The Effect of Google Instant on Long Tail Search Behaviors

We have been watching some recent Google product changes over the last few months to monitor the effects on site traffic, and in November we see most websites moved along at a positive level with their organic search numbers.  Nothing startling.  Everything is on track.  But for a significant few websites, digging into the Google organic search data in November elicited responses of “Help!” or “what in the world!?!”

Place Page Reviews are Now Separated

Tonight, I was logged into the Place Page account for my husbands’ business adding a Coupon.  I haven’t looked around his Place Page in a while, and I was trying to see what I have missed in the months since I last logged in.  (Just as the cobbler’s children go without shoes, the Place Page accounts most personal to me tend to get ignored.  And that is not my husband in the picture.  That is a cobbler.)

Then I saw some newness .. what’s this? … The reviews are separated out.  Check it out on this Place Page …

DUDE, Where's my Map?!?

I had a team member send out a red flag email about a client’s Maps listing 2 hours ago.  We had successfully squashed a listing created by a competitor who had been spamming with our guy’s business name, but today, it suddenly appeared again, and our guy’s real listing completely disappeared!

I know Google lost an entire city in Florida, which has now been found, but as we dig into it today, this looks like the entire East coast data is in an upheaval.

Dilbert gets what social media marketing is all about...

Source: Dilbert.com

Should I renew my yellow pages ad?

Last week I was asked by one of my client’s about her yellow pages ad which was up for renewal.  Hmmm … my response was half-hearted and I waffled a little.

Yes, the yellow pages industry is dying, some would argue it’s dead.

Unused and unwanted.

But a part of me hesitates at completely dropping out of the book.

New Google Interface: My Before and After Images Disappeared from Google Images!

The majority of plastic surgeons have a robust before and after image gallery on their respective websites.   With a strong plastic surgery client base, in addition to other industries, we pay attention to the images and their inclusion in the Google Image search.

In the last week, our SEO team has noticed a severe and dramatic drop in referrals for a few plastic surgeons from Google Image search, which historically has been a strong referrer to the before and after image galleries on the websites.

Some reactions from our team ranged from the incredulous “Can that be right??” to the flummoxed, “That is totally weird.”

Buying Yelp Reviews Is BAD for Business

Yelp is intended as a review site where users can write and read reviews for local businesses to help make informed buying decisions. It’s a powerful tool in that users trust the real opinions and feedback from their friends and neighbors. Yelp’s user-driven reviews allow everyone to add in their opinions of products and services at local clubs, restaurants, and businesses in all forms.

There is obvious value to a small business owner in getting users to leave positive reviews. The question is how much should a business pay for a review? No, no, no … I’m joking. The question really is how do you encourage customers to leave Yelp reviews naturally and organically without abusing the intent of the site?

Break Out of the Local Linking Same Old Same Old

It has come to my realization that I am in a rut. An external linking rut.

Well, I knew I needed to revisit linking strategies … it’s one of those things that I never sat down to research and really dig into because I have procrastinated incredibly well, but the past week has propelled me in that direction, not necessarily with my consent. But once I started digging into the data and ignoring the world around me, it was good.

It was good to see what I have been doing right and to discover those little opportunities that I have missed but can now take advantage of.

4th Annual SearchFest, March 9, 2010

Search Influence’s Will Scott will speak about Facebook for small business at SearchFest 2010. The 4th annual Searchfest is March 9th at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon.

SearchFest is the largest search engine marketing conference in Portland. Dedicated to search marketing education from the industry experts and thought leaders, SearchFest’s mission is to educate businesses on the benefits of SEO and SEM.

Do plastic surgery before and after pictures help close the deal?

Occasionally, we have a new plastic surgery client who does not use before and after pictures on their website.  Traditionally, plastic surgery internet marketing experts have held on to the belief that a before and after gallery is a must for driving traffic to the site and ultimately turning visitors into real patients.

Most surgeons use a gallery as patient education, and the more knowledge a patient has of a doctor, the more likely they are to schedule a consultation. For Newport Beach Plastic Surgery, Newport Beach rhinoplasty patients can see for themselves the artistic skill and experience of the surgeon.  They can see the results and what they will get out of the surgery before they even talk to the doctor.  This is a powerful tool.