New Google Link Algorithm: How to Know If You’ve Been Hit?
John Joe MorganGoogle announced a major algorithmic update that primarily focuses on links recently. The new Google link algorithm, just like the previous updates, is very important to webmasters and search marketers because it can help explain the latest changes in rankings and organic website traffic.
Knowing and understanding the new Google link algorithm allows you to identify the adjustments you need to apply to your search engine optimization practices to be able to stay away from penalty and keep up with the competition.
Basically, the Unnatural Link update of March 2012 is the biggest update so far compared to the previous huge updates such as Vince in 2009, Florida in 2003 and Panda in 2011. The previous updates focused more on certain types of websites, the Unnatural Link update on the other hand is all about penalizing websites purely based on the link strategy.
As expected, it has caused huge problems for the sites that are affected. Over 700, 000 websites have received a message from Google or popularly known as the Unnatural Link Notice.
Branded3.Com, a Digital and SEO Agency in the UK, analyzed over 50 reputable websites who have been hit by Google’s latest update. In the course of their study, they have observed the following:
- Once you receive the Unnatural Link Notice in your Webmaster Tools account, a penalty will arrive within weeks
- Branded3.Com noticed some instances where violators received the penalty exactly 21 days after they get the link notice
- In most cases, the penalty is phrased based. This means that sites lose rankings for all keywords related to the ones used in the anchor text of the links Google considers as being “unnatural”
- The Unnatural Link penalty is observed too sharp to be purely link devaluation. Most of the cases show that the landing pages being hit fall lower than they would rank with no links at all.
- Penalty for the worst offenders can be sitewide
Today, Google is asking people to clean up unnatural links. One of the best ways is to contact the person who placed the links to get them removed. If not possible, you can manually email the sites and request for links removal. Removing bad links is a tough job that everybody must follow to be able to maintain and improve site rankings.
The Northern Office – Innovative Marketing helps you by staying up to date to Google updates. This gives you clues on how to improve your rankings and maintain high online visibility. If you need help or advice on search engine marketing issues, please get in touch with us. TNO is an independent marketing consultancy firm based in the Philippines with clients based in Europe, America and Asia. Call us at (045) 499-1082 today or visit our website www.thenorthernoffice.com.
source: www.branded3.com
When was the last time you actually asked your customers what they really wanted? If you’re running a business, knowing what your customers want is very important. Conducting surveys with your target audience is often overlooked, but it is clear that surveys are something every business should be doing because having a vague picture of your audience can definitely break your business and your brand.
Basically, online surveys let you find out the interests of your prospects, what your customers really want, and acquire unique market insights that you need to run your business smarter and eventually ensure success.
#1 Establish Business Focus
Surveys allow you to get a better understanding of what your audience needs and wants. This will let you focus more of your efforts on improving your products or services that your audience prefers the most. Knowing your audience through feedback and comments towards your offerings can not only save you time and resources but also give you some clues on the direction you want to take and feel more confident about the services you offer.
#2 Create Stronger Customer Relationships
Letting your customers know that their opinions matter to you makes them feel empowered and important. This gives them a sense of your business philosophy and dedication to providing excellent products and services. This process makes them more interested and eager to work with you. This is how “loyal following” begins.
#3 Real-Time Data Results
Compared to traditional surveys, online surveys allow you to achieve real-time results. This instant data gathering gives marketers the information they need, when they need it. Old data can become irrelevant in today’s fast paced world where people’s needs and wants evolve quickly. Timely information on the other hand is KEY to a relevant and successful marketing campaign.
#4 Automated reporting
Gone are the days of waiting hours to summarize critical survey feedback. Another major benefit of online survey is automated reporting. Same as with real-time data, this helps with real-time statistics accompanied by detailed reporting that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Marketers that are on-the-go can greatly benefit from this because this leads to improved work efficiency.
#5 Accurate and reliable data
The risk for human error is minimized by online surveys. Automatically generated feedback reports ensure more reliable results and more specific information for use in marketing campaigns. No need for manual insertions. With online surveys, you can achieve more accurate and dependable data that helps you work on your business core and do away with the clutter.
