Is SEO BACK From the Dead? [Update]

In a previous post, we talked about how SEO and how strategies and web algorithms have changed over time, particularly in relation to social media and small business online marketing strategies. Content marketing may be partly to blame, with a huge focus and push on publishing content, establishing a tone, voice, and even a brand.

Most non-technical entrepreneurs or bloggers who think or hear anything about SEO often grown or run away in fear. Most perceive SEO as scary. It's big, bad, and can even harm us, if not taken seriously. But like something out of the "Thriller" video, we've seen the transformation of content marketing and shifts in SEO strategies and management over the last year (and even in the last week!) so much that it begs the new question: Is SEO BACK from the dead?

Yes, today is Halloween, and while its a time for ghosts, ghouls, and goblins to emerge from their dark hiding places, SEO is back from the dead, but its zombie-like presence shouldn't mean entrepreneurs and bloggers have to lock their doors tonight or plan for an apocalypse.

The Customer Journey is No Longer Spooky. Today when customers or website visitors hit the web for the purpose to look up or purchase something, they really embark on a journey. Back in the day, this journey used to be more like a haunted house tour...but without the thrill and the fun. Many websites employed tactics that were designed to "trick" (not treat!) customers into a specific call-to-action or even blowing up their screens with annoying pop-ups, ads, and download prompts. But those days are now gone...mostly. Not only are customers and users smarter, Google is smarter. Sites that attempt to trick customers by the allure of fancy keywords and back links now get knocked by Google.

Trans- "actions" -sylvania. The customer journey now involves three steps. Those steps are similar to the buying process we learn about in sales. Reaching a level of trust with a particular business, finding information on a particular product or service and recognizing the value of that product or service, and then make the purchase decision. In summary, the journey is informational, navigational, and transactional.

This customer journey experience now has everything to do with SEO strategy. It's about matching customer experience with SEO strategy; the SEO strategy ultimately playing the role of the customer map. Each "customer map" or SEO strategy should be informational and navigational in order to ensure a customer reaches the "transaction" or the step of "purchase decision".

SEO Becomes Human. Over the last several weeks, Google's algorithms have changed. It focuses on the HUMAN behind the MACHINE. Keywords, content, and SEO strategies are now all tied to the customer. It's all about user-centered SEO. So rather than focusing solely on keywords, back links, and meta tags, Google is now interested in websites and content that builds or represents a BRAND.

Brands Come ALIVE! Each small business should have its own content marketing strategy, which includes a unique tone, voice, culture, or recipe, if you will. Once this has been established, and even documented, this content strategy now becomes a part of the small business brand. So a brand itself has evolved from an image, a logo, a color, or even merely a customer reaction. A brand is still all of those things, but now throw in a superb blog and web content that incorporates all these great elements, and you've now got Google's attention. As a result, SEO has now shifted to focus on the end user, audience, and customer. It's now more about taking those keywords and HUMANIZING them.

So is SEO really BACK from the dead? Or with now more content marketing still taking charge and altering how Google ranks pages, does this really mark the death of traditional SEO? Traditional SEO can still be found haunting various web and social media channels, however, as we progress into 2015, small businesses and bloggers can expect to see an even bigger push on content marketing, but in different ways. As discussed, one of these ways is by embracing the customer journey, and their map is your SEO strategy. Each customer will be matched with a particular SEO experience. Talk about personalization tokens. We just might have created a monster...

Image credit: © Jeffrey Collingwood

Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

International Translation Day: How Important is Language Anyway?

In observance of International Translation Day let's talk about translation, the art of localization, and the importance of language in today's digital world. With technology, social media, and communicating through text, email, and through a number of other twenty-first century mediums, how important is language these days anyway?

It's no secret that technology and even social media run our society. We can't go anywhere without some tablet or device to refer to or communicate through at any point during the day. Since we now rely on this type of technology to communicate, our language and how we communicate to others has changed, hasn't it? Many of us often overlook when someone emails or texts us without proper punctuation, capitalization, or even shorthand abbreviations and acronyms. However, some still believe that language is still important. Do you still judge those who don't use proper grammar and punctuation? Has our digital society and age run language obsolete?

