SEO and Internet Marketing News Roundup – Friday 30 October
This week I’m going to get straight into things. Not because I’ve nothing to say (the reverse in fact) but there’s so much good stuff this week my views will have to wait till next time!
One of my big issues with Google is the fact that it makes its products, such as AdWords appear to be so simple a four year old could work, when the reality is that they are incredibly complex. Well, whilst I concede that it is hardly rocket science there are myriad different factors to take into account when building or running an AdWords account. One of the key ones is “quality score” which I have touched on before but think it is worth looking at again as Google have released an article which explains the basics of paid search. So please have a read of the article below as it will give those of you out there who aren’t completely au fait with AdWords to a handle on the basics… Quality scores and ad auctions
Clutter is a massive issue on the internet. And it is at its worst in the social media space. Social media sites require massive buy in (mostly in time) and unless your friends also use the particular site then your interest will invariably wane quite quickly! I’ve always felt that the “killer app” will be finding a way to connect all these social media sites and to integrate new ideas into a Central hub, for lack of a better phrase. Google around a month ago launched “Google Friend Connect” which is still in beta and not much seems to be happening. However Facebook this week released the launch date for “Facebook Connect” which is a product that ties a user’s Facebook account to other sites on the Internet. Watch this space as I have a feeling that this will be the app that will reignite people’s interest in Facebook! Checking In On Facebook Connect
Talking about social media this article is definitely worth a read as it explains that social media can be used as a direct sales tool but only if used correctly! B2B Marketers Struggle With Social Media
Sorry to all of you that have no interest in social media as this week seems be turning into a social media newsletter but backing up my argument of the current web2.0 Holy Grail of inter-site integration is news that Google has teamed up with OpenID. For those of you unfamiliar with OpenID, it is the idea that Internet users should be able to use a single username/password combination to login at any site, all via an open source protocol. Microsoft joined OpenID last week and now Google has joined the party. OpenID is far from perfect but again keep your eye on this as I think with the support of both Windows and Google it may start to make more sense! Google Now Supporting OpenID
I often find it difficult to explain the importance of having a digital “strategy”. Search in particular is often marginalized in media plans which for some businesses makes sense, but if your business relies on web sales or web based leads then your search needs a strategy. And that means balancing paid search with organic optimization. Please, please read the article linked below but if you don’t have time then just take this thought away with you:
“Paid and organic search listings work synergistically, providing entry points to your site and showing the user that you’re serious about search. They must be balanced carefully, however. Buy sponsored listings on keywords that may be difficult to obtain (or maintain) organic rankings for, and ease up on search terms for which your organic presence is firmly rooted. This will help you make the most efficient use of your marketing dollars.”
Couldn’t have put it better myself! The Organic and Paid Balancing Act
Finally for those of you like me were completely underwhelmed by Windows Vista take a sneak peek at Windows 7. Come on Microsoft!!! MS offers peek through Windows 7
And for my website of the week I’m going to recommend you check out last.fm. If like me you get a little bored of your music collection you can simply type in your favourite artist into the box in the middle of the page and in an instant the site develops a playlist based on that artist. Brilliant, and free!
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