Our BlogWhy Google’s Penguin update could be bad for your business
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- Written by Brent Williams
Find out what this update is, why Google did it, how it could effect your business and what you can do about it.
Penguin is a code word used for an update (April 24th 2012) to Googles ranking algorithm. This update is focused on improving search results, for end users, by eliminating (by penalizing) website that use what Google considers “shady” SEO practices.
However these updates sometimes have the unintended consequence of penalizing legitimate sites. You just have to Google “Google penguin update” to see a lot of chatter by SEO folk detailing the negative impact this update has had on rankings, particularly for small business.
Unfortunately it seems that Google have weighted the penalty of these bad links where it only takes a few to blow your search ranking out of the water. Potentially undoing months, if not years, of work. A good example is the discussion about WPMU.org (a large and authoritative site for Wordpress themes and plugins) who saw a large fall-off in traffic after the update. Apparently this was because to just a few bad backlinks.
Penguin could negativly affect your ranking if you have backlinks that have…
Central Park uses QR Codes to re invent itself to a younger mobile audience.
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- Written by Super User
To position Central Park (NY) - as a leader in park events and outdoor activities, and engage a younger, more ‘wired’ audience - Agency Magma and NYC Parks and Recreation developed a campaign that made innovative use of QR Codes, allowing this Iconic location to present itself in todays marketplace
Traditional interactive and social-media was used to create awareness and drive people to the ‘World Park’ event which was held on Arbor day. The campaign involved turning the park into a interactive board game. With clever use of QR Codes and mobile content, which gave the park 'a voice' to bring people deep into the experience and learn something new. This completely reinvented the Central Park experience, particularly with a younger audience, who do not usually spend much time in parks.
This serves as a good example of how QR Codes can be used as a way to get people
Read more to see a short video about how this was done.
How smartphones are changing peoples in-store shopping behaviour
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- Written by Brent Williams
Smartphones are having a major impact in the retail sector - in both, getting people into stores, and then influencing the purchase decision while the person is actually in the store. There's quite a lot of stuff circulating the internet about this - particulaly in the wake of data from last xmas shopping period - however, a study from the UK Internet advertising Bureau (IAB) is particually good. It's backed by strong research, and more importantly, makes somes good recomendations that could help any retailer.
Although it 's a UK study, there's probably a lot of relevance for it in NZ. Certainly we have all noticed the trend (even more likely, we fall into this category ourselves) of the increase number of people, with shopping bags in one hand, and mobile phone in the other - browsing not txt’ing.
Conculsions
- Both mobile devices and online [PC’s] are used from throughout the cycle: so, providing a seamless experience across both platforms now counts as good customer service.
- Half of those, following up adverts on smartphones, are sent there by TV. All TV activity should have a mobile call to action.
- Over a third of respondents use their smartphone in store. Retailers should provide easier and better better ways to allow their customers to do this .
- Smartphone users are twice as likely to follow up on a product on mobile compared to in store follow up. Should the mobile strategy be twice as important as in store strategy?
- Tablet owners now spend (on average) 4 1⁄2 hours a week browsing and shopping on the device. Retailers can drive incremental sales by creating a rich environment on tablets to engage shoppers.
Read on to see a summary of the research, it’s work checking out. This is is followed by a bunch of links to other related stuff you might also find interesting.
Blogs: Clearing up any "misunderstandings", Why a blog is important for your business.
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- Written by Brent Williams
Many companies struggle to understand what a blog is, so fail to understand the relevance or importance a blog could have in their business.
Why Blogs are important? The internet is the first place people come to research purchases - period! Regardless of how they heard about you, how much you spend on advertising, trained your sales people or even if they haven't even heard of you at all. If someone is seriously contemplating buying, the first thing they will do is hit the internet and search. Then they will look for
and "consume" just about everything they can find. A blog is one of the most effective ways (or tools) you can become part of this process.
How to increase site traffic by understanding how Organic & PPC ad-words can work together.
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Site visability: SEO v’s PPC, is pay-per-click really worth it?
Many organisations use ad-words as a way to improve site visibility and traffic. After all, it’s a quick and easy way to get your business onto the first page on Google or SERP (Search Engine Results Page). We know good placement is important, because:
- 75% of people never scroll past the first page of results
- 60% of clicks go to the top three organic search results
But, successes of PPC is severely limited compared to what can be achieved through organic search results...
- 70% of the links (results) clicked are organic—not paid
The reason: put simply, TRUST! People trust organic (or main) listings more than they trust your paid listings.
Conversions, not search, will grow your business.
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- Written by Brent Williams
How to better understand your customers and improve your bottom-line.
“Trying to increase sales simply by driving more traffic to a website with a poor customer conversion rate is like trying to keep a leaky bucket full by adding more water instead of plugging the holes.” Bryan Eisenberg, Call to Action
“It’s much easier to double your business by doubling your conversion rate than by doubling your traffic.” Jeff Eisenberg
A main focus, for many of our clients, is to increase their rankings on Google. This includes other ways of improving site visibility like ad-words or PPC (pay per click) advertising. The theory is, if you can increase the volume of people visiting your site, then that should increase leads and conversions. This is important, but it is also missing the point.