Translation and Localization. How do you think technology and our "social speak" has changed the world of translation and localization? Translators and localization teams have been faced with the challenge of translating and localizing shorthand language, acronyms, which, of course, vary between languages, cultures, and communities, and even digital terminology and phrases.

For example, let's look at the most basic, widespread acronym used throughout the digital and social worlds: LOL, which means "Laugh Out Loud". Obviously this is what the term is in English...but is "LOL" used in the same form in Spanish, French or German? No. So when translating or localizing a transcript, text string, email correspondence, or even G-chat or Skype conversation, the chances of coming across shorthand language and acronyms is pretty good...even in the world of business. Therefore, translators and localization teams have really struggled with properly translating these terms and phrases to accurately depict what is going on in the conversation.

Body Language: What Does it Mean? When we think of language, the first thing that comes to mind is our own language we speak. We think of a certain dialect or dialogue, vocabulary, and the language we were raised to speak. But what about body language? Body language is just as important as the language we speak. In fact, we might even rely on body language to help us "translate" what a person is thinking or feeling, which is a visual representation of "language" and can even help us when words simply won't do.

In the world of business, most sales and customer service representatives would agree that body language is incredibly crucial when working with customers or closing deals. In fact, body language can even play a crucial role in landing a new job in an interview, getting that promotion, or even help leaders carry themselves in a manner that allows team members to feel like they can approach them.

However, if we aren't careful, our body language can kill our image, as well as set up a poor first impression when working with others. Our body language and even our tone and what we say can all be easily misinterpreted if we aren't careful. It's important to establish a reputation, a rapport, or a comfort level in the language used with customers. Of course, this can vary between industry and business, but setting a consistent style and tone with customers can really help avoid misusing or misinterpreting body language. This is especially important to keep in mind for professionals traveling to other countries or working with various cultures. A phrase or tone in one culture may be seen as offensive or negative in another.

I've personally always found in working with a diverse client and customer base in both my professional, and even personal, environments to avoid using the word "you", either in the phone, text or email. "You" can be accusatory which can send an incorrect message, especially when communicating via email. For example, instead of typing an email that reads, "You need to take the time to review this so we can move this project along", how about rephrasing to, "It is of the utmost importance that this document be reviewed as soon as possible in order to avoid schedule delays. I'd be more than happy to help, if needed." Which sounds better to you?

Did you know that 72% of people prefer texting to calling today? Why is that? Some reasons may be because texting gives us the convenience to respond when we are able to. Another common reason is that it gives us a chance to think and craft an answer before responding. It's important to remember when conducting any message is that how it sounds to us may not always mean it will be received in the same way. The beauty of communicating via email, chat or text is that it gives us an opportunity to think before we hit "send".

Content Marketing and Grammar. Going back to an earlier question at the beginning of this blog, do you still judge those who don't use proper punctuation and grammar in an email, text, presentation, or social media post? Interestingly, the world of content marketing is beginning to believe it's okay to "break the rules" now and again when publishing or posting marketing or web copy. On the other hand, there are still those firm believers and those who stand behind the use of proper language and who still might judge those professionals or organizations whose copy or written communication is riddled with errors. This often gives the appearance of lack of education or unprofessionalism.

However, some content marketers believe that how we speak is different than how we write. While this is certainly true, it's almost that technology and the mediums in which we write or communicate to one another gives us a free pass to using shorthand, acronyms, or avoiding the use of capital letters and punctuation, because who has time? What do you think?

All in all, regardless of which type of language you "translate", whether it is French, German, Italian, Spanish, digital phraseology and terminology, or body language, it all counts, and today is for you.





Vector flat icons - translation and language
© venimo - Fotolia.com

Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

Which Blogging and Online Marketing Strategies Actually Work?

Do you have a blog or website? How are you marketing it? Whether you run a blog or website that features your creativity or something you show off or you run a small business, you may be trying to market it in some way to increase your audience and traffic. Most methods include "sharing" content on social media sites, optimizing your web or blog content with keywords, back links, etc., and using ads. But which blogging strategies actually work and which are a waste of time and money?

Is SEO really dead? Social media is the new SEO... 

