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Web 2.0 & Search Engines

SES Toronto — Toronto, Canada

June 18th, 2008

Seminar by Chris Smith

An overused and amorphous term, “Web 2.0″ nonetheless encompasses an evolutionary shift from the typical web user experience of a decade ago. Some aspects of the “new” web environment are great for improving your search traffic. Other developments may lead you to make serious SEO errors. Among other things, Web 2.0 is about new user interface designs that speed up user actions with techniques such as AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), which allow users to perform operations nimbly without loading a new HTML page. This session will cover AJAX, CSS, user-generated content, and other new trends in web design and user experiences that may require a re-think of your SEO strategy.

Speaker:
Chris “Silver” Smith, Lead Strategist, Netconcepts

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When SEO Isn’t Really SEO

March 31st, 2008

by Jeff Muendel

Originally published in Practical eCommerce

Do you know what the difference is between SEO and online marketing? Confused about the terminology? In this article featured on Practical eCommerce, Jeff Muendel discusses how SEO is a specialty within the online marketing field.

By definition, SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website with the goal of having major search engines (primarily Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live Search) return pages from that website in highly-ranked search engine results. SEO is almost always employed as a form of marketing, but it is a very specific form of marketing that takes place within the search engines.

Lately, some industry blogs have suggested that SEO has grown beyond its primary parameters, suggesting that successful SEO includes expanding into other realms of marketing. I don’t think that makes any sense. By definition, SEO - search engine optimization - does not include any form of marketing that goes outside of search engines. The use of the term SEO in such a way is disingenuous and confuses many webmasters and owners of ecommerce sites.

For more about this controversial topic, visit the full article on Practical eCommerce here.

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Integrated Email Marketing and Online Communications

BrightStar Training — Wellington, NZ and Auckland, NZ

March 10th and 11th (Wellington) and March 17th and 18th (Auckland)

Workshop by Jacqui Jones

Is your email marketing right on target?
Do you want to improve open rates and conversion rates?
Do your customers view your email communications as spam?
Do you know how to use RSS and blogging to complement your email marketing and online communication efforts?

The value of email marketing in New Zealand has been growing steadily over the years. Not surprisingly email marketing and online communications are the most popular media of choice now, particularly email marketing.

Email is a powerful marketing tool and it integrates well with traditional media. It spurs immediate action, thus generating direct sales, registrations, growth of database and more. It is also more cost effective than paper-based direct mail and achieves greater ROI. However, it is wrought with challenges. And with the passing of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act, it’s important for organisations to ensure compliance whilst developing their marketing plans.

Integrated Email Marketing and Online Communications takes a practical approach to ensure continued acquisition, growth and retention of customers through targeted, robust, tried and tested strategies to help lift your email marketing strategies. To help you gain the upper hand over your competition, the course also covers some popular online communications tools that you could implement to supplement your email marketing strategy.

DAY ONE
Digital Communications — Email Marketing, Online and Offline Media
Customers today have more choice available than ever before of how they are communicated with. Customers ultimately want to control the frequency, the content and how they receive their communications. This session covers how email fits within the full marketing mix and how it integrates with other online and offline media.

  • What are digital communications?
  • How do digital communications fit within the full marketing mix?
  • Marketing through email, RSS, blogging, txt, websites
  • Platforms – desktop computers, mobile devices
  • Integration with other online media
  • Integration with offline direct marketing

Developing an Email Strategy
Many companies spend a lot of time, effort and budget acquiring email addresses, but neglect to develop an effective communication strategy once they have them. You’ll learn to develop strategic communication plans to maximise the potential for robust marketing strategies through this session.

  • Developing the digital communication strategic plan
  • Objectives, strategies and tactical elements
  • Understanding the email marketing and digital communications
    process
  • How to integrate email marketing into other online and offline media

The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act: Your Legal Obligations
Understand and ensure that your organisation meets the requirements of the Electronic Messages Act 2007.

  • Definition of spam
  • Definition of permission levels
  • Permission vs. memorable permission
  • Industry guidelines and best practices
  • How will the Act affect your marketing plans?
  • What are the penalties and costs associated with breaches?
  • How tight is the current legislation – what are the ways around it?
  • How to ensure compliance
  • International spam laws – do they apply to companies in NZ?

Data Management: Building and Maintaining a List
Data is at the heart of any form of direct marketing including “email”. It pays to identify the data that you need to collect in order to personalise communications and provide effective reporting.

  • Structuring your database – what type of data do you need?
  • What are the reporting data requirements?
  • “Quantity” vs. “Quality” – retaining the active subscriber
  • Cleaning and maintaining data – changes, adds, deletes, fixing misspellings
  • What is “provable permission” – recording and time stamping of permission received
  • “Offline permission” – how to record permission granted through the call centre, trade shows, network meeting and face-to-face sales activity
  • Managing permission across an organisation

In-House or Outsource – Assessing Email Service Providers
Finding the right email service provider is a critical choice for any company. You will explore and learn ways to find the right vendor and technology to manage your campaigns now and into the future through this session.

  • How to assess your needs
  • Questions you should be asking
  • Assessing email service providers in NZ and overseas
  • Liaising with your email service provider

DAY TWO
Winning Creative Strategies & Execution for Email
Create email messages that stand out, get read and get the response you plan for.

