Why Search Advertising Works

September 27th, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

It is no accident that Search engine advertising is now the world’s fastest-growing ad market. It works! It generates new business, and it increases brand awareness. For people serious about increasing website traffic, online advertising is a natural choice, it specifically targets to your potential customers that helps them find your business and website.

What is Search Engine Advertising?

Do you sometimes think and ask, “Is there any other easier way to top the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)?” Sometimes it is difficult to achieve a top position for certain keywords, but there is an easier way to do it, and it is not free. If you do not want to hire a Search Engine Optimiser (SEO), you can have the option to choose the search advertising method.

Search Engine Advertising is known by different names. It is also called Sponsored Search. Advertising with search engines is part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) method to increase the visibility of a website in SERPs. This advertising campaign can be a great help to your site’s success and will bring you lots of benefits, but only with close supervision and proper management. It is relatively simple. You will just select a keyword and decide how much you are willing to pay for each visitor that visits your site through the search results. The more money you can give in, the higher you will rank on the result list. Your site must be relevant to the keyword you want to bid on. (more…)

Why Search Advertising Works

September 27th, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

It is no accident that Search engine advertising is now the world’s fastest-growing ad market. It works! It generates new business, and it increases brand awareness. For people serious about increasing website traffic, online advertising is a natural choice, it specifically targets to your potential customers that helps them find your business and website.

What is Search Engine Advertising?

Do you sometimes think and ask, “Is there any other easier way to top the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)?” Sometimes it is difficult to achieve a top position for certain keywords, but there is an easier way to do it, and it is not free. If you do not want to hire a Search Engine Optimiser (SEO), you can have the option to choose the search advertising method.

Search Engine Advertising is known by different names. It is also called Sponsored Search. Advertising with search engines is part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) method to increase the visibility of a website in SERPs. This advertising campaign can be a great help to your site’s success and will bring you lots of benefits, but only with close supervision and proper management. It is relatively simple. You will just select a keyword and decide how much you are willing to pay for each visitor that visits your site through the search results. The more money you can give in, the higher you will rank on the result list. Your site must be relevant to the keyword you want to bid on. (more…)

Press Releases Can Go the Distance!

September 13th, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

A well-written optimised release can dramatically increase your sales, expose your company to the masses, greatly enhance the image of your business or products, increased link popularity and traffic to your web site and a lot more. It is one of the Web marketing strategies that can really make you go the distance! News Websites like Yahoo News, Google News and MSNBC Searchbot get millions of visitors everyday. So don’t you think it is a good way to hit all these huge traffic sources through getting your way to Google and Yahoo News inclusion? Yeah, this article helps you how.

Almost a lot of people now gets news online compared to watching network TV news, because accessing information through the net is very easy, you can get the latest and hottest news anytime you want. The Internet is quickly becoming the preferred news source over television, magazines, and trade publications.

What is a press release?

For you not to be confused, a press release is also called news release or press statement. But remember, it is different from a news article. A news article is a compilation of facts developed by journalists published in the news media, whereas a news release is designed to be sent to journalists in order to encourage them to develop articles on the subject.

In terms of marketing, it is a tool used by many large companies to communicate with the general public and news media. Announcements for new products, services, corporate partnerships, marketing strategies and other newsworthy events are suitable for press releases. It is a combination of both an article and advertisement and tends to be more objective and is often in an interview format. A mistake that is often made in the development of a press release is the misunderstanding that a press release is an advertisement. It must be understood that, even though a press release can assist your company in acquiring customers, it should not be your focus.