Current blogging and business trends suggest that SEO is dead, and has been replaced by social media. Social media IS the newest and most effective online marketing technique that has been incredibly successful for many businesses. If you have a small business or are a fully functional entrepreneur and have a website, you should be utilizing social media and online marketing strategies as much as possible. Look into using Facebook ads. Not only is this incredibly cost effective (you are able to set ads to run and control your reach based on what you are willing to spend), but it also increases the amount of "likes" you receive, as well as increase traffic to your website, if you are sharing relevant content on your Facebook fan page. You can kill two birds with one stone here.

While Google page ranks are still vital to a small business's success, and should still be considered in any online marketing strategy, the focus has certainly shifted to social media and utilizing ads, promoting your small business Facebook fan page, and even responding to leads and customer queries. One of the best features to using social media marketing is the ability to interact with clients quickly and directly. Today clients are looking for personalization.

To Click or Not to Click...

Another effective blogging and marketing strategy from years passed is Pay-Per-Click ads, or PPC. This method basically involves using Google Adsense or even another affiliate marketing solution to post ads on your blog or website. So how does this work? Basically small business owners or website owners hosting the ads will get paid a small commission each time a visitor clicks on the ad, and some affiliates even offer a slightly higher commission for those clicks that turn into conversions. Sounds like a good deal, right? Maybe. Basically in order to generate a substantial commission from PPC ads, you would need to ensure that your website receives a LOT of traffic. This may not be the best idea for small businesses trying to establish an online presence or who are just starting out.

The downside? Different articles and studies from various online marketing experts have also claimed that small businesses trying to establish an effective online presence should keep their websites easy to navigate, organized, intuitive, user-friendly, and even interactive (with plenty of videos, infographics, etc.). Some believe that PPC ads create clutter to a web page, are annoying to look at (especially those that pop up in front of users), and are often times irrelevant.

The Future of Digital and Inbound Marketing

So what does the future hold for small businesses and inbound marketing? There are many predictions on what digital and inbound marketing has in store for us. Will Google Glass finally catch on? It's tough to say. Consumers are happy with the ability to swipe their phone in front of a coded box to find out information on a particular ad or billboard advertisement, or even on a box of cereal to obtain nutrition information. Some predictions include virtual ads that will pop up in bus or train windows in front of commuters' and passengers' faces. Some small businesses firmly believe that the future of digital marketing will be all about getting in a customer's face...literally.

On the flip side, what about print advertising mediums? Some of the more "old school" businesses and older generations believe that print will never die. Sure it has declining and will continue to do so each year for the foreseeable future, but will it die completely? It's tough to say...but the moral of the story here? As much as there is a huge push towards inbound marketing, and it is effective, don't abandon your print advertising. Printed brochures, business cards, and flyers still work...and are significantly cheaper than a decade ago.

Time is Money

So what is the best blogging strategy? You can include all the ads, all the posts on your Facebook page, and incorporate all the trending topics into your blog and on your website as possible. Maybe this will work, maybe it won't. But all in all, only blog when you have time. Don't throw any old article up on your website or blog and "share" it on your Facebook and Google+ fan pages just to post something. Your fans and users will see right through this. They aren't going to bother reading content that isn't relevant...or is full of errors. Of course it is important to post content on a regular basis, but keep it meaningful and keep it relevant. This will yield the most results.

Currently the market is flooded with content, webinars, and conferences on "what to dos" and "what NOT to dos" in relation to digital marketing, proven methods versus not-so-proven methods, what works and what doesn't. How do small businesses know what to believe and how do they get it right? At the end of the day, blogging and online marketing strategies really depend on your business, strategy, industry, and what you are looking to get out of it...

Many studies and articles claim that small businesses should be using Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and everything else out there. But how much time does that take? A ton. Not to mention, if your small business offers professional services, how is Pinterest going to be of use to you? Use the social media platforms that make sense for you and your small business. Choose several to commit to that are worth your time and effort and be consistent in your strategy.



Image credit: © Alexey Lisovoy | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Written content: © 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

How to Make Inbound Marketing Work For Your Business

For businesses today, it's all about inbound marketing. It's about a strong online presence, which today equals a strong market presence. So what exactly is inbound marketing and how do businesses get involved? How do you make inbound marketing work for you?

In the last few months, areas such as social media, mobile marketing, content marketing, and SEO have changed drastically. This can be incredibly frustrating for those businesses who are trying to master inbound marketing and develop and establish an online presence, but for others it is an incredibly exciting opportunity...the opportunity to revisit strategies and discover more and better ways to capture and connect with potential customers, other businesses, and network. 

