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Marketing Without a Cost

Thursday, June 6th, 2013

There are many aspects to owning a business that are very important for your business to be successful. Keeping all aspects in balance and unity will make a successful business. But, of course, income is the most important. So, how do you get your name and brand out there in order to sell and produce income? Marketing. Marketing is a big part to having a business. The most effective methods are going to come at a cost, because in reality, you pay to win. But, have you thought of the methods that may come to you without a cost? Below is a list of marketing suggestions that may help your startup or company gain name recognition without emptying your wallet.

Blogging: It is always a great idea to have a blog on your site and try to post at least once a week, if not more. But, this is not going to technically bring any new business to your site if no one knows your name. So, find other great blogs or bloggers in your industry and comment on them. Try and contribute to these blogs by leaving very informative information in the comments section. Keep in mind that the more information the better, because simply putting ‘this is very informative’ will not get your comment approved. Once approved, other users can view it and become familiar with you and your company.
Article Creation: Building backlinks is ideal if you know how to. It is not suggested if you have never built links in the past because you could get penalized with the search engines, hurting your brand. Let those knowledgeable in the field do it for you. If you do know how, this is the most effective way to market in the Internet marketing World. You will need to write your own articles and submit them to article directories. It is suggested to submit around eight articles per month. If you are able to, then in due time the rankings of your site should improve.
Social Media: At this point, we all know the big outlet that has been changing the marketing industry considerably. All social media outlets including, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn are free services that can gain your brand recognition, and in the end, client retention. Keep in mind that once you create these accounts you have to be sure to be posting on a regular basis in order to keep your audience interested. Also, remember to engage with those that are engaging with you. Excellent customer service is a huge plus!
Forums: Find a few forums that are related to your industry. Once you join the forums, make sure your signature and profile includes a link to your website. Also, be sure to involve yourself in the conversations with informative information, daily. It would be ideal for you to try and contribute three to four times a day in order to be recognized and reputable.

These are just a few ideas to try and market yourself without breaking the bank in the beginning stages of your new business. Of course, there are great marketing efforts at low costs that can improve your strategy greatly. For any Internet marketing needs or questions, please feel free to contact us!

Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Marketing | No Comments »

AdWords in Bulk

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

For those running their PPC campaigns through Google AdWords, you may have noticed that last month Google released a ‘keyword bulk upload’. This was released in order to add, edit, and remove keywords in bulk. Now Google is following up on the bulk upload to include ads and adgroups, which is great! The option comes when downloading a report. When you go to download a report, there is a check box that reads editable. You will want to check this in order to make edits to the report once downloaded. To further explain, it will allow you to make edits to the ad creatives, pause or enable ad groups, and change budgets. Below are bulleted steps with explanations that you need to take in order to make ad and adgroup changes in bulk.

Prior to editing the report, be sure to save your original file because once the changes are made they cannot be un-done. This of course is standard practice to save, but always a great reminder.
Once the report is created, you should notice that the first column says ‘Action’. This is the column to make the actions that are necessary. If you leave this column blank, then no changes will be made.
The ‘actions’ that are able to be implemented are Add, Remove, or Set. When making the action ‘Set’, you will then need to add an action in the ‘Action Status’ column. The options to choose for changing an ad or adgroup from there are ‘enabled’ and ‘paused’. Again, if ‘Set’ is in the ‘Action’ column, be sure to add enabled or paused to the ‘Action Status’ column, or else no changes will be made.
Once the report is completely edited for an ad or adgroup, you will want to go back to AdWords and upload.
First, you will want to click ‘Reports and Uploads’ which is near the Shared Library area.
Then, click the ‘Uploads’ tab, browse for your file, and upload!

Hopefully, those that run PPC in AdWords have found the bulk uploading helpful. If you have not tried it yet, follow these steps and let us know what you think of the bulk uploading feature!

Posted in Internet Marketing, PPC Advertising | No Comments »

Options to Launch a Mobile Website

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Remember back to the time when mobile website design was more of a ‘luxury’ or ‘advantage’? Well, it didn’t seem that long ago..but, as we know it, mobile design is becoming a ‘must have’. If your company does not have a mobile site plan or is in the process of implementing one, we suggest that you should start considering or developing one. If not, you may find yourself behind in the digital World. For those that need options on launching a mobile website, this post may find you well. Keep in mind, that these are merely suggestions for short term and long term options.

