Now that we’re beyond that moment of ignorance, lets tackle this topic. Exposure is the number one reason companies utilise social media networks. Social network channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope, and Twitter allow direct contact to a company’s consumer base with a simple post. Now what is the perceived conundrum here with jumping into the deep end and signing up for one (or more) of these accounts?

You need a consumer base. Here is where the “efficiency” factor comes into play. Follow the guidelines below outlining how to effectively and “efficiently” generate a following thus creating the exposure desired.

Don’t post pictures of kittens…focus on valuable content

Yes, kittens are adorable. Will they create one million LOYAL followers? Arguably not. So what should you focus on when creating content? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the golden question. Perceived expertise, whether valid or not, is the number one factor in driving traffic to a social media account. Content quality is one crucial method for producing perceived expertise.

Quality content revolves around the customer. Before creating a post, ask yourself whether or not this is information desired by those interested in the industry. If not, go back to the drawing board and rehash the content.

Customer interaction leads to invaluable insights

How do you know what a customer desires? Interact with them! Online forums exist where people rant and rave over products, information quality, services, etc. Dive into the internet and discover what a consumer base needs. For instance, articles simply clarifying information can have a significant impact if it simplifies someone’s life. Additionally, consider posting relevant trends in your company’s particular industry. This demonstrates knowledge and command of the field.

Timing is everything

What time do most people go to work? What time do they typically have lunch? Ever thought about when they leave work or have dinner or go to bed? Human beings are naturally consistent people, each with their own individual routines. What is interesting is that society itself has general trends and routines as well. Why is this important?

Submitting a post in between particular hours of the day will generally prove beneficial by maximising viewing exposure or detrimental due to limited viewing exposure. Timing of each post is a critical component when attempting to generate the most exposure. Consider societal trends and determine what timeframe best works for your industry. Hint: don’t forget about time zones in other countries!

Quickly create exposure with flash promotions

Have you ever seen the advertisements saying something to the effect of “share this link and earn a chance to win X product”? That is a flash promotion. Activities such as these, with a well chosen prize, can generate quick (but TRANSIENT) exposure for any company. Ensure your social media account’s account has established quality content to review otherwise customers won’t be interested beyond the promotion.

The post The Power of Efficiency: Targeted Methods for Social Media Exposure appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

Embracing the age of social media and using it to your benefit

Social media “sharing” is not only free advertising, but it is the best kind of free advertising—it is the digital form of word-of-mouth advertising. It has become so widely used for sharing information that it is often a significant disadvantage for a company to not integrate social media tools into their website as it makes it more difficult for existing and potential customers to share their experiences with your product or company.

When someone visits your website to learn about, say, a product or an upcoming event and they find the information they are seeking, if they were to “Like” the website on Facebook, anyone who is a friend of theirs is likely to see the “Like.” Since people trust product recommendations from their friends more than from paid advertising on television or radio, they are more likely to also visit your website to also learn about your product or service.

Twitter and Pinterest work similarly. If someone visits your page to review a product, they can then “Tweet” a link to your website along with a short message about what they learned or they can “Pin” it to their profile of interests so that all of their followers can see it.

Choosing the right platforms

With so many social media platforms available, which ones should you use? The platforms are not all born equal and the different features will benefit you in different ways.

It is worth experimenting with all of the available platforms, and deciding which two or three your company can use most effectively.

Facebook is appropriate for most companies and organisations because of how widely it is used and because of its versatility in sharing pictures, news articles, links, and company information. It is also easy for people to discuss the shared content in comment sections. However, recently there have been complaints from users about their content not reaching all of their followers unless they pay to ‘increase reach’, which is turning many companies off.

Twitter is a valuable platform for any company that either depends on or produces frequent news stories. It represents an efficient tool for sending and receiving news quickly. If your company wants to ‘join the conversation’, become an authority in the niche, or can benefit heavily from networking with other professionals, then Twitter is a good choice.

Pinterest allows your supporters to share their interest in your product and related products on a personalised profile. Your profile on Pinterest will be made up of ‘boards’ which you fill with images. This makes Pinterest a great tool for particularly visual companies, such as products brands or anything related to fashion and design.

LinkedIn is a great platform for professional networking and sharing information about events. Often B2B products and services benefit from having their content shared on Twitter.

And finally Instagram is becoming more and more popular with E-commerce stores and visual brands. You are only able to post images, and the platform is mobile based. You are able to use hashtags to get right in front of your target audience, so this platform is ideal for B2C businesses trying to build a visual identity.

Making your content shareable

In most cases, you will have the option—either through your website designer, or through your content management system—to incorporate prominently visible buttons on your webpage that allow visitors to instantly share content through one or more social media outlets.

