SEO Predictions for 2012 It's the New Year and as a result speculation abounds as to what Google has in store for us this year. Depending on your view-point we're already off to a good/bad start with December's 'minor' update to Google's Panda algorithm already effecting monster brands like JC Penny. In addition Google's new Google Search Plus seeks to further ring fence us (it's users) in to an ever decreasing circle of content through what Google deems 'relevance' but I call 'limitation of choice'. So what does the SEO of 2012 have in store for us?

Here's a low-down of my 2011 predictions and the result of what came true:

Skip to 2012 predictions

Google Local/Places will be massive this year

Win! Google Places with its more integrated listing within Google's organic search results became the focus of many of our campaigns this year however the process for achieving high positions has been muddied by legacy SEO and lack of availability to historic links.

Local style- non linking citations into the organic rankings algorithm

Lose! - There's lots of speculation that non linking factors impact upon ranking however these always accompany a link so no change there really.

Google will begin to use online review indicators as part of the algorithm

Win (Sort Of)! - Reviews are now appearing in organic listings with stars accompanying many organic results however the news that Google stopped using external reviews for its Places ranking means that the scope of this is reducing fast and there's no sign that these reviews improve ranking.

Rise in spam across all of the citation networks

Lose! - Thankfully Google's move to use internal reviews meant that this didn't happen.

Google will implement Google Local/Places listings irrespective of whether you search for a location or not

Win! - If you're logged in you probably see Google Places popping up for searches where you haven't specified a location as part of your search.

Businesses will still struggle to grasp social media

Win! - Business still doesn't know how to work within social media.

There will be a movement away from Organic SEO due to the recession

Lose (Thank God)! - In fact throughout 2011, more businesses dropped their PPC in favour of long term success in organic search.

Spam will become unbearable around August as the existing Google algorithm gets ever more manipulated by automated and semi-automated Black and Grey Hat SEO techniques

Lose! - Google Panda fought off the growing tide of spam.

Metrics will be big in 2011 as SEO's seek to squeeze every last drop of ranking our medium and long tail keyword traffic

Lose! - Metrics have become muddied due to Google not passing data from searchers who are logged in.

Here are my top eight predictions for 2012:

More Pandalization

I don't think we've seen the last of Google's Panda update and I think it's safe to say that more and more websites will be devalued in search due to an increasingly complex list of criteria as Google tightens its Quality algorithm. To beat this, take a long hard look at your website. Remove all commercial content and focus on the content its self being helpful.

More Personalisation (read limitation of choice)

Google Search Plus is only the beginning (or continuation) of Google's limitation of the web. So expect your choice of retailers and communities to be significantly reduced resulting in you using the same 4 or 5 stores all year. This will increase people's use of magazines and reviews to find new impartial recommendations outside of their network. SEO's and affiliates will be all over this!

Link Building Going Wide

The SEO community continue to diversify backlink profiles due to penalisation of profiles where we've gone too hard and fast at one particular phrase. All site content will be linked to and SEO's will build in old school links with anchors like 'read more' and 'click here' etc.

M-Commerce becoming Massive

The next round of website re-designs will factor in adaptive layouts meaning shoppers don't need apps to buy online.

Pricing Strategies

As the economy continues it's down turn, many businesses will seek to undercut their competitors and will turn to solutions like Skuuudle to automate and benchmark their prices against a competitors.

Growth in SEO content networks

If you haven't already got one, this year will see a return to SEO's creating content networks. Panda slapped down many networks however as the criteria has become more apparent, new super networks will emerge.

Content De-optimisation

I'm seeing this already but many SEO's will de-optimise title tags and content across a site in response to Google Panda.

Supplier Price Fixing

Not really an SEO issue but our clients are telling us that their suppliers, brands and manufacturers are fixing prices across product lines meaning that prices in general will go up… if you don't comply they won't supply you. Do you have any predictions to add? Leave a comment.

Why not become the ultimate SEO pinup for Halloween this year? Any true SEO fan will jump at the opportunity to impress their friends with this downloadable Rand Fishkin attachable beard. Just print out the attached PDF, cut around the edges and attach to your face with some string. 

Download the Rand Fishkin Beard Mask here!

Feel free to submit your own modelling photographs and videos to appear here as well! Send them to gallery@biteus.net and there might even be a prize for the best one!

We use social media every day and it now plays a big part in SEO.
The development of the +1 button is revolutionary; it’s more than just the ‘like’ button Facebook has integrated. The +1 button affects the ranking of a site, the more a site or article is +1ed the higher it’s rankings it will become as the search results also include social pages. Adding a +1 button to your page will help improve your ranking, the more people who +1 your article/page the more chance you have of moving on up. Some see it as an innovation, creating an impact on search results and the way we do things online.

SEO professionals are experimenting fully with the features available in Google+. Links shared on Google+ will be indexed faster and will probably show up in better positions also. The circles in Google+ have giant SEO potential. Circles will help publish your activity to people’s news stream; social relies on interaction with people and influencing on each other’s views. If someone +1’s something other people will see and theirs a high chance they will +1 it also due to people prefer the opinion of someone they know than of a stranger.

Well after leaving school with only 5 GCSE’s, I thought to myself: I’ll go to college, get more qualifications and afterwards try to get a job. I realised then at that moment, experience is the most important thing that employers are looking for.

So after looking for alternative courses that involved working with businesses I stumbled across The Apprentice Academy, A company that helps 16-18 year olds to find an apprenticeship.
After a month of applying, I was placed at Bite Digital. Before I went to the interview I didn’t know what SEO was but now, 7 months later, SEO has become much easier to understand whilst still being challenging at times. This really keeps the enthusiasm going for me.

In the first month, I started doing basic SEO work to start getting the hang of things. After a while, I was doing all-round work from basic SEO to administration and content. And now, after 7 months of working, I am now focused on SEO and some content creation.

The number of things you learn whilst working is amazing. Some things I have learnt so far are:
• How SEO works
• How to analyse a website
• Which keywords are most suited for a certain site
• How to place content on a web page working with e-commerce
• How Wordpress and CMS are used
• How to blog
• How to link build to different sites
• Different ways of gaining traffic
• And basic HTML coding

I am really enjoying working in SEO. I didn’t know a lot about it until a few months ago and now I make it my career. I am more than half way through my apprenticeship and I hope to be taken on at the end of the course as a full time SEO.

1. The best Apps are those that make money! Revenue can be built via App download fees, product purchases or subscriptions

2. A good App can also help to drive brand awareness

3. Engagement is important

4. Building a long term relationship

5. Great Apps are driven by relevant content and functionality

1. Sign in to your Google Account.
   
2. Visit Google Experimental and join the +1 button experiment (you cannot join any other experiments at the same time).
   
3. Visit Google.com (you may need to click Go to "Google.com" at the bottom if it redirects you to Google.co.uk or another localised version of Google). 
4. Search for a word or phrase eg. Bite Digital.
   
5. Click the +1 icon beside the search result you wish to recommend. If this is your first recommendation, a window may popup to ask you to confirm.
   
6. That's it! People will now be able to see your recommendation publicly.

By returning the results of what users and their friends are searching and “liking” will increase the personalisation of both services. The set of search results will be known as “Facebook Modules” and will appear in the right hand side of the screen.

In future, this is going to increase the relevance of more socially orientated searches, such as restaurants and cinemas. It will allow users to see what their friends are searching and act as another communication channel for those companies concerned.

In terms of Search Engine Optimisation, it becoming more and more clear just how important social media is. There is a complex nature to search entries, and it is one that is very difficult to understand.

However, those companies that do manage to harness some kind of understanding between that of social media and search engines are offering their clients something unique.

Search entries are complex because they are always entered differently. If a company discovers a way in which to maintain a direction through search engines and social media and then onto the desired site, even though the method of entry is constantly changing, then they will get more desired results for their clients. 

This means that for every search you make in Google while signed in; any blogs, social updates and video posted by your social connections will now be indexed and incorporated into the main results section and even outranking previously well optimised sites. This could be another headache for the most seasoned Online Reputation Management specialists.

SEO commentators are speculating that this is a move to pre-empt the ominous move by Facebook to build on its own Social Media dominance and moving into the space itself.

Google spokesman Mike Cassidy continues “we want to help you find the most relevant information possible, personalized to your interests and the people you care about.” This reinforces the work the Manchester SEO team here are Bite Digital use for clients in targeting key influencers and opinion formers in relevant professional and social circles.

