Keywords. Keywords. Keywords.

“Why didn’t my company appear first when I Googled it?”

“Is my website search-engine optimized?”

“Does my website make me look fat?”

These are all fun questions that you may receive from a client. Unfortunately, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines’ “natural,” or un-paid search results — is not an exact science and you can’t generate overnight success for your clients. But, there are some simple best practices that you can implement when building a website that will make you very comfortable saying “YES” to the second question above (never say “YES” to the third question!).

To achieve high-ranking “natural” search results (non-paid), your greatest tool is keywords. Also, you should use a lot of keywords. And don’t forget about the keywords.

Keywords. Keywords. Keywords.

Where do these keywords go that I am so obsessed with?

Use well-thought, specific and unique URLs for Web pages and make sure that they’re relevant to the content for the page
- For example, this URL is NOT friendly: http://www.domain.com/?categoryid=6&productid=567
- However, this URL is friendly because its words describe the page’s content: http://www.domain.com/pasta-makers/cuisinart-stainless-pasta-magic

Use well-thought, unique and descriptive page titles for web pages
- These can be the same or different from the URL
- Make sure they are relevant to the content on the page
- Don’t use more than 69 characters

Use well-thought and descriptive alt tags for all images
- This is the text that a search engine will find when it encounters an image (It’s also the text that will be read aloud to a user with a visual impairment and it will display if an image fails to load on a webpage)

CONTENT IS KING
- Make sure that the content is written well and includes important keywords

Don’t worry, there’s more:

Use Google Analytics
- If it is installed at the current website, look at what pages received the most traffic and what search terms people are using to get to the site
- If historic data is not available, a quarterly report could prompt updates to the content and/or navigation of a website after its already up and running

Never use flash animation for navigation or the actual content of a website
- Flash animation content is not searchable so the web crawlers can’t index it

Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) to drive traffic to websites

Blog
- On the company blog
- Be a “guest blogger” in industry blogs and include links back to the website

What about keyword and description meta tags (These are the keywords and descriptions that can be added to the HTML code of a website)?

Google DOES NOT use the “keywords” meta tag in its Web-search ranking, Nnither does Yahoo or Bing
- Google recommends using the description tag in case it cannot find a good selection of text to use in the description
- Google DOES NOT always display the description in search results

And please note the following:

SEO is NOT an exact science

It takes time
- Search-engine “spiders” need time to collect and analyze the content of a website
- The more visitors that you have via direct traffic, search engines and referral websites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), better the results of your website appearing toward the top of the return search results

Its a never-ending process

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Communications Catering

April 4, 2012
By Andrea Bils, account executive

Toe-may-toe, toe-ma-toe? Not regarding communications.

Communication has many forms — calls, texts, tweets, posts, emails, direct messages.

If you have a marketing-communications job, then you know how important it is to adapt the ways that you communicate to suit the preferences of your clients.

Each client has a personal preference about how they communicate. Preferences depend on work schedules and familiarity with new modes of communication, among other factors. To be more efficient and effective with clients, you must recognize these preferences.

Examples:

• My dad refuses to text. One of our clients, however, communicates with me regularly via text.
• My mom just learned how to email. I can never reach another client by phone, yet he’ll reply to an email within three minutes.
• Another client will call within minutes of receiving one of my emails rather than simply “reply” to it. It’s better to use the phone with him.

To each his own.

There are other factors that necessitate certain forms of communication.

Some factors to consider:

• Detail of information
• Timeliness of information
• Tone of information

Responding to crisis issues or discussing matters of severity are better achieved via phone rather than email, whereas sending an email for feedback about a tactical idea for a client’s pending campaign is OK.

What about using social media? I consider using Twitter and Facebook direct messages appropriate only if each party is of the understanding that it’s strictly relating to business and if previous contact has been established.  I personally don’t make use of social-media for communicating directly with clients and reserve it for media-relations purposes, but also only when appropriate to do so.

It’s very important to adapt one’s communication’s style to fit the preferred style of each client. Successful communication hinges on being adept at comprehending clients’ communication strengths and weaknesses, and then tailoring your communication style to suit their needs. This may require you to step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Well-rounded communicators must do this.

Remember, nothing beats good old-fashioned “face time.” Sad (to some), but true, more of us are communicating virtually and foregoing the more personal modes of communicating. It’s important to strengthen professional relationships with one-on-one meetings. Face time also incites decision making and action better than requesting answers via email.

Do you communicate differently per client? Have you had to change how you communicate?

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Recharging with a Workshop

March 28, 2012
By Michelle Leitzy, account executive

The past few weeks at work have been somewhat of a blur to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather be busy than wondering how I’m going to pass the time for eight hours. However, when I’m that busy I feel like I’m on autopilot and furiously moving from project to project to just get the work done.

