Announcements
Google’s “Search, Plus Your World” Personalizes Search Results
Jan 16th
Last week, Google launched its latest update to web browsing, called “Search, plus Your World.” The purpose is to grant easier access to personal search results, because Google believes that these results should hold equal weight with their recommendations. The new search function combines worldwide and personal searches. (more…)
Google News
Jan 10th
Google penalizes Chrome & Google+ rapidly rises in popularity
I have written about Google in the past, but the number one search engine has been in the news again lately, for both good and bad publicity. 2012 appears to be a monster year for Google, as it continues to develop and market new products, challenging Facebook, Apple, and Internet Explorer along the way. Here are the recent transgressions and progressions that have affected the technology giant. (more…)
How YouTube Drives Traffic to Your Website
Dec 28th
Most people think that YouTube is just a place where you can find videos of people getting hurt, singing new renditions of popular songs, and performing other wacky and creative endeavors. But have you ever thought about using these videos to drive traffic to your website? (more…)
The Future of Internet Marketing: Social Commerce
Nov 23rd
Let me look deep into my crystal ball and make some predictions about the future of internet marketing. I see…
Okay, so there is no crystal ball, or other form of hokum to predict the future. But through word of mouth, internet hype, and intriguing rumors, it is possible to guess how the internet marketing landscape could be changed in the coming months and years.
Web MallAs a teenager, one of my favorite hangout spots was the mall. Even if my friends and I didn’t buy anything beyond an Orange Julius or a Wetzel’s Pretzels, we still had fun kickin’ it and looking at all of the new merchandise. When we did have money, following Christmas or a birthday, we would quickly spend it on new shoes, video games, clothing, DVDs or whatever fad item was trending that week.
Today, I can do most of my shopping from home. Although it is impossible to try on shirts to make sure they fit, for the most part this is a more efficient way to purchase stuff.
Except I miss out on the camaraderie.
While I won’t deny that I’m miserable when a trip to the mall with my girlfriend for new socks turns into a five-hour affair More >
Google States Approval of SEO
Nov 2nd
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a rising facet of the marketing industry. As internet marketing increasingly overtakes television as the top means of reaching an audience to sell products, marketing companies are trying to learn how to stay ahead in the area of SEO.
What this leads to, in some situations, is the use of bad SEO, referred to as “black hat SEO“. Businesses stuff keywords into their websites in order to get higher rankings in the search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Does this mean that SEO is bad? Is it wrong to use and manipulate it?
Matt Cutts, Google’s head of fighting internet spam, recently stated that he does not believe SEO to be spam. In a short clip, provided below, he points out the positive values of SEO.
“We don’t consider SEO to be spam,” Cutts said on behalf of his company. He then proceeds to list numerous reasons why SEO is advantageous.
Amongst the points he lists advocating SEO are:
- Designing and organizing the initial website
- Increasing usability and site speed
- Providing customers with superior results that better suit their needs
- Allowing for a greater return on investments
- Helping the search engines compile more useful data
Mr. Cutts then admitted that while there are websites and More >
Google Plus Brand Pages Could Fix Problems of Facebook and Twitter
Oct 24th
Google recently announced that they were implementing brand pages for corporate advertisers on their social media site, Google Plus. As Facebook is still developing tweaks to their system in order to raise user enjoyment, Google Plus will hopefully begin with a system that does not necessitate any additional changes in the future.
Amongst the issues that Facebook and Twitter deal with is the layout of their pages, which do not allow for much adjustment. Large companies, like Coca Cola or Disney, can only do so much to organize their pages within the strict guidelines of Facebook and Twitter’s programing code.
Facebook, for example, allows for a main picture on the upper left, content scrolling down the center, and that’s about it. No designing backgrounds, no customizations, and no overriding the website’s programing.
In addition, companies cannot choose which advertisements appear on the right side of their own pages. Hypothetically, a Pepsi ad could load onto the Coke’s Facebook page, creating a conflict of interests.
But hopes are high that Google will solve these issues before the launch of their brand pages.
Ad agencies are already starting to develop brand pages for Google Plus that work with its rigid formatting that is somewhat layered, but still More >
What is Black Hat SEO?
Sep 2nd
What is Black Hat SEO
Black Hat search engine optimization is customarily defined as techniques that are used to get higher search rankings in an unethical manner. These black hat SEO techniques usually include one or more of the following characteristics:
- breaks search engine rules and regulations
- creates a poor user experience directly because of the black hat SEO techniques utilized on the Web site
- unethically presents content in a different visual or non-visual way to search engine spiders and search engine users.
