SEO, Social Media News & Domains
Exact Target Connect Sydney 2013 Review and Notes
May 17th
Recently I attended the Exact Target Global connect at Town Hall, first let me say that this is one of the best venues for a conference I have been too. It was also good too see the Sydney Online Marketing field out in force with 1000′s of people turning up to the event.
Now the conference itself had some fantastic speakers from all over the world, two of the best speakers from the day would have to be:
Kyle Lacy – https://twitter.com/kyleplacy
Author of Twitter for Dummies
Rachel Botsman – https://twitter.com/rachelbotsman
TED Speaker & Social Innovator
A few notes from the event with I would like to share with the readers of my blog from the event are:
Note 1. SoLoMo social = trust, local = close proximity, mobile = game changer. watch an example of this concept here:
Note 2. Crowd funding set to be huge in the near future sites like: outgrow.me
Note 3. Stats on Asia show the growth in the region
Mobile growth in Asia is really set to explode in coming years.
Mobile Growth in Asia
Stats on Asia
Note 4. It’s a ok to be a little creepy with marketing but not too creepy – This was an interesting statement that kyle had the audicence chanting over and over.
Note 5. Over 520 million online shoppers in China by 2015 – It just shows you how huge the Chinese digital market is going to be by 2015, far out pacing any where else in the world.
Note 6. Use the mum and dad test for design and CRO, if they do no get it it’s not simple enough for your customers!
Note 7. mobile-patterns.com is good website for mobile design ideas, people submit design ideas which have worked in the past to save you time.
Note 8. Using a service such as Exact Targets IGoDigital: By tagging every part of your website you can increase your relevance to visitors profile = increased conversion.
Note 9. 74% of customer don’t leave home without their smartphone, which just shows you how important marketing via smart phones is set to become.
Note 10. Mobile phone email pre-header is key to CTR – Many speakers on the day stated when doing a mobile marketing campaign.
Note 11.96% of Australians online have signed up for an EDM (email list), 55% have liked a brand on Facebook, 6% have followed a brand on Twitter – this just shows you how willing Australian customers are to sign up to email lists.
Note 12. Exact Target purchase funnel – This was a great slide to show the customer purchase journey:
Exact target Purchase Cycle
Finally the night wrapped up with a networking party with singers from the Voice and Dj Casey Connor from the US. The food was pizza and dumplings with Beers and win flowing, overall it was a great event.
What is coming for SEO over the next few months and Penguin 2.0
May 14th
penguin 2.0
Today Google’s very own Matt Cutts head of web spam has released a new video today, I decided to pull the video apart and put together my top 10 take away’s from the video, if you want to check out the full video click here.
Here are 10 key take away’s from the video:
1. Google has noted that Penguin 2.0 will be launched in Summer (US time)
Google has noted that they are expecting to release the next round of Penguin, which is going to be more advanced in comparison to Penguin 1.0 which was rolled out in 2012.
2. Advertorials that pass page rank:
Google has noted that will start paid PR ads which pass paid rank, so if you are paying for a large number of news paper placements it may be time to re-think your strategy.
3. Targeting spam links and black hat packages:
Google has noted they are looking to target black hat links on scale and will take the full force of removals where possible for websites which have engaged in this type of link building.
4. Hacked web sites will be easier to pick up:
Google will start to be more prominent with displaying search results as been hacked, to make sure more users steer clear from visiting infected websites.
5. Targeting spammed keywords:
Google has noted they will start to target keywords such as “Payday Loans” heavily which is currently a keyword which is spammed heavily. It will be interesting too see how quickly Google moves on some of these commercial keywords in the Australian market as I see spammers move on these keywords on a daily basis.
6. Google has new advanced link monitoring software.
Cutt’s has mentioned that his team has a new advanced software for tracking links online, they are able to pick things up far more quickly in comparison to the past. Brian White at SMX Sydney was using this type of software to complete a link review on a website it seems like Majestic SEO on overdrive =)
7. Providing Authority for high value websites
If your website is a brand within a specific niche and you are doing something great then this will mean that Google is going to treat your website more favorably. This is why businesses need to start thinking like a big brand, start acting like a big brand and do what you can to push a positive and authority message for your business.
8. Limiting Cluster Results:
Cluster results are where you see the same website ranking for multiple positions for a specific keyword. Google is confirming that they are going to limit this type of activity.
