Get To Know Google's Penguin Update

On Tuesday, Google officially announced the name of their new algorithm change…the “penguin” web spam update. The latest information about this update can be found on Matt Cutt’s blog, listed here:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2012/01/page-layout-algorithm-improvement.html

Essentially, this update focuses on the page layout of your site and the overall experience users have with your website. Sites that have traditionally had too many advertisements “above the fold” are the ones searchers typically have trouble accessing the true content of the site and those are the site most prone to be affected by this change,

Search Engine Land has a great article summarizing this latest change.

http://searchengineland.com/too-many-ads-above-the-fold-now-penalized-by-googles-page-layout-algo-108613

Google makes algorithm updates all the time and these changes have all been geared towards providing searchers with a better user experience. Keep that in mind as you design, build, and rethink your site design. Your M.O. going forward should be the same as Google’s – build a site that meets the needs of your target audience. Easier said than done but with FREE Google Analytics tools at your side, you can easily see how your customers behave on your site and can make informed decisions on ways to better improve their experiences.

Believe it or not, there is one Industry that is booming right now. And that Industry is the "Internet Marketing" Industry. Yes, I did say booming...Even in this economy. With stock values slip-sliding-away daily and all of this talk about a global recession, you would think that people's fears would eventually slip into the online world. Fortunately though, most savvy marketers and business owners know that marketing during a downturn is the best way to grow your business and increase your market share. Even those companies that aren't necessarily marketing for those two reasons realize that they need to keep getting leads in order to survive.

Not to say that marketers/companies aren't feeling the effects of our financial crisis (Because they are). According to a recent online report, "60% of large companies are cutting marketing budgets in response to the economic crisis." However, and this is the primary reason why Internet marketing is still booming, most of the money that isn’t being cut is being shifted from "branding" initiatives to proven, ROI-based, "direct marketing" programs such as pay per click marketing.

This is not to say that people aren't being scared-off by the crisis. We've, in fact, seen several long-term clients "take a break" from their online marketing activities over the past few months. Still, the majority of our clients are starting to spend more in our programs since they've seen their competitors cutting back or bowing out completely…and they smell the opportunity for increased market share.

Because everything is measurable, Internet marketing provides the best type of investment companies can make for their businesses. For every dollar spent, companies know exactly what type of return they'll get. And isn’t being more accountable exactly the type of due diligence that is required in times of uncertainty?

I imagine the growth in Online Advertising will continue on in the next few years before it eventually gives way to ...Mobile Advertising.

Greetings from the War Room: Internet Marketing in 2012

More and more it seems that the Internet marketing space has become more like a war zone. The constant changes and major announcements from the search engines and social media sites, the dissemination of this information from Industry and non-Industry leaders alike, and the confusion surrounding each piece of news has created a constant state of chaos for everyone participating in this arena.  It seems that with every Facebook “conversion to Timeline” we get a Google “exact and phrase match update” right behind it.  The intents of the changes are highly positive but the collateral damage has been grand. In the twelve years since we’ve been working in this Industry, we have never seen such a state of frenzy as we currently see today.

It didn’t use to be like this.

Once upon a time, there was a simple set of rules for marketing effectively online.   These days, you need to treat your online marketing program like you would an entrepreneur of a business. You need to stay informed, flexible, and be able to pivot quickly to take advantage of new feature rollouts, new technologies and ever-changing landscapes.

That being said, we think you can relax amidst the chaos and take a deep breath. The fundamental basics of online marketing [that have been in place since day one] still apply today. Start with a great website, one that fills a market niche and meets the needs of your users.. and go from there. Next, ensure you optimize it properly for the search engines. Search still accounts for a vast majority of quality visitors and organic optimization should still be at the cornerstone of your online marketing plans. Next, consider setting up advertising campaigns, participating in social media, and experimenting with new traffic channels. Each business will be different but there are hordes of traffic available to you, if you plan properly and have budget for experimentation.  Finally, ensure you are tracking goals and conversions and analyzing your traffic patterns. You will quickly see which areas of your site need a refresh and what traffic channels are the most profitable.

Yes, you should pay close attention to the rapid pace of change occurring right now. But don’t panic! And don’t go of course just because a new feature has been released. Stick to your basics and you will ensure continued and continual success. You can’t get out of the war zone anymore but you can shield yourself from the noise by remembering the fundamentals.