The Northern Office – Innovative Marketing is an independent marketing consultancy firm that helps businesses generates more profit by leveraging their marketing efforts to a whole new level. TNO utilizes online surveys to get a clear picture of your target audience and their needs. We can create effective online surveys to help create better or improve existing marketing campaigns. Call us today at 045 499 1082 for a free consultation. Visit www.thenorthernoffice.com for more information.
Capturing an audience is to stand out from all the clutter in the World Wide Web. Effective content marketing is a major key in capturing people’s attention. It helps you earn a distinctive brand, a loyal fan base and increase in sales.
Good content marketing is the single best way to beat bigger competitors online that do not require a big budget to succeed. Content Marketing used to be about customer magazines and mailed newsletters. Now it spans to blog, email newsletters, eBooks, white papers, articles, videos and more. Below are a few content marketing techniques that you can apply to your business to get the online visibility you need.
Prepare
The first three important steps towards creating killer content are as follows:
Tone and Style. Prior to writing your web content, your brand needs to have a defined voice to prevent inconsistencies in the future.
Picking Content Creators. Choose the right person to create you content so you have to pick diligently.
Workflow. Having a well-staffed company to take part in researching, writing and publishing is better than the ‘one person does everything’ workflow. Allowing a number of heads to take part in the process helps you catch mistakes and bring more ideas for a better output.
Persuade
Create persuasive content. Take precaution on how you speak and what you say.
Use Simple Language. Studies show that most people respond best to advertisements that contain no scientific language. Keep your words plain and simple.
Have Opinions. Brand that have opinions are seen to be interesting. Be bold and popular but remember not be hostile towards your competitors. Refrain from mentioning names.
Sell the Benefits. Informing your audience about the benefits of your products or services helps your audience makes purchase decisions. Focus content on the benefits rather than promoting the product directly. Using ‘benefit-focused’ copy quickly tells the reader what’s in it for them.
Teach
It is important to remember that people want to hear answers and discover something new. In simpler words, think and give what your audience wants.
Give Answers. Remember that most people surf the web to look for answers. Content marketing has to offer practical advice that people can benefit from.
Say or Do Something New. Stay away from the boring and unoriginal content. Do something new or present existing topic in a new way. Don’t settle for block of texts. Use images, create infographics or shoot a video.
Captivate
Draw your audience by giving your content more personality. Captivate by telling stories and characters to draw them in and leave them wanting more.
Tell a story. Base on a number of studies conducted at Swinburne University of Technology, telling stories can be useful in corporate communication. It is a great way to connect with your readers.
Use Real People. To be able to bring people close to your brands, use real people. Let your audience see your employees by using pictures, audio and video. People choose to get involved with a company with which they feel a personal connection.
The Northern Office – Innovative Marketing makes use of engaging copies and informative content to attract its target audience. TNO is an independent marketing consultancy firm based in the Philippines with clients based in Europe, America and Asia. We develop killer web marketing content with the client’s goals and target audience in mind. For more information, go to www.thenorthernoffice.com.
Article from Official Google Blog :Two months ago, we announced our plans to roll out a new design for the Google bar. Our goal was to create a beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.
Based on your feedback, we realized there were some elements of the new bar that we could improve, and with that in mind, we’re introducing an updated version that we believe will provide a better experience.
The new design retains many of the feature changes we made in November that proved popular, including a unified search box and Google+ sharing and notifications across Google. The biggest change is that we’ve replaced the drop-down Google menu with a consistent and expanded set of links running across the top of the page.
We'll be rolling out this new version of the Google bar over the next few weeks. In the meantime, we invite you to read about the new design in our Help Center, and send us your feedback.
Content Management System: 3 Reasons Why You Need Joomla Today
John Joe MorganBig or small, veteran or startup, any business would probably agree that when it comes to maintaining a business website, a good Content Management System or CMS like Joomla is very important.
Joomla is basically a “framework” for building websites. It is an open source CMS (which means multiple users can log in and manipulate the system) that helps you organize and manage your content easily.
There are other CMS available on the internet. Some are free, some can be very expensive. Question is, why choose Joomla? And why use it now?
#1 Organized and convenient
A static web page becomes unruly once the content starts to add up. Updating and adding content are also often difficult to apply. Digging up content has become a headache since typical static sites doesn’t have a search function. Navigation is also a big problem for whenever you need to add another navigation button to include a new category to your website, you have to rebuild the whole navigation system to be able to add a new section. In such circumstances, Joomla makes more sense to use.