Create a separate mobile version: what this means is to have two separate versions of your site. One that uses your main URL and the other that has a mobile specific domain name, such as, m.netsearch.com. This is one approach, but not one that is highly suggested. It will not be responsive to all digital devices. It will only respond to the device it was designed for. Also, this isn’t the best option in regards to SEO. Having one URL to optimize is a much better solution. You may find this to be a better short term option while in the process of designing for number 4.
Download a plugin: Another option is to download a plugin that will create a mobile site for you. There are certain plugins within WP that can eliminate the headaches that might come with a mobile site design. Once the plugin is downloaded it will allow for installation of software, which will develop mobile site versions that will work on all digital devices. As for SEO, this is a much better solution then creating two separate sites. But, it is still not the best. The problem with plugins is the fact you can lose a lot of branding elements. Typically the plugin will re-create the site nicely, but will be barebones in terms of branding. When users see a site that does not look like the one off a PC, they most likely will become confused thinking it is another company and leave the site.
Develop a mobile app: Instead of trying to recreate your site. Another option would be to develop an app that has all of your site’s information and branding. This is just an added option, but truly it would not be a complete replacement of your mobile site. This would be another short term option.
Design a responsive site: A responsive site is going to be the absolute best scenario in terms of both design and SEO. What responsive means is that it will automatically resize to the specified digital device each user is using, whether it be desktop, mobile, tablet, etc. It also allows you to keep one URL with your branding and content. NetSearch Direct is now offering only responsive designed websites. Please contact us if you would like to have a new website designed or with any questions in regards to responsive design!

Posted in Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design | No Comments »

Tips for your Startup Optimization

Friday, May 10th, 2013

Those who have started up a business or have thought about starting up a business may know that it can be a huge risk. We hope that one of those risks does not involve your SEO optimization. A new business whether it has a brand new domain or not will most likely not be ranking high with great optimization, especially if the site has never been optimized. Hopefully, these tips will set your start up on the right path because having a poorly optimized site can really harm your results.

User Interface and User Experience: Most would think that it is not highly important to have a great interface or user experience and that is wrong. It is very important to keep a well-designed site. The search engines do in fact downgrade your site if not. For instance, the algorithm from Google, Panda, was designed to downgrade sites with a poor user interface and experience. So, before starting optimization it is suggested that you have a well-designed site.
Page load time: Try to avoid interfaces that include flash, marquees, large text images, etc. It can slow down your load time tremendously. Everyone has different internet, so be sure to avoid anything that can slow it down. The moment your site is taking too long to load the user will close out.
Social Media: It is now important to search engines that you are frequent on social media. Social signals have become part of the search engine’s algorithms for rankings. So, if you are a new business, there is no better way than reaching out to your clients in other ways such as social media. Plus, it will only help optimize your site.
Natural Link Building: It is imperative when link building that you avoid automated software or building too many links too fast on your own. This may send flags to the search engines that the site is being manipulated. When it comes to link building it is best to contact outside help that has ample experience on the matter. That way you know your site is building links naturally.
Choosing the right SEO firm: It is always important that if you do not know enough about SEO and how to optimize properly that you hire an SEO company to do it for you. We are very adamant that businesses know the importance of choosing the right SEO firm. If you choose the wrong firm it could do your site more harm than good. It is best to build questions that should be asked before making the decision. Some of these questions may include, their plans, how they operate, results of success, if they have a strong outreach, etc.

These are only a few tips that we find are important to starting up your SEO optimization. Keep in mind there are many more where this blog could become too long to read. If you want more information about your business and optimization, please feel free to contact us!

Posted in Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engines | No Comments »

Blog Content Writing Tips

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

The day you decide to add a blog to your website may be the day you realize how much content you will need to write. Having a blog on your site is great for your users. You can keep them up to date on your company and also inform them on different information within your industry. Starting a blog means you will need to write content and that is not always easy. We are here to provide a few tips on how to create content your users will want to read!

