The Penguin Update from Google Isn’t Black and White

SEO professionals are fairly perturbed about the Penguin Update that Google released about a week ago now. Small businesses need to be able to keep  costs down by using marketing techniques, web page optimization, and Search Engine Optimization to keep expenses down and stay competitive with the big branded players.

SEO vs. Brand Building

Marketing professionals know that it takes plenty of time and money to build a brand. Thus, many companies primarily use SEO to stay competitive in their marketplace, until now! The Penguin Update is a new algorithm developed by Google’s data engineers to weed out web spam and sites that appear to be optimized unnaturally. However, what seems to have happened is that it affected many small businesses who have a low budget and exclusively use SEO techniques to drive traffic to their site.

The Purpose Of The Penguin Update

It seems that the purpose of the Penguin Update was Google’s attempt to make marketing and web searches more fair. The idea was to remove rankings that were considered irrelevant or web spam. However, in the process the Penguin Update also eliminated many small business sites because they primarily use SEO to drive traffic, which appears unnatural to this particular algorithm. Thus, many SEO professionals are up in arms about this new update.

Where Do We Go Next?

One thing we know for sure is that there are many more updates to come. Google releases between three and four updates per year, so we can expect at least a couple more by the end of the year. This being said, we can assume that some of the next update will be to undo some of the complaints that Penguin is getting. Although, with each update comes new challenges. The moral of this story, SEO professionals need to stay on their game and in front of the curve!

Morgan Williams is an internet marketer, blogger, and principal of The Content Company, LLC.  His company specializes in writing and promoting web content to give their clients maximum exposure in search engines and the rest of the web.  Visit his site here:  http://www.thecontentcompany.net

Jim Clifton ( CEO Gallup)

This book is full of interesting facts. Jim Clifton writes in his usual easy going and down to earth style. Don’t let his simple language fool you. Clifton  means business and is drawing a definite line in the sand.

Jobs have disappeared.

( also, see this post on  jobs )

We need to create jobs by finding customers. When the dust of politics, education, technology, and tradition clears, it all comes down to a few simple ideas.

1- Visionary ‘go getters’ absolutely change the world.
2- They are pretty much the only ones who get things done.
3- We are depending on about 10,000 of them in America. That’s it.
4- The economic future of America is in grades K through 12 right now.
5- If the US doesn’t rise to this occasion, China is poised to slam dunk world influence through economic ownership.
6-Jim’s vision for what to do, when to do it, and who should do it, is clear and simple.

Being a self starter makes all the difference in the world, literally.

Being lulled into a state of lethargy has ruined us ( as a country) more than we can measure.

I realize the following statement is being used loosly all over the news, talk shows,and in hallways, but, the great American dream IS over. Having a family, a home, a working wage, and a stable community is no longer the goal. Having a job has, for the first time in our history, replaced the old dream. Just having a job. That translates to 30 hours of work per week earning a decent wage.

Here is the point-

This is so simple. “America re-wins the world by taking the country’s entrepreneurship and innovation up a notch. But that can be accomplished only with the assistance of effective local tribal leaders. Americans have to read the game film right- and as of now, they’re not. Few people recognize the importance of cities, much less the importance of tribal leaders. If your city is failing, it is likely because you have weak leadership and little talent, commitment, and money resources from your tribal leaders. ( click here for my review of Tribal Leadership.) Talented and effective local tribal leaders are essential to cities. Their mentorship is essential to the people who create jobs.”

Individuals are the global economy.

“Gallup has conducted deep advanced analysis on all the data from Gallup’s US and World Polls. We’ve studied all the macroeconomic data on job creation from virtually every corner of the Earth. We’ve analyzed all the material on the trends of world economics and consulted with the foremost thought leaders. Gallup is fairly sure that we have turned over more rocks and studied more data in infinite combinations- that we have watched more global game film than any institution in the world on the subject of job creation. ”

Clifton then explains how to create the needed jobs that could be a real game changer for the US and the rest of the world. Why the US? Because it’s perfectly suited and positioned, right now, but not for long.

This book is special because of Jim Clifton.  As CEO of Gallup he is uniquely qualified to synthesize the vast and varied numbers that guide and unfold the shocking story. But, Jim is too savvy to be led only by numbers. His understanding of the humanity behind the digits distills into an uncommon wisdom.