Search Engine Optimisation is about not only keeping up with the latest developments, but staying one step ahead, which is why 'local' and also 'social search' has been central to the work we do here at Bite.

 2. Create a store finder app with customer reviews for the moblie

 3.Create an SMS short code on your website (i.e. Text GOLD to 87474 to receive live spot gold price)

4. Get customers to say things about your Twitter and Facebook

 5.Make sure your website is SEO search engine optimised for mobile

6. Create a mobile customer loyalty programme

7. Create a mobile website to maximise the viewers experience.

8. Talk to the SEO Manchester team at Bite Digital to help create your mobile strategy today, to do so phone us on : 0161 228 0127

 Noting its progress in its fourth quarter trading update, Dominos displayed significant growth via e-commerce during the year, posting £128 million in sales, up £49.5 million (63%) from a year previous. As a result sales made via it's website or iPhone application now account for 35.8% of UK delivered sales, an increase from 27.8% in 2009. iPhone sales are small in comparison to its website but as the smartphone and tablet markets continue to grow, app use will increase as consumers become aware of its availability.

 The pizza chain has an Android app in development, launching soon, which is only going to help drive sales for the company as consumers look to their mobiles to purchase their weekly shop, buy gifts or order a takeaway.

Talk to the SEO Manchester team for more information about apps for your business.

How will Google make a profitable business out of self-driven cars? Mass produced cars of this nature are a long way off, so the SEO Manchester team is keen to know how Google can turn this robotic breakthrough into a business venture.

The International Computer Science Institute recently commissioned a report on the privacy implications of cyber casting. The findings revealed two key trends:
• People are unaware of all the information available about them when they post.
• People are unaware of when they are revealing information about themselves online.

Social networking sites have become phenomenally successful. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace can play a valuable role in exposing your business and directing more traffic to your website. In order to attract potential customers your profile needs to be exceptional and unique to draw clients in and encourage them to check out your website.

The use of social networking sites is also an economical way of marketing your business. Our SEO Manchester team suggest that it is important to make use of the many sites available in order to expose your brand to a larger audience. Keeping your profile active and engaging is essential to enable your business presence to remain ongoing. A continued effort is required, which does take time, but in the long run your patience can lead to increased traffic to your website and greater potential sales.

In March this year Facebook announced that it had passed Google as the most visited website in USA. If Google want to be a strong contender they need to introduce new and original social features in order to take on Facebook. Google's recent attempts at social networking include Buzz and Orkut but neither have affected Facebooks hold.

Commercial Director of Facebook, Stephen Dolan, confirmed that “Google is expected to start a fairly significant social-media platform”. OurSEO London team suggest that if Google is to launch a social networking site Facebook could face some serious competition. Early social sites include Friendster, MySpace, Linkedin and Bebo. Facebook was launched in 2004 and it has gone on to be phenomenally successful.

One main advantage of Google Instant is that you get immediate feedback and you can reformulate your search as you type. Our SEO Manchester team recognise the benefits of Google Instant as being basically faster searches due to smarter predictions creating instant results.

The long term impact of Google Instant needs still to be monitored. Keywords may need to be changed and traffic to websites maybe affected. Whatever you think of Google Instant if you decide it is not for you it is possible to disable it via a switch located near the search box.

Pedestrians can now enter a destination or address into Google Maps from their Smart phone and it will guide them as they walk, even vibrating the phone each time they reach a turning. Street View is also available to to Google Map Android customers. This incredible feature allows individuals to see panoramic views of streets all over the world.

With more potential customers now owning smart phones, our search engine optimisation Manchester team recognise the importance of smart phones, allowing mobile access to the internet 24 hours a day. Users can now choose from numerous phone handsets at competitive prices. Each of these phones offer an array of features, such as web browsing, movie and music playback and WiFi.

The design of your website needs to be relevant. It needs to be understood and speak the same language as your target audience or potential customers. They are generally, for example, defined by age groups, gender or nationality. In order to direct traffic to your website, our SEO London team suggest that you use key phrases and words that relate to your target audience.

Other ways to contact potential customers is via social networking sites, such as Facebook and My Space. Research and listening to customer feedback allows you to understand your audience and get to know them. In order to optimise your website identifying marketing opportunities is essential.

In the early years of the world wide web, as it was being developed, various tools were used to search the internet. They were referred to as web robots. Early programmes such as Archie and Gopher were developed but it wasn't until 1993 that the first recognised search engine, JumpStation, was introduced. It incorporated the common features of a search engine, crawling, indexing and searching. The main aim of a search engine is to find relevant information as quickly as possible.

Nowadays search engines have come a long way, constantly refining searches by developing and incorporating new technology. Our SEO Manchester team note that Google is the most popular search engine today with over 60% of the market share. Other well known search engines include Bing, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves, Lycos and Hotbot.

Professionals, such as our SEO Manchester team, always recommend the use of a  reputable anti virus software to protect yourself from being infected. It has recently been reported that a Trojan horse virus in virulent in Smart phones in Russia. Downloaded via an app, users are being tricked into unknowingly offering themselves up to malicious programmes.

The symptoms of a computer virus vary greatly. Some viruses remain undetected for months and then suddenly attack whereas others can start immediately destroying your data and memory. Some viruses can even create a backdoor allowing hackers entrance into your computer.

The world wide web was first created by Tim Berners Lee in 1989. Since then the www has gone on to be phenomenally successful and is used by millions throughout the world daily. There are numerous websites on the internet and getting yours noticed can seem like quite a feat. There are methods used by web designers, such as our web design agency Manchester team, that can help create an original and creative website.

Knowing the latest website designs and trends is essential in order to create an eye catching up to the minute website. Using expert web designers skills are vital. The website needs to read well and communicate its message clearly in order to be effective. Communication with your clients is key and learning and improving from customer feedback can help fine tune web designs. However, there is no point in having a great website if no one sees it so search engine optimisation is essential.

This is not the first time Google has come under criticism. Earlier this year it was reported that Google was and still is under review by the EU's competition officials due to similar complaints. Don Harrison, Google's Deputy General Counsel said “ The important thing to remember is that we built Google to provide the most useful, relevant search results and ads for users. Given that not every website can be at the top of the results, or even appear on the first page of our results, it is unsurprising that some less relevant, lower quality websites will be unhappy with their ranking”.

Google is the leading search engine worldwide holding 70% of the market. It is a highly respected and very influential company. Our SEO London team note that interestingly the term Google has been recognised as a verb and has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2006.

Our search engine optimisation Manchester team agree that PPC advertising is an important technique to direct traffic to a particular website. PPC advertising incorporates the use of keywords which when clicked take the user to a specific website or an ad can be placed on a search engine results page. Again when this ad is clicked potential customers are directed to a company's website. Every time the ad gets clicked the advertiser has to pay a fee.

Google, for example, has a PPC program called AdWords. Other search engines, such as Ask and Yahoo! also offer PPC advertising. This method is a cost effective and useful technique for both large and small businesses to utilise. The increased amount of web traffic a business gets in real terms means more potential customers, which in the long term will potentially increase profits.

Over the past few years we have seen the development of new technologies and strategies when it comes to search engine optimisation. Companies, such as our SEO London team, continually improve and incorporate new SEO techniques to keep up with current trends such as increase in popularity of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. However the question is arising as to whether the main players in SEO stay uncontested or should individuals and companies switch their allegiances to other search engines.

Google have always stated that they are aware that “competition is just one click away”. One possible serious competition to Google is foreign language search engines, such as Baidu and Yandex. Ultimately it is the user that will hopefully win. As search engines continue to compete for your business they will continue to improve technology, this in turn will provide the user with a quality product and more importantly a choice of search engines.

Shashi Seth, Senior VP of Yahoo! said “I am pleased to announce that the transition of organic search between Yahoo! and Microsoft is complete”. He went on to add “With this week's milestone behind us, Yahoo! will continue to drive technology innovation in the search market to bring more value to users and advertisers alike”.

A recent survey showed that Google have 66.2% of the market share with Yahoo! and Bing having 17.1% and 11% respectively. With the merger Yahoo! bring with them a substantial portion of the market and Bing are contributing their advanced search technology. On the basis of that our SEO Manchester team consider the Bing/ Yahoo! Alliance to be significant in terms of the future search engine optimisation.

This call feature is available to anyone with a Gmail account and is expected to provide stiff competition to companies such as Skype. The Google voice booth initially will only be available in the US at College campus locations and airports. Landline calls within the US and Canada will be free but elsewhere around the world calls will start at 2 cents per minute using a pre-paid card.

