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	<title>Sonic SEO</title>
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	<link>http://www.sonicseo.com</link>
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		<title>Your Valentine’s Day Matchmaker: SonicSEO.com</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/valentines-matchmaker-sonicseo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/valentines-matchmaker-sonicseo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:48:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3749</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your heart is pumping, your palms sweat. Your words, usually so witty (at least you think so), suddenly fall flat. Yes, that’s right. You’re falling in love. You’ve found your perfect match. Suddenly, everything in your life falls into place. You have that extra spark in your step that comes with the satisfaction of knowing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stk178255rke1.jpg"><img class="alignleft" title="Valentine's Matchmaker: SonicSEO.com" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stk178255rke1-297x300.jpg" alt="Perfect SEO Matchmaker: SonicSEO.com" width="208" height="210" /></a></p>
<p>Your heart is pumping, your palms sweat. Your words, usually so witty (at least you think so), suddenly fall flat.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s right. You’re falling in love. You’ve found your perfect match.</p>
<p>Suddenly, everything in your life falls into place. You have that extra spark in your step that comes with the satisfaction of knowing that you are loved.<span id="more-3749"></span></p>
<p>And in an instant you realize: <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/">SonicSEO.com</a> is The One you’ve been waiting for your entire life.</p>
<h2>Is Finding Your Match Really That Easy?</h2>
<p>SonicSEO.com is like that neighborhood matchmaker who seems to have a knack for putting the right people together.</p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/">SonicSEO.com</a>, though, it’s more than a knack. It’s information science that involves optimizing your site for the world’s leading search engines, putting your business at the top of search pages to allow promising clients the opportunity to meet (find) you.</p>
<p>Just like love, when it comes to <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/albuquerque-seo-services/">SEO</a>, it’s all about meeting the right people. SEO allows you to attract the right people to your business—customers who are already <em>looking </em>for the goods and services you offer.</p>
<h2>Voila! Another Match Made by SonicSEO!</h2>
<p>Now imagine if every time you entered a room, all eyes were on you. Every potential partner rushes to fall at your feet.</p>
<p>That’s a lot like what happens when your business is at the top of the search engine results. (Okay, so maybe clients aren’t falling at your feet, but potential clients see you before they see anyone else in your field—giving you the chance to show why you’re the perfect match first).</p>
<p>The higher you appear in the search results, the more trustworthy you appear to potential clients. And the more aesthetic your <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/web-design/">web design</a>, the more attractive you look to them as well!</p>
<h2>Make the Love Connection with Social Media</h2>
<p>To find love, you have to “get out there.” The same goes for building trust and respect among (potential) clients and peers.</p>
<p>By establishing <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/social-media/">social media</a> accounts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and publishing blogs about your field, you are telling people that your business is the go-to expert in your field. Like a healthy dose of confidence, you are telling them that you are worth being loved, and your friends and followers agree. J</p>
<p>Social media management is just one more way <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/">SonicSEO.com</a> matches businesses with potential customers.  Combined with web design and SEO, you’re sure to meet your match!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!</p>
<p>-from the team at SonicSEO.com! &lt;3</p>
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		<title>Twitter Marketing &#8211; How Does it Fit in With Internet Marketing</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/twitter-internet-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/twitter-internet-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:30:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3709</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As with other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses. But how exactly does Twitter fit in to a comprehensive Internet marketing campaign? There are two forms of twitter marketing: paid twitter advertisements and twitter marketing (which is marketing of your company twitter account). Twitter ads (also [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3710" title="Twitter Internet Marketing" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/twitter-marketing.jpg" alt="Twitter Internet Marketing" width="340" height="238" />As with other social media platforms such as <a title="What Is Facebook Marketing?" href="http://www.sonicseo.com/facebook-marketing/">Facebook</a>, Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses. But how exactly does Twitter fit in to a comprehensive Internet marketing campaign?</p>
<p>There are two forms of twitter marketing: paid twitter advertisements and twitter marketing (which is marketing of your company twitter account).</p>
<p>Twitter ads (also called twitter sponsored tweets) are still in Beta testing, but if you want to try them, they cost a minimum of 6 grand ($6,000) a month. A hefty price tag to be sure, but they do bring in quite a bit of traffic. If you want to give your Internet marketing campaign a much needed boost Twitter ads are a great alternative.<br />
<span id="more-3709"></span><br />
Twitter marketing is the use of Twitter to raise awareness of your business or website—and to drive potential customers in your direction, whether online or to a physical brick-and-mortar store. With more than <a href="http://www.twitterrati.com/2011/07/17/cool-info-graphic-of-twitters-growth/" target="_blank">200 million registered accounts</a>, it is second in size only to Facebook.</p>
<h2>The Advantages of Twitter Marketing</h2>
