The techies and gadget enthusiasts the world over waited with bated breath for Steve Job’s State of the Union address to shareholders last week.  Not because he offered any solutions for the growing deficit, the wars in the Middle East, or health care reform.  But unlike President Obama’s competing speech, Jobs delivered a Holy Grail of sorts in the form of the iPad.

Technically speaking, the iPad is an iTouch that has been drawn and stretched 7Xs larger.  Resembling more a tablet than a hand-held device, the iPad retains the same web-surfing capabilities and the space to store songs, podcasts, and videos of its ancestors.  The expansion of the screen however adds the option of reading texts and e-books loaded onto the device, the very feature that casts Amazon’s Kindle as hell bound, since they’ll soon begin open competition for the same consumers.

So if it is the day of reckoning, who’s headed where?

The introduction of the iPad begs the question of who exactly will Jobs be saving?  Long in need of a savior in the Internet age, newspapers and magazines have been quick to predict massive overhaul of their operating procedures and u-turns in their revenue graphs.  News corporations dream of potential readers – and in light of several major papers beginning to charge for their service, subscribers – landing on their website after seeing a tweet or post on Twitter or Facebook.

But this gets to the heart of the matter – as the iPad stands in between its smart phone and netbook cousins, it undoubtedly will be only positive for social networking sites.  Apple’s newest product couples a larger screen than the iPhone with more portability than laptops.  This will make it easier to read on-screen material  ranging from e-books to  news feeds or tweeted links on Facebook and Twitter.  The fact that the iPad is less cumbersome will encourage owners to check-in on these networks more frequently than on their netbooks.   The result: people will be spending more time, more often on social networking sites.  Beyond pop-up ads and mandatory videos, social media networks promise to be a major player in the future of effective marketing, especially with the advent of the iPad.

301 redirects and other types of URL webpage redirection.

Why SEO Professionals Seems Obsessed with 301 Redirects?

Minimizing Duplicate Content

It is common in many web design and development projects to have some cases of duplicate content. Although many people say this is a negative search engine ranking factor and some view it like a penalty, Google claims there is no penalty as explained by Google Engineer on Search Quality, Greg Grothaus.

Although a penalty or not, Google is aware of the duplicate pages and attempts to choose the best page and this is where it can make mistakes. Google tries to add diversity to the SERPs so they do not appear to be posting the same page over and over which makes a better search user experience. And in this process, the page you may be attempting to optimize and rank well might be filtered out and replaced with another page with duplicate or highly similar content. Come to think of it, this is ideal for the searcher since this filters out many spammy type of blogs also called splogs for spam blogs. But this problem can also exist internally. And this is where the 301 redirect is used. A 301 redirect means a permanent redirect which helps guide search engines consolidate cases of duplicate content.

Consolidating Link Popularity and PageRank

Links as you have probably heard over and over, help in SEO. Links are like votes of authority, votes of trust, votes of credibility. And the more links you have, the better it helps in ranking in search engines, although it is not only about quantity, but quality where links should be relevant and not spammy.

If a link goes to a page that redirects, a 301 redirect is the only type of redirect that will pass on the link metrics to the destination page. If not the proper redirect was in place, you can be passing precious link juice to another page that would have been beneficial to the destination page loosing this ranking boost benefit.

Some URLs change, but the content still generally remains the same

On old websites, even new ones, URLs may change. It could be due to a website redesign, or a discontinues product or service, a abolished department, a change in product description or whatever case that makes some old URL disappear. Using a 301 redirect will fix problems of missing pages that used to exist. There are mainly two benefits here:

1. Link Popularity metrics are transfered over to the destination page.
   If ever the old URL may have gained some links you may or may not be aware of that helps in the ranking of a missing page will be passed over to the new equivalent page if a 301 redirect is in place.
2. The user experience of not getting lost on your website.
   Visiting a page that no longer exist, either because you clicked on a link on another website, or from a search engine or was saved in your bookmarks can sometimes cause frustrations and this may make or break a  possible sale or lead online. Redirecting users to the right place helps avoid possible lost traffic.

