Here we found a great NY Times article that we wanted to share with you all.  This article is a must read for anyone with a website and wanting to show up better on Google.  Search Engine Optimization is ongoing and overnight will not make your website appear on the first page of Google.  This article discusses J.C. Penney and the “black hat” optimization tactics that were discovered.  Google doesn’t tolerate these “black hat” techniques and you could potentially really hurt your web ranking, which is what happened to BMW in 2006.  To ensure that you are using “white hat” optimization, read this article and then contact us for all of your SEO needs.
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With more than 1,100 stores and $17.8 billion in total revenue in 2010, Penney is certainly a major player in American retailing. But Google’s stated goal is to sift through every corner of the Internet and find the most important, relevant Web sites.

Does the collective wisdom of the Web really say that Penney has the most essential site when it comes to dresses? And bedding? And area rugs? And dozens of other words and phrases?

The New York Times asked an expert in online search, Doug Pierce of Blue Fountain Media in New York, to study this question, as well as Penney’s astoundingly strong search-term performance in recent months. What he found suggests that the digital age’s most mundane act, the Google search, often represents layer upon layer of intrigue. And the intrigue starts in the sprawling, subterranean world of “black hat” optimization, the dark art of raising the profile of a Web site with methods that Google considers tantamount to cheating.

Despite the cowboy outlaw connotations, black-hat services are not illegal, but trafficking in them risks the wrath of Google. The company draws a pretty thick line between techniques it considers deceptive and “white hat” approaches, which are offered by hundreds of consulting firms and are legitimate ways to increase a site’s visibility. Penney’s results were derived from methods on the wrong side of that line, says Mr. Pierce. He described the optimization as the most ambitious attempt to game Google’s search results that he has ever seen.

“Actually, it’s the most ambitious attempt I’ve ever heard of,” he said. “This whole thing just blew me away. Especially for such a major brand. You’d think they would have people around them that would know better.”

For the full article click here.

Facebook has over 500 million users and your business can benefit greatly from having a Facebook page; however just being on Facebook isn’t enough.  Whether you are a small business or a large one you need to develop a personality for your page.  I found this helpful article below on socialmediatoday that outlines six tips for bringing personality to your Facebook business page.  Use these tips to help you create your business’ personality and build engagement on your Facebook page.
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6 tips for bringing personality to your Facebook business page

The majority of Facebook business pages tend to be a little dull, with the occasional Like, but not much else changing the landscape of posts by the business trying to get people interested in what they do. The reason so many business pages are so dull comes down to a lack of personality. I don’t want a personal relationship with your logo and when all you talk about is business, I’m not sure if I really care, because it’s about you, not me.

People want personality and they want to know that you’re interested in them. Businesses that do well with Facebook are businesses that bring some personality to their business page that goes beyond just promoting the business. The following tips I recommend to businesses trying to bring life to their fan pages.

Tip 1: Put together or promote events that are community oriented. Even if you don’t own a brick and mortar store front, you can still get involved in promoting an event. And if its an event that’s not overtly connected to your business, you can still tell people you’ll meet them at the event to chat and enjoy it. By getting involved in your community, on and offline, you can present people an opportunity to meet you as a person, as well as a business.

Tip 2: When you get comments, respond to them. It always surprises me how many businesses don’t respond to their fans. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and it really builds rapport when you take the time to respond. It’s also another opportunity for you to engage people and let them get to know you. I always try to respond to people so they feel acknowledged. Another benefit as well is that the more comments you get, the more likely your original post and the comments will show up in the top news feed in your network.

Tip 3: Post pictures and videos. Don’t limit your messages to text. Posting pictures and video can be a great way to show people your business and your personality. Pictures invite people and also invite them to respond. Videos can also do the same. At the same time, don’t go overboard on them.

Tip 4: It’s about them, not you. Yes it’s your fan-page, but its about the people who’ve chosen to fan it…if you want them to interact on your page. The successful business pages are ones where there’s a collaborative relationship at work between the business and the fans.

Tip 5: It’s okay if its not always about business. Not everything you post needs to be about business. It’s okay to share the occasional personal tidbit or interest on your business page. Let people see that you are actually a person by posting about interests that aren’t overtly business related.

Tip 6: Put together a contest. Think up some trivia questions and offers prizes who get the questions right. It’s fun to do and people will remember it. Whoever wins will also remember you. You can also do giveaways, again with the point being to mix up your Facebook page and get some engagement going.

Your Facebook business page doesn’t have to be the typical business page. Inject some personality into it and then keep it and have fun. Wouldn’t you rather have people associate your business with your personality? If they get to know YOU, then they will also know more about your business than they would if you keep it strictly business.

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I’m sure everyone reading this blog are on some sort of social networking site whether it be the ever-so-popular Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.  However, the real question is whether your business is on social media platforms?  Both large and small businesses should have a presence on social media.  Even if you are not an expert on social networking there are a lot of tools out there (like this blog!) that can help you!  Here is a great article from Mashable that gives you 8 essential tips on how to relate and communicate via social networking.

“Since the evolution of communicating online and the formations of social networks, many businesses have shut down the access from their locations. Some might say it is due to the prevention of wasting time and improving time management. Others might be weary of hackers or phishing scams that could possibly be associated with the social networks. Regardless of the reason, blocking access to social sites is hurting your business.

Why It is Important to Establish your Business Online

You need to begin branding your name. Branding is a way to reach various audiences and demographics that may be interested in what you have to sell. Firstly, you must remember that they are people, not customers. Establishing your name on social networks will already alert your fans of who you are and since the various social sites provide places such as info tabs, bios, hours of operation and more, there is no urgency to then turn your social networks into a constant feed of what it is you do. Just make sure that you have filled out all the information areas that each social network provides and those keywords will help people find you online. More importantly, in order for them to find you, you must exist and you must be active.

Why it is Important to Maintain your Social Networks

Many businesses think that if they have the links out there then people will come. This is not only wrong but can hurt your business. Yes, having Social links with your business’s name on them will have your name stretched across the internet and of course people will be able to find you. However, once they do and all they see are empty shells of what they thought would be a community, they will be disappointed and move on. People aren’t impressed with ghost accounts; they want interaction, knowledgeable information, and life breathing from these sites.”

To read the rest of this article click here.