Monthly Archives: August 2015

How SEO Can Change Your Life (online at least) | Dickiebird

Want to understand the essentials of SEO fast? SEO simplified explains what you need to know to optimize your pages and rank higher in search.

Read the full article at: feldmancreative.com

Many of you heard the joke:

Q. ‘Where’s the best place to hide a dead body?’

A: Page 2 of Google.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation is hardly a 5-minute party trick topic. However, it is fundamental to successful marketing online.

I’m assuming you know how vital SEO is, so I’m going to cut to the point and share some hot tips on SEO that stood out from this wonderful article by Barry Feldman:

1. An alternative to Keywords: ‘Long tail search terms’

When planning and preparing page content for your website, you normally need to carefully pick your main keywords. For example, if I sell swimming pools, my main keyword might be ‘swimming pools’. However, there are likely to be thousands of businesses around the world using terms such as ‘swimming pool’.

A better strategy is to use long tail keyword search terms, for example, ‘How much does a swimming pool cost?’

2. Popularity of your links

The popularity of your website is still linked with the number of websites that share your link. Trusted websites link to trusted websites.

Getting good links to your website should be an integral part of your link building strategy. Blogging and responding to posts on relevant online forums is a good way to do this.

Getting links from industry authorities is another way – for example, if you are own a building company, getting a link from the national building association can be seen as an endorsement and will help your site’s SEO.

Remember: SEO is a slow moving beast – it takes time and regular effort to build your ranking. If you need quick results, consider Google Adwords alongside SEO.

3. Three vital tools for SEO

1. Google Adwords Keyword Planner: Vital for working out which keywords are in demand. Tip: If you see high demand and low competition for a keyword, this is a great, but unusual combination.

2. Raven Tools: Raven incorporates measurement of your online marketing, and it also allows you to plan your keyword content.

3. Google Analytics is vital for measuring the success or otherwise of your SEO efforts.

There are many, many articles written on SEO, and I suggest you do further research before diving into a campaign. Also, do have a look at the link to Barry Feldman’s brilliant article above this one.

Lesson from Neuroscience To Get Better Results On Your Website – Dickiebird

So, how can you harness this knowledge to your advantage? Let’s look at some of the most notable studies on the subject and how you can apply that directly to your blog.

Read the full article at: blog.kissmetrics.com

Wow, who doesn’t love science for helping us make better decisions about our business website? 

What can we learn from this article about applying Neuroscience to web design:

1. Make Me Stay

You’ve got 5 seconds to make an impression on me. Your website better look nice and easy to navigate. 

2. Headline

A good, clear headline is vital. Ask ‘Is it useful to my audience’? 16-18 words is an ideal number.

3. Be Clear from the Start

Ensure the first few sentences convey exactly why readers should keep reading.

3. Mix it Up

Use a mixture of visual devices:

  • Bulleted lists
  • Images
  • Block-quoted text
  • Video


4. White Space


Use space between paragraphs. It helps people retain information and makes a blog post more enjoyable to read.


5. Typography


Don’t use any font under 10 points as this makes it hard to read and people give up.


Summary


Most of this is common sense, but given the number of not so nice blogs and websites I come across, we’ve obviously still got a lot to learn.


Have you seen any great results from making changes like these to your website or blog?

 

Content Marketing is More Powerful Than Advertising – Dickiebird

Why content marketing trumps advertising? People actively avoid advertising. Here is the data and charts to help you craft your content marketing. 7 tips.

Read the full article at: heidicohen.com

Most traditional advertising is a load of hot air, and customers are tired of it.


New Zealanders, especially urban New Zealanders, receive thousands of brand messages every day. That said, how can you make your brand keep top of mind?

Here are 3 key things that have changed advertising:

1. People have greater control over the media / content they choose to consume. 

http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/internet-trends-v1


Implications for business: As a small business, you can’t be everywhere. You must be in your prospect’s inner circle of trust before they begin their journey to purchase. Social media is a great way of building trust well in advance.


2. Customers are savvy.

Most do their research well before most business are even aware they’re looking for a product or service. According to Google, the average shopper checks 10.4 sources of information before making a purchase decision!

B2B or business buyers, are over half way through the buying process before they contact you. 

Implications for business: Provide the information your customers are looking for online. Not everyone will want to contact you to ask for more information.

3. 86% of customers value brands that are useful over those that have interesting advertising. 

Content marketing actively seeks to overcome barriers and objections to the purchase of a product or service. Providing customers with useful information they need means that your brand becomes a trusted source of information.

Key things you can do online to build trust:

1. If you’re not already, get on Social Media. Make your product / service social and irresistible!

2. Use customer testimonials. Photos of testimonial subjects are useful here.

3. Get more product information on your website. It’s the no. 1 most people are looking for.

4. Create how-to information about using your product or service and how it can make their lives easier.

5. Make content readable and enjoyable: Use images, bulleted lists and devices to make your post enjoyable.

Remember, traditional advertising still has it’s place – it’s great for driving people to a piece of content, especially a piece of free downloadable content to grow your email list.

Advertising can be part of your marketing strategy, but in the day and age of Content Marketing, leading the way with helpful and useful information will win in the long run. 

As we say at Dickiebird, simply remember to ‘Be remarkable – cut through the noise online’!

My Top Podcasts – Dickiebird

Podcasting is a growing medium and perfect for content marketing. Learn how to use podcasts to engage with your audiences by learning from these top podcasters.

Read the full article at: www.dickiebird.co.nz

I’ve always been a big fan of radio. Why? Because it’s personal and it’s portable. The link above takes you to 50 of the best Podcasts – a great resource!

