SEO 101: How Google Algorithm Changes Are Impacting

Ever notice how you have to go back and make changes to your website each time Google makes an algorithm change or adds a new algorithm? Some of the most significant changes since 2008 impacted not only websites, but how a business markets itself on the Internet.

Google makes many changes over the course of a year, and trying to address each and every one of them is not necessary. Many of the changes are designed to hinder cheaters and fraud websites from abusing the system and getting to the top of the search results.

Conceptually, it is important to understand the impact on your business when these changes are made.

It is equally important to understand that web marketing has no endpoint and change is inevitable. “Expect change and accept change” is something I have presented in years past. Trying to fight the dynamic and fluid environment of the web is not logical for your business, nor is it fruitful use of your time. Keep emotion out of it, press forward and adapt to the changing environment.

We will review a few of the more prominent algorithm changes by Google and what organic marketing impact it has had on business. Advertising related topics are not being covered in this discussion.

Google Algorithm: Content Relevancy

• The Change: Around 2008 it started with the Content Relevancy algorithm bringing upon per-page optimization. The time of optimizing an entire website using the same meta descriptions, meta keywords, and titles for every page becomes obsolete.
• The Marketing Impact: Optimizing individual pages based on their unique information meant any inside page could be ranked and shown in the search results. This also meant the visitor entry point to a company website was no longer the home page where calls to action were set up. Instead, all pages of the website needed to be treated like the home page and have visible calls to action.

This particular change is not something a technical web developer or even a creative designer would have picked up on. Rather, a marketer is necessary to understand how to interpret these changes and lead the business in the right direction.

Google Algorithm on Notable and Trusted Brands

• The Change: In 2009, Google released a lesser-known algorithm called Vince. This algorithm is about brand validation to determine if a brand can be trusted. While this algorithm was designed to weed out cheaters and fraudulent websites, it imposes labor intensive marketing work for all businesses. Let’s first take a look at Wikipedia, because their editors follow a very similar process if you want a web page article on Wikipedia about your company. On Wikipedia, “notability” is a benchmark used by editors to decide whether a topic can have its own page in Wikipedia. Information on a Wikipedia topic must be verifiable along with reliable third-party sources. Wikipedia’s idea of notability uses this standard to avoid in-discrimination of topics. We have to understand that determining notability does not necessarily depend on things such as fame, importance, or popularity. Although, fame, importance, and popularity do tend to have more reliable third-party sources to verify and validate the information. As you can imagine, anyone taking notice of the Vince algorithm immediately cried foul play. Many people took this algorithm to favor big brands and to their benefit, yes, larger brands started to show up more in the search results over smaller brands. However, this was not Google’s intent. Rather, it meant smaller brands needed to do more to validate themselves in verifiable and trusted methods.
• The Marketing Impact: First and foremost, multi-channel marketing became important. Businesses must market themselves through different channels, including editorial articles, news releases, press releases, video, documents, social media marketing, infographics, and so forth. This means taking more time to prepare content, to manage the distribution of content, and to engage in the web beyond just paying for advertising. It just so happens, that by engaging in branding your business through multiple marketing channels, you increase how people view the authority of your business as a trusted entity and generate more traffic from different sources beyond search engines.

Google’s Algorithms Let The Zoo Animals Take Over

• The Changes: Jumping forward to 2011 – 2013 we have Penguin (link quality) and Panda (quality website content) updates. The theme with both of these algorithms is about quality over quantity. Google has a list of questions it raises when determining what denotes quality. However, if you look through the list of questions you will find they are very subjective based on visitor perception. The real question is how does quality impact your website’s ranking position in the search results based on logical mathematical equations that Google can determine? If this wasn’t confusing enough for most business owners, the more recent Hummingbird algorithm now goes down the path of interpreting what the person searching wants and may not necessarily display a direct match. Yes, this now puts keywords into a whole new light as we focus on “conversational search”.
  
• The Marketing Impact: When it comes to Penguin, it is about having quality websites with links back to your website. This does mean someone has to have a good idea on how to determine quality websites based on the website’s metric such as Google Page Rank, Alexa Traffic Rank, volume of pages indexed, and volume of links on the web. Having more quality will be more valuable and thus means someone actually has to research the information. When it comes to Panda, the recommendation is about theweb page’s Readability Score. The more the web page can cater to the general public, the more likely it will meet a quality level based on a mathematical equation. When it comes to Hummingbird, this is essentially a new search engine for Google. It does mean your web pages need to be optimized around conversational search. As people continue to search based on a longer sentences, particularly with mobile devices, the more your web pages need to be revised based on entire sentences instead of individual keywords or key phrases.

