10 Link-Building Tips for Beginners – Part One

Link building, or 'link baiting' is really about one thing – creating quality content. Quality content in turn attracts non-directed traffic and is more likely to encourage external links. Acquiring genuine inbound links to your website has a direct impact on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

However, with the introduction of social media being added to the mix, the landscape has inevitably shifted once more. Whilst some may prefer to stick to more 'traditional' methods, as any good digital marketer will tell you, one must adapt to succeed.

In this two part article we'll take a look at some simple techniques for building inbound links using social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Social Media – Are You In?
For those marketers willing to embrace the social media phenomenon, the rewards can be great. The opportunity to build links exists virtually without limitation, but things work a little differently here.

Take for example this article – if it was retweeted 100 times by readers, the effects would be limited by the fact that all links would extend from a single domain (twitter.com). If, however 100 readers each linked to the article from their individual blogs, the effects would be that much more powerful.

Ideally, Twitter, Facebook and other popular social networking sites are used as a portal through which information is collected and distributed in a viral manner. The key to achieving this type of organic growth lies in the author's ability to know their audience and write content specifically for them.

With this in mind, let's take a look at some handy tips for capturing the hearts and minds of the content hungry....

1. If It Moves – List It
   Quick snippets of easily digestible information, people just can't get enough of lists. Informative, obscure, amusing or a bit of everything – lists are great for serving readily linkable content on a plate.
2. Open It Up To The Floor...
   Spark a debate on a hotly debated subject because, after all, people love nothing more than to add their own opinion. This approach often creates a snowball effect which is ideal for building external links.
3. ...And Add a Dash of Controversy
   Don't shy away from using a little contrary opinion to ruffle a few feathers and encourage a response.
4. A Little Competition
   If you have the means and a great idea, launching a competition is a fantastic way of spreading brand awareness. Make it worthwhile, quirky and fun – then watch the applicants and links roll in.
5. Be the First Off the Line
   People love nothing more than getting the inside scoop on the latest hot bit of gossip or scandal – and then sharing it with their friends. Spending a little time seeking out some juicy hot-off-the-press nuggets will pay dividends.

Keep an eye out next month for Part Two and more helpful hints on getting the most from your content. If you would like to review the effectiveness of your online marketing, please call 01454 261111.

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Improving Your Local Search Rankings

In this age of affordable web design and local business directories, getting online is no longer an issue for even the smallest of businesses. Being seen, however, is an entirely different ball game. By virtue of the fact that every man (or woman) and their dog are now able to establish at least a basic web presence with ease - for those businesses dependent on local trade staying ahead of the pack has never been more important.

In this guide we'll outline some key tips for staying on top of the pile – from social networking to business directories and a few pointers in between.

Getting Local Search Working For You
Local search is gaining importance, quickly becoming an essential part of a localised online marketing strategy. The following tips are designed to outline what that strategy should include.

1. Size Up the Competition
Obvious maybe - but a vital component in building a successful strategy. Experiment with a few searches to find out who's showing up on the first page in your local area. What tools are they using? How does their meta-description read (the sentence that follows their entry)? What keywords are they using? Identifying some of the top search terms will enable you to start to building them into your copy.

2. Never Forget Where You're From
SEO (search engine optimisation) isn't rocket science, but there are certain basic rules to follow. When it comes to local business and the internet - it's all location, location, location. Don't be afraid to tell people (and more importantly search engines in this case) where you are.

Display your address wherever possible (at the bottom of the page for example) to give the search engines something to pick up on, and consider using local landmarks such as railway stations to give directions.

3. Get Yourself On the Map
Free facilities such as Google Maps and Yahoo Local are probably one of the easiest and most effective ways of raising your search engine profile quickly. Many of the major players such as Google even display a map and corresponding businesses as part of their local results, so if you're lucky you can appear near the top of the page with very little investment.

Longer term of course this strategy alone won't suffice, but to get started if you haven't already – do it now.

4. Be Sociable
Social media is currently one of the most powerful online marketing tools available. To start with, reach out to your audience by setting up a Facebook page for your business (free, and very easy). Use Twitter to promote various offers and tell people what's going on in an informal, interactive atmosphere.

Lastly, starting a blog is a great way to engage your demographic, promote your business and invite discussion. Use regular updates and take any opportunity to offer advice and present yourself as an expert in your field.

5. Organic is Best
As with any good strategy, relying on one approach alone is unlikely to yield results in the long-term. Compliment your active efforts by submitting your business details to local trade listings – or use one of the many sites who offer multiple listings on major directories for a small fee.

