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November 14, 2013

Week 7 – How to Build Links to your Website to Improve your SEO

link-buildingLast week while studying SEO we looked at Keyword Research.  This week we will look at three steps you can use to build links to your website that will improve your ranking on Google’s Search Engine Result Page (SERP).

1.  High Quality Content

Whether it is a blog post, a news item or curated content from another source you should always have the mind frame of your reader as your focus.   Ask yourself what is of interest to your customers?  Can the content address or solve a problem?  Organise the information so that it can be digested easily and scanned for top line news with more detail further on.  Look for topical and relevant content.

2. Build a Reputation with  Your Influencers

InfluencersDo a search for experts in your industry.  Use Twitter advanced search option to find people and companies who have built large audiences on Social Media.  Use sites that rank the top blogs in your sector.  Establish a relationship with them through commenting and sharing their content.  Connect with them on social media by following them and posting valuable commentary.

3. Make Content Sharable and Distribute

imagesCAHW6Q9VBefore you publish content make sure you add social network widgets and make them visible at the top and the bottom of the post. Consider adding Social Network ‘counters’.  These are social network icons that tabulate the number of shares.  Your content should encourage your readers to share with their networks.  So when tweeting a link make sure you have left enough characters for your audience to retweet.  Post a link of your content on relevant social media platforms such as Linkedin Groups, Facebook pages and Twitter.  Create categories and hashtags so your content will show up on searches.   Produce the content in different formats like posting images on Pinterest and instagram, slide shows on Slideshare and videos on Youtube including a link back to the landing page.

Check in next week when we will be learning about Google Analytics and finding the data that counts.

October 18, 2013

Week 5: 5 Ways to Make Mobile Marketing Work for your Business

5 Mobile Marketing TipsIts Week 5 of the Digital Marketing Course.  The huge rise of mobile smartphones and tablets has rapidly changed how we reach our audience.  Here are five ways you can use Mobile marketing to work for your business.

No 1.  Location based offers

Proximity based coupons and offers works with digital signage in the stores with brands pushing offers to mobiles that are bluetooth enabled.  Cadbury’s and Coca Cola use this technique in convenience stores where they connect with customers in real-time when they are close to the point of purchase. Over time they can reconnect with consumers  with more targeted messages based on their actions and preferences.  O2 media offer this service in Ireland by setting up Geo Fences™  around locations, stores and venues.  When the customer enters this area they can opt to receive targeted offers and coupons for products they are loyal to.location_based_mobile_ad

No 2.  Mobile Search

Mobile search differs from desktop searches because its immediate, local, social and always on.  Mobile searches also offer different options than desktop such as direct dialling to the phone number provided.  Targeting paid search ads is considerably cheaper than desktop as there are higher click-through rates with mobile users and their intent is more immediate.  Fewer competitors and on-page dominance are other factors that make paid search advertising attractive to local businesses.

No 3.  Mobile Optimised Sites

Creating a mobile site that allows users to carry out tasks in as few clicks as possible increases the interaction and engagement with your customer.  Research shows that after three clicks a user moves to another site if they cannot get to the information they require.  Domino Pizza saw an increase in pizza delivery orders when they converted their site to mobile use.  With geo location they made it possible to order pizza to a particular location and not just an address.Dominos_Mobile-vs-Standard

No 4. QR Codes

Quick Response codes can be read by a mobile phone to send the user to a destination where they can redeem vouchers, shop online or enter a competition.  They are an easy way to access more detailed information on the go.  They are particularly strong when used at POS or outdoor poster locations.  QR codes can also be used for ‘scan to call’ or download business card details.qr_code

No 5. Apps

ABI Research (March 2013) predicts: 56 billion smart phone apps will be downloaded in 2013 globally.  Apps can be divided into three core categories, utility, entertainment and e-commerce. The three most popular ways of hearing about an app are from friends, the App store and the App charts.  Well thought out and designed apps can offer your customer a faster, easier way to interact with your services or product on the go.

Ownership of mobile smartphones will continue to increase and their use will deepen as more functions are added.   Mobile marketing now requires to be integrated into your marketing strategy rather than being seen as an add-on to marketing activity.

Week 6 will be on Search Engine Optimisation.  The students have a  mid-term break next week so we’ll be back the week after then with our next session.