There has been a lot of talk about Google’s recent algorithm modification dubbed Search Plus Your World. For those of you who do not know about this switch, it is fairly straightforward. Google is now incorporating Google + results directly into the organic results display. So what does this mean for your business? Simply, now more then ever it is vital to incorporate an active Google + profile into your SEO strategy. Lets take a look at this new search feature:
Wow, 2011 was a banner year for National PC Solutions. The numbers are in, and we had 700% growth in the past twelve months!! A big thank you to our loyal clients and dedicated sales agents for making such stunning growth possible—you all are the reason why we are in business.
The year 2012 is already shaping up to be an even better year as well for National PC Solutions, with new rounds of hires in the Tucson and Phoenix offices, and a brand new office set to open in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in March of this year. We here at National PC Solutions are certainly NOT part of the group of economists and companies that are pessimistic about the future, and our continued expansion reflects this spirit of optimism.
National PC Solutions was also voted Arizona’s best SEO/Social Media Company for 2012, and we could not be more proud of that honor. In addition, other notable awards or articles written include our co-founder, Michael Donato, winning the Arizona Republic’s 35 under 35 for top entrepreneurs in the city of Phoenix. Or Phoenix’s executive manager, Amber Spears, being published in Southern Arizona’s Attorney at Law Magazine. With a dynamic leadership team, a clear vision for the future and the best interests of our clients at heart, National PC Solutions expects more accolades, and continued stable expansion into other markets in the coming year.
While many of you are familiar with our primary services, Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Management, did you know that we also offer a wide variety of other services that can be bundled to save marketing dollars with our firm? In 2012, text message marketing will be a big trending topic, for good reason, as 89% of text messages are opened and read in the first 60 minutes of being sent. National PC Solutions has an effective and affordable text messaging service platform that enables your business to leverage customer numbers for a variety of specialized messages and promotions. Industries that would really benefit from this type of interaction with their clients would be medical and customer service based industries like dentists and pest control companies. Imagine being able to confirm a dentist appointment via text or to know 30 minutes before your pest control service provider comes instead of waiting in a 9am-12pm or 12pm-5pm window for service!
Our wide range of services include Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Marketing (Pay-Per-Click), Text Message Marketing, Video Production, Web Development, and Email Marketing. Our customers benefit greatly from our wide array of services because they can bundle these revenue generating products and get a fantastic discount for their continued loyalty with our company. Our clients can even spread the cost of a new website over their contracted SEO campaign with us, which allows not only for flexibility of payments, but also the ability to implement effective new marketing tools at a pace that is comfortable for the business. The ability to bundle, having a marketing partner that understands your company’s unique needs, and services delivered with a personal touch by one of our dedicated account representatives, is something that you won’t find anywhere else. Give us a try one day and see why we are Arizona’s best, and why we keep outgrowing our office space.
The letter below is one that Ryan Anderson, one of our account representatives in the Phoenix office, received as a testament to the fantastic work he is doing out in the field. We always love seeing our agents get recognized, and would like to share this information with our readers as well so that they feel comfortable doing business with us, or referring us to family and friends for their Internet Marketing needs.
To Whom It may Concern;
This letter is a testimonial and letter of recommendation for Ryan Anderson with National PC Solutions. I recently had the privilege of working with Mr. Anderson in regards to marketing solutions for my company, MBS Elite Fitness. I came to Ryan in need of a greater source of lead generation from my website. Mr. Anderson was not only helpful in regards to finding a solution to my problem, but he was also very professinal and informative on the subject.
Probably the most impressive part of it all was that I really felt taken care of while working with Ryan. I felt like he was not just trying to sell me something that I did not need, even though he very well could have due to my lack of expertise in the computer field. He began our consultation with several suggestions on how I could improve my website and its effectiveness even outside of hiring his company. Once we began to discuss what National PC Solutions could do to help grow my business, and working with me in regards to affordable payment options, I decided that working with Ryan and his company would be a great fit for MBS Elite Fitness.
Thank you Mr. Anderson, for all of your help, vital information and planning, and your very high level of integrity and professionalism. I definitely look forward to beginning a long and prosperous journey between MBS Elite and National PC Solutions thanks to the incredible first impression you were able to provide.
Sincerely,
Chris Warner
Owner MBS Elite Fitness
(602) 299-9720
Happy Holidays to all of our wonderful National PC Solutions blog readers! We sincerely hope that your holidays are spent enjoying time with loved ones, and getting ready for a successful new year.
We scoured the web to find our readers some relevant facts and articles about the holidays and technology that we would like to share with you today. Please feel free to forward this along to your friends if you read something that you think they would enjoy as well!
During your holiday celebrations spent with family will you be checking your email? A recent study shows that 68% of Americans check their work emails during traditional holidays, so you would be in good company if you do. More than likely, you will find a work related email to read in your inbox, as a full 75% of those polled in the study have received job related emails during this time. The worst offenders for this work email checking practice are employed adults from 35-44 years of age. Men are the gender who most often checks work email during traditional holidays, although women are catching up in this area slowly but surely. For more tidbits, feel free to check out this great article from Mashable on the topic. http://on.mash.to/vI64xL
Want to give the little tykes in your life the gifts they want the most? A new Neilson study polling children 6-12 years of age about the tech toys they want most for the 2011 holiday season found that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod are the top three most in demand gifts. http://on.mash.to/v3FYO4
Some holiday shoppers got an unwanted surprise when they discovered that two malls in West Virginia and Southern California were tracking their cell phones to conduct “surveys” on their shopping habits. For now, this practice is being banned because of privacy concerns, but it might pop up again in the future. Are you comfortable with having your movements and shopping habits tracked to optimize display ads and other marketing? For more information, read Wired’s article on this tracking practice. http://bit.ly/vZVnaB
For any reader out there who is still stuck trying to come up with a perfect present for their tech savvy loved one, CNET put out a very comprehensive guide for the best gift ideas. Virtually any tech lover is covered here, from gifts under $50 to the best gadgets for tech hungry travelers. http://cnet.co/rFBkth
Finally, some quick facts and ideas that are related to technology we thought you might enjoy as well!
For all of us here at National PC Solutions, we thank you for spending some of your valuable holiday time reading our materials, and for being valued clients and friends. Looking forward to seeing you all in 2012!
At National PC Solutions, it is part of our job as Internet marketing experts to inform our clients of big changes that occur in the marketplace. We have been forewarning clients for months that Google would eventually start incorporating Facebook posts and comments into their search algorithm, and this major shift just started showing today. An article about this transition can be found here: http://selnd.com/vpdJtO from SEO Land. Another equally interesting article is this change can is this one, http://tgr.ph/v3fSVZ which is a high level Facebook executive discussing Google’s failing to take social media results properly into account in their algorithm.
This change is important for several reasons. The first reason is Google, a giant in the technology industry, has acknowledged that social networking is important enough to incorporate into real time search results. That is–social networking is a powerful communication tool that will not be going away for the foreseeable future. For all of those business owners who have been dragging their feet on creating a FB business landing page, branding it, and having conversations with clients or potential clients, the time for waiting has now passed. Businesses can no longer afford to ignore this medium to build their client base.
The second reason this change is important has everything to do with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While many companies are currently showing first page placements because of aggressive, quality link building techniques, if they are not active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, they will lose traction and placements in the market. This is because Google is now allotting a percentage of its search results to social media, and failing to have a presence creates a vacuum that will cause a company’s rankings to fall. How much the placements will fall, however, is impossible to tell. What is certain, however, is that a strong SEO campaign is still vital to placements, and that a strong social media presence will help markedly help the optimization process by contributing to better rankings.
The third reason why Google indexing Facebook comments in its algorithm is important is because it is now easier then ever for potential clients to see how a business interacts with its clients on social media platforms, outside of their brick and mortar stores or how they portray themselves on more static marketing mediums like billboards or print advertising. How, and if, these business interact with clients will now start showing on the first page for searches, and these interactions should be informative, informal, and conversational so that potential clients can see the personality of the company on a much deeper level than simply looking through their website or coming across their static marketing materials.
So what are the next steps for a business owner or company wanting to be proactive now that this switch has happened to stay in front of consumers using the Internet to find services or products? First, contact an Internet marketing company that offers social media management services to help you brand your Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube pages in order to create consistency for your firm’s image. Secondly, look at other social media platforms like FourSquare or Yelp to see if these platforms would be a good fit for your business as well (Yelp in particular is great for restaraunts and bars, as is FourSquare for example). The more visibility your company has online, the more new business you will generate from it. Third, ask the Internet marketing company you are working with to help you either formulate a plan you can excecute and follow on your own for your Facebook/Twitter campaigns, or to take over managing your social media presence on these platforms. This will ensure that your business has all of its bases covered, and is ahead of the competition after this new algorithm shift starts changing how businesses are presented online.
Trying to make the decision between Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC)? Here are 5 reasons why Organic SEO is a great place to start:
1. Organic Builds Value: You can think of it like adding an addition or pool to your home. Raising your ranking organically in the search engines is seen as an asset to your company, unlike PPC which is seen as an expense.
2. Lower Cost per Click: If you were to calculate SEO out to a per click cost, it always comes out to be less than a Pay Per Click campaign on highly searched terms. Would you rather pay $1 per click or $10 or even $75?
3. Longer Term Results: When you stop paying into a PPC campaign, its over. With organic SEO, due to high competition, your positions may eventually slip as your competitors catch up and overtake you. Unlike PPC though, what you have built through link building lasts for life. This means that if you ever choose to begin your campaign again, you are that much farther ahead and closer to top page positions.
4. Higher Consumer Click Rate: Recent statistics show that only 25% of consumers click on PPC advertisements, as opposed to the 75% of clicks that go to organic search results. A client with cash in hand is not looking for advertisements, they are looking for the best match to their search. Only organic search results provide that match.
5. The Most Bang for your Buck: As you can see, if each dollar gets you more exposure, more clicks and more value, then it stands to reason that there is no better steady revenue stream than organic SEO.
As with all forms of online marketing, SEO is just one piece of the puzzle. We are not trying to imply that you should never run a PPC campaign, we just want to make sure that each and every one of our clients puts their hard earned dollars into the right forms of marketing at the right time. Once we have used SEO to create a steady revenue stream, we can then use some of the profits to expand your campaign into other advertising areas, including PPC, SMM, Email Marketing and more!
1. You Want to Work With The Best: National PC Solutions has been voted Arizona’s Best Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Management Company for 2012. Our firm’s founder and CEO, Michael Donato, has been awarded the prestigious Arizona Republic’s 35 Under 35 Award for Phoenix’s top Entrepreneurs less than 35 years of age. In addition, we are one of the top 30 Internet Marketing companies in the entire nation. Our company is growing rapidly because of the strong leadership and results that we achieve for our clients–factors you want to consider when choosing the right company for your Internet Marketing needs.
2. You Want To Be Sure You Will Get A Return On Your Investment: At the end of our short 6 month contracts, we have a 97% retention rate. Do your current marketing efforts have that type of success rating? Our team is one of the best in the industry because of our proprietary link building system. This system puts 99% of our clients on the first page of Google, Yahoo, and Bing for their targeted keywords. National PC Solutions’ clients are clearly visibly online for their services, which always leads to an increase in revenue.
3. Speaking with Current Clients and Seeing Real Time Results Online Will Help You Make A Decision: Our clients love to rave about us—which is why you will get a rotating list of 10-12 current clients you can call and speak with about our service. The first page placements we achieve for our clients for very competitive keywords are also something we like to brag about—and you get to check them out for yourself in real time.
4. You Want to Track What Is Happening With Your Marketing At All Times: National PC Solutions knows that you care about your business, and want to know how your money is being spent. For this reason we give you 24/7 real time reporting for your campaigns allowing you to see how your visibility is growing online, anytime of the day or night. In addition, we also provide heat maps and call tracking in all packages so that you can know what your clients are doing on your website, and who called you directly in relation to the marketing you are doing with us.
5. Fantastic Customer Service Is Important To You: Not every business is the same! When a client signs with us, they get a dedicated personal account representative that is familiar with their account and their unique campaign. You get the agent’s cell phone number, office line, and email address. You can be sure you will always have an answer to your question promptly and you will always speak to the same agent who understands and cares about your business.
6. You Want To Bundle Services To Save Money: While Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Marketing are what we are best known for, we also offer full scale web development, text message marketing, email marketing, extensive pay-per-click campaigns, and video production. Our clients get discounted rates on all services for simply being customers of our firm, resulting in huge savings for their marketing needs.
* This article is provided courtesy of ABC News *
Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple’s iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died, Apple said. Jobs was 56.
Jobs died “peacefully,” surrounded by family members, his family said in a statement.
Neither Jobs’ family nor Apple revealed where he died or from what cause, though in recent years Jobs had fought a form of pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant.
So you’ve come to the realization that hundreds of thousands of consumers are looking for products and services online every day. You’re ready to start with an Internet Marketing firm. You have done your research, interviewed companies and made your decision (or are close to making a decision), but you still have two lingering questions; “How exactly does search work?” and “What am I paying for each month?”
No matter how much information you have gathered it is still difficult to truly understand what exactly is happening on a day to day basis with your SEO company. That is to be expected because, let’s face it, this is not your field of study.
Google has released a wonderful video that explains what actually happens when you hit that search button. Essentially the major search engines, we will use Google as an example, instantly start searching their thousands of databases to track down the closest possible result. Google is comparing sites to hundreds of factors like; “How closely does the content on this page match the search?”, “How active is this website?”, “How long has this site been around?” and “How many people around the web are talking about this site?”. All of this happens within a fraction of a second.
Now if you notice, some of those factors can be manipulated by an Internet Marketing company, and some can be not. You will also notice that a lot of those seem like a onetime thing. Which brings us back to our original question, “What am I paying for each month?”. Directly, you are paying for the answer to Google’s question “How many people around the web are talking about this site?”.
The process of answering this question is known throughout the industry as link building. Essentially link building is manufacturing conversations online that boost the popularity of your site. The more popular you are, the higher you show. This is what each company that is on the first page is currently doing, and what each company that wants to be on the first page must do.
Now if every company is doing it, how do you get your page to above theirs? Simple; do more with a higher quality, consistency and diversity. With National PC Solution’s proprietary Visibility Acceleration System you get the strategic advantage to compete on a corporate level and grow your bottom line. Simply, we do more and we do it better. Period.
As of this morning, Google has officially bought Zagat, the internationally recognized review company that surveys consumers on their experiences at restaurants, hotels, stores, and many other service-oriented businesses to give them a score based on their 30 point scale. Zagat has been a review provider for over 30 years, long before the advent of other review based companies such as Yelp or Trip Advisor, and this long standing credibility with consumers is just part of the reason that Google was interested in acquiring it. The two main reasons why Google is interested in buying Zagat are two lines of reasoning that business owners should be paying close attention to–that Google is aggressively pursuing location based, local markets, and that it is also switching focus to not only organizing content online, but creating content for consumers to utilize.
1. Local Search As An Increased Focus For Google: When Google tried to buy Groupon, industry experts started commenting on how Google appeared to be switching focus from being the content organizer for the whole online world, to trying to gain more traction in the local services market as the go-to source of quality information. Now, with the purchase of Zagat, Google has more than confirmed their new focus on becoming a local service provider and pushing their local products (such as Google Places or Google Maps) over those of their local service competitors like Yellowbook and Yelp. Local businesses should take note of this new merger and start looking at how they appear rating-wise on Zagat, and other Google local service listings, in addition to their reviews on Yelp….and making sure that they are doing everything they can to have good ratings on Google and their affiliated products. This is because Google can effectively wash third party local service providers like Yelp by pushing out their own review systems ahead of them in search results, now that they own Zagat. Business owners need to make sure that they are able to respond to changing times and systems, and this shift towards local search focus by Google is one that they must pay attention to, and change their marketing plans to accommodate for.
2. Google Becoming a Content Provider Instead of Just Organizer of Content: Google’s algorithm is a system of organizing websites and content to provide a consumer with the most accurate search results possible for their query. Yet, organizing content does not have as much influence as creating content, and Google has sought to rectify this issue by moving in that direction with projects such as starting an online magazine called “Think Quarterly,” and now by buying Zagat in order to gain a better foothold in content providing industries. This is also something that businesses should take particular note of…if Google will be providing their own content in the future that will be indexed and promoted by them on their search engine, how can one’s business compete with this new obstacle to first page placements? The answer is–by providing quality content that is heavy in terms of length or media. Any content written in blog posts should be topics of interest to consumers (i.e. NOT fluff pieces about the business) , and should be a minimum of 1,000 words. By creating content that is lengthy and that is useful, businesses can bolster themselves in the rankings in comparison to those who simply put out information in order to boost their rankings without focusing on the quality of content–the latter will not be able to compete with Google becoming a content provider, but the business that provides thoughtful material will. Also, it is important to try an incorporate as much media as possible in websites, blogs, and articles (i.e. videos, audio files, social media tags, etc) in order to provide a user experience that is as interactive as possible. This will also help to make a business stand out in the rankings when compared with Google’s development of content, because it is quality based. This is truly one of the main reasons that Google is becoming a content provider–in order to increase the quality of online search results (and of course become an even bigger center of influence and information).
If the focus on online efforts turns to quality, and not just quantity of information out their about a business, a company can adapt well to how online search is changing. How search engines rank websites might change, but quality content and a focus on customer service will always prevail.
