Mobile Searches are Exploding!

According to Google, 1 in 7 searches are coming from mobile devices.  The search rules on these devices are different and need different optimizations.  You will need a mobile-friendly site that is optimized for these searches.  This is the time to invest in a mobile internet marketing strategy - before your competitors.  WSI can help provide the mobile web site you need, along with mobile web site optimizations, and help you get your business found when people are searching from their mobile devices.

Last year, we launched the WSI Wisdom Book, a collection of outstanding customer case studies.

We are pleased to announce the 2011 WSI Wisdom Book is now available! Visit www.WSIWisdomBook.com to see the updated book with a fresh look and feel, several brand new case studies from various industries and a few returning ones, including:

• Details of the client's challenges prior to working with WSI
• A brief overview of WSI's Internet marketing solution
• Description of the ROI results WSI helped the client achieve
• A raving testimonial / recommendation from the client about WSI

May Day!  Google changed the algorithm again.

On average, Google changes their algorithm once a day.  Some are slight changes, some are quite significant.  It can be maddening to rank on page one and then the next day fall off.  But, all we can do is to understand and react.

In a recent article on Google's blog they actually came out and said that 70% of their search results aren't served from the keywords people are typing in, but they're affected by *synonyms*.  70%!  WOW!

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/helping-computers-understand-language.html

What this means for us, is that in order to tap into the 70% of the results being served (i.e. the synonyms) we need to be targeting a bunch more semantically related keywords in addition to our target keywords, otherwise we're now going to miss out on the benefits of being found by the search traffic.  So, keep this in mind when doing your SEO planning.

Suppose you've been using pay per click advertising and also using SEO to boost your rankings and traffic. Once  you start ranking organically, do you still need to invest in the paid advertising?  The answer is a resounding "Yes!".

1.  Statistics prove that if you rank on the same keywords for both paid and organic search, you can expect far better results than using either strategy alone.  You are likely to see traffic increases in both.

2.  Even if your SEO has gotten you on the first page of Google - the most you will rank on that page is 2 times.  With paid search, you can add another reference on that first page - thus pushing someone else off and highlighting your offering even more.

3.  Organic search results change all the time (Google averages a change to their algorithm daily) and so SEO is an evolving and sometimes reactive endeavor.  With pay-per-click, it is easier to remain visible even when organic rankings change.

4.  With organic search, it is the search engine that determines what titles, description, or content is displayed in the results set.  You retain control of your message by using paid search.

Does your company need a Social Media Polity?

A social media policy outlines the corporate guidelines and general principles that should be used by all members of staff when communicating on the social media channels. Irrespective of how active your company is in social media, it is probably true that members of your staff are active even when not at work. So it is probably reasonable to lay down some guidelines as to what is acceptable behaviour when communicating online.

Brand Compliant Social Networking

It is important that your employees are aware that when they mention your company or what they do, it must be done in a responsible manner, and that the contents are broadly aligned with your company’s values and professional standards. So a social media policy will help to emphasize to your employees that company loyalty extends to all forms of internal or external, and traditional or digital marketing communications.

When you are writing your policy document start with the objective and lay down exactly how the company should be represented online, from branding issues to intellectual property. Make sure that everyone understands the boundaries and what they are at liberty to discuss and what is proprietary information.

Online Visibility

You should also make sure that you have registered your brand on all of the social media outlets so that wherever possible you have your own pages set up and channels on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube all with your own branding look and feel.

There are many that say all of this is not necessary, that it is just a matter of common sense, but what is obvious to one person is not necessarily so to others. Of course all of this could be integrated into your communications policy that would cover all mediums in use. Social media should not really be treated differently from other forms of communications since people should behave in a sensible manner however they are communicating. The difference now is that it is so commonplace that staff members who previously did not have much of a public voice can now all contribute to the dialogue online, so it is critical that the boundaries are set clearly.

Check out the WSI Social Media Strategy Kit, which will guide your company through the best practices of developing your own social media policy.

Targeted link building is necessary for establishing an online marketplace competitive position within your niche. When you contract link building Chicago services, you look forward to having valuable links for the worth of your investment. However, sometimes, people tend to be disappointed as what they get is not what they expected. This is why you need to be thorough when making your selection of SEO service providers. And if you are performing the link building yourself, you also need to adopt the right strategies in order to get the best results.

If you have not realized the kind of result you desire from your search engine optimization efforts, then it is necessary that you halt and review the strategy that you’ve been applying to your link building. Now, the way you define the online marketplace when building link is very important. When prospective clients are in need of solution for their problems, they use related search terms to find the information on Google, go through the directories, visit discussion forums, read product reviews as well as articles. The websites used by prospective clients to accomplish all these add up to the online marketplace within your niche.

Therefore, building link effectively means getting only quality links from the websites that have rich information that are highly useful to your potential customers, and are regularly in use by them.

Here are some tips for result-oriented link building;

Whether you are a link building Chicago service provider, or you intend to achieve your own link building as an online marketer, you need to understand your marketplace. There is need for good knowledge of the market sectors you service, and also know their rankings in terms of relevance to your offering.

For instance, your target marketplace may be information technology, and you concern yourself only with relevant technology links. However, you may not have ascertained essential niches that can be found around the information technology market. What you may not know is that a niche such as education may constitute an essential sector for the info technology business you are running. As a link building service provider, you should explore such sector websites within your marketplace that your competitor may not have given thought of. It could make a lucrative business for your link building Chicago services. Always explore up to 5 sectors within your marketplace from which you can source for links.

Another thing you should do as a savvy link builder is to develop quality content. Do not compromise quality content for anything. Customers are only looking for valuable information. Also, good content is what will take you up to a desirable position in search engine ranking, it is what you need as well to attract quality links to your website.

A well strategized link building will surely bring you the desired result. Endeavour to be strategic and targeted with your search engine optimization techniques; this way, you will rank better and pull traffic to your website.

Great Webinar today, reviewing the new ways to be found online.  The website is still the hub of your being found but social media sites can have a significant impact on traffic and rank on the search engines.  By concentrating on relevant content to your targeted audience on your website, syndicating the content on social media networks, and cultivating links and interest, your rank in search engines will be positively affected.  The image below is a good visual representation of this strategy.  Contact us today to talk about a personalized plan for your business.

Join us for an outstanding webinar on the new ways to be found online Title: 2010: The New Ways to Be Found Online Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/359983465 (Don't forget to put in my name, James Cone, to complete your registration).

Happy New Year! I want to invite you to WSI's first expert webinar of 2010! Our first webinar, entitled "2010: The New Ways to Be Found Online", will be on January 27. Francois, Muscat, WSI expert, will share how in 2010 online marketing will gain new heights and there will be new ways to be found online, build brand and generate, more leads. This webinar will help entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals in various services, marketing managers, and online marketing specialists. He will share some powerful strategies to evolve your current online marketing tactics and reap the benefits of this dynamic landscape. Webinar registration details are below.

Title: 2010: The New Ways to Be Found Online Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/359983465 (Don't forget to put in my name, James Cone, to complete your registration).

It's good to hear that Entrepreneur Magazine recently released its 2010 Franchise 500 listing. This is the 10th year that WSI, the world's largest internet marketing firm, earned a place in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 listing, claiming the #1 spot in the category of Internet Services. The January 2010 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine also lists WSI in the 56th spot in the overall 500 listing. Read the press release: http://www.pr.com/press-release/202564.

Let us put the power of our network to work for your business with our powerful and cost effective internet marketing solutions.