NZ and Beyond - A lesson on growing brands, by Brian Richards
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- Written by Brent Williams
Nurve is proud to sponsor of Brian Richards, NZ's leading brand strategist, speaking at the Dome Winter Series November 18th. Recognised as the country’s foremost brand strategist, Brian has spent over a decade developing strategy for many leading export brands, regional identities and major corporate brands in Australasia, Asia and Europe. Brian Richards is the Principal Strategist and Director of Brian R Richards Ltd, Brand Strategists and Design.
Brian uses his extensive knowledge of national and international branding to ensure the best possible fit between each company’s brand and its business objectives. Brian’s combination of business acumen, branding insights and creative ideas offers clients a rare blend of left and right brain thinking. Some notable examples include: Orca, Icebreaker Clothing, Cervena (New Zealand farm-raised venison),
Napier City is going Mobile - QR codes for use in retail
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- Written by Brent Williams
We are really proud to be working with Napier Inner City Marketing and the
Art Deco Trust to bring new moble-based marketing technology to Napier. This project uses QR codes, which will be posted to businesses, historic buildings and in public spaces that link to "mobile friendly" websites. We will use these to develop engagement with people visiting our city. These QR/Mobile sites together with Napier's free wireless internet connection, will be used to: manage fun campaigns and get people motivated around sales and promotions; offer more information about our unique city and historic Deco buildings; and of course, provide a direct connection between the new trend of 'mobile' shoppers and Napier inner city businesses.
NURVE will be holding a series of workshops for Napier CBD based businesses, to prepare them to be part of this project. Please used the Registration Form (link below) to receive more information. Note, only CBD businesses qualify for these workshops, however if you or your business is out-of-area, you can still use this form to register interest.
There is also a link to a short presentation, given at the recent announcement of the project held at the Dome.
We look forward in providing more information as this project evolves.
Google's Panda has some bite! Changes to the ranking algorithm.
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- Written by Brent Williams
In an effort to remain relevant as a search engine, Google is making sure it serves the most relevant SERP's (search engine results page) to users. To do this Google contently update their algorithms to create the best possible experience from searchers.
The Panda update, announced by Google on Feb 24th 2011, was the first time Google had incorporated a penalty system for ranking down websites. This down-ranking applied to what Google considered as “thin” content or what they deemed “not good enough”.
Although Panda is only one of many different factors (or signals, of which their are estimated to be 200+) that Google uses to rank pages, it is something that Publishers & search professionals are following closely. This is because it Panda has the potential to severely impact SEO strategy and technique.
QR codes: How, why and where you should use them for marketing
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- Written by Brent Williams
Invented by Toyota in 1994 (to track manufacturing process) QR codes have been around for a while. But it was not until the rise of the smartphone (in particular the iPhone) that marketers have suddenly sat-up and taken notice. This is because, QR codes are one of the few things that can be used to link the 'real world' with the 'digital word'. It is also helps that they are cheap and versatile, with only your imagination limiting how they can be used. However, like all things, there are rules you need to know if your are to be successful using them in marketing. This article will explain how, and where you can use them and why you would want to.
NZ needs a kickstarter
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- Written by Brent Williams
Kickstarter.com are a bunch of guys who set-up an on-line business (basically a blog) that matches the people with the ideas with the people who can fund them. Following a recent rant on (fruitbowl) the difficulties for small business (or start-ups) in raising money to fund innovative ideas, here's a really cool solution that uses crowd-sourcing, or rather crowd-funding to get around the problem.
Dome Winter Series :: Brian Richards
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- Written by Brent Williams
If New Zealand is to be successful within international markets, then the view of ‘ourselves’ and how we present to the rest-of-the-world, needs to get smarter ...much much smarter. This seems to be the main take-away from Brian Richards presentation “NZ and Beyond” at the recent Dome Winter Series. As one of NZ's foremost brand strategist Brian is the specialist working behind the scenes of small Kiwi start-ups, like Icebreaker and Orca, and helping them gain traction in international markets.
In a nut-shell, Brian reminded us that we are small fry when it comes to international trade. So, we can either continue our current approach, of lumping ourselves with everyone else - with current mediocre financial and damning environmental results speaking for themselves - or we learn a better way of communicating. A Way that will allow us to command ‘more’ by occupying the premium end of our markets.
OK - just how well is NZ stacking up?
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- Written by Brent Williams
Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum published some interesting data that compares the 'technology readiness' and 'competitiveness' between just about every country in the world. A perfect opportunity to see just how NZ “stacks-up” compared to the rest of the world. The report is a bit of a number crunch, but basically it confirms a lot of what we know already; our dismal broadband speeds, stella brain drain and lack of adequate funding. In other words, all the things one would think 'necessary' to build a modern and successful economy. There are also a few surprises, many of which dispel some myths in the way we see ourselves. Among them, our relative lack of innovation (the number 8 wire myth) and our poor use of technology in marketing. Although our advertising people are considdered top class, but obviously Alice dosen't live here anymore! Read on to see a summary of key findings and my interpertation, at least, of what this may mean.