So if you haven't already, revisit the content on your website. Maybe it's time to take another look at your design and current marketing campaign. How can your website and social media pages boost your audience and create conversions? Remember, not only is your website designed to attract customers and convert leads into sales, but it should also be a place where people enjoy visiting.

Here are some key areas where inbound marketing 

Social Media Marketing. Today, just about every individual and business uses social media to some degree. Social media for businesses have pretty much taken the place of what were the Yellow Pages.

So how can your business use social marketing to really create conversions? First and foremost, make sure your posts are relevant to your audience. Your posts should be engaging, something worth your readers' interests, and enhance audience retention. In addition to relevant content, your social media pages and profiles should also have the basic information on them. This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at home many businesses don't even list a phone number. Be sure to include a description of your product or service(s), location (if necessary), hours, contact methods, etc.

Website and Design. Most businesses can comfortably say they have a functional website. But is it? Any business can set up and run a website today, but the design and marketing behind it is crucial. Having an organized, interactive, and attractive website will set your business out from your competition. What does your website offer or do that others do not? What sets a part yours from your competition?

Part of determining what to do with your website and how to market it relies greatly on studying others' websites. How are other similar businesses in your industry organizing their websites? How can you make yours different?

The third crucial component to this point is basic maintenance. Don't underestimate the power of behind basic website maintenance. Take time each day or week to make sure all links are working properly, the pages are properly anchored and tagged, your site map is organized and makes logical sense, and be sure to re-register your domain name in a timely manner.

Search Engine Optimization and Content. When businesses think Internet marketing they also think Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. Your website should include relative key phrases and keywords to your product or service and your industry.

Web content is still as important as ever, but the shift has changed. Businesses are now focusing and streamlining their posts and content to more centered areas specific to industries and/or products. Basically it's all about centering your business on one or several key areas, and becoming experts on them. Your content should be factual, interesting, engaging, and should grab the reader's attention immediately with a unique title.

Inbound marketing is a crucial element to any businesses’ marketing strategies and methods. If you are looking to increase brand recognition, increase customer retention, and ultimately convert leads into sales and ultimately more revenue, then be sure to beef up your inbound marketing strategies. Make inbound marketing work for your business.

© Lori Martin | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Written content: © 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J. H. Language Solutions 

Putting the Strategy in SEO

Why is SEO important for businesses today? 

So what is the deal with all this talk of SEO today? In order to ensure survival, businesses must establish a strong online and virtual presence. Gone are the days when prospective clients and customers flipped through the yellow pages to find and hire a company. Today it’s all about who pops up in a search engine first, who has the most Facebook “likes”, and who has the most prominent online presence.

What Goes Into SEO?

Most businesses, particularly those that are new to the world of online marketing and SEO, think that all they need is a well designed website that will speak for itself. While it may seem simple to design and promote a website, there’s actually a science behind it. In fact, SEO comes with its own vocabulary and technical knowledge that one can easily learn.

What’s the First Step in Developing a SEO Strategy?

Another important aspect to utilizing and understanding SEO is staying ahead of the competition. One of the essential tasks to promoting a website is to research and study a competitor’s website and see what works and what doesn’t. What is generating traffic? What kind of content appears? What is the overall look and feel of the site? By answering these questions, a company can use this data in creating and promoting their website that is unique and creative and that will draw attention, a dedicated audience, and drive traffic.

Is the Print Advertising Medium Really Dead?

In addition to creating and promoting a website, a blog, and other virtual content, using social media, researching competitors’ sites, or whichever method works best for a particular business, one medium that most businesses forget to take advantage of these days is print advertising. With the wave of technology and with everything going electronic, it’s easy to forget about the simple brochures or business cards where businesses can promote their websites and fan pages. Printing up brochures, business cards, and flyers with a website, phone number, and other contact information is proven to still be just as effective as it was a decade ago.

Finally, many businesses, particularly the ones that have been around for some time, believe that they are well established enough not to require a good website or do not have to participate in social media. While this may be true, implementing the proper SEO strategies can only lead to a more established online presence, enhance branding, stand out from competitions, and even broaden audiences and target markets. Don't underestimate the power of SEO.

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written by J.H. Language Solutions for a third party. This article has been altered to fit this blog accordingly.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above.

Staying Social in a World of Social Media

Social media is all the rave today. Who ever thought it would get as big as it is? It has even altered how we communicate with one another, how we look up information, and even the way we do business and our daily routines. But has it totally overcome our lives?

Are you addicted to social media?

 It is safe to say that many would agree that social media is addicting. When you are bored at work - how many times a day do you check your Facebook? When you are out running errands - how many times do you "check in" at certain locations? Whenever you run into someone you hadn't seen in awhile or maybe even someone you just met - how many times have you said "I'll Facebook you"? It was recorded just this month that Twitter has amounted to over 500 billion users and sees approximately 340 million tweets per day.

I think we've all been there at one point or another...or maybe even on a daily basis. But how much actual physical social interaction do we engage in now...or do we just rely on Facebook to keep up with all our engagements and correspondence? Some of you may be thinking "I interact with others every day!" That could be true, but I'm not just talking about our jobs or with our families...I'm talking about actual social interactions that involve physically talking face to face and/or engaging in outside activities with another person. These activities also don't involve having a cell phone taped to your ear or your hand. When was the last time you were able to do this? Remember, 22% of users spend their time online on social media.

• It's addicting. The fact is too much social media isn't exactly good for us. Studies have shown that spending too much online or on social media has some serious health risks. In addition to the fact that is extremely addicting and perhaps it's not the best way to be spending our time. I understand that many companies and businesses rely heavily on social media to promote their business or to keep up with competitors, clients, and partners and colleagues. In fact, I'm one of them. However, just like anything, when does it become too much? 

• It can cause depression. There are some people out there who will lock themselves in their rooms or in their homes for an entire weekend or night and just play online. This is most likely more common in younger adults or children, but this isolation is a sure sign of the beginning stages of depression. 

• It leads to decreased physical activity. In a society where obesity is such an epidemic, again, especially in children, the last thing we should be doing is sitting in front of the computer. 

So in a society where everyone and their brother are pushing you to jump on social media, what do you do about it? You can utilize social media in order to plan events that involve engaging in other human beings. This automatically reduces the feeling of isolation, depression, and decreased physical activity. Getting out into the world and doing something fun with a friend, significant other, or family member or child is definitely a more fulfilling activity than just sitting and chatting. In fact, it's not secret that human beings require social interaction with another human being. This could be interacting with another person's emotions, personality, or even just their touch or smile. Humans are social beings that require the interaction with another in order to thrive and develop healthy, social relationships.

Okay, so it's not all bad.

Social media has also helped us in many ways, especially in conjunction with technology. Social media helps you connect with people you already know or maybe haven't seen in awhile, such as distant family members, high school or college friends, international contacts, people with similar interests, etc. It is extremely convenient and easy to keep in touch with people, which is always a great thing.

Then there is the whole business world. Anyone who owns a business has probably reaped the benefits of social media in some way. Utilizing social media as a part of your networking or marketing strategy is not only easy to do, but it's extremely cost effective. You can purchase and run ads through Facebook for as little as $1 per day...and still reach potential clients and business contacts. Facebook does all the work for you. In addition, posting your blog, business site, press releases, or any other published content to your Facebook page or Twitter account is bound to get your name out there and boost your branding faster than print advertising ever could.

Getting out (and not in the social media sense).

All in all, there should really be a limit to how much social media we consume in a day...just for the sheer purpose of getting out there and getting away from the computer. For those who have jobs that involve sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen all day, do you really want to go home and do the same thing? For those who are looking for a change a pace, try getting out and doing something fun with someone else at least once per week (and again, without your cell phone attached to your ear or your hand the entire time).

Maybe you recently started a new job or moved and you don't know anyone and would like to meet someone. For those cases, there is Meetup.com. This is a great way to find something close in proximity to either work, home, or school; that is relative to your interests or hobbies; and that involves meeting others (whether for the purposes of making new friendships, relationships, or networking).

Finally, it's easy to become addicted to social media today. Everywhere you go and everything you do involves posting to Facebook, visiting an organization's fan page or "tweeting" or "posting" a status update. While we've already looked at the pros and cons to social media, there should really be a balance to social media and life.



Cover image: © Radu Razvan Gheorghe | Dreamstime.com

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions