1. Open your browser.

2. Type in www.[yourdomain].com. After it loads, does the web address stay on www.[yourdomain].com?

3. Then, type in [yourdomain].com. After it loads, does the web address “resolve” to the same address as it did when you completed step 2?

If not, your site technically has two versions of itself, therefore leaving search engines to believe that your entire site consists of duplicate content. This problem is actually very common, but fixing it is the one thing you should do right now to help your SEO.

In the example above, the domains www.adclubno.org AND adclubno.org both exist, meaning there are two copies of every page on the site, which could be detrimental to rankings in search engines. Luckily, there is a pretty easy fix for this problem. But first, let’s discuss why duplicate content is bad for Search Engine Optimization.

What is Duplicate Content?

Image courtesy of SEOMoz.com.

1. Search engines don’t know which version(s) to include/exclude from their indices
2. Search engines don’t know whether to direct the link metrics (trust, authority, anchor text, link juice, etc.) to one page, or keep it separated between multiple versions
3. Search engines don’t know which version(s) to rank for query results

What this means is that search engines want to show the most relevant content to their searchers, but if you have duplicate content existing across URLs, the search engines get confused. Link metrics and page authority get split between the URLs, diminishing the value of all of your SEO efforts.

Ways to Check for Duplicate Content

Besides typing your domain in your browser, Virante has a duplicate content tool that checks whether your domain has duplicate content. Just submit your domain, and the tool will do a WWW/NonWWW Header Check, Google Cache Check, Similarity Check, Default Page Check, 404 Check, and a PageRank Dispersion Check. As in the previous example, www.adclubno.org failed the WWW/NonWWW Header Check, and because of this main problem, they also failed the Google Cache Check, Similarity Check, and Default Page Check.

How to Fix These Issues

So now that you’ve realized that you have a problem, how do you fix if? For starters, you can log in to your Google webmaster tools account and designate your preferred domain. This lets Google know which version of your site to provide in the search engine results. Next, you (or in my case, someone else with actual programming knowledge) should set up a permanent 301 redirect in the .htaccess file to let other search engines know which domain is the preferred one.

Once this problem is resolved, you will want to make sure that you are consistently using the preferred domain for all of your link building endeavors.

Do you know if your domain has duplicate content? Find out now!

A few tips for putting Pinterest to work for your brand:

• Add the “Pin It” button to your product pages or blog posts. It’s easy to do and you can add the button along with your other social media sharing buttons.
• Create a Pinterest account for the brand itself and reach out to “visual influencers” on Pinterest for help getting your images re-pinned. Pinterest allows any user to follow any other user without requiring a follow-back. You may also tag other users in your pins, comment on pins and re-pin (the Pinterest version of a retweet) others’ content.
• Create boards beyond your own products and brand, but relevant to your location and industry.
• Utilize the description fields when creating Pins by adding keywords and geo-modifiers. Not only is this SEO 101, but Pinterest addicts often use the search feature to find relevant pins.
• Keep pinning!  The search results and Pin feeds change up-to-the-minute, much like the Twitter feed and Facebook Ticker. Maintain a steady flow of Pins to ensure your products are staying top-of-mind.

For SEO linkbuilding purposes, the benefits of Pinterest are pretty self-evident. Some basic info on Pinterest links:

• Each and every Pin links back to the original source site or the file location (depending on where it was originally pinned from). Unless you’re purposely optimizing for image seach, a product page or site link is probably better.
  

  Standard pins provide links to the source site in two locations.

• A Pin provides do-follow links in multiple places. The image itself acts as a link in addition to the “From:” link in the top right-hand-corner.
• A pin comes with embed code for syndication to other sites like Facebook and Twitter, helping to develop backlinks to the Pin itself.
• Pins are editable! You can edit your own Pins with updated URLs or reach out to Pinners who may have pinned your images from an unfavorable source site. Pins are easy to edit and the new URL you provide does not need to host the image, though I don’t recommend you use a link without the original image.
• Because of the visual nature of Pinterest, it is a great way to promote infographics. Make sure they are Pinned to appropriate boards and contain relevant descriptions to ensure they are shared.
• You can even add a Pin It button to your company’s blog pages by using the WordPress plug-in.

