Localisation can be a great tool for marketers, but it’s a more complex issue than it seems at first glance. So whether you are using nifty geo-targeting plug-ins, or crafting large campaigns, make sure you’re not making generalisations that could harm your efforts.
This is the first result in Google Images for “Northerner”
I love Comment Spammers, they always have something nice to say, well, almost always. Sometimes they are so complimentary I’m tempted to give in and give them the link they want. I like to pretend they are real people, not bots, part of my extended online family. Here are some highlights from the comments I’ve received (all genuine).
Comment spam
A recent post by Heather Lloyd on “Why do freelance writers hate SEO copywriting” led to an interesting discussion in the comments. This subject got some of us writers hot under the collar about the way we are treated by people looking for SEO content. There’s a popular misconception that “anyone can write”, as evidenced by the spawning of aggregator sites offering piddling amounts for SEO copy.
The writer pauses to wonder if they’ve got the keyword density right
There are strong opinions about whether a freelance writer should quote an hourly rate, or be paid by the word. Personally I prefer the hourly rate, but many people doubt whether they are getting their value for money if this is how they are paying someone who is essentially a stranger.
It takes a leap of faith: You’ve checked the writer’s portfolio, looked at their LinkedIn profile and agreed to pay them for an article that they say will take them two hours. What do they do next, especially when they are writing for you for the first time?
For the benefit of my lovely new clients and anyone who is thinking of hiring me or outsourcing content, here’s an insight into the freelance writer’s process… Continue reading
News that Google is rolling out new ways to penalise “over-optimised websites”, as reported here by The Drum, is news only because Matt Cutts has been talking about it recently – in fact, this has been Google’s focus for a long time now.
If your website is over-optimised then you’ve been getting bad advice from your SEOs; search marketing should be just as much about thinking about your human visitors as the search engine robots. Are you at risk of being penalised?
Pinocchio became a real boy - can your website get real too?
We’ve all sat there staring at a blank screen, or a blank page. You wait for the muse to beckon you, but nothing, nada, zilch.
Here are some tips for overcoming writer’s block.
After 6 years working for agencies in the search marketing sector, the most likely progression route for my career would have taken me further and further away from the things I think I’m good at and like doing. There would have been more man management (I’m nice and supportive, rather than bossy and strict, which is what you need to be) with more spreadsheet shuffling than writing. So, I took the brave (or foolish) decision to step out on my own and try to make it as a freelance writer.
Yosser Hughes 'Boys From The Blackstuff' - NOT the author!
I think every company should have a blog, don’t you agree?
Steppin' Stone
A successful blog should answer all the following needs in one fell swoop -
It’s quick and simple to set up a blog with a basic template, but more legwork needs to be put in to make a blog as effective as possible – as this blog demonstrates, it was pulled together in a matter of days and is “ok”, but there’s a lot more to be done.
I’m going to try and explain my philosophy here, which I’ve hawked around several conferences and many client presentations.
Search in 2012 is very much about Quality Content – not keyword-packed rubbish.
SEO-PR is a rapidly changing sector, but in terms of content for press releases, there are some basic rules to follow to make your news work more effectively online.
The quality of the story should always come first, but a few simple tweaks can make a huge difference to the online visibility a press release can achieve.
