SEJ Wrap-Up: Get Ready for Google Accelerated Mobile Pages & 2016 Social Media Cheat Sheet by @megcabrera | Dramel Notes

This is the wrap-up of the most popular posts and announcements on SEJ over the previous week. Newsletter subscribers are the first to receive this and other updates.

Google Rolling Out Accelerated Mobile Pages, Get Your Site Ready Now

Google announced its plans to roll out accelerated mobile pages in February 2016, following successful testing of the new technology.

Initially, this technology was tested with a select few publishers. Now, by late February, everyone will be able to take advantage of the new technology.

Learn how to get your site ready for next year’s “hottest new website technology” in this week’s top post.

2016 Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet

Social networks change the dimensions and formats of images frequently, and it can be difficult to stay updated with the latest image size.

As you start to plan out your social media campaigns for 2016, it’s imperative that you optimize your personal and business’ social media profiles with the right image sizes.

Here’s a handy cheat sheet with us that shows all the social media image dimensions in one infographic. See the post here.

Popular Search Marketing Posts

Here is a rundown of the most popular posts on SEJ from last week:

1. Google to Roll Out Accelerated Mobile Pages to Everyone, Get Your Content Ready Now, by Matt Southern 
2. 2016 Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet, by Aki Libo-on
3. Content Marketing 101: What Kind of Content Actually Gets Links, by David Farkas
4. 6 Soft Skills That Doay’s SEOs Should Possess, by Neil Patel
5. 5 Mobile PPC Techniques Veterans Use to Win, by Dusty Vegas
6. YouTube Introduces a Trending Tab, Surfacing Viral Videos in Real Time, by Matt Southern
7. 27 Resources to Help Get Found in Search, by Ryan Hanley
8. What’s the Problem With YouTube Ad Keyword Targeting, by Isaac Rudansky
9. How to Get Ahead With Your Content in 2016, by Julia McCoy
10. Four SEO Strategies Every Digital Marketing Needs to Understand, by Bernadette Coleman

Download This Week’s Episode of Marketing Nerds

In this week’s episode of the Marketing Nerds podcast, we are joined by Robert ‘Snake’ Hansen, who is VP of WhiteHat Security Labs, well-respected DefCon speaker, world renown hacker, writer of Slowloris, and creator of Ha.ckers org. We talk about a number of really important topics related to website security. Listen to the full episode, or download the MP3 here.

Subscribe to Marketing Nerds: iTunes | Android | RSS

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Paulo Bobita
In-post Photo #1: Ilin Sergey / Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo #2: Image by Paulo Bobita
In-post Photo #3: Image by Jamie Spencer. Used with permission.

[Read more]

#SEJThinkTank Recap: Harnessing the Networks of Your Podcast Guests & Audiences by @dantosz | Dramel Notes

This week, the SEJ ThinkTank was joined by Kelsey Jones, SEJ’s Executive Editor, for an informative podcast about maximizing the networks of your podcast attendees and guests.

If you have a podcast, like 27% of our webinar attendees, or are just thinking about starting one, this presentation is chock full of info you will find useful!

Do You Want to Build A Podcast?

Building a successful podcast requires a lot more work than just sitting down and pressing the record button. Kelsey gave a lot of great suggestions on how to build a successful following.

Here are a few highlights:

• Make it easy for guests and audience to share your podcast by tagging them on social.
• Link to resources and tools to create a truly useful piece of content.
• Use a platform that makes it easy to share your podcast. (Don’t make them think!)

It Doesn’t Have to Be (Just) A Podcast

One of the most important pieces of advice Kelsey gave in the webinar was to repurpose your podcast content. This is true in every medium, but I think it gets overlooked in podcasting. Kelsey suggests transcribing part of your podcast, fleshing the topic out into a long form post, writing a recap post, and/or creating a webinar on the topic.

However you choose to repurpose your content, just remember it doesn’t have to be just a podcast. Different people consume content differently, so creating multiple formats makes it easier for your audience to choose the format they prefer.

Tools & Resources

Kelsey mentioned several great tools during the webinar. Here are links to those resources:

• Click To Tweet – For easy sharing on Twitter
• Rev.com – For transcribing your podcasts
• Blubrry – WordPress plugin to host your podcast, share, and get stats (This is what SEJ uses)
• libsyn – Website to host your podcast
• Podbean – Podcast hosting

Watch the Full Presentation Recording

View Kelsey’s Slides

Join Us Next Time!

This was the last webinar for 2015, but SEJ Marketing ThinkTank will be back in the new year. Join us on January 6th at 1 pm Eastern for Erin Everhart of Home Depot’s presentation titled “Are You Really Reaching Your Audience?”.

With so much happening online, it is really easy to get lost in the noise. Erin’s presentation is designed to help you get people’s attention, bring them to your website, turn them into customers, and keep them coming back for more. This 30-minute webinar will include a short Q&A session hosted by moderator Loren Baker, Founder of SEJ.

Reserve your spot now for the first webinar of 2016! 

[Read more]

Presenting SEJ Summit 2016: “A Day of Keynotes” by @jrdoog | Dramel Notes

SEJ Summit 2016: “A Day of Keynotes” kicks off April 13th at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Los Angeles, California. 

You read that correctly! SEJ is thrilled to announce we are launching our second round of digital marketing conferences in the U.S. throughout 2016.

SEJ Summit kicked off in 2015 with our “3 Takeaways” conference series – six events across the U.S. and one in London. Over 4,000 marketers requested to attend the inaugural series and, of all the applicants, only 20% were granted access.

Last year, 60 veteran presenters joined us from top brands including Disney, Google, Conde Nast, The Home Depot, Tribune Publishing, and so many more.

We’re returning in 2016 with more world-class talent, unforgettable content, and invaluable networking experiences. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store!

Our first confirmed speaker is William Sears, Group Product Manager, SEO at LinkedIn, formerly Senior Manager of Digital Marketing & Optimization at The Walt Disney Company.

We’ll continue to announce speakers over the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned!

Tailored for the Professional Search Marketer

SEJ Summit 2016: “A Day of Keynotes” is an intimate conference experience that features a full day of curated, keynote-style presentations by top marketing thought leaders.

Each keynote speaker will spotlight three actionable, useful, and unique takeaways during their session.

Content is tailored for the professional search marketer. Topics include SEO, social media, content marketing, paid search, UX, CRO, Google Search, and soft skills such as cross-functional influencing and team management.

Each event is composed of eight sessions, four moderated Q&A panels, and over three hours of high-quality networking opportunities. A cocktail reception, lunch, and snack breaks are also included.

Our top priority is to provide an actionable, impactful, and memorable experience for you, which is why sales pitches, product demos, and sponsored content are strictly prohibited during presentations.

Join Us for “A Day of Keynotes” in Santa Monica, Chicago, & New York City

Attendance will be limited to just 200 people per event. This is designed to create an intimate environment where professional marketers can network, share, and gain valuable knowledge.

The following locations have been confirmed:

• April 13, 2016: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Los Angeles, California
• May/June 2016: Chicago, Illinois
• September 2016: New York City, New York

Speaker line-ups and detailed agendas for each conference will unfold over the coming weeks. Stay up to date by joining our newsletter here.

Want to Speak or Sponsor?

Speaker pitches are now being accepted for all locations. Interested parties, please email your bio and pitch to:  jenise[at]searchenginejournal.com.

Sponsorships are limited to three exclusive partners. Interested parties, please email: jessica[at]searchenginejournal.com.

Visit our event page here.

 

A look back at SEJ Summit 2015…

[Read more]

SEJ Wrap-Up: Google Kills Off Google+ Local, SEO Audit Tips by @megcabrera | Dramel Notes

This is the wrap-up of the most popular posts and announcements on SEJ over the previous week. Newsletter subscribers are the first to receive this and other updates.

