July 5, 2011
Search Engine Optimisation Scams: What to Look Out For

Inexperience is one thing, but scamming is even worse. We expose the easy-to-recognise deceptive statements that fraudulent companies use:
 
SEO scams are as old as search engine marketing itself. The frustrating thing is that people are obviously still falling for them. If you know what to look out for it’s very easy to spot a spammer
 

  1. Guaranteed Rankings

Search engine optimisation is dependent on two factors. Controllable (your website) and Influential (social noise, links and much more). No Online Marketing Company can honestly claim to have decoded Google’s algorithm, which is continuously morphing anyway. They might be able to guarantee rankings on obscure keywords, but relevant (not vanity) keywords are much harder to master.

 

  1. Submitted To Thousands of Search Engines

This sounds like a big claim, but honestly it is meaningless. There are really only 3 main search engines you have to concern yourself with. Google is used by a whopping 92.3% of search engine users. Bing is used by 3.17% and Yahoo are close behind with 2.95% which leaves only 1.58% for all other search engines.

 

  1. Fast Results

There are no quick fixes in search engine optimisation. It might sound tiresome, but as ever, decent quality work takes time. A lot of SEO companies make the mistake of uploading a barrage of optimised web pages and articles to link back to their client’s site all in one go, believing that this will produce fast results. In actual fact, search engines can detect this and they instantly penalise websites that are obviously manipulating the system. Good SEO is steady and gradual.

 

  1. Charging Cheap or Extortionate Amounts

If a Search Engine Marketing Company offers to do your SEO for a flat rate of, say, £80 then just don’t bother. As already mentioned, good SEO takes time, man hours. Truly skilled search engine marketing services are not cheap. However, a large amount is also not necessarily representative of the quality of the service. Get examples of their previous work and find out about their strategy, see where your money is going. If you are considering forking out on an expensive service make sure you really know what you’re getting for that money. This leads me on to my next point.

 

  1. Withholding Information

There are no secrets in search engine marketing. There’s no “Mama’s super special secret ingredient.” You are investing good money in a strategy and you deserve to know exactly what you are paying for. Each Online Marketing Company has should have a strategy. Ensure it is solid and accountable.

Strategic Online Marketing London

 

9:37am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy6muPkw
(Notes: 9)
  
Filed under: strategy online marketing strategic search marketing 
April 7, 2011
The Ethical Boundaries of Online Marketing

Recently (a few months back) thousands of Facebook users’ details were compiled into a single online directory which can be easily downloaded by anyone. This has alerted people of the potential risks of displaying personal information online. The longer that comprehensive data is readily available online, the more likely it is that someone (anyone) could compile and manage that data to use it for their own devices, whatever they may be.

Tesco is already using data management effectively to market specific brands and products. Everyone with a registered Clubcard is disclosing exactly which products they buy each time they go into the store. Similarly, Google has begun using Gmail accounts to track each user’s search patterns. Eventually this will drastically reshape Search Engine Marketing as Google will have the ability to promote certain brands to suit the searcher’s specific tastes and preferences.

At the moment the information you give out on the internet will mostly be used to target online marketing which is pretty harmless and potentially quite useful. However, there are obvious ethical and security risks when one body has access to a large amount of personal data. The US are considering introducing new legislation to place strict rules on how internet companies collect and share personal data for online marketing purposes.

Last year in the Philippines a man was arrested after a woman recognised his description from seeing the suspect on Facebook. In this instance Facebook has reintroduced the community knowhow of a small village where everyone knows everyone else’s business. The difference is that anyone can get hold of this information whether you know them or not, and for any purpose. Perhaps it is cynicism, perhaps it is our heightened awareness of corruption, but as soon as privacy is threatened the words “Big Brother” ring in our ears and we envisage an Orwellian Dystopia where everyone is forced to wear grey and eat gruel.

So without being overcome by suspicion and fear, it is of course advised that we remain prudent when displaying personal information on the Internet. Just set your privacy settings high and keep an eye out for any policy changes. If it comes to the worst I’m told grey is a very easy colour to pull off.

Shiman Media: Strategic Search Marketing

8:00am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy4776F4
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: Search Marketing online marketing Search marketing London PPC marketing London 
February 23, 2011
Online Marketing Must be Finely Tuned

Online Marketing Must be Finely Tuned

Search Engine Marketing specialists Shiman Media advise companies to rethink their strategy to make their Online Marketing campaign as efficient as possible in driving sales.

Pay Per Click advertising can be a costly business if creativity and logic are not combined to create great adtext and a website which will convert clicks into sales. Shiman Media stress the importance of strategy to get the best ROI for their clients.