It is submitted to media distribution outlets in the hope that they will run with the story or request an interview. The use of news releases is common in the field of public relations, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention to the PR firm’s client, and publicity, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention for products marketed by the client

How to create an optimised press release for your own website

You must take your time to optimise your press release wisely. Why? Because of the many benefits it will do to you and your company, and you do not want it to be mistakably wrong which will only make your reputation go down. Press releases should be optimised the same way as much as SEO specialists optimise web pages. For instance, one press release can result to a thousand visitors and a couple or more interview requests by journalists. Now you can see the power of a highly optimised press release. While there are many factors that help it become successful, here’s the list:

1. Do something newsworthy

The primary purpose of your press release is to deliver a newsworthy story about your company to the reader, and you should only ever send out a press release to the media if you have actually done something worth mentioning. Some examples of things worth writing a press release about are: setting up a new company website, launching a new product or service, merging or partnering with another well known business, awards and industry/community recognition, making a charitable contribution and hosting an event.

2. Keyword selection is indispensable.

With a bull’s eye on your successful targeted keywords and phrases, your press release will make a compelling read that are likely to deliver qualified leads to your website. Keyword selection is the first step in search engine optimization. It is also where most people go wrong. If you pick a keyword that is not used by the people hunting for your product, you won’t get traffic. You must pick popular keywords to be found. By doing this, you can start brainstorming your team on what people would search when looking for your products; you can generate lucrative keyword phrases. It is better to target up to 3 keyword phrases.

Once you have done some research and brainstorming, you can use tools to gives you quantitative feedback and suggestions so you can select keywords that bring relevant qualified traffic to your site. One tool you can use is the DigitalPoint.com. Simply type in your list of potential keyword phrases and this tool will give you a list of related keywords and how many times they are searched for per day. This information can aid you in choosing which keyword phrases will bring your press release the highest amount of exposure.

Now that you have selected your best potential keywords, it is now the point to incorporate these targeted keyword phrases into your press release. You should include your keywords in the headline, the title, sub-headings and the first two paragraphs. Search engines place much of their emphasis on the title and the beginning paragraphs.

3. Release date

Press releases that include a date in the first paragraph earlier than the actual release date, typically do not get included into Google News. Some press release distribution services like the PR Leap, their system automatically stamps the release date for you, so it is not necessary to include it again. But if you prefer to include a date, make sure that it syncs with the actual release date.

4. Headlines and titles

You should write a catchy, yet informative headline for your press releases. In about ten words or less, you need to grab the attention of the editor. The headline should summarize the information in the press release, but in a way that is exciting and dynamic; think of it as a billboard along a highway. You just have a few words to make your release stand out among the many others editors receive on any given day. The headline can be placed in all bold type, while some people like to use all CAPS when typing a headline, you should avoid that. Many press release distribution sites won’t accept a title in all caps.

To optimise, your title should also reflect your strongest keywords, not the name of the company. Include local modifiers if possible. Although it is often good to see your company’s name in print, it is unlikely to bring you the exposure you deserve. Instead, use targeted search keyword phrases that are likely to be used by your potential customers.

5. Creative writing

Be creative but avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language. Write for the audience that you are trying to reach with your release. Do not use technical jargon or buzzwords that might throw off the person receiving your press release. Deal with the facts and pick an angle. Try to make your press release timely. Tie your news to current events or social issues if possible. Make sure that your story has a good hook. Avoid using too much exclamation point, if you need so, just use one.

You should also optimise your press release by integrating targeted links within the content. Many press release distribution services and news wires now offer the option of purchasing a hyperlink. You simply convert a keyword phrase within the release into an active hyperlink. This will increase search engine visibility for that keyword phrase and also drive additional traffic back to your website.

6. Cover the basics

In the very first paragraph of the body of your press release, always cover the “Who, What, When, Where, and Why” questions about whatever you are trying to gain publicity for. You can expand into more details further down in the body. Keep the first paragraph short and to the point. Using a strategy called the “inverted pyramid”, the body of the press release should be written with the most important information and quotes first. This inverted pyramid technique is used so that if editors need to cut the story to fit space constraints, they can cut from the end without losing critical information. Make it easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs.

7. Length matters

If your press release is too short (less than 150 words or so), or too long (more than two pages or 500 words), it will be less likely to get included into Google News. News releases that are too short tend to read like an advertisement and are not considered newsworthy.