A Joomla website is recommended for a growing business’s infrastructure. Unlimited content can be added continuously with its user-friendly interface and formatting features. Finding specific pages is made easy as Joomla’s hierarchal structure keeps content organized and easy to search.
#2 Unlimited possibilities
No matter what business you are in, Joomla makes it simple to customize your website according to your requirements. For example, business owners can set up an online store using Joomla in a breeze as it only needs to install VirtueMart --- a plugin created for online merchants. From there, setting up a professional online shop with full order management capability is not a problem.
You can pretty much create any type of corporate site using Joomla. International companies like Yamaha, Vodafone, Times Square, Porsche, Olympus, Linux Foundation and Burger King use it. Different businesses build their websites on Joomla. This proves that the system is highly flexible and customizable.
For small businesses, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin nowadays are much needed. Joomla easily integrates with preferred social media platforms to able to expand customer reach.
#3 Online presence at no cost
Joomla is freely available to anyone who has internet access. With Joomla, gaining online presence is free yet effective! Take advantage of this convenience and increase productivity. But remember that although Joomla allows non-technical authors or publishers to quickly publish content on the website, navigating the interface can be quite difficult especially when articles start to pile up.
It is advisable to seek professional help to manage the different components and maximize its use. The average web user may find it hard managing complex and complicated Joomla features. For enhanced website functionality, you need to hire a professional to implement or monitor security, content backups, additional components, extensions and other necessary plug-ins.
The Northern Office – Innovative Marketing is an independent internet marketing consultancy firm in the Philippines with a wide clientele based worldwide. We specialize in web development and customer support for ecommerce businesses. Our dynamic web development team can help you build a profitable website using effective marketing strategies that will fit your budget. For more information, visit www.thenorthernoffice.com or call (045) 499.1082.
Thanks to Ian at Portent (http://www.conversationmarketing.com) for this great post:
A very short play. The setting: A dinner party about 1 year ago. The cast: Them: An advertising exec from a traditional agency. 15+ years’ experience.
Me: You know. Curtain
Them: “So, Ian, what do you do?”
Me: “I run an internet marketing agency.”
Them: “Oh. What’s that?”
Me: “We help companies get more leads, sales, whatever through marketing on the internet.”
Them: “What’s marketing on the internet? Buying banner ads? We tried that a few years back. We made a sweet percentage on it.”
Me: “We focus more on the stuff that drives conversions or builds audience in a measurable way: Search engines, social media, site optimization, that kind of thing.”
Them: “So, you build websites! Hey, my friend is starting a new business and needs some help with their site. They don’t have much money, but I’m sure they could send more business your way. Can I have them give you a call?”
Me: “Um, we don’t really build many sites.
We help folks improve existing sites, by making them more visible in search results, growing their audience and fixing issues that might prevent visitors from becoming customers.” Them: “…”
Me: “I help people show up higher on Google.” Them: “Ohhhhhhhh. They were talking about that on Dexter last week.” Me: (head explodes)
On page optimization is a crucial aspect of SEO, yet usually overlooked. A well-optimized page can bring a significant increase in traffic. Search engines rank websites mainly dependent on two factors: search terms relevance and web authority. On page optimization helps you empower these two critical factors. Aaron Wall, founder of SEO Book states, on-page optimization is primarily concerned with:
- Choosing the best keywords available to base your pages.
- Convincing search engines that your page is related to your chosen keywords.
Traditional on page optimization techniques don’t work anymore (e.g. stuffing keywords anywhere possible) and it is time to consider new strategies that are applicable today or suffer the consequences.
1. Unique and accurate page titles Webmasters often ignore the value of page title. This is something you shouldn’t take for granted for it is the most important aspect of on-page SEO. Every page must have unique and accurate page titles as Google lists identical titles as “duplicates”. Google will then index the duplicates as “supplemental results.”
2. “Description” meta tag Second to page titles, this SEO component also helps get traffic onto your site after you are appearing in the results. Google, for example, uses description Meta tag as a snipped for your page in the search results. Descriptions must summarize the content of the page accurately. Same as with writing titles, make sure that descriptions must speak of the content, but most of all make sure they sell the page to the viewer.
