Posts Tagged ‘jakob nielsen’

Over the past decade, Google has become the “answer engine.” When someone doesn’t know the answer to a question, the default answer has become, “Google it.” As you are aware, people are increasingly using the search engines to find products and services as well.

So now businesses are turning to SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. This is the practice of tidying up your website to increase the odds of ranking high in Google. SEO also involves influencing others on the Web to talk about your company, products, and services.

As a business owner, how do you get started? This is a scary area to dive into because SEO is still a very new practice. And doing the wrong thing can get you banned from the search engines, therefore hosing your whole strategy.

Fortunately, there are some great resources on the Web that will help you get started:

• Don’t get blacklisted by Google
• Google’s page about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• The problem with search engine optimization

Technorati Tags: boagworld, google, internet marketing, jakob nielsen, marketing, search, search engine optimization, Search Marketing, seo

Aaron Wall made a great point about the difference between articles and blog posts. Also some interesting discussion in the comments. (Especially the link to an article about the same subject by Jakob Nielsen, which I read at the time and then promptly did not apply to my situation.)

I’m sure that there are some industries that still need new blogs. But I currently sit in an industry with too many. Internet Marketing is probably one of the wortst industries to be a blogger in because there is so much noise and so many echoes about the same topics.

I don’t fancy myself as a top blogger, but I do enjoy it. I also feel that I have important stuff to say, so I’m going to treat that stuff differently than a blog post. This blog should be for bite-sized ideas, not lengthy articles.

For those of you who have been following along, that means that my mini-series about running an AdWords campaign is not going to be a series of blog entries, but rather a series of articles. Something didn’t feel right about the idea of the mini-series. I’m glad that I could figure it out.

Technorati Tags: aaron wall, alertbox, Blogging, internet, internet marketing, jakob nielsen, marketing, seo book, usability, Writing

Studies have revealed that most blog and wiki readers never comment or contribute.

In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action.

As a marketer, this presents a great opportunity for you. Blog comments and forums. You finally have an easy way to interact with your very own customers. Oh boy, Oberto!

Read my commenting guidelines before you run off and start Googling for blog entries to comment on:

1. Be relevant. Don’t try to force your products into the conversation. Only do so when it makes sense. Many people write blogs and participate in communities so they can escape from advertising. Err on the side of being a blogger’s peer, rather than “just another marketer.” Heck, this may be your chance to become friends with a customer. (Imagine that!)
2. Link back to your web site or blog. Most blogs let you submit a URL when you comment. If you’re talking about a particular product or service, link to its page on your site. You will be rewarded by the search engines for getting another link to your site.
3. Put in some effort. Just today, I read a spammy comment on 37signals’s blog. It’s since been removed, but notice that the next commenter called it out immediately. Be sure that you’re contributing to the conversation and not just pasting your pitch into the comment box, clicking submit, and moving on to the next blog.
4. Subscribe to the blog and say hi again later. This makes the blogger feel more like you’re their friend than someone who wants their money. Plus you may learn more about your customers from stalking them reading their blogs. (Huh? How do I subscribe to blogs?)
5. Don’t ever fake your identity. You will be found out. Just ask Wal-mart.

If you can make it a point to comment on just 1 blog entry per day, it very well could make a difference. It’s kind of like marketing without marketing, really.

Go ahead, try commenting on my blog for practice. I’m very forgiving and like feeling the comment love!

Technorati Tags: Blogging, communities, community, e-commerce, ecommerce, jakob nielsen, marketing, seo, small business marketing