seobridges.com

No matter whether you’re a social media novice, aficionado, or expert, there is bound to be something in this book you can glean from. It’s a great resource for teachers and students, and it covers all of the basis from blogging to the importance of a social media plan.

If you’ve read this book, let me know your thoughts. I’d love to glean from you, and learn what has and has not worked. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, you can buy it below.

The Social Media Survival Guide by Deltina Hay

You can learn more about Deltina by visiting her website, Social Media Power, or following her @Deltina.

Stay social, my friends!

Erick

If you’ve ever arrived at a store at 1:30 AM to try to make it to a 4 AM Black Friday sale, only to find a few hundred other people in front of you, chances are you encountered disappointment. Companies build hype by creating a need and giving consumers the illusion that a certain product will fulfill that need. Then, they only send the store five of that product, so as to create a sense of disappointment and jealousy when thousands of consumers aren’t able to fulfill that need. Google is building hype for Google Plus by rolling out invites to the chosen few.

Another thing Google is doing right is using a minimalist design, much like the Google homepage, to make it easier for people to navigate the site. Do you remember the first time you logged onto Facebook? Do you remember the sense of relief that you didn’t have to spend hours, feeling like a high school kid, trying to create the coolest Myspace profile with awesome graphics? Have you ever gotten frustrated at Facebook because you scroll through thousands of friends suggestions on an endless page, only to find just a few people you want to reconnect with?

Facebook may not have annoying graphics like Myspace, but it offers numerous pointless ways for people to waste time, and people are getting tired of feeling like they are mice in a the maze of Facebook.

Right now, Google Plus is The Fighter, analyzing Facebook’s footwork, along with its weaknesses and strengths, and strategizing how to deliver the blow-out punch. I think it just might send Facebook to the mat. Check out this video by LA Times tech reporter, Nathan Olivarez-Giles, on Google Plus and let me know your thoughts.

Stay social my friends!

Erick

Hootsuite uses it, Scribd uses it, and several other sites use it to be more search bot friendly and interactive for users. Here’s a list of the most social link types, attributes, and elements in HTML5.

Article Element – This tells search bots when content is related to other content, such as with blog comments.

Cite Element – This cites sources and is a great way to give credit where credit is due.

KBD Element – Under certain circumstances, this can be used as a voice command.

Embed Element – This represents integration with non-HTML points, such as applications or other interactive content.

Link type “Author” – This can be used with link, a, or area elements and creates a hyperlink. When used with the a or area element, it indicates further information about the author of the article. When used with the link element, it indicates information about the author of a page.

Link type “Help” – This can be used with link, a, or area element and indicates that the referenced document provides help. When used with the a or area element, it indicates help for the article. Within the link element, it indicates help for the page.

Link Type “Pingback” – This may be used with the Link element and creates an external link resource to let authors of other blogs or articles know you referenced their information.

Accesskey Attribute – This generates keyboard shortcuts that activate elements.

If you’re an SEO, you should know the basics of HTML, and you should be aware of the upgrades in HTML5. If you don’t, W3 Schools is an excellent place to learn.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

For SEO and webmasters concerned about recent updates to Google’s algorithm, I recommend reviewing Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Google favors well designed websites, original content that adds value, and links to reputable websites. Think of a website like a house.

An architect doesn’t design a house so a person walks into the garage when they open the front door. In the same way, a website should welcome visitors, let them know what the site is about, and encourage them to discover more.

An architect designs every room with at least one door to and from another room. In the same way, each page of a website should be accessible from at least one static text link; and the page titles should tell users where those links lead.

Just as an architect designs a house with windows to allow visibility, an SEO should submit their website to search engines and link to relevant websites. This will allow potential visitors to see your site and current visitors to find relevant information.

And just as a contractor adds certain appliances to certain rooms, you should add content that is relevant to specific pages. Don’t talk about widgets if the title of your page is gadgets.

Finally, just as any good contractor should make sure all of the plumbing and electrical in the house functions right, you want to use good coding and make sure all of the links work.