3. Search Friendly URLs For better crawling, search-friendly URLs are recommended. URLs must appear friendlier so that users who want to link to it won’t have hard time memorizing the link. As much as possible, use words instead of numbers. URL's with session IDs and overly long URLs are not desirable.
The Northern Office helps you get ahead of the competition by utilizing up-to-date online marketing techniques that will help you get on Google’s first page in a timely fashion. TNO focuses on online marketing support which involves website hosting target particularly for corporate websites and e-commerce websites. For further details and inquiries, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Low conversion rates means you’re not closing on your leads. That’s bad for business. Maybe, the reason why your visitors refuse to buy your products is because they don’t trust you yet.
Proving your website as a trustworthy source is critical for any online business. Without trust, it’s hard to convert potential customers to positive leads. Visitors will just leave your site and not make a purchase if they feel like your products and your site is unreliable. Not to worry, there are proven ways to resolve these trust issues. Though, others may require a little more work, below are effective ways to help you build trust with your visitors.
1. Make your website attractive and engaging. Your website should display professionalism and detailed. If it looks like your website is rushed, then will view your site as amateurish and careless.
2. Create flawless navigation. Navigation should be simple. Avoid too many links or your visitors might get overwhelmed. Use drop down lists, scroll bars and so on. Choose whatever is appropriate for your website. Don’t make it any harder for your visitors to see your products.
3. Add a bit of personality. Web visitors feel more comfortable with sites that have a human element to them. Add your own pictures, writing styles to add a personal touch. 4. Add new content regularly. Don’t make your readers find sources elsewhere. Update your website regularly with relevant, timely and informative content.
5. Build a community. Building your own community of loyal readers is the heart and core of your website. Your community helps you build trust and authority in your niche.
6. Add an About Us Page. Let your visitors know that you are a real human with real goals and philosophies. This will make them trust you more. Your About Us page does not need to be very detailed. You can tell a short a story of how you started and what you have achieved so far.
7. Create a Contact Us Page. Not only it is easy to create, a contact page allows you to receive feedback and promotional ideas.
8. Be honest. Lying is probably the worst thing you can do to your site. It’s an instant kill. Readers are smart enough to research your claims or ask people about you.
9. Include Creditable Certificates. This is critical for e-commerce websites. If you own one, adding BBB or McAfee hacker Safe will help your buyers feel more secure in purchasing.
10. Connect using social networking profiles. Let your visitors know more about you. Add social media buttons on your website and let users interact with you. This is also helpful in gaining more readers and retaining regular readers.
11. Comment on readers’ comments. Readers like to feel appreciated. Do this by commenting on their comments. Start fun and meaningful conversations to keep them engaged and wanting for more.
12. Include testimonials, case studies or reviews. Readers won’t trust you at first glance. Back your claims with customer testimonials or reviews to help potential customers decide to purchase your products or services. Is your website trustworthy enough? This comparison chart/checklist below will help you evaluate you trust scale. 
Source: SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog (www.seomoz.org)
The Northern Office Innovative Marketing is an independent sales and marketing consultancy firm in the Philippines with clients based worldwide. TNO’s dynamic web development team can help improve your website trust by implementing appropriate and effective strategies. Services include sales support, online marketing, content design, social media management, content development, back office support, e-mail campaigns, and marketing consultancy. For inquiries, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Google Chrome to Take the Lead Against Mozilla by December
John Joe MorganMore...
Microsoft Webmaster Tools to support Yahoo! Site Explorer Community
John Joe MorganAs part of the Yahoo-Microsoft Search Alliance, Yahoo! has been transitioning the backend for their organic search to the Microsoft search platform. Search results for Yahoo! are already aligned with Microsoft for the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico, while expansion to the rest of the world is expected before too much longer. Apparently API access will shut down on September 15, 2011, so it's unlikely to be much longer before Site Explorer officially disappears. According to Yahoo! Site Explorer will shut down once the transition of organic results in all markets to the Microsoft Search platform is completed, which is expected later this year. source
Unseen Google Penalties Because of Your Website Hosting
John Joe MorganGoogle rates websites just like how people judge others based on their neighborhood. In terms of your website’s neighborhood, If your home (website) is close and associated with other beautiful well known homes, then Google will see you as one of them. On the other hand, if you’re home’s neighbors are unkempt, dodgy slums area of the web, that does not bode well for your home as Google will also see you as part of the slums. Google classifies a bad or good website not only on its content but also with the web hosting (neighborhood). If the web host has bad reputation and hosts other suspicious websites, Google will penalize all of the sites in that host and cause a drop in search engine rankings. If using a shared hosting provider, other bad websites in that web host will also drag your site down and be a reason for a penalty. Google penalties are adjustment of page rank positions for a site. A Google ban is imposed upon sites that are cloaking by adjusting the content offered to the browser based on its IP address and provide information specifically for the IP’s location from the world like weather news, etc. Before pointing at your hosting provider for the fault, you should check first the criteria of Google about determining a good website from a bad one. Take into consideration as to whether changes have occurred in rating websites, the technical guidelines and quality measurements. Finally, always evaluate a web hosting provider whether or not it has a good standing before signing up with them. Having a better host spells a difference in building your online presence for it to be appealing in the search engine ranking world. The Northern Office specializes with online marketing support which includes website hosting target specifically for corporate websites and e-commerce websites. This guarantees our clients that their neighbors are other reputable websites and organizations. For more information on The Northern Office and our website hosting services, please visit our website or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you know that your specialty is writing blogs, then you can also be great on writing press releases. Blogs and press releases share the same characteristics: strong headlines, top-down format, etc. Press releases are one of the best ways to promote a blog. They are also one of the effective ways to publish your message without duplicating any content. Here are some tips to re-write your blog post and turn them into press releases. The easiest way to start is to:
1. Take a blog post from any news. Unlike blog posts, a press release always announces something. It is not commentary, a how-to guide or numbered list. Blog post topics can be perfectly worked for press release.
- Launch of a new company
- Clients successful stories
- Innovation of products, new services or future events
- Careers
- Achievements
- Milestones
You can also promote your own ideas such as predictions and opinions from current news.
2. Convert it to the third person’s voice It is important to convert the headline and the body of blog into a third person for press release. It is relevant not to use “I”, “we”, or “you” instead use the company name, clients, or customers.
3. Revise the headline Keywords must be in the first few words of the headline of the blog and press release. Press releases have a subhead which highlight the headline’s point-of-difference or provides factual backup for the headline. Way to format the headline and subhead:
- Press release headline must be in all CAPS
- Subhead in Title Case, Except the Little, Non-Important Words
4. Rearrange the post to contain these press release elements
- Dateline: Writing a press release on your own, the right format is to use all caps on address and date.
- Lead: Be creative at you first sentence by adding what, where, why and how. Your headline must contain keywords.
- Quote: By adding a quote, even if it’s not necessary, this helps you to illuminate and gives your press release a personality.
- Boilerplate: Website and phone number at the end, also add a short paragraph about the company, in a third person view.
5. Review AP style or the basics
“The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States.” – http://www.wikipedia.org/ You can start by checking the AP (Associated Press) Style AP stylebook. This can check your grammar, punctuation, and answer any questions you need.
6. Check out other writer’s press releases PR Newswire and PR Web are websites that has press release that can be checked out. Some may be useful and some may not be great. Most writers don not follow the “third person” and “AP Style”. These are visible and can be spotted right away because they look like blog posts. Professionalism and expertise can reflect from your image, so you must be very careful on how you format your press release.
The Northern Office is a marketing and sales consultancy firm in the Philippines that caters to small and medium sized enterprises that do not have their own marketing department, but are big enough to need it. The Northern Office makes use of creative, original and effective marketing plans and activities that suit each and every client depending on their industry, offering and requirements.
As part of online marketing and content development efforts, The Northern Office produces regular blog posts and press releases for various clients from different industries. Visit our website for more details. http://www.thenorthernoffice.com
Google Chrome improves on graphics, safe downloads and privacy controls
John Joe Morgan- Implemented support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS which allows web developers to apply 3D effects to website content.
- Chrome now warns users when downloading malicious files. This is on top of their safe browsing features that protect against malware and phishing websites. Google assures Chrome users that Chrome will be doing all these without tracking what sites you visit or what files you are downloading.
- Users can now delete Flash Local Shared Objects (LSO) directly on Google Chrome which increases your control over your online privacy.
- Chrome features preliminary support for screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver which are highly useful for the blind or visually impaired.
- Chrome has removed the Google Gears plug-in, to maximize the use of HTML5.