It is essential to make these tools easy to find and use so that your loyal customers and supporters can share your products or messages with their networks.
You’ll find that in fact many people are looking for content to share to increase their own reputation and personal / company brand, so not getting the share buttons upfront and visible could turn out to be a big mistake on your part.

The post Integrating Social Media into Your Website appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

However, many people are often frozen into inaction due to confusion on what should be done or fear of a Google penalty. While over-optimisation is certainly more than just an urban myth, doing nothing is even more dangerous. To help get your on-page on its way, implement the following tips today.

Improve SEO with Title Tags

This is perhaps the most important piece of optimisation that you’re going to do, so make sure you get it right straight off the bat. Don’t make it too long or convoluted – remember that users will see this as your listing title on Google. Instead, keep it short and to the point.

In terms of keywords, don’t stuff your title full of relevant terms. Put your main keyword in the title once, alongside additional text to make sure it ‘blends’ and doesn’t look too obvious.

Your Content

First of all, abide by the golden rule: Content Is King. If you want to rank on Google, make sure your content is relevant, focused, rich, and useful. Short and sweet has its place, but your content needs to be nice and juicy. Try and make it a page of authority, something that people will come back to again and again.

Sprinkle relevant long-tail keywords in your content, without making it look spammy. Write a piece that’s not just for robots, but will spur people to share it on social media platforms as well. Include images, videos, graphs, you name.

The URL

Your URL should be specified every single time. Don’t let your CMS (Content Management System) name your pages by default – otherwise, you’ll end up with URLs that look similar to: http://www.yoursite.com/2123.html. Naturally, this doesn’t tell Google anything about what the page is going to be about.

Once again, watch that you don’t stuff your keywords in there like a madman. Keep things simple and relevant, with proper category structures as well.

Links

It’s important that you interlink between pieces of content on your site. Think about Wikipedia and how they do it – each and every article has links to other places on the same website. The links are related to the piece, helping users find information.

You not only want to add internal links, but make sure you get some outbound links as well. After all, you’re part of an ecosystem and you should ensure you let Google know about it. Link to sites that are relevant in your field (but not competitors), letting Google know that your site knows what it’s talking about.

IMG Alt Tags and File Names

Your images should all have descriptions within the alt tags, while file names should also be related to the keyword you’re trying to rank for. Don’t just stuff your keyword all over the place, but instead find synonyms and other terms that are related.

Need More Help?

We understand that this article has gone into the nitty gritty – it may either be reaching the limits of your technical know-how, or you may have developed a bit of a headache already.

If this isn’t the kind of thing you want to be doing yourself, give us a call. We’re a leading Bristol SEO agency that’s ranked countless of keywords using the strategies described above, in addition to a wide range of advanced strategies.

The post 5 On-page SEO tips to improve your Google ranking appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

Essentially, it all comes down to quality links pointing to your website and the social media vibes you’re sending out. Our campaigns are built on layered strategies that combine a number of different sources – these are just a few you can implement for your company right off the bat.

Social Media Presence helps you SEO

These days, businesses are not just expected to have a modern website with all the bells and whistles attached, but you should also ensure you have plenty of clout amongst the social media giants.

We’re talking about Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as a bare minimum. Ensure you update these profiles regularly and that they are all branded with your logo and colours. Remember, it’s important to maintain a professional image with everything you do online.

Not only will these social media signals please Google, but it will also enhance your relationships with both existing and potential customers. They’ll see that you’re more than just a business and that you’re willing to engage. Bring on the brownie points.

Press Releases

We’re not necessarily talking about getting your website featured on the front page of BBC News (though that would be nice!), but rather using one of the many press release services online. These allow you to get the news about your business out there using industry relevant sources, which can be a handy tool for traffic.

The other good thing about these press releases is that Google values them in a big way. Each link that you place in one of your news articles counts as a ‘vote’ for your site (simplistically speaking). Just a single link pointing back to your website can make your site jump up in Google by several spots.

There is a caveat, however. You need to be careful about which services you sign up to. Many are either a complete rip-off or will actually harm your site by providing low-value links. Stick to the quality websites and expect to pay market value for these links.

Guest Posting

We’ve already mentioned how a link counts as a ‘vote’ in the eyes of Google. The more quality links – and we really want to emphasis quality here – you send back to your site, the better the chance of ranking on the first page.

One great way of getting these links is by writing guests posts on relevant websites. Think about some popular websites that cover your industry and see whether there are opportunities for your business. Many sites will charge you for the privilege, but others will allow you to place a link in exchange for quality content.

These are just 3 ways of tackling your off-site strategies. There are countless others and with just a little creative thinking it’s possible to get valuable links that won’t cost you the earth. If you’d like to discuss the options for your business, don’t hesitate to give us a ring.