Google said “ Given that most of us don't spend all day in front of our computers we thought it would be nice if you could call people directly on their phone”. Our search engine optimisation Manchester team think that  gmail video calling from Google is an exciting new development in telecommunications. Whether Google calling will have a significant impact on Skype remains to be seen. However with over 560 million registered users and 124 million regular callers how many customers remain loyal to Skype in the future following the launch of Google's new feature will be interesting.

Since reports about this feature have been released, Google have refused to confirm or deny the idea. If this is the case Google would be at a huge advantage against its competitors. Analyst Zens Kerrarula said “Google has built a tremendously robust infrastructure and if this technology became a big hit, other search engines would have a hard time keeping up”.

Google is the leading search engine on the market attracting 90% of searches. Bing and Yahoo in particular are making attempts to knock Google off the top spot in the future having recently announced they are to form an alliance. Any improvements which make searches faster and accurate for users are welcomed by our SEO Manchester team.

Designing a website is the first step for any online marketing campaign but no matter how well thought out and designed it is, if it is not visible it is relatively useless. The greater the online visibility of your product the more potential customers it will attract and ultimately more sales. Pay Per Click advertising, online PR and social media sites all play an important role in optimising your website, however offline marketing is also essential.

Successful marketing of a brand offline through TV advertising, newspapers, radio commercials and the like all help to raise a brands awareness. Customers initially will search online for products they are familiar with so offline product promotion is vital. However, if your product is solely internet based your website is your brand. Your name must be recognisable and stand out from the crowd. Always deliver what you promise and most importantly listen to feedback from customers. Reflecting on her successful internet company, Andrea Fitch advises “Its not what you say about yourself, its what others say of you”.

Experts suggest that you should always give great thought when choosing your passwords. Don't pick obvious ones such as birthdays or your childrens names. It is advised the best combination is a mixture of letters and numbers. Also ensure you are using your privacy settings correctly in order to have greater control over who views your details.

Other ways to protect your privacy include always ensuring that your internet connection is security enabled. Using an open connection allows others to view what you are doing and saying. If you use a public computer, such as in an office or library, ensure that you always log out when you have finished. Finally do not respond to emails asking you for money, they are generally scams. If they sound to good to be true, they are. Hackers are very astute so take all the necessary precautions you can.

Cyber crooks are increasingly using celebrity websites to release their unwanted viruses. Unassuming searchers input their favorite stars names, looking for the latest celebrity gossip and in return they could find themselves in big trouble. McAfee, one of the world's largest anti-virus companies, have published a list of “Evil web celebrities”. The top position goes to Cameron Diaz where you have a 10% risk of downloading a virus when searching for her on the web. Hot on her heels is Julia Roberts whose name has a risk rating of 9%. Other celebrities on the list include Jessica Biel, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tom Cruise.

Professionals, such as our search engine optimisation Manchester team, recommend the use of a reputable anti-virus software to protect users from malicious websites. This form of software is essential as it protects your computer from viruses and Trojan horses.

With the advent of digital, HD, recordable TV and the numerous channels on offer, “television still has a central role in our lives. We are watching more TV then at any time in the last five years” according to James Thickett at Ofcom. Although TV viewing is on the rise so also is peoples ability to multi task media activities. We are becoming proficient at simultaneously using various technologies, such as viewing TV whilst texting, emailing or social networking. 70% of homes possess a computer and with the introduction of WiFi and Smartphones surfing the web couldn't be easier.

The survey also shows that 16-24 year olds are experts at multitasking. However, the gap between the generations is narrowing as half of the over 55's or 'silver surfers', as they have come to be known, use  the internet regularly. As the internet grows in popularity online marketing experts, such as our SEO Manchester team, suggest that a greater proportion of business marketing budgets should be invested in internet marketing to attract as many potential customers as possible.

Traditional methods, such as local advertising, the Yellow Pages and word of mouth are all still valid methods to attract customers but the internet  will connect your business to a much larger audience. It is estimated that over 20 billion people use the world wide web everyday. Professionals, such as our web design Manchester team agree that websites are a cost effective, efficient and reliable way to promote your product or services.

In order for a website to be effective it needs to be visible. Employing search engine optimisation tactics allows your website to be ranked higher in search engine result pages. This is a wise investment for any business as it will raise your online presence resulting in increased sales. Online marketing is fast becoming the key to a successful business. New products can be marketed quicker, businesses can draw on previous customer lists and customers can be contacted easily for feedback and ideas which are vital to help improve products and marketing methods.

Twitter was launched in 2006 and was the brainchild of Jack Dorsey. Since then it has become increasingly popular with over 100 million users globally. Twitter is relatively simple and easy to use. It is not only utilised by individuals, businesses are increasingly using Twitter to keep in contact with its customers on a daily basis. Our SEO Manchester team suggest that Twitter helps a business to build its brand and its allows feedback from customers, whether negative or positive, which is essential for any company.

For Twitter to be effective it needs to be regularly updated. If used correctly it can be an effective SEO tactic by raising a businesses profile. This in turn will attract the attention of potential customers and direct traffic to their website.

E-commerce or electronic commerce is the process of buying or selling products via electronic services, such as the internet or emails. With the success of the world wide web this form of online shopping has become increasingly popular. Professionals, such as oure-commerce Manchester team advocate the use of search engine optimisation tactics to help businesses promote their websites.

Using SEO methods, such as blog writing, press releases and keywords, businesses can optimise their presence on the internet. Obtaining one of the top rankings on a search result page is paramount for a successful inline marketing campaign. The more traffic directed to a your website will result in more sales.

Recent reports reveal that televisions connected to the world wide web could impact the power of TV advertising as we know it. Presently viewers have access to recordable TV which allows them to whizz through adverts thereby deeming them useless. Advertising online already has proven to be efficient and valuable as it targets a relevant audience. Our SEO London team recommend the use of advertising on the web as a powerful SEO tactic.

Google recently announced plans to launch Google TV which will allow viewers to watch TV and browse the web via an on screen search box. Google CEO commented that “Our advertising is targeted and therefore we can do more relevant television advertising, which should be worth a lot of money”. The key to a successful advertising campaign for any business is to adapt to changing technologies.

Critics of Simon Cowell have complained that when you input “Simon Cowell” into Google, or an equivalent search engine, the top stories relating to him are all positive. Finding something critical about him is hard going. A spokesperson for Cowell denies this claim. Our search engine optimisation Manchester team suggest that using SEO methods to improve a celebrities image is possible.

Celebrities are also using Facebook as means to keep in touch with their fans, inform them of their latest antics or to advertise their recent song release. Eminem, for example has over 10 million followers on Facebook. Lady Gaga has 15 million friends. Justin Bieber and Beyonce have 9.3 million and 6 million followers respectively.

Social gaming is fast becoming an important recognised means to reach target audiences. Our SEO Manchester team agree that by designing a game to be used on Facebook it allows a business the possibility to boost its SEO campaign. Not only could the content of the game raise a specific brand awareness but adverts can also direct potential customers to their website.

Presently apps and games on Facebook are exceeding expectations as they grow in popularity. Facebook have recognised their success in social gaming and have invested heavily recently in the gaming company Slide to the tune of $182 million. They have also advertised for a “leader of our Strategic Partner Development team” in order to build on their current gaming success.

As more information, video and pictures are available on the internet, Google want to enure that this influx of content won't slow the search process down for its users. They want to ensure that searches can be performed quickly and new published information can be accessed instantly.

Our SEO London team sees Google Caffeine as a significant move towards a faster and more efficient search engine. Google are constantly trying to improve and maintain their high standards its searchers have come to expect.

Our search engine optimisation Manchester team advocate local SEO as an effective way of directing local traffic to your website. Businesses, such as plumbers and builders only require their services to be offered in relevant areas. Google maps is an increasingly popular app that plays an important role in local SEO as it allows customers to find local businesses efficiently.

Search engine optimisation is a vital resource for businesses whether they are online based or not. The development of local SEO it a cost effective and efficient method of attracting the relevant traffic to your website and thereby increasing sales.

Our SEO Manchester team see this as an important advancement in the field of education. Teachers, staff and pupils can all access the same online information thereby improving communication and enable the students to be taught more effectively. Relevant Google apps include Gmail, Google Talk, Calendar, Docs Sites and Video.

Over 3000 schools in USA so far have signed up to the programme. The Director of Iowa Area Education Services Brent Siegrist said “As a former teacher I can see how these tools will engage students, make the classroom a more vibrant place and allow teachers to work together”.

The study compiled by the Royal Mail and the Marketing Society revealed that 42% of marketing Directors in the UK consider search engine optimisation as a vital and necessary marketing method. SEO improves a website's position in search engine results.

An increasing number of customers use the internet on a regular basis and marketing experts, such as our SEO London team recommend the use of SEO techniques to optimise the viability of a website. The survey also revealed that direct mail is another popular marketing tool with 27% of marketing managers opting to use this technique.

Geosocial networking in growing in popularity as it allows users to submit their location via GPS, either through a traditional computer or mobile phone. Most new phones handset, such as the Iphone or Blackberry automatically have GPS incorporated in it's features. Users then inform services like Foursquare or Gowalla as to their whereabouts and in turn they receive information, for example, about an array of events happening in nearby locations, places of interest to visit or coupons from local restaurants.

The growing trend of geosocial networking or geolocation is a marketers dream for it allows them to engage with customers and keep updated with their social habits. Specific marketing can then be directed at the user regarding their likes and dislikes and what activities they undertake.

Experts, such as our web design agency Manchester team, recommend that it is essential that a retailers website needs to be user friendly. Photos and eye catching descriptions of products should be appealing to customers. Grabbing the attention of the consumer is vital and an increasingly popular  way of achieving this is through the use of video marketing.

In order to be successful retailers need to be competitive, so it is essential  their website maintains maximum visibility. This can be achieved by utilising SEO tactics. The higher a retailers website is ranked in a search result the greater the attention it will attract. Most consumers initially access websites they recognise. Even if you are a small business, however, if your website is highly ranked there is a greater chance customers will check it out, which will increase your chances of a possible sale.

Facebook has a continually growing audience of over 250 million users worldwide made up of a wide range of ages. If Facebook are correct in their figures and over 120 million login to their web page daily this is a potential target audience that needs to be addressed. Facebook is not a traditional search engine, such as Google or Yahoo, but it is an important tool as it helps drive web traffic to a specific website.

Facebook is an important SEO tactic as users share links, news feeds and websites with their friends thereby promoting and marketing products indirectly. It's internal search engine is a marketing gold mine waiting to be tapped.

Initially one of the major changes is that all search engine results will go directly to Bing but will appear to customers as though they are separate. This has already had an impact on Yahoo with the layoff of some search engine staff. In the case of Pay Per Click ads Bing will continue advertising on both sites but Yahoo ads will be passed through Microsoft's adCenter. Yahoo hope that the alliance will be a much needed cost saving exercise whereas Bing are looking at it in monetary terms, wishing to increase their revenue.

Although any significant change in Google's market share won't be immediate online marketing experts, such as our search engine optimisation Manchester team are optimistic of its success. Healthy competition and improvements in SEO will bring any welcome benefits to online businesses and internet users.

With over 1.2 billion searches conducted every month on the internet our SEO Manchester team recommend search engine optimisation as an essential way of getting your website to the top of search results. The majority of the budget was spent by the Department of Health to promote their campaigns on the flu pandemic and anti- smoking. It is estimated this department alone spent £4.4 million.

The Department of the Environment were reported to have spent £500,00 and the Department of Energy and Climate Change spent £309,000. An Energy spokesman commented that “Search engines have become an increasingly important method for accessing information...this spending is a cost effective way of getting information to a large audience”.

Our search engine optimisation Manchester team advocate the use of SEO techniques as being beneficial not only to online businesses but also internet users. Natural search results are gaining in popularity as the information appears on a search engine result page due to their relevance to the original search. In addition Pay Per Click results appear via adverts, offering products for the consumer to purchase, wherever the user is surfing.

The Search Attitude Survey reported that natural searches came out on top being considered dependable and reliable. As increasing amounts of consumer groups are utilising the internet to research products and information, search results are key to a successful online business strategy. Google attracts 91% of the market but Bing and Yahoo are increasing in popularity.

Our SEO London and Manchester teams find these figures quite worrying as it is essential for any business to incorporate search engine optimisation techniques in their online marketing strategies. Thomsonlocal.com, who undertook the research, discovered that on the whole large company websites are of a high quality, maximising their marketing and retail potential. 70% of small companies who employ less than 50 employees in comparison were found to have basic levels of SEO or no SEO tactics in place.

In response to the findings Marketing Director of Thompson.com, Jill Pringle commented that “Local businesses need to wake up to the fact that investing in better quality websites with original content can bring them new customers more quickly and ensuring that the website that they build is search engine friendly is essential in today's society”.

Online internet marketing firms, such as our SEO Manchester team, recognise the impact the over 50's can have on online businesses. Companies whose products relate to this generation in particular need to incorporate SEO techniques that will attract this important target audience. The most popular websites that the over 50's visit include sites relating to genealogy, cooking, health related issues and community news.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 of internet users browsing the web are aged 50-64. Other groups that are increasingly using the internet on a more regular basis include girls aged between 12-20 and women aged 21-34, 231,000 and 272,000 respectively.

Our Web Design Agency Manchester team tailor the design of your website to suit your individual requirements whilst incorporating the necessary search engine optimisation techniques. From blogging to issuing Press Releases, the use of essential keywords to social networking sites all these elements play an important role in optimizing a website.

For a successful SEO campaign a well designed and user friendly website is essential. The greater exposure a website receives on the internet the higher the ranking it receives on search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. The more traffic directed to your website the greater potential your websites has to being successful. 

Our SEO Manchester team consider the iPad to be an important and exciting piece of new mobile technology that will improve the efficiency of search engine optimisation. All the major search engines need to be aware of the relevance and importance the iPad has on how users search for information. Google, for example, have already introduced an iPad app allowing users to access emails, undertake searches and other Google products.

The iPad has been warmly received and has been praised for being very user friendly. Duncan Parry, who writes for Search Engine Watch, suggests that now the iPad has arrived there is still some fine tuning to be done and there are several ways for it to be innovated. First he suggests expanding its touch screen facilities and voice based searching. He also goes on to suggest that geo-targeting is essential by making searches more relevant to the users changing mobile location. The iPad, although still in its infancy, is a welcome addition to the ever expanding world of information technology.

Google's aim is that by acquiring the Freebase data system that it will allow them to offer a more accurate search result with greater efficiency. The Freebase has a sprawling database consisting of more than 12 million items of interest including for instance facts about celebrities, companies and TV shows. Metaweb then takes all this relevant information and links up all these connections.

Jack Menzel, Director of Product Management at Google explains that “The web isn't merely words. It's information about things in the real world and understanding real world entities can help deliver relevant information more quickly”. This move by Google is welcomed by internet marketing experts like our SEO London Team as it will only serve to improve and enhance search services. Google have also recently purchased ITA, a software company which gathers data relating to all aspects of the travel industry.

In the USA, for example, over 90% of households use mobile phones to access the internet in comparison to 74% using their home computers. The era of mobile phone internet technology has well and truly arrived with the introduction of smart phone technology and faster mobile internet access.

Companies, such as our SEO Manchester team, are constantly researching and re-evaluating SEO strategies to incorporate new technology. Businesses need to recognise that they must be flexible in their online marketing strategies in order to reach potential clients. It is essential to use the mobile internet to their advantage by having mobile friendly websites and by incorporating social network and mobile app strategies in their plans.

Our Web Design Agency Manchester team tailor the design of your website to suit your individual requirements whilst incorporating the necessary search engine optimisation techniques. From blogging to issuing Press Releases, the use of essential keywords to social networking sites all these elements play an important role in optimizing a website.

For a successful SEO campaign a well designed and user friendly website is essential. The greater exposure a website receives on the internet the higher the ranking it receives on search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. The more traffic directed to your website the greater potential your websites has to being successful.

China has always had a tough censorship policy and as the internet continues to expand and grow at such a pace it appears to be taking steps to keep a tight control over its 420 million population. Only last year the government closed down Facebook and Twitter for a period of time.

Blogging has also come under great scrutiny in China. A blog allows individuals to express their thoughts and comments, usually on a daily basis. Search engine optimisation experts, such as our SEO Manchester team, advocate blogs as an essential ingredient in any online marketing campaign. To date over 61 blogs so far have been reported to have been closed down in China. Blogger Yao Yuan commented that “If internet users don’t speak out, all sites will be cracked down on in the future” he went on to add that “ordinary people will forever lose their freedom to speak online”.

