This past week, I’ve been busy speaking at the PubCon conference in Las Vegas, so there weren’t a lot of posts and updates this week. But, notably the TopSEOs website appears to have been banned in Google. I also posted about speakers I wanted to see at the PubCon conference, which was a great success. In case you’ve missed it, you might want to check out SocialCentiv, a really cool new Twitter marketing software product. [Read more…]
Bill Hartzer – Weekly Update for September 21, 2014
Less than 10 links to your site? You could still get a Manual Penalty in Google Webmaster Tools. Google Knowledge Graph and How to Get In–and a report on the results of my .Com vs. gTLD Domain Name tests.
This past week, there are really two interesting new developments and posts worth noting. One involves Google Webmaster Tools and manual penalties because of bad links to your site. Turns out that I have a client that has a website with less than 10 links. But Google still gave the site a manual penalty for “inorganic links” pointing to the site. Turns out that there are bad links, but I didn’t think that Google would give a site a manual penalty because they had less than 10 links. Read the details in my post: [Read more…]
Update from Bill Hartzer: September 7, 2014
This past week, I really have only two updates: an update on moving to HTTPS from HTTP, and some info on viewing links in Google Webmaster Tools.
This week marks 4 weeks after I moved the site from HTTP to HTTPS. There have been a lot of talk in the search community about this being a total waste of time, that it doesn’t increase or help search engine rankings. There is even one search company who did “a study” and claim that it’s basically a waste to move your site from HTTP to HTTPs. Well, I certainly have had quite the opposite experience, to say the least. [Read more…]
HTTP to HTTPS Update: 3 Weeks after Moving
As you might recall, about three weeks ago I moved this site from HTTP to HTTPS after Google officially came out and said that HTTPS is a search engine ranking factor. Well, I’d like to report how it’s going so far, and from what I can tell, based on Google Analytics data, I’m very happy that I moved the site from HTTP to HTTPS.
I moved the site on August 8th and 9th, and there were some initial issues that me and my web host had to deal with. But we got it all fixed by the night of the 9th. After 3 weeks, it looks like the site is doing a lot better than it did previously: [Read more…]
Selling New gTLDs? It Pays to Proofread Your Logos and Images
Well, it certainly pays to have someone proofread the logos that web designers create for your website. It’s especially important if that proofreader is someone who speaks English (if your website is in English). In the case of 101domain.com, apparently one of their logos (images) that was created wasn’t proofread properly:
This logo (as of the writing of this post) still appears on their New TLDs page. On that page, they show the New gTLDs that are currently in Landrush: [Read more…]
This Week in Search, Domain Names, and Social Media
Wow, what a week! There has been a lot going on, and I wanted to catch you up with the latest in search, domains names, and social media. If you haven’t signed up yet for my weekly update newsletter, you might want to do so, as I send it weekly with added tips and tricks from time to time.
Secure Websites and Search Engine Rankings
Probably the biggest news of the week and the biggest news that will effect your website’s search engine rankings, is the fact that Google officially announced that https is a search engine ranking factor. What does this mean? If your website is https (uses a secure certificate) for all its content, then you could see better search engine rankings. Google wants us to have secure sites now, even if you don’t sell stuff online. I just finished moving my website to https for all its content, and will be doing so with other websites. I recommend considering a move to https. Notice that all of my links to my articles are now https URLs and not http like they were in the past? More on my post here: [Read more…]
How to Use Twitter and Social Media To Get News Media Attention
Did you know that you can use the social media websites to get the attention of the news media? Well, I’ve been using Twitter for quite some time now to get the attention of the news media–by pointing out possible stories after I’ve networked with them on the social sites. [Read more…]
Google Files for Trademark on the Word Glass
Google has filed a trademark application on the word glass. The Wall Street Journal first reported that a trademark application has been filed. [Read more…]
Didit Acquires LVM Group
Didit, a digital advertising and marketing company based in Mineola, New York, has acquired LVM Group, a Manhattan-based public relations firm. Didit has been leading digital marketing agency since 1996, and has been providing full-service online advertising and marketing services for just as long. Didit was co-founded by Kevin Lee, one of the SEMPO founding board member and CEO of Didit. [Read more…]
Important Features of an Effective Lead Generation Software
Lead generation software is one of the crazes of the marketing industry in online-based businesses. Every entrepreneur is on the lookout for the best lead generation tool. However, finding just the right lead gen tool is never a walk in the park, especially when everyone seems to be selling them. You want a lead generation tool that will help you keep up with the trends that affect your business’ operation.
There are several qualities that you need to look out for when shopping for the right lead generation software for your business. Here are some of them. [Read more…]
3000 Year Old Marketing Techniques
Three Thousand Years of Marketing in Three Paragraphs
Marketing is not new. There is evidence to suggest that at least as early as the Phoenician traders – over 3000 years ago – there was activity that we might class as marketing – Phoenician traders drew pictures on stones portraying their goods. We’re a little more advanced in our marketing techniques these days, but we’re still doing the same thing as those Phoenician traders: communicating with potential customers. A key aspect of marketing is very much about communication. Modern day marketers have a wide range of media available to allow them to communicate with customers and potential customers – and it’s important to say that communication is a two way street. And when it comes to communication SMS marketing comes into its own. [Read more…]
Marketing Tactics – How The Victorian Barrow Boy Did It
Whilst long lambasted as unsophisticated in both technique and patter, personally I think we have a lot to learn from the humble barrow boy.
If unsophisticated is substituted for simple, I think we can all agree that one thing the barrow boy or girl does well, is effectively communicate their message to their customer base. In the days when weekly markets were the hub of the community, you knew exactly where to find everything from groceries to meat, because barrow boys and girls would shout their wares and their prices from the top of their lungs, occupying the same stall week in, week out whatever the weather. [Read more…]
What Happens When Gmail Goes Down
Gmail went down today for a short period of time. I recall it being less than 30 minutes, like 20 minutes tops. But it was in the middle of the work day. So, what happened when Gmail went down? Apparently we all turned to Twitter to complain.
First, we had to check our routers to see if the router was having a problem:
Social Media Club Dallas to Rebrand, Distance Itself from Social Media Club
The Dallas chapter of the Social Media Club, Social Media Club Dallas, is has decided to distance itself or disassociate itself from the national chapter of the Social Media Club. The Dallas organization will soon rebrand under a new name and new logo. [Read more…]
The Importance of Marketing Automation
Marketing automation software is important since they allow brands to use targeted marketing messages to help drive conversions and create a rich profile of their audience. A marketing automation company will ensure that these processes run effectively by turning data into insights that optimize marketing messages and help to create strong customer lifetime value models. There are many digital channels that offer valuable resources to gather consumer and data insights which can be acted upon in real time. [Read more…]
NamesCon 2014: SEO, Search, New TLDs and Audience
At the NamesCon conference here in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jason Hennessey from Everspark Interactive and Ruth Burr from Moz.com talk about SEO, search, and the new gTLDs. Adam Dicker is moderating the panel.
What role does social media play for online businesses and what role does it mean for businesses in 5 years. [Read more…]
NamesCon 2014: The Secondary Market Is the Primary Market
Bill Sweetman is moderator, and introduces the panelists.
Reps from Sedo, Domain Names Sales, Namejet, and Paul Nicks from Godaddy, and Mike Berkens from TheDomains.com
Question: Are the best years and the huge paydays of domain 2ndary market behind us? [Read more…]
What Happens When Non-Technical People Suddenly Discover Web Developer Tools
It’s always interesting when a non-technical person sees something technical. I mean, the technical terms oftentimes are like a foreign language to people who are not so technical. Let’s look at what happened when someone who was obviously non-technical suddenly discovered web developer tools. [Read more…]
Tucows Moving to NASDAQ Dec 30th, Announces Reverse Stock Split
Tucows, the company that owns OpenSRS, Hover, Ting, and Yummy Names, is moving to the NASDAQ on December 30th. The company’s board of directors has approved a reverse stock split of the Tucow’s common shares. This reverse stock split will combine every four Tucows common shares into one Tucows common share. Tucow’s common stock is expected to start trading on the NASDAQ on a split-adjusted basis at the market open on December 31, 2013. [Read more…]
Why Your Business Needs an SMS Strategy
With the power of mobile marketing set to reach a peak over 2014, there has never been a better time to get your business a piece of the SMS action. It’s one of the most cost effective ways of communicating with millions of mobile users throughout the UK, getting your message across and engaging with each potential customer on a personal level. However, as well as the obvious efficiencies involved, there are a number of other clear benefits of opting for SMS marketing. [Read more…]