Now just because you have to do a redirect and telling this to your web designer, web developer, network administrator, company IT guy may not be sufficient enough if they are not that familiar of the types of redirects and why it would be ideal to do a 301 redirect. Read more on the different types of redirects below. Read the rest of this entry »

When analyzing a website for search engine “friendliness” it is always best to start with some kind of deep diagnostic analysis. There are some great free SEO tools out there. In my opinion, one of the best simple SEO tools is Hubspot’s Website Grader. Hubspot has made many updates to the tool over the years and it has been interesting to see where they place the most emphasis. The idea of course is to place focus on the key elements most important to the search engines and stay current with algorithmic updates.

Hubspot has reordered the tool’s results. All a user has to do is enter the domain URL and in a few seconds they will receive a full analysis including explanations of each result. The tool provides a grade between 0 and 100 based on the criteria it analyzes. The top of the report will show the grade with a basic explanation of what it means:

So let’s look at the first piece of criteria the tool places emphasis on.  Not surprisingly it is Content.  The tool talks about that fact that website content should have a good balance of quality and quantity.  The best way to earn high quality inbound links of course is to have compelling content that people can learn from, share, and link back to.  Four out of the five grading points focus on the blog (i.e. does the site have a blog, what kind of content does it have, what are the recent posts and have they earned links, etc).  The other two facors show the number of Googe indexed pages and the websites readability level.  A good website should have well-written content that is simple enough so that the target demographic can easily understand what they are reading. 

The next section of the tool is titled “Optimize” and focuses on many on page elements such as metadata, titles, headings, images, page analysis, and basic domain information.  One interesting update is that the tool removed results showing meta keywords.  The reason for this is most likely because Google has communicated that it no longer finds importance in meta keywords.  The focus is on page titles and descriptions which of course are the first and most important aspect of telling the user what the web page is all about.  Here is an example of the tool’s result in this section:

 The rest of the results in this section of the tool show basic page analysis from three pages selected by the tool, domain information like age and time to expiration, when Google last crawled the site, number of inbound links, and important directories the site is found in.  Inbound links pointing to a website is still the most important element to search engine relevance.  This is a quality game more than one of quantity.  The best strategy is to have a nice balance of links from varying relevant website with varying page ranks and content. 

The next section of the tool is called “Promote” and focuses on social book marketing and Twitter.  The tool assigns a Twitter grade based on the influence and usefulness that the Twitter account provides in the site’s marketing efforts.  Here is an example: 

 The last two sections of the tool are called “Convert” and “Analyze”.  The section titled Convert shows a brief summary about the site’s RSS feeds and conversion forms.  The goal of this analysis is to show the converting factors and how well optimized the site is for turning visitors into “customers”.

The Analyze section shows an overall summary of the results shown by the tool.  The tool provides a good foundation for understanding how compliant a site is with basic search engine optimization guidelines and fundamentals.  It is by no means a deep diagnostic analysis with feedback related specifically to an industry, but provides a solid benchmark in a matter of seconds.  

The new frontier for social media networks is at our fingertips.  Literally.  More and more cell phone users are switching to smart phones, giving rise to location-based mobile social networking.  While location-based applications have long been available on the shelves of the iTunes App Store, they’ve largely collected dust, lacking the bells and whistles to keep people from “checking-in” on a regular basis.

Loopt leaves much to be desired

Such was the case with Loopt, the seasoned veteran in the battle for smart phone networking app supremacy.  Introduced in 2005, Loopt relies primarily (if not solely) on the attraction of keeping tabs on your friends’ coordinates at any given time.  Later generations of the application, along with similar competitors, have imported information from Yelp or CitySearch in order to present users with a list of dining or drinking options nearby as well.