Google Kills off Google+ Local, Still Committed to Local Search

Google has changed the way they show local results. Again. The latest change with very little warning, which has created plenty of confusion and frustration among many business owners.

In this week’s top post, SEJ contributor Myles Anderson, explains explain what has changed, why it has changed, and why Google Local is still a huge opportunity for local businesses to attract new customers. Read the full post here.

 7 Simple But Overlooked SEO Audit Tips

Whether you love or hate SEO audits, you can’t deny the satisfaction of finding that one things that has been holding back your site, or a client site, from doing well.

In another of this week’s top SEO posts, contributor Joe Balestrino shares the top 7 issues he routinely helps businesses with following an SEO audit. Not finding what you need with your current auditing techniques? Read Joe’s full list of tips here.

Popular Search Marketing Posts

Here is a rundown of the most popular posts on SEJ from last week:

1. Google Kills Off Google+ Local, Still Committed to Local Search, by Myles Anderson
2. Instagram Test Multiple Account Feature, by Danielle Antosz
3. 7 Simple but Overlooked SEO Audit Tips, by Joe Balestrino
4. Google Permanently Removes “Change Location” Search Feature, by Danielle Antosz
5. 7 Brands Who Are Keeping it Real on Facebook and Twitter, by Danielle Antosz/ [AD] How to Enhance Your Blog’s Engagement With Embedly
6. 5 Ways to Improve Your Organic Reach on YouTube, by Aleh Barysevich
7. New #MarketingNerds Podcast: When is it Worth Investing in Yourself?, by Aki Libo-on
8. Google AdWords Doubles Amount of Structured Information Shown in Text Ads, by Matt Southern
9. Google Releases ‘Trial Runs’ Streaming App Ads, by Danielle Antosz
10. 5 Ways to Build a Listening Culture to Boost Reputation, by Jean Dion

Download This Week’s Episode of Marketing Nerds

In this week’s episode of Marketing Nerds, WordStream CTO and Founder, Larry Kim, joins SEJ Executive Editor Kelsey Jones to talk about Google AdWords’ Customer Match. Larry gave an overview of AdWords’ new feature, how businesses can use it, and why it’s better to choose niche PPC audiences over widespread ones. Listen to the full episode, or download the MP3 here.

Subscribe to Marketing Nerds: iTunes | Android | RSS

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Paulo Bobita
In-post Photo #1: rvlsoft / Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo #2: Image by Paulo Bobita
In-post Photo #3: nerucci/Shutterstock.com

[Read more]

#SEJThinkTank Recap: The Ridiculously Smart Guide to Facebook & Twitter Advertising by @dantosz | Dramel Notes

On December 9th, 2015 Larry Kim of WordStream joined Loren Baker and the rest of the SEJ ThinkTank for an hour-long sponsored webinar and Q&A session about getting better results out of advertising on Facebook and Twitter. In the past few years, organic reach on social has tanked. According to Larry, you can expect an organic reach of just .5%.

Does that mean social media is a thing of the past? Should we stop bothering?

Learn How to Effectively Advertise on Social Media

Not at all, according to Larry. During this webinar, Larry breaks down 10 methods you can use to succeed on social media – and it all starts with finding your unicorn and then promoting it. By that, Larry means you need to focus on sharing good, one of a kind content, not just any old post.

During this webinar, Larry discusses: 

• How to find ‘unicorn’ content pieces
• How to advertise directly to people who are actually interested in your product
• Ways to get great results on tiny ad budgets of $50
• How emoticons can help increase organic reach (Yes, really!)

If you are thinking “Of course Larry Kim can get crazy awesome social numbers, he’s Larry Kim! What about us little people with like 200 followers?”, make sure to tune in for the question and answer session at the end. Larry addresses those concerns, and his response might surprise you!

Watch The Full Video Here:

Editors Note: Slides are not available for this presentation at Larry’s request, so make sure you watch the video! 

Join Us Next Time!

Due to the holidays, our next SEJ ThinkTank is next week, on December 16th at 1 pm Eastern! Kelsey Jones, Executive Editor at SEJ and our main podcast host, will be sharing her presentation “Harnessing the Networks of Your Podcast Guests and Audiences”. 

If you have a podcast but aren’t seeing your download numbers go up, you will want to join us! For the last year, Kelsey has been producing and hosting the SEJ Marketing Nerds podcast, which is downloaded 2,000 times or more each month. She has quite a bit of information to share about building a successful podcast brand.

Register now to reserve your spot!

[Read more]

#SEJBookClub: 5 Marketing Lessons from “Make Your Idea Matter” by @dantosz | Dramel Notes

Want to see what other books SEJ has covered? Read our other reviews in the SEJ Book Club archive.

For this month’s book club, I chose Bernadette Jiwa’s “Make Your Idea Matter.” It is a short book packed with snappy little chapters detailing lessons, not just for marketers but for just about anyone who has a good idea.

A lot of business books are a little too dense for my tastes, but not this one. By breaking it up into small sections, Bernadette makes it easy for readers to get just what they need in short, five to ten-minute chunks.

If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. It is a good pick-me-up and a motivational kick in the pants.

Here are five of my favorite lessons from the book.

Giving a Damn is Seriously Underrated (page 34)

Showing your customers you truly care can make all the difference in the world – particularly if you are just getting started and don’t have the budget to impress customers the way larger brands do.

“When nobody calls, we interpret that as ‘nobody cares.’ When they do call, it blows us away and we tell ten friends.”

You should use this as an opportunity to impress your customers and show them you do care.

Why You Need to Think Differently About Success (page 18)

When we see highly successful people, think Richard Branson, we often think it looks easy. The stories that get told are what Bernadette calls the “eureka” moments. That one major event that catapulted a person into fame and fortune.

In fact, success is a compilation of small decisions over a long period of time.

This is a really important point to make. Your success was earned – you didn’t just get ‘lucky’ and you didn’t just fall into your success. I am guilty of undervaluing my own success, and I don’t think I am alone in that.

It is time we started seeing success for what it really is – really freaking hard work.

You Don’t Have A Marketing Problem (page 96)

You spent months creating the perfect website, building your social media stats, and developing an in-depth marketing plan. But, you’ve gotten nowhere. Since your product or service is awesome, you must have a marketing problem, right?

According to Bernadette, you are looking at it all wrong.

What you do have is a storytelling problem. What you need to learn how to do is tell people why they should be interested in what you are producing.

It’s All Been Done Before (page 39)

This is what Bernadette calls ‘the pioneer’s lament’. It starts with a great idea. You get excited, start making plans, imagining how you are going to disrupt the whole industry. And then you start doing researching — only to see it’s been done before.

Now what?

Don’t assume you don’t have anything to contribute to the industry just because your idea isn’t 100% unique. The execution could make all the difference.

“The quota for ideas hasn’t been used up just yet. The capacity for experiencing difference hasn’t been reached.”

Why Magical Beats Logical

The first paragraph of this section is really powerful:

“If customers bought everything based purely on logic, then Jimmy Choo would be out of business and everyone would be buying shoes from Target.”

Customers make purchases for a wide range of reasons – they want to feel connected, they want to belong, they want to be excited. Instead of always taking the logical path, it is important to think about how to create a magical feeling around your brand.

Next Month on SEJ Book Club: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

December’s book club post will by written by Meg Cabrera, SEJ’s Research and Editorial Assistant. Grab your copy of Delivering Happiness on Amazon or at your local library so you can read along. It should be an interesting read!

Want to see what the SEJ Book Club has read or is planning on reading next? Check out our GoodReads profile.

Image credits:

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita

In-Post Image: Shutterstock | wow.subtropica

 

[Read more]

SEJ Wrap-Up: Surprising SEO Tips You Need to Know & Get Your New Site Indexed in Google by @megcabrera | Dramel Notes

This is the wrap-up of the most popular posts and announcements on SEJ over the previous week. Newsletter subscribers are the first to receive this and other updates.