<p>Twitter is probably the best social media network for rapid engagement with others. This makes it a powerful tool for customer service, for establishing relationships, for soliciting opinions or responses to a question, or for spreading the word about new products or special offers.</p>
<p>Twitter is built on followers. You want to get as many people to follow you as possible. The more followers you have, the more potential customers you have. And, since each of your followers has their own set of followers, your tweets have the potential to be retweeted far beyond your own followers , giving you even greater exposure.</p>
<h2>How to Get Followers</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to building a solid base of Twitter followers. As with Facebook marketing, the key is to provide valuable, informative, and entertaining content. One thing you do not want to do is to constantly tweet about your business or the services you provide. <strong>Twitter is not a place to advertise, it’s a place to connect. </strong>It’s ok to tweet about a special deal once in a while but do it judiciously.</p>
<p>Essentially, your goal is to become seen as a valuable source of information or entertainment—or preferably both. Your tweets should have enough variety to keep people interested; this will make it more likely for them to keep following you. Occasionally, you’ll get retweets, and each of those will probably gain you a few new followers—who you also want to keep. Over time, by providing a steady stream of informative and/or entertaining content, your base of followers will gradually grow.</p>
<p>It’s ok to be more active on Twitter than on Facebook. Anywhere from a half-dozen to 25 or 30 tweets a day is OK, as long as you are spacing them out—it can be annoying if you tweet ten times in half an hour. But don’t just tweet to tweet. Be sure you have something to say.</p>
<h2>Twitter’s Also About Interaction</h2>
<p>Another way to improve your Twitter presence and gain followers is to interact with already-prominent people in your field. By direct interaction with these influential people, you’ll come to be seen as another important player in your industry—and soon people will be wanting to interact with you.</p>
<p>One other factor to keep in mind: social media platforms such as Twitter are becoming increasingly visible to search engines. Being active on Twitter can be a boost to your <a href="/long-haul/">search engine rankings</a>, and thus drive even more traffic your way. And it’s likely that social signals will become ever more important to <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/">search engine optimization</a> in the future.</p>
<p>If you’re not using Twitter as a marketing tool, you’re missing out on a fantastic way to get new clients, raise awareness of your business, and connect with your customers. It’s something we feel everyone should be doing. But if you haven’t got the time or inclination, we offer <a href="/social-media/">social media management</a> services.</p>
<p align="center"><strong>Call <em>SonicSEO.com</em> today at 888-437-3737 to learn how you can experience a boost in business with Twitter marketing and <a title="Social Media Marketing Management" href="http://www.sonicseo.com/social-media/">social media marketing</a>.</strong></p>
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		<title>Under Google’s Umbrella: What Do You Think About the New Privacy Policy?</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/google-privacy-policy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/google-privacy-policy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:13:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3714</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are familiar with tech news, you’ve probably heard about Google’s new privacy policy, expected to take effect on March 1. With all the information about the news, it can be difficult to make up your mind about where you stand on the new Privacy Policy. This blog will outline the basics of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3715" title="Privacy Policy" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/78456305-150x150.jpg" alt="Umbrella Privacy Policy" width="150" height="150" />If you are familiar with tech news, you’ve probably heard about Google’s new privacy policy, expected to take effect on March 1.</p>
<p>With all the information about the news, it can be difficult to make up your mind about where you stand on the new Privacy Policy. This blog will outline the basics of the controversy.<span id="more-3714"></span></p>
<h2>Streamlining or Steamrolling Users’ Privacy?</h2>
<p>Right now, Google has more than 60 privacy policies for its websites. The new umbrella policy covers most of Google’s products, including YouTube, Calendar, and Gmail, as well as Android software.</p>
<p>At first glance the new privacy policy may seem simple, that Google is simply streamlining its privacy policy to cover all of its products under one umbrella.</p>
<p>However, that the new policy enables Google to share data between these services has many critics concerned. Provision like,<em> “</em><em>We may combine personal information from one service with information, including personal information, from other Google services – for example to make it easier to share things with people you know” </em>has caused consternation for privacy advocates, and a public relations hurdle for Google.</p>
<h2>But Hasn’t Google Always Tracked My Information?</h2>
<p>Google has been using the same tracking for many years, but separately depending on the product you used. The difference now is that your data is being tracked across all of its sites to create a larger picture of your online behavior.</p>
<p>It follows the trend of the more personalized search results Google has been rolling out over the last couple of years. Under the new policy, your searches, ads—even your misspellings—will be personalized across the board when it comes to Google Products.</p>
<h2>Does the New Privacy Policy Violate the 2011 FTC Settlement?</h2>
<p>As a result of a 2011 settlement with the FTC, Google (as well as Facebook) is required to have ten privacy audits per year. The settlement came after complaints about the way it handled users’ personal information in regards to sharing information with third parties.</p>