Two Thumbs up

I recommend that every person in any leadership position read , study, and apply this book. Local school board members to politicians, business owners, workers, clergy, and national leaders , and even Charlotte SEO’s can all find common ground here.

“So you’ve got a nice website but no ranking and few visitors?”

Professor Tweet says…

Don’t feel alone. This is the exact position of thousands of small businesses. The web has happened suddenly and a lot of people have not had the time or resources to make their internet presence work as it could. Would you like to know what to do, how much it costs and who you can trust to make your website work for you?

Who is this guy?

My marketing experience spans three decades in Radio, TV, print, and now the web. From TV ads as a spokesperson to behind the camera and microphone, copywriting, jingle writing, concept creation, voice, directing and producing. Search Engine Optimization? It has been my good fortune to do Charlotte SEO , search engine optimization work that has helped rank multiple websites in Google’s top three organic search positions for competitive keywords.

What are all these internet terms like

• keyword,
• backlinks,
• and bot,

you keep hearing? What does it REALLY cost to get good Google rankings? What about Yahoo and Bing and other search engines? How long does it take to reap the rewards of being a top ranked website?

The questions seem almost endless.

The internet has truly opened a Pandora’s Box of new advertising questions. And none of this is going away. It’s only getting more involved. But, there is a way to navigate.

I usually sit down with a client or talk with them on the phone. We go over their needs, expectations, hopes and desires for marketing in general. When the subject turns to the web, we will look at where their business’ internet presence is today and where they would like it to be (and why).

A lot of business owners have not planned a budget for internet marketing. Truth is, it can be so effective, when implemented, that a budget creates itself from the winnings!

• what is the process?,
• will customers convert?

These questions do have answers and they can be positive.

Does it work?

When done with careful attention, internet marketing can work very well. The web is a major part of marketing and advertising today. It’s your choice to use it to your advantage  or stay confused. Keep this in mind – The largest marketing opportunity in the history of the world is right now, today in local internet marketing. Are you ready?

Contact me today to find out more about

Charlotte Search Engine Optimization

and put the web and marketing to work for you.

The Charlotte based company uses a spectrum of media tools including SEO – search engine optimization, websites, blogging, newsletters, news and media releases, and logo conception.

A memorable logo is a vital part of a strong image.
Notice the well known iconic logos that have been a part of mainstream, sustainable, marketing and one pattern almost always stands out- simplicity.

A logo represents a company or organization’s ‘at a glance’ image. It conveys meaning and has come to symbolize a foundational position.

Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing has played a role in the creation of logos for many companies and organizations over the past few decades.

There are three main areas of consideration when designing or refreshing a logo for your company or organization.

One- Meaning- what does your logo mean? Will it convey your intended meaning to the target audience?

Two- Simplicity- Will your logo stand the test of time? Is it simple enough, yet, recognizable and can it stand alone in various scenarios?

Three- Association– Closely related to ‘ meaning’,the mental association that goes with a logo is an important part of it’s overall effectiveness. What does the shape and size convey? Are there negative implications that need to be understood and changed? Are there unintended cross promotions with an already established logo that need to go?

It is a good idea to try your logo over a test period. Living with it for awhile can help you process the various layers of consideration needed to decide on your final logo. It will likely be around for some time.

Kyle Whitford- Charlotte SEO and marketing professional.

They are not just temporarily transitioning, they are actually gone.

So we need to create new positions as jobs. The best way known to do that is through entreprenurial start ups. (Big businesses don’t create new jobs.)

Of 400,000 new start up businesses in America, about five percent make it to a sustainable place.

Still not enough
We need to double the start ups just to have enough new job creation and that is not happening.

What does it take to turn all this around? Leadership of the entreprenurial kind. Some people are wired to be natural entreprenuers. Kathy Kolbe points out that those with a ‘quick start’ or high risk ability and a penchant for taking action are more natural entreprenuers. She also points out clearly and this is worth emphasis– that people who are not wired that way can do it as well. They just need to be aware of their natural tendencies and cover those less natural bases with creative means.* Kolbe herself has written books and does not naturaly like to write detailed work. I have heard her use the work ‘agony’, when describing writing. But she did it.

