The Eminent Online Marketing internet marketing newsletter for November 2011 is now available. In this issue we focus on Google Plus.

You’ll find:

• an introduction to Google Plus
• Google Plus opportunities and how you can take advantage of them
• The difference between Google Plus Profiles and Google Plus Pages
• 4 Ways to get more from your Google Plus marketing
• Why Google Plus is important for SEO

Enjoy reading, and as always, please feel free to share this newsletter!

Internet Marketing Newsletter November 2011

On 30th november 2011, Yelp, a global business directory launched in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. According to Smart Company, Yelp will partner with Sensis to generate the basic business listings. We highly recommend that business owners claim their listings to optimise them for better exposure.

What makes Yelp different is that it has built a community where people can connect and socialise online, but at the same time look for local businesses. Of course the site includes rating, review and recommendation functions.

Why Should You Add Your Website To Yelp?

There are many free online business directories out there, but Yelp is one you don’t want to miss. Its success in North America and Europe has shown that the combination of business directory and social network attracts millions of visitors every month. Although there is no big launch or marketing campaign planned in Australia, we can predict additional exposure for any business that is listed on Yelp.

How Do I Add My Listing To Yelp?

1. Go to https://www.biz.yelp.com.au
2. Click Create Your Free Account
3. Search for your business name and location to see whether there is any existing data on your business (for example drawn from Sensis)
4. Claim the existing listing or add a new listing

What Type Of Information Should I Add To My Yelp Listing?

You want to include all relevant business information, such as

• your address
• a short description
• relevant keywords that describe your business
• any pictures or videos you have about your business
• and a link to your website if you have one

Does a Yelp Listing Help My SEO?

Most incoming links to your website will help your SEO. However the main benefit from Yelp will come from visitors to your website, additional exposure for your business, and the chance for your customers to interact with one another and post comments and reviews.

Does the Yelp Listing Connect To My Google Places Listing?

There has been an animosity between Google Places and Yelp, therefore these two are not likely to exchange data in the near future. Yelp partnering with Sensis in Australia shows its alliance and recent media reports in the states indicate the ongoing quarrels between Yelp and Google Places.

More About Yelp

Businesses of any size can create a free listing on Yelp, as long as they are located in Sydney or Melbourne. Yelp also offers the option of paid advertising for increased exposure.

Started in the US in 2004, Yelp now has over 54 million unique visitors per month. Until now it operated in several countries in North America, as well as the UK and Europe, and launched its first foray into Australia on 30th November 2011.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a great way to market your website and increase your exposure online. Basically SEO is the adjustment of a website so that it shows highly in the search results for a certain query.

Here are 5 search engine optimisation tips that can be used by beginners as well

Research

Before you start your DIY SEO campaign, you should think of the keywords your target audience is most likely to use. When choosing the right keyword, a little bit of research is in order. Tools like the Google Keyword Tool help you determine which keywords get a lot of traffic and how much competition they have. Ideally you will find a keyword that is highly relevant to your offering, has a medium to high amount of traffic and relatively low amount of competition. More advanced SEOs can also go for keywords with higher competition.

On-page optimisation

On-page optimisation means you make changes to your website itself. In particular, you want to add the keywords you have identified above in the title tag and description tag of your website. You can also add the keyword to the keyword tag on your website, although this is generally deemed less important.

Content

The content on your website should be directly related to the keyword you’re trying to rank for. Therefore the keyword should appear in the text on your website, especially in the headline, and maybe in the sub-headline. You can also add it to the first and last paragraphs of your website text. But you need to be careful not to use the keyword too often. Generally 2% is considered maximum (therefore you would be allowed to use the keyword twice in a 100 word text).

Images

When you use images you can add keywords to the description and alt tags of your images. This contributes to your on-page optimisation and compliments the SEO content you have already written.

Links

Finally you want to start building links to your website. You can start by simply bookmarking your website with services such as Digg or Delicious. Then you can add links to your website from social networking profiles, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Another easy one of our search engine optimisation tips is to start building links to your website is to add your website and business to local online directories, such as Dmoz, Yahoo Directory, Yelp,etc.

Oops, we’ve been sharing the newsletter on Facebook, Twitter, Scribd and LinkedIn, but the one place we forgot to post it was on our own blog!

Well, here you go, it’s the October 2011 edition of the EOM internet marketing newsletter. It includes articles on how to build your profile online, a link to our Youtube channel and an introduction to all of our team members!

Internet Marketing Newsletter October 2011

Without a doubt, Internet marketing is one of the most effective and efficient ways for small and medium seized enterprises (SMEs) to invest their marketing budget for a positive return on investment (ROI). That’s why business owners and marketing managers often ask “What are the best internet strategies for SMEs?”

To create a comparison, let’s firstly look at traditional ways of marketing. The star of most new business is typically referrals from existing clients and other brand champions. The reason referrals are so great to help build your business, is because they create warm leads. Someone has already endorsed your business, product or service to a third party who is interested in exactly the same product or service.