The post 3 Off-site SEO opportunities you shouldn’t miss! appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

Twitter is an excellent platform to drive traffic to your website. It can help you get new customers with just a small amount of investment – in many cases, you’re simply sharing things you’re reading or doing anyway. It’s all about leveraging that power and ensuring you do it the right way. Here are 4 ways you can drive up followers easily and quickly.

Tweet Often on Twitter (But Not Junk!)

If you want your Twitter account to be a bonafide success, then you’re going to have to invest the time necessary to make that happen. Keeping on top of your account by making regular updates is your first port of call. Add hashtags where relevant so that your tweets come up in searches.

Of course, the key is to keep your tweets relevant and worth reading. No one wants to see what the office cat has had for lunch or that you’re happy the sun is shining. The minute users see irrelevant and annoying tweets coming up, they’ll not think twice about discarding you.

Use Tweets to Link to Useful Content

In addition to tweeting relevant pieces of information (i.e. not how your day is going!), it helps to use Twitter as a platform to link to your – or someone else’s – useful content.

Some Twitter accounts work fantastically well as resource aggregators. In other words, people will follow you because they know you have the finger on the pulse. Link to authoritative posts you have written on your website, or simply share a resource you’ve found elsewhere.

Interact

Twitter isn’t just about sending out your message, but about interacting. That’s the best way to get people to follow you. Get involved in conversations, reply to messages, and ask questions of people that operate in your field.

Look for accounts that share similar interests or operate in your field. If you focus on web development solutions, for example, get talking with other agencies that provide similar (but not identical) services.

Focus on Images, Not Videos

While we’re not saying you should give up on videos completely, stats do tell us that the Twitter faithful tweet more images – in fact, they are shared 361% more. Not only that, images get 128% more retweets as well.

Considering that videos take much longer (and a larger budget to boot) to publish, it’s a no-brainer that you should build your base on creating share-worthy images for your Twitter followers to share with others.

These 4 tips will get you more followers, guaranteed. However, we understand that managing your social media accounts isn’t always at the top of your priority list. After all, you have a business to take care of.

If you need tips or advice on how best to drive your social marketing campaigns forward, give us a call. As a leading Bristol SEO agency, we’d be happy to help your business.

The post 4 Easy Ways to Get More Twitter Followers for Your Business appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

Some are tempted to go blackhat by paying a dodgy SEO expert who promises overnight rankings. If you’re not already swayed by the ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is’ argument – then the following points should convince you that black hat SEO should be avoided at all costs.

Black Hat SEO Doesn’t Work (Most of the Time)

We’ll be the first to admit that black hat SEO tactics that are used by the cleverest techies are something to be admired. Shooting to the top of page 1 in a matter of days or weeks can be achieved. ‘So what’s the problem?’ we already hear you ask.

Well, the dirty little secret is that 99% of these so-called ‘experts’ are nothing but snake oil merchants that don’t quite know what they’re doing. Purporting to use the latest techniques, they actually often rely on spamming your site to oblivion.

Or It Won’t Last

Even if you happen to come across someone who knows what they’re doing, you’re always just a penalty away from disappearing from Google completely. The worst-case scenario, namely de-indexing, means you have to start over from scratch. Yes, you understood that correctly: registering a brand new domain, re-writing your web content, and pretty much going back to square one.

While black-hatters profit from ranking keywords that are lucrative even if the site is only on page 1 for a couple of hours, you’re likely not operating on that level. And even if you do get a couple of additional customers, is it really worth having to ditch your business website due to a Google penalty?

Too Many Snake-Oil Salesmen

The problem with these black hat SEO tactics is that there’s a huge difference between what’s ‘just’ risky and what’s a downright guaranteed slap from the Big G. How is a run-of-the-mill business owner meant to know the difference? Answer: it’s very difficult, if not impossible.

That’s why it’s preferable going for a proven agency with a track record using tactics that are safe. They may require a little bit more effort and up-front investment, but you’ll get a good return over time. You also won’t see your site disappear from Google.

It’s All About the Long Game

When it comes to SEO, ranking from one day to the next is something you shouldn’t aim for. After all, you want to stick around for the long haul, don’t you? Playing the long game is ultimately far more rewarding and even though you may need to wait a little longer, you’re also likely to stick around on the search results.

That’s why we recommend opting for traditional content marketing strategies mixed in with a little bit of our creativity. With just a tad of out of the box thinking you can go a long way, without having to go over to the dark side of SEO.