It takes people with two drives-

extremely optimistic AND determined to carry through with their ideas. That’s pretty much what is needed in our world right now.

When I say optimistic, I don’t mean temporary- static, sparky rah, rah. I mean vision with follow through.

Leadership, such as government, can support these spirited people but government does not need to BE the leader– A better role is support.

Right now is the opportunity in America. If we don’t do it, China, will. China is doing it anyway, but the window is now open for the US to rally.

There is a big difference between resources and resourcefulness.

The entreprenuereal spirit is resourceful. Some folks seem to naturally just use resources. That just gives out. These new businesses MUST become sustainable if we are to see a difference in jobs.That means we have to have people who are good at resourcefulness starting new businesses and making things happen. Just using and spending current resources does not accomplish that.

Observation- It seems to me that many of the 99 percent Occupy wall Street people are looking only at resources and see them dwindling. That’s likely how these people are wired.
Because of their way of visioning and possible non-ability to build a new sustainable enterprise, they need someone to blame. That is an old psychological pattern- When YOU ARE the problem, project it outwardly and blame someone else. Find a good culprit. If my only perspective was one of ‘spending resources until they are gone’, I’d be worried , too, because I see them going fast. And I guess I would place blame as well.

But that cannot be the the answer. It gets us nowhere. We need to rebuild new jobs from scratch.

The formula-

New businesses driven by people who are both
optimistic and determined.

So there you have it. What Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing is all about. Helping others build business.

See Dave Logan’s TED talks for good ideas on how this plays out.

Charlotte Marketing SEO Search Engine Optimization

“We’ve been producing newsletters for various clients for a couple of years now. These monthly releases are read by thousands of readers.” Whitford said.

“We offer clients a variety of autoresponders and newsletter services such as  the well respected Aweber and Constant Contact.

Our writers are polished professionals and have expertise in research so they can write on multiple topics and in various styles..” Whitford added.

Newsletters are a popular way to reach out to existing buyers and bring in new prospects. The format is  quite versatile. A newsletter can feature articles, greetings, a letter from the owner, coupons, seasonal event schedules, and featured products and services.

Some newsletters are one page reminders while others are multi page ezines.

For information on a newsletter for your company, contact Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing.

The company also offers news and media releases for feature articles in newspapers, as well as expert search engine optimization, web design, radio commercials including award winning jingles and g television ads,plus print ads and custom logos.

Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing maintains associations with worldwide professional firms and specialists providing  top products and services.

Are you annoyed that your phone does not display the internet like your desktop? It’s just not as user friendly, but now there are apps to help ease the problem.

The world wide web is going more and more mobile.

The movement to mobile is so fast and strong that some big name marketers have even abandoned traditional internet marketing in favor of the new world of mobile applications ( apps).

I met with Bill Ganon, a marketing expert about the emerging mobile frenzy that is moving in faster than any other change in computer evolution. It seems the cyber world is going wireless and mobile.

And, no surprise, local is the new …local.

We still like our hometown traffic and weather, sports, news, gossip, and shopping experiences. This puts the best technology to work right where you live.

An app makes your web experience more enjoyable on the phone. It makes the website readable. No longer will you have to squint and enlarge text to reformat it to read.

You can simply choose from a list of stories. Recently at a presentation held at the Charlotte Observer  Bill talked about how the iPhone made the big difference in the way we use mobile devices. It ushered in a new era of communication. We can talk, listen, send receive and watch. Data ( not talk)  is now 50% and climbing when measured on mobile devices.

Advertisers have never been more delighted.

Bill says that app-adapted mobiles such as phones and wireless devices cause more page views, as much as 8 to 10 times more. The pages are user friendly. That means more profits for advertisers who can focus on one person at a time.

When a phone has the right app it transforms into a cash register for retailers. That can be a good thing, saving time and effort for the shopper.

More information about advertising on the internet or off 704-408-9235.

Want a creative twist on search engine optimization, marketing, writing, concept generating? Listen and read this-

About 17 years ago I learned about an inventor, entrepreneur, all-around good guy named Doug Hall.

Doug is involved in marketing and has his own radio show, more on that coming up.

He is responsible for all kinds of marketing ideas for people from many walks of business life. If you’re familiar with Celestial Seasonings Tea (that you see in the grocery store with its own section) a lot of the packaging is the work of Doug Hall and his Eureka Ranch, where creative brainstorming sessions are conducted.

