Tag Archives: SEO
SEO David Portney // 12 Feb, 2013
The Basics of International SEO – a Brief Best Practices Checklist
Recently, Team Portent has been writing a lot about local SEO best practices for US markets. And with good reason; mobile device usage is on the rise. Think about how often you reach for your smartphone or tablet to get directions to a local business, check their phone number, look at reviews or menus, or… Read More
Internet Marketing Isla McKetta // 29 Jan, 2013
The Viral Video Manifesto: How to Make Content Shareable
“I want this to go viral.” If you are a client, you’ve said it. If you’re a marketer, you’ve heard it and (most likely) cringed. We want your content to go viral as badly as you do, but the public can be fickle and there are no guarantees. Or are there? The Viral Video Manifesto… Read More
SEO David Portney // 13 Dec, 2012
Portent Staff Survey: “What’s your biggest question(s) about SEO?”
Recently I did a survey of our staff here at Portent to see if anyone had any questions about SEO they wanted answered. I made the survey anonymous using Survey Monkey, because sometimes people feel more comfortable asking a question without their identity being revealed. In the spirit of sharing and transparency, we decided to… Read More
Internet Marketing Isla McKetta // 11 Dec, 2012
Is a Kick-Ass Blog Worth the Trouble?
You’re reading this post for one of two reasons: 1) You’re thinking about starting a blog and wondering if it’s worth the time and energy, or 2) You’ve already invested time and energy in blogging and are not seeing the return you imagined Let’s start at the beginning. Should I blog? Sometimes when you’re having… Read More
David Portney // 5 Dec, 2012
Google Tricks For SEOs to Avoid at All Costs
I’m going to play mind-reader for a moment. Here’s what you think about SEO: You think search engine optimization is a closely-guarded secret bag of tricks You think SEO means beating Google at their own game You equate SEO with “buckets of cash” which would be pouring into your bank account if only you knew… Read More
SEO Josh Patrice // 8 Nov, 2012
7 Cringe-Worthy SEO Phrases You Never Want to Hear in a Marketing Meeting
We’ve all been there. You’re in the marketing meeting and someone brings up SEO. I don’t know how they’re bringing it up, but they’ve done it one way or another. Maybe they used some of the phrases below. If they did, you need to know why you wish you hadn’t heard what they’ve just said.… Read More
SEO Portent Staff // 1 Nov, 2012
Balancing SEO and Branding to Avoid Being Covered in Mud
Adding copy to your website can become a tug-o-war between the Branding and SEO teams. One side is representing the voice and tone of the brand. At the other end of the rope, the SEO team is focused on increasing keyword rankings. This can lead to everyone walking away covered in mud. Avoid that unclean… Read More
Featured Ian Lurie // 1 Oct, 2012
Happy dances and spleen-eating – the state of search marketing 2012
I just finished reading the 2012 SEMPO/Econsultancy State of Search Marketing report. Lots of great data in there, but a few things leapt out at me. Some leapt out all smiles and happiness. Others leapt out and tried to bite out my spleen. Whenever I read a report like this, I ask myself three basic… