Tag Archives: facebook

What’s New for October 22, 2013 – Social Media Traffic, Mobile Engagement, Responsive Sites

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Study: Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Send More Referral Traffic Than Google+

Shareaholic released an annual report highlighting social media traffic trends for the period from September 2012 through September 2013.

According to this study, Google+ has driven less than one-tenth of one percent (> 0.1%) of all referral traffic to its publishers over the past year. The top three referring sites over the past year were Facebook, with 8.11% of referrals; Pinterest’s was 3.24% and Twitter’s was 1.17% compared to Google+’s 0.06%.

The study also measured the growth of the social media platforms as referral sources over the same period and found that Google + was at just 6.97 % compared to (58.81%), Pinterest (66.52 %), Twitter (54.12%) and YouTube (52.86%).

Study: Over 50% of Engagement on Facebook Posts from Mobile Devices

ShopIgniter did a study encompassing more than 2,000 posts with 2 billion impressions in the first 6 months of 2013. The study revealed that 51.4% of engagement on Facebook posts was from mobile devices and the average conversion rate from Facebook traffic was 4.4%.

The engagement rates of different post types was also tracked, and showed surprisingly high numbers for paid posts for photos (5.785%) and offers (4.186%). Unlike search engine users, Facebook users seem to not mind sponsored posts. The full report is available at ShopIgniter.

Google: Responsive Design Does Not Technically Give Your Site a Rankings Boost

Even though Google does officially recommend responsive as the approach to going mobile, John Mueller of Google states that having a responsive design doesn’t give you more of a ranking boost than using either of the other two accepted approaches to smartphone optimized sites.

The key however, is that Google does not favor non-mobile friendly smartphone sites in rankings.

Google’s John Mueller said:

“No. Google currently doesn’t differentiate sites like that.

You may see indirect effects (smartphone users liking your responsive site and recommending it to others), but we don’t use that as a ranking factor. We are starting to use common configuration errors to adjust the rankings in smartphone search results though.”

Bottom Line: Google might have taken a little bit of a hit on this week’s review, between backing off of its clear endorsement of Responsive Design, if only a little bit, and finding that the naysayers who have said all along that users are creating Google+ sites because Google makes them as part of Google Local Listings may be right. Facebook comes through with shining marks on sponsored information that does not seem to “put off” users and gives a very targeted, effective platform for advertisers.

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, a Santa Rosa, California Online Marketing, SMO and SEO Company.

What’s New for October 3, 2013 – Fake Online Reviews & Studies Galore

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Study: 15% of US Adults Do Not Use the Internet

15% of Americans age 18 or older do not use the Internet, and 9% said they don’t use it in their homes, according to a report released by Pew Research Center. Those that do not use the internet cited reasons like: lack of interest, cost, lack of internet access, too busy, or feel that the internet is a waste of time. More than 40% of respondents above the age of 65 do not use the Internet, while just 2% in the 18-29 age range don’t use it.

The truly staggering statistic is that less than 20 years ago (an eternity in tech advancement terms), 85% of people did not use the Internet. The chart below shows the rate of internet adoption among American adults since 1995.

Study: Facebook Logins Still #1, But Google+ Is Gaining

Janrain has released a study on social login usage and the results showed that Facebook is still the leading social login service with a 46% usage rate. Google+ is gaining and now claims 34% of the social logins, a solid second-place showing.

Fake Online Reviews Cost 19 Firms Large Fines in New York

The importance of online reviews has led to the growth of firms that charge to write glowing reviews on sites like Yelp and Google+. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced agreements with 19 of the bogus review companies to stop the practice and pay $350,000 in fines. Reportedly, the California Attorney General’s office is looking into similar issues in that state.

Gartner estimates that by 2014, some 15 percent of online reviews will be fake. The Federal Trade Commission released new guidelines in March trying to address all the new ways consumers get information about purchases. Under the guidelines, if someone is compensated for writing a review of a business, they must disclose the relationship. Yelp and other review sites work diligently to sniff out fake reviews (i.e. the person in Houston reviewing a carpet cleaning firm in San Diego), but the rewards in online placement and conversion for some businesses tempt them to try and outsmart the system.

