Posts Tagged ‘seo’

This entry is part of VOCO Creative’s occasional series on using Google Analytics for marketing and branding.

So…you’ve set up Google Analytics and started learning more about the terms and concepts that make GA go.  Now it’s time to make actual use of the site with my five favorite Google Analytics tools.

• So-Cool Site Overlay:  This tool offers you an incredible amount of information on actual user behavior.  Located under the Content section, the Site Overlay tool shows you where clicks land on a page.  What a great way to find out that nobody cares about your “free widget discount” button or that your users are surprisingly curious about your portfolio.  Use the site overlay tool often and with a sense of strategy:  In order to take full advantage, you should be willing to change in response to the information it yields.
• Real Keyword Insight:  This is an SEO-oriented marketer’s best friend.  Located under the Traffic section, the Keywords tool shows you the searches people use to get to your site.  You may discover some strange surprises here…but you also may get extremely valuable information that allows you to tailor content to popular searches.  By optimizing to popular keywords, you ensure higher rankings across a variety of searches that reflect real user behavior, not wishful thinking.
• Fabulous Filters:  Sick of Ukranian spambots hitting your blog?  Want to see real results that don’t reflect your checking for comments 23523523235325 times a day?  Filters are your friend.  To install a filter, you’ll need to know the IP address of anyone you want to exclude from Google Analytics stats.  Create a filter by going to Analytics Settings>Filter Manager>Add New Filter, then follow the steps.  Here’s a Google guide to creating a filter if you need more help.
• Mindboggling Link Ninja Action: Ever wonder just how many people download your PDFs or podcasts?  Wonder no more with file tracking via Google Analytics.  By adding a tiny slice of code to your tags for links, you’ll be able to see download results among the slew of information Google Analytics serves up by default.
• Robotic Automated Traffic Emails:  Harness the power of Google Analytics and take advantage of their option to send scheduled e-mail reports.  Just go to the report you want to receive, click Email beneath its title, and edit the schedule settings.  Google will email to you when you want it in the format you like (currently, PDF, CSV, Excel, and XML are all represented).  This is a great way to make sure that traffic stays at the top of your radar.

Photo via kalandrakas

We’re always looking to be more educated about what’s what and who’s who in the land of digital media.  Imagine our surprise when we heard of the Thin Air Summit, a two-day media extravaganza that promises loads of information, pointers toward the future, and the chance to mingle with other creative types.  Too bad we didn’t hear of it sooner; we would have loved to present.

Speaking of speaking and public appearances, though, we’ve got two on our plate:  the upcoming Boulder Business Trade Fair sponsored by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce (November 19, 5-8:30 pm) and the very promising Angel Capital Summit sponsored by the Rockies Venture Club, a group we are proud to sponsor and assist with all things marketing (November 21, 8 am-6 pm).

It’s amazing what can happen when like-minded professionals get their heads together, get in one room, and commune.  Word on the street is that millions changed hands directly following the ACS…a dream come true for investors who found their angels that day.  Even if you’re not directly seeking financing or wanting to implement an SEO plan or social media project alone, push yourself and sign up for an event.  You’ll gain new perspective, increase that sphere of influence, and come out smarter than you were going in.

Fall is finally in the air and everything seems crisp and focused.  It’s the time of year when everyone seems to start looking ahead, preparing for a big push and scheduling tons of events before the end-of-year madness rears its head.

Here at VOCO Creative, it’s a reflective and productive time.  We’re making big plans for the future and focusing on our own marketing and branding campaigns to make sure there is a future for our business.  With all the news about economic instability, it’s easy to freak out and buy into the financial panic that prevails on every television set and headline.  In that vein, I’m loving Christine Kane’s post on stopping a recession in its tracks (can you tell she’s a blog favorite?).

Advertising Age ran a great article about how important it is to continue advertising and marketing during a downturn.  Though people are cutting down on spending, an eyes-on-the-prize approach will float any business during this recession.

The OMD study tested consumer feelings about advertising and found that 81% said advertisers need to continue to communicate about their products during a recession, adding that they’ll be more receptive to cost-savings messages and products that are positioned as investments.

My mantra as I help my clients move forward through uncertain times:  Panic?  Bad.  Progress?  Good. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

I love success stories (who doesn’t?).

The latest?  Client Rachael Shayne just got contacted by none other than US Weekly…who found her due to VOCO Creative’s search-engine optimization!  Not too shabby…congratulations to a wonderful stylist and a great friend.

Think you could benefit from higher search engine placement?  We can help.  SEO is a great investment for businesses looking to increase their piece of the online pie.  Better yet, you can easily measure the results, track your progress, and build on past successes.  That’s what I’m talkin’ about.