Podcasts have been huge in our household. Some of my most influential Podcasts are as follows:

Chris Brogan

Owners Mind


Chris teaches us to be at our best in terms of skills and connections. Great for business owners.


John Nastor

Hack the Entrepreneur


John interviews a wide variety of entrepreneurs and gives all manner of tips and inspiration. Great for aspiring tech entrepreneurs.

 

Pat Flynn

Ask Pat


Pat Flynn is a super likeable guy with a family that had a mission: To create a passive income using online marketing. Great for anyone looking to learn about passive income.


I’d love to know what are your favourite Podcasts? 

Incredible Stats About B2B Content Marketing for NZ Businesses

Content marketing has become hugely important to B2B marketers, so much so that 91% now use content marketing to generate demand and fill the top of the funnel…

Read the full article at: www.slideshare.net

Many of these stats are from the USA, however, they’re very relevant to NZ as we often follow the trends. A handful of these statistic really stood out to me:

1. There are Great Opportunities for NZ Businesses on LinkedIn

LinkedIn generates more leads for B2B businesses than Facebook, Twitter, or Blogs on their own.

Yet, only 47% of B2B marketers are active on LinkedIn versus 90% on Facebook.

2. Organic Search Has an 858% Higher Conversion Rate than Paid Ads

Organic search leads have a 14.6% close rate, whereas outbound / paid ads have a 1.7% closing rate. 

Spot the opportunity: organic search is where it’s at, but it takes time and effort and the rewards aren’t immediate.

3. Brands Relying on Inbound (Content) Marketing Save Over $14 for Every Customer Acquired

Clearly, Content Marketing is more cost effective over time.

4. 55% of Businesses Plan to Increase Their Content Marketing Budget in the Next 12 Months


If your business isn’t considering content marketing, it’s possible that your competitors are considering this fresh approach.


Conclusion:


A great reminder as to how Content Marketing can do wonders for your business.

Boost Your Facebook Reach Without Paying For Advertising – Convert With Content

Ahh, Facebook. We love to hate on them don’t we. It’s no surprise by now that Facebook organic reach is on its way out. We feel it on our pages and I’m sure you feel it on your pages too. This topic is so hot that my last post on the subject has been my most popular post on the ConvertWithContent blog thus far. (By the way, thank you for that!)

Read the full article at: www.convertwithcontent.com

We could bemoan ‘the good old days’ of Facebook when business posts reached most of their fans. However, those days are well gone. Without paying to boost posts, your business posts generally reach about 5% of their intended audience.

Here are some tips on how to get better reach with Facebook organically:


1. Use Video


You may have noticed that videos show up in your Facebook feed. That’s no mistake. Facebook are making video a top priority. Video gets more shares and ranks better. Don’t use YouTube videos. Due to a recent change, YouTube videos won’t play in Facebook’s feed and it won’t rank anywhere near as well. Upload to Facebook video for increased exposure.


2. Share More Often


Forget worrying that you will bombard your fans – I guarantee that only a small % of your fans will see your post. People use social media at different times of the day. Post more often and at different times of the day to maximise reach.

3. Acknowledge Your Friends / Fans

You would have likely found that your business page has a small number of people that really care about what your business does. These fans share your posts with their networks. Acknowledge the efforts of your friends / fans and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts and you will be happy with the results.

4. Build up Your Website

Build up your website’s resources and content. Getting people off Facebook and onto your website means they can read your other articles / posts. They can also subscribe to your blog / email list or purchase whatever it is you sell.

5. Re-share Old Content

Many people miss content (see tip no. 2). Just because you have already shared, doesn’t mean you can’t share it again. Try a different headline and see if that gets a better result.

These are just a few tips. And don’t forget, there are times for paying for boosted posts or for Facebook ads. Let me know in the comments if you have any more Facebook tips that work for you.

Crucial SEO Tips from Content Curation Experts

When you curate content the right way you should never get in trouble with Google or your readers. It should do the opposite: improve search rankings and delight your readers and followers.

Read the full article at: blog.scoop.it

Curating content, done the correct way, will benefit your Google search rankings AND delight your readers and followers.

Let’s be clear: Curation is NOT about simply reposting other people’s content on your own website. If you do that, you won’t benefit your Google search rankings OR your readers.

Wikipedia defines Content Curation as:

“The process of collecting, organizing and displaying information relevant to a particular topic or area of interest. Services or people that implement content curation are called curators. Curation services can be used by businesses as well as end users.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_curation


Content Curation is all about finding your own perspective and sharing your thoughts and ideas on a topic. It should save readers time, by providing concise information about a particular topic. It rounds up the ‘best of the best’ content to share.

Here are some tips for helping your search ranking using Content Curation:

1. Don’t copy large chunks of text into your content. Preferably use less than 200 words.

2. Always add comments or insights to personalise your curated content.

3. Use a new title when curating content.

After all, you are creating a new piece of content, even if you are linking to another person’s content.

4. Include a link to the original source.

This is something I hear people say often: ‘Why should I share links to other people’s content’? ‘They’re just going to disappear off to another site’.

Yes, that may happen some of the time, but studies have shown that the overall net benefit of becoming an authority that shares content far outweighs the loss of traffic. 

Remember, as cheesy as it may sound, sharing is caring. The art of digital curation is your ability to curate and share highly relevant information with your audience. Become an authority on your subject and people won’t question working with you.

If you’d like to read more about Reasons to Start Curating Online, have a look at the link to my post on the subject. http://www.dickiebird.co.nz/reasons-to-start-curating-content-online/