Bottom Line: The following myths have been dispelled by this week’s research information:

Everybody is not online.
Fake reviews are not the way to build placement and conversion overnight.
Google+ may catch up to Facebook yet. Time will tell.

Who knew?

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, a Santa Rosa, California based Website Development, SEO and Online Marketing Firm.

How To Merge Facebook Pages With Facebook Places

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Have you noticed duplicate listings for your business on Facebook? You may have a page that you manage, but you’ve also noticed that there’s a “Facebook Place” with your address where people are checking in and Liking that location instead of your business page. How can you merge the two so that all the interaction is going to the same place? Here’s how.

Some things you should do first:

Ensure that you are an Admin (or “Manager”) of your Facebook Business or Brand Page.

Be logged in to your PERSONAL account. You should be “using Facebook” as yourself, not your business.

Also, here’s a quick explanation of Places vs Pages: a “Page” is what was formally known as a “Fan Page.” It looks like a Facebook profile page and is typically created and moderated by the business itself. A “Place” is a location people use to check in, and anyone can create one from their mobile device. This may result in multiple instances of the same location.

Now, here’s how you merge them.

Locate the Place you’d like to merge into your Page. You can do this via Facebook’s Graph Search by typing in your business name and selecting directly from the dropdown list. If you don’t see your location, click the “See more results” option at the bottom of the dropdown, then select “Places.”

Once you find a location, look to the right-hand side for the Settings icon (looks like a gear). Click it. You’ll see another dropdown with multiple options. You’re going to select “Is this your business?”

From here, you’ll go through a quick walkthrough to claim the page. Here’s the first panel. Again, make sure you are an Admin of your brand page, then check the “I am an official representative” box and continue.

This step is important! You’re going to verify your page info. Make sure you list all of your publicly accessible, accurate information. Facebook needs to verify that you are attempting to claim a business you actually represent, so this information should closely match that of the Place you are attempting to claim.

The last frame is the verification for claiming your page. You have the option of doing this verification through email, phone number, or documentation. I’ll be using email, but you can use whatever suits you.

Your email, phone number, or documentation will need to be linked to your Facebook account AND business, so be sure to add it if it isn’t. Select the appropriate option, then click “Submit.”

Then you should get a nifty little “Claim Request” notification.

You should receive a notification email pretty quickly letting you know your claim request has been received and is being processed. Now it’s just a waiting game. Like the notification says, this request could take some time. Usually it’s done sooner rather than later, especially if you were sure to verify the business information exactly.

Once you’ve received approval for your claim, you will now be the admin of that Place page. If needed, go into your admin settings (“Edit Page” > “Edit Settings”) and update your address, business name, phone number, etc. to exactly match your primary business page. Save the changes.

From there, navigate to your primary business page and access your settings. You can do this from the options in your Admin Panel. Click “Edit Page” and select “Edit Settings.”

From your Settings list, select “Merge Pages,” which is located toward the bottom of the list of Settings.

Remember, in order to properly merge pages, you must be a manager-level administrator of BOTH pages. That means you must wait for your notification from Facebook that you’ve been approved for the page you tried to claim. After clicking on “Merge Pages,” you should have the ability to merge similar pages you’re the admin of. You can select the “Request to merge duplicate Pages” link from here.

First, we recommend you read the provided information. After that, you should see a check box indicating you have done so. Check it. A dropdown menu will come up asking you to select the page you want to keep. This is important! Select your primary brand page from the dropdown.

Next, you’ll see a second check box indicating you’ve read the information about merged pages being about the same thing. Check the box. Now you’ll see another group of drop downs. You can select up to five other pages you want to merge with your primary page, which is convenient if you’re dealing with multiple duplicates. This is where you will select the Places location you just claimed. Pages you merge will disappear as they become one with your primary page, so make sure you’re choosing correctly.

That’s it! You should be all set. The Place will be merged into your primary business page. Be aware that there are occasionally bugs in Facebook’s system that cause issues with this process, but if all is well, this should work just fine.

Stephanie Wargin is the Social Media Strategist at Zenergy Works, a web design and SEO company located in Santa Rosa, California. Her friends like to brush her hair into her eyes whenever she talks about Facebook.

What’s New for August 22, 2013 – Google+ Updates, Higher Graph Search Rankings

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Google +1s Do Not Improve Rankings According to Matt Cutts

In Response to a number of online articles asserting that Google +1s help to boost rankings, Matt Cutts has gone public to dispute that claim.

He wrote:

“Just trying to decide the politest way to debunk the idea that more Google +1s lead to higher Google web rankings. Let’s start with correlation != causation: http://xkcd.com/552/. If you make compelling content, people will link to it, like it, share it on Facebook, +1 it, etc. But that doesn’t mean that Google is using those signals in our ranking.”

The point is that rather than chasing +1s of content, your time is much better spent making great content.

In the same thread, there were a number of skeptics who responded to Cutts, so he added:

“Suffice it to say that I would be very skeptical of anyone who claimed that more +1s led to a higher search ranking in Google’s web results. Most of the initial discussion on this thread seemed to take from the blog post the idea that more Google +1s led to higher web ranking. I wanted to preemptively tackle that perception.”

Conclusion: Content is king, and that will not change anytime soon.

How to Get Higher Facebook Graph Search Rankings

Facebook users are becoming familiar with Facebook Graph Search. Optimizing your Facebook page to show up more prominently on Graph Search should be part of your current SEO campaign. Here are a few things that you can do to improve your Graph Search rankings and your social media activity:

1. Business Address

Graph search results are often heavily based on location. If you don’t enter your address on your page, you will not appear for location-based searches.

2. Include keywords

Your “about” section on your Facebook page should be treated just like a meta description on your webpage. Look to include relevant keywords for your product or service in this section.

3. More Likes

Pursue promotions that help encourage more people to Like and follow your company’s Facebook page. Businesses with lots of followers get better Graph Search rankings.

4. Choose the Right Category

It is important that you choose the category for your Facebook Page that is the best match for your business so that you are accurately represented in search results.

5. Post and Tag your videos and photos

Facebook Graph Search makes it extremely easy for anyone to search for photos and videos. Posting photos and videos and tagging your business can improve Graph Search rankings.

6. Have a Complete Profile

Fill out everything within your profile. This will help your rankings and direct relevant Facebook traffic to your page.

7. Customize your URL

www.facebook.com/MyCompanyName. Having a unique URL that has your company name within it helps rankings for both conventional SERP, and Facebook Graph Search results. The portion of the customer URL “MyCompanyName” is called your username within Facebook.

Google Translate is On Google+

Ed Chi, a Google Staff Research Scientist at Google, announced on Google+ that they just added Google Translate to posts on Google+. Whenever there is a language that can and should be translated, there will be a “translate” link below the text. When you click it, the translation will work.

Bottom Line: Content and social media activity are the keys to successful marketing via Google in the current environment. These facts are borne out again and again in statements from Google and studies of search results by SEO Professionals.

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, A Santa Rosa, California based SEO, Website Development and Social Media Marketing Firm.

What’s New for August 13, 2013 – Graph Search and Content Ideas

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Facebook Graph Search Is Fully Launched

Facebook has announced that the new graph search is now available to all US English Language Facebook users.

The announcement from Facebook read as follows:

Graph Search makes it easier to make new connections; you can continue to search for friends and Pages by name, or use simple phrases to find something specific across people, photos, places, interests, and more.

Graph Search was originally seen as competition for Google, but upon further review, it seems to be a completely different way of accessing information online. Log into Facebook and give it a try. Please notice the personalization of information.

Good Blog Post and Content Ideas – Where Do They Come From?

Where can you look for ideas for fresh content and blog posts for your website and social media sites?

When trying to come up with ideas, I always start with these sources of information:

1. Reviewing questions that my customers ask me in the course of business. If one customer asks a question, chances are good that others are wondering the same thing. Poll your sales and customer service teams regarding topics that customers ask of them, as well.

2. Follow social media conversations with others in the industry and your own social media sites, if you have them. Topics of conversation in social media, chat rooms, and forums are great ways to find out what customers want to know. To help make this task less time intensive, consider using a tracking tool that will allow you to track conversations online that center around the keywords you select.

3. Don’t neglect images. Images that depict problems your products can solve or the happy results of the successful use of your product or service will help to engage online viewers.

4. Review search terms that website visitors are using to find your website. Look at the most popular search terms that website visitors use to find you, and make sure that you provide ample information about those terms. Search competitors and review search terms that they are optimizing for to identify industry trends that you may not see from your customer base. Look at those competitors that are in large or “cutting edge” markets for your field. For example, if you are in a high tech business, Palo Alto would be a more relevant market than Los Angeles. The reverse would be true if you are in the entertainment field.

5. Keep current with published articles on topics that relate to your field. If a print publication is writing about it, chances are the public is interested in it. Many marketers neglect industry or trade publications, but many emerging technologies, ideas, and trends can be found when the insiders of an industry talk with each other.

6. Do not neglect topics that are more during certain times of the year. For instance, an HVAC contractor would be better suited to advertise air conditioning repair in the summer than in the winter months. Updated content shows your audience that you are current and relevant to their lives, and that is a key component of engaging an online audience.

Generating these ideas and then strategizing with a calendar is a daunting task. Many companies work with an annual calendar, but I am fond of a strategy never plans more than 45-60 days in the future. The modern world is constantly changing, and website and blog content needs to be current and valuable to its users. I certainly do not know what I will want to know more about 12 months from now, do you?

Bottom Line: Content is king, and looking for the right content to feature on your website or blog has become a hot topic for those actively marketing online. It is a grind to constantly create new content, but the reward of successful SEO and Social Media campaigns is huge.

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, A Santa Rosa, California based SEO, Website Design and Online Marketing Firm.

What’s New for July 18, 2013 – Facebook Web Insights, Maps for Android, Desktop Search

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Facebook Web Insights Upgrades

Facebook Web Insights has undergone a serious upgrade. Upgrades include easy adjustment of dates for comparison, ability to review the cost of reaching a target demo, allows you to determine what post types are best, and even tracks Facebook visitors hour by hour over the past 7 days. Other additions that the Social Media Giant has made: the ability to track post clicks (all clicks, not just comments, likes and shares) and understand the full reach of Facebook posts. Users are still reporting some issues with data exports that are clunky and difficult, but hold deeper information than can be viewed by just using the UI (User Interface).

Most reviews consider the recent changes to be upgrades that allow Facebook to continue to be considered as a viable social media marketing platform with verifiable results. More about Facebook Web Insights can be found on the Facebook website.

Google Has a New Maps App for Android

Google Maps has released a new app for Android devices, with iPhone and iPad versions soon to follow. The new app will include more search options and updated navigation, as well as reviews and discount offers. There is also a new tablet-specific design of the app for Android tablets and iPads. The new app allows users to find locations without typing by tapping the search box to see cards showing eat, drink and shopping options.

The Google Maps app also comes with a new navigation feature that reports road problems and offers users an alternate route to follow if available. For now, only Android users will have access to the feature offering re-route information, with iOS devices getting it soon.

According to Comscore, Desktop Search is on the Rebound

Desktop search in on the rebound, and was up 12 percent year-over-year in June, 2013 comScore qSearch data.

ComScore estimates that there were 19.2 billion “core” desktop searches last month. That’s down four percent from the 20 billion searches in May. But it’s a 12 percent increase from June of 2012. June is the fourth straight month that desktop search has seen a double-digit rise year-over-year.

The new data also shows a 28 percent gain in core search on Bing between June 2012 and June 2013, and a 12 percent increase in the same time period for Google.

Bottom Line: Social Media is becoming easier to track and optimize as analytics catch up to the popularity of the platform. Desktop search, which many experts had considered to be a shrinking platform, is suddenly back in play — perhaps the novelty of using a smart phone or tablet for everything is being overcome by how easy it is to use a desktop, when available, to search online. Google and others continue to make getting information on the go with smartphones easier, and have given their own Android phones a marketing advantage over Apple by creating easy to use apps for mobile users.

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, a Santa Rosa, California based Website Development, SEO and Online Marketing Firm.

Do Not Fear Facebook’s New News Feed

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

Now we have “Don’t Fear the Reaper” stuck in our head. Whoops.

In all seriousness, the changes coming to the Facebook New News Feed are raising a lot of questions and discontent. It’s understandable, given that at first glance, it looks like business pages are going to be swallowed up and relegated to a separate feed that supposedly no one will ever see. Businesses are fretting over the fact that they may have to pump money into a site they largely regarded as free publicity.

First: there’s no reason to panic. Yes, we need to take note of the coming changes and alter our approach to how we market businesses on Facebook. No, it’s not the end of the world.

Next: Let’s break down how the new feed works and how we can change our strategy to match.

At this point, we’re all aware that one of the big changes to the interface of the News Feed will be the separation of content into different feeds. People will be able to view updates from friends, photos only, music only, games, and more that will likely be incorporated at a later date. Where do businesses fit in?

It appears the “Most Recent” and “Following” feeds are where business pages will be most likely to show up. The big fear is that users will avoid these feeds because they’re not interesting. This is where your strategy has to change.

Too many businesses put minimal effort into Facebook, posting random updates without a real marketing plan in place – just enough to get the name out there and hope someone cares. This approach is not going to work moving forward (and arguably has NEVER worked). If you want users to pay attention, you must be worth paying attention to. If you do well, you could potentially get a coveted add to a custom list, and therefore a custom feed.

Find your value. What is your page providing to users? Why should they look for your posts? Think outside the box. Often, businesses think this means throwing up an offer or freebie. You have to push deeper than that. Will you be a source of news? Event announcements? Entertainment? Beautiful pictures? Great advice? If you’re providing something they want, they’ll seek you out.

Get visual. Everything about the new news feed is getting bigger, bolder, and higher resolution. Videos, photos, ads, events, and more are going to incorporate a visual element that you’re going to have to select carefully. Eye-catching thumbnails and images that tell a story are going to be a must. No more blurry meme photos. Go big or go home.

Consider multimedia. Pay attention to the new feeds Facebook is incorporating. It might be time to figure out how you can weave video and music into your business’ social media presence. Perhaps an appropriate Spotify playlist for your fans? We don’t yet know for sure how these things will be displayed, but once we have it figured out, jump on it.

Craft sharable content. Everyone says this, we know. No one tells you how to do it, we know. That’s because there aren’t any concrete rules for sharable content. You have to figure out what your audience wants, what resonates with them, and what inspires them to react with a Like, Comment, or Share. Every reaction to your post increases its value, and every share spreads your brand to people who would otherwise miss it. Teach yourself how to tell the story of your business in a single photo, or a single sentence. Then figure out how to make it appealing enough to be worth sharing with your friends.

Invest in advertising. We know you don’t want to do this. We get it. But if you are truly invested in being successful on Facebook, you must consider it. Ads and Sponsored Stories are receiving more weight and more space. Your task is to figure out how to craft an ad that creates the reaction you want without making users roll their eyes. Spend your money wisely and put reasonable effort behind your Facebook marketing, and you’ll see positive results.

Many people are worried this direction is making Facebook even more superficial; rewarding content creators for being clever rather than encouraging social interaction. This point has merit, though only time will tell what the outcome will really be. The bright side is that businesses ARE content creators. But are you up for the challenge?

If you need help navigating these new changes, coming up with a comprehensive social media marketing plan, or are looking for someone to manage your ad campaign, you can contact us here at Zenergy Works for Social Media Optimization!

The New News Feed, Facebook Monetization, and Bears, Oh My!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Eric Van Cleave

The Facebook Monetization Express is coming our way! Are you ready to climb on board?

