Social Media DIY Workshop » Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

First Look At Google+ (Plus)

Charlene Kingston — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:00:05 +0000

Google has launched Google+ (Plus), a new social networking site that directly competes with Facebook. While it’s new and just getting started, it has the potential to change the social media landscape. Here’s a first look at what Google+ is like and why is may become important for your business in the future.

Before You Start: You use social media for your business, or you are considering using social media.
Learning level: 1 | Social Media Basics
Article Last Updated: Friday, July 15, 2011

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Google+ (Plus)

On June 28, 2011, Google launched its new social networking site, Google+. It’s getting a lot of attention from geeks and people who like to be on the leading (bleeding) edge of technology. But what is Google+? And what impact will it really have on social media for small businesses?

Let’s dig into that.

Facebook + Twitter = Google+

Google+ is the first new major social networking site in a few years. It’s a lot like Facebook where you connect with people and share updates, photos, and links. It’s a little bit like Twitter where you post and read quick updates from people you follow and you don’t need their permission to follow them.

One of the valuable features is that Google+ allows you to integrate with other Google services.

If you connect your Picassa web album to Google+, you get free unlimited photo storage, which could threaten Yahoo’s Flickr service.
It integrates with Google Docs making it easier to share and collaborate writing and reviewing information.
There is no private message service. Instead, Google links you to other users through email (Gmail) and lets you send emails to people in your network without revealing the recipients email address.

It has a great live video chat feature, Hangout, that allow many people in the same chat room that could really hurt Skype.

As I’m writing this (July 4, 2011), there’s a app for Android phones, but an iPhone app is expected soon.

Connections and Privacy

One of the most interesting features of Google+ is its circles. Youconnect with people you know by assigning them to circles. You start off with a circle for family, friends, acquaintances, and people you follow. It’s easy to add a new circle (co-workers, peers, clients, bowling team, etc.).

You assign people to a circle by dragging a image of their face with their name into the circle. It’s actually easier and more fun than making a list (Twitter) or individually marking people in a group (Facebook). People can be in more than one circle.

The best part about circles is that they control your privacy. Want to share a picture of your family with family and close friends? Only update to those circles.

It’s also easy to add your location to an update. That’s great for when you want to share geography. It’s equally easy to remove your location. If you are using a mobile device and turn on your location, Google+ automatically creates a nearby users circle based on your current location.

Google+ For Business

There are rumors that Google plans to add business pages to the service later this summer. This would give businesses yet another major social media site to build and maintain.

While Google+ doesn’t have the membership of Facebook, if it takes off, being on Google+ could be as valuable as being on Facebook in the future.

Why Google+ Is Important

Google is the leader in web search. For more than a decade, their analysis of what’s important and relevant has driven the way websites are created and given birth to an industry of people who are experts are getting your site placed high in search results (SEO).

Things have change in the last few years. The website or blog page isn’t the only way we share information. Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, we now share smaller, bite-sized bits of information. Status updates are just as important as blog posts but they are not fully integrated into search results.

Now that Google+ is collecting status updates and other bite-sized bits of information, it’s not hard to imagine that the smart folks at Google will figure out how to integrate your status updates with your blog posts and website pages into search results. That will be groundbreaking. My friend, Jay Baer, explains this very well in his blog.

It’s not surprising that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is actively checking out Google+.

What To Do Now

Time will tell how important Google+ will become in social media, and how it will co-exist with other major tools. It’s not possible to create a business presence on Google+ today.

Invitations to Google+ were hard to get in the first few days, but have been easier lately. If you get a chance, snag one. It’s worth checking out.

Here are my recommendations:

Start using Google+ personally. That’s the best way for you understand its features and how it integrates with other services. Then, when business pages become available, you’ll be better prepared to decide if your business wants to include Google+ in your social media presence.
Add the Google +1 button to your website and blog now. This feature is similar to the Facebook like button. It’s a way for people to say that they like your business and your content. There’s a whole section in each Google+ profile to list the things you +1 online.

However, the +1 button is more important than just for Google+. Google is now incorporating the +1 button to search results, and some people expect that Google will soon incorporate +1 into its search results ranking. In other words, having people +1 (like) you blog and site could impact your search results in the near future.

My site runs on WordPress, and there are several +1 plugins available. I’m currently using ”WordPress Google +1 Button” if you trying to decide. So far, I like it.

Stay tuned for more information as Google+adds new features and starts reaching a larger audience.

Your turn: Have you tried Google+? What do you think? How do you see this tool helping with your business online presence? Share your insights and experience here.

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The Press Release Grader

Charlene Kingston — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:00:54 +0000

Many business today write press releases that they never submit to the media. Instead, these press releases appear on their company website and on social media press release sites. The Press Release Grader helps you improve your press releases.

Before You Start: You understand the value of social media press releases for your business. You want to make sure that your press releases give your business the maximum benefit.
Learning Level: 3 | Building Skills
Article Last Updated: Sunday, December 4, 2011

Social Media Press Releases

Your business can write a social media press release any time something happens that is newsworthy for your customers. There is an art and a science to writing good press releases. There is an art to writing about your business news so it is vibrant and fresh to the readers. But there also is a science to making sure that your press release has the correct components and that you add links to maximize the search engine benefits from it.

Press Release Grader

The Press Release Grader is a free online tool from HubSpot, Inc. that helps you to improve your press releases. It’s easy to use and provides valuable information designed to help you fine-tune your press releases so you get the maximum benefits from your press release strategy.

After writing your press release, you copy and paste it into the Press Release Grader. Fill out some information about your business, and click Generate Report button.

The Press Release Grader evaluates your press release for structure and content, and provides you with a thorough report of its findings. The report provides you with specific feedback with suggestions for things to improve.

Press Release Report

Your press release report includes:

Score. This is the number of points out of 100 for your press release. Each time the Press Release Grader has a suggestion to improve your press release, it subtracts a few points from your score. Use the score as a guideline, but don’t be upset if you don’t get a perfect 100.
Statistics. The number of words, sentences, and links in your press release. It also calculates a readability score based on the length of your sentences and the number of syllables in your words.
Content Suggestions. The tool checks for the standard press release components. Generally, your press release should have all of the components it recommends.
Gobbledygook Analysis. Using the work of David Meerman Scott, the tool checks your press release for jargon and other words that don’t add value. If it finds any of these words, consider replacing them with more meaningful words and phrases.
Link Analysis. This section helps you to get the maximum search engine optimization (SEO) from your press release. Generally, you should fix everything that the tool recommends.
Word Cloud. This feature lets you see the most commonly used words and phrases in your press release. After seeing this cloud, you may want to tweak your wording to make sure that the subject of your press release and any search keywords are used frequently.
Additional Resources. The Press Release Grader provides you with links to additional resources, include HubSpot’s Press Release Marketing Kit.

When you review the suggestions, you may find recommendations that don’t fit your business needs. That’s okay. Use the feedback to make corrections to your press release and resubmit it to the Press Release Grader.

For more detail about how to use the Press Release Grader, check out the video by HubSpot.

For more information about social media press releases and creating a social media press release strategy, see The New Rules of PR: How to create a press release strategy for reaching buyers directly by David Meerman Scott.

Your turn: Have you used the Press Release Grader? Share your experience with the community.

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Blog About Your Press Release

Charlene Kingston — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:59 +0000

A social media press release strategy helps your business in many ways. When you write a press release designed for search engine results for each event that is newsworthy to your customers, you not only inform your customers but improve the search engine results for your business website and blog for your target keywords.

Before You Start: You have a blog. You have written a social media press release about an event or accomplishment for your business.
Learning Level: 4 | Creating Solutions
Article Last Updated: Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Writing Social Media Press Releases

There is an art to writing a press release, but there are simple tips for writing a press release that maximizes the search engine benefits from your press release. You should be writing press releases for your business regularly, and you should be optimizing them for search engines to get the maximum benefit from them.

If you are not sure why you should be using press releases in the social media age, take a few minutes to read David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of PR: How to create a press release strategy for reaching buyers directly” (free ebook).

Add Your Press Release To Your Website

Your business website should have a page where you attach press releases. You can also add any mentions of your business in the local media, which could include video clips or links to articles.

If you don’t have any press releases or media links today, start building them. There’s no reason why you can’t go back several months and write a press release for past events. After you have a couple of press releases ready to post, create a new website page and add your press releases in chronological order. Every month or so, write a new press release and add it to your website.

In the past, you only wrote a press release when you had an event that the news media would think is newsworthy. That’s a pretty high standard! In the social media age, you write a press release when you have news that your customers would think is newsworthy. That’s a completely different way to define newsworthy.

Here are some tips for getting the most search engine benefit from your press release and website news page:

Include your target keywords in the press release file name.
Put dashes (-) between words rather than spaces or underscores (_) in the press release file name.
Use target keywords as the anchor text for the link to your press release.

Blog About Your Press Release

Each time you write a press release and post it to your website, write a blog post about it. In the blog post, you can recap the news and give a bit more background. You can explain things in more detail than the press release, and include information that you couldn’t include there.

Here are some tips for getting the most search engine benefit from your blog post:

Use target keywords as the anchor text for the link to your press release.
Write your blog post to include as many of the target keywords for your press release as possible.

With a little effort, you can build your press release strategy and start getting the benefit of improved search engine results for your website and blog for your target keywords.

Your turn: Have you developed a social media press release strategy for your business? What have you learned in the process? Share you experience here.

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Fairytale Brownies: Blogging Magic

Charlene Kingston — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:00:11 +0000

Fairytale Brownies, Inc. started blogging and improved their search engine results, saving money in the process.

Before You Start: You understand basic searching on Google and have seen ads on search results pages.
Learning level: 4 | Creating Solutions
Article Last Updated: Monday, August 22, 2011

Fairytale Brownies & Social Media Success

Fairytale Brownies, Inc. is a catalog and online retailer of gourmet brownies and related items, and a social media success story. Founded in 1992 in Phoenix, Arizona, the company has grown to approximately 40 employees with annual revenue estimated at $9,000,000.

In 2008, the company was spending money placing ads on Google so their company would appear when people did searches for phrases like “gourmet brownie” and “brownies delivered.” This strategy was getting them leads and driving traffic to their website. But their tech-savvy web team leader, David Kravetz, decided to take a different approach.

Blogging Equals Search Engine Success

David started a blog on the company website, and started writing about their brownies and their services. Google indexed the blog posts, and ended up giving Fairytale Brownies very high search results ranking for their key words and phrases. They even landed in the top results spot for “delivery brownies.”

Showing up high in the search results is always better for business than being in an ad along the margin. Soon, Fairytale Brownies was saving the money they used to spend on Google ads, and they were getting better traffic to their site.

Borrow This Idea

Would you like to have your company appear in the first few items for your key search words and phrases? Perhaps a blog can help you accomplish this goal. It’s important to write about topics related to your business because the words in your posts are what determine your search results ranking. In fact, you can write a blog post with a specific search phrase in the blog title and throughout the post for maximum benefit. This strategy is called organic SEO (search engine optimization).

Your turn: What is your company currently doing to maximize your search results ranking? Are you having good search results from your blog? Share your experience.

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Your Twitter User Name Matters

Charlene Kingston — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Your Twitter user name is one of the most important decisions you make when setting up your Twitter account.

Before You Start: You are ready to set up your business Twitter account.
Learning level: 2 | Getting Started
Article last updated: Thursday, September 22, 2011

Twitter User Name Importance

Twitter allows you to provide your real name and define a user name. Twitter makes both names available to people, but your Twitter user name has additional visibility.

Twitter web address. Your Twitter user name appears in the customized web address for your Twitter archive. This impacts search engine results. If you have questions, ask your search engine optimization (SEO) guru or a website/blog developer.
Message label. On Twitter, you are your user name. People see your user name in their tweet stream as the message sender. People send messages to your user name.

One of the most important decisions you make about your Twitter user name is whether to use your real name or your company/brand.

Company/Brand Name. If you have a company or tweet on behalf of a business, you may want to identify the business or brand with your Twitter user name.
Your Name. If you are self-employed, provide freelance services, or operate as a solopreneur, you may use your business name or your real name for your Twitter user name. It’s a brand decision that you must make.

Defining You Twitter User Name

There are several other factors to consider when picking your Twitter user name.

Keep it short. Pick the shortest name that communicates your user name. Many people will be pecking out your user name on a cell phone, and a shorter name is easier to type.
Avoid punctuation. People typing your Twitter user name on a keyboard have access to all punctuation. However, many cell phones don’t have all punctuation marks available, or require the person to navigate through several menus to reach punctuation marks.

With the large number of people already on Twitter, your first choice for a user name may already be taken. You may have to be creative to define the user name that works for your business.

Your turn: What did you learn when you picked your Twitter user name? What advice can you share with the community?

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