Tag Archives: local search engine optimization

Week of November 7, 2011

Check out the top SEO, search engine and Internet marketing industry news stories from around the Web this week.

Google+ Pages Now Open for Businesses, Brands, Places & More
Google+ Pages are launching today and will be available to everyone within the next couple days. Now brands, businesses and places will be able to participate in the Google+ social network.

Search Engines Primary Source for Local Information
According to MDG Advertising, 74% of consumers use search engines when looking for information related to local businesses online. MDG predicts that local search will continue to grow as the years progress. In 2015, MDG speculates that 30% of all searches will have local intent.

Deal With It! Discounts Drive Brand Love on Social Media
A new survey conducted by Nielsen shows that the top reason for following or liking a brand, company or celebrity on a social networking site is to receive discounts and special offers.

Google Search Algorithm Change for Freshness to Impact 35% of Searches; Twitter Firehose Remains Off
Google just announced that it will be changing its algorithm in order to make search results “fresher.” This change will affect 35% of all searches.

Confirmed: Google Testing New “Sources” Display in Search Results
Google has confirmed that it’s testing a new content application in the search results called Sources. Learn more about this new content module here.

EmailmarketingVisibility magazine recently wrote an article about the importance of email marketing and rules to follow when sending out your messages. Here are five email marketing techniques you should use when reaching out to your email subscribers.

1. Create an aesthetically-pleasing visual design. Every time customers receive an email from you they should know right away that it’s from you because of the format and design. Always keep your design consistent so you don’t confuse your subscribers and your message is remembered long after they’re finished reading. Make sure your design is easy to read, consider colors, font sizes and offer plenty of white space and points of entry on the page so they can skim and read the full articles that they’re really interested in.

2. Provide interesting content for your readers. Make sure the point of the email is very clear and ensure that the content is valuable. Keep your email short and avoid long paragraphs; people generally like to skim online. Use catchy headlines that will drive email opens and clicks. Shorter headlines are best.

3. Share your social media. Encourage your readers to find you on social media for more information and updates. According to a study by GetResponse, newsletters that have a social media sharing option have a 30% higher click-through rate than those that don’t include sharing options.

4. Email your message at the right time. It’s important to test the time of day you send your message as well as the day of the week. Sometimes a letter sent at the beginning of the day might not be as effective as one sent in the afternoon. Plan a day of the week and time that you think will best work for your clients and stick to it for every email message in the future.

5. Conduct tests. Test subject lines, time/frequency of delivery, text format, images vs. no images, design/layout, etc. to figure out what gets the best response from your target audience. Most email marketing systems will be able to provide you with this information.

Follow these tactics in order to send successful email marketing messages to your clients. Start driving customers to your website with the help of email marketing today.

Check out the top SEO, search engine and Internet marketing industry news stories from around the Web this week.

Google Set to Launch Service to Rival iTunes
According to an article published by Guardian, Google is only a few weeks away from unveiling a new service that will compete with Apple’s iTunes store.

Google Mulls Buying Yahoo
Google is considering buying Yahoo. Although a formal proposal has not yet been made, Google and prospective partners have held meetings to discuss the possibility.

Google News Moves Advanced Options to Search Bar; A Sign of Things to Come?
The advanced search options in Google News have recently been moved from their own page and placed right inside the main search bar. To view screenshots of the new appearance, read the full article.

MC Hammer Unveils New Search Engine Venture WireDoo

MC Hammer, former rapper and current reverend, recently announced his plan to launch a new search engine, WireDoo. WireDoo will aim to bring something new to the search market, “relationships search.” This will present content that is similar to a search query as well as content relevant to it.

Meet Shelby, Your Personalized Channel for Web Video
A new application, Shelby.tv helps organize the YouTube videos your friends post on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr into one stream. Users will be able to watch the videos in full-screen mode within the context of their friends’ recommendations.