Around here at Slingshot SEO, we’re never just satisfied with “good enough.”
That attitude would sort of be the modern-day equivalent of the famous Babe phrase, “That’ll do pig. That’ll do.” Yes, it’s heartwarming when the farmer delivers that unforgettable phrase to our favorite heroine of the swine variety … just after she wins the sheep herding competition. It’s sort of an indicator she had nothing else to prove. Read more »
Here’s why. Google recently announced an algorithm update that should have you seriously thinking about restructuring your company’s content production strategy. You should be approaching it much in the same an online news team would map out a plan for producing articles on a daily basis.
In announcing the update last week, Google described it as an extension of Caffeine — a complex web indexing system it introduced in 2010. This time around, Google is further bumping up its ability to crawl and index the Internet for what it describes as fresh content. Think of this latest algorithm update as Espresso … more potent than the original rollout. Read more »
My first encounter with a journalist didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Instead of sharing stories about the interesting people he had met, a Chicago TV anchor visiting my high school bemoaned the grueling hours and the lack of a personal life facing journalists.
He sternly warned the group of stone-faced juniors and seniors against getting into the profession unless they were willing to deal with the long work hours, stiff competition and, even worse, inadequate pay. It quite literally turned into a lecture. Read more »
The recent Netflix fiasco should give business owners — both large and small —a powerful case study in the need to openly communicate with their client base.
According to a recent report by the Associated Press, the video subscription service already has lost about 800,000 customers in the wake of a price hike. And it’s expected to lose even more in the coming months. As a result, the company’s shares have dropped by nearly 30 percent.
What happened to cause so many customers to take flight?
In an interview, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings admitted that the company didn’t do a good job communicating its reasons behind the pay hike. In the absence of that communication, he says, Netflix transformed itself into an image of an “evil, greedy corporation” in the eyes of its customers. Read more »
When you’re working in an industry that’s unfamiliar to the average person, more than likely you’re prepared to give at least a 5- to 10-minute answer to the question, “What do you do?”
Those types of jobs don’t come along often. Now that I find myself working in the SEO industry, I realize this is the first time in my career I’ve ever encountered completely blank stares when I explain the industry in which I work. When the reply was “newspaper reporter” or “magazine editor,” it was simple to move on to another level in the conversation.
In last week’s post, I provided an elementary breakdown of why SEO is important for brands trying to reach the top of search engine results for their selected keywords. For instance, a Kansas City plumber who wants to make sure Internet users find him first when their toilets overflow should be on Page One of Google or Bing results when anyone types in “plumbing Kansas.” Why? Rarely will users go beyond Page One to find what they’re looking for. The process of helping him reach the top — if he deserves to be there as a result of his reputation, years of service, etc. — is called search engine optimization. Read more »
For those of us working in the SEO industry, there’s no way to answer this question in 20 seconds or less, especially if you’re encountering about 98.5 percent of the population. When it comes to professions, SEO comes nowhere close to qualifying as the “oldest.” Search engine optimization is about as new as you can possibly get.
Responding that you work for a professional SEO services company will rarely be returned with the glimmer of recognition it would if you said, “I’m a … lawyer, teacher, secretary, doctor, cashier, accountant, bus driver, researcher…” or any hundreds of professions. Read more »
In this age of technology, cheating has never been easier.
No, I’m not talking about cheating on your better half. That’s an entirely different story that – as we would say here at Slingshot – doesn’t fit into our RELEVANCY standards for this particular blog. Read more »
For those who know me, I’ve got this thing called a “major block” when it comes to plastering paint on canvas. My cabinets are stocked with everything it takes to create a facsimile of a masterpiece … acrylic paints, watercolors, brushes, palettes, canvasses, Mason jars. I even have three easels out in the garage.
Yes, I have the materials, but let’s just say there’s not a whole lot of original art hanging on my walls … at least nothing with my name on it.
In my past life as a reporter, I interviewed plenty of artists who couldn’t seem to relate to my predicament as a frustrated artist. During that time, I received plenty of advice about getting unblocked. Here are a just few that stand out:
• “Just go out in the yard and throw some paint on canvas.” • “Start with a small canvas so you’re not overwhelmed.” Read more »
For years, I’ve been preaching on behalf of the shorter article … even in my print days.
In a world dominated by CNN Headline News, breakfast-, lunch- and dinner-on-the go, overnight deliveries and promises of miraculously fast weight loss, it’s obvious we’ve become a culture accustomed to instant gratification.
Who has time to read a 1,000-word article? Especially on the Internet, which is notorious for attracting millions of “browsers?”
So why did I pause when a journalism student recently asked about the need to edit down his lengthy articles? Just after giving him my spiel about the need to grab readers fast and keeping their attention by writing succinctly, the face of Marge Schott popped into my mind. Read more »
Have you ever come across a dessert you didn’t like?
Sure you have. Think about it. I’m talking about a Mile-High Chocolate Cake glistening with frosting that ends up tasting as dry and flavorless as 5-day old bread. If it truly was bread you were chowing down on, it wouldn’t be all that disappointing. But dessert? The promise of something divine? There’s something sinful about it when it doesn’t measure up to our expectations.
The same thing can be said of Infographics. There’s a reason these graphic renderings of content have reached superstar/viral status in the SEO industry. When they’re good, they’re hard to resist. There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as reading a well-designed Infographic. It’s like a picture book for adults.
With those types of expectations, it’s disappointing to come across one that falls flat. Sort of like that cake … gorgeous but disappointing when you really get down to it.
Here at Slingshot SEO, we have a department dedicated to producing Infographics that have both looks and substance. Read more »
in an industry that’s unfamiliar to the average person, more than likely you’re prepared to give at least a 5- to 10-minute answer to the question, “What do you do?”