One of the main efforts of a Search Engine Marketing company that offers PPC advertising should be on Pre-qualifying Traffic directed to their clients’ websites. Shiman Media explain that this involves specifying the exact service that the business offers to avoid paying for clicks from visitors who don’t intend to use the service. This must be done creatively as the adtext allows for a very limited number of characters.

Ideally the adtext should involve a highly relevant keyword. Online Marketing Companies use tools to find keywords used in competitors websites and adtext and industry trade magazine content to find which terms are sought after and widely used.

The more specific the PPC strategy the better and this is best achieved by creating links directly to an express page within the website, ideally to the point of sale. For example, people searching for “Fujifilm Camera” will find that John Lewis are at the top of the sponsored listings with a link that leads straight to the price listings of their cameras; two clicks later and the visitor could be making their transaction.

The usability of the website is equally crucial to initiating sales. A good Online Marketing company will either assist their clients with their web design, or offer advice on how it can be improved. They key factor is that the transition from clicking on the link to getting to the point of sale should be quick and intuitive. Competition online is tough and if the visitor finds the process laboured they will simply move onto the next available site.

Shiman Media are getting measurable results on their Search Engine Marketing. They attribute this achievement to their emphasis on strategy and creativity. Investing in an Online Marketing company who has good references and can demonstrate their success can save a company a surprising amount of money.

Shiman Media:Strategic Online Marketing

5:40am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy3EMz8t
(Notes: 4)
  
Filed under: search engine marketing online marketing strategy marketing 
December 20, 2010
Online Marketing is For People, Not Computers

There is concern amongst companies considering search engine marketing that their website copy may be compromised in favour of stuffing in as many key words as possible.
 
It is a conundrum. What is the point of having punchy succinct copy if you do not have an audience for it in the first place? Equally, what is the point of having a high ranking website at the expense of good copy that will convert clicks into sales?

Of course these questions are based on the assumption that SEO copy cannot be readable. There is no question that keyword stuffing simply isn’t effective. Luckily, Google and the like have cottoned on to cheap search engine marketing techniques such as keyword stuffing. As the bots became more advanced, SEO techniques have also had to evolve. But there are still online marketing companies who think it is sufficient simply to target their copy at the bots that rank websites.

Some SEO companies perceive their job to be formulaic, a list of rules and methods to be conducted to attain a high ranking. These companies forget that online marketing exists to engage with the online community. Truly effective search engine marketing involves creatively incorporating keywords into useful, accessible and interesting content.

Keywords by their nature are pertinent to the services of the website. With a little creativity and good copywriting ability, well-chosen keywords should be easy to incorporate into relevant and engaging content.

Effective web design is also extremely beneficial in masking keyword rich text. If the website is easy to navigate and interesting to interact with then the text instantly becomes more readable.

Unless the website copy is designed principally with the target audience in mind, ranking highly on search listings is of little consequence. Search Engine Marketers should take the approach that ultimately they are talking to a person, no matter how indirect and protracted the overall process may be.

London Search Engine Marketing Company Shiman Media

3:50am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy2EDCON
Filed under: London search engine marketing compnay Internet marketing company PPC PPC marketing London SE social media marketing 
December 16, 2010
Search Engine Marketing Soft Sell

When it comes to online marketing (or indeed offline marketing) people immediately put their guard up against the hard sell. In person the hard sell is sometimes successful, although it takes a lot of tact and skill to pull it off. Done poorly, the hard sell can actively drive business away and tarnish the reputation of the brand.
 
Online marketing is no different. Pop up advertising and email marketing is the closest the Internet gets to the hard sell. Done with tact, these methods can be successful, however it is a gamble. Unless the online marketing company uses specific strategy to target potential customers, it can be sloppy and expensive and it could even frustrate them and discourage them from ever using your brand.

No, people like to at least have the illusion that they are making their own decision, we all like to believe that it is entirely our own choice. Of course, online or offline, this is rarely actually the case. There are a vast number of controllable variables that lead someone to select one brand over another; that’s why marketing exists. Search Engine Marketing is the most popular form of online marketing. Customers search freely, without being pressured, and choose the company which best suits their needs. The aim of Search Engine Marketing is non intrusive, it is simply to make the website more visible on search engine listings. The encouragement is subtle and therefore somehow more trustworthy.

Search Engine Marketing can be broken down further into Pay Per Click (PPC)  and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The former is less subtle but it can help brand recognition and stability. PPC ads appear in a (now pink, once yellow) box at the top of Google’s search listings, and in a column to the right. PPC is easier to track and manage and it also gives credibility to a company, however, it can also be expensive and so it requires a lot of planning and revising.