Thanks to the intuitive nature of Pinterest’s interface, I think the best way to get going is to request an invite and just dive in. Remember, sign-up is currently via invitation-only, so ask a friend to invite you or request one from the site (it doesn’t take long). Let me know what you think about these tips in the comments, and if my screenshots piqued your interest, follow me on Pinterest!

If this statement appealed to you, you want to read what I have to say. If you read this statement and wondering what’s Twitter, stop reading right now. I’m serious - Go! This post isn’t for you. This post if for the Twitter marketing elite – the Twitterati.

This post will reveal the TRUTH about buying Twitter followers. The TRUTH is…

Surgeon General Warns, 'Tweeting is Highly Addictive'

it’s a waste of money for social media marketers to buy Twitter followers.

“Followers” Ain’t Nothing But A Number

Twitter should be about organic growth. At face value, buying followers seems like a good idea – more people seeing your promotion, more potential leads. However when you are buying sexy Russian spambots, you won’t achieve this effect. Purchased followers just don’t care about whatever you are trying to peddle to them in 140 characters or less. At the end of the day, you are just buying a large number. I guess if you are a size queen and the size of your number is something you like bragging about – fine. Give your money away to some anonymous Eastern European but just don’t expect sales or even @ replies. I’d rather have 100 followers who are retweeting and replying than 10,000 who are just ignoring me. Seriously who pays to be ignored by their followers?

No Ring, No Engagement

Any competent social media marketer knows that Twitter is about engaging the users who are invested in your brand. It’s important because instead of being numerically obsessed, you can focus on strengthening your bonds with existing followers. The more actively engaged you are to these followers, the more aware they will be to your tweets.  It surprises me that so many people think they can just tweet into the Twitter-verse and get replies and new followers. If you want engaged followers, you need engage them, not buy them.

Here’s my formula for Twitter Engagement:

1. Tweet
2. Search
3. Reply
4. Add Follower
5. Retweet
6. Repeat

They may not know you anymore than they do the chairman at General Mill’s but now that you are conversing with them, your brand has a voice and voices are best heard when actual people are listening – sorry sexy Russian spambots you just never listen to me .

Fail Whale Snags Some Follwers

Love The Ones You Tweet

Brand aware followers are easiest to convert. They are the followers who visit your site once or twice a month, opted into your Twitter feed, and want to know what you have to offer them.  These Twitter followers will throw their money at you with the right tweet – they want the pitch! For most online businesses, these followers are return business and range from anywhere from 60 – 90% of your annual business. These are the people you want following and replying to your tweets.

If you are struggling to get more followers on Twitter for your brand don’t waste marketing funds on buying followers. They won’t convert into new leads. Sure you’ll get a few people who visit your links, or even reply, but for the cost, you are better off investing in a pay-per-click campaign or better optimizing your pages for organic search. You just can’t buy love, especially on Twitter.

How could I write an entry on Twitter and not plug New Orleans’ search marketing sweetheart? Follow Search Influence‘s Owner Will Scott on Twitter. #selfpromotion

Shout out to carrotcreative, mfilej, and Shovelling Son for the imagery – this post would not have been nearly as entertaining without it.

Fisheye Webcam - Don't try this at home

As a website promotion company we get requests for all manner of online marketing services and I was given a task of creating and broadcasting a marketing webinar for one of my clients.

My first thought was, “Oh cool- a webinar. This should be interesting.” My second thought was, “holy crap, I have never done this before.

Webinars are like – LIVE. Where do I start? I knew this gig would get me into trouble. My mind was racing in every direction and I was off to create my first webinar, with the help of my trusty team.

Here are a few items that I learned along the way (that I wish I had known before). They may be obvious to some, and even if that’s the case I encourage you to continue reading. Maybe there is a glimpse of something that may help you in the future.

1. Create a Topic: Webinars are very “in the moment,” so make sure your topic is relevant to “now.” Make sure you can speak intelligently on the topic – your audience is expecting an expert in the broadcast.
2. Develop a Webinar Wish list:
   Do you want to:
   • Show a PowerPoint
   • Have Live Video
   • Poll Participants
   • Have an Interactive Q & A
   • Stream existing video

The list could be endless, but remember this is a “WISH LIST” so list everything you want your webinar to do – EVERYTHING.