9. Overall the benefit will be here for high quality content driven sites:
Matt Cutt’s has noted that websites which use high quality content and push for a high quality site are the ones who will see the best benefit from this roll out.
10. Don’t worry if you are doing things right:
The key message is if you are working with SEO’s who are doing high quality work you do not need to worry, if you are using low quality spammy tactics for short term gains you need to worry.
What are you endorsed for on Linkedin?
May 2nd
So last year some time LinkedIn released a new feature where you can endorse people for related career sections. Now here is my total overview today from every one who has endorsed me for different things on LinkedIn:
Endorse For Linkedin
Here is a break down of my endorsed for profile:
1. SEO -(Search Engine Optimisation) 56 different individuals have endorsed me for SEO
2. SEM – (Search Engine Marketing) 44 different individuals have endorsed me for SEM
3. Google Analytics – 30 different individuals have endorsed me for Google Analytics
4. Online Marketing – 22 different individuals have endorsed me for Online Marketing
5. Link Building – 19 different individuals have endorsed me for Link Building
6. Digital Marketing – 19 different individuals have endorsed me for Digital Marketing
7. Online Advertising – 16 different individuals have endorsed me for Online Marketing
8. Social Media Marketing – 15 different individuals have endorsed me for Social Media Marekting
9. Social Media – 14 different individuals have endorsed me for Social Media
10. PPC – 11 different individuals have endorsed me for PPC
Now I find it funny when you get endorsed for something by some one who you have never met, can they really tell what you are good or bad at?
Yet also this feature is interesting in the sense it can be a good way for users to show they key skills on LinkedIn.
Whilst I agree with most things i have been endorsed for their are a few things such as Google Analytics and PPC sure I know them but I would not class myself as an expert in those areas.
Regardless it will be interesting too see what this builds up too over time?
A question to you is what are you currently endorsed for post it in the comments sections below!
Kogan has 322 domain names, but what are they doing?
Apr 22nd
So I have seen a bit of talk online recently about the online retailer Kogan and the strategy they currently have implemented for the 322 domains they own.
I decided to do some analysis on this domain portfolio from an SEO point of view too see what they were doing, see full analysis click here:
http://jamesnorquay.com/Kogan-Domain-Strategy.pdf
Kogan-Domains
Now with this many domains, I have decided to list a few things Kogan should be doing:
1. If they are 301 redirecting domains on a huge scale it may not be a wise strategy post Google penguin.
2. If they are 301 redirecting domains they should at least point them to category specific pages and not just the home pages to save the users time and increase conversion.
3. Investing in domains with a large amount of hyphen domains is probably not the best investment.
4. It would be wiser to invest in a lower number of higher quality domains in my eyes.
5. Buying domains like www.cheapsmokes.com.au do not really make sense in terms of relevance for Kogan.
6. Another option for the best domains from this portfolio is to build micro sites with product listings.
But overall I am still trying to get my head around what Kogan is trying to do with this portfolio, it seems like they are wasting money in my eyes.
Five Interesting Images and Insights from Google Webspam
Apr 17th
Recently I saw a presentation from Google Web Spam, from this presentation I have used five key slides I would like to share with the readers on my blog. These are slides where I found the information interesting and worth sharing.
Image 1 – Shows the Manual Spam Actions taken by Google between 2004-2012. As we can see Google has really driven up the efforts in spam removal in the recent years in comparison to years prior.
Image 2 – Shows that on 6/2012 over 655,274 messages were sent to webmasters from Webmaster Tools. Along side this date many more notices were also sent out to website owners. It is interesting too see that prior to 2012 the number of messages sent was quite low.
Image 3 – Shows the number of reconsideration requests sent each week by Google it is interesting too see the number
of these requests increasing in size. Also the dips in the graph represent holiday periods where web spam team members stop work.
Image 4 – Shows that some one has actually made a painting in their house of the parked domain girl, which I found quite interesting been a domain name buyer and seller.
Image 5 – Shows that Google admitted that the de-indexing of Digg was a big mistake and they take full responsibility for it.
10 Interesting Facts about Gen Y – Online Trends
Apr 17th
Marketing to Gen Y is a lucrative area, as Gen Y is set to be one of the most dominant working age groups in comming years it is important to monitor their online methods and trends. I have sourced some really great facts about Gen Y which I thought I would share below:
What is a Gen Yer? – Any one born between 1980-2000 (so any one below the age of 33 and above the age of 13)
1. Gen Y will form 75% of the work force by 2025.
2. Only 7% of Gen Y works for a fortune 500 company.
3. Gen Y watch TV with two or more electronic devices – multi-screen viewing is becoming huge so make sure you invest in responsive design.
4. Gen Y trust strangers over friends and family when making online purchase decisions – make sure you have positive reviews online or it could hurt your business.
5. Gen Y are Three times likely to follow a brand or band over a family member on social media – so making sure your brand or band has a social media presence is vital.
6. 66% of Gen Y will look up a store if they see a friend’s check in – so online check in and making sure your business is set up with places is vital.
7. 73% of gen Y have earned and used some type of virtual currency.
8. Gen Y believe that other consumers care more about their opinions than companies do.
9. Gen Y are more connected on Facebook than average users managing around 696 average friends – it is important to monitor ways in which you can positively influence Gen Y’s social following.
10. 29% of Gen Y find love via Facebook while 33% are dumped via SMS or wall posts on Facebook.
See above data below as infographic -
10 gen y facts
The Importance of Weekly Content Updates and SEO
Mar 30th
So I own around 50 websites, I have been building websites for the last 10 or so years and with building websites comes SEO hand in hand naturally, I picked up learning SEO from testing various methodologies over the years on my own sites too see what works and what does not work and then moved onto direct consulting. I use to make a full time income from running websites back when in 2006-2008.
Today I want to show you the difference between two websites I work with.
Website 1 (refer to image below): Has not been updated since 2010, no SEO work has been done since 2010. As I have been busy with a huge range of other projects and working on numerous thing it has just been running on auto pilot. But the days of a website running with no work are gone in my eyes. Websites really do need monthly/weekly content updates and SEO work to stay alive.
Website 2 (refer to image below): Now this is a bigger site with more content which I have been working on since 2011 to push growth, the difference is on a weekly basis 1-2 new articles are made related to the site, on a monthly basis some SEO work is completed. Sure more room for growth is evident but it would require more time which I will be able to push soon.
Benefit-of-on-going-SEO
(Both websites traffic above are 100% organic search traffic/direct, 0% paid search traffic)
Now recently I have stopped working at my corporate job which was around 50+ hours a week of my time. What this means is I will be able to push further time and effort into sites like the two listed above plus many more. I will also open up my time direct to work with other websites and businesses on a consulting basis, contact me via the right banner if you are interested to talk.
Now the moral of this short story is that I have met business owners and affiliates in the past who say that they can have a website running on auto pilot or with no updates, It is evident that you need fresh relevant content and fresh SEO work on a monthly basis to really stay ahead of the game. Even if you want to have your websites traffic stabilized and increasing you really need to implement monthly on going work or things will slip away and you will start too loose revenue.
Search Trick for Good Friday Love Heart Graph
Mar 29th
So its the Easter weekend, I hope every one has been having fun, I thought I would share a great Google search tricks/ graphs you can generate, I have blogged about them numerous times in the past.
Today a mate of mine William Chen posted up a new one which I felt was worth sharing.
Basically what you need to do is copy and paste the following query into Google Search below:
5 + (-sqrt(1-x^2-(y-abs(x))^2))*cos(30*((1-x^2-(y-abs(x))^2))), x is from -1 to 1, y is from -1 to 1.5, z is from 1 to 6
You should be presented with the graph below if done correctly:
Search Trick Love Heart
Have you seen any other search tricks on Google please post them below in the comments.
12 Top Picks for SMX Sydney are you attending?
Mar 28th
Last year I was lucky enough to speak at SMX Sydney on the main stage to talk about the subject of Effective In-House SEO where I talked about my time working for Virgin Mobile as a lead SEO. This year I have decided to attend as a general guest. It is going to be interesting seeing the conference from a speakers point of view and then from an attendants point of view.
* For those who do not know I have also decided to set up my own consulting business and also work direct with a few select businesses and start ups via http://professionalseo.com.au
Now I have looked over the agenda for next Wednesday and Thursday and have picked out the speakers I will be seeing.
Day 1 – 3rd April
1. Optimising Humans! The Art of Data-Driven Social Marketing – Marty Weintraub (I have seen Marty present before in videos he is great, so this will be an interesting presentation.)
2. SEO Tools of the Trade – Andre Weyher (I know Andre quite well, I have actually interviewed him here on my blog and shared many beers with him over the last year, lets see what he has to say.)
3. eCommerce SEO, How to Avoid Common Pitfalls – Jon Quinton (I have read some of Jon’s SEO posts in the past, he seems to be quite decent, have never met the guy so we will see what he has on offer.)
4. Successful In-House SEO – Motoko Hunt (I presented on in-house SEO last year, so lets see what is on offer in 2013 from Motoko Hunt)
5. Google Webspam – What are they looking for? – Brian White (It will be interesting too see what Brian White has to say in his session, may have to ask a few questions)
Day 2 – 4th April
6. Behavioral Psychology Meets Web Marketing – Rand Fishkin (Been using SEOmoz for years, know Rand is capable of some great ideas so hope he pulls out the goodies for this presentation)
7. Conversion Rate Optimisation for SEOs – Richard Baxter (Have seen Richards posts on numerous sites in the past so it will be good too see what he has on offer.)
8. Advanced WordPress Optimisation & Security – Bastian Grimm (Have been told by a few European contacts at Bastian is the man to see in regards to WordPress optimisation, as I run like 30 sites on WordPress it will be worth seeing. So lets see what he has on offer.)
9. Programmatic Optimisation – Bill Hunt (Have been told that Bill Hunt is worth seeing as he has a wealth of knowledge on SEO so will be worth checking out from an in-house SEO point of view)
10. Ten Link Building Tools, How to use them to get links – Paddy Moogan (Paddy Moogan is well known for link building, and as I have been doing link building for 8+ years it will be good too see what he has to say.)
11. Link Building Post Penguin – Richard Baxter (Will be good too see what Richard has too say about link building.)
12. SEM + CRM = ROI Heaven – Mark Vozzo (Have seen mark present in the past, he knows his stuff. If you want to see a data driven and informative presentation, I advise you check out Mark Vozzo)
Two other speakrs I will try and see if time allows are also: Dejan Petrovic (Day 1) & Akiva Ben-ezra (Day 2) (both worth seeing in my eyes as they are very experienced SEO’s)
I will also be attending the following networking events:
* Pre-SMX Meet up – 2nd April – Sign up here: http://www.meetup.com/Sydney-SEO/events/104204182/
* SMX Sydney Networking Cruise – 3rd April
So yeah if you are at any of the above events, feel free to come up and have a chat about any thing SEO related or random things like what is good to do in Sydney.
Starting a new venture, a new chapter in my Career.
Mar 18th
Career-Change
I have have been doing SEO for over 7 years, and for the last 3 years and 6 month I was working as an Enterprise SEO at Aegis Media. When I first started at the company it was called Mitchell Communications Group, it was Australia’s largest media buyer so naturally we have the largest brands in Australia. Coming from a SME SEO consulting area and running my own web properties it was defiantly a change moving into the corporate area and I learned a lot of fantastic skills a long the way.
I was the first SEO employee in Columbus Search (a division within Aegis Media) for any one who does not know Columbus Search is Australia’s largest PPC company by spend. So naturally all the clients were spending multi-millions on SEM each month but the SEO spend was limited so my task was to help grow a world leading SEO team. Now when I started at the business in 2009 the perception in the wider business was some what negative towards SEO, people didn’t get it. So my job was to change that perception and then assist with growing a team and making SEO sales within the wider business. Further to this I helped set up the SEO team for Aegis and grow the team from having 1 staff member in SEO to over 15 bringing in great amounts of revenue for the business and also driving results for numerous clients.
Now after 3 and a half years working on the Enterprise Agency world I have decided to take a career change and work direct as a consultant for SME’s and start up businesses. The main driver behind this was that each month many people contact me asking me to work direct with them, usually I have been very busy and unable to take on all these contacts/business. I also felt as things were changing in the business it was time for a change and was time to do something new. Taking a leap of faith from a very stable job which was well paid and had great benefits to do your own thing is a huge risk on itself but I can mitigate this by already having numerous income sources.
What this means is that I will be offering my *SEO *Link Building *SEO Strategy *Social Media *Content Marketing services direct to your business. I have already taken on a few clients direct from a consulting of view with room for more. Further to this I will also be working on several other projects which have been on going for a while and I can see fantastic opportunity from, So exciting times ahead feel free to contact me if you are looking for help with your SEO & Online Strategy today!