Search Engine Marketing is subtle and effective. Online businesses have seen the proof of its success and that explains why it has been the fastest growing marketing medium in recent years.

Shiman Media : London Search Engine Marketing Company

2:14am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy2B8JTy
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: Search Engine Marketing Consultans London Internet Marketing London PPC marketing London 
October 5, 2010
Important Tips for Website Design

Shiman Media are an Online Marketing Company who specialise in search engine marketing. One of the most important factors of search engine marketing is creating websites that are attractive to both the websites users and search engine bots. Shiman media give their tips on how this is possible.
 

  1. Simplicity:

Don’t clutter your web page with too many distractions. Looking at a webpage crammed with texts, images and links can be very daunting. Leave plenty of gaps or “white space” to keep the user focused.

 

  1. Manageable Content

Relevant content is a major asset to search engine marketing. Optimised sites are sometimes criticised for having large blocks of text that are difficult for a user to digest. Keep content manageable by breaking up large chunks of text into small, easy-to-read paragraphs and sections.

 

  1. Call to Action

When you are conduction business online your ultimate objective is to lead the website user to your services. A “call to action” is usually a link which directs the user to the next stage of the transaction. For example: Click Here to see our catalogue. This should be made prominent on your webpage. A lot of websites use buttons containing the text to draw attention to it. Surrounding the call to action with white space also makes the call to action more noticeable.

 

  1. Simple Colour Palate

Choose a theme for your website and be consistent. Don’t try to be too flamboyant with different fonts, colours and layouts. Choose a template and stick to it. 3 different colours is plenty.

 

  1. Loading Time

Don’t fill your page with images that take a long time to load. Although bandwidth and speed have improved greatly over the last few years there are still users who struggle with slow loading times. It has also been suggested that loading times can effect search engine marketing as they are now being factored into Google’s ranking algorithm.

 

  1. An Objective Look

You must be your harshest critic. As you are designing the website you must try to maintain an objective eye. Imagine you are looking at your site for the first time. What impression is it giving off about your business? Look at competitors’ websites, ask an honest friend or colleague for their opinion. Always accept constructive criticism and try not to be too precious about your work.

Online Marketing Company

11:17am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy1AUBQJ
Filed under: online marketing search engine marketing 
September 16, 2010
How to Spot Search Engine Marketers from Marketers on the Bandwagon



Search Engine Marketing has grown drastically in the past few years. Online Marketing Companies face more competition than ever as search engines continue to dominate. Unfortunately, not all of the competition is up to scratch.

In the beginning, search engine marketing was relatively simple to navigate. Marketers were still exploring and creating new techniques to improve the rating of their websites and search engines were only beginning to second-guess these techniques and establish rules. When search engine marketing was in its initial stages most people could forage into SEO without any training or knowledge of the system.
 
Early Online Marketing Companies have a distinct advantage over their newer rivals. Having developed with the times they have had time to adapt and refine their strategy as and when major search engines change their algorithms. Therefore, as a general rule of thumb, more established search engine marketing companies are more proficient. However, don’t rule out newer companies as several of these have sprung from successful older companies and can offer good rates for their services.

Many Online Marketing companies have a history in traditional marketing, but promoting your website is a priority you have to ensure that the company specialises in search engine marketing and that it isn’t just an afterthought. You can usually decipher whether a marketing company is serious about SEO by looking at examples of their clients’ websites.

Is there a substantial amount of content? Is the content descriptive of the company’s services? If the answer to both of these is yes then it is a good indicator that the web developers are serious about SEO. Content is an important factor in SEO. It is important to disperse keywords and search terms in amongst the content to increase the relevance of the website. Traditional marketers tend to use flashy gimmicks and focus on attractive images to draw attention. By all means this works well for established websites, but for those looking to improve rankings it is not so effective.

When you invest in a marketing company you are putting your business on the line. It is make or break. Ensure that the company you choose specialises in the area you want to focus on. Look at their website and figure out what their priorities are and discern whether they are likely to deliver what you want.

Strategic Online Advertising : Shiman Media

7:08am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gy13SHml
Filed under: strategy online marketing search engine marketing 
August 30, 2010
Finding the Right Keywords for Search Engine Marketing

Finding the right keywords and phrases is imperative to promoting your business online. A good Search Engine Marketing strategy combines both SEO and Paid Search and using the right keyword is essential for producing results.