1. Research Marketing Webinar Platforms: There are numerous webinar platforms. Price points vary from free (for up to so many users), to affordable, to very expensive. Some require a download onto the computer, while others are streamed through the web. Some provide live video, some don’t, etc., etc.How to decide? Go back to the wish list and get to testing. Which platform achieves all (or the majority) of the objectives on your wish list? If you find this platform and it’s in your budget – sign up and thank your lucky stars! If you are having trouble achieving your wish list, decide which areas you are willing to budge on and what is necessary?
   

   Does it pass the sniff test George?

   This step requires testing, testing and more testing. Eventually you will hash out the best program to achieve your main objectives and fit your budget.Also, don’t forget the awesome information resource of the web. Check out blogs and articles on webinars. They can provide useful, honest feedback about other peoples experiences with the different platforms.

2. Create an Outline: Begin organizing the webinar. The process is completely relevant to your topic and your speaker.  Is your webinar interactive? If so, where do these portions go in the agenda? Will you have one Q&A or two? Where will the online polls be located and how many are needed? How and who is introducing the speaker?The outline should stay active as it can change throughout the entire process depending on testing outcomes, which platform you use, how many people sign up for your webinar, etc.
3. PROMOTION: This is HUGE! A webinar is not really effective unless you have an audience – otherwise you would be talking to yourself (not cool). There are many ways to promote offline (fliers, radio, word of mouth), but being a huge proponent of the web, here are a few ways to promote online Remember that some of these (i.e. Twitter/Facebook) will need a previous following to be effective.
   • Press Release
   • Twitter
   • Facebook Fan Page
   • Personal Website
   • Personal Blog
4. TEST: Test and test and test until you can’t test anymore. A live webinar is a one shot deal. You get one shot to make it or break it. You want to have everything down pat before the big moment where you are broadcasted across the World Wide Web. Think about it – you could have 3 viewers or 3,000, but the webinar reputation could go from 0 stars to 5 in an instant with just a little positive feedback online. You want to NAIL it.

Like I mentioned above, those are just some preliminary things that I learned while preparing for my first webinar. Oh, another piece of advice – watch as many other webinars as possible. This will give you ideas on how to make yours more successful. My parting words- Good Luck!

—
Web cam image courtesy of Flickr user: rafael_mizrahi
Bush experiment image courtesy of: Reprise Media blog

Friends from Flickr user: woodleywonderworks

Twitter, a popular microblogging service and social media platform, can be an extremely valuable asset when conducting your internet marketing campaign.

Through Twitter, your company can find and build relationships with prospective clients, promote your products and services or quickly draw traffic back to your website by adding links in the twitter stream.

On the other hand, Twitter can be an absolute waste of time if you aren’t following the right people or engaging enough people.

So to assure you’re getting the most out of Twitter for your internet marketing campaign, we’ve identified the top ways to grow your network on Twitter.  They are as follows:

1. Identify WHO is your prospective client or customer.  Do you sell a product nationally or are you a local practice?  Do you market to moms, the “green” community, the over-40 crowd, etc.?   Do most of your clients live within driving distance from the practice or can they order your products online?  The answer to these questions will determine how to proceed in step 2.
2. Start looking for “ideal” followers on Twitter using the “find people “link at the top of the main web page or through Twitter directories.  If you are looking for local consumers or clients, try typing in your city or state (i.e. NJ, LA, NYC) and see who pops up.  However, if you are looking for something more specific (i.e. people that tweet about health), use directories such as Twellow (http://www.twellow.com) or WeFollow (http://wefollow.com/) for a better match.
3. Once you’ve found people to follow- do so, but slloooowwwwllyy.  Especially when just starting out, you don’t want to follow more people than those that follow you.   Instead, find a handful of people, follow their accounts and wait a few days to see if they follow back.  Thank the ones that follow you publicly and quickly unfollow the ones that don’t respond to your request.
4. Pay attention to the people your followers are talking to.  You’ll be amazed at the wonderful people and potential clients you can find by following “friends of friends” on twitter.
5. Finally-be sure to TALK to the people you are following!  Comment on their status updates or just make small talk.  It goes along way when people feel like you really care about them and what they have to say.  That’s when your twitter following will start to grow naturally and beyond your wildest expectations!

