SEO and Content blog
News and opinions about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), copywriting, content management and everything in between - like SEO content services.
The future of Facebook search
18 September 2009
Facebook's top search guru talks about how the social site's search might change, monetization and those Bing ads.
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Plan early when leveraging social media
23 June 2009
As in 'real world' communication, users of web sites need to be protected from - or at least be able blow the whistle on - other users that 'cross the line'.
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Is advertising and marketing really a sign of weakness?
9 June 2009
Speaking at a recent investor relations conference, Amazon's Jeff Bezos announced that 'advertising is the price you pay for having an unremarkable product or service.'
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Wolfram Alpha and SEO
26 May 2009
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ASOS Life online community to boost retail brand
24 March 2009
One of the UK's most successful online fashion retailers is building on its online community to create a standalone brand.
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Google Search Wiki - a solution in need of a problem?
18 December 2008
Google's Search Wiki lets iGoogle users customise their search results. It's innovative, but will anyone use it?
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Do you know how search engines work?
17 December 2008
Around one in four believe that the order of search engine results pages can't be influenced by the websites listed. Thankfully, that's not quite true.
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Search ads can help you 'speed up in a slowdown'
20 November 2008
Can PPC and other search ad models really help businesses become more 'recession resistant'?
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Will trend data see Google come in from the cold?
14 November 2008
Google data can be used to avert major flu epidemics. But given that it can reveal a nation's needs, wants, fears and aspirations, all in real-time, is the search giant about to receive some negative PR?
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Mobile SEO
10 November 2008
When it comes to making sure a mobile site is visible to mobile versions of leading search engines, development strategies can sometimes get a little unstuck. Find out how to improve a mobile site's visibility.
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Keep your site relevant
12 August 2008
Why spend time and money developing targeted branded content your users value, only to let it go out of date?
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Sufficient lead-in time
12 August 2008
As with rushed code, rushed content will not work. Avoid leaving content until the last minute, even for migration work.
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Content outline specification
12 August 2008
Like a functional specification document, a content outline specification provides a detailed walkthrough of the site’s copy section by section (and page by page if necessary).
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Sitemap and wireframes
12 August 2008
A sitemap is required reading for technical teams when estimating resourcing requirements and / or developing a functional specification document. The same should apply to the content production team.
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Develop a content strategy or content brief
12 August 2008
A good content brief should provide guidance on tone, language, audience and timings, but why not apply some rigorous journalistic questioning to your content approach?
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Treat content as crucial code
12 August 2008
The age old mantra ‘content is king’ still seems to apply when attracting web audiences. So why is content still an afterthought in many web development projects?
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Marketing green credentials isn't easy
9 June 2008
Green may be the new black, but how can organisations ensure their sustainability messages avoid a 'cliche meltdown'?
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Pick of the best: Green websites
9 June 2008
Every now and again, the content team sees a website which we feel we just HAVE to share with the rest of the world. Only this time, we've gone a bit crazy.
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Turn the tide on plastic bags
9 June 2008
When the Daily Mail puts an environmental campaign on its front page, you know the tide is turning.
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Get staff on board for carbon reduction - or else!
9 June 2008
Despite well meant intentions, carbon reduction programmes can sometimes be seen as as a waste of money or worse, intrusive. Get it right first time.
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Don't fall foul of new UK blogging laws
3 June 2008
New word-of-mouth-marketing laws for the UK (as of May 26 2008) are targeting 'sharp practice and aggressive selling tactics' to promote products on message boards, forums or blog postings.
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Is branded content sustainable?
21 May 2008
More can be done by brands to empower consumers in researching products or checking up on a company’s ethical practices.
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Make 'thank you' pages work harder
10 March 2008
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that editorial on your confirmation pages is somehow dormant – every page on your website provides you with an opportunity to cross-sell.
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SmartPlanet.com to prevent CSR 'green-washing'
7 March 2008
Digital publisher CNET Networks UK has launched an ethical and sustainable products comparison site with Friends of the Earth and Energy Savings Trust.
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Cimex Content joins Facebook
7 March 2008
Cimex Content has joined the social networking site with a bigger population than the UK.
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VideoJug on MySpace
7 March 2008
Revenue share is a deciding factor for budding film markers looking to post their work on a video site.
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Barack Obama on 'just words'
5 March 2008
Organisations often ignore the value of auditing a website’s editorial content. It’s ‘just words’ after all. Just don’t tell Barack Obama.
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Business faces up to social networks
5 October 2007
Some of the world’s biggest internet companies are bidding for stakes in social networking site Facebook, says Computing magazine. Find out why.
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How to get ahead in marketing: Time for a story
1 October 2007
As media fragmentation drives consumers online, brands require a new breed of marketing leader, say Jonathan Turner and Lindsay Leslie-Miller in Marketing magazine.
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Corporate blogs explained
27 July 2007
Blogs can help create a dialogue between an organisation and its customers. But what risks are involved?
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The young and the restless
27 July 2007
Avoid trying to 'hang with the homies' when targeting teen audiences. It's like watching your Dad dance at a wedding.
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10 reasons brands should think like publishers
12 July 2007
'You must talk to your audience where they are, not where you want them to be,' Jeremy Allaire, co-founder of web development tool Cold Fusion.
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New social media types unveiled
10 July 2007
'UK users are mainly networkers who prefer to visit social media sites and make occasional comments. French users are most likely to read blogs and reviews, while the Dutch are by far the most active users, publishing the most blogs and web pages,' Brand Republic
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How to calculate ROI on multilingual websites
10 July 2007
Customers are four times more likely to buy if they are approached in their own language, according to research.
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Write articles, not blog postings
10 July 2007
'For most sites, the content is not the point. Instead, you want to answer customers' questions as rapidly as possible so that they'll advance in the sales cycle and start buying...Elite, expertise-driven sites are the exception to the rule,' Jakob Nielsen.
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Never underestimate older users
1 February 2007
With little or no debt, the over 50s are set to drive the UK economy over the next 30 years.