8. Forget the duplicate

Duplicates are not accepted. To improve the likelihood of Google News and Yahoo News picking you up, be sure that your press release has not previously released on Business Wire, PR Newswire, or PR Web, and was already included into Google News, than it is most likely not going to be included again.

9. Proofread

After you have written your new press release, be sure to proofread it. Aside from not including your contact info, having incorrect spellings and poor grammar are the worst mistakes you can make. Sloppy writing won’t get your press release anywhere but in the trash.

10. Syndication

It is better syndicate and to provide an RSS feed for your press releases and submit the feed URL to sites like feedster.com, feedsfarm.com and try giving moreover.com a shot. Getting into Moreover would also give you extra audience in the MSN Searchbot.

What are the benefits?

Press release creates credibility

Credibility is the one thing that can win the customer’s heart and pocketbook at the same time and nothing builds more credibility than a well-written press release that gets picked up by the media.

Indefinite Exposure

Press releases often linger around the Internet indefinitely, unlike normal advertising that disappears once your campaign ends. It provides extensive inbound links for your website and extensive brand recognition.

Non-disposable

With a press release, your company receives broad exposure, and always owns the rights to a unique article. You can post it on your company website and can even send it to prospective clients.

Pickup of your release in online publications

A well crafted press release captures the attention of journalists and is optimised for distribution over the Internet.

Increased link popularity to your web site

Once you have successfully optimised a well-written press release, your link popularity to your web site will increase. Link popularity is a recognizable way to boost targeted traffic, and is also a good way to gain quality inbound links that will benefit your site from search engines.

Ongoing promotion

Most services archive releases; so it is an ongoing form of promotion. Search engines may pick up on the release when it is published on other sites. This creates another avenue for people to find you and to possibly improve your search engine rankings through link popularity factors.

Professionalism

The degree of professionalism a press release adds to a company is hard to measure. Current and prospective clients will be blown away by your press release, and it will put your company one step above your competition.

How to distribute it for maximum exposure

There are many services that will accept press releases, and some of them will charge a fee to distribute your news item to journalists and news editors. A few of the better known services are:

One good free service is the PRWeb.com. For real impact, you can avail their premium service version, PRWeb Direct . It provides excellent coverage at a low price and some features includes the Google News Inclusion, Yahoo News Inclusion, MSN News Inclusion and other good stuff for your press releases.

Moreover, you can also get your content into Google and Yahoo news directly. If you publish frequent news and articles, your site may very well qualify as a news source. But be sure that your site includes editorial review process and multiple contributors. If you are accepted, Google Newsbot will hit your site very frequently and you will receive an extra stream of quality traffic to your web site.

A well crafted press release may take you time to create; but given the immediate and ongoing benefits, it is definitely a worthwhile investment of your marketing time. So now that you know how to optimise your press releases and articles for maximum exposure, try to begin an assertive press campaign to increase exposure to your brand, gain quality inbound links, and increase your website traffic.

Press Releases Can Go the Distance!

September 13th, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

A well-written optimised release can dramatically increase your sales, expose your company to the masses, greatly enhance the image of your business or products, increased link popularity and traffic to your web site and a lot more. It is one of the Web marketing strategies that can really make you go the distance! News Websites like Yahoo News, Google News and MSNBC Searchbot get millions of visitors everyday. So don’t you think it is a good way to hit all these huge traffic sources through getting your way to Google and Yahoo News inclusion? Yeah, this article helps you how.

Almost a lot of people now gets news online compared to watching network TV news, because accessing information through the net is very easy, you can get the latest and hottest news anytime you want. The Internet is quickly becoming the preferred news source over television, magazines, and trade publications.

What is a press release?

For you not to be confused, a press release is also called news release or press statement. But remember, it is different from a news article. A news article is a compilation of facts developed by journalists published in the news media, whereas a news release is designed to be sent to journalists in order to encourage them to develop articles on the subject.