Brainstorm your content: Do not try to sit down and immediately start writing. Brainstorming will help organize ideas you want to post about. This is great if you are updating your users with company information. If you are updating on industry information this is a great time to do research. Find out what is new.
What is the most meaningful?: It is extremely important to make sure your content is easy to understand. Keep out any useless information. It is better to keep a shorter informative post then a lengthy post that is filled with unnecessary information. Also, make sure you have a proper title that makes sense to the post. Try to choose a heading that will grab the reader’s attention. A dull heading will not make a user want to click on your post.
Keep it short: Following up on #2, it is important to keep your reader engaged. No one enjoys reading a very lengthy post. You may be surprised how much information you can share in a short post.
Make sure your content is accurate: The great thing about the Internet is having so many sources to read on different topics. But, be careful, not all of it is true! So, check a couple sources before putting information in your post that you are not sure about.
Find other blogs to be inspired by: Typically, blogs are the most current information. People are posting frequently, so it is a great idea to review other blogs for fresh, up to date information. Once you are inspired, spin it to your own style of writing.
Keep clear and concise: After writing your content, check, re-check, and check again. Make sure the content reflects on your typical user and that it is easy for them to understand.
Follow up on comments: If someone has input and insight on your blog post, this is your opportunity to engage and write back. This can create great customer service and later, customer satisfaction.

These are just a few tips that we wanted to share in order to help you and your business create great content on your blog. Comment and let us know if you have any other great tips to share!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Do you Bing or Google?

Friday, April 19th, 2013

Survey Monkey held a recent study to explore if users prefer Google or Bing more. The study was conducted for SEO assumptions and purposes. Those in the study were shown two search result pages. One would show with the label Google and the other Bing. The respondent was then asked which they preferred. To wonder if people choose one or the other due to brand, the survey swapped the titles in the second survey. The results showed that even when the labels were switched, respondents still preferred Google. To explain further, the first survey went out to 379 respondents and they received one page of results for ‘file taxes’. The respondents were asked to choose which they preferred. One result page had true Google results and the other had true Bing results. The second survey was given to 262 respondents where they used the same search term but, instead swapped Google for Bing’s results and Bing for Google’s results. In both surveys the participant majority went to Google, proving that users are choosing Google as a result of the brand. So, continuing from last week’s post, Bing is coming out with their new product ads, if majority of respondents are still choosing Google, should businesses pay for Bing ads or would it be a waste of money? What do you think? Do you Bing or Google?

Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Search Engines | No Comments »

Bing Product Ads-Summer 2013

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

If anyone was following the Bing Developer blog today, then you have also found out that Bing will be bringing you product ads! Bing has announced that in Q3 of 2013 they will be rolling out product ads to the U.S. This will be a new search ad format that allows retail advertisers to include more details to their products. The details within the ad would include a thumbnail image, price, description, and merchant information. The purpose is for the user to see the most important details of a product in order to make the decision to click on the retail advertiser’s site or not.
Currently, Bing has been testing the new product ads with a limited group of retail advertisers. Most users most likely have not even seen one of the product ads. Those that have seen some are searching items such as home goods through Internet Explorer. But, even then, they won’t always show. Bing has provided a screenshot of what the product ads will look like and plan to have them up and running by early summer. Bing will continue to release more information on their product ads as the time gets closer. But, until then, how do you feel about Bing’s product ads?

Bing Ads PLA beta screenshot

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Meet Kendall New

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

The New Year has brought new things to NetSearch Direct, including another new face around the office. Kendall New has been brought on to the SEO team as a new Junior SEO associate. Kendall’s day to day workload consists of training, optimizing, and creating SEO content for website set ups. In the amount of time that Kendall has been working here at NSD, he has really enjoyed the employees. He has also found out how small the World is by being connected with a friendly face around the office that he has seen before. When it comes to Kendall’s day to day work load he has really enjoyed learning and using math behind keyword density, placement, and variation. Kendall’s father is a poet, which is how he has found a great love for words. But, his true love may remain within numbers. As he says, “He destroyed two years of calculus in High School”. Kendall might be new to the internet marketing niche, but he is no stranger to marketing in general. Kendall spent over a year doing marketing, sales, and web content development in the restaurant industry. He also received his undergraduate degree in Marketing from JMU. Alongside of Marketing, Kendall really enjoys computers; In his words, ‘I have a nerdy predisposition to computers.’ Kendall went on to quote Mitch Hedburg when asked where he may see himself in ten years, “Celebrating the ten year anniversary of you asking me this question.” But, on a serious note, Kendall feels that he will be in the same industry that he is in now. He hopes he is able to learn as much as he can from everyone who works here.
If Kendall is not at work he enjoys going to hip hop workshops once a week at VCU. He also enjoys, going to the gym with his older brother, running by the river, and volunteering with students from JMU through the nonprofit ministry, Young Life. If Kendall was not working in the internet marketing industry, he feels he would find himself starting his own traveling smoothie street cart. He feels that on hot days the closest smoothie shop is 4 miles away, with his smoothie street cart, it would create a lot more convenience. It would have the blender and all! Out of all the restaurants Richmond offers, Kendall would choose Europa in Shockoe Bottom as his favorite. He likes that they specialize in tapas, which are perfect for dates and he loves their dim mood lighting for ambiance in a social environment. Of the social media sites, Kendall finds the majority of his time spent on YouTube. Kendall has his own YouTube channel where his obsession may have started. He made a lot of comedic dance tutorial videos in college. The other reason he loves YouTube is that he is able to follow choreography of his favorite dances. He recently took a class at a famous studio in L.A. that he found online! All in all he loves that Youtube can revolutionize musician’s ability to market themselves without getting deals from giant record labels. Like some other employees at NSD, Kendall would love to visit Australia. He found out about their laid-back nature when he met a couple Australians while backpacking in Europe. When he goes to Australia, he has taken on the challenge to ride a kangaroo along the beach at sunset with the outback behind him. Let’s hope this challenge is successful! Kendall has brought a very humorous and positive personality to the NSD team and we are glad to have him here, welcome Kendall!

