Author Archive
Google Places Now Allows Business Owners To Leave Responses
Well it’s about time. For so many in hospitality, restaurant or other service related businesses, this is good news. It appears this new feature was rolled out today without warning, in fact one of our clients, Islander Inn Hotel, Ocean Isle Beach, informed me!
What I like about this new addition is no longer is the establishment at the mercy of a disgruntled ex-employee, or a stubborn guest/patron who likes to leave negative or unfounded remarks.
There are however some ethical reminders business owners want to consider, just so your response does not come back and bite you.
Google has some good information on that regard here. Also, take a look at these ground rules.
If you need help with your Google local listing, or all of your local search ’stuff’ don’t forget to look at our local search page, we’ll help you.
Take a look at the new addition:
SEO Is Not Enough – There, I said it…
Yes, most of you know my background is Search Engine Optimization, and you can never substitute the powerful long term SEO effects for ROI, but lately my opinion has easily concluded SEO is not enough. Take a look at these screen-shots, then watch my video, you’ll see why…
What are your thoughts? Do you think there is more than SEO today? Leave your thoughts below..
iAd – Hey Google, Let The Mobile Advertising Wars Begin!
Wow, did you hear the news yesterday?? Steve Jobs not only announced the new iPhone OS 4, but the bombshell of the year……iAd Mobile Advertising. What is it?
Apple unveiled its own mobile advertising service to the next generation software for the software for the iPhone, iPad and other mobile gadgetry. How huge is this? Apple could could generate $4.7 billion in revenue per year!
Much of the integration appears to be within the thousands of apps Apple hosts now for iPhone, iPad etc. Take a look at the excerpt below from the announcement yesterday.
iAd, Apple’s new mobile advertising platform, combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of web ads. Today, when users click on mobile ads they are almost always taken out of their app to a web browser, which loads the advertiser’s webpage. Users must then navigate back to their app, and it is often difficult or impossible to return to exactly where they left. iAd solves this problem by displaying full-screen video and interactive ad content without ever leaving the app, and letting users return to their app anytime they choose. iPhone OS 4 lets developers easily embed iAd opportunities within their apps, and the ads are dynamically and wirelessly delivered to the device. Apple will sell and serve the ads, and developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of iAd revenue.
‘Search Exchange’ Internet Marketing Conference in NC!
In just over a month, Charlotte, NC will be hosting a much needed search marketing conference called Search Exchange. It’s focus will be on Marketing on the Internet (SEO.SEM.PPC) and Social Media combined. Typically we attend search expos around the country such as SMX, and PubCon, but North Carolina always seems to get the short end, so instead of flying around the country, this is in our backyard…we are thrilled!
We are also proud to announce that our very own, Ty Downing, CEO of Perspective Internet Marketing will be a speaker on day 2 of the event reviewing some powerful case studies on the effects of an effective social media strategy from redbox, and SUBWAY sponsored Slim Down Challenge.
It’s not every day you get Chris Brogan from New Marketing Labs as a keynote speaker this close either. There are several more ‘Rock Stars’ of Internet Marketing and Social Media going to converge May 17th-19th 2010, so you best get your tickets now, tickets are selling fast! Here is ticket info.
We hope to see you there!
How Do You Get Backlinks Today?
Content…As you will see, Matt Cutts (Google) still encourages as we do at Perspective Internet Marketing, to have good, original, and authoritative content that people want to link to. Rules have changed these days for effective link building, and if you want to people to link to your website, you must be creative, have something “link worthy” in order to do so. Sorry, but to have an effective search engine optimization campaign today takes work, and a lot of it. Remember, it’s all about relevancy, that’s part of Google’s algo, and it’s what the end user wants, so give it to them and you’ll be fine. Listen closely as Matt gives great advice.
What are some effective link strategies you’d like to share?
Custom Facebook Fan Pages, Does Your Brand Have One?
400 Million + people now use Facebook, staggering numbers when you think that there are more users in Facebook than residents in several countries. Today’s Facebook has certainly evolved, it has now become a legitimate place to market your business, and keep your brand presence. To help with this trend, I am seeing more and more branding opportunities with custom Facebook fan pages. 
The benefits are powerful, and smart, take for example this screen-shot of one of our clients who has a “Beach Weddings in NC” website. Beautiful website, but they took things to a whole new branding level, they had a Facebook fan page designed to augment their online presence, and get their brand in front of 1000’s of potential brides! Notice this tab is set to default, this way visitors are steered to becoming a fan of this page, see the “call to action” arrow? Also, this custom html page was designed to reflect the same theme, and brand of the main website, but with a social media twist. Bottom line then is to consider having a custom Facebook fan page designed because they provide the following benefits:
- Get your brand in front of potentially millions of people, and customers
Have You Got Your Google “Buzz This” Button?
Google Buzz Plugin
We at PIM have mixed feelings about Google Buzz. Never have we seen such quick work at creating a “Buzz This” plugin, but we had to try it. Mashable had this plugin on their site literally within a day or 2, and was quick to provide an article on how to install it in Wordpress, this is a must read post!
Welcome MetroMom Online Success TeleSummit Visitors!
If you found your way here from the MetroMom Telesummit going on now, I would like to thank you for dropping by! If you are here because you found us, please stay around too! I mentioned a few things to you such as the video talking about the “Canonical Issues”, this is to your right.
I also talked about the post with the blog tips, and SEO tips, well here it is. Please take time on my blog to view the variety of tips you will get on search engine marketing.
As suggested in my handout and my interview with Kim, please sign up for my blog feed to keep up on the latest tips for Search Engine Marketing.
Additionally, if you want incredible social media tips, sign up for my Social Media Blog.
Don’t Forget Kim DeYoung has some powerful offerings you will want to choose from below.
In addition to this blog, I own several websites dealing with internet & social media marketing. I also belong to several social media sites, and networks and would love to become your friend and follower!
Successful Twitter MeetUp In Wilmington!
What a fun night last night! nearly 50 Wilmington residents assembled at Howe Creek offices near Mayfair to listen to some top notch Twitter advice. For a new twist, we also streamed the Meetup in live broadcast using UStream.tv, and had 10 people watching live from various parts of North Carolina, including Colorado!
Our focus on this Twitter MeetUp was to field questions from the audience people had about Twitter, then our stellar panel answered them.
Questions ranged from “Why use Twitter”, “Using Twitter for business” and “What are your favorite applications for Twitter." Some applications discussed last night included Twollo, Tweet Deck, twhirl, and Twitter grader. Do you have a favorite Twitter application? We want to hear, please leave it in a comment below!
One other neat announcement was Shannan Bowen telling us about the Star News launching a new section of their site listing their Twitter users, and local “tweeps”, here it is: http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41
Special thanks to our panelists Bruce Brown of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, Steve Harrell of Sophic, Shannan Bowen of the Wilmington Star News, and William Lang of Port City Color Copy handled the Ustream PC and fielded questions that came in via the Internet. Oh, I was there of course, Ty Downing with Perspective Internet Marketing and SayItSocial.
Google Launches an online "Qualification" course for Google Analytics
Hot off the Google press. They announced today that they will offer a online courses to people, and thus can become “Qualified.” At first glance this is very similar to their Google Adwords course. Looking forward to taking this..wait, is this going to cost $50 also??
Here are the details:
Press release: http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/20090303_analytics-iq.html
Google Analytics online course: http://www.google.com/support/conversionuniversity/