Foursquare leads the competition

Other applications have introduced new weapons in response to the primitive GPS-based technology of Loopt.  Most prominently, Foursquare challenges its network to collect points at check-ins and earn badges and mayorships, complete with scoreboards and term limits.  Now available in over 100 metropolitan areas, Foursquare is the leader of the pack in location-based mobile networking, as the application synthesizes information from Yelp and enables friends to meet-up or share tips in absentia.  Furthermore, as the size of the network has grown, so too have the number of offers and coupons up for grabs.  Even some forward-thinking bars offer a free drink to the rightful Foursquare mayor of their location.  The rapid check-in and point scoring system does have its shortcomings as well: as successful as Foursquare is in New York City, don’t hold your breath waiting for its arrival in Branson, Missouri.

New challengers offer innovation to the location-based app

Behind Foursquare stand a few guerilla insurgents aiming to displace the reigning king of location-based networks.  Buzzd is aimed at twenty-somethings, as it seeks to provide its network with the bars and clubs that are trending or popular in real-time.  Gowalla brings a populist approach to the application, allowing for users to design tours through Central Park’s main attractions or Texas BBQ pits, thus encouraging more network members to compete for notoriety and respect, rather than points.

A battle between location-based networks lies ahead, but so too do new competitors and innovations to existing networks.  As this competitor only makes applications better, location-based social networks will continue to innovate and incorporate new strategy—representing the future, portable portal to consumers.

At the start of the new decade, many are questioning what lies ahead for social media networking sites.  Twitter remains the target of skeptics who point to stagnant membership and mock the micro-blogging mecca. Simultaneously, tweeters and commentators have come to the site’s defense, alleging Twitter is here to stay.

Skeptics point to mediocre 2009 in numbers

While the latest social media network reported a small bump in membership in December, its end of the year numbers were a staggering 24% less than June 2009.  Ironically, while Twitter was featured more and more frequently in cable news broadcasts – and stood at the center of the Iran election coverage in June – the network hemorrhaged members.  Twitter’s growth problem has thus become a billion dollar question: how can the social network grow? Some analysts are pointing to the immeasurability of new Twitter members, as an increasing proportion of members are tweeting from mobile devices and via apps, which were not captured in the statistics.  Others claim Twitter has not yet reached a critical mass, like Facebook already has, encouraging potential members to join to keep track of everyone else they know.

Twitter makes sharing information simple

Yet, Twitter remains extremely popular and has been put to great use recently in light of the earthquake in Haiti, as tweeters are sharing thoughts, needs, websites for charity, and prayers through the social network.  New York Times media reporter, David Carr, remains optimistic about the future of Twitter.  In his article titled “Why Twitter Will Endure,” Carr argues that Twitter allows for the consumption of a massive array of information.  Yes, people tweet about their choice of cereal, but they are also sharing news articles, videos, blogs, and discussion boards where responses are not limited to 140 characters or less. As Steven Johnson, another journalist and technology commentator for TIME, observes, “the history of the Internet suggests that there have been cool Web sites that go in and out of fashion and then there have been open standards that become plumbing. Twitter is looking more and more like plumbing, and plumbing is eternal.”

There are many exciting changes in the online marketing world coming in 2010 which will foster both new challenges and great opportunities.  More and more businesses will be using Internet marketing strategies in 2010 or will be increasing current online spending during 2010.  Companies that invested in online marketing last year are analyzing their results and making appropriate adjustments to those campaigns.  Businesses in all industries are continuing to realize that strategic online marketing is faster, more cost effective, measurable, and targetd. 

Many studies have been done over the recent months to assess how businesses will spend their online marketing budgets.  According to www.eMarketer.com, the majory of businesses surveyed will increase online budgets primarily in website design and development, email marketing, search engine optimization, search marketing, and social media. 

Google also completed a survey with similar but slightly different results.  Some of these results were reported by B2BOnline.  Google asked b-to-b marketers where they will increase and decrease their marketing budgets this year and the responses showed:

• The top areas that will see increases are Website design and development (cited by 57% of respondents), search marketing (55%), webinars, podcasts and online events (50%), e-mail marketing (49%), social networks (47%) and blogs (44%).
• Areas that will see budget cuts include print advertising (51%), printed vertical directories (50%), direct mail (37%), outdoor (34%), TV advertising (31%), sponsorships (30%) and events (28%).

The results showing increases in website development most likely reflect companies that are revamping their website's appearance, performing conversion optimization to increase inbound marketing efforts and lead flow, and integrating Content Management Systems to make website maintenance easier and more cost effective. 

Our Vision for 2010

Internet Marketing Inc. is a full service interactive agency with a focus on cutting edge search engine optimization strategies and web design/conversion optimization/usability.  Internet Marketing Inc. continually monitors the pulse of the economy in order to better understand the business and financial goals of our clients that exist in all types of industries.  Our core goal is to increase online exposure and botton line profits for every client we service.  We design strategies that are specific to each client and align those efforts to achieve the client's core goals.  The company is backed by a strong management team highly educated in business, finance, law, and marketing. 

Most importantly, the company is driven by our outstanding team of professionals with decades of combined experience in website design, development, search engine optimization, paid search, social media, email, affiliate marketing, and mobile marketing.  With a focus on cutting edge search engine optimization, mobile search, and local search, Internet Marketing Inc. has redeveloped our SEO department under the leadership of our new SEO Director, Benj Arriola.  Benj has won multiple global SEO awards and designed SEO strategies for fortune 1000 clients.

The company has many new layers to ensure an even greater level of attention to detail, skillful project execution, and adherence to our specialized processes and procedures.  We are continuing great projects with brands like the US Army, Road Runner Sports, and Tropicana Las Vegas.  Between our San Diego, Las Vegas, and New York offices, Internet marketing Inc.'s growth from 2008 to 2009 was approximately 700%.  We look forward to a great year!

Brent Gleeson, CEO

Over the last decade, the Internet has become increasingly more interactive for its users by the year, by the month and even, by the day.  New innovations are happening constantly and it would be impossible to stay updated on them all on a regular basis (another good reason to read the IMI blog everyday!).  Today, I want to mention a relatively new phenomenon that is taking off like wildfire- website applications that allow user personalization.  And I don’t just mean custom forms that allow people to search the value of their old cars like on KelleyBlueBook.com or something; I mean true personalization with digital imagery upload- something that really hits close to home for our population’s more visual users.

So let’s start with something seasonal: Has anyone ever checked out ElfYourself.com?  On this website, users are allowed to upload pictures of themselves and four additional friends.  After the upload is complete, each of the head shots are inserted onto elf bodies, which then sing and dance to holiday themed songs.  Whereas two years you could only select one standard song, this holiday season, users have the option to select from country, disco, hip hop and more.  And now, when you’re done, you can embarrass yourself and your friends by sharing with Facebook!  It’s truly phenomenal.

But, if you’re already over the holidays and you’d prefer a blast from the past, check out YearbookYourself.com.  This website allows you to upload a head shot and after you’re done, it will place you in a persona from yearbooks of the past.  For some reason, whenever I try it, it has an uncanny ability to make me look identical to my mom.  Anyone else getting the same results?

My latest find in the interactive web arena is a site called MorphThing.com.  It would probably behoove you to check it out everyday for a good laugh when you’re in need of a smile because you never know what new morphs will be featured.  Today’s best morph was a cross of Marilyn Manson and Barack Obama.  Other featured morphs include: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie entitled “Brangelina,” Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez entitled “Bennifer,” Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook, Ashley Olsen and Mary Kate Olsen, and the list goes on.  Users can also make custom morphs and even baby morphs, which could be a very useful tool in marriage preparation (and might send some people to counseling).  Use these tools wisely!  Enjoy.