10 SEO Tips You’d Be Surprised You Didn’t Know

When it comes to SEO, there’s a lot of fluctuation in the industry — and it’s not just Google update, it’s also in the way people use and interact with search engines.

In this week’s top article, SEJ contributor Erin Robbins O’Brien shares a variety of surprising new SEO tips — covering analytics, organization, and productivity practices.

These are practices O’Brien personally uses and believes marketers should be more aware of. View the full article here. 

How to Get Your New Website Indexed in Google

Launching a new website is not just about getting it up and running, you need to get it indexed and ranking high too. Can this be accomplished in just a few weeks? VIP Contributor Neil Patel believe it is.

These days you can’t guarantee or get first-page rankings using the same methods as before. In another of this week’s top articles, Patel explains that there’s a new content-driven, user-focused approach to SEO.

The process is different, but Patel says still possible to get your website ranked quickly. Read his full article here.

Popular Search Marketing Posts

Here is a rundown of the most popular posts on SEJ from last week:

1. 10 SEO Tips You’d Be Surprised You Didn’t Know, by Erin Robbins O’Brien
2. How to Help Your New Website Get Indexed in Google, by Neil Patel
3. 3 Facebook Ad Features You’re Not Using (But Should Be), by Scott Cohen
4. 9 Roadblocks Harming Your Google Rankings, by Barrie Smith
5. 12 Content Marketing Tools That Will Rapidly Improve Your Productivity, by Anna Francis / [AD] 3 Overlooked Keys to Success With Influencer Marketing
6. More About Google’s Search Quality Guidelines, by Marc Purtell
7. Google Permanently Removes ‘Change Location’ Feature in Search Results, by Danielle Antosz
8. 2015 UK Search Awards Winners Announced, by Matt Southern
9. Misconceptions About Facebook Ads: Interview with Rocco Baldassarre, by Kelsey Jones
10. How Alt Tags Can Hurt Your Business, by Eli Schwartz

Download This Week’s Episode of Marketing Nerds

[Read more]

SEJ Wrap-Up: SEO in 2015 Compiled in Infographic, Advanced Facebook Targeting by @megcabrera | Dramel Notes

This is the wrap-up of the most popular posts and announcements on SEJ over the previous week. Newsletter subscribers are the first to receive this and other updates.

A Snapshot of SEO in 2015 and Beyond

How well do you actually know SEO at the end of 2015? it can be easy to forget the fundamentals and navigate your way through the multiple updates thrown at you from the big G.

Keeping up is paramount, or you’re just going to get lost in the jungle. Contributor Richard Paul has created an infographic compiling all the data related to SEO in 2015.

Get ready to kick back and brush up on what you need to know about this field going into next year. See the infographic here.

Facebook’s Detailed Targeting: What You Need to Know

Are you running Facebook ads for your business? If so, Facebook is rolling out something that will help you narrow your targeting down to the exact customers you wish to reach.

Popular Search Marketing Posts

Here is a rundown of the most popular posts on SEJ from last week:

1. A Snapshot of SEO in 2015 and Beyond, by Richard Paul
2. Facebook’s Detailed Targeting: What You Need to Know, by Kyler Patterson
3. How to Make an Effective About Us Page, by Amanda DiSilvestro
4. 15 Tips to Help You Write Better Social Media Content, by Julia McCoy
5. Maximize Your Reach Using Google’s Knowledge Graph, by Aleh Barysevich / [AD] Top Search Ranking Factors of 2015, According to Moz Study
6. Social Media Reputation Management Do’s and Don’ts, by Jean Dion
7. 10 Steps to Effective Website Content and Copy, by Chandal Nolasco da Silva
8. How to Choose the Best Domain Name, by Travin Keith
9. #MarketingNerds, How to Succeed in Local SEO, by Aki Libo-on
10. The Complete Guide to Content Marketing Through Comments, by Brent Csutoras

Download This Week’s Episode of Marketing Nerds

[Read more]