesses generated more than $39 billion from mobile content marketing in 2011.

iMedia Connection (iMedia25) lists brands that are shaping the future of video marketing by their pioneering efforts in 2012.

Michael Kolowich shares ways to reduce your video content budget at Content Marketing Institute.

Building an online portfolio? Ann Smarty posts a detailed how-to on creating (and publicizing) a master feed of all your guest posts at SEO Smarty.

Heidi Cohen posts five quotes representing the “core principles of content marketing” from David Ogilvy, “the father of content marketing,” at her blog.

Marketing Profs shares three ways to make your content search friendly.

Andrew Dumont outlines five steps to “bootstrapping your PR efforts” at SEOmoz.

B2C (Business 2 Community) shows what black hat content marketing for SEO looks like.

Lee Odden shares five basic SEO troubleshooting tips for content marketers at Top Rank.

So does your sales content suck? Find out how to tell and how to remedy it at SEO Copywriting.

Finally, five “tricks” for generating web traffic when nobody’s at the proverbial helm are shared at HubSpot.

Events:

SEO & Search

Jason Cormier discusses “why your business needs to be on Google+ now” at Search Engine Watch.

Dr. Pete shares four ways to de-personalize Google (un-plus it) in your search at SEOmoz.

Lior Levin posts how businesses can actually benefit from Google’s Search+ at Pandia.

Nathan Safran discusses how Google’s Search+ could threaten its “core search business” at Search Engine Watch.

Kristi Hines lists 40 advanced and alternative search engines at KISSmetrics.

Website Magazine reports that Google is doing the flip-flop on its page layout algorithm “improvement.”

Danny Goodwin reports on Google’s new privacy policy, noting that it combines user data from all Google services, at Search Engine Watch.

Corey Eridon shares “Five Awesome Landing Page Lessons From Real Life Examples” at HubSpot.

Your local SEO checklist for 2012 is posted at Search Engine Guide.

For enterprise-level SEO, Brian Provost posts the ultimate guide to enterprise SEO (25 things to know before you take the plunge) at Search Engine Land.

Avinash Kaushik posts “Google Analytics Tutorial: 8 Valuable Tips to Hustle with Data,” aimed at inspiring the reader to get involved with analytics, at Occam’s Razor.

eMarketer reports that “Google remains king as search ad spending climbs,” and Barry Schwartz elaborates on this further at Search Engine Land.

P.J. Fusco discusses how Google’s Search+ is changing SEO at Search Engine Watch.

Glenn Gabe discusses how Google’s Search+ could impact search engine marketing with seven examples, at Search Engine Journal.

So will Google be changing your titles and descriptions? Bill Slawski examines the question at SEO by the Sea.

Michael Gray discusses how to write blog posts for existing customers (to turn them into repeat customers) at his blog.

Andy Komack poses three questions to three experts about mobile SEO at Blue Train Mobile.

Greg Sterling discusses the results of an eye- and click-tracking study conducted by Mediative, showing that customer reviews and images drive clicks in mobile users, at Search Engine Land.

Neil Patel discusses three ranking factors that matter (“but nobody seems to care about”) at Search Engine Journal.

Geoff Kenyon discusses avoiding over-optimization with targeted anchor text distribution at SEOmoz

George Aspland posts 12 steps to optimizing a webpage for organic keywords at Search Engine Land.

Melissa Fach posts “Klout Myth Busters: Thoughts from the Experts” at Search Engine Journal.

Finally, Ethan Lyon discusses finding guest post links via a custom Twitter search tool (that he made) at SEOmoz.

Events:

Social Media Marketing

The top 10 social media blogs of 2012 are posted at Social Media Examiner.

Google+ updates headlines Social Media Examiner’s weekly news.

Guillaume Bouchard posts a how-to on harmonizing Google+ with your other social platforms at Search Engine Watch.

Aaron Friedman discusses how G+ is not a Facebook killer and was never intended to be with “Google+ Growing Your Social Network: Quantity vs. Quality” at Search Engine Land.

Rebecca Corliss reports that LinkedIn is 277-percent more effective for lead generation than are Facebook and Twitter, at HubSpot.

Shelly Kramer lists the 12 most effective ways to generate leads on LinkedIn at V3 Integrated Marketing.

Newt Barrett discusses how to put social media marketing to work for your company at Content Marketing Today.

MarketingProfs reviews (Ant’s Eye View) Chris Carfi’s Social Engagement Journey, comprised of five social stages, with “Socialize Me! In Stages, Though, Please.”

Martin Solar posts an industry discussion of the “true nature” of social media ROI at Search Engine Journal.

Casey Zeman posts five ways to brand your (new) YouTube profile at Social Media Examiner.

Lauren Indvik reports that Pinterest has become the top traffic driver for retailers via an infographic at Mashable.

Kaila Strong discusses seven creative ways that your brand can use Pinterest at ClickZ.

Pamela Vaughan posts “the ultimate guide to mastering Pinterest for marketing” at HubSpot.

Dave Copeland explains how Pinterest uses your content without violating copyright laws at ReadWriteWeb.

Jeff Bullas posts a how-to on taking advantage of the latest Facebook updates at his blog.

Neil Patel posts no less than 100 ways to become a Twitter “power user” at Quick Sprout.

Website Magazine posts “awe-inspiring” Twitter brand page designs and tips.

Rae Hoffman-Dolan (“Sugarrae”) discusses turning customers into fans and followers at OPEN Forum.

Brian Solis discusses five trends that will change CRM at his blog.

Finally, Corina Mackay posts three new apps to help you manage your social networks at Social Media Examiner.

Events:

 

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photo credit to Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho

 

 

 

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