In terms of marketing, it is a tool used by many large companies to communicate with the general public and news media. Announcements for new products, services, corporate partnerships, marketing strategies and other newsworthy events are suitable for press releases. It is a combination of both an article and advertisement and tends to be more objective and is often in an interview format. A mistake that is often made in the development of a press release is the misunderstanding that a press release is an advertisement. It must be understood that, even though a press release can assist your company in acquiring customers, it should not be your focus.

It is submitted to media distribution outlets in the hope that they will run with the story or request an interview. The use of news releases is common in the field of public relations, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention to the PR firm’s client, and publicity, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention for products marketed by the client

How to create an optimised press release for your own website

You must take your time to optimise your press release wisely. Why? Because of the many benefits it will do to you and your company, and you do not want it to be mistakably wrong which will only make your reputation go down. Press releases should be optimised the same way as much as SEO specialists optimise web pages. For instance, one press release can result to a thousand visitors and a couple or more interview requests by journalists. Now you can see the power of a highly optimised press release. While there are many factors that help it become successful, here’s the list:

1. Do something newsworthy

The primary purpose of your press release is to deliver a newsworthy story about your company to the reader, and you should only ever send out a press release to the media if you have actually done something worth mentioning. Some examples of things worth writing a press release about are: setting up a new company website, launching a new product or service, merging or partnering with another well known business, awards and industry/community recognition, making a charitable contribution and hosting an event.

2. Keyword selection is indispensable.

With a bull’s eye on your successful targeted keywords and phrases, your press release will make a compelling read that are likely to deliver qualified leads to your website. Keyword selection is the first step in search engine optimization. It is also where most people go wrong. If you pick a keyword that is not used by the people hunting for your product, you won’t get traffic. You must pick popular keywords to be found. By doing this, you can start brainstorming your team on what people would search when looking for your products; you can generate lucrative keyword phrases. It is better to target up to 3 keyword phrases.

Once you have done some research and brainstorming, you can use tools to gives you quantitative feedback and suggestions so you can select keywords that bring relevant qualified traffic to your site. One tool you can use is the DigitalPoint.com. Simply type in your list of potential keyword phrases and this tool will give you a list of related keywords and how many times they are searched for per day. This information can aid you in choosing which keyword phrases will bring your press release the highest amount of exposure.

Now that you have selected your best potential keywords, it is now the point to incorporate these targeted keyword phrases into your press release. You should include your keywords in the headline, the title, sub-headings and the first two paragraphs. Search engines place much of their emphasis on the title and the beginning paragraphs.

3. Release date

Press releases that include a date in the first paragraph earlier than the actual release date, typically do not get included into Google News. Some press release distribution services like the PR Leap, their system automatically stamps the release date for you, so it is not necessary to include it again. But if you prefer to include a date, make sure that it syncs with the actual release date.

4. Headlines and titles

You should write a catchy, yet informative headline for your press releases. In about ten words or less, you need to grab the attention of the editor. The headline should summarize the information in the press release, but in a way that is exciting and dynamic; think of it as a billboard along a highway. You just have a few words to make your release stand out among the many others editors receive on any given day. The headline can be placed in all bold type, while some people like to use all CAPS when typing a headline, you should avoid that. Many press release distribution sites won’t accept a title in all caps.

To optimise, your title should also reflect your strongest keywords, not the name of the company. Include local modifiers if possible. Although it is often good to see your company’s name in print, it is unlikely to bring you the exposure you deserve. Instead, use targeted search keyword phrases that are likely to be used by your potential customers.

5. Creative writing

Be creative but avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language. Write for the audience that you are trying to reach with your release. Do not use technical jargon or buzzwords that might throw off the person receiving your press release. Deal with the facts and pick an angle. Try to make your press release timely. Tie your news to current events or social issues if possible. Make sure that your story has a good hook. Avoid using too much exclamation point, if you need so, just use one.