<p>Behind the 2011 settlement was a complaint about “unfairness and deceptiveness” made by The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a Washington advocacy group, to the FTC.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">An EPIC Backlash</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">EPIC, is predictably up-in-arms over the changes in Google’s new privacy policy. They’ve requested an injunction on the privacy policy, saying that the change reduces users’ control over their own data and allows Google to give personal information to advertisers.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Google, EPIC says, is not in compliance with the FTC settlement, and is demanding that the FTC enforce the settlement, believing that Google is deliberately misrepresenting its privacy policies.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Google’s Damage Control</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Google has countered that EPIC has misunderstood the new privacy policy, but will have to wait for the FTC’s response to EPIC on Feb. 17 to know more. EPIC is required to respond by Feb. 21.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the tech giant has begun an ad campaign to ameliorate the backlash. The ads will appear in public places in large cities, and encourage people to protect themselves and their information on the internet.</p>
<p><strong>Whew. With all that said, what do YOU think about the revised Privacy Policy?</strong></p>
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		<title>Facebook Marketing is an Important Part of Any Internet Marketing Campaign</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/facebook-internet-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/facebook-internet-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:45:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3698</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve all read about how Facebook can be a great marketing tool for business. But what exactly is Facebook marketing, and how do you go about doing it? Facebook Marketing Is a Way to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Business The most important thing to keep in mind is that you can’t actually sell [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3699" title="Internet Marketing Campaign" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/facebook-marketing.jpg" alt="Internet Marketing Campaign" width="250" height="250" />We’ve all read about how Facebook can be a great marketing tool for business. But what exactly is Facebook marketing, and how do you go about doing it?</p>
<h2>Facebook Marketing Is a Way to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Business</h2>
<p>The most important thing to keep in mind is that you can’t actually sell anything on Facebook (although you may be able to soon—but that’s another topic for another time). That’s not what Facebook marketing is. Facebook marketing is a way to spread the word about your business to a potentially large group of people at a relatively low cost.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3698"></span>The Benefits of Marketing on Facebook</h2>
<p>There are several ways in which Facebook marketing has advantages over traditional marketing. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>A huge potential audience</strong> – There are over <a href="http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics" target="_blank">750 million Facebook users</a>, and 50% are active every day.</li>
<li><strong>It’s cheap</strong> – Many people will say it’s free, but it’s not. To get the most out of it takes time, and time is, of course, anything but free. Still, other forms of marketing also take time while simultaneously having out-of-pocket costs. So Facebook marketing is a great value.</li>
<li><strong>You can engage with customers or potential customers</strong> – Facebook is a tremendously easy place to interact with people. If they have questions or comments about your business, or even <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/handling-negative-feedback/">problems or complaints</a>, you can deal with them directly. By allowing quick and easy responses, Facebook can make people feel connected to your business—and emotional connections like that are a huge part of the psychology of buying. Having connected customers also makes it likely that they will recommend your business to friends, and the word of friends is far more trustworthy than any sort of advertising campaign.</li>
<li><strong>Targetability</strong> – Facebook users generally give out a lot of information about themselves – their age, where they live, what their interests are, their education level, and so on. Just as with <a href="/what-makes-search-engine/">search engine marketing</a>, Facebook makes it easy to use this information to target your page to specific demographics.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to Market your Business on Facebook</h2>
<p>It’s not enough to just set up a profile and wait for things to happen. You’ll get as much out of Facebook as you put into it. Here are some strategies for effective use of Facebook as a marketing tool:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Engage</strong> – If someone makes a comment or asks a question, respond to it in a timely manner. And visit some of your fans’ pages once in a while. Look at what they are posting, and make a comment where appropriate. If they feel like you care about them (and you should care), it will only increase the level of emotional attachment they have to your business.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t pitch</strong> – Make your posts entertaining and informative, but don’t make them about your business or even your industry all the time. You want people to enjoy your Facebook page, and not to feel like they have stumbled into an interactive advertisement. It’s ok to post the occasional special offer or talk about a new product, but do it very sparingly.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t post too often</strong> – Most people have a lot of friends on Facebook. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics" target="_blank">The average is 130</a>, in fact. This means they are seeing a lot of content, and the last thing they want is 10 or 15 posts a day from your business. Post no more than 2 or 3 times over the course of a day.</li>
<li><strong>Adapt </strong>– Carefully watch which of your posts get a lot of interaction, and which do not. See what is working for you and do more of it, while doing less of what doesn’t work.</li>
