What Happens When You Combine A CRM, Video, SMT, And A Group of Prospects?
Answer: You get an advanced form of Video Sales & Marketing Technology SMT is always looking for unique ways to reach and create a significant and lasting impression on target prospects. The latest product we have developed is a video marketing system VMS. The VMS was developed to send out targeted video emails to anyone in a Customer/Prospect database. That doesn't sound that complicated, however, there is more to it. What makes our system unique is that you can send a series of videos...
Will Link Building Remain Important in 2014?
In a recent article from Search Engine Land, speculation was given about the importance of links in 2014. With updates from Google like Hummingbird, many companies are concentrating on social platforms instead of on links and other typical Search Engine Optimization SEO practices. While it is true that links may, in the future, be unimportant in Google’s algorithms, it is important not to forgo links entirely. Link building can be used to build relationships with other quality websites...
Why Do You Need Unique Meta Descriptions?
Google’s own Matt Cutts posted a video yesterday discussing the importance of unique meta descriptions. For those of you who are unfamiliar with meta descriptions, these are HTML attributes that provide concise explanations of the content on pages. Think of a recent Google search you have done. Underneath the web link on each result is a sentence or two, giving you a taste of what you will find on the website. These sentences are the meta description. IMAGE: Google Meta descriptions can...
Hummingbird Update: What it means for your SEO
Last month, Google announced its largest upgrade to its search algorithm since 2001, which has been dubbed Hummingbird. As you might guess, many businesses were concerned about this update, wondering how it would affect their current SEO efforts, and what they would need to change in order to stay relevant in Google search results. What is Hummingbird? Google says that the Hummingbird update will not have an effect on current SEO efforts. Original, high quality content is still king, and...
Top SEO Mistakes
Recently, Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cuts, published a video discussing the top five SEO mistakes that people make. Some are simple and easy enough to fix, while others are more complicated. They include: 1. Not having a website, or having a website that is not crawlable by search engines. It seems easy enough to realize that, in order to rank in Google results, you need to have a website. But many people want to go with the glamor and creativity of a Flash website, or a website...
Other Google Updates to Be Aware Of
When everyone thinks of Google updates and how they will affect SEO efforts, they usually only think of the many different Panda and Penguin updates. But in 2009, another update was made to Google’s algorithms that can have a big effect on business: The Vince Update. Because of the Vince update, many big businesses seem to be taking over the front page of Google. This is because they have built a trusted brand - they are well know, through not only back links but also video, public...
Could Your Company Benefit from Video Marketing?
Have you considered implementing video marketing for your company? Putting together videos is a great way to show your audience what your company is really about. Here are some quick tips on how to put together great videos to help market your business: • Don’t be afraid – one of the biggest hurdles to creating video marketing is fear – fear your audience won’t like it, or fear that you won’t like how you come across on camera. But you won’t know until...
What are People Searching for on their Mobile Phones?
These days, almost everyone owns a smart phone, and they are using them to do more than make phone calls. They are also using their phones to look up the answers to questions, the addresses to businesses, and everything in between. This is why it is so important to have a mobile site or a site with a responsive design that adapts to mobile devices, and to have it optimized for mobile search engines. Mobile search criteria are slightly different than the average web based searches. One of the...
Panda Update 21 Released
It was expected - on November 5th, Google added its latest Panda Update to its search engine algorithms. This led to a slight shaking up of the Google results, as there was a worldwide impact on about 0.4% of inquiries, and 1.1% of those inquiries in the United States in the English language. As the 21st Panda Update, it fell into Google’s usual trend of releasing an update every four to six weeks. The 0.04% impact is lower than many other updates - the first Panda Update in February of...
Yelp Cracks Down on Fake Reviews
At Sales & Marketing Technologies, we understand the importance of review websites, and making sure your company is portrayed properly. We already work with many different organizations on their reputation management. One of the biggest parts of reputation management is monitoring what users are saying about your products and services online at review sites, such as Yelp.com. Recently, Yelp announced that it will be increasing its efforts in making sure that consumer reviews are all...
