I just read a blog post on link building through article marketing that was spot-on.  The topic of “Article Marketing In A Post Panda World” by Michael Gray takes an unencumbered look at the value of article sites like EZinearticles, Suite 101, Helium, etc.  The question remains whether article submission to these locations remains a valuable tool for SEO in gaining backlinks – “link equity”, as he refers to it, since the onset of Google’s content crackdown.

With so much emphasis once again being placed on content, we return to home base where search started. Quality content has always been the cement that is the base for successful optimization, providing relevance and authority for any website. Just as quality merchandise, customer service, access and pricing are key indicators for what makes a ‘brick and mortar’ business successful, (more…)

We’re presenting a Webinar on Online Reputation Management (ORM) in a few weeks. As we pull things together, we thought it would be nice to share some information and tools to help you as an individual and as part of a business to follow and manage your online reputation.

First, what exactly is Online Reputation Management? In a narrow sense it refers to the practice of trying to get any negative comments/pages/mentions about a person or business to appear lower on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). In a broad sense it means taking inventory of what people are saying about you online, and doing what you can to have the most positive view of you or your business represented. This includes responding to negative reviews or ratings that may be out there.

Now that you know what ORM is, you need to take inventory of where you currently stand. There are plenty of tools you can use, and some of the more popular ones are:

• Search Engines: Just do a search on your business name and see what comes up – are there any negative results?
• Review Sites: Head to review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List to see what people are saying about you.
• Social Media: Visit Social Media communities (large ones like Facebook and even smaller, niche ones) and see how people are talking about your business.

If it seems that there are only positive things being said about your business, great. But some times you may find a negative review or post. What do you do then? There is a two part answer to this.

If the site allows, develop a professional response to the post. Be courteous, and address the issue at hand. If need be, see if you can take the conversation offline. Always keep in mind that whatever you type could be there forever, so don’t take a defensive stand and don’t attack the Poster personally. (If the Post is totally false, try and get it removed, as many sites have a process for this.)

The second part is to develop positive content for your business that has a chance for showing up in the search engines and pushing the negative comments down the SERP (Please Note: The new content does not have to be related to the negative comment). So if you found negative web pages when you searched on your business name, you will want to develop new content optimized for your business name. Some places where you can post the new content:

• Your website
• Your blog
• As a press release that you distribute
• In online communities
• As an article that you distribute

You’ll want to be sure not to duplicate content as you spread a positive message about your company, as search engines will tend to only choose one version of similar content to rank on SERPs. So if your plan was to submit content to each of the above, the plan may look like:

• Develop a new About Us page for the website
• Write a blog about a charity your business is supporting
• Write a press release about a new product you are launching
• Post to your Facebook Page about promotions within the company
• Write an article about why a product that you offer is such a good solution for a problem, and be sure to include company name and backlink in your boilerplate

Remember, if you don’t control your reputation online, somebody else will.

Do you currently monitor your online reputation? Will you start? Do you think it is important? Let us know.

Business owners, and especially businesses that have a brick and mortar presence where customers can visit and purchase your products and services, should take note: Google has revamped its business recommendation tool and repackaged it as Google HotPot.

So what is Google HotPot? It’s an extension of Google Places, a Google Product where you can promote your business and business location. We’ve talked about it at length in the past, and you can read up on it here.

Now, you may be saying, “Not another tool we need to spend a ton of time on!” If you are, don’t worry. Google HotPot could be very instrumental in directing traffic to your business, but if you have been keeping up with recent online trends this shouldn’t add much more, if any, work to your plate. (more…)

With 2011 almost upon us, I wanted to give you some ideas to add to your Internet Marketing campaign. The following areas should be on the forefront of your future.

• Website – Engagement is the key word for 2011. Not only should you engage with Social Media, but you should engage with visitors directly on your website. Add all the key elements to your site to keep the searcher involved. Are you utilizing videos? Are you giving the user an experience that will result in your end goal? Connect with your searchers on every level directly through your website.

• Facebook – A Facebook is an essential part of any Marketing Campaign. In 2011, take your Page to the next level! Make sure you are utilizing the Custom Tab feature. Make sure that your Tabs are functional and practical. Since there are only a few spots for Tabs, use ones that will benefit your campaign and your fans the most.By using the @ function, you can “tag” other people or companies, therefore posting your post on their wall in addition to your own. This is an easy way to spread your message!

  Make sure your posts are “share worthy”. This is the name of the game and is what truly makes this viral marketing. If you want your news to spread, make it interesting. Your goal for 2011 in regards to Facebook should be: More Likes.

• Mobile – With Tim Mayer predicting that mobile search will occupy 1 in 5 of the searches by 2012, it’s time to get involved! Ask yourself if searchers can find your content from their mobile device. If the answer is no, put this on your list for next year!

Blending all your marketing efforts will get you the best results. We at Mannix Marketing wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

Got a WordPress blog? Posting to it from your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad?

A few weeks ago, WordPress 2.6 for iOS was released to the App Store, and was followed very quickly by some very critical comments and negative reviews. Lots of people were having problems even connecting to their blog, including Jon Katz ,a well-known author, and long time client of Mannix Marketing, Inc. I had the opportunity to work with Jon when he stopped by the office, trying to get the new version of the app to work right. Unfortunately, for Jon, who was getting ready to go on tour for his new book, we were unable to help him, as it was an issue with the app itself, and he opted to wait for another update. Well, that new update has come (WordPress 2.6.1 for iOS)… and while it seemed to solve the connection issues we were seeing before, it has brought an onslaught of new problems, rendering the app basically useless.

At the suggestion of  Senior Web Applications Developer Toby Dawes,  we took to the App Store to see if we could find an alternative solution. Enter BlogPress. For $2.99, one can connect to their WordPress blog (or, several other types of blogs) and post real-time updates. You can work with already live posts, post drafts, and even cross-post to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

BlogPress is a great solution for those WordPress 2.6 blues! Itʼs definitely a must-buy if youʼre having problems with the new WordPress app, like so many other people are having.

Our Mannix Marketing, Inc. programming team are problem solvers - we love to make things work! Contact us for custom programming applications, content management systems, etc. - we can help!