Software Marketing by SoftwarePromotions

Black-hat SEO is no longer viable (not that it ever was)

Dave Collins — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:10:01 +0000

I just had a phone call with a company interested in using our SEO services. The following is an almost word-for-word transcript of part of the phone call – as best as my memory and notes can handle. Bob: “Okay this all sounds good, just we’re looking for. But can I ask you a question?” [...]

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Twitter actually works (at more than procrastination)

Dave Collins — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:05:27 +0000

Something unexpected has happened to me. I’ve finally seen the light. I now understand how to use Twitter for my business. Three years ago I wrote Twitter Flu – Win a $100 Amazon gift voucher, where I offered a $100 Amazon voucher for anyone who could tell me how to use Twitter for my business. [...]

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Google over-optimization update: a sigh of relief (or not)

Dave Collins — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:57:46 +0000

Most SEOs are today breathing a sigh of relief. The over-optimization algorithm update is live, and if our client's sites are anything go to by, there's little to worry about.

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Ugly? You better be interesting.

Dave Collins — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:20:37 +0000

The more we need a website, the more we're prepared to put up with a poor design. Amazon's layout is famously basic but effective.

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How to measure the trend in “not provided” data

Dave Collins — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:07:35 +0000

I’ve spoken to a number of people who found the There’s a war on data post a little worrying, and in particular wanted to know how to how many of their organic visits are being recorded as “not provided”, and how to see the rate of increase in this trend. It’s very simple. Go into your [...]

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There’s a war on data – and we’re all going to lose

Dave Collins — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:08:31 +0000

Your website’s data isn’t abstract, academic or a goal in itself. It’s a means of understanding your visitors – where they come from, what they’re looking for, what they do once they arrive and more. If you’re against the concept of analytics, you’re effectively against understanding how people interact with your website and your business. [...]

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The Myth of the First Impression

Dave Collins — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:00:32 +0000

You only get one chance to make a first impression, but every interaction has the opportunity to be the one that lasts.

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Invalid Clicks are meaningless?

Dave Collins — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:02:39 +0000

Click Fraud poses one of the greatest threats to the future of Google, a company whose 2011 unaudited accounts show advertising generating over 96% of their total revenue. If Click Fraud were to spiral out of control, and advertisers were to realise that a significant percentage of their ad spend was fraudulent, it wouldn’t take long [...]

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Still ignoring your mobile users? So are we.

Dave Collins — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:07:41 +0000

I just looked in the Google Analytics accounts of 25 different companies, to see how many visitors are using a mobile device. The figures ranged from 0.5% to 10.3%, with an average of 4.9%. Most companies, ourselves included, choose to ignore the problem.

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Today’s inspiration: spam

Dave Collins — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:03:19 +0000

Don't ask me how this started, but I've become very intrigued by spam. The figures are incredible: around 130 - 150 billion sent every day, and only a 0.0001% response rate is needed to make a profit.

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Google remarketing: persistence or stalking?

Dave Collins — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:10:25 +0000

Google's remarketing allows you to reach people who've visited your website. The question isn't whether or not the system works. We've picked up new work at a low cost. The question is whether or not the basic strategy is a good idea.

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Data Never Lies

Dave Collins — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:38:47 +0000

Gut instinct is over-rated. Try setting-up a split test on one of your website’s main pages with four new variations. And try to predict which will win. In theory, you have a one in five chance chance of getting it right. In reality, you’re likely to have a different perspective on your website than your [...]

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How do you function with your eyes closed?

Dave Collins — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:25:15 +0000

I’m going to make some assumptions about you and your website. 1: You probably have Google Analytics installed on your website. 2: You probably don’t use it very much. A lot of companies follow three typical stages with Analytics. Stage 1: Analytics is setup and the code installed on the website. Stage 2: Lots of [...]

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Google’s Privacy Policy – did anyone actually care?

Dave Collins — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:27:09 +0000

Google made some pretty dramatic changes to their privacy policies. When they announced them, the tech world was in uproar. The changes have now been in place for twelve days. Did the average user care? Did you, your parents or friends close their accounts? Did you contact your MP or congressman? We (you and I) [...]

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Pain is bad

Dave Collins — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:04:00 +0000

I won’t name and shame, but I’ve just found a software solution that would make my life easier. The company selling it, however, have forced me to jump through so many hoops before buying it that I’ve given up. The mathematics are simple. The benefits of using your product have to outweigh the pain involved [...]

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The Copyright Wars

Dave Collins — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:15:05 +0000

If we address crime in our cities by building ever more sophisticated security systems for our homes, and choose to ignore what's happening beyond our walls, we risk turning our homes into fortresses and eventually into prisons.

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Your website needs better marketing

Dave Collins — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:06:01 +0000

It doesn't matter how niche your market, enticing your copy or inept your competition. Your website competes with everything.

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Trust and the Privacy Bubble

Dave Collins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:50:34 +0000

Customers wield more power with their collective credit cards than any government legislation. Now might be a good time to remind your customers how much you value their trust and safeguard their privacy.

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Nice meaningless images

Dave Collins — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:11:36 +0000

The "picture is worth a thousand words" often seems to be taken a little too literally.

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The limits of automation

Dave Collins — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:18:46 +0000

The Inside AdWords blog recently announced that Google have raised the number of automated rules from 10 to 100. Don't be tempted. Don't consider automation.

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