In Pays Per Click (PPC) Advertising there are obvious and direct implications for using the right keyword. If you choose a keyword which is not directly relevant to your service or product, then you could be forking out a lot of money without ever seeing results. PPC advertising must utilise very carefully selected Adtext which involves a highly relevant keyword and which directly reflects your services.

“Relevence” is a buzzword within Online Marketing. PPC campaigns are most effective and give the best Return on Investment if it is made specific in the Adtext about the type of service you provide. For example, if you are a travel company selling expensive tailor made holidays to India you may choose the key phrase “Holidays India”, but within your Adtext you must specify, “Luxury, Bespoke Holidays to India” to avoid clicks through from those looking for a bargain deal. Online Marketing Companies refer to this as “prequalifying” enquiries.

Another subcategory of Search Engine Marketing is of course SEO. Because SEO relies on visitors finding your website organically you should use research and reasoning to predict the trend of behaviour your potential visitor will use to narrow down their search.  Choosing the right keywords is the beginning of this process. Online Marketing Companies use programmes to select the right keywords and will research your competitors to see what techniques have worked for them. If the best keywords are not given the right level of attention the effectiveness of your entire campaign will be compromised.

Keywords are utilised throughout an Online Marketing campaign and are arguably the most important aspect to determine success. Strategic Marketers use keywords to optimise your website, in external linking and Adtext. It is imperative that you are assured that you choose the right keywords and phrases.

 Shiman Media: Search Engine Marketing London

11:33am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gyzqm1m
Filed under: search engine marketing search onl online marketing soc social media marketing Internet advertising 
August 24, 2010
Search Engine Marketing Blogs Reveal More About the Company


Online marketing is now a competitive industry. In recent years there has been a boom in investment in search engine marketing. Many online businesses appreciate the importance of raising the awareness of their brand online. But with so many Online Marketing Companies out there, choosing between them is a daunting prospect.

The best way to choose is to get a reference from another company that has been successful online. Use contacts in businesses of a similar size and calibre that already use online marketing and ask them if they would recommend their Online Marketing Company.

If you receive a sales call from an SEO company, ask for their website address and do your research before you commit. Does their website come across as professional? Is it easy to understand or is it filled with jargon? A good Online Marketing Company should be able to confidently and professionally communicate their service without being patronising or confusing.

You will want to work closely with your online marketing company as they will have to understand your brand and how you work in order to represent you properly online. You must be able to trust that they are approachable and will listen to your concerns should you have any. Sometimes business websites can seem austere and impersonal. A good way to get a better sense of the team is to look at their blog, if they have one. Blogs are usually less formal and so you should get a sense of the people behind the words. Blogs can also give a better impression of the way that the company functions and their views on their work.

When you think you have found a couple of suitable Online Marketing Companies, it’s a good idea to make full use of the pitching process. This way you will obtain a general idea of what is on offer and you can weigh up your options. Remember that this investment could determine the success of your company for as long as you are contracted to them. It is not a decision to make lightly.

Shiman Media: Search Engine Marketing

12:19pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3Gyxr_2r
(Notes: 2)
  
August 6, 2010
Beware the Content Thieves

The Internet is so vast and so widely available that if you publish something online you can easily become a victim of plagiarism. Working in search engine marketing, I write many original articles for our clients and I always strive for my content to be interesting, informative or just entertaining. I spend time and effort ensuring that I don’t just write bumf with some keywords awkwardly worked or shoved in.
 
Occasionally I will check to see if any unauthorised copies of my text have been published online. My articles have been used by search engine marketing companies to boost the relevance of their sites without putting in any of their own effort. This is bad enough, but occasionally I find my articles scrambled beyond all comprehension. Every second word is replaced with a synonym; the effect is actually quite entertaining.

For Example, here is an excerpt from my original article:

Water can quickly permeate through the materials that comprise a property. Resultantly, the full extent of the water damage is not always evident.

Now look at this (ahem) interpretation of my work:

Water can dig fast by a element which contains a property. Resultantly, is a full border of water damage is not regularly evident.

… oooookay.

I can’t decide whether I’m more amused or pained by this butchery.

There is a well known phrase often used in online marketing: “content is king.” Optimised relevant and interesting content is pure search engine marketing gold, but it does take some man-hours. Scrambled content that is unreadable to humans (but still readable to Google bots) is a deceptive Black Hat SEO technique. If you are investing in an Online Marketing Company that utilises “external linking”, make sure that you are getting the service you are paying for.


Strategic online advertising

11:15am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZAr3GysQoT-
Filed under: search engine marketing 
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