2010 SEO Trends

There are many things  several SEO professionals are talking about on how SEO will be in 2010 where from one person to another, the priorities vary. I am not saying one person is more correct from the other, but SEO has always been a do and observe type of science and art and everyone will always have their own opinion about it. As long as you have an open mind to new ideas, backed up with your own testing by doing your own experiments, and continuously sharing with other SEO professionals, you will get a good pulse of what’s coming in 2010. As for me, this is what I believe will be coming in 2010, read more on the 2010 search trends below. Read the rest of this entry »

Internet Marketing Inc. is proud to announce the addition of our newest team member, Benj Arriola.  We are starting off the new year with an advanced SEO department lead by Benj and his team.  Benj is one of the most respected SEO’s in the country, a multi SEO award winning expert, an experienced developer in HTML and CSS, and an accredited conference speaker. 

Some of his accomplishments include:

• Won 1st place in the 2007 SEO World Championship winning a brand new car besting SEO professionals from all over the world.
• Won 2nd place in the 2008 SEO Contest by UK Webmaster World and was beaten by a 30-man SEO team.
• Has worked on SEO campaigns of top brands like Sony PlayStation, AutoDesk, Sybase, Caterpillar, American Red Cross, American Council on Exercise, Hasbro, and more!

Benj will be directing the Internet Marketing Inc. SEO process and strategy as well as representing the company at many conferences this year.  Welcome Benj Arriola!

Here is a great video interview with Benj by Lon Safko of the Social Media Bible:

As most of us know, Google has formally launched “personalized search” in an effort to continually improve each individual’s search experience in their engine.  The goal is to track user’s search behavior in order to continaully improve and “personalze” the relevance of results.  When these discussions first began, many SEO’s and Internet marketing companies feared that this would mean the end of Search Engine Optimization as we know it.  We are still waiting to see what affect this will have over the coming months but from the information disseminated thus far, it seems that most of the fundamental best practices will still apply. 

So How Does this Impact SEO for Our Clients?

The truth is, some of the important areas of focus that these changes bring to light, have really always been important.  The end goal of SEO is to grow a business through relevant natural search traffic that leads to conversions (whatever those conversion goals might be).  You can chase rankings all day long but if the result is not good quality traffic and conversions that lead to growth, there is something missing.  The key things that still matter are:

• Focus on traffic and conversions more than rankings:  Of course, we are still always going to look at rankings but now more than ever, we really need to combine the focus on rankings and the resulting traffic.  If a site sees an increase in rankings but stagnant levels (or decreasing levels) of traffic, personalized search may be posing a negative effect and the strategy shoulf be adjusted.  On the other hand, if rankings see a slight dip but traffic is improving, the site might be experiencing better results from the shift to personalized search. 
• This has of course been important for a long time but there is a renewed focus on “brand” quality:  The quality, interactivity, value, and user experience of a website will always impact traffic, bounce rates, repeat visitors, and link popularity.  Google is now placing more emphasis on this with personalized search.  This can create challenges for new businesses that may not yet be a “trusted brand” yet.  However, it certainly does encourage any business to develop great content and have a good user experience. 
• Other sources of traffic might have a positive impact on natural search results:  It seems that all traffic sources will now be taken into account with Google’s personalized metrics.  This could mean that paid search traffic and other key drivers to a website might positively (but indirectly) impact natural results within the personalized search spectrum.  It will be interesting to see the results of this in the coming months.

How Should We Be Adjusting Our Strategy and Campaigns?

Best practices still apply.  As mentioned above, we must conitue to improve user experience, brand loyalty, content, and traffic (from all sources).  Continue to follow best pratices for basic SEO coding and making all pages accessible to the search engines, use a keyword strategy relavent to your business goals and that is aligned with your user’s search behavior, continually develop good content, and earn great inbound links by being proactive in your industry.