Google Panda 3.3 update and Penguin

Google recently announced a significant change to the way it ranks websites and web content, in a development that everyone involved in online marketing must be aware of and respond to.

The change came in the form of the Google Panda 3.3 update.

Without getting too technical, Panda was introduced by Google last year as part of an attempt by the US-based online giant to make its search algorithm more ‘human.’ In other words, Google is using a machine to work out what us mere mortals like to see on websites.

The Panda 3.3 update saw Google introduce a list of 40 changes in one go. This was followed by a further 50 changes soon after.

At around the same time, Google announced it was introducing an ‘over optimisation penalty’ as part of yet another update known as the Penguin. You can read a blog post on this change here.

So, silly names aside, what does this mean for marketing executives trying to ensure their company’s website is highly visible online?

SEO

Quite simply, many of the accepted methods used in SEO (search engine optimistation) no longer apply.

Google is attempting to create a level playing field by ensuring that if you don’t understand the technical aspects of SEO, your site isn’t judged to be of less value than one run by an SEO whizz.

More than ever, it is now crucial that a site contains a regular flow of high-quality, original content such as blogs and news stories if it is to rank highly on Google searches.

Sites that are easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing will also do well.

Quality not quantity

Previously, it was beneficial from an SEO perspective for a site to contain as many pages as possible, containing as much information as possible, with links everywhere. Wikipedia is an example of a site that perfected this approach to build a massive following.

Now, Google no longer wants to see pages that are judged by visitors to have little or no value. Having a site with 100 pages, only 10 of which are regularly viewed or interacted with, is now quite a dangerous position to be in. Bounce rates must be kept as low as possible.

The new mantra is quality, not quantity.

Social media

Crucially, Google’s algorithm is now taking signals from social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+.

This means it is has never been more important to be active on social media, and to incorporate feeds from such sites onto yours. It is vital that visitors are engaging with content on your site.

In another nod to the growing importance of social media, Google has added social media sites to the list of referrers in its analytics tool.

Help at hand

Fortunately, Google has updated its webmaster guidelines to help ensure your site adapt to the changes. These are available free online.

If you would like to discuss the changes in more detail, contact Outwrite today on 01352 706260 to arrange a call or meeting with our digital consultant Derek Booth.

We are providing strategic PR advice to Bedfordshire-based BiogenGreenfinch, which has been appointed by Gwynedd Council as preferred bidder for the construction of a proposed green energy plant in North West Wales.

It is anticipated the facility, situated at Llwyn Isaf near Clynnog Fawr, will process roughly 11,000 tonnes of food waste each year from nearby homes and businesses – creating renewable electricity for the grid and biofertiliser for use on nearby farmland.

It is expected that the facility will be operational by the summer of 2013.

As well as providing PR advice, Outwrite also provided translation services for the Welsh-language version of the GwyriAD project microsite.

Anita Smith, marketing manager at BiogenGreenfinch, said: “Outwrite provided practical, useful input on both PR strategy and website content.”

Outwrite managing director Tracy North added: “This will be the first anaerobic digestion facility in Wales specifically designed to take local authority-collected food waste.

“The innovative GwyriAD project is also likely to be the first AD facility delivered by a Welsh council.

“We are proud to have played a role in the project.”

BiogenGreenfinch will work closely with the local community to keep residents up to date on the project’s progress.

More information on the Llwyn Isaf anaerobic digestion plant can be found at www.biogengreenfinch-gwyriad.co.uk.

• BiogenGreenfinch has also been named preferred bidder for a contract to build another food waste recycling plant in North Wales. The preferred bidder appointment is for the design, construction and operation of a 22,500 tonne per annum AD plant in Denbighshire. Read more.

Image by Markhillary, via Flickr on a Creative Commons licence - http://www.flickr.com/photos/markhillary/4595215922/

VOTERS go to the polls today (Thursday May 3) as local council elections take place in Scotland and parts of England and Wales.

Last time around, in 2008, Labour suffered heavy losses and lost control of many authorities – including Outwrite’s home county of Flintshire.

At the time, many grassroots Labour activists up and down the country blamed the party’s disastrous performance at the polls on negative coverage in the national media.

The elections took place at the height of the 10p tax row, which damaged Gordon Brown’s administration and resulted in weeks of negative headlines for Labour.

Outgoing Labour councillors were quick to interpret their demise as a direct result of the electorate’s growing disaffection with Gordon Brown’s administration.

This time around, many political commentators are predicting a trouncing for the Tories after what David Cameron admits has been a “tough month” for the coalition.

From petrol panic to the controversy over George Osborne’s tax on grannies and pasties, and most recently calls for culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to resign, the knives have been out for the coalition online, in print and on air recently.

But will all this matter when voters come to cast their ballots today?

Experts are divided over the extent to which the national news agenda determines the results of local elections.

Do voters support a candidate because of his or her policies, strengths and personality? Or do most of us vote in order to ‘send a message’ to the government in Westminster, or out of a sense of party loyalty?

The truth is that no one can say for sure if local elections are decided by mundane (but important) local issues such as bin collections, roadworks, dog dirt and planning applications, or by the national media’s news agenda.

Many sitting Tory and Lib Dem councillors – like their Labour rivals four years ago – will have woken up this morning hoping their constituents don’t punish them for perceived failings at Westminster.

All councillors are at the mercy of a national news agenda beyond their control. It is only those candidates who have managed to build a strong relationship with their constituents – including through local media – who will enjoy a degree of immunity.

Image by Buddawiggi, via Flickr on a Creative Commons licence - http://www.flickr.com/photos/buddawiggi/5987710858/

Networking is essential in business for making new contacts and generating leads.

Winning new work is still about who you know and not just what you know.

Application of a strategic approach to networking can deliver lucrative returns as contacts offer you work.

However, the choice of networking opportunities can become bewildering.

They range from breakfast clubs where members are required to make formal referrals, to black tie dinners.

They include geographically-based groups such as West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, and groups for professionals in the same field, such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

And online networking tactics such as LinkedIn mean you no longer have to leave the office to connect to prospective customers.

Many businesspeople select a mix of face-to-face plus online networking.

Seasoned networker and Outwrite managing director, Tracy North, currently vice-chairman of the Institute of Directors in North Wales, offers her tips, whether on- or off-line:

• Plan networking as a defined tactic within your marketing strategy
• Allocate a set amount of time each week or month to network
• Determining what time of day is convenient will help you choose which organisation to join eg you may prefer breakfast meetings because you can go on to work a full day in the office afterwards
• Should your networking be sector based eg an exporters’ club, or geographically-based eg IoD Cheshire branch or North Wales branch?
• Check the profile of other members.  There is no point joining a group of one-man bands if your target customers are SMEs that employ more than 100
• Networking within your trade or professional body will keep you up to date with new ideas and help your continuing professional development (CPD)
• Which individuals from within member organisations represent it? If you are targeting purchasing managers and members are mostly HR representatives, is it right for you?
• At a networking event, remember to ask for business cards – and offer out your own
• Ask new contacts if you can add them to your company’s newsletter mailing list

Other local and regional networking organisations include:  The Business Network, Chester; Chartered Institute of Marketing; CBI; Chester Business Club, North Wales Business Club, Mold Business Forum and Business Network International.

Among those receiving praise for heading off negative publicity were Justin Bieber and fast food chain Taco Bell.

The list added an interesting new dimension to the debate over brand and reputation protection, and inspired us to write a blog offering seven tips for effective crisis management.

1)    Act early – all too often organisations wait until they have been swamped by negative media coverage before they even start to think about how to counteract it. Being pro-active at an early stage can help to prevent an issue becoming a crisis.

2)    Don’t be hasty – a common mistake made by companies in the midst of PR crisis is to hastily issue a press release containing positive news such as a charity donation or piece of community work. However, this can appear contrived and can be counter-productive unless managed properly.

3)    Be open and transparent – nothing arouses the suspicion of journalists like a refusal to comment. In media relations as in life, honesty is the best policy. Inviting reporters to your company premises to discuss matters directly can be an effective tactic.

4)    Don’t take it personally – remember that journalists, like you, are just trying to do their job. By asking for a response to negative allegations about you or your company, they are simply trying to get both sides of the story in the interests of balance and fair reporting.

5)    Stay calm – if you feel an article is unfair, remember it is highly unlikely that the journalist has misreported the situation deliberately. By all means make your concerns known, but do so in a calm and polite manner.

6)    Respond quickly and accurately – anyone who has worked in the media knows the pressures journalists are under due to tight deadlines and demanding editors. Responding to enquiries swiftly in order to meet a reporter’s deadline will ensure your side of the story is heard. It will also show journalists that you can be relied upon to meet their needs

7)    Think digital – these days a crisis can quickly escalate beyond traditional media and into the Twittersphere. Free tools like Social Mention allow users to carry out real-time searches for mentions of their organisation across social media. If a negative story about your company takes off online, be sure to respond to comments on sites like Facebook and Twitter and do not be tempted to delete critical comments. In addition, use social media to cut out the middle man and get your message across to key audiences such as your customers, the public and other stakeholders directly. For example, why not put a media statement on your blog as well?

Enjoy this post? Please leave a comment below. For more information on handling a media crisis call Outwrite today on 01352 706260.

However, as the phrase ‘marketing mix’ clearly implies, PR is only one of several tools that should be used to communicate your message to potential customers and other key audiences.

Too many organisations fall into the trap of viewing PR in isolation from wider marketing plans and business objectives. There can be a tendency to adopt an ad-hoc, scattergun approach and seek media coverage for its own sake, without consideration of how it is benefiting the organisation.

The potential problems that can result from using PR in isolation are subtle but nevertheless highly significant.

Equally, the benefits of co-ordinating a company’s wider business objectives in an integrated sales and marketing plan are telling – and well within the reach of any organisation prepared to take its marketing seriously.

The point to remember is that customers will view the whole finished product (not just isolated elements) and will judge you on the result created by that unique combination of complementary elements.

Bearing all of the above in mind, we’ve put together some key points for ensuring your PR is carefully aligned with your long-term goals:

• Load, aim, fire! This maxim works well for firing a gun and also for our purposes here. Load = planning, aim = targeting market segments/key demographics or selecting correct media channel. Fire = executing the campaign.

• Striking out and organising an event or PR campaign can be fun and give the impression that action is being taken but you may simply be playing the role of ‘busy fool’ or convincing your boss (wrongly!) that you know what you’re doing when it comes to marketing and sorting out the company’s image/messaging problems.

• A campaign that is not rooted in a plan will be superficial and create less impact, as it may well be perceived as inconsistent or even irrelevant to the overall message of the business. Results therefore will not be sustainable over the long term.

• Don’t be fooled into thinking this whole argument is not important because its validity isn’t readily apparent. Things that happen below the radar or behind the scenes often lack glamour but play a vital role in producing a stunning end result – think of the serenity of a swan in full flow appearing totally calm and magnificent on the surface but with all the hard work occurring invisibly beneath the surface.

• If your PR is part of a wider plan it will have wider support throughout the organisation as more people will necessarily have bought into it at concept stage. Because of this, the vital motivation and drive will be in place to take the campaign on energetically and vigorously to a successful outcome.

• Prior analysis of the market, engagement with targeted customers and reflection on any findings will reveal exactly where to put in maximum PR effort, with the result that any campaign executed on this basis will be underpinned by a solid foundation.

All the above points will help you to maximise the ROI for your PR spend. This route definitely takes more effort and use of intellectual resources but will always produce better results – surely the whole point of the exercise!

Jeff Hardman is the founder and owner of Barnhill Marketing, a well-established business and management consultancy based in Broxton, Cheshire. For more information visit www.barnhillmarketing.co.uk. Follow Jeff on Twitter here – you can also view his LinkedIn profile and read his blog.

Would you like to write a guest blog or e-newsletter article for Outwrite? If so, contact us today!

The BBC’s chief economics correspondent Hugh Pym interviewed Jones Bros’ commercial manager Ruth Jones, along with two of the firm’s apprentices Christian Williams and Jack Martin.

The interviews, part of a news package focusing on youth unemployment and the latest job figures, took place at Swinford in Leicestershire where Jones Bros is currently working on a wind farm project.

The item was broadcast on March 14 on the BBC’s 6 o’clock and 10 o’clock news programmes, as well as BBC News 24.

Ruth Jones said: “It was terrific to get such positive national exposure for Jones Bros and our apprenticeship scheme which we value highly. As we are now working on projects across the UK, press coverage like this really helps to raise our national profile.

“Christian and Jack really enjoyed appearing on the BBC, it was a great experience for them too.”

The Jones has run its highly successful apprenticeship programme for four decades, remaining committed to it even during periods of economic downturn.

It now boasts a highly skilled, loyal workforce, with many former apprentices now running multi-million pound projects.

Ms Harman, who generally enjoys a reputation as a confident media operator, struggled to give the figures on how much a bankers’ tax would raise or how much a job creation plan would cost.

Speaking to Jo Coburn of the Daily Politics Show from a Labour meeting in Coventry, Harriet Harman said: “I will have to get back to you on that.”

When asked about the cost of the job creation guarantee plans, she said, “There is no mystery about it,” although she was unable to give any figures on the cost. Later in the interview Ms Harman said the figures were “at hand, just out of reach here – and you know it is a carefully costed programme.”

Unlike politicians, most people don’t get the chance to be interviewed live by a broadcaster, but if you do, seize the opportunity to promote your business/service with both hands.

Prepare fully!

These tips should help:

• Try to find out what the reporter wants to know in advance (or at least the gist of it). Ask what the first question will be so you start off on the right foot
• Ask if the reporter is interviewing anyone else at the same time (to ensure you are not being pitted against someone else)
• Prep with your own question and answers (Q&A) to ensure you’re ready for any potentially sticky questions you may be asked
• Research thoroughly – consider strengths and weaknesses of your product or service
• Look up facts and figures (unlike Harriet!) and if you are asked a question you can’t answer, admit it, don’t try to bluff!
• Hone your messages to three key points and avoid jargon!
• Try to answer every question clearly and succinctly
• Thank the journalist when it is over

Three Outwrite clients recently commissioned such training to ensure they get maximum benefit from interview opportunities.

Classical media training is considered to be about learning how to handle questions from reporters in a crisis:  standing outside the gates when the building is burning down behind you.

However, media training is also useful for employees who will be interviewed about good news stories.

Employees at St Dunstan’s, Llandudno, the charity that supports blind ex-Service men and women, wanted help running through likely questions from broadcast media ahead of a significant development:  the announcement earlier this month of a complete rebrand with name change to Blind Veterans UK.

Sioned Phillips, Arts & Crafts Instructor at Blind Veterans UK’s centre was among the staff that we trained.

She said: “I have had a little bit of experience of media interviews before, but have always found it pretty daunting.  However, after I received training from Outwrite I felt fully prepared and it gave me the confidence and skills to successfully undertake interviews for S4C and BBC Radio Cymru on behalf of Blind Veterans UK.”

Leading UK wood recycler Plevin is expanding quickly, and making the news with announcements of big new contracts, among other stories.

We spent a day with managers, giving them a greater insight into how journalists work.

Managing director Jamie Plevin said:  “By learning how the journalist prepares to conduct the interview, we got a better understanding of the kind of questions to expect.  The mock interviews were very valuable.”

Engineers and project managers from Jones Bros civil engineering UK  also spent a day being put through their paces about stories covering projects from wind farms to highways construction.

Commercial manager Ruth Jones said:  “We practised and learned a lot and went away feeling much more confident.   Some of us have given broadcast interviews since.  Using our knowledge and skills from the training made them much less daunting.”

By the time the Uruguayan apologised for refusing to shake Patrice Evra’s hand before Liverpool’s recent Premier League clash with Manchester United, the damage had already been done.

Last week Liverpool’s £20m-a-year shirt sponsor, Standard Chartered, reportedly expressed concern over the affair. The club’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, can’t have been pleased to see the story covered in the New York Times.

According to the Daily Mail website, Liverpool have now been accused by equality campaigners of ‘critically undermining’ the fight against racism in football.

Whatever your thoughts on the ins and outs of the saga, the club’s image has undoubtedly been tarnished. So, what lessons can be learnt from a PR / crisis communications perspective? We’ve listed a few below.

1)    Know when to come clean and say sorry – apologies must be made quickly and sincerely. The word ‘sorry’ counts for nothing if accompanied by the impression it has been forced

2)    Realise the difference between loyalty to your player / organisation and blinkered pig-headedness – if an employee or company representative does something to damage your organisation’s reputation, it is acceptable and sometimes advisable to criticise them openly for the sake of the greater good

3)    Gauge public opinion and react accordingly – don’t feel duty bound to your original position if it no longer holds true and if changing your message would be beneficial

4)    Be pro-active and lead the debate – in a crisis situation there is nothing worse than constantly being on the back foot and responding to accusations

Use social media – the Twittersphere was alive with condemnation of Suarez seconds after ‘the handshake that never was’ – in 2012 every organisation must be prepared for the possibility of a negative digital onslaught and be ready to respond accordingly