<li><strong>Have personality</strong> – You as a person have a personality. Each of your employees does as well. And your business has a distinct personality as well. Put any and all of these personalities to work for your Facebook page. You want to be the opposite of bland when using social media—but at the same time, there’s no magic formula. Just be yourself.</li>
</ul>
<p>Remember, above all, the goal is to get people to your website or business where they can actually buy things from you. Be engaged, be entertaining, be informative, give people a reason to visit and to share your page with their friends, and you’ll see results. That’s Facebook marketing in a nutshell.</p>
<p>If you’re unsure if you have the time or desire to use Facebook, give SonicSEO.com a call. We offer a comprehensive <a href="/social-media/">social media management</a> service that takes the burden out of your hands. <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/contact-us/">Talk to us today</a> to see how we can help your business gain new exposure through the power of social media.</p>
<p align="center"><strong>Call 888-437-3737 to learn how <em>SonicSEO.com</em> can help you maximize your Facebook presence today!</strong></p>
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		<title>It’s Not Exactly News: You Need Search Engine Marketing</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/search-engine-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/search-engine-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:37:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3693</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[eMarketer, one of the leading digital media analysis firms, projects growth in search spending over the course of the next few years, reaching $30 billion by 2016. Fueled in 2012 by national elections and the Summer Olympic Games, search spending trends will secure the crown on Google’s head as the king of Internet search, but [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008804&amp;ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3694" title="Searching Engine Marketing" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/97505234-300x225.jpg" alt="Marketing for Search Engines" width="300" height="225" />eMarketer</a>, one of the leading digital media analysis firms, projects growth in search spending over the course of the next few years, reaching $30 billion by 2016. Fueled in 2012 by national elections and the Summer Olympic Games, search spending trends will secure the crown on Google’s head as the king of Internet search, but Microsoft will continue to solidify its presence at court.</p>
<p>But, of course, you don’t follow spending trends just because they’re spending trends. What did your mother tell you about following the crowd? But these spending trends are significant because they point to the power of Internet search in business marketing.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3693"></span>What Is Search Engine Marketing?</h2>
<p>Essentially, there are two kinds of search engine marketing:</p>
<ol>
<li>Paid search—like the “Sponsored Ads” that are the top 1 or 2 listings on every Google search results page (also often listed in the right hand column of every search) and the “Promoted” Worldwide Trends on Twitter.</li>
<li>Organic search—where you end up on the search engine results pages (SERPs) without paying Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, whomever to be at the top.</li>
</ol>
<p>Organic search isn’t necessarily free. It’s true you don’t have to invest anything more than the cost of your domain name and a WordPress account to create your own website eligible for indexing by search engines. But without further investment in search engine optimization (SEO) services, it’s unlikely that your website will rank very high on the SERPs. And that matters.</p>
<h2>Consumer Search Engine Use</h2>
<p>It’s clear why businesses need to capitalize on Internet search marketing opportunities:</p>
<ul>
<li>93% of consumers worldwide use search engines to find and access websites (Forrester Research)</li>
<li>85% of qualified internet traffic is driven through search engines; however 75% of search engine users never scroll past the first page of results (Seventh WWW User Survey, Georgia Institute of Technology)</li>
</ul>
<p>As the Forrester Research Media Field Survey summarizes, “Attracting a loyal audience to your website is best achieved through top search engine listings.”</p>
<p>So if you aren’t already investing in search engine marketing, your business may be suffering. If you’re not at the top of the SERPRs, you’re risking invisibility to potential customers, you’re sacrificing leads and you’re hindering your sales potential.</p>
<h2>The Best Search Engine Marketing Value</h2>
<p>Both paid and SEO-enhanced organic search engine marketing strategies can be effective. They’ll get you visible at the top of the SERPs. And that matters, but that’s not all that matters.</p>
<p>There’s lots of research (and just relevant experience) that indicates people trust organic search results more than paid results. According to <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-disconnect-in-ppc-vs-seo-spending" target="_blank">SEOMoz</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>SEO drives 75%+ of all search traffic</li>
<li>PPC receives less than 25% of all search traffic</li>
</ul>
<p>That means that the best value for your search engine marketing dollar may be SEO services over paid advertisements, links and listings.</p>
<p>Not only does SEO provide trustworthy links more likely to be clicked by users, but SEO, in the long run, is more cost-effective. Paid ads and listings can get you on the top of the SERPs and increase your visibility, but only for as long as you can pay for it. And that can get expensive.</p>
<p>SEO, on the other hand, (if provided by a reputable full-service company like <em>SonicSEO.com</em>), can help you maintain top search engine rankings through vigilant monitoring, analysis and proactive adaptation for the life of your relationship with your SEO service provider.</p>
<p>Whether or not you should invest in search engine marketing is no longer the question—it’s how. And user preference and long-term cost-effectiveness point to SEO as the better value.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for an SEO company to help you tap into the power of the search engine marketing, <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/contact-us/">contact <em>SonicSEO.com</em></a> today!</p>
