Marketing 101: Sell Benefits and Not Features
March 10, 2010 by Stephanie Woods · 4 Comments
Welcome to marketing 101. It is highly recognized in the marketing world that persuasive copy emphasizes benefits over features. Unfortunately many website owners do not take the time to sit down and figure out how they can connect to customers on an emotional level. Knowing that the latest widget is the best in its class only gets a searcher in the door. Once they’re inside you need to tell them how your product or service is going to solve the challenge they are currently facing.
The 11 Biggest Spammers in History
March 9, 2010 by Brian Carter · 6 Comments
I was trying to explain spam to my wife, and she said:
WIFE: Oh, like the Yellow Pages!
ME: What?? How is that like the Yellow Pages?
What SEOs Ought to Know About HTML 5
February 10, 2010 by Stephanie Woods · 18 Comments
It appears the era of HTML 5 is upon us. YouTube recently started offering a HTML 5 version of their video player (as opposed to Flash). Given the strong influence of Google – who happens to own YouTube – every online marketer should have some understanding of how HTML 5 will impact SEO in the near future.
Google Suggesting Correct Shortened URL
January 25, 2010 by Ruud Hein · Leave a Comment
When following a link shortened via the Bit.ly URL shortening service, I noticed how Google will try to suggest a correct Bitly link if the one you tried to follow goes nowhere:
My 2010 To Do List: A Quest for Improved Personal Branding.
December 30, 2009 by Stephanie Woods · 8 Comments
2010 is just around the corner. If you are new to the internet marketing biz, or trying to figure out ways to boost your personal online presence (and garner respect from potential clients or employers) these are things that you should either (a) already be doing, or (b) have on your to-do list for 2010.
Is the only protectionist ORM strategy one that embraces optimised social media?
December 22, 2009 by Ben McKay · Comments Off
Personalisation and real-time have been seriously big topics in SEO and social media news in recent weeks. Prior to Google’s recent real-time search results announcement, my interest in real-time search was beginning to wane, as although it was en vogue and certainly cool technology, there was rarely any real industry-changing news. This release though, has got me interested in it all over again – if it retains its influence in the SERPs then this could indeed be a game changer. Here though, I’m going to consider the ramifications of ignoring this area of search for big brands and those looking to grow.
Makin’ a List & Checkin’ it Twice
November 25, 2009 by Megan Slick · Comments Off
Let the Christmas shopping begin. Tis the season for hopelessly looking for the perfect present and feeling like you’ll never find it. It’s a difficult time of year but you could put the cheer back into your customer’s holiday season. Many corporations are doing this very thing. Take Urban Outfitters for example. They have an excellent section on their website dedicated to helping their customers find the perfect gift for their loved ones. They have a list of gifts for guys, a list of gifts under $50, a stocking stuffer list, they even have a gift list for personality types!
What does my perfect SEO training scheme look like?
November 24, 2009 by Ben McKay · 7 Comments
I’ve been in the fortunate situation lately where Mediaedge:cia Manchester has been recruiting a number of SEO’s lately. On the back of this, we thought it best to formalise the training for each new-starter in order to aid the induction process and provide additional training. This way we can ensure that each SEO is provided with a consistent foundation of SEO – with more complex/subjective areas open for debate of course – and thus build the team’s capabilities on the back of this.
Has Twitter killed the inbound link?
September 21, 2009 by James Duthie · 25 Comments
If you believe the hype, Twitter is the biggest serial killer since Jack the Ripper. Mitch Joel thinks it killed RSS. And there is certainly an element of truth in that. How often do you really check your reader these days…? Be honest. For others, Twitter is the death of Facebook. And there’s no question Mark Zuckerberg is quaking a little. Centralising the platform around status updates and the recent introduction of the @ reply were both aimed at nullifying Twitter’s strengths. Some are even brave enough that Twitter could kill Google via real-time search, although surely Google would acquire them before that became a reality. And while I’m not often one to sound the death knell, I’d like to throw one more into the mix. Because I think Twitter may just be killing the inbound link…
Google Approaching Real-Time Search Results?
July 23, 2009 by Will Reinhardt · 4 Comments
One of the hot topics for Google these days is implementing a functional real-time search. There’s no denying that the success of Twitter is the draw for this need. Increasingly audiences want search results tailored around current events, skipping sites with more established content. Read more
SEO Strategy: Bigger and Better Goals
July 21, 2009 by Brian Carter · Comments Off
SEO is not one-size-fits-all.
Although at Fuel Interactive for SEO, we have
- A standard SEO process
- A prioritized checklist of best practices
- Several simultaneous optimization paths…
Why the UK SEO industry needs more SEO meet-ups…
July 7, 2009 by Ben McKay · 4 Comments
For me, one of the real highlights of working in the SEO industry is the community that’s been built, and continues to thrive for a number of reasons. I’m writing this post on the back of having been to a SEO meet-up recently where I met some more really cool SEO’s so just want to share a few reasons why you should get out and about! Read more
TGIF – ~:o
July 3, 2009 by Marie-Claire Jenkins · Comments Off
Welcome to another edition of TGIF. I hope that you have had a happy and satisfying week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend with much anticipation. It is a wonderful thing to look forward to trips, excursions, having friends round, spending time with those we feel best around and generally enjoying life. If you are dreading the weekend because you have unpleasant chores (like moving house), a very boring reunion, or having to revise for exams or something…I hope that this post cheers you up 