The Cost of Cheap SEO & Social Media Labor
Like almost everything else in the world, you really get what you pay for when it comes to SEO and social media marketing. You might want to try to save money, scrimping and cutting corners as it can be costly to launch, maintain, and grow an internet presence for your business. But think of this internet presence much like the physical building your company is located in – you wouldn't hire a too-cheap or inexperienced contractor to build the building, or look for the cheapest materials...
Google Results: From 10 to 7 Links?
It appears that Google is testing a new way to show its search results, with only 7 results instead of 10 on the first page. It also seems that it is easier for one site to dominate these results. Together, these two things could change the face of Search Engine Optimization SEO, as sites have to fight even harder to get onto the front page. An article at Search Engine Land shows examples of the new search results, depicting how the top Google result now not only features the main page of the...
SEO Challenges Will Continue To Rise
The world of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is getting more challenging to navigate. Updates to the Google search algorithms, Panda and Penguin, have sent those companies who rely on search engines to lead their customers to their business into a panic. SEO companies are scrambling after spending thousands of hours learning about, applying, and perfecting SEO practices to websites, only to find that Google is changing the game once again, making it difficult for companies to regain...
How Will Google's Social Search Affect Your SEO?
We’ve told you about Google’s shift to including Google+ results in its searches, and also the controversy that has come from it as other social media outlets fight back. What will it mean for your company’s website, and your SEO? Already, sources are speculating that this social switch to search results could have a bigger impact on Google than even the infamous Panda update, which aimed to remove lower-quality content from search results. This is because not only will...
Google Intergrates Google+ into Google Search
In their ongoing climb up the proverbial social ladder Google has now merged Google+ into its search results. What this means, moving forward any Google + member who is signed in will be able to search the entire web as well as their own Google+ circles. This includes photos and content posts from the Google+ circles of that user. Google is calling this search update Search, plus your World. Their goal here is to try to transform Google into a search engine that not only understands content...
Google Infinite Scroll, Better Exposure?
Google is starting to test out a new feature – infinite scroll. Already implemented in its Images search section, infinite scroll would allow readers to click to view more results on the same page instead of continuing through pages 2, 3, or 4 when performing a search engine query. In essence, this feature would allow everyone to rank for page 1 on the Google search results. What sort of impact this will have on your company’s SEO? For starters, there will now be multiple chances...
How Google+ is Shaping the Future of Search
Google’s latest attempt to build and grow a social network is called Google+ spoken as Google Plus. Because most people are sharing links, articles and ideas outside of the Google network mostly via Facebook and Twitter, the search giant has found itself at a disadvantage. Google has undoubtedly noticed that people are consuming massive amounts of content based on the recommendations of friends within their social networks. Because of this rate of consumption, Google has taken interest...
How do you know if you’ve been Panda-slapped?
On February 24th of this year, Google rolled out it’s now infamous Panda update. Throughout the year, Google updates it’s method of ranking and displaying search engine results for all queries. The goal of these updates is always to increase the relevancy of the search results as they relate to the search query. The latest update, dubbed Panda, has adversely affected an estimated 12% of US-based websites. 1. Login to Google Analytics. Need help? Contact us 2. On your Dashboard...
Google Maps Adds Hotel Comparison Shopping
Noticing that Google Maps has added some additional functionality for hotel searches. I noticed at the top of the Google Maps search results a "Check In" and "Check Out" search feature. Also, beside each hotel listing there is a lowest price drop down. Clicking on the lowest price displays a list of Sponsored results with pricing information on the specific hotel. The drop down list looks to have four paid listings and the last one is the official hotel link. Here is a screen shot. This was...
IP Address Influencing Search Engine Rankings
Google has been using the user's IP address to serve up local results for the Google Local 7-pack for awhile now. Then back in February they added a search "Nearby" feature that would allow you to refine your organic search results as well as the Google Local 7-pack for a city. On top of this Google is now using your IP address to influence search engine rankings for broad terms. What does this mean? It means that a user in one location will be served up one set of results while a user in...