The post 4 Reasons to Avoid Black Hat SEO Tactics appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

Not only does this unfairly exclude a large section of the population, but if you look at it from a purely financial perspective, you’re also missing out on a chunk of existing and potential customers. To ensure your website is fully accessible, you and your creative agency should cater to the following guidelines.

Make use of Alt Tags in your Website

When you hover over a link or an image on the web, you often find that a small box of text pops up on your screen. This is called the ‘alt tag’ and is an essential part in ensuring your website is accessible. Not only that, it also helps with your SEO efforts as it tells Google what your content is about, helping you rank for relevant terms.

Don’t use alt tags as long descriptions of the image or link in question, but don’t be vague either. Try and be as accurate as possible – this allows readers and text-only versions to let users know what you’re intending.

Transcribe and Subtitle

Videos are an excellent way to reach a wider audience and engage users. However, not everyone will be able to see or hear your production. That’s where transcriptions and subtitles come in.

For the hard of hearing, ensure each video has subtitles running alongside. Transcriptions are useful for those that need the text of a website to be read out. Transcriptions also have the added benefit of injecting more content into your website, which again is good for SEO.

Use Colours Wisely

Hopefully, your designer will guide you through this process but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. Using the right colours is important for your audience, for accessibility but also for user experience.

In particular, pay attention to text and background colour combinations. If it’s hard to read, people will move along. Those with colour blindness will struggle. Stick to your basic white background with black text and structure your design around that. While there are exceptions, it’s a good framework to build from.

Keep Improving Performance

It’s not easy to cater to every single user out there right from the get go. Try and cover all of the bases, but remember that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Once your site is live, track your users with Google Analytics (or a similar tool).

Using these stats you’ll be able to get a clearer idea of the technology being used and what you’re audience needs. Tweak accordingly and deliver what they’re asking for.

Format Your Copy

When placing blog entries or news articles on your website, try and avoid dumping a bunch of text without formatting. No one is going to bother reading it and those that struggle with their vision will not even be able to.

In addition to formatting, allow text size to be increased without impacting the design. It should be flexible enough to work with a font size that’s a few points higher than the intended default. Older web surfers tend to crank up the zoom on the text a few notches – if your design is constrictive, this move will break the template and make the site unusable.

The post Make Sure Everyone Can Use Your Website appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.

However, many people are often frozen into inaction due to confusion on what should be done or fear of a Google penalty. While over-optimisation is certainly more than just an urban myth, doing nothing is even more dangerous. To help get your on-page on its way, implement the following tips today.

1. Title Tag

This is perhaps the most important piece of your on-page optimisation that you’re going to do, so make sure you get it right straight off the bat. Don’t make it too long or convoluted – remember that users will see this as your listing title on Google. Instead, keep it short and to the point.

In terms of keywords, don’t stuff your title full of relevant terms. Put your main keyword in the title once, alongside additional text to make sure it ‘blends’ and doesn’t look too obvious.

2. Your Content

First of all, abide by the golden rule: Content Is King. If you want to rank on Google, make sure your content is relevant, focused, rich, and useful. Short and sweet has its place, but your content needs to be nice and juicy. Try and make it a page of authority, something that people will come back to again and again.

Sprinkle relevant long-tail keywords in your content, without making it look spammy. Write a piece that’s not just for robots, but will spur people to share it on social media platforms as well. Include images, videos, graphs, you name.

3. The URL

Your URL should be specified every single time. Don’t let your CMS (Content Management System) name your pages by default – otherwise, you’ll end up with URLs that look similar to: http://www.yoursite.com/2123.html. Naturally, this doesn’t tell Google anything about what the page is going to be about.

Once again, watch that you don’t stuff your keywords in there like a madman. Keep things simple and relevant, with proper category structures as well.

4.Links

It’s important that you interlink between pieces of content on your site. Think about Wikipedia and how they do it – each and every article has links to other places on the same website. The links are related to the piece, helping users find information.

You not only want to add internal links, but make sure you get some outbound links as well. After all, you’re part of an ecosystem and you should ensure you let Google know about it. Link to sites that are relevant in your field (but not competitors), letting Google know that your site knows what it’s talking about.

5. IMG Alt Tags and File Names

Your images should all have descriptions within the alt tags, while file names should also be related to the keyword you’re trying to rank for. Don’t just stuff your keyword all over the place, but instead find synonyms and other terms that are related.

Need More Help?

We understand that this article has gone into the nitty gritty – it may either be reaching the limits of your technical know-how, or you may have developed a bit of a headache already.

If this isn’t the kind of thing you want to be doing yourself, give us a call. We’re a leading Bristol SEO agency that’s ranked countless keywords using the strategies described above, in addition to a wide range of advanced strategies.

The post 5 simple webpage changes to improve your google ranking appeared first on Graphics & Website Design Portishead.