Keeping Your SEO Strategy Afloat

Posted on December 7, 2012 by heather

About fifteen years ago, I was on a white water rafting trip with a group of friends. We were heading out to the rapids when a sign posted on one of the rafts really caught my attention: “YOU MUST BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN YOUR OWN SURVIVAL.”   I paused, laughed at what I had just read, and then continued on with what I was doing.

A few moments later, our guide explained to us that, if you happen to fall overboard, you should try as hard as you can to help yourself, rather than just wait for someone else to swim over to rescue you. When help arrives, you and the rescuers must work together in order to get you quickly and safely back to your raft. Sounds pretty obvious, right? But I guess, in the moment, sometimes even the most obvious logic tends to be lost or overlooked.

Luckily, that day, we didn’t have to put that advice into action, but, the phrase written on the raft continued to resonate in my head. I began to think, “I’ll bet I’d be surprised at how this phrase, which I had originally chuckled at, could actually apply to so many other circumstances outside of rafting.”

Well, my assumption was accurate. Throughout the past 15 years, it’s amazing how many times that particular phrase has come up in my thoughts and conversations.

So, here I am, all these years later, working in the land of SEO, and, once again, I can see a direct parallel. I’ve learned that, in order for an SEO strategy to survive, there must be an ongoing collaborative effort between a client and SEO company, both committed to work together toward achieving specific SEO goals.

For instance:

  • It’s very important for a client to provide the necessary tools and information needed for the SEO company to, in turn, develop a program that is custom to the specific short-term and long-term SEO goals of the business. It is this team effort that will provide a solid beginning to an ongoing journey in SEO.
  • It’s no secret that search engines love fresh information, whether in the form of blogs, news articles, social media updates, etc. In order to remain current in these areas, there must be continuing correspondences between the client and SEO company to discuss ideas for fresh information that can be applied to some, or all of these platforms.
  • Understand that SEO is not a “one and done” project. Because search engine rules are always changing, your site could quickly become dated and your rankings could drop significantly in a very short period of time.  This is why an ongoing SEO program is so crucial to your success. Your SEO company will keep you informed on the latest SEO information and will advise you on how your efforts should be adjusted in order to conform to such a moving target.

So, to our SEO clients, I would like to extend this advice to you, when it comes to your SEO strategy, you must be an active participant in your own survival.  Yes, your SEO company will do a significant part of the legwork by analyzing your specific goals and helping you with an overall plan that is best for your business.  But, you have to remember that SEO is a joint effort and you, too, will have a very important role in your overall success.

So, please listen carefully to what your SEO company is requesting and do your best to respond in a timely manner. Doing so will give you the best chances in remaining afloat in the competitive and dynamic environment of search engine optimization.

Bon voyage …

Posted in search engine optimization, SEO | Tagged | 1 Comment

Did your site get hit by Penguin or Panda?

Posted on November 27, 2012 by john

Did your site get hit by Penguin or Panda? Does it matter which one?

As most of you know Google is constantly making adjustments in how it ranks websites. The search engine continues to strive to produce what it deems are the best possible results. To do that, they reward those that develop high quality sites with high-placed rankings and penalize those that violate Google’s Webmaster guidelines. Many sources suggest that the search giant implements as many as 500 quality adjustments on a yearly basis. But, no one outside Google really knows for sure.

Google’s two major updates from the last couple years, Panda and Penguin, redefined how sites are ranked based on the quality of their content and the quality of their inbound links. If your site used to perform well but it doesn’t now, chances are it’s been affected by one of these updates. Or, if your site never has performed well, it likely also does not adhere to the new changes. Here’s a breakdown on each one:

Panda:

  • First appeared in February 2011
  • Last update made on November 5, 2012 (21st update)
  • Targets low quality sites
  • Common sites that are targeted and downgraded:
  • Poor content
    • Duplicated content
    • Poor user experience
    • Lack of content above the fold o Sites with high amounts of advertising
    • Over-optimized sites

Penguin:

  • First appeared in April 2012
  • Last update occurred on Oct. 5, 2012 (3rd update)
  • Targets sites with unnatural inbound links
  • Common links targeted:
    • Links with sculpted or exact mach anchor text. Example: You have a high number of links directed back to your site with the same type of text link
    • Links obtained via networks o Links that are commonly for sale for link building purposes.

So has your website ranking suffered as a result of either the Panda or Penguin updates? The answer probably doesn’t matter. What’s important is to be aware of what search engines require of your site or work with an SEO partner that will do that for you. Focusing on quality above everything else should keep you away from the zoo of penalties.