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		<title>Lessons from #McDStories, a Social Media Campaign Gone Wrong</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/mcdonalds-twitter-mistake/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/mcdonalds-twitter-mistake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:30:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Change is the only constant. So, it should come as no surprise when companies launch campaigns to rebrand themselves or highlight products and services in an effort to make or keep themselves relevant to demand…which was exactly what McDonald’s was aiming to do through a new Twitter campaign last Wednesday (January 18). The Campaign Consumers [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mcfail.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3684" title="mcfail" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mcfail.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="384" /></a>Change is the only constant. So, it should come as no surprise when companies launch campaigns to rebrand themselves or highlight products and services in an effort to make or keep themselves relevant to demand…which was exactly what McDonald’s was aiming to do through a new Twitter campaign last Wednesday (January 18).<span id="more-3683"></span></p>
<h3>The Campaign</h3>
<p>Consumers are ever-increasingly becoming health-conscious and economically and ecologically responsible. When it comes to food, consumers want fresh produce and meats that have been responsibly grown and raised. In response, McDonald’s planned a Twitter campaign using the hashtags #meetthefarmers and #McDStories as a way to highlight where their food comes from and generate a feeling of community among farmers, the franchise and Big Mac lovers.</p>
<p>#meetthefarmers was met with success. Some farmers joined the conversation with impromptu tweets sharing their positive experiences with the fast-food giant. #McDStories, on the other hand, took on a McDonald’s-bashing life of its own. After only two tweets from McDonald’s social media team, the new hashtag was hijacked by angry and disgusted McDonald’s customers with horrific #McDStories of their own. In just two hours, #McDStories generated a peak of 1,600 conversations, an overwhelming majority of them negative.</p>
<h3>The Lessons</h3>
<p>While news reports had a field day pointing out McDonald’s Twitter campaign gone wrong, those reports are largely exaggerated. Yes, #McDStories generated thousands of negative tweets from customers, but those tweets accounted for only 2% of all McDonald’s mentions (a total of 72,788) throughout Twitterverse on the 18th. Actually, McDonald’s social media director, Rick Wion, was proactive in “damage control,” and this campaign snafu offers valuable lessons to apply to your own <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/social-media/">social media campaign</a>.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Make a plan…and a backup plan.</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Never enter the social media sphere without an intention, a goal. If you want a Twitter presence, know who you’re tweeting to and what you want your tweeting to accomplish. If you want to be found on Facebook, what do you want people to do once they find your page? Your messages should be tailored to your audience and your purpose.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Once you have a strategy for your social media usage, develop a plan for what you will do if your campaign doesn’t perform the way you anticipated. Your backup plan should be something other than just stopping a current campaign. You don’t want to just leave the Twitterverse or social network. You want to be able to redirect—shift the focus of your followers or fans to something new, something positive.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="http://blog.sonicseo.com/twitter-business-results/">Monitor your social media campaign’s performance</a>. If it’s taking a negative direction, act fast. Although the headlines suggest otherwise, McDonald’s was actually very effective in minimizing the impact of the hijacked #McDStories hashtag. The hashtag was only up two hours before McDonald’s pulled it. In two more hours, conversations using the hashtag fell from over 1,600 to just a few dozen.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Choose your words carefully</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">McDonald’s launched a paid Twitter campaign using hashtags. And based on the response to #McDStories, one of those hashtags wasn’t very well-chosen. #McDStories was ambiguous—it gave tweeters the option of sharing both positive and negative stories…and the headlines give you an indication of which kind of response is more likely to generate buzz.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Whether you are using hashtags, creating a slogan or motto or writing organic tweets and posts while interacting with your audience, choose your words carefully. Consider other ways a reader may interpret your words. Be specific and eliminate any hint at an invitation to share negative feedback. Imagine how different McDonald’s Twitter campaign may have gone if instead of using #McDStories, they used something like #McDPride or #McDQuality—something with a positive connotation.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Focus on your target audience</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">It’s not possible to please everyone. And that’s especially true when “everyone” can potentially include the entire Twitterverse or all 800 million+ global Facebook subscribers. Focus your efforts on keeping your customers/followers/fans engaged and happy.</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Learn from your mistakes</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">If what you thought was a well-planned social media campaign doesn’t go as expected or produce the results you had hoped for, don’t let that convince you that social media marketing doesn’t work. The sheer number of people on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. makes it very difficult to predict what exactly will get viewers’ attention or how they will respond to it. If something doesn’t work, try to figure out what and why so that you can improve for your next approach.</p>