On a final note-DO NOT SEND AUTO DM’s (Direct Messages) to people that follow you back.  Auto DM’s are private messages that basically spam your followers with company information or links to your products/services.  This does not make for good “social networking” and can actually cause you to lose followers very quickly.

Just remember-the point of social media is to be social. Use this service to create a “face” behind the brand and you’ll develop recognition and loyalty for life!

Editor’s note: “Tweet And Grow Rich” is an allusion to the famous “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and not some evil online money-making scam.

Image Courtesy of Flickr User timlewisnm

It’s pretty simple: marketing on the Internet is, on one level, about dominating as much real estate on page 1 of Google as possible.

The typical places to dominate are the left side of the page (natural or organic search results) and the right side of the page (paid search results). However, with the abundance of online directories aggressively marketing themselves, the ability to own more of page 1 of Google for a certain key phrase is more and more attainable.

Many online directories work as lead generation services providing their clients with a profile page that can act as a separate web site in organic rankings. Some even guarantee a certain amount of leads per month for a given cost.  Often they will also sell visible real estate on their site for an extra cost (e.g. a banner on the home page).

The main problem is that businesses sign up for these directories 1) without knowing enough about the service to ensure they are going to get an acceptable return on investment (ROI), 2) not knowing how to use these profiles to their fullest ability and 3) not understanding that in signing up they’re paying the directory to compete with them for search engine position.

I have outlined three ways you can begin measuring your ROI for each online directory you are currently under contract with, and those who may approach in the future: tracking, analyzing and optimizing

Bank of America Stock Chart

TRACKING

• For each directory/profile listing implement call-tracking numbers. These numbers allow you to track exactly how many calls come in from that listing. This also allows you to track leads throughout the entire process and decide if they are quality leads.
• Implement Google Analytics (the best free analytics tool available) to track referring sites (among other things). This allows you to see exactly how many people come directly to your site from your directory listing. There are some directories that can’t be tracked on analytics, so you will have to track these more closely in-house.

ANALYZING

• Each month every directory should send you a recap of the activity on your profile. They usually list how many visits to your profile, how many leads you got from the profile, how many leads went to your site, etc. You can use these numbers to compare to your tracking reports. This will also allow you to gauge if the leads are quality or not. Yes, they might bring in their number of guaranteed leads, but they may never convert into procedures, which is where the ROI comes into play.
• Reality check with customers: If the customer was looking for you by name, and your lead source intercepted them, they’re not doing you any good and you should discount those leads.

OPTIMIZING

• Each listing is different, but it’s important to find out all the ways you can optimize your listing for better visibility. Some allow you to add video, press releases, optimized content, articles, and before/after images – you should take advantage of any opportunity you can. This will allow you to know at the end of your contract that you have done everything possible to utilize the listing and you can accurately measure the ROI (bearing in mind that you are investing your time).

Also be aware of what you can get for free- sometimes free is enough to get you what you need.

If you are considering joining a paid online directory, consider the following before signing the dotted line.

• What is the cost per lead (CPL) the directory is guaranteeing, if any?
• What is your current CPL for your own website and how does it compare?
• How does that directory rank for valuable local and national key phrases?
• How many of your colleagues will you be competing with on the site?
• What is the site’s reputation (seek opinions from others in your industry)?
• How long is the contract? Will they let you out if the leads are no good?
• What are they doing to continue optimizing their site for your key phrases?
• What is your opportunity cost of promoting their site over yours?

Photo: Phone calls = Money

Being able to answer some of these will give you a good idea if it’s worth a shot.

Again, be aware of what you can get for free – this can sometimes be enough to get you what you need.

Directory advertising isn’t evil.  It can help you own more of page 1 and in the case of map based results may contribute to your ranking. Just be aware of the risks, rewards and cost (both monetary and opportunity) of paying someone to compete with you.

Related: Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket