Update on Negative SEO Attacks and Google's Disavow Tool.

In the last article when we talked about the effects of Negative SEO, we made a point that there was no real way to prevent or stop link attacks if you were being targeted by negative SEO. We gave a few tricks of the trade to introduce ways to prevent or stem an attack by combating the links directly and releasing great and regularly updated content which would link back to your site. However, having done some further research on negative SEO and with Google taking active steps to combat it, we have been experimenting with the new Disavow Links tool.

On the 16/10/2012 Google announced the arrival of this new tool to assist with the problem of negative SEO. In a nutshell, the disavow tool helps by erasing the connection between the offending website and your own site, allowing poor quality links to be discounted when Google indexes. 

However, Google is not simply offering a quick fix to those wanting to reverse the effects of poor link building practices in the past, as they have made it clear that all possible action needs to be taken before the disavow tool is used. In essence, it is a last resort. The website owner should try and remove the links manually in the first instance, as it has been mentioned that notes are needed when using the disavow tool and evidence of removal attempts must be seen. It is only when Google can see that the account holder is trying to act upon the link removals that it will allow the request for the Disavow tool to be implemented.

At this point in time nobody fully knows the effectiveness of the disavow tool but we recommend that everyone wanting to jump on the band wagon doesn’t at this stage. The potential effects it could have on the removal of links mean that it may well cause damage to your SEO if not used properly, or if you become particularly 'trigger happy' with the tool. For the time being, we would only recommend that you use the tool if:

- You’re a victim of negative SEO and have evidence enough to support this
- You have received a Google Warning for breaching their guidelines
- You have used poor link building practices previously and you have been hit by the Penguin Update

If your website has been affected by one of these scenarios then you may find that using the tool will improve the state of the SEO. But be warned! With it being a new tool, it should be used with caution!

For more information on the Google Disavow Links tool, or alternative ways to remove bad links feel free to get in touch with a member of our team at www.redcowmedia.co.uk

You can also check out our other articles at:

http://redcowmediaseo.blogspot.co.uk/

5 ways to enhance your online marketing

Firstly who are we? We are Red Cow Media an Online Marketing Agency that provides different services to increase the chance of an audience finding you and using your services. We have over 20 years’ experience in this field and seen how rapidly online marketing can change.  Here are ways in which you can enhance your online marketing:

Web Design

One fundamental way to enhance your online marketing is the attractiveness and professionalism of your website; in today’s internet-led world, your website is your main tool to reflect your company, making it a key way to improve your online marketing. A website should always suit the business, including enough detail of what it does, and should provide valid information related to the business, as well as being visually appealing.

The vast majority of consumers will now look to websites when looking for a service online, checking the website out first before investing their money. Consumers are also influenced by different aspects of the site, including:

• Loading Time
• Attractiveness
• Professionalism
• Quality and Quantity of Information

All these aspect should be taken into consideration when looking to enhance the chances of customers choosing your site over the hundreds of other competitors.

SEO

A massive problem with online marketing is that a business has a fantastic looking website, which they may have paid a large amount of money for, but no business coming from it. It essential to have customers going to your website and this can be done through SEO, or “Search Engine Optimisation”.

There are two different types of SEO, off page and on page optimisation, in a nutshell, it helps potential customers find your website and gets it in front of a wider audience.

The on page optimisation deals with what is on the website and in the website code, and what could be improved to help the search engines identify that your site is exactly what the customer is looking for in their search. Off page optimisation comes from quality link building, through a variety of techniques including content generation, articles and reciprocal linking to relevant sites.

Link Building

This is a huge part of the SEO process which needs to be an ongoing effort. It comes under off page optimisation and uses different techniques to help increase the chance of the customers finding your website.  Link building is like a voting system, every link accounts for one vote and this allows search engines to find which page are important and the most popular. 

Over time link building has changed with different algorithms, making it a fighting battle to keep up with the latest techniques in link building. What link building essentially does is create more interest in the site and increases its visibility, opening up doors to a wider audience.

Social Media

One commonly missed part of online marketing is social media, which allows the user to keep a connection with the customer and, again, be used for getting to a wider audience.  Social Media is accessible to anyone and can be customised, it now takes up a huge proportion of online presence and it is seen as a weakness to a business if they haven’t got a social presence. It also allows a business to engage with the target audience on a more personal, accessible level.

One of the main features with Social Media is that is can be seen or accessed almost anywhere, allowing people to see what the business is providing at any time and increasing the chance of the customer picking your company.

It is a myth that for successful Social Media Marketing you need to spend hours each week on the various different pages, it’s all about targeting the right people.

E Marketing

All businesses keep records, email addresses from current customers, old customers and potential customers. They are the easiest record of data to capture and can prove an essential tool in your online marketing arsenal. The most important way of using this data is through e-mail marketing.

Sending the right information at the right time cannot only improve visits to your site but also turn those potential clients into actual clients.

If you found this article interesting, you can check out “Make It, Find It,Share It” where we explain what we mean by the phrase and how it may help you. Alternatively, you can find more information about us on our website by clicking here.

Only 1% of SMEs use Social Media!

Only 1% of SMEs use Social Media!

According to a recent survey completed by TalkTalk Business, only 1% of SMEs in the UK utilise social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as new business tools.

Can this be true? Apparently so! I recently read an article in The Drum which highlighted this and, I have to say, I was more than a little surprised. Social Media platforms are most suited to SMEs in that they are free to use, and help to engage directly with their existing, as well as potential, customers. In 2011, Facebook surpassed even Google in terms of internet usage….yet most companies will invest in a website but not give social media a second thought, meaning they are only covering themselves in half of the online market space.

 

From reading many articles about the emergence of social media specifically as a business tool, I have gleaned that this is mainly down to a classic case of ‘fear of the unknown’. “What does it do?”, “how do we use it?” and “Where do we start?” are all questions we encounter on an almost daily basis. The answer to this is to have a clear cut strategy in place for your social media usage. As with most forms of marketing, you need to have a defined plan. This can be difficult when you don’t fully understand what you’re working with yet, so don’t be afraid to ask for a little advice or input – sometimes the best ideas for content etc come from customers themselves.

It is really important that you don’t overtly try to ‘sell’ your products and services to your online audience. We see far too many cases of repeated posts of “buy our new this” and “we sell that cheaper than such a body”….this is not the way to go. Obviously the ultimate aim is to generate more or repeated business from your social media usage, but this should be done in a more engaging way. Try instead to be informative about the products/services and become a bit of a guru of information within your specified area. Chat with people, ask questions and answer their questions. The idea is to engage with your audience in a way which will leave an impression, making you the first company they think of when they think of a certain product/service.

Another thing to consider is that social media is a long term investment. It won’t generate massive results over night, and it is not a ‘quick fix’, but don’t give up on it! Over time, it is an excellent way of attracting/gaining presence and retaining business and it WILL work if you do it properly and persevere with it.

Perhaps the most important aspect of your strategy, along with what to post, is where to post to. There are so many social media platforms in use, so it is important to gauge which ones will be best suited to the audience you are trying to target. For example, trying to endorse a video game is likely to have a lot of success on Facebook, but yield very little on LinkedIn. Gauging which outlets will have the greatest impact is all about analising where your customers are more likely to frequent.

I will end with a comment from Paul Lawton, MD of TalkTalk Business -
“Social media can prove invaluable as a new business tool and so it’s worrying to see that so few SMEs are embracing it. Its business benefits range from being able to engage and understand the needs of customers and prospects through to gaining insights into target markets and perceptions of your organisation or brand”.

For more information on Social Media and how it can be used to help your business, contact me at kelly@redcowmedia.co.uk

If you are interested in getting social media or any type of online marketing service, please visit our website at by clicking here.