Review your search queries.

Look for new keywords to add. You can also use this data to add new negative keywords. Negative keywords are things you do not want your ad to show for. Say, for instance, you’re Apple (the company). You don’t want to show up when someone types in “apple orchard.” Therefore you could add “apple orchard” to your list of negative keywords. You can also review these search queries to look for any broad match keywords you might be matching out for. Make sure those are how you want them as well!

This SEO presentation covers the fundamentals of SEO including how search engines work, what SEO is, why it’s important, on-site and off-site SEO initiatives and SEO for local businesses. We also touch on social media and tracking the success of your SEO program.

Read and download the presentation on Scribd; be sure to leave your questions and comments here or there. We’d be happy to hear from you!

via KinzaMetrics

Today’s quick PPC tip is has to do with keywords and keyword groups. In AdWords, you want to review your keywords and keyword groups that have a lot of impressions. That means that these are seen most often and are matched with high-volume search queries. How can you expand on these keywords? Are there any variations you can add? Perhaps they need their own ad groups or campaigns devoted to them.

The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months. The bill also gives immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.

Proponents of the bill use this potential law as a way of bolstering law enforcement to protect intellectual property.

Opponents of the bill say the bill with infringe upon First Amendment rights and will essentially “break the Internet” by censoring it.

Even Nancy Pelosi tweeted:

Therefore, many sites are going on strike tomorrow. Even though the bill has lost some supporters, and has now been fully opposed by the White House, many large companies are still blacking out – including Google, Mozilla, Wikipedia and Reddit.

1. Personal results. Google now offers the option to view your personalized search results (including things that people in your social networking circles have shared) or your regular search results (without social influence or your web browsing history).

When you choose to view your personal results, it looks like this:

So what are the benefits of this? Well, the social integration into search is something that people have been looking into for quite some time. Having a vast social network with whom you interact could be great for your business. Look at all of the recommendations Susan Lucas has shared in my network, for instance. If I trust her opinion (presumably I do since I am connected with her), then this is a powerful endorsement for these area restaurants. As exhibited on Search Engine Land, personal results will also show up in Google Auto Complete & photos (see below). We can safely assume that Google is going to integrate Google+ shares into the results page through this and other ways.

2. Preview of sites. Before, you could preview the page from the Google search page by hovering over the link. Now you can just hit the arrow to the right of the result and the right half of the page will give you a preview. This is great for search results because it allows you to get an idea about the site without having to click. If it looks spammy or not authoritative, you can move on down the list without having to navigate away from the search. This is what it looks like:

So what makes Pinterest so addictive? When this question was posed on Quora, there were tons of musings including: emphasis on images over text, a “wish list” interest, fun and light brand/look, easy navigation and media coverage. Though interesting, I don’t think that question is as important as this one: how can I utilize Pinterest for my brand? Here are some ideas I’ve come up with just using their simple tools.

One: Create a pinterest account for your store/brand. I think now you have to have a friend send you an invite.

Two: Download and utilize the “Pin it!” button on your toolbar. Now add the same button to your site’s product pages.

Three: Pin images of products that you love from your site and sites that inspire you. Sky’s the limit. If it’s an image on the web, you can pin it.

Four: Upload pictures from your computer onto your boards. They can be of your store, your favorite icons, anything that inspires you and you feel will inspire others.

Five: Separate and properly categorize your boards. This will help people find your boards easily when they search.

Six: Add contributors to your boards. Encourage your blog readers to comment on your images or “repin.”

*Always link your site and others with the images. That way there is a direct link back to your site if the person is interested in finding out more.

In the example above, the Facebook user liked an Under Armor pink shirt. Therefore, you could potentially publish a story to the likers’ news feeds that says “Our pink Under Armor shirt is currently on sale” or “we are now carrying your favorite shirt in purple!”

Pretty powerful, right? All that just from a little like button.

With the ever-increasing popularity of social media branding, free mobile apps for deals, QR code usage, etc., it’s easy to see why consumers have turned to the Internet for much of their shopping needs.

If you missed out on this amazing surge in eCommerce, you need to assess where your advertising budget is going. Pay-per-click ads (paid ads in search engine search results) can be an amazing way to put your product in front of the consumer. There are tons of ways to increase your conversion rates and decrease cart abandonment. You just have to know who to turn to. The Visiture team is well-versed in preparing our eCommerce clients during the holidays and throughout the year. Let us help you make the most out of your eCommerce business and in 2012, you can be reaping the benefits of this tremendous increase in online sales.

According to the report, over 39% of people own a smartphone and of those people, slightly more use downloaded apps than the mobile browser. What is also significant is the 3.3 point change–a full point over the browser’s increase. More and more people want apps to easily find and navigate information on their favorite websites.

Maybe it’s time to consider advertising opportunities on mobile apps and, as we’ve said for a long time now, optimize your site for mobile browsing.

The weightiest components include: quality content, quality links, HTML titles and descriptions and architecture. Several of the other components say things like “authority,” “trust” and “reputation.” This is not only important to being found on the search engine but also to your current and new customers. Anything that you can do to ensure a better user experience is going to help you in the search engines.

via Search Engine Land

If you are looking for an SEO company, you need to take responsibility for your website and make sure that they are not involved in shady things like keyword stuffing, cloaking and link spam. Simply asking how they feel about these practices should give you general idea of what paths they take. And as we’ve said before, always stay away from companies that guarantee rankings (especially a #1 ranking).Instead, look for an SEO company that will customize your SEO plan and work to get your goals accomplished (the results will not be overnight).