You should also optimise your press release by integrating targeted links within the content. Many press release distribution services and news wires now offer the option of purchasing a hyperlink. You simply convert a keyword phrase within the release into an active hyperlink. This will increase search engine visibility for that keyword phrase and also drive additional traffic back to your website.

6. Cover the basics

In the very first paragraph of the body of your press release, always cover the “Who, What, When, Where, and Why” questions about whatever you are trying to gain publicity for. You can expand into more details further down in the body. Keep the first paragraph short and to the point. Using a strategy called the “inverted pyramid”, the body of the press release should be written with the most important information and quotes first. This inverted pyramid technique is used so that if editors need to cut the story to fit space constraints, they can cut from the end without losing critical information. Make it easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs.

7. Length matters

If your press release is too short (less than 150 words or so), or too long (more than two pages or 500 words), it will be less likely to get included into Google News. News releases that are too short tend to read like an advertisement and are not considered newsworthy.

8. Forget the duplicate

Duplicates are not accepted. To improve the likelihood of Google News and Yahoo News picking you up, be sure that your press release has not previously released on Business Wire, PR Newswire, or PR Web, and was already included into Google News, than it is most likely not going to be included again.

9. Proofread

After you have written your new press release, be sure to proofread it. Aside from not including your contact info, having incorrect spellings and poor grammar are the worst mistakes you can make. Sloppy writing won’t get your press release anywhere but in the trash.

10. Syndication

It is better syndicate and to provide an RSS feed for your press releases and submit the feed URL to sites like feedster.com, feedsfarm.com and try giving moreover.com a shot. Getting into Moreover would also give you extra audience in the MSN Searchbot.

What are the benefits?

Press release creates credibility

Credibility is the one thing that can win the customer’s heart and pocketbook at the same time and nothing builds more credibility than a well-written press release that gets picked up by the media.

Indefinite Exposure

Press releases often linger around the Internet indefinitely, unlike normal advertising that disappears once your campaign ends. It provides extensive inbound links for your website and extensive brand recognition.

Non-disposable

With a press release, your company receives broad exposure, and always owns the rights to a unique article. You can post it on your company website and can even send it to prospective clients.

Pickup of your release in online publications

A well crafted press release captures the attention of journalists and is optimised for distribution over the Internet.

Increased link popularity to your web site

Once you have successfully optimised a well-written press release, your link popularity to your web site will increase. Link popularity is a recognizable way to boost targeted traffic, and is also a good way to gain quality inbound links that will benefit your site from search engines.

Ongoing promotion

Most services archive releases; so it is an ongoing form of promotion. Search engines may pick up on the release when it is published on other sites. This creates another avenue for people to find you and to possibly improve your search engine rankings through link popularity factors.

Professionalism

The degree of professionalism a press release adds to a company is hard to measure. Current and prospective clients will be blown away by your press release, and it will put your company one step above your competition.

How to distribute it for maximum exposure

There are many services that will accept press releases, and some of them will charge a fee to distribute your news item to journalists and news editors. A few of the better known services are:

One good free service is the PRWeb.com. For real impact, you can avail their premium service version, PRWeb Direct . It provides excellent coverage at a low price and some features includes the Google News Inclusion, Yahoo News Inclusion, MSN News Inclusion and other good stuff for your press releases.

Moreover, you can also get your content into Google and Yahoo news directly. If you publish frequent news and articles, your site may very well qualify as a news source. But be sure that your site includes editorial review process and multiple contributors. If you are accepted, Google Newsbot will hit your site very frequently and you will receive an extra stream of quality traffic to your web site.

A well crafted press release may take you time to create; but given the immediate and ongoing benefits, it is definitely a worthwhile investment of your marketing time. So now that you know how to optimise your press releases and articles for maximum exposure, try to begin an assertive press campaign to increase exposure to your brand, gain quality inbound links, and increase your website traffic.