  • “Memorable permission” – planning content your subscribers actually want to read
  • Exploring the 19 creative elements (the from line – email brand value, the subject line, the preview pane, position of logo, ratio of text to images, design layout, number and type of links, navigation bar, inclusion of photography, feature offers, location of call-to-action, the words you use and personalisation etc.)
  • Email mandatories
  • What are the technical specifications?
  • Designing effective landing pages and forms
  • Use of rich media – video and audio
  • Eyetracking and multivariate testing

Increasing Conversion Rates
This session covers how to use data to improve conversions such as open rates, click rates, inquiries and sales.

  • Reporting data
  • Behavioural targeting
  • Event triggered campaigns

Deliverability, Filters and Rendering
Learn techniques to avoid the dreaded “spam” folder and “report spam” button.

  • Data collection and tracking
  • Filters and list management
  • Deliverability reporting codes – messages sent back from ISPs
  • About false positives
  • Whitelisting – how to get your message delivered every single time
  • Image suppression – what’s getting delivered?
  • Authentication and reputation
  • Rendering your message in email readers

RSS – Spam Free Communications
Is RSS the holy grail of online communications? Lean how to send communications that are completely spam free.

  • What is RSS and why use it?
  • What are some of the popular RSS readers available?
  • iRSS – individualized RSS, sending personalised communications just like email
  • Content distribution and syndication

Blogging – Participating in the Ongoing Conversation

  • The New Zealand and international blogospheres
  • Starting a blog - how to choose a theme
  • Posting content – what, how, when
  • Dealing with comments
  • Making friends – increase your presence in the blogosphere
  • Integrating your blog with email and RSS
  • Use of video (vlogging) and audio (podcasting)
  • Reporting on performance

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Audio Interview with Expedia.com SEO manager Chris Alan

January 16th, 2008

by Stephan Spencer

In this interview, Stephan Spencer, Founder and President of Netconcepts, sits down with Chris Alan, SEO manager for Expedia.com. Chris is a SEO veteran who currently manages all aspects of Expedia’s natural search channel, including keyword campaigns, landing pages, and more. We talk about common pitfalls that companies fall into when managing large, keyword campaigns as well as a number of other useful tips for big and small websites.

If you prefer to read this interview, check out the abridged transcript.

This podcast is now available for you to listen to.

 
icon for podpress  Chris Alan Interview [32:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Interview with Matt Cutts, Head of Google’s Anti-Spam Team

December 17th, 2007

by Stephan Spencer

In early December, I spoke at the PubCon conference where I had the chance to sit down with Matt Cutts, head of Google’s anti-spam team.

Matt was kind enough to agree to an interview, where he shared invaluable tips about Flash, syndicating content, the change to their supplemental results, and a lot more. His insight and advice is really helpful; he provides clarity on topics that can be really confusing.

If you prefer a written transcript, you can read the interview transcript with Matt Cutts on my blog. I invite you to listen to the podcast interview, which is available now.

 
icon for podpress  Interview with Google's Matt Cutts [31:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Alternative Discovery and SEO - Feeds, PDFs, and Blog SEO

PubCon 2007 — Las Vegas, NV

December 5th, 2007

Panelist: Stephan Spencer

Learn the best tips, tools, and techniques for non-traditional optimization for both indexing as well as ranking support. This includes files such as PDFs, docs, podcasts and RSS feeds.

Panelists:
Rick Klau, Strategic Partner Development Content Acquisition, Google
Stephan Spencer, Founder & President, Netconcepts
George Aspland, Founder & President, eVision

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Interactive Marketing: Reaching Customers

UW Wisconsin Madison, Executive Education, Interactive Marketing — Madison, WI

November 13th, 2007

Workshop by Stephan Spencer

Search engine marketing

  • Making your site “search engine friendly”
  • “Pay-per-click” search advertising
  • Benchmarking, competitive intelligence and ROI analysis
  • Trends in contextual, behavioral and local advertising

Creating a buzz — viral marketing

  • Blogs, RSS feeds, forums, wikis and more
  • Harness “word of mouse” to enhance your brand
  • Identifying the “sneezers” who will spread your viral message

Web analytics

Speakers:
Stephan Spencer, Founder and President, Netconcepts

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Interview with IBM’s Mike Moran

September 26th, 2007

by Stephan Spencer

In this interview, Stephan Spencer, Founder and President of Netconcepts, sits down with Mike Moran, Distinguished Engineer for IBM Corp. Mike is an author and search marketing pioneer, who brought SEO to IBM and was able to use techniques to implement best practices on a massive scale. From establishing ROI to savvy uses of corporate resources, we talk about how powerful SEO can be for huge corporations, and how search marketers can navigate their way through corporate channels to effectively test new marketing strategies, attract customers, and incorporate SEO into their daily lives.

If you prefer to read this interview, check out the transcript.

This podcast is now available for you to listen to.

 
icon for podpress  Interview with Mike Moran [47:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Google Trends: Yellow Pages Will be Toast in Four Years

September 24th, 2007

by Chris Smith

Originally published in Search Engine Land

“Local marketing industry savants have long been predicting the demise of print Yellow Pages books, going the way of the buggy whip due to overwhelming competition from Internet alternatives,” writes Chris Silver Smith, Lead Strategist for GravityStream at Netconcepts. In this article, Chris writes about what kind of an impact of local “internet” space has on both printed and online Yellow Pages directories.

Continue reading »

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Comparing Mobile Ads in Google & Yahoo

September 21st, 2007

by Chris Smith

Originally published in Search Engine Land

Google recently opted-in many of their clients’ PPC ads to appear in Google Mobile search results. Yahoo has been offering a small suite of mobile ads for a while now, too, so I thought it’d be interesting to compare their current mobile ad offerings.

Continue reading »

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