- Keyword stuffing: Packing long lists of keywords and nothing else onto your More >
Mac OS X Lion: Review from Final Cut Pro 7 Editor and ProApps User
Jul 21st
Mac OS X Lion, Apple’s newly-released operating system upgrade seems to be a first-step effort to bridge the gap between their traditional desktop operating system and the newly-popular iPhone and iPad IOS. While IOS is undoubtedly more user-friendly, much of Apple’s professional user base has given the company’s integration efforts some backlash—most recently with Apple’s drastic makeover to what’s arguably their most relied-upon ProApp, Final Cut Pro. So does Apple’s OS X Lion stand as a true upgrade to Apple ProApps users as well as your average Joe?
To find out, we enlisted the help of our dear friend Drew Shackelford, Lead Assistant Editor of the illustrious Los Angeles-based reality TV production company, Pie Town Productions. Check out his review below!
Apple OS X Lion Review: Scrolling TipsFirst off, OSX Lion connects the synapse chasm that has festered between iPad/iPhone and Macbook use. In many ways, the cursor has become a thing of the past. I now use gestures, (mostly two and three finger swipes) to whip around the OS.
The operating system’s learning curve depends on how much you have used Apple products in recent years. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or have been using the trackpad more than others, More >
SEO Content Writing Tips after Google’s Panda Update
May 9th
SEO Content Writing Tips
Writing plays a large roll in Internet marketing and SEO campaigns. Despite the recent algorithm changes from the Google Panda Update, content is still the No. 1 determining factor in getting your site to rank.
The principles of good writing are as much of a skill as an art form, and when you or your Internet marketing company view content creation from both perspectives, you stand to achieve maximum gain from your efforts.
Despite the changes that occurred from the Panda Update, the following tips are still great to hold onto whenever you find yourself generating content as a part of your web design or online marketing campaigns.
Content Does Matter Content matters to your users and it always will. Just because you can fool a search engine robot doesn’t mean you can fool a customer. Whatever it is you’re writing, be sure it has some inherent value. Writing for the customer first and using technical SEO principles second will always help you optimize your content.
Keep Keywords in your Headlines While a headline should always be compelling, it needs to be discovered in order to be able to compel. Titles are the first thing that grab your readers’ attention – and the first thing More >
Google Panda Update Says Goodbye to Low-Quality Links
May 2nd
Google has made major changes to its algorithm to target spammy sites, followed by the larger Panda update that targeted “low quality” sites. This all started when Google penalized JCPenney, Forbes, and Overstock.com for “shady” linking practices.
What’s it all mean for link builders? It means we say goodbye to low quality link building.
If your competitors are still highly ranked on Google and you find that they have low quality link built around their search marketing campaign, then there are two things you must consider about finding low quality, high volume links in your analysis:
- Maybe it isn’t the links that got your competitors where they are today. Maybe they are a big enough brand with a good enough reputation to be where they are for that particular keyword.
- If the above doesn’t apply, then maybe it’s just a matter of time before Google cracks down even further, giving no weight to those spammy backlinks.
Lets face it, non of us here at Trimark Marketing Group want to be the Internet Marketing company behind the next Overstock or JCPenney link building gone wrong story!
How to Determine a Valuable Backlink Opportunity How can you determine whether a site you’re trying to gain a link from is More >
Jump in to 2011: We’ve Got Your Back LIke Verizon’s Got the iPhone
Jan 12th
Many of us have been waiting… we’ve all heard the rumors…
Yesterday Verizon made headlines with the news of officially securing the iPhone! With campaigns touting better reception and fewer dropped calls sure to come, this gives all iPhone users the choice of what service provider is best for them.
When it comes to your creative and marketing needs, Trimark Marketing Group wants to be your choice provider. Our team’s speed and efficiency, along with the best talent available, can help you with everything that a successful business needs to survive in this day and age. Give us a call, tell us your needs, and we’ll get to work!
To get a taste of our work, visit our marketing portfolio at http://trimarkfirm.com/
Also, call or email anytime if you’d like to set up an appointment.
Trimark Marketing Group 1-800-420-4254 info@trimarkfirm.com
Planning Your Companys Internet Marketing Future: 2010 Recap and 2011 Strategy
Dec 29th
As 2010 winds down to its last week, I can’t help but go back and look at my 2009 recap and 2010 outlook. Boy did it look bleak…the economy was in a rut, clients were cutting back on everything—including their marketing budgets.
Really, marketing should be the last thing you choose to downsize—after all, isn’t Marketing helping your business stay afloat and driving more sales? (But that is a subject to be covered on another day.)
Nonetheless, since many customers were scaling back, we went into 2010 making a conscious decision to concentrate on our current customers and introduce more innovation and marketing strategies to drive more customers to their websites and businesses.
Well the strategy worked.
On average, all of our customers grew their customer base by a margin of 25% to 45%, and one of our customers grew their online visitor and reservation numbers by 100%.
Imagine doubling your call rates in a matter of 12 months—well word travels fast and Trimark was able to pull out one of its best years yet.
Now looking back on 2010, I’m thinking about how our readers, customers, friends and family take advantage of our strategy and apply it to themselves. Simplifying the concept, here are couple More >