Designing Your Website for Web 2.0

September 6th, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

The term “Web 2.0? has clearly taken hold but there are still disagreements about just what Web 2.0 means, with some people decrying it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and others accepting it as the new conventional wisdom.

The concept of “Web 2.0? began with a conference brainstorming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International. During their discussion, they noted that far from having “crashed”, the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What’s more, the companies that had survived the dot-com collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as “Web 2.0? might make sense? O’Reilly and MediaLive believed so and therefore, Web 2.0 was born.

What is Web 2.0?

According to O’Reilly himself, the compact definition of Web 2.0 is:
“Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually-updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an “architecture of participation,” and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.”
Web 2.0 has been described as “the Web as platform”; for corporate people, the Web is a platform for business. For marketers, the Web is a platform for communications. For journalists, the Web is a platform for new media. For geeks, the Web is a platform for software development and so on. Web 2.0 refers to a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services that let people collaborate and share information online in previously unavailable ways to become a much more interactive Web.

Web 2.0 is a term referring to the ongoing transition to a full participatory Web, with participation including both humans and machines. Weblogs, linklogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds, social software, Web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), Web standards, online Web services, and others are all recently-developed concepts and technologies as contributing to Web 2.0. Specific examples are eBay, Craigslist, Wikipedia, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Skype, Dodgeball, Amazon reviews and Adsense.

It is important to recognize that “Web 2.0? is not anything other than the evolving Web as it exists today. It is the same Web that we’ve had all along. But the problems, issues, and technologies we’re dealing with are in many ways different, and so using the term “Web 2.0? is recognition that the Web is in a constant state of change, and that we have entered a new era of networked participation.

Visual Elements

Now we are done with the definition, let’s talk about designing your Website for Web 2.0. Designing has essentially become one of the key competitive advantages. Why has design become so important - all of a sudden? Or was it always important? Many Web 2.0 websites assert priority to their visual design and aesthetics, with the intention of providing a clear, well-organized and visually appealing site.

Your Website can be so much more than an information resource. Your web presence is a place. Today’s web designers are rapidly moving away from boxy designs to flexible curves. When designing for today’s Internet, the common design techniques include gradient backgrounds, rounded designs, nice big text, glassy effects, and bright colors. I also included some links below on tutorials that will help you create your own design.

Other common design characteristics include the use of tabs, reflections, glassy effects, large buttons, and big text boxes for submission forms. Some people often mistakenly identify this particular visual style of elements as the web 2.0 style. The visual elements of the site do not determine its web 2.0 status, rather the technologies used determine the web 2.0 status.

Although we have discussed many of the design elements associated with Web 2.0, this change is much more than just an aesthetic transition. Web 2.0 is essentially about a transition in the way we experience the Internet. The new Ajax programming base allows web masters to create an architecture of participation for their users. Web 2.0 refers to the ongoing transition to full participation on the Web.

Sandwell PGA

September 1st, 2007 | Posted by Ben Keogh

The Details

Project Name:
Sandwell Planning Guidance & Audit Tool
Client:
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Launch Date:
September 2007
Visit:
http://www.sandwellpga.co.uk

Brief

As part of a strategy to help schools to plan, develop and deliver extended services and meet the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council had developed a series of basic Excel spreadsheets in order to collate data across the borough.

To replace the inefficient process of manually collating the data and processing reports, Sandwell Council approached Zonica about the development of a centralised system whereby schools could easily upload their data and produce subsequent reports.

Action

True to our unconventional no-specification process, we first met with Sandwell to discuss all objectives for the system. From this understanding we then designed the interface for every screen on the application from the login through to each individual task.

This process enabled us to present the interface and our understanding of the application workflow with greater clarity than a 150-page written document.

When moving onto the development phase our development team then understood the actual requirements for the system, allowing them to deliver the final working application quickly and accurately.

Result

Creative Development

Technical Development

Consultancy

Nuts & Bolts

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about us, or to talk about your business or project, call us on 0844 669 0878.