Other traditional marketing methods are advertisements in magazines and newspapers, on the radio or the television. These are typically expensive and do not generate a great return because they are not highly targeted to the right demographic, or at the right time. In fact, this is what’s called interruption marketing.

Why are internet strategies for marketing so much better?

They are highly targeted, meet the prospect at the time they have a buying intent and are closely measured to ensure you have a positive ROI from your marketing investments.

Here is an overview of a few basic internet strategies for SMEs that can help to market your business online:

SEO

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a technique that helps your website to show highly in the search engines. As a result your website traffic increases and your business gains exposure. Your website then starts to generate more inquiries and leads for you business. It is very leveraged and can therefore create a great return on investment.

PPC

PPC, short for “Pay Per Click” advertising is a form of online advertising, where the advertiser does not pay to have their ad displayed, but only pays when the ad is clicked on. The most famous example of PPC is Google AdWords. A great advantage of PPC advertising is that it can create increased website traffic and leads for your business straight away. A disadvantage is that it can be difficult for unexperienced PPC advertisers to monitor the statistics and ensure a positive return.

Social Media

Social media is a common way for businesses and brands to engage with their ideal target audience. It is a great way to build relationships online and turn them into “real” relationships offline and of course into business. A disadvantage of social media is that it can be very time consuming and often needs time to show great results.

A recent press release announcing the join research report “The Connected Continent” by Deloitte Access Economics and Google Australia estimated that the Internet contributed $50 billion, or 3.6% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product in 2010 and that contribution was primed to grow by around 7% a year to reach $70 billion by 2016. The release equaled the value of the Internet to Australian GDP to the value of iron-ore exports.

The Connected Continent is a research report commissioned by Google Australia to measure the value of the digital economy in Australia. The report was researched and written independently by Deloitte Access Economics.

Here we have summarized the main points that are of interest for Australian businesses:

Survey Of SMEs

A survey of 150 SMEs commissioned as part of the Connected Continent Report states that almost every Australian business is an Internet business.

The Internet does not only provide increased efficiency and productivity in supply management, finance, email and communications, it also allows businesses to reach out to consumers via new channels.

One of the main benefits for SMEs was the reduced cost and improved effectiveness of reaching customers and prospects, as well as managing the relationship with existing customers.

One of the main areas SMEs reported the Internet provided benefits is sales, marketing and advertising.

• The majority of businesses surveyed expected that the Internet would increase their access to local and Australian markets over the next two years, while only a minority expected that access to markets overseas would change.
• Across all industries, primary industries – defined as agriculture and mining – reported greatest sales, marketing and advertising benefits from using the internet, with an average 70% of these businesses reporting benefits.
• The manufacturing industries found the lowest benefits from the internet in the sales, marketing and advertising categories, with only around one-third of businesses reporting benefits.

Internet benefits for SMEs: Sales Marketing Advertising

Increase In Online Searches

According to the report, the number of searches undertaken on the Internet has grown rapidly in the past years, increasing at an annual rate of around 30%. The topics searched for online are broad, but particular growth has been recorded for banking, retail and travel related searches.

The report states that:

“Consumers have been increasingly turning to the Internet to seek information and purchase goods and services, and the current trend suggests that the importance of the Internet for consumers will continue to expand.”

This is great news for businesses that are seeking to connect with customers and prospects through the Internet as a cost-effective of marketing. With the importance of the Internet set to grow continuously the effectiveness of online marketing will grow exponentially, as the target audience online is growing as well.

Internet Marketing: Increasing Search Volume Year By Year

Increased Internet Activity

An increase in Internet activity is great news for businesses that are implementing online marketing strategies to reach their customers. Internet activity in Australia has doubled in the past 4 years, measured by increased access, use and expenditure.

Internet access across Australia has dramatically increased through high-speed Internet connections, the expansion of Internet access in rural areas, as well as mobile Internet connections through smart phones.

Similarly, the use of the Internet has also increased. This is evident by the increased number of searches (as discussed above), as well as the number of businesses that have a website and sell online products or services.

Another important measure of online activity is expenditure. According to the report, online expenditure has increased for both businesses and households, whereby business expenditure is measured by increased online advertising spend, and household expenditure is measured by growing e-commerce purchases by consumers.

In summary, as the use of the Internet continues to grow, it provides a catalyst for further innovation in the way we use it. It also provides access to even more markets and information, for both businesses and consumers.

Opportunities

The report details a very positive outlook for the growth of the Internet for Australian businesses.

The report found that throughout the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) region, the Internet sector is expected to grow faster than GDP in the medium term. This expectation is based on the fact that businesses, governments and households continue to embrace new online opportunities. Improved Internet access in developing countries is also expected to produce network effects that increase the value of the Internet globally.