BTW- Rumor has it that a major Panda update is on its way.

How’s your site’s quality? For assistance in evaluating how well your site performs in the new Google environment and how to fix it if it’s not performing well, contact John Inama at 877-799-9994 ext. 2104 or fill out this form.

Posted in search engine optimization, SEO | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Open Source vs. Proprietary CMS – What you should know

Posted on November 15, 2012 by angela

Ask your programmer about Open Source CMSMore and more companies are opting to use a Content Management System (CMS), like Joomla, DotNetNuke or WordPress, when they redesign their site so that they can can add, edit and delete content on the fly.

But, before you jump in with both feet, it’s important to make a decision about whether you will use an open source CMS or a proprietary system.  Here’s where we can help.

Open Source vs. Proprietary CMS – what’s the difference?

  1. Site Ownership – an Open Source CMS is one that has been developed with input from many programmers across the web-o-sphere with ownership of the code provided in the public domain.  A proprietary CMS is one that a specific web design firm has developed on their own with which they will build your site.  The key question to ask your prospective developer is “who will own the source code for your web site” if you choose to move your site to another web host.   An Open Source CMS like DotNetNuke, Joomla or WordPpress can easily be moved to other web hosts – you will own rights to your entire site.  But you might not own the underlying code for a site built in a Proprietary CMS, thus making it difficult or impossible to move should your web developer fall out of favor.
  2. Ease of Maintenance – As you know, Internet technology changes pretty fast (are we on IE 100.12 yet?) and with many different types of browsers in use, making sure your site functions properly in all of them can be a challenge.  Open Source CMS has the advantage of constantly being updated, with many developers contributing so that the technology will work appropriately in any new browsing environment.   With proprietary code, it’s up to your developer whether they update the code so that your site works across all platforms.  
  3. Many Hands – It may not work with cooks and kitchens, but having many programmers who understand the underlying source code for your site is a good thing.   With an Open Source CMS there are many developers who can assist you with site edits and updates should you dispatch your current developer.   That usually isn’t the case with a Proprietary CMS – the company that built it is generally the only one that can manage it without a huge learning curve by a different team.  
  4. Many Apps – One of the nicest advantages of using an Open Source CMS is that you can have your site built using applications already developed by someone else.  For sites that have a lot of different features and functionality, this can yield a big cost savings compared with doing a custom build.  Oftentimes with Open Source CMS, there are multiple modules available for the same function, but with different bells and whistles so that your developer can pick the ones best for your site.  A Proprietary CMS usually won’t have as many module options.
  5. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – Open Source CMS developers have keyed into the importance of sites ranking well on search engines, so each of the platforms offers special SEO modules that get your site started on the right foot.  As for Proprietary CMS platforms, depending on who built it and when, they may not provide  the tools you’ll need to optimize your site properly.    

Pilot Fish offers site development and maintenance in several Open Source CMS platforms, including DotNetNuke, Joomla and WordPress.   We also can evaluate your existing Proprietary CMS to determine whether we can host and/or update it for you.

Read more about our web design capabilities, or contact John Inama at 877-799-9994 ext. 2102.

Posted in content management systems, website development | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Time for SEO Marketing Action and a Website Update

Posted on November 8, 2012 by beth

Now that the presidential election is over, we can all take a little breather and then get back to business – particularly the business of corporate websites.

 This is a great time to take stock of your company’s website and make sure any needed maintenance is taken care of. Your tasks should include checking:

  1. Your corporate address, email address and phone number
  2. Your product information and list of services
  3. Any references to staff members or email addresses
  4. Facilities and equipment lists
  5. Images – look for old facilities, discontinued products and former employees
  6. Tagline or motto
  7. Your contact form – are the qualifying questions still pertinent?
  8. Submit the form. Does it go to the right person?

If something isn’t right, get it fixed.

Aside from such routine website maintenance, another good idea is to review your overall content: Does the site really tell the story you want prospects and customers to hear?

If not, it’s not too late to re-tool your content. And, best of all, it’s never too late to re-tool your content with search engine optimization in mind. If you’re going to rewrite web copy to better appeal to site visitors, why not ensure that it also appeals to the search engines that can help drive those visitors to your company’s website?

It isn’t very often when you can achieve two goals with one task, but revising your website content can do just that. And, in combination with some thorough website maintenance, it can poise you and your company for a great start to the New Year (which isn’t as far away as it feels).

Check out the following links for great content suggestions:

Pilot Fish has helped B2B companies with their website and search engine optimization for years. If you’d like help reviewing and revising your content to truly target and persuade your high-value prospects and customers, please submit our SEO assistance form or call John Inama at 877-799-9994 ext. 2104.

