Content Strategy |Brand Development |Organic SEO

Remember, anyone can call himself a marketing guru. Before you pay for any system or information, do your homework. Some of these so-called gurus can be trusted, but many are full of … uh… baloney, and you need to learn to tell the difference between the two.

A good list to keep close by...I've used some how about you, do you have a favorite?

SEO has changed and evolved, it’s much more complex, it’s much more insistent that the efforts and work be high quality and it’s never still, it’s always moving and changing.  But it does exist.  :)  The bottom line folks, is that you can call it what you want but you need some form of content addition and optimization and some social activity to grow your site.

From a business perspective, expanding reach into different local markets can have dramatic impacts on overall branding, awareness and organic traffic, conversions, and revenue. In order to ensure a smooth rollout you must address these considerations upfront and have a rock solid plan for technical implementation and proper content development. These are three critical aspects to address, but certainly not the only ones when beginning or renewing global optimization efforts.

Brilliant post by Yusuf Bhana

This will improve performance, SEO and the ability to engage customers within the target market. For companies that have significant business interests in international markets, it is recommended that they approach a professional translation agency for advice before expanding into these markets.

Excellent post by Mark Vassiliou

If I can leave you with only a few key points it is these:

Do extensive research up front; plan meticulously, develop your strategy and identify your goals before making any firm decisions of a promotional or technical nature.

Make sure whomever is responsible for your web development understands the implications of each approach to geo-targeting. Don't let them choose a solution in isolation - seek expert advice from people who really know about search engines.

Develop a thorough understanding of the online competition in each market you're looking to target. Which sites rank? What tactics do they use? Where does the local audience hang out online?

Fully comprehend the level of resources you’ll need to support your chosen approach - don't get caught short.

Finally, don't underestimate the benefits of using local people on the ground to help maximise your chances of successful expansion into new markets, particularly those you’re not intimately familiar with.

Google has done a fantastic job of keeping the web clean of spam and crappy low quality content, and although the updates will continue to come and sites will continue to be penalised – creating a back link profile that is based solely on quality content and relevant links will always, and I mean ALWAYS stand you in the best position to not be affected in a negative way by these future changes.

SEO is a skill and a talent. It requires knowledge of search engines and how they work. Training classes are designed to teach online business owners the basics of Search Engine Optimization. Anyone who is considering handling their ongoing SEO needs should first speak with their SEO Consultant about available training. Many qualified SEO companies offer brief one-on-one training courses that will allow business owners to get a handle on the intricacies of SEO.

Here is a roundup of more than 50 websites demonstrating effective call to action buttons that do their job quite smartly. We hope that this collection helps you getting some idea of unique and creative ways to make these calls to action in your own works.

Winding Purchase Path

Most consumers move along a complex, nonlinear pathway to their final purchase:

87% of those surveyed say shopping is "more happening" than identifying a need, exploring options, and purchasing.

83% say their path to purchase may involve a greater number of "stops," but it takes less time than it used to overall.

73% say their path to purchase is more complex and less direct than before.

Also, shopping today is a more personal and emotional experience:

79% of consumers say their relationship with brands is much more personal than ever before.

68% say shopping today is "less about the brands/products themselves and more about me (e.g., what I'm feeling or needing).

Keep in mind, not all leads are alike. You may have several different types of folks who either influence the buying process or make the final decision, particularly in a B2B context.

So you’ll want to make a chart like the above for each buyer type, or buyer persona. Each persona has its own needs, desires, pain points, problems to solve, interests, inspirations and motivations. Logically, you’ll offer different content to different personas based on their needs and wants.

Some great ideas...

How can we create effective call to action buttons that grab the user’s attention and entice them to click?

As we can see, the new algorithm, complemented by the natural dynamism of the industry has rendered ‘predictability’ redundant. We need to strive to let our minds harness creative, original thinking to destroy impending banality.

My hope is that some of you will join us for some Q & A’s. When I think of how many questions we get on a weekly basis, I realize that I really should have done this sooner.

So for now, take a load off, kick your feet up and please let us know your thoughts. If you have any questions you’d like to ask Doc or me, please tweet them to us with the #LHM2013 hashtag and we’ll be sure to include them in our next taping. One last thing – you can also follow us on Twitter, and join us on our Facebook page.

To tell the truth, even the best SEO analyst will need to take time to find out where and what that ground actually is. In most markets, your competitors have spent a decade or more building both their websites, and links to those websites. A thorough competitive analysis will take into account every link that leads to every competitor result that shows up on the first few pages of results that rank for your desired keywords. Link tools like Majestic SEO or Open Site Explorer can be helpful in developing an understanding of where the ground is.

Social signals go beyond likes, shares and tweets, however. There are subtler, yet still significant, metrics like engagement levels, reach amplification, frequency, co-citations, demographic relevancy, historic amplification, authority circles, etc. These are all metrics that brands have always wanted to glean from their audience. With TV and radio, little was known and the rest was all guess work. Today, you have copious amounts of raw data to make use of. It’s a gold mine for marketing analysts.

he SEO strategies that win today – creating high-quality content, focusing on the metrics that matter to clients and investing in digital PR – are often far different than what’s come before them.

How to Know if You Have Suspicious Links

The Google Panda updates mainly went after duplicate content, as well as low quality sites. Penguin is going after mainly websites that are using low quality or suspicious links. Google is also getting much better at knowing which links are suspicious and which ones are not. If your website has a high percentage of keyword rich in-bound links, uses links from low quality pages that also have many outgoing links, a high amount of links from your blog comments, links from websites that are not in the same niche as yours or links from articles not in the same niche as your website, then you definitely are using low quality links.

When it comes to conversion rate optimization, your call-to-action buttons are the ultimate low-hanging fruit. Even minor tweaks to button design and copy can have major impact on conversions.

Sometimes the choice is obvious. You have a powerful statement, a compelling story, or a breakthrough discovery that naturally lends itself to a particular type of lead.

But other times the choice isn’t clear.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try out different types of openings to find the one that fits your promotion best.

A fine example for Webinar CTA pages...

GoToWebinar uses hyperlinked text below their CTA buttons to clarify exactly what visitors will get after their click(s): either a free trial or an online purchase. GoToWebinar also offers a third option to simply talk to someone in Sales. The lesson is simple, if you're using small CTA and your button text is somewhat vague, clarifying copy can give visitors an extra boost to click.

If there’s one thing a business wants from its landing pages, it’s conversions.

The key to driving a high conversion rate lies in understanding your audience, which is why I’ll dig into the types of customers they’re serving. If you do that, then at least you’ve given yourself the best possible chance.