The leading search engine in China is Baidu, which was founded in 1999. “Baidu was developed as a Chinese version of Google for local users” said Forbes columnist Rebecca Fielding. She went on to add that Baidu’s “search technology was considered superior to Google’s in the Mandarin language”. At present Baidu holds 64% of the search engine market compared to Google who holds 34%. By moving its Chinese search engine Google has inadvertently sent Baidu’s stock price soaring to almost double since the beginning of the year.

Search Engines are fast becoming powerful marketing tools. Search engine optimisation experts, such as our SEO London team, recognise the importance of search engines and incorporate these valuable devices in our online marketing strategies for our clients.
 

When you think of Twitter you don’t immediately think of it as a conventional search engine. The majority of Twitter ‘searches’ are from inside user’s tweets or from ‘trending topics’ displayed on the webpage. Biz Stone says that Twitter is “more like an information network or a source of news.”

Internet marketing experts like our SEO Manchester team are constantly implementing new ways to optimise our client’s websites. With such a large target audience Twitter plays a key role in our online marketing strategy. Twitter is a hugely popular search engine and social networking site which looks set to continue to grow in the future with perhaps giving Google a run for its money.

For the month of June Bing saw 7% increase in its search engine traffic in comparison to the market leader Google which saw a 1% dip in its month by month figures. Google, however, still attracts more than 70% of search engine queries and is recognised as the most visited website in the world.

Our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team use a variety of techniques to create individual and carefully monitored campaigns to help your website to gain viability with the major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo thereby directing potential clients to your website.

Our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team recognise how important and powerful search engines play in today's modern world. These programmes have totally revolutionised the internet allowing the system not only to be efficient but also to guarantee that users have access to information whenever they want.

Following a  recent survey of the top 50 search engines unsurprisingly Google came out on top as the most popular search engine. Ask Jeeves did well by coming in second after being praised for its efficiency followed closely behind by Lycos which is Latin for “wolf spider”. Bing, Alta Vista, Look Smart and Yahoo also ranked highly.

The more noticeable your website the easier it is for search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo to identify you. This in turn will then push your website up the rankings on a search engine. The greater the viability of your website the more traffic it will attract.

In order to create a well ranking website the content not only needs to be compelling but it must include frequent target key words. Our SEO Manchester and SEO London teams will create a strategy that will ensure that not only is the copy writing on your website relevant and engaging but it includes the correct keywords thereby attracting the attention of the major search engines and ensuring your website to ranked highly.

One of the main benefits of using social networking sites is the volume of traffic they attract. By incorporating the use of these websites in your website optimisation strategy you can increase awareness of your own site by directing this important traffic your way.

Popular social networking sites include My Space and Facebook. It is increasingly becoming obvious that these types of websites are invaluable and effective. It is important to make use of the most popular websites but also to be aware of newly emerging sites which may be of use. If used correctly in conjunction with Search Engine Optimisation, social networking sites can be powerful and lucrative.

Employing a local company initially to design your website, for example our Web Design Agency Manchester team, would be a good move as they know the local market. Designing a website and targeting the appropriate audience is essential. With the increased popularity of search engines, such as Google and Bing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), is fast becoming the key to optimise website traffic.

By employing certain SEO tactics wisely, top ranking on Google can be achieved. For instance the use of strategic key words in blog and article writing plays an important role in SEO. Key words need to be relevant and specific, not too generic; otherwise they will not be picked up by Google. Deep linking from other sites to your home page or internal pages will further enhance your Google ranking. Also the use social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter can help direct customers to your website. Finally, employing our SEO London based team may enhance your profile and reputation globally.
 

Last month a court in Pakistan temporarily blocked the social networking website Facebook and other sites for allowing the running of a competition called “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” Judge Mazhar Iqbal said “it displayed material against the fundamental principles of Islam”. The ban was eventually lifted after Facebook backed down and removed the offending pages.

Facebook, the most popular social networking site, was launched in February 2004. Its success has been phenomenal with over 400 million users worldwide. Facebook has been so successful it is allowing business traffic through its pages with the use of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This move has proved to be extremely successful our SEO Manchester teams and other SEO companies in the UK.

Google is the second most visited website after Facebook, so it is essential to move up and dominate Google’s search engine rankings to maximise the volume of traffic to your website. Essentially this can be achieved by keeping your website simple but effective and constantly updating it. Investing in a SEO company to advice and guide is essential. Their knowledge and expertise to invaluable in creating a search engine friendly site.

Search Engine Optimisation is crucial for any business to expand and reach its full potential. Whether you choose, for example, an SEO Manchester based team or SEO London consultants, selecting the right company for your individual SEO needs is vital. So for maximum online exposure resulting in a successful business, investing in Search Engine Optimisation is the key.

The results showed the in the UK over 50% of all traffic visiting websites with SEO campaigns was due to the success of the campaign.

Other countries who took part in the study included France, Germany and Spain.

In the UK 53% of traffic to the surveyed websites was due to internet marketing.  In Spain 43.3% resulted from internet marketing.  This figure fell to 40.3% in Germany and only 28.9% in France.

The number of sales forecast exceeds last years busiest day by 9% and the previous years by 34%.

Predicting record online sales this year are retailers like Amazon, John Lewis and Argos.

Smaller online retailers can also benefit from the increase in online sales by improving their internet marketing.  Our SEO Manchester team can help to drive more relevant traffic to your website whilst improving your ranking position.  Looking forward into next year our SEO experts believe that it’s crucial for online retailers to start building their SEO strategy now to capitalise on next years Christmas market.

Figures from IMRG, the trade organisation for online retailers, show that UK internet sales have grown by 14% this year.  Internet sales reached £40bn in the first 10 months of the year. During 2008 UK consumers spent an estimated £9.3bn online during November and December, and this year IMRG forecasts  a15% growth.

According IMRG the most buoyant sectors since the beginning of the year have been clothing and electricals.  Despite disruption during the recent postal strikes sales are up by 18% and 20% respectively in these sectors.

Why is this important? We live in such a competitive world that achieving a place in the top 10 is crucial to the success of most businesses.

So how is it done?  Firstly the website must be constructed in a search engine friendly way.  Next, its important that the websites content is high quality, original, accurate and that it is rich in keywords.  This is where a careful understanding of SEO research tools and experience in the industry is essential.  It would be pointless to focus on keywords that nobody’s searching for but equally it may be advisable to focus initially on less competitive phrases.

Once the website is in place and the keyword research has been done, link building can begin including, amongst other things, blogs, online press releases, articles and social media.

It can take several months for an SEO campaign to kick in and start to work.  But with patience and a good SEO team you will gradually see your website gain a more prominent position.  More traffic will visit your site and you will undoubtedly see an increase in business.

The article pointed to a survey which found that 84% of those questioned considered SEO to be their most important  marketing strategy.  This is a rise from 67% in the same survey last year.  In this years survey 57% said they actively intend to increase their SEO expenditure. 

This trend is consistent with the sort of growth our SEO Manchester team has experienced in the last year.  Jason Cozens, joint MD of Bite Digital said, “We have seen massive growth in this area over the last year with businesses turning to SEO to increase their sales and profitability”.

Google webmaster is no longer updating inbound links in 30day periods and it is even processing and indexing new sites in less than two weeks. Other improvements include search phrases for new sites showing up in less than 30 days. There are many new features within the improved webmaster tools to help users further understand how Google views a site. There is even a new feature that lets you see how your site looks to the Google bot.

Overall the experience and performance of Webmaster Tools has improved several times over, making it more of a necessity than ever to use during search engine optimisation.

Twitter was founded in 2006 and currently has 54 million users a month, they have completely revolutionising the digital world of social networking and are now looking to change the internet marketing world. The prospective deal, which could include a payment of several million dollars to Twitter and a revenue deal, would see Twitter maintain its independence.

Search engine optimisation expert Chris Thomas said the deal would change the way SMEs approach search engine optimisation because the search engines would have access to an enormous number of new pages to use for search results. He believes that any deal between the two companies would make sense, as Google has been responding to Twitter's popular "real-time" search capabilities by updating its search filters to be faster and more relevant.

Executives at Twitter, Microsoft and Google have so far made no comment about the reports.

The article particularly pointed to the benefits of using the social media as an SEO tool and suggested the use of blogs and social networking sites like Facebook.  Social media requires the means to constantly respond by update blogs and postings and can be affective as part of an SEO campaign.  Our SEO Manchester team is able to advise potential clients on how search engine optimisation can benefit non-profit making organizations but one of the main benefits has to be cost.

SEO is far more cost effective than traditional marketing and research published by the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising last year illustrated this fact.

Keeley Houghton who is 18, has been sentenced to three months in prison.