<p>Again, McDonald’s is a good example. Rather than focusing on the negative responses they have gotten (on Twitter, especially), McDonald’s continues to put themselves out “there.” PETA accusations and hijacked hashtags don’t make McDonald’s pack in their social media presence. They know there are just as many double cheeseburger devotees out there to interact with, too.</p>
<p>Social media marketing isn’t an exact science. It may take a lot of trial-and-error before you find an approach, a tagline, a channel that really works for you. But the process can be simplified if you are willing to learn from the successes and failures of other companies. And McDonald’s “<strong>#McFail</strong>” on January 18th has some meaty applications for your social media campaign.</p>
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		<title>When “Eeeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo” Doesn’t Cut It: A Better Way to Choose an SEO Company</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/select-seo-company/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/select-seo-company/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:54:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3675</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Eeny, meeny, miny, mo” is a perfectly acceptable method of fairly picking kickball captains and deciding between two equally nutritious options from the executive basement vending machine. But when it comes to really important decisions, like picking an SEO company, you need a better decision-making strategy. And the best strategy we can offer is Be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“Eeny, meeny, miny, mo” is a perfectly acceptable method of fairly picking kickball captains and deciding between two equally nutritious options from the executive basement vending machine. But when it comes to really important decisions, like picking an SEO company, you need a better decision-making strategy.<img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3676" title="Vintage Soda Machine" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/90382769-182x300.jpg" alt="Soda Machine- Vintage" width="182" height="300" /></p>
<p>And the best strategy we can offer is <strong>Be Informed</strong>. Before selecting an SEO company, know about them—what they do, how they do it and what kinds of results do they get. Let’s break that down…</p>
<p><span id="more-3675"></span></p>
<h2>What They Do</h2>
<p>Perhaps this is a good time for review—what is SEO? Why do you need it?</p>
<p>SEO = Search Engine Optimization. It’s a multi-faceted process to get your website to rank high in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). It’s a balancing act that requires your website to be equally appealing to a human reader audience and an algorithmic “crawler.”</p>
<p>You need SEO to drive organic traffic to your website. That means getting people who are typing in, say, “hair salon albuquerque” to see <em>your</em> salon at the top of their Google search results.</p>
<p>To appeal to human and non-human readers, SEO requires a broad platform of services, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Web Design</li>
<li>Copywriting</li>
<li>Link Building</li>
<li>Other SEO Tactics</li>
</ul>
<p>And, once your website is live, SEO requires constant monitoring so that your site is responding to changes in search engine algorithms, social trends and your customers’ feedback.</p>
<p>So, the first thing to look for in an SEO company is a company that offers all the services that go into building and maintaining an effective website. If you think about it, one person really can’t manage all of the components of good SEO well. You need a team of experts.</p>
<h2>How They Do It</h2>
<p>Because SEO does involve some mathematical stuff that “normal” people don’t understand, there is the possibility that an SEO company is using some of the industry’s “black hat” practices to get better SERP rankings. Sure, black hat SEO works for a while, but high rankings don’t last long and these practices can get your site penalized or removed from ranking consideration in the search engines.</p>
<p>So, when you’re choosing an SEO company, you also want to make sure that you are choosing a company that adheres to industry best practices and high ethical standards. How will you know?</p>
<p>One of the best indicators of an SEO company’s SEO ethics is their assurances. If a company is promising you #1 listings on all major search engines, that’s a red flag. No one can promise that…even Google’s Matt Cutts can’t promise that. Instead, look for a company that assures the quality of their work, an SEO campaign in accordance with Search Engine Guidelines, a company that expresses a commitment to <em>your</em> satisfaction.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What Kinds of Results Do They Get</h2>
<p>Just because an SEO company won’t promise #1 rankings on SERPs doesn’t mean your website won’t rank there. But, what are the results of their existing clients? A good SEO company will provide you with a list of clients they’ve helped. Google these companies yourself—where do those sites rank? What do those clients have to say about their SEO company? Ask them. Some testimonials may be available from the SEO firm, but you may also want to directly contact a client of theirs to get the real scoop.</p>
<p>Another way to evaluate an SEO company’s results—their renewal rate. How many clients have kept their services and how many have fled for a better SEO provider?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>For Your Information</h2>
<p>When looking for a <strong><em>good</em></strong> SEO company, there’s no substitute for making an <strong><em>informed</em></strong> decision. You’ll have to do your research—a lot of web browsing, phone calling and maybe even interviews. Although, your research may be significantly simplified if you start here: <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/">http://www.sonicseo.com/</a>. (Hey, it’s our blog. We can use our website to shamelessly promote our outrageously successful SEO services if we want to.)</p>