That’s why I’m looking forward to taking some time out of my busy schedule to attend a writing workshop, “Superpower Your Writing” with Ann Wylie, hosted by IABC Columbus. It’ll be good to get some of my creative juices flowing again to get me out of my “I just have to get the work done” craze.

I’ve heard great things about the presenter and the topics she’ll be discussing — “Think Like a Reader/Cut Through Clutter” and “Web Writing” — are going to be beneficial for my upcoming client projects. I’m hoping to score some great copywriting tips and I’m also looking forward to networking with others to boost that creative spark.

Check back for my next staff blog when I share what I learned.

What classes or workshops have you taken recently? Are there any that you recommend?

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The Electronic Half of My Brain


March 21, 2012
By Denise Clark, director, client services

The latest iPad version has already sold more units during its launch period than any other iPad during their launch periods. I can understand why. It’s convenient, portable and a great tool to keep you connected no matter where you are.

I love my iPad for all of the functionality that it provides. I can check email wherever I am (OK, wherever I am that has a wireless connection). I can search the Web — I use this a lot during meetings and no, I am not playing. I’m researching items that are relevant to discussions (especially helpful during brainstorming sessions). I take all my meeting notes using the iPad, and I use it for all of my social-media needs. Most importantly, I use it for the great calendar and to-do list functions. Basically, it has become the electronic half of my brain. 

But it is the apps that add the most value to my iPad:

• Omnifocus : This is one of the first apps I added to my iPad. It is my electronic to-do list. It allows me to categorize my tasks by client. And, this app is based on the Get Things Done method of prioritizing and tracking everything I need to do during the day.
• News outlet apps: Some news outlet apps are better than others. I love the NPR  and USA Today apps. Both are extremely easy to use and make it very simple to post news articles to social-media outlets (It only takes two “clicks” to post an article). I like the ONN app for news, but the downside is that it doesn’t have any social-media posting functions – a big drawback in my opinion. The Fox News  app is easy to use and to post from as well. In my opinion, the CNN app needs some work. As much as I watch CNN, you would think that I use the app all of the time. However, the app presents the information graphically in a way that is too overwhelming and chaotic. I never use the app because it is difficult for me to wade through all of the pictures and ads to determine what I want to view.
• iBook: I am surprised how much I like reading books on my iPad. I truly thought I would always need to touch the pages of a book. But now I love the convenience of having many books on one device that I always have with me.

I know I’m not using my iPad to its full capability. But I’m continually learning and adding news apps. And I’m constantly asking other iPad users what apps they like and recommend. Some of the apps I want to investigate for possible addition to my iPad include:

• OnLive Desktop: allows you to access MicroSoft office at no charge
• Netflix: already installed but I haven’t really explored the app yet
• Dictionary.com: I visit the website so much that it would be nice to just have the app
• Pandora: I have used this on my desktop computer but have yet to add it to my iPad

How do you use your iPad? What apps would you recommend?



Author’s note: This blog was written using the notes app on my iPad while lounging in bed!

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Tina Fey: My Working-Mom Hero

March 14, 2012
By Kathleen Anthony, account supervisor

I rarely take an interest in the personal lives of celebrities and other than Keith Richards’ autobiography, I can’t remember reading a book “authored” by one. That is until Tina Fey.

I first saw Tina Fey years ago as the host of “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” and I thought to myself — Who is this funny chick in the cool glasses? As a nearsighted woman with an inappropriate sense of humor more akin to that of a 15-year-old boy than that of a 40-year-old mom, I was instantly smitten.

When Fey launched the sitcom “30 Rock” in 2007 — now a staple on my DVR — I have to admit that I became a serious fangirl of Tina and her alter ego “Liz Lemon.” My fandom led me to recently read Fey’s book, “Bossypants.”

I was surprised at how much we have in common — We’re the same age (though she edges me out by three months), we both had our first child later in life and her husband is from Youngstown. Hey! I’ve got a husband and I’ve been to Youngstown! But what I found most interesting was her role as and her perspective on being a working mom.

In her book, she relays the story of planning her daughter’s Peter-Pan-themed third-birthday party, filming scenes with Oprah Winfrey for the third season of “30 Rock” and making a special appearance on SNL impersonating a certain vice-presidential candidate all at the same time. She says all three of these events were equally important to her.

I appreciate the fact that Fey doesn’t make any apologies for loving her family … and her work. In the book, she describes having late-night writing sessions with her staff in her living room while her daughter is sleeping in the next room. While I have no desire to work around the clock, I admire her passion for what she does.

“Liz Lemon” — Fey’s doppelganger on “30 Rock” — often says she can “have it all” before quickly realizing she can’t. I have no delusions of being the perfect mom or PR practitioner. I try my best at both. Sometimes I hit the mark and plenty of times I don’t. But the truth is that working makes me a happier person and a better mom. I just wish I could get some sleep!

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