If you follow these rules, your site will maintain its integrity no matter how often Google changes its algorithm.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

#Facebook (FB) will introduce redesigned #fan#pages on March 10.  When this happens, you can say ‘goodbye’ to big blue tabs at the top of your fan page and ‘hello’ to small icons on the left column.

FB claims they want to make it easier for people to navigate their site.  I don’t see how shifting one’s eyes from the center column to a set of small icons on the left is easier than big blue tabs in the center column.  Also, the current design allows page administrators to easily change the order the tabs appear on the screen, whereas this is difficult with the new design.

The new design will show pictures where tabs once were.  This seems like FB trying to force businesses to integrate their visual life with their fan page, perhaps in an effort to encourage people to use such apps as their Picasa Uploader.  When you upload a picture to a box (from your computer), it appears as your main picture rather than a tabbed picture.  You have to go back to your main page, then to your fan page, and then re-upload your main photo.

So, is FB redesigning their pages, or making any other redesigns or upgrades to their site to stream line the process and make it easier for you to navigate their site?  All of the evidence suggests they are making it more difficult for people to navigate their site.  They want to give you every reason to lose track of and waste time on their site.

If you’ve ever been to a casino, you may have noticed there are no clocks on the walls.  Think of Facebook as the casino of the Internet.  They want you to get so caught up in playing games, uploading pics, chatting with friends, and more that you forget about time.  Now, the only question is, other than your attention, what do they want you to gamble?

Stay social my friends,

Erick

If you read the most recent issue of Poets & Writers, you know if you are an author and want a Web designer you want Jefferson Rabb.  He doesn’t design sites with a traditional call to action, rather he designs them with the goal of letting the user get to know the author better.  Most, if not all, of the sites he creates he creates for Hachette Book Group or Random House.

His site features what appears to be four subway lines running through Manhattan.  In the middle of the map is the front page of one of those sites—Nameberry.com.  That site deserves to be featured in the middle of Rabb’s rendition of Manhattan because it is that site, and that site alone, that Alexa ranks the highest out of all of the sites Rabb designed.  According to Compete.com, Nameberry received 98,064 visits in January, which was a little more than 10,000 less visitors than in December.

So, what are they doing right with Nameberry.com that’s not going so right with those other sites?  Yes, social media.  Facebook sends the third highest concentration of visitors (5.61%), and Nameberry.com has a Twitter account with a decent following.  Yes, SEO content. Google sends the highest concentration of visitors (44.86%).  Though, Nameberry receives 6.54% of its traffic from Parents.com and Babynology.com, which combined makes them more lucrative than Facebook to Nameberry.

Even though Parents.com is not a social networking site, they offer a community where expectant parents can interact with one another.  Babynology does not offer any type of social networking, but they do have photo contests, articles and tips, and easy to use search features.  So, what’s the point? Simple, you need something more than a fancy Web design; you need to find your audience and engage.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Last week I talked about the importance of integrating your SEO content and social media marketing.  I also mentioned it’s important to make sure your site is designed to be SEO friendly.  I mentioned it, but I never explained it.

The other day, I talked to a Web designer whose clients we write Web content and handle the social media marketing for.  We talked about his latest project in comparison to a website he wants to model that project after.  He asked for my thoughts of what we could learn from the model site in integrating SEO into his latest Web project.  I’ll tell you what I told him and more.

Quick SEO tips for Web designers:

1. Make your text readable – It’s best to use simple black and white text, but just make it as readable as possible.
2. Buttons – Let search bots know where they should go.  If a link leads to your services, title it ‘Services,’ not ‘What we do.’
3. Use Bold Text – Tell the search bots what’s important about your site, but not too much.
4. Add a site map – An XML for the search bots and an HTML site map for your users.
5. Registration period – Okay, this one isn’t really Web design or SEO related, but it’s a good tip.  If you only registered your site for a year, search bots won’t consider you very serious.  Register your site for at least five years.

There are more, but those five should keep you busy for a while.

Any other ideas?

Stay social,

Erick