Author: Sunny Kumar

These are both exciting and challenging times as the print media still tries to make revenue out of its’ failings. You could see this as the 12th round of a particularly intense boxing match, with the old champ on the ropes, face bloodied… knowing that returning fire is the only option.

The Case for Print

It seems that the concern has been long held that Google has been surreptitiously ‘stealing’ content from their websites using Google News and the new entrant Google FastFlip. By hosting pages on their own websites containing this content they have been using other media’s work to fill their advertising boots as well as stop visitors to these sites.
Continue reading “Old Media Fight Back, Or Game Over?”

One of the common concerns we have with Search Engine Optimisation is that few businesses are fully informed of how to measure the value of performing optimisation and the benefits.

The ‘Con’ First

Often you’re led to believe that getting to page one of Google is ‘it’ for a reasonably specific keyword phrase, and that you should pay for this privilege. But, almost certainly this is not a cost-effective route, particularly if you’re paying a monthly fee. Here’s an illustration for you:

SEO Firm offer:
“We can get you onto page 1 of Google for a relevant phrase for only £79 per month”

The Maths

They write copy for a single page on your site, and optimise it for you (cost to them – £50 copywriting, £30 to research, ongoing cost – negligible). They choose a reasonably relevant phrase for SEO purposes but one without much competition. Total Cost £80 covered by the first month’s fee you’ve already paid.
Continue reading “How to Value Search Engine Optimisation”

This is the second time in as many months that we have come across this kind of activity. So we decided to post about it, just to forewarn visitors of this kind of activity.

The Hustle

‘Search Marketing Agency X’ contacts you and says to you that they can get you ‘top of Google’ for only £100 a month.

They tell you that if you spend this with them, then they will guarantee that you will be top for a select number of relevant keywords.

However, if you stop paying them, then your positions will be removed.

If you commit to working with them, usually on 6 months plus of contract so they tie you in, then they will send you a list of keywords and you will indeed be on the first page of Google for those keywords from the start of the contract.
Continue reading “How to Spot an Adwords Hustle”

We all can see the way that the web is heading – towards relevant content. To a certain extent, this is a good thing, even if abused – because if a website is working hard to put out good content, then the chances are it’s is worth visiting.

Rather like the SEO principle that good online operations will be optimised precisely because they care AND want relevant traffic – it seems to make sense.

Nothing to Say?

Continue reading “Generating Website Content = Slicing & Dicing”

Back in the early 1990’s, it was just text links. Menus and actions were just underlined text which pushed you this way and that throught a site. Generally blue too, they were very predictable, and yet we understood very clearly what they were and they served a good purpose.

When there were buttons on a site, they were just the standard ‘Microsoft’-looking button: small, grey and missable.

Not very inviting, are they?

Then, with the advent of better graphics packages, things went a bit wild. Clip Art, Bevels and Shading:
Continue reading “The Psychology of the Oversize Button”