Although this represents a worrying trend there is no doubt that Facebook and other social networking sites can be useful not only on a personal level but as a tool in search engine optimisation.  Our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team, sometimes recommend the use of social networking sites as part of the mixture of SEO techniques with beneficial results.

He’s also been using Search Engine Optimisation techniques, like those used by our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team, to make sure that any sites he is associated with, including his own, rank well in the search engines.  He says that since starting SEO on his website and blog he’s noticed a significant increase in traffic to both.

SEO can work well for recruitment agencies as well by improving the quality and relevance of the candidates who approach them. 

Collecta has been devised to search in a different way - it searches what’s actually happening right now.  For instance, when you enter a search term it goes through social media content like Twitter, recent blog posts, news articles and even Flickr photos.  It then list the results for the items found - many of which will have just appeared on the web for the first time. 

Our search engine optimisation Manchester team, keeps up to date with all the developments in the world of search and are constantly adapting and up dating the way in which we optimise our clients websites.

One of the reasons for choosing Ireland was apparently the climate which means the company can utilize and outside air cooling system and which will lead to greater efficiency in its power supply.

Microsoft is likely to continue its expansion with a vision to place datacentres all over the globe.

The development of Microsoft’s new search engine is likely to impact on the work of search engine optimisation experts, like Bite Digital’s Search Engine Optimisation Manchester Team who are mindful of the implications and are continually adapting the service they provide.

Google doesn’t seem to be phased by the possible deal.  But it’s feared in the industry that the reduction in competition could have a detrimental effect on innovation – less competition equals less need to develop new technology.

SEO experts, like Bite Digital’s Search Engine Optimisation Manchester Team, are reducing their reliance on Yahoo’s search related tools in anticipation of changes in this area.  

With is low costs and high returns on investment, SEO continues to be the most used method for generating online leads among UK marketers. Recent research, conducted by Econsultancy, shows that more than two thirds of respondents have used SEO in the past twelve months and see it as the most cost effective way of creating more business.  Our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team have seen results which confirm the findings of this survey.

It has been estimated that the there will be a significant spend by companies on SEO and pay per click advertising over the next few years. Businesses' are seeing search engine optimisation as a solution to draw more online traffic to their websites. SEO is being considered as “the icing on the E-marketing cake”.

Within its first month of existence, StratCounter shows that Bing is holding on to 8.45% of the search engine market. The amount of customers who would recommend using it has more than doubled.

Although Google still holds 89% of the market,companies now have alternatives they can consider when initialising search engine optimisation. They are no longer restricted in their choice and perhaps utilising more than one search engine to increase their ranking could be the way forward.

If you are interested in increasing your businesses revenue our search engine optimisation Manchester team will be able to advise you on how to improve your rankings in Google as well as other search engines.

One specialist in this area has recently commented that it’s simply not enough to set up an SEO campaign and optimise your website and then leave it to run itself.  You will not see the results you were hoping for. 

He recommended, like our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team, that a successful campaign will need tweaking and adjusting continuously.

This is because over recent years traditional media has seen a sharp decline in audience figures and in turn the advertising revenue generated by traditional media has made a massive slump.  Businesses are increasingly looking to new media opportunities and the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to effectively market their websites.

Formats such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are increasingly being used to this end. These formats are enabling businesses to engage and activate those with a genuine interest in their product or service and turn them into advocates on their behalf.

Benefit from the expertise of our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team and find out how SEO could help your business to grow.

The article also pointed out that organic search (SEO) is more cost effective than Pay Per Click although it is likely to take longer to see the effect of a SEO campaign.  It went on to explain, that your ranking position in the search engines can be improved by focusing on carefully researched key words which will bring relevant visitors to your site.  These visitors will in turn convert into clients.

If you’re interested in finding out how SEO could benefit your law firm our search engine optimisation Manchester team will be able to use their expertise and experience in this area to advise you.

The report concludes with a strong argument for SEO saying that HR companies who use it will receive applications from higher quality candidates, fewer non-qualified candidates and at a lower cost.

For more information on how SEO can benefit you contact our search engine optimisation Manchester team.

An announcement today by Thomson Reuters revealed that the Huffington Post, DailyMe and the UK’s Mail Online will all be using SEO services.

Clearly, it’s not just in the world of entrepreneurial business where SEO is playing a roll.  Your business, whatever it is, could benefit from an increased volume of relevant traffic visiting your site – contact our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team for advice on how to move forward in the online market place.

It’s thought that this is likely to improve the Search Engine Optimisation for users who take up this new service. Apparently the service will not immediately be available to all members.

For more information on how to improve your search rankings and generate more traffic to your website contact our search engine optimisation Manchester team

Most organisations aim to be number one in Google.  Last week Google revealed several new features at its Searchology event which if taken up by users could have a big impact on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Currently Google gives users additional options in order to narrow their search like only displaying results from videos, forums or reviews.  It’s expected that Google will roll out later this month Google Squared which will give users results from a variety of sources displayed in a spread-sheet like format.

If selected by users it could mean that websites and Search Engine Optimisation experts will need to take into consideration how a person is searching and not just what they are searching for.

It’s increasingly important to keep abreast of changes in the way Google works which is where the experts come in...if you need help in planning the strategy for your website contact our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team for advice.

Building Websites which are Search Engine friendly has now become essential in all areas of business promotion.

In a recent article published in PBS’s MediaShift it was pointed out that the music industry needs to pay more attention to the design of its sites and consider search engine optimisation as part of design.  In order to raise the profile and successfully promote bands a strong online presence is now essential.

In the past, Bands have tended to be more concerned with the aesthetics of their sites and the image they are promoting so designs have been Flash heavy.  The article points to the Led Zeppelin site which is built entirely on Flash.  Sites which use a lot of Flash are not very search engine friendly.

Although the visual imaginary is paramount, it’s possible to increase the written content, and therefore keywords, on music promotion sites by using biographies, quotes and discographies.

To raise your online profile and drive more high quality traffic to your website, consult our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team either by telephone or by completing our online enquiry form.

A Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialist has recently highlighted that not all online shops are SEO friendly.

Although, online retailers are increasing employing SEO techniques to attract more customers to their sites in a relatively low cost way, one industry professional has pointed out that some businesses need to choose more SEO friendly eCommerce systems.

Jason Cozens, joint managing director of Bite Digital, who provide eCommerce and SEO solutions, says not all platforms are equal when it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO).

In an interview Cozens said retailers need to be aware of the fundamentals of search engine optimisation (SEO) and then use that knowledge to ensure that the eCommerce shopping solution they plan to use is compatible with site optimisation.

"Currently, there are several hundred eCommerce systems, many of which are missing important features like complete control over page names, titles, meta tags, headings and automatic site maps," Cozens explained. "Many have inherent architecture structural problems that make the sites they produce under-perform in search engine rankings."

A report released earlier this week from Internet Retailer found that 55.3 percent of retailers plan to increase search engine optimisation (SEO) this year while only 24.2% have plans to increase their paid search budgets.

Although Google is still the biggest player in terms of the search engines, the world of search is set to become more competitive, therefore increasing the need for good website search engine optimisation (SEO).

Firstly, Microsoft is readying itself to make a big impact in the search engine market with a $100 million ad campaign this year for it’s new search engine.

In addition it appears that another search engine from Microsoft is being worked on.  It’s been reported that they have trademarked the name Sift which looks to be its brand name for a new mobile search engine.

Microsoft only had 10.3% of the search market share in March, but if they are able to dominate the area of mobile search the balance could all change rapidly.

This could also have an impact on SEO as more people access the web from mobile phones.  Our Search Engine Optimisation Manchester team have the expertise to help your business grow in the evolving world of internet marketing.

The publication pointed out that gaining visability, and especially online visability, is always a concern for small business in the manufacturing sector and that SEO can be of real benefit.  The article also highlighted the increasing number of businesses in this sector using SEO.

If you are interested in improving your online presence, Bite Digital, Search Engine Optimisation Manchester, can help you.

A recent report by Nielsen Online indicates that search grew by nearly 17% last year.  This significant growth makes Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) even more crucial for companies looking to improve their online presence.  Our team at Bite Digital, Search Engine Optimisation Manchester, can provide you with SEO solutions which will drive more high quality traffic to your website.

The figures published by Nielsen on Friday showed that search enquiries had increased to more than 9.5 billion in March this year which is a 16.7% increase on the identical period last year.

As predicted, Google maintain the largest search engine market share.  Yahoo, Microsoft’s Live Search and MSN continue to compete for second place.  Although it’s been rumoured that Yahoo can expect to lose up to 3% of valuable market share by not renewing deals with Hewlett-Packard and Acer which allow their computers to automatically default to Yahoo.

The market share loss could be exacerbated for Yahoo as Microsoft appear to be planning a $100 million campaign to boost its new search engine which is expected to be launched by the middle of the year.

Google has pointed out that it views voice search as a major and significant opportunity for building its presence on the mobile web. 

In the early days the voice search system has been criticized for not being able to understand accents other than American and therefore supplying unreliable search results. Reports now suggest that voice search is working better and that the numbers of users are increasing daily.

Back in 2002, Google developed a service which enabled users to search with a simple phone call. The company admitted it "wasn't very useful because the results were displayed on your computer and Google discontinued it".

Then last year, the search giant introduced an updated feature under the Google Mobile App for the iPhone.
 
Google believes that voice search is core to its future mobile plans.

Voice Search is now also available on the Android based T-Mobile G1 and last month was introduced on the BlackBerry as a free download.

If you are interested in driving more traffic from mobile users to your website our search engine optimisation Manchester (SEO) team will be able to offer you expert consultation and advice.

The training is being offered in a bid to improve their rankings and drive more visitors to their websites than their competitors.  According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations Electronic newspapers are beginning to rethink their search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies as their market becomes evermore competitive.

If you are interested in driving more quality traffic to your website and improving your rankings in the search engines, we at Bite Digital,search engine optimisation Manchester, could help you to achieve this.

The report also confirmed, as we have felt for sometime, that successful SEO will continue to be increasingly important to online businesses as the recession continues to bite.  The economic downturn has made it essential for businesses to look for relatively low-investment opportunities to increase their business.

Here at Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester, we specialise SEO and have helped many of our clients to reap the benefits of online success with carefully researched, analysed and implemented internet marketing strategies. We can help you to drive more quality traffic to your website which will in turn convert into sales.

The developments would particularly apply to browser-based games but would also be used on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

New developments in the online environment are occuring on a daily basis in what is a rapidly envolving environment.  We aim to keep up to date with developments and adapt our internet marketing and web development solutions accordingly.  We offer a comprehensive search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) service as well as being experts in the area of eCommerce.

Google has launched new technology which will allow them to interpret the context of users search terms in a more effective way.  The new technology will enable Google’s search engine to identify associated concepts which relate to the search term used.

The example which was given on Google’s own official blog was – if you search “principles of physics” their new algorithms understand that associated with this search term are the concepts of “angular momentum”, “special relativity”, “big bang” and “quantum mechanics”.  Therefore by also displaying these related terms they are more likely to display what you are looking for.

As search engine optimisation (SEO) specialist Bite Digital keep abreast of developments in the way Google and other search engines operate and adapt our methods accordingly.  Our objective is to drive quality traffic to our clients’ websites and improve their position in the search rankings by a combination of SEO and Pay Per Click (PPC).

It’s been estimated 700,000 small businesses in the UK are now using this free site and the number is growing at an incredible rate each day.

A study by web research firm Hitwise said that Twitter was the 54th most visited website in the UK last week, exceeding Google News UK.

Celebrities use the site to share snippets and details of their life with fans.  For example, incredibly the Comedian Stephen Fry is reported to have more than 300,000 people keeping an eye on his daily updates.

But for businesses, the focus is on cost cutting and particularly on marketing.  In the current financial crisis Twitter is being adopted by small companies in an attempt to evolve and survive the recession.  Small companies are using Twitter to stay in touch with their customers and suppliers as well as keeping an eye on the competition.

Twitter’s simplicity has played an important role in its success. It’s a simple idea that exploits the fact that people seem eager to stay in touch with each other.  It poses the question “What are you doing?”  The answer must less than 140 characters long and can be sent via text message using you mobile phone, instant messaging or the web.

Here at Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester and eCommerce Manchester, we keep you up to date on new developments in our industry.  Our blogs and news articles are regularly updated and added to.  If you’d like to know more about how our business can help yours to grow by implementing search engine optimisation techniques please get in touch using our online call back service.

Google is offering users the opportunity to see and edit their profiles and it will also offer them the choice to completely opt out of the service.
 
But privacy campaigners are outraged by the move, with Privacy International calling for a parliamentary enquiry.
 
The service launches on YouTube and Google from today but advertisers will not be able to display advertisements until April.
 
Initially a handful of advertisers will be invited to take part.
 
The system uses a cookie - a small piece of text that lives inside a web browser - to track users as they visit different websites. From this information Google users will be assigned to categories based on the content of the pages they visit.
 
Whilst the system undoubtedly has huge benefits advertisers by allowing them to target their audience, Privacy International has serious concerns about the tool,  "Google might well hype their targeting system as a boon to pet owners, but the reality is that the service will track just about everything you do and everything you're interested in, no matter how personal or sensitive”.

Here at Bite Digital, eCommerce Manchester and search engine optimisation Manchester, we aim to keep you abreast of all the news in our industry.  We offer comprehensive pay per click and search engine optimisation solutions. 

SEO consultants are desperately trying to rebuild new and unique content on higher quality 3rd party sites (that have a page rank greater than 1) in an attempt to build a higher quality network of relevant in-bound links.

Software that claims to be able to create 1000's of unique pages and syndicate them to 1000's of 3rd party sites needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. The 3rd party sites that this type of software links to are normally low quality with little or no page rank benefit to your site. The content that this software creates is normally difficult to read by human visitors and can even put visitors off if they come to it, reducing your conversion rate.

Authentic looking automatic content creation that looks like it has been written by human editors / copywriters would be the holy grail of SEO consultants. Here we are getting into the realms of artificial intelligence and advanced knowledge based systems. The solution is at hand but we must not underestimate the investment in time and effort required to set these systems up. And they do work. A few years ago, the Bite Digital team set up an Ai customer services representative to answer questions from visitors to their site. The logs show that one lonely lady in New Zealand 'chat' with it for 12 hours!

These systems could be tweaked to create large amounts of content for websites. However, considering the amount of time and effort that went into setting these systems up, you might as well simply sit down and write decent and interesting content for your website.

There are no short cuts.... yet

About the author
Jason Cozens is joint managing director of Bite Digital a search engine optimisation manchester company with other offices in Romania and London. Jason has 15 years experience in Digital Media having founded new media agency Visuality in 1994 and now responsible for all solution development at Bite Digital. Bite digital get new visitors to client sites using search engine optimisation (SEO), pay per click (PPC) and provide solutions for content managed websites and eCommerce (manchester).

Here at Bite Digital we aim to provide our clients with a comprehesive and competitive search engine optimisation service across all browsers.  We offer search engine optimisation and pay per click services.

BT has managed to convince regulators to allow it to set charges for its rivals to access its forthcoming fibre networkwork.

Ofcom said today that BT Openreach will have to offer rivals equal access to the network, as it does to existing infrastructure, but price controls will be removed.

It means Openreach will probably offer competitors the choice of reselling active wholesale products, or of installing their own equipment in exchanges. Ofcom said BT Retail must be treated without favour.

BT plans to spend £1.5bn on fibre by 2012. New build developments will get full fibre to the home (FTTH) access at "up to" 100Mbit/s. The rest of the cash will be spent on cheaper fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) deployments capable of speeds of "up to" 40Mbit/s.

In total, BT chief executive Ian Livingstone said today, the investment will connect "at least" 40 per cent of households to higher speed broadband by 2012.

Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester and eCommerce Manchester, keep you up to date with breaking news relating to our industry and technological advances.  We specialise in search engine optimisaiton and pay per click.

Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester and eCommerce Manchester, keep you up to date with breaking news relating to our industry and technological advances.  We specialise in search engine optimisaiton and pay per click.

Experts have pointed out that the government faces a “massive challenge” in its promise to bring UK broadband up to a minimum of 2Mbps (megabits per second) nationwide.

The think tank Point Topic has produced it’s own breakdown of areas who currently don’t have much net speed.  The results show that Northern Ireland is most poorly placed with 30% pf homes unable to get speeds of 2Mbps or above.  Wales follows with 26.9% of homes are unable to get speeds of 2Mbps or above.

London however only has 1.2% of its population out of range.

A representative from Point Topic said, "The scale of the task is massive and in order to achieve it there needs to be co-operation between government, the regulator and operators such as BT.

