Posts Tagged ‘Technology’

Google – important changes that will effect search rankings

SEO Scotland, Technology | Posted by Gavin
Jul 17 2009

google-searchWhenever you read or mention Google in relation to a question along the lines of – how does Google rank my site?, what SEO factors does Google consider the most important? or how do I get page 1 rankings in Google?, you will get a mutitude of answers from various sources both on and offline.

Over recent years Google has come to dominate all things search and most things search related by providing us with ‘stuff’ that enhances our ‘user experience’ – these are key watchwords for the biggest success story in modern times, striving to improve the quality and relevancy of the information that we require, so that we continue to use Google as part of our everyday ‘online’ lives.

So I guess our answer to our questions above would be another question?!:

When I review my site and practices relating to SEO and online promotion, am I contributing or detracting from building a positive user experience? – and there is your answer

Google and the new Search Options

In line with Google’s whole ’user experience’  idea, they have added new features to the SERP’s, providing user driven options for filtering, adjusting and even expanding the search results that are displayed. Google have publicly stated that ‘a large portion’ of searches will be made using these options in the near future.

These new Show options … are displayed at the top left of most SERP’s and contain additional search filtering options such as:

  • Videos
  • Forums
  • Reviews

Further filter options enable you to display by relevancy, most recent and the option to display images from the pages.  Additionally and perhaps most importantly for SEO’s, there is Wonder Wheel and Timeline filter which has far reaching implications in relation to key phrase research & tageting.

So, what does all this mean and how can we ensure that ‘our house is in order’ so that as these options become more widely used, we know that we have acted and do not have to re-act?

… I will look at each option in more detail in coming posts on this blog 

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Popularity: 61% [?]

Social Media lead generation can help with SEO in Scotland

Business News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Katie
Jul 10 2009

hubspot-logo-300x114Yesterday I watched a free webinar from Hubspot called Social Media Lead Generation.  It was a very down to earth and basic introduction into the world of social media and I cant say I learnt anything new, however, it is quite good to take 1/2 hour out sometimes and just refresh your knowledge.  We have been delving into the depths of social media and you can get a bit lost and very sidetracked so having someone just spell out the obvious every now and again is quite refreshing.  Hubspot has been a rare find for us and their webinars are always informative….. just remember the time difference if you are in the UK – it has been known in this household for expletives to be used when ‘we’ have realised that we missed the live event by a couple of hours.  Anyway, they always post the webinar after the event so you can view at your leisure and I would recommend you take a look.  When you have done that and you would like us to help you set up something for your own business then you know you just have to contact us and we will gladly talk Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn with you!

Popularity: 100% [?]

How do Twitter & SEO Scotland combine? Well there is a question…

Business News, SEO Scotland, Technology | Posted by Katie
Jun 16 2009

can Twitter and SEO Scotland combineIf you are anything like me and have decided to go down the Twitter road to more traffic and more success then you might also be like me in that you seem to have 101 Twitter gadgets, Twitter plug ins and Twitter widgets…. I am losing track and wondering which ones are actually being effective in bringing me followers that I actually want to follow back and who are likely to purchase our services in the future. 

The way I see it is, what is the point in having 100′s if not 1000′s of Twitter followers, when none of them will ever use our services?  Surely the whole point of using Twitter in a business sense is to get people to your website or blog?  Or have I missed the point?  So, below are the gadgets that I am using at the moment.  Tweepular was recommended to us by the boys at G2 Outdoor, Twello and Twollo receommended to us by David at Severn Internet – thanks boys, keep the recommendations flowing.  I am very interested in what other people’s views on this are and please bear in mind that not only are we in the UK and not America, but we are also in a fairly isolated spot in the Scottish Highlands as well so again I ask… is Twitter the way forward for my business?  Comments gratefully received!

  • Tweepular you can bulk follow, bulk unfollow and all sorts of other interesting things
  • Twello basically yellow pages for Twitter
  • Twollo put your search phrase or word in and tell it how many people you want to follow and it will automatically follow people within those categories.  Quite a good idea but I wonder if I have set my search words up properly as I seem to be following some complete randoms!
  • Tweetdeck Have heard great things, but am not using it yet – anyone care to review it?

Popularity: 81% [?]

Free broadband – would you take it?

Business News, Technology | Posted by Katie
Jun 10 2009

Next week sees the publication of the Digital Britain report which lays out plans for broadband for the next decade.  But Ofcom have completed a survey that has found 30% of the UK population are currently offline  and 43% of these wouldnt take up the offer of free broadband and a free computer if they were given the option. 

Now I have to laugh, because if you read the full article on the BBC website here you will also see at the bottom of the page a little invitation : Are you one of the 30% of adults who do not have Internet access?  It goes on to ask for your views using an online form… am I the only one to see the fatal flaw in this question?

Popularity: 36% [?]

SEO Scotland : why it is not as scary as it sounds!

SEO Scotland | Posted by Katie
Jun 09 2009

I came across this good article the other day, it is fairly old (2008) and a lot of it is a bit Americanised (nothing wrong with that but we are in Scotland here!) and the reason I liked it was because it makes sense of why your website should have time and resources spent on it with regards to SEO.  Now anyone who knows myself and Gavin will also know that I have been known to fall asleep when Gavin starts on his quest to convert me to the joys of SEO, but this little article was short enough to hold my interest and down to earth enough to make me understand…. so here you go – a wee snippet and if you want to see the whole article then click here and when you have done that and you would like us to take a look at your website then click here - come on you know you want a local company to help you out…. we promise not to bore you!

“Think about a party: When you show up at a networking event, you’re judged first on your appearance (C’mon, admit it – would you dress like a slob for a black tie event?), then by your conversation, and then you’re invited to continue – or not continue – the conversation another time. You meet someone, speak to them, gauge their reaction, and then respond accordingly. That’s conversation.

Internet communications should work the same way. A visitor comes to your web site. If the design doesn’t drive them away (most do), then they read, or watch, or listen, or all three. If your content doesn’t confuse them (very common) or bore them (even more common) then they stay.

If they’re really interested, they give you their e-mail address, or call you, or purchase something, or vote for you, or take some other action that continues the conversation. At the same time, you analyze site traffic and other data to gauge audience response and react accordingly.

That’s the power of the Internet – next to air, it’s the best conversation medium there is. Whether you make cars, houses, legislation or software, conversation marketing plays to the strength of the medium, and makes the most of your investment”

Popularity: 48% [?]