ZMarket Scoop

Cool SEO Tool!

I just discovered a great tool for monitoring organic page rank and wanted to share it.

This tool will save me, and you if you monitor page rank, countless hours of searching the three of the top four search engines.

This is one of those, "why didn't I think of that" ideas that I think is just brilliant.

The site uses columns to display Google, Yahoo! And MSN organic results—although MSN results are not always available—but that is MSN for you. I wonder what they are doing over there sometimes.

It also displays page rank numbers (which Yahoo! unfortunately removed from their search—which was one of their best redeeming qualities). Not necessarily that important when clients are on the first or second page, but when I'm monitoring a clients results as I bring them from subpar rankings in the 100's, to the first page, that little number makes life a little easier.

The site is www.tripleme.com. Just type in your keyword and get your results. Check it out and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

To Blog or Not to Blog

For business, that certainly is the question…..

I started this blog as somewhat of test. I had clients that would ask me about the benefits of blogs, and I do offer blog writing as one of my services, but beyond what I've read about the benefits of blogging I didn't really know that much about it. So, I started this blog to see first-hand just how time intensive this blogging was and of course for the marketing benefits for my own company. Today, I have a much greater understanding of what it takes to blog and these are some of the things I would have my clients consider before jumping into a blog.

To Blog:

Blogging, if done effectively, can increase your page rank.

Blogs attract links because the content is fresh and frequently updated.

Blogs can be added to your website and then linked to any page of your website.

Blogging gives you credibility in your market and can become a frequented how-to area for your customers.

Blogging can spur mentions in other online media (page rank and credibility).

Bloggers often provide links to other bloggers.

Blogging is fun.

Since the medium is more casual (and visual) it allows you more room for creativity outside normal business writing.

Not to Blog….

Blogging is time intensive.

To have the greatest benefit, you must blog frequently. Once a week is fine, but you probably won't become a "top blogger".

Blogging frequently means you must find new things to say on a regular basis. It is suggested that a minimum of three blog articles per week is best.

Blogging requires commitment.

If you want to keep readers coming to your site, you must be consistent in your postings.

Blogging requires a different voice.

Blog writing is so much different than any type of "business" writing and it requires finding a new voice.

Business blogging is different that personal blogging and one must keep in mind that is still a business communication tool, without being overly casual or overly promotional.

I would suggest that any company considering a blog should do one of two things: either hire a company to do the blogging for you, or hire someone who is assigned the blog as a number 1 priority. It's too easy for someone (ahem – me) to focus on the work of the day for the paying clients and push the blog to the wayside.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Website

Does all the hype about driving users to your website through pay per click ads, search engine marketing, social media, and blogs make you suspicious about which one really works best?

You are not alone. Since the inception of the World Wide Web, companies have been trying to figure out how to make money from it. After the dot bomb era, someone finally figured it out—make it a big advertising medium. The internet has been hailed as the new yellow pages--too bad yellow pages didn't jump in soon enough to become their own version of Google.

There is plenty of information out there that talks about how these tools affect consumer sales, but how do B2B and industrial marketers use them to increase web leads? Here is a quick overview of how B2B and industrial marketers can use these tools to effect web sales.

Pay Per Click: Probably the most promoted and used tool on the internet. Pay per click (PPC) ads are those entries usually on the right side of the natural search pages and/or ad highlighted at the top of the natural search results. PPC promises high ROI, click through rates and conversions; however, studies have shown that while 80% of B2B buyers research online before making a purchase, less than 20% click on PPC ads.

Search Engine Marketing: Search engine marketing or search engine optimization is about moving and keeping a company's web page to the top positions of an organic search. This is the holy grail of the web. Nearly 75% of B2B buyers searching the web click on organic links (those results in the middle of the page vs. the ads to the right and top), and the top four positions get over 50% of the click through.

Viral Marketing: Viral marketing is the most talked about topic among some internet marketers today. Viral marketing employs existing social networks to rapidly spread brand awareness through word of mouth. It is most talked about in terms of consumer products but talk of its effectiveness of its use is oozing into the B2B and industrial marketing arenas. Although there are still questions about its effectiveness, integration of blogs, industry tools and white papers into a company's website may be effective uses of this tool for industrial and B2B marketers.

Blogs: Although the next best thing since sliced bread, successful blogging demands a great deal of work to get them going. Successful blogging must supply something useful to the masses to get them there again and again, but if a company finds that special mix that pulls in the readers by providing content worthy of forwarding, a blog can be a tremendous source of leads.

Print – yes print! Print still has its place in drawing users to your website; and, next to word of mouth, is the biggest influencer in the purchase phase for B2B buyers. Printed articles about a company become a very powerful word of mouth tool in that it offers credibility through third party endorsement. Printed articles can also include carefully worded action statements that drive readers to the website when companies offer online tools such as troubleshooting guides, white papers and/or industry focused "calculators". Also as more and more trade magazines convert to digital content, a published article in a trade magazine becomes a lasting promotional tool on the Internet for years, if not decades, to come.

With the wealth of promotional activities that the internet offers, it is no wonder that more and more companies have been increasing their PR budgets the last 4 years.