All About GPRS

All About GPRS
Dickens once said, \"never close your lips to those to whom you have opened your heart.\" Perhaps we can now say, \"never close your ..

Google Universal, News,Images and Video Even More Important to Your SEO Strategy
Google's new update to design and function means you have to search optimize images and video

Image from blog post at WebWare

May 16 was Google's Searchology day. They unveiled a number of new Google services to the media, and the one that produced the most buzz was Google Universal – the redesign of the site and the way the search engine finds and displays results.

Here are some comments from the experts:

“Google is integrating the results from several different kinds of searches - text, photos, video, news, books, etc. - onto one page. It may encourage searchers to increase their use of Google products that aren't getting as much attention. It's Google's way of making vertical search results more visible. And it means more work for you.” Developer Shed Weekly

“A major change to how Google presents search results, a revision to the "main" Google that weaves videos, news, books, and other results into the Web-page results you get.” PC world “Google’s universal search adds content such as relevant videos, images, news, and maps to standard Web links with search queries. Will this move spell the end of search engine marketing?” Information Week

“Google is undertaking the most radical change to its search results ever, introducing a "Universal Search" system that will blend listings from its news, video, images, local and book search engines among those it gathers from crawling web pages. Search marketers who have paid attention to the importance of specialized or vertical search will see new opportunities.” Search Engine Land

The old Google search results page has disappeared. News, images and video results are being displayed on page one along with web pages.   In order to make room for these extra Google vertical results some of the current page one results get bumped off the page.

What does this mean for your SEO efforts? Content, content, content is more important than ever.

• Create a constant flow of optimized news that gets picked up in Google News on your keywords
• Make sure you use images as content and tag and optimize all images with keywords
• Add video to your site where appropriate. Tag and optimize it for search.
• Syndicate your content. Put your press releases, articles, images and video in an RSS feed for greater visibility

See Also

• Google 2.0 Google Universal
  Danny Sullivan's excellent overview of how Google Universal is affecting search results.
• Techmeme Google Universal
  Follow the discussion on Google Universal

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Social Technographics Can Guide Your Web Content Strategy
Forrester Research Puts Social Media Into Perspective

A new report from Charlene Li and Josh Bernhoff at Forrester Research says that most companies get involved in social media in a haphazard way - a blog here, a podcast there  - with no coherent web content strategy based on audience needs.

Start with your target audience and determine what kind of relationship you want to build with them, based on what they are ready for.

Forrester categorizes social computing behaviors into a ladder with six levels of participation; we use the term "Social Technographics" to describe analyzing a population according to its participation in these levels. Brands, Web sites, and any other company pursuing social technologies should analyze their customers' Social Technographics first, and then create a social strategy based on that profile.

The basis of "social technographics" is the level of consumer participation and they have developed a 'ladder' to show how to use this as a strategy guide.

• Creators - publish web content 13%
• Critics - comment on other's content  19%
• Collectors - use RSS,social bookmarks and tags 15%
• Joiners - use social networking sites 19%
• Spectators - read blogs, listen to podcasts 33%
• Inactives - not involved in any social media 52%

The report also offers insight into how Social Technographics profiles differ by primary life motivation, site usage, and even PC ownership.   

Makes good sense to plan your social media and web content strategy around solid research on your target audiences.  The basics of good marketing and PR still apply.

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Include Video In Your Content Strategy
User generated video getting good views from niche audiences

It's time to start brushing up on flash, screencasting, video production, and video networks, syas Brian Solis.

Online video is the next frontier for the communications industry adding a new layer of engagement to any existing PR, marketing and web initiative.

During the week of February 3, YouTube's traffic surged above the combined traffic to all of the television network websites, reported LeeAnn Prescott of Hitwise in February..

This is a landmark event in the changing face of web traffic and entertainment consumption, now that entertainment seekers are now more likely to go to YouTube than any other television network or gaming website.

Although you never had to learn how to make a VNR, you might have to learn how to make these online videos.

Being able to produce a good viral piece with a video camera or a using a program like Camtasia could put you ahead of the pack. If you are not going to learn to do it, find a social media agency that can produce these ideas for your clients or your company.

If you're in the LA area, or you're attending the PR Convergence conference in LA next week, come to the Social Media Club meeting. There is no charge and we'll be talking about these ideas.

It's 6 pm - 8 pm Wednesday May 16th at the Universal Hilton.

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