What To Do About Google Algorithm Changes

The bottom line is businesses need professional help to manage their website, the marketability of the website, and businesses brand marketing.

While internal staff is capable of executing the tasks of the process, they do not have the experience a professional firm can provide working across multiple customers and industries. Internal staff tend to become stagnant in their knowledge as they are single focused.

A financial factor comes from businesses using their financial resource inefficiently because they are either under or over reacting to the changes they don’t really understand. The reactions, absent proper knowledge and objectivity, are focused on wanting maintain revenue. In fact, they are making their situation worse.

The environment of change is rapid. Someone has to be able to interpret how these changes are affecting the short-term, while planning how things need to move for the long-term. Understanding the history becomes very important while expecting change, accepting change, and becoming an early adopter of new ideas. There is no room for the status quo when it comes to Internet marketing and adopting changes early is important.

via sej

This City Aims to Be “Car Free” in 20 Years

To live in this age is an exciting time. The technological advances have accelerated communication around the world, and in effect, a shifting of resources to more sustainable alternatives continue to be implemented at an increasing rate. Who knew thirty or even fifty years ago that cars would so quickly go out of fashion in favor of more sustainable, alternative modes of transportation?

Yet this is exactly what is happening in the German town of Hamburg. The city council recently disclosed it has plans to divert most of its cars away from the city’s main thoroughfares in twenty years. In order create what will someday be a large green network, local authorities are to connect pedestrian and cycle lanes; this is expected to smooth inner city traffic flow.

In all, the northernmost city is planning to lay out new green areas that will bridge existing parks, community gardens, and cemeteries with another. The aim is to bring together the outer skirts of Hamburg and allow pedestrians and cyclists to reach every area of the city by foot.

When the plan is completed, the grand city of Hamburg will be able to pride itself on having over 17,000 acres of green spaces, which will make up 40% of the city’s area.

One official spoke on the project, stating that the ambitious plan will “reduce the need to take the car for weekend outings outside of the city.” While vehicles will not be banned from the main thoroughfares, the council expects residents and tourists alike to be able “to explore the city exclusively on bike and foot.”

By creating a green ring, the city is also helping the metropolis fight against the threat of rising temperatures and urban flooding. It’s a pressing concern, as the average temperature in Germany’s second-largest city has risen by 9 degrees Celsius in just half a century.

But the lush new addition will also provide interspersed patches of green areas where residents can “hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics and restaurants, experience calm, and watch nature and wildlife right in the city.”

Locations all around the world are submitting to greener design and methods of living that will support future generations to come. Hamburg is just one of many examples that will likely influence a change in the current system.

When cities provide space to grow food, recreational areas to be immersed in nature, and alternative options for sustainable transportation, a dramatic shift in the current paradigm will be realized.

via themindunleashed

The 9 Worst Mission Statements of All Time

If your mission statement contains no typos, mentions what your company does, and doesn't go on for a whole page, you're already doing better than these major brands.

A mission statement can be a forceful way to motivate yourself and your team toward a common goal. Just consider this, from Amazon's mission statement: "to be the Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online." Even when the company only sold books, this vision helped guide it where it wanted to go.

But if mission statements are powerful, they are also tough to get right. If you're struggling with yours, take heart: Some of the world's best-known brands have some of the most awful mission statements. Overly wordy, terminally vague, or just inane--you know you can do better than these:

1. You have plenty of time to read this--right?

"Avon's mission is focused on six core aspirations the company continually strives to achieve," begins Avon's mission statement. Then it goes on. And on. It weighs in at 249 words that cover everything from surpassing competitors to increasing shareholder value to fighting breast cancer.

It's great to do many important things all at once, but your mission statement should provide employees and the world at large with one or two key goals that define success in your universe. If you can't get that into a sentence or two, go back and try again.

2. Why bother with grammar?

"McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink," begins McDonald's mission statement. That's fine, but then it continues: "Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience--People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion."

That manages to be both vague and hokey at the same time. But the important lesson is that after you've put in the time and effort and perhaps paid a consultant to create the perfect mission statement, you should take an extra few seconds to put it through a simple spelling and grammar check. If McDonald's execs had done this, they'd have realized they have subject-verb disagreement. It should be: "...aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which centers on an exceptional customer experience."

3. We don't care what business we're in.

Here's Albertsons' mission statement: "To create a shopping experience that pleases our customers; a workplace that creates opportunities and a great working environment for our associates; and a business that achieves financial success."

In case you're wondering, Albertsons is a chain of grocery stores, primarily in the Western U.S. Ideally, your mission statement should mention what your company actually does.

4. The sky's the limit!

"To help make every brand more inspiring, and the world more intelligent," begins Avery Dennison's mission statement. That's a pretty lofty ambition for a company whose product is stick-on labels. A good mission statement should have some relationship to reality.

5. We don't mean it.

Here's the first sentence of Barnes & Noble's mission statement: "Our mission is to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the product we sell."

Here's the third sentence: "To say that our mission exists independent of the product we sell is to demean the importance and the distinction of being booksellers."

It's probably better if your mission statement doesn't contradict itself.

6. We like ourselves just the way we are.

"MGM Resorts International is the leader in entertainment & hospitality--a diverse collection of extraordinary people, distinctive brands and best in class destinations." It's billed as MGM Resorts' mission statement, but it's just a flattering self-description. Say what you aspire to be, not why you already think you're great.

7. We thought better of it.

Here's Hershey's mission (or vision) statement: "Continuing Milton Hershey’s legacy of commitment to consumers, community and children, we provide high-quality HERSHEY’S products while conducting our business in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner." Other than the annoying practice of putting one's name in all upper case, that's not bad.

The company took some mocking for its previous mission statement which read in its entirety: "Undisputed Marketplace Leadership." Hershey's was smart to change it.

8. If you have nothing good to say...

Dell seems to have decided to meet the mission statement challenge by simply not having one. That should give you encouragement. Whatever you come up with has to be better than not trying at all.

9. Guess whose mission statement this is:

"It is our mission to continue to authoritatively provide access to diverse services to stay relevant in tomorrow's world."

Give up? It was created by the Mission Statement Generator which recombines nouns, verbs, and adjectives into prototypical mission statements that are delightfully replete with meaningless corporate-speak.

Admit it, for just a moment there you thought it was real.

via inc

5 Ways to Get People to Remember You (And Your Company)

After a recent lecture, a young consultant came up to me. “I have a problem,” he said. “People seem to forget me right away. I’ll remember meeting them, but they have no idea we connected before. I think I’m just not memorable enough. What can I do?”

Being memorable is essential for every entrepreneur -- after all, people won’t fund you or buy from you if they don’t even remember you exist.

Here are five ways to ensure you’re making a strong and lasting impression.

1. Identify a commonality. When I interviewed the eminent psychologist Robert Cialdini for my bookReinventing You, he told me the fastest way to get someone to like you is to find a commonality you share with them. People will trust you and relate to you if they feel you share a bond -- whether it’s that you’re from the same hometown, went to the same school or even just that you both like dogs or the color orange. And if they like you and trust you, they’ll remember you.

2. Pique their interest. Many of us kill conversations in the first 10 seconds. When someone asks the inevitable, “What do you do?,” you need a better answer than just a boring recitation: “I own a business” or “I’m a technology entrepreneur.” Find a way to pique their curiosity and make them want to know more. It’s a lot more interesting and memorable to say “I help companies become more famous” or “I’m launching a business that will enable you to connect with doctors without ever leaving your home.”

3. Develop a signature style. Sometimes your wardrobe can help you stand out. (Don’t force it if it doesn’t feel natural to you.) But Madeleine Albright’s brooches, Tucker Carlson’s bowties and Steve Jobs’ black turtlenecks all helped them distinguish themselves. If you have a certain accessory or style you relish, you may consider making it a conscious part of your brand. It’s a lot easier to remember “Jeff, the guy who always wears colorful socks,” compared to “Jeff, that guy who dresses like everyone else.”

4. Ask a lot of questions. It may sound counterintuitive but asking a lot of questions can actually make you far more memorable to others. People love to talk about themselves, and they’re likely to remember someone who asks thoughtful, interesting questions because it makes them feel appreciated and understood. That’s a lot more potent than someone who simply prattles on about their own accomplishments.

5. Find a reason to follow up. If people don’t remember you, it could be that you’re not giving them enough opportunities. It’s hard to remember anyone that you’ve met just once, particularly if you’ve only had a brief interaction. So if you’d like to turn a quick meeting into a long-lasting relationship, make a point of finding a way to continue the conversation. Get their contact information, and try to identify areas that are ripe for follow-up. Perhaps you can send them an article they’d be interested in or congratulate them when their favorite team wins over the weekend. The more exposure they have to you, the more likely they are to remember you at the next conference or Chamber of Commerce event.

Making a strong impression is critical to your business success. By following these techniques, you can be sure people will take note. 

via entrepreneur

4 Billionaires on How to Profit From Failure

These entrepreneurs didn't get to where they are today without hitting setbacks--lots of them. Here's how they turned those failures into strengths.

Few people in the world like to fail. Success is so much more pleasant. But if you're an entrepreneur, you can often learn much more from failure than from success. You just need the right way to think about it--as an opportunity, not as a permanent roadblock.

Some of the most successful (and wealthy) entrepreneurs in the world know this lesson well. Below are four takeaways from billionaires who failed several times over on their way to building big businesses.

Failure can stoke your desire to succeed.

Success takes a lot of work, whether things are going well or badly. Nick Woodman, billionaire inventor of the GoPro line of sports cameras, had two previous business failuresduring the heyday of the dot-com era. The experience stung, as he told Forbes:

"I failed and deserved to be on f**ckedcompany, [a now-defunct site that used to catalogue dot-com failures]" says Woodman. "I mean nobody likes to fail, but the worst thing was I lost my investors' money, and these were people that believed in this young guy that was passionate about this idea.... [When you fail,] you start to question, are my ideas really good?"

Woodmanwas so upset by failure that he worked 18 hours a day sourcing parts and assembling prototypes. When GoPro first hit the market, he was the only employee and was determined to make things work. "I was so scared that I would fail again that I was totally committed to succeed."

Use little failures to get big successes.

You want your ideas to work out. No surprise: everyone does. But you can't expect that they will, at least not at first. Ask James Dyson, who has an estimated net worth of $4.4 billion thanks to the power of blowing air, whether in a vacuum cleaner, cooling fan, or lavatory hand drier.

"I mean, 99 percent of my life is failure, because we're building prototypes all the time," Dyson told Bloomberg. "We're trying out ideas, and they all fail." Well, not all. Eventually a model will work, and then Dyson has something worthwhile. But it would have been next to impossible to achieve without learning from all those failures on the way.

Fail your way around what "everyone knows."

Sara Blakely, billionaire inventor of Spanx, tripped and failed many times on the way to building her company. As she admitted to CNBC, she had no idea of what she was doing. But that ignorance gave her the opening she needed.

"The fact that I had never taken a business class, had no training, didn't know how retail worked," she said. "I wasn't as intimidated as I should have been."

Experts might have told her that going directly to Neiman Marcus with a new product type was a waste of time. Instead, the chain became her first retail customer.

One big caveat: Don't tell everyone about your idea early on because you don't want to get talked out of it before you have a chance to see if there's something there, as she told David Kidder, author of "The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs."

After a year of this, I sat my friends and family down and said, "It's footless pantyhose." They looked horrified. "That's what you've been work­ing on?!" It wasn't malicious; there was a lot of love and concern: "Sweetie, if it's such a good idea, why doesn't it already exist? And even if it is a good idea, those big guys are going to blow you out of the water in the first couple of months." If I'd heard those things on the day I first cut the feet out of my pantyhose, I think I'd probably still be selling fax machines today.

Make today's failure part of tomorrow's success.

When the market crashed in 2008 and eventually lost half its value, a lot of people were badly hurt. Many took what seemed to be the logical course and sold. And that did make sense, if your time frame was a few months or a year. Today, the markets are at all-time record levels. As experts in investing will tell you, panic can lead you to sell low and buy high, a great way to transfer your wealth to other people. You need to look at a more realistic interval--and realize that there will be times things won't go your way. Now, the really smart investor would have bought more stock when the prices were so low, and could have made a killing.

John Catsimatidis is a billionaire who owns supermarkets, gas stations, and real estate. Hegreatly admires Donald Trump. "No matter how bad a day he's having, he keeps his head up high and he goes back and fights some more," Catsimatidis said. "He doesn't go and put his head in the ground and cry."

Eventually conditions will change. You want to be ready to take advantage of them when they do. That means lay the groundwork when things look like they flopped. If you're lucky, your competitors will have prematurely given up the ghost, leaving you more room to expand.

via inc