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		<title>Goofus and Gallant: What is White Hat SEO?</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/white-hat-seo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/white-hat-seo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:52:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=3649</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here at SonicSEO.com, we&#8217;ve heard all of the best and worst about SEO. At best, our clients say that SEO has helped them to grow their business and gain a reputation as the best in their field. At worst, we&#8217;ve heard the fears of potential clients: that SEO does not work, that it is spam. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here at SonicSEO.com, we&#8217;ve heard all of the best and worst about SEO. At best, our clients say that SEO has helped them to grow their business and gain a reputation as the best in their field.</p>
<p>At worst, we&#8217;ve heard the fears of potential clients: that SEO does not work, that it is spam.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s time for a little clarification.</p>
<p>What you may not know is there are two camps of SEO: black hat SEO and white hat SEO.<span id="more-3649"></span></p>
<h2>Making this Analogy Work</h2>
<p>Think of these two categories as the Goofus and Gallant of the SEO world, Goofus as a black hat SEO and Gallant as a white hat SEO. Gallant plays by the rules to make the world a better place, and the other one…well, the thought of Goofus sitting in a juvenile detention hall isn&#8217;t that far-fetched. Compare that to having your website removed from ranking consideration on a major search engine—the results of black hat SEO are never pretty.</p>
<p>So what is the etiquette of good SEO and how do you distinguish between Goofus and Gallant when it comes to the Web? Well, here are some key differences:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3650" title="Black-Hat-White-Hat-1" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="253" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3651" title="Black-Hat-White-Hat-2" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="253" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3652" title="Black-Hat-White-Hat-3" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Hat-White-Hat-3.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="253" /></a></p>
<p>Of course, there are many other factors that distinguish white hat SEO from black hat SEO. But the main thing to keep in mind when it comes to investing in SEO is that if it sounds too good to be true or you have a twinge of uneasiness for any reason, you should probably look for another firm that makes you feel more comfortable.</p>
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		<title>Working the Web</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/working-the-web/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/working-the-web/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:45:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=2098</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[6 Tips to Make Your Web Site Work for You It’s no secret. A strategic online marketing campaign can drive targeted traffic to your Web site and help you establish a solid client base in a highly efficient manner. The strategy of a solid Web marketing campaign is not simply developing an informative Web site [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>6 Tips to Make Your Web Site Work for You</h2>
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-2305" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial;" title="87665168" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/87665168.jpg" alt="" width="338" height="246" />It’s no secret. A strategic online marketing campaign can drive targeted traffic to your Web site and help you establish a solid client base in a highly efficient manner. The strategy of a solid Web marketing campaign is not simply developing an informative Web site about your firm—you can do that with a brochure. Rather, it’s designing a tool that will generate clients and allow you to track the return on your investment dollar for dollar.</p>
<p>There are several things to consider when designing your Web site and this article discusses six tips that can help you develop a Web site that works for you.<span id="more-2098"></span></p>
<p><strong>Good Content</strong></p>
<p>Good content is the foundation of a good Web site. Good content is not simply information about your business or yourself, but it is carefully crafted copy that leads your audience to a specific action and utilizes strategic placement of keywords. Creating strong content for your site demands attention and time as this is what your potential clients will be reading. Not only will your potential clients be reading your site content for relevant information, but search engine spiders will read your content to determine how your site should be indexed and where it will rank in keyword searches. It is important to rank high with the search engines for <a href="/woo-them-with-words/">specific keywords</a> as this will generate the majority of targeted traffic to your site.</p>
<p><strong>Effective Architecture</strong></p>
<p>Effective architecture is essential if you want people to stay on your site and see what it’s about once they find it. Effective architecture refers to the structure and functionality of your Web site. Things to consider are how you will use navigation bars and where you will place them, how you will let users know where they are at on your site, and how you will link your pages together; this all affects how easy your site is to use. Ease of use and the ability to find relevant information in as few clicks as possible are key features visitors look for in a Web site. If your site is not easily navigable, your visitors will not take the time to find out about your business and what you can do for them. This can severely impede your online marketing campaign. When developing your online marketing strategy, remember, it is important that your site be easy to use, as well as easy to access on the search engines.</p>
<p><strong>Consistent Design</strong></p>
<p><a href="/why-good-design/">Consistent design</a> allows you to start developing brand recognition with your potential clients and makes your site easier to view. People remember things that are repetitive; therefore, the more you can repeat the theme on your site, the more people will begin to identify with it and recognize it as a reflection of your firm. It is also important to place your navigation bars in the same location on every page, use the same font on every page and incorporate the same color scheme on every page of your site. This will help your users browse your site and access information they need easier. When you utilize online marketing techniques and create a dynamic Web site, it is important that you stand out from the rest and leave a good impression with those who visit your site; consistent layout and design can help you do this.</p>