Posted in Employee Spotlight | No Comments »

eBay Claims Paid Search Ads Do Not Work – What’s The Truth?

Friday, March 29th, 2013

Last week eBay released their study on the effectiveness of PPC to the Harvard Business Review. The article on the eBay study, dubbed “Did eBay Just Prove That Paid Search Ads Don’t Work?” has created a lot of debate for companies who are currently utilizing PPC as an advertising medium.

So – could it be true? Is PPC an advertising enigma? Of course not! At the surface level many people would probably side with eBay in belief that pay per click does not work, but when taking a deeper look it is easy to see that their case was atypical. First, almost everyone already knows who eBay is and what they do. This is not true for most other businesses; especially local businesses. This is why PPC is important – to build brand awareness. Secondly, it is important to remember that eBay does not have ‘core products.’ When building a quality PPC campaign it is important to create text ads and center on keywords that focus on your businesses main or most profitable products so that you can clearly see your ROI. As for eBay, their buyable products are constantly changing, making it difficult to have targeted keywords and keyword rich text ads. eBay’s ever changing product list also gave them a little trouble when creating dynamic ads:

So, although eBay is not drinking the PPC Kool-Aide, it is important to remember that the best advertising method for one business may not be the best for the next business. Read the article for yourself and let us know that you think – but I believe you will find that indeed paid search ads DO WORK.

Tags: Internet Marketing, Paid Search, ppc, Search Engines
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Facebook Graph Search is Here

Monday, March 25th, 2013

Facebook has always been frequent on creating new updates for its site and there is a new one that could be a game changer. This past January, Facebook began testing out their new search tool for its users. The new search tool, referred to as ‘Graph Search’, is a way to narrow down on different topics, such as groups, events, photos, likes, places, accompanied by other keywords. Graph Search is currently in Beta phase. If you want to sign up for it you can but you will be put on a waiting list. If you do not want to test it out on beta you will be able to try it when it opens to all of its users. Graph Search was given the name by the term Social Graph, which is technical for a giant network of connections. So, what is Graph Search? Is it useful to you or useful to businesses?

Well, to explain, Graph Search has expanded the Facebook search from looking up member names and pages separately to now combining and creating a short phrase of both. For example, instead of looking up ‘Target’ you can now look up ‘Friends who like Target’. Facebook will then populate all of your friends who like Target. Another example would be ‘Photos of friends in Richmond, VA’ and Facebook will populate all images of friends who have tagged their location as Richmond, Virginia in their photos.

In the end, Graph Search is showing the connections and likes you and your friends may have in common plus more. But, how can we incorporate businesses. Well, in theory, Facebook Graph Search is combining Google search, LinkedIn’s connections, Yelp’s restaurant reviews, and Foursquare’s locations. This can open a lot of doors for businesses in areas such as, business development, market research, employee recruitment, and sponsorship opportunities. There are many different searches a business can make that can help in all aspects of growing and getting your business name out there. Keep a well optimized Facebook business page to start. Then begin your own searches in looking for what you want to accomplish through Graph Search. For instance, if you are a new company in Richmond, Virginia and you are looking for new employees, you can now use Facebook’s graph search by creating a search such as ‘Recent graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University’. Then Facebook will populate all users that match this search. You can then narrow your search from there. This is just one example of many that could benefit your business and your businesses growth. So, why not test it out and see how much your business can accomplish through Graph Search?

Posted in Social Networking Sites, Uncategorized | No Comments »