A typical session is described like this- The participants gather to toss around ideas in free form style. They will play games and involve toys to facilitate thinking outside the box. Then, they switch gears and seriously compile the ideas for consideration. This method has resulted in hundreds of marketable concepts for clients of Eureka Ranch.

Brain Brew is Doug’s radio show. It started airing on PRI- Public Radio International, then has recently switched over to the internet radio site. The show is still an excellent source of ideas and friendly banter. I am featuring it here so you can sample it for the special flavor and inspiring moments that occur.

Enjoy and check out more of Doug’s work here.

The Brain Brew radio show over to the right will be a fixture here. You’ll get the same show by clicking the radio boxes either in this post on in the side bar. Thanks to Media Guide Pro for tips on marketing.

• You take a typical archetype or topic and
• contrast it with something out of its typical value range ( for shock, and the mind tends to follow.)

These kinds of headlines engage the brain to force meaning of two contrasting items.

I call these Nun on a Harley Headlines. They grab attention like crazy. Check these out-

Monk Leaves Heavy Metal Rock Band 11/15/09

4 Year Old Takes Mom’s Car for Midnight Spin

10 Year Old Goes to College

UnKnowing Twins Marry Each Other

Actress Turned Nun Revisits Hollywood

Driver Hits Truck, Is Killed Checking Tragic. Sad. But the headline uses that twist.

Turning Wine Into Water ( Did you really do this CNN?)

A Human Billboard ( I think this headline could be better but it worked. This was sent in by a reader. Thanks.)

98 year old kills 100 year old roomate ( wish some of these were not so morbid)

Homeless Brothers in Line to Inherit Billions

Boy 4 Drinks Beer, Wants to Go to Jail

Pastor- OK to Shoplift (a couple of days before Christmas this one from MSN)

Surfer Dude Stuns Physicists with Theory of Everything

Monks Serve Up Booze, Hip Hop ( OK that’s it, I think I’ve made my point. )

Update– Still see these daily– like this ( note the sensitive subject is serious- the headline actually gets attention for good.)

Homeless in the Shadow of The Happiest Place

OK here is another as I update this batch of content once more

Tony Robbins tweeted this as a headline and it’s good- doesn’t get much better than this

48 Year Old Grandmother Breaks World Record with 40 Hour 68 mile Swim in Shark Infested Waters

It’s interesting to watch for these kinds of headlines. They are everywhere.

Here’s the url mentioned in the video

Local Marketing Strategy

Want to sell cars on the internet? Ben Mannino can show you how. He’s got it so worked out that you might not believe how successful his system is. Ebay is possibly the largest  auto dealer on the internet and Ben knows the secrets.

I checked out car buying with a simple search on EbayMotors and quickly went straight to my local dealership as if they were an Ebay partner( they are not.) Plus, there are listings within certain local geographic mile ranges to pursue if you are so inclined.

Strong Brain Trust

My Silent Team.com is an impressive group of hand picked marketing specialists. If you are interested in online money making and want it from the collective horses mouth’s, this membership site is the one. From Ebay.com to Half.com, Amazon and other legitimate funnels of profit potential, these experts not only know the score but stay on the cutting edge to bring you the latest.

To check out the programClick Here!

One of the experts at My Silent List is Jenni Hunt. She has a fascinating concept for selling seasonal -in-demand toys online. Worth looking at -complete with in depth links, charts and comparissons that will enlighten you on just how profitable certain toys can be when the demand is high.

Odds and Ends

Shoestring Budget SEO

SEOBook has a new look and the information is still tops. Vanilla Coke posted a comprehensive rundown of what it takes to start out in online marketing and make it work without falling into the hellish pits of wrong information. This blog post is a major keeper so go bookmark it, Digg it, and send it to your Aunt Mary. So far this year, VC’s  insightful post gets my vote for most useful information in some category I haven’t figured out yet. Maybe,  Best All Around.

One More…

While it’s fresh on my mind, Ellen Blaskie’s BSETC service is a one stop website builder, copywriting, SEO, etc outsource. They offer quality internet work as an alternative to the often disappointing cheap labor outsourcing .

Have a good day.