In Australia, the Government’s investment in broadband infrastructure is set to increase use of the Internet, which will create quick growth as it allows Australians to catch up to comparable countries. For example, e-commerce and online advertising is still smaller in Australia than in countries like the US and UK, suggesting that growth in the Index will continue to outpace growth in aggregate economic activity.

This is the “Google Issue” of our monthly internet marketing newsletter. We report from our recent visit at Google and on research published by Google Australia and Deloitte on how the internet is benefiting businesses in Australia.

Internet Marketing Newsletter September 2011

Marketing is all about delivering the right message to the right person, at the right time, in the right way. So in this newsletter we’re discussing how you can focus on the right time with seasonal marketing and how you can find the best way by explaining how SEO and PPC work best together.

Enjoy!

Internet Marketing Newsletter August 2011

For serious business owners who want to generate more growth for their business, it’s not a question any more, whether they should use an SEO services Company – it’s a fact. However, when choosing the right SEO specialist to work with, you should keep a couple of things in mind.

When you choose the right SEO services company for your business, you benefit from their existing knowledge and experience, and you even get access to their proven processes, proprietary tools and well trained team.
When choosing the right expert to work with you, here are some key points to evaluate against when making your decision:

Proven Results

Unfortunately the internet has become infamous for the amount of spam and deceit that is going on. It is therefore most important to find an SEO specialist that can show proven results and that has developed a proven process to get you the results you desire.

Return on Investment

It’s simply not enough anymore to rank your website on page 1 of Google – what counts is that your business grows as a result of your SEO campaign. Therefore providers who focus on the Return on Investment (ROI) of your SEO campaign will work with you to deliver those results from start to finish.

Long-term relationship

Developing and implementing an SEO campaign for your business can take anywhere from 4 months upwards. While you can see great results in a few months, the real success of any online project happens after the initial release—in the phase where you evaluate, test, track, monitor and improve. Therefore you’re well advised to choose an SEO provider you can develop a long-term relationship with. After all, they’re becoming your trusted advisor to grow your business, so it’s best you get along.

Professionalism

Although the internet is famous for bringing us 15 year old millionaires, that’s no excuse for partnering with someone who is not professional. Look for someone who is committed to deadlines, delivers high quality work and keeps you involved as the project progresses.

Your Best Interest

It sounds logical, but make sure you choose the SEO services company that has your best interest at heart. The internet marketing and advertising industry is full of people who are happy to take your money whether your plan will deliver results for you or not. If you find a provider that really cares about your business and you as a client, you can rely on their honest advice and integrity.

Although search engine optimisation (or SEO), is a huge buzz word at the moment – web optimisation is still only one aspect of a well set-up marketing budget.

In fact, SEO works well in combination with a number of other marketing and advertising strategies. Here is a summary of the main advantages and disadvantages:

SEO and PPC

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, such as Google AdWords or Facebook Ads, is a great strategy to produce immediate results. It can start to produce results from day 1. However, PPC campaigns typically hit a ceiling in form of the budget that is being set – it simply cannot be leveraged beyond the minimum cost per click. That’s where it works well in tandem with SEO, because an SEO strategy can produce long-term leverage based on some of the information collected by the PPC campaign (keywords, ad copy, traffic numbers, etc). When the results of the SEO campaign start to kick in, the budget can slowly be re-directed to SEO as it is more leveraged and can therefore has a lower the cost per lead.

SEO and Social Media

Although many businesses are now starting their own social media campaigns, it remains difficult to prove a good ROI with social media. In many situations, the return is measures in “brand engagement” and “business exposure”. Although undoubtedly important, it is difficult to calculate a return.
However, combining social media with SEO helps to increase the visibility of your business beyond the enclosed social media networks and allows customers to find your business based on keywords rather than connections. That said, SEO and social media work well together, because most search engines, including Google, now consider social evaluation an important vote of confidence for your website.

SEO and Video Marketing

Video marketing is a great tool to build an emotional connection with your audience and leverage your presence online. For example, you can film an event or presentation and then re-use it online, without actually having to be there. A disadvantage of video marketing can be the high cost associated with high quality and well produced videos.
In any case, you can have the best quality and well-produced videos on your website, but if nobody sees them they are not going to create an impact. Therefore creating an SEO campaign that increases your rankings and exposes your great videos to more people will help you get a better return on investment from your marketing budget. On the other hand, if you’ve created a YouTube Channel to increase exposure for your videos, you can optimize each video to show in the search engine and video search results, increasing the exposure for your videos, your website and your business.

SEO and Public Relations

Public relations, whether focused online or offline is all about letting people know about your business, creating your brand and adding credibility. Gaining coverage in mainstream news publications, and creating an online buzz with bloggers and social media is a great way to get increase your profile. Often, an increased profile will generate an increased search volume of your business or your industry. And of course you want to be the business that is found. That’s why SEO and Public Relations are the perfect marriage. They combine to get your business and brand in front of even more people and they work together to leverage the credibility you receive from news coverage, keynote speeches, and other public events.