<p><strong>Relevant Images</strong></p>
<p>Images can improve the look of your site and generate interest from potential clients. When choosing images to put on your site, it is important to choose images that are relevant to the content and purpose of your site. Sometimes, people like to put humorous pictures or cartoons on their site that have nothing to do with the purpose of the site. This can distract readers and keep them from understanding your overall purpose. When a visitor does not understand the purpose of your site, they are not likely to seek the services or products that you offer since they are not clear about exactly what you are offering. Images can enhance your site, but use them sparingly and as a way to enhance your message, not take away from it.</p>
<p><strong>Contact Information</strong></p>
<p>It is very important that you include your contact information on every page of your Web site—especially your phone number. Remember, the purpose of your Web site is to generate leads for potential clients or customers. If a person finds your site through a search engine, browses your site but doesn’t know how to contact you, your site is not doing its job. Therefore, be sure to place your phone number <em>prominently</em> on each page. You cannot rely on your visitors to go to the page you have specifically designed for contact information. Don’t make your potential clients hunt for your phone number, make it highly visible on every page.</p>
<p><strong>Contact Form</strong></p>
<p>Choosing to use a contact form is recommended over providing your email address to potential clients or customers. Information on Web sites is not only available to people who are looking for your services, but also people who want to exploit you. Using a contact form will reduce the amount of spam you receive. Contact forms are easy to set up and use and when you respond to potential clients, they will receive your email address to maintain correspondence with you.</p>
<p>There are a lot of things to consider when you are developing a Web site as part of a larger online marketing campaign. If this sounds like a lot of work to you, it is! But don’t let that intimidate you. The time and resources you put into developing an effective Web site will pay off in clients or customers. Since there is so much involved in developing and implementing an <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/internet-marketing-services/">online marketing strategy</a>, it is usually a good idea to hire an Internet marketing company to help you with the process. These professionals are up-to-date on the latest trends and technology and can help you design a site that will accomplish your online marketing goals.</p>
<p>At SonicSEO.com, you will encounter highly-trained professionals that utilize the most current practices to help you meet your Internet marketing goals. Help more potential customers find your site by calling 888-437-3737 today!</p>
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		<title>Reaching Your Target Audience</title>
		<link>http://www.sonicseo.com/reach-target-audience/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sonicseo.com/reach-target-audience/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:34:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SonicSEO Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sonicseo.com/?p=2095</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To maximize the impact of your Web site, you need to have a site that is designed for a specific group of people—your niche market. By identifying your target audience, what they expect and how they search online, you can create an effective Web site that turns curious visitors into paying customers. There are several [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2307" title="87344366" src="http://www.sonicseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/87344366-300x202.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" />To maximize the impact of your Web site, you need to have a site that is designed for a <a href="/write-to-your-target-audience/">specific group of people</a>—your niche market. By identifying your target audience, what they expect and how they search online, you can create an effective Web site that turns curious visitors into paying customers.<span id="more-2095"></span></p>
<p>There are several things you should consider about your target audience before designing your company’s Web site:</p>
<ul type="disc">
<li>Age range</li>
<li>Sex</li>
<li>Income Levels</li>
<li>Educational Background</li>
<li>Marital Status</li>
<li>Hobbies</li>
<li>Emotional state when considering your products or services</li>
<li>Familiarity with your product or service</li>
<li>Reason for purchasing your product or service</li>
</ul>
<p>By gathering all of this data, you will be armed with important information when you <a href="/why-hire-designer/">work with a designer</a> to develop your Web site. This information will help you determine how much content you need, how it should be written, what kind of language you should use, how you should present products or services, and how you can establish trust with the people who come to your site.</p>
<p>To effectively reach your target audience online, you not only need a Web site that they can identify with and trust, but a Web site that they can easily find online. This is where using key word phrases comes in (see <a href="/woo-them-with-words/">Woo Them With Words</a>). Key word phrases are the actual words that people type into the search engines when looking for the services or products you provide. SEO professionals have access to research tools that help them identify the phrases that your target audience is using to find businesses like yours. By strategically incorporating these terms into the text on your Web site, you can effectively drive targeted traffic to your Web site.</p>
<p>At SonicSEO.com, our SEO experts have been helping businesses thrive on the Internet for over 10 years. We take great pride in our work and in providing our clients with superior results. When you need help increasing the performance of your Web site, we’ll be there for you.</p>
<p>Call 888-437-3737 to talk with an <a href="http://www.sonicseo.com/contact-us/">SEO specialist today</a>!</p>
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