Regional figures are listed below:
 
East Midlands - 15.2%
East of England - 15%
London - 1.2%
North East - 15.8%
North West - 10.8%
South East - 13.5%
South West - 19.9%
West Midlands - 10.4%
Yorkshire/Humber - 16.1%
Northern Ireland - 32.2%
Scotland - 15.6%
Wales - 26.9%

Here in the North West, home to Bite Digital, search engine optimsation Manchester and eCommerce Manchester, the percentage of the population who are out of range is 10.8%.

The investigation began when a Statement of Objections was sent by the EC to Microsoft last month.  The statement expressed concerns in relation to the building of the web browser Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows and how it affects the competitiveness of the web browser market as a whole.

At Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester and eCommerce Manchester, we work to improve our clients positioning across all web browsers using search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques and pay per click.

It also allows non-Facebook users make comments about sites as well. Facebook said that users can manage the privacy and permissions of their comment boxes on an individual or widespread basis.

The widget launch comes at a time when Facebook is facing criticism after changing its terms and conditions without notifying its users.

Facebooks new terms and conditions stated that users "grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, nonexclusive, transferable, worldwide license to use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain and distribute any user content you post." 

Facebook have now done a complete about turn and have reinstated the old terms and conditions but not before the situation had been thoroughly discussed on web news sites and blogs all week.

Social networking sites can be a useful tool when promoting websites.  Bite Digital, search engine optimisation Manchester, offer a comprehensive search engine optimisation (SEO) service.  We can help you to enhance your websites profile in the search engines and deliver targeted traffic to you website in a cost effective way. 

Microsoft has unveiled plans to open a chain of branded retail stores around the US, as part of its effort to raise awareness of its products.  If the stores prove to be successful in the US it will only be matter of time before we see them here in the UK.

It has appointed David Porter as the corporate vice president of its new Retail Stores division. He will report to COO Kevin Turner. Prior to his new role, Porter was head of worldwide product distribution at DreamWorks Animation. Before that he worked for Wal-Mart Stores for 25 years.

The company is following the example of rival Apple, which launched its first retail store in 2001 and now has 251 branded stores worldwide.

Turner is reported to have said: "This is an exciting time with our strong lineup of upcoming product releases including Windows 7 and new releases of Windows Live and Windows Mobile. We're also working hard to transform the PC and Microsoft buying experience at retail by improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition so that it's clear, simple and straightforward for consumers everywhere."

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Google are convinced that the phone will attract a wider audience that those who are already hooked on Google.
 
A spokesperson from Google said he was not worried that Google's mobile platform is only on one phone in the shops.

"We are paying particular attention to style and design; I'm practically obsessed with it. We are extremely careful not to produce products for a niche of geeks, but bring out a proper mass-market consumer device with a lot of attention to design and functionality," said Patrick Chomet, global director of terminals for Vodafone Group. 

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Microsoft has started putting the button on its web-based support pages that detail the most common problems hitting PC and Windows users in 2008.  Now it appears on more than 100 separate entries.

Clicking the button starts a download that, once run, carries out the series of steps needed to fix a specific problem or remove a bug.

Microsoft also has plans to roll out the click-to-fix system to help users recover from a crash.

Microsoft has kicked off a project to trawl through the thousands of pages in its support system to find problems that can be fixed by the quick fix tool.

The button helps Windows users fix common problems, such as restoring the Internet Explorer icon to the desktop and enabling a DVD library in Vista's media centre.

Using the tool is not mandatory and people will be able to follow the steps outlined in support articles themselves, rather than rely on the scripted fix.

Microsoft is also planning to extend the quick fix system to its bug reporting system, so it comes to life after a crash or other software problem. 

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Users of Google Earth will be able to plunge beneath the oceans surface and then explore in 3D the terrain below.

The maps have been compiled using data from the world’s leading scientists, researchers and ocean explorers.

Al Gore attended the launch in San Francisco and was reported to have said that the update to Google Earth is a “magical experience”.  Google are hoping that this will take it’s mapping software another stop closer to giving total world coverage.

Approximately 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, which contains nearly 80% of all life - yet less than 5% of it has actually been explored.

Google Ocean aims to let users visit some of the more interesting locations, including underwater volcanoes, as well as running videos on marine life, shipwrecks and clips of favourite surf and dive spots.
 
Conservation organisations hope the tool will improve awareness of issues facing undersea life.
 
There are also updates on the terrestrial side, including GPS tracking, virtual time travel (where users can observe changes in satellite images, such as the 2006 World Cup stadium or the desertification of Africa's Lake Chad) and narrated tours of imagery and content in Google Earth.

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This could be the biggest innovation in the domain name world since the dot com release; starting from this afternoon at 1500, dot tel domain name will be sold live by Telnic Limited, the registry operator of the new top level domain name.

More than 100 registrars worldwide have already committed to participate in the so-called Landrush registrations. The sunrise registration period, where owners and licensees of trademarks registered with national effect may apply, ended this morning at 00:00.

During, the Landrush period, domain names will be available on a first-come, first served basis, will carry a three-year minimum term and will be available for $375 and from the 23rd of March, this price will drop to only $20 per month.

Unlike other top level domain names, owners of .tel domains will not be able to modify the DNS to redirect them to a custom made website, instead, Telnic will provide customers with the ability to change their contact details such as names, telephone numbers, web and email addresses.

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Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham told the House of Commons, "We are developing plans to move towards an historic universal service commitment for broadband and digital services.”

Universal service obligations (USOs) were used in 1840 to guarantee postal services across Britain, and in 1984 to ensure everyone had access to a phone.

The plan to give every household broadband access by the 2012 Olympic Games in London is part of a new strategy, which includes upgrading radio from analogue to digital, to ensure Britain's future in a digital age. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said digital technology would be as important to Britain's prosperity in the 21st economy as "roads, bridges, trains and electricity were in the 20th century."

A final report outlining the strategy in more detail is due later this year.

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It will soft launch on 28 February to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members staff, cabin crew and Richard Branson's VIP contacts. Virgin Atlantic is then hoping to recruit 2m founding members ahead of a public rollout in June to extend the community beyond existing customers to a worldwide audience.

The travel market has come under increased pressure from the economic downturn. Unique visitor numbers for airline sites have fallen by an average of 19%, while in December 2008 Virgin Atlantic's traffic dropped 15% year on year, down to 372,000 unique users, according to ComScore.

The first phase of Vtravelled will see Virgin Atlantic help spark ideas for new trips by featuring 800 luxury holiday destinations and a strong focus on images and maps. It's understood the airline is considering bringing a booking service onto the site at a later stage in a bid to monetise traffic.

Bite Digital, search engine optimisation manchester and ecommerce manchester, monitor industry news for new developments that may effect our clients.  We review our clients Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), pay per click and marketing requirements constantly and evolve and develop their campaigns accordingly.

The system is beta (of course) and accessible through Gmail Labs. But it won't be immediately available to everyone - Google is parsing out access as it experiments with the new feature. Google's post makes it sound like the experience will be almost indistinguishable from using Gmail normally.

“Gmail uses Gears to download a local cache of your mail. As long as you're connected to the network, that cache is synchronized with Gmail's servers. When you lose your connection, Gmail automatically switches to offline mode, and uses the data stored on your computer's hard drive instead of the information sent across the network.

You can read messages, star and label them, and do all of the things you're used to doing while reading your webmail online. Any messages you send while offline will be placed in your outbox and automatically sent the next time Gmail detects a connection.” Gmail Engineer Andy Palay wrote.

There will also be a “flaky connection mode” that's supposed to give you the best of both worlds. It'll assume that you're disconnected and use the local cache to store your data, but whenever your connection is working, it'll sync with Google's servers in the background.

What's new? The latest beta of Windows Explorer 8 incorporates a list of compatible websites the browser works best. Other improvements include private browsing, enhanced security as well as handy add-ons or accelerators. Safety is a big issue. The Internet Explorer 8 is equipped with a cross-site scripting filter and other features that prevent from clickjacking.

Web standards. Microsoft finally says good bye to being incompatible with some common standards. The new IE8 supports all advanced standards (CSS 2.1). IE8 also takes care about websites and applications designed for older IE versions and makes them compatible with current standards. Windows 7.

Microsoft is developing a separate version of IE8 for Windows 7. Hachamovitch said: “Windows 7 enables unique features and functionality in Internet Explorer 8 including Windows Touch and Jump Lists which require additional product tests. Microsoft will continue to update the version of Internet Explorer 8 running on Windows 7 as the development cycles of Windows 7 progress.” In general the new web browser will run on Vista and Windows XP (SP2).