If you’ve been paying attention since the dawn of 2013, you’re aware that there are some pretty sizable changes coming to Facebook. They’ve announced the new News Feed, which has had a number of marketers and SMO experts buzzing like bees hyped up on excess pheromones. Some are freaking out, some say nothing will change, and many have ended up somewhere in between. Whatever side you land on and whatever plan of action you intend to adopt, it seems there’s one thing most of us agree on.

Facebook is making a dramatic push toward monetization for anyone who wants to seriously use the medium for advertising. Businesses, individuals, non-profits, organized groups… everyone with a Page is feeling the pressure.

Here are just a few of the changes we’re seeing:

Facebook’s new News Feed. If you haven’t heard all about it yet, you’d better get up to speed. We’ll be doing a more in-depth breakdown of the new feed later this week, but for now, all you need to know is that it has the potential to upset the way businesses are used to using Facebook, and any marketer worth their salt will be preparing a new approach.

Admin panels are changing shape. Not literally – not yet. The available information is changing, though. In the last month, many businesses have noticed that their “Notifications” panel is being replaced with “Posts,” along with prominent links advising you to “Promote Post.” You’ve been seeing more pop-ups and panels advising you to “Get More Likes” and create an ad. This is no accident. This is Facebook saying, “Come on, guys. Time to pay up.”

Ads, Promoted Posts, and Sponsored Stories are getting more pronounced. They’re increasing in size, frequency, and location. This is something else that’s going to be majorly affected by the new News Feed. Come back later in the week to learn more.

The way posts are seen has changed. This has been going on for a while, but if you haven’t noticed, the number of people who “see” certain posts varies pretty widely. You’ll notice fewer “views” on posts with links or images, and more for simple text-only status updates. However, you’ll also notice content that is regularly shared shoots up in views relatively quickly. That’s because sharing is the major currency of Facebook. Come back for our News Feed post to learn more.

Now, here’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of these changes.

Many small businesses and marketers are feeling pretty snarly when it comes to paying Facebook for their advertising. Facebook and other major social media players have long been the source of “free” advertising, and businesses don’t fancy having to pay for the “same” service. Twisting arms! Milking wallets! How dare they!

Here’s the thing: it’s not the same service. If you’ve never put a single red cent into social media, then you really haven’t been using it to its fullest potential. On the other hand, if your business has never paid any money for SM advertising but you’ve still managed to create a huge and lucrative community for yourself, then you are amazing. Seriously, no jokes. That is incredibly rare, and we salute you. It’s possible, but not probable for most small businesses.

You may have noticed that you can occasionally get some solid interaction and a decent following cost-free, but many businesses find it difficult to get the word out. Creating quality, sharable content that you can post regularly without ticking off your following is hard. Getting people to like your page is really hard. Getting all of this to turn into conversions can feel impossible.

Sure, you can post a cute kitten picture and get dozens of likes and a few comments and shares, but so what? What is that doing to increase the likelihood of people utilizing your product or service? What is it doing for brand recognition? Showing your humanity is important, but so is converting.

This is where advertising comes in. As a free user, your message is getting out to maybe 10-25% of your following. This has always been the case, not only for Facebook, but for most kinds of advertising. Television, print media, radio… all of it has only reached a small amount of the populace, and even then, there’s no guarantee they’re really seeing or hearing your message. Facebook, on the other hand, is offering the opportunity to be put in front of not only every single person who’s already shown interest in your business, but all of their connections, as well. It’s forced word-of-mouth.

It’s an incredibly powerful tool. We were always moving toward this point, and it’s a mistake to abandon Facebook now. Your advertising potential just went through the roof, and it’s still possible to make waves without breaking the bank if you approach it the right way.

Don’t think of these changes as a free service screwing you out of your money. Think of it as a service that has always offered you enormous advertising potential, and now you must properly budget in order to utilize that potential. Walking away will leave a sizable gap in users’ ability to find and interact with your brand.

It’s not the end of the world. It’s just time to expand your advertising budget and adjust to the times. This is where consumers are now, and you have to pay to be seen, just as you always have. Don’t miss the train.

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