Link building, otherwise known as organic growth, is as important as applying any amount of SEO wizardry to your site. Remember – the majority of these simple tips are achievable with even the most basic of technical knowledge. Local search is gaining importance, and you don't need to be left behind. If you would like to improve your local search results, please call 01454 261111.

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How To Make the Most Out Of Your CMS

The last ten years have seen the internet flourish, expanding exponentially with the growth in business websites and personalised blog-centric content. Previously the domain of web designers with programming expertise, it's never been easier to create and manage your own content online.

The growth in popularity has brought with it a flood of CMS (content management system) platforms onto the market. For newcomers the choice can literally be overwhelming. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the key features to look out for when choosing your content management system.

Managing Your Web Content With Ease
Choosing the right content management system for your website could make all the difference to your online publishing plans. Here are some pointers to help you choose.

a) Clear, Accessible Interface
An absolute pre-requisite for any CMS – users should be able to navigate menus and locate basic functions with ease. Impenetrable front-end design is entirely counter-productive in terms of your time, effort and motivation. A good CMS will guide you fluidly, making micro-management of content and categories a breeze.

b) Admin Rights
For those working in small teams or allowing external freelancers to contribute content, a clear admin system is vital. The ability to retain tight control over who can and who can't access certain areas of the system will ultimately prevent any unwanted interference or nasty surprises.

c) Updating Meta-data
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has come a long way during the last few years and, whilst no longer the be all and end all, meta data still have a vital part to play. Ideally a good content management system will offer full control over each individual page instead of offering a blanket meta description. Try to avoid sites offering default meta-data.

d) Editing Your Content
A basic component of most modern CMSs is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. A CMS that offers this facility offers users the best of both worlds. Those who aren't familiar with HTML coding can create content quickly and easily, whilst more advanced users can tweak down to the finest detail.

For users somewhere in between the two, such an editor enables them to switch between the two – thus catering to coders of all levels.

e) Statistics and Logs
Knowing who changed what and when is essential when it comes to running a tight ship. It will also assist in preventing problems before they occur. Overlooked by many amateur administrators, statistics also provide a useful method of gauging a site's performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Whilst it's highly unlikely you'll find a CMS offering every single feature mentioned in this article, the best advice is to decide which are the most relevant to the type of site you intend to create and go from there. If you like some help and advice in choosing the right CMS to suit you, call 01454 261111.

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5 Tips for Getting Your Content Retweeted

Alongside Facebook and Digg, Twitter has become the digital marketer's platform of choice when it comes to reaching an increasingly content-hungry audience. In its simplest terms – recycling (or retweeting as it is now known) your Twitter content is a cost efficient and incredibly powerful way of pushing your content to a wider audience.

Twitter is presently free to use and is fast becoming an essential part of many businesses' communications strategy.

Using Twitter to Spread the Word
In this article we'll look at some simple strategies to get your content moving across the digital highways and byways.

1. You Get What You Give
A simple philosophy that can be applied to most areas in life, yet one that is often overlooked by digital marketers. If you interact with others, they are more likely to interact with you – which in this case means retweeting their content.

Be selective in terms of quality, because after all it is your name that will be associated with the rewteeted post. Don't forget to include @reply so that the author is aware of your reposting.

2. Use Hashtags
Assuming you know what a hashtag is (if not, visit Hashtags.org), be aware that they should be used appropriately as opposed to liberally. Organised into relevant and clear categories, hashtags are an excellent way of spreading your content amongst like-minded folk interested in a particular niche or topic.

3. Keep It Short
The whole basis of Twitter is built on the notion of short, concise snippets or statements that retain the reader's interest. As such the format features a 140 character limit on all entries.

With this in mind, the secret is to get as much information across as possible in as few words as possible. Not so easy when you consider that the allocation can easily be consumed by shortened URLs, @reply, hashtags and reweets.

So, unless the entry you'd like to see retweeted is short and sweet, it may end up sliced and diced by Twitter when re-posted by someone else.

4. Choose Your Moment
Whilst there have been a number of studies concerning the best time to launch content for maximum response and exposure – there is little in the way of concrete evidence to support a theory one way or another. Instead, consider at which points during your working day you give tweets the most attention, and then use this as a basis for a structured posting strategy.

This may not be the most scientific approach, but is surely better than randomly launching tweets in to the ether and hoping for the best.

5. Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Here's probably the most obvious but overlooked option of all – request a retweet in your entry. Call-to-action is one of the most basic marketing principals, and certainly has its place in the realm of social media. Of course one may need to exercise a little more restraint and subtlety due to the medium, however it is still a valuable tool when used strategically.

If you would like help planning and implementing a social media marketing strategy for your business please call us on 01454 261111.

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