 

Posted in content, copywriting, search engine optimization, SEO, website, website content, website design, website development | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

SEO and 4 other reasons to consider a website redesign

Posted on November 1, 2012 by angela

If you’re like many other businesses, you probably tightened your belt during the recession, spending only what was absolutely necessary to keep your website up and running. As a result, your website may have been operating with a bunch of virtual Band-aids for some time and might not be performing as well as it once was.

Now that the business climate has begun to improve, it’s time for you to consider a website redesign as one of the “must-haves” for next year.

Here are 5 reasons why it could be time for a website redesign:

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are so many factors that search engines, particularly Google, now use to determine how they will rank sites, that a website redesign needs to factor in SEO right from the start. If your site is more than three years old and you haven’t done any SEO-related updates, then you’ll want to get an SEO firm involved in your project during the planning stages.
  2. Mobile devices. If your site is more than three years old, chances are it may not display very well on some of the newer mobile devices, including smart phones or IPads. This is particularly true if you had any Flash video added to your site. Flash is incompatible with Apple technology, so for 61% of global tablet owners, your videos may not be viewable. A conversion of these videos to another format or a redesign to de-emphasize Flash will help make your site more user-friendly for all mobile users.   Additionally, you’ll want to review your site’s structure to see how easily your site can be read and nagivated on mobile devices.
  3. Screen resolutions. If you own a newer laptop, you know that screen resolutions have changed from being almost square (remember 800×600) to very rectangular shape (1366×768, for example). As a result, your older site may not be making the best use of the altered real estate. But, don’t go crazy with that horizontal design. You’ll want to make sure it renders properly in mobile devices.
  4. Site speed. How fast your site downloads has become one of the factors that Google uses to determine how your site will rank in its search engine. A slow site is going to get penalized or it won’t be indexed as often. New site coding techniques (namely, CSS) can improve your site speed by displaying to Google the content first and graphics and other coding last.
  5. Content, content, content. Corporate websites continue to evolve and, although sites 10 years ago were acceptable as digital brochures, prospects today expect your site to be more like an industry portal, offering a blog, whitepapers, analysis, data sheets, news and more.

For more info, read our Tips for SEO Content Writing.  Also, check out this related article on Why to Outsource your Website to a Website Design & SEO Firm.

Posted in search engine optimization, website design | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Do your B2B social media efforts hit all the right notes?

Posted on October 18, 2012 by angela

To promote October as “Manufacturing Month,” some Connecticut manufacturers are making their mark on social media with a parody of this summer’s pop hit “Call Me, Maybe” by Carlie Rae Jepson.

Produced and posted by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the video features workers lip synching the popular tune (it’s funny, check it out) while at their jobs in Connecticut plants. The effort is catchy and clever, with enough humor appeal to go viral. But it missed some opportunities to more widely promote its participants.

“How’s that, you ask?” Let’s start with a basic question: “What’s the purpose of this video?”

Aside from showcasing the dance skills of the Constitution State’s workers, I’ll assume the main goal was to promote manufacturing in Connecticut. How well was that achieved?

It’s fair to say less than perfectly. The CBIA put together a great video but missed some useful promotion and SEO opportunities that could have made a more lasting impression. For example:

  1. Leverage the song title. Capewell Components Co. got it right in their segment of the video when they held up a company sign and their phone number while singing the catchy chorus. Each of the companies in the video should have done the same thing.
  2. Use the YouTube description field more effectively. CBIA rightly named all the participants of the video, but it would have been more effective if they’d had links to those businesses. Or, link to a landing page that describes the video project, who the participants were, what they do, how many people they employ, links to those businesses’ websites and explanation of why companies should do business in Connecticut.
  3. Have the participating companies and organizations add links from their own websites to the video and tout their participation in it, with an explanation of how it came about. Lots of opportunity for cross-promotion and legitimate reciprocal linking between the companies and associations. I saw links to the video from a couple of the companies’ Facebook pages, but when you have 74 or fewer likes, not many people will see it. Need to get that video link onto all your websites and social media pages.
  4. Create a call-to-action. At the end of the video, a screen flashes logos of the participating businesses, followed by the URL of CBIA. That’s fine, but what do you want people to do with that? I typed in the URL and got to the CBIA’s home page. Typical trade association stuff there. No apparent or obvious link to a page explaining the video. A specific landing page would have been better and given the association the opportunity to more directly promote itself and the state.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for these kinds of efforts, and I have to commend CBIA for their creativity. That will definitely help them stand out.

And, they did do one SEO-related thing very right: They included “CT Manufacturers” in the title of the YouTube posting, so that when Google users look for “CT manufacturing,” which happens about 8,100 times a month, the CBIA video is proudly displayed on the first page of results. But, online promotion is about doing a lot of little things right, and this effort didn’t include as many as it could have.

Social media is a tricky thing for industrial companies. It’s a matter of weighing the benefit vs. the cost and developing content that has value to your customers and potential customers. Being creative to draw attention to yourself is good, but don’t let that attention fade away without providing ways to nurture some business opportunities from it.

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What works in industrial marketing?

Posted on October 11, 2012 by angela

With the constant chatter about mega-sized social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it’s hard for a B2B business, particularly a manufacturing company or one serving the industrial space, to understand what kind of commitment they should be making to online marketing that makes sense for the market they serve.

We’re going to try to help you answer this and other related questions as we bring to you relevant studies and information about what works in industrial marketing.

To that end, John Inama, Pilot Fish’s director of sales, has written an article that discusses what typical manufacturing and other B2B businesses are spending on industrial marketing. His view is based partly on direct experience, having worked with our clients for the past 14 years, as well as from industry research on B2B online spending.

Read “How much should a B2B manufacturing company spend on online marketing?”

 

Posted in advertising | Tagged | Leave a comment

SEO Writing: You Can Do It

Posted on October 4, 2012 by beth

Maybe it’s the New England silent, steady Pilgrim streak, or the Midwest’s natural humility. The South’s well-known politeness? Or the West Coast’s famed laid back attitude.

Whatever it is, month in and month out, something keeps many of our clients from coming up with SEO writing ideas that will be used in press releases, blog posts or new web pages. It’s almost like some corporate version of the Family Circus comic strip where the kids won’t admit what happened: “Who’s got something to write about?” … “Not me.” … “I dunno.”

Well, I’m here to tell you that you do have something interesting to write about. And, equally importantly, it’s OK to write about it.

The good thing about SEO writing is that your piece doesn’t have to be 10 pages of earth-shattering news, written with scientific precision or in the style of a Nobel Laureate.

Just four or five paragraphs (around 20 sentences or so), written in your own words. That’s all it takes. Really.

Heck. You don’t even have to write about yourself or your company. Two of our clients have had good luck recently with “off-topic” press releases: One about how a new movie relates to the client’s industry, and another about the client’s reflections on the Car Talk guys’ retirement after 25 years on NPR.

It can even be something small and sort of personal. Does the cooler fall weather remind you of hunting trips you took with your grandfather? Write about it. Not only will it give a human face to your company, but odds are that sharing the story will make you feel pretty good, too.

Honestly, just about anything can be the basis for a good press release, web page or blog post:

  • Your observations at a recent trade show
  • Your conversation with a fellow fan at a local high school football game
  • Your feelings about an old competitor being acquired
  • Your reaction to a thank-you note from a new client

 The important thing is simply to do it. Sit down, write something up (include a link back to your corporate website) and then post it.

Even if only a few people read the piece, the fact that it exists at all still gives your search engine performance an important boost. And anyone who reads it will know a little bit more about your company and, indirectly, why they should do business with you.

Need help?  Check out our tips for SEO writing. Or, contact Pilot Fish to find out how we can help your company develop an effective SEO strategy or call John Inama at 877-799-9994.

Posted in blogging, content, search engine optimization | Tagged | Leave a comment

Is Negative Feedback a Fly in the Ointment of Social Media?

Posted on September 27, 2012 by heather

These days, you are really getting the hang of this social media stuff. You’re utilizing the carefully-chosen medley of social media sites that altogether complement your business. (Congrats!) You’ve been posting to each of these sites regularly and you’ve even been blogging consistently. (Sweet!) And, finally, you’re getting the steady community-interaction you had long hoped for. (Yippeeeee.)

Your online social media marketing plan is working superbly and your SEO results are reflecting your efforts. You are so proud of your flawless online reputation, and especially fond of all of the positive feedback you’ve been receiving from your customers. (Is that a ubiquity of harmonious music I’m hearing in the background? And, what is that I see? You and your coworkers dancing in sheer joy and excitement of this newly-found, online utopia!?)

Aaah, all is seemingly going so well and so perfectly until, all of a sudden … the unthinkable happens. You visit one of your social networking sites only to find, glaring right at you, SCREAMING AT YOU IN BLACK AND WHITE … *AIR HORN!!! AIR HORN!!! WOOOOOOOP!!! WOOOOOOP!!! WOOOOOOP!!!* Someone has posted a negative comment about your business! You do a double-take. Yep, it’s right there. Splattered all over your once flawless page for the whole world to see, disgracing your online reputation… (How dare they!)

“They didn’t!!!”, you whimper! (Oh yeah, they did. And, sorry, putting your hand over your screen trying to hide the negative comment won’t help the situation. Nice try though.) Yep, it’s the black mark on the soul of your brand!!! A mad hindrance on the successes you have worked so hard to achieve!!!! A fly in the ointment of your social media efforts!!! “NOOOOOOOOO!!!“

Okay, you get the point. So, yeah, you’ve received a negative comment. And, right now, it might seem like the end of the world, but, don’t panic, it’s not. It’s actually an opportunity for you to show off your customer servicing capabilities. (No, seriously, hear me out.) Even with the best of products, services and customer service, this was bound to happen sooner or later, because, as hard as you try, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. It’s the nature of doing business. The important thing is turning that negative feedback you received into a positive experience and to do it quickly and respectfully.

Here’s how:

  • Again, respond to the complaint in a timely manner. The faster you remedy the situation, the better. You will want to do so before the comment gains momentum with other customers. And, a timely response shows you are genuinely concerned about the issue and are eager to fix the problem.
  • Be respectful and empathetic about the person’s complaint, even if the complaint is rude or inaccurate. (What’s that weird noise? Are you growling?) Sometimes, it’s very tempting to lash out a response in defense of your company. After all, this is your livelihood and your pride is at stake. But, it’s important to ALWAYS REMAIN POSITIVE. Negativity will only reflect poorly on your business. (Save the complaining for later. You can vent your true feelings to your coworkers, friends or spouse. Hehe. ) Sounding angry in your response will do your business more harm than good. To be sure you’ve written in a professional (anger-free) tone, try walking away for a minute, come back and re-read your response before hitting the “Post” button. Or, have a coworker read your response for an objective point-of-view to help weed out any lingering negativity.
  • Thank the customer for taking the time to write a comment. (Ouch, do I have to?) After all, negative comments can occasionally benefit you. (Say what?)  Sometimes customers will offer specific suggestions which can be used in a way that can make your product or service even better. (Or, maybe the idea was a stupid one and, in that case, you should quietly toss it out the window. Either way, it would be polite to thank that person for their time.)
  • Offer a solution. If you have a solution, of course, share it. If you don’t have an immediate explanation for the problem, be honest. Let the customer know you are looking into the issue and will be getting back to them shortly.
  • Add an additional layer of “remedy” by gaining positive reviews from other customers. Having more positive feedback will minimize the effects of any negative comments. Do this by explicitly welcoming feedback. Let customers know their opinions are appreciated. Sometimes a simple prompt will do the trick. (Psst … getting lots of feedback will also create a boost in your organic search results. Bonus!!)  Or, if you already know a customer is happy with your business, don’t be shy, ask them to write a review.

Other customers will appreciate your efforts in very kindly, and professionally, handling the negative feedback you had received.

So, there ya go. You’ve publically displayed your fantastic customer service and problem solving capabilities! (Yay, you!!!!) That means, you can continue celebrating all of those wonderful social media successes you’ve been having, because the benefits will certainly outweigh the costs. (*Queuing ubiquitous music …* “Haaaaaallelujahhhhh”! Keep up the good work!)

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Are you suffering from blog fatigue?

Posted on September 20, 2012 by angela

For the last several years, you’ve probably been hearing from every corner, “You gotta have a blog!”

So, you followed conventional wisdom, signed up with WordPress and built yourself a blog.  And, it wasn’t hard at all, right?  The DIY tools available have made corporate blogging easy as can be.

What you didn’t factor in, perhaps, was how much effort it would be to keep it up. Kind of like getting a puppy. The thought of having one gives you a nice, fuzzy feeling, and finding one is a snap. But, after a week of vigilance trying to anticipate every time it needs to poop you start to realize that this easy decision just changed your whole life.

And so it goes with blogging. We know it’s important and that we can provide useful information when we blog, but sometimes we feel the weight of having to regularly post something that’s interesting.

At Pilot Fish, we’ve tried to relieve some of that stress by sharing responsibility for the blog. Every week someone takes a turn. It works out, well, most of the time.

Once in a while, in a state of complete writer’s block, you find someone singing the blues.  Figuratively, that is. Until Pilot Fish staffer Beth Earle, composed this little ditty while in a state of blog fatigue. Can you relate?

And, just to show you that Beth doesn’t always communicate in lyric form, here’s a couple recent blog items by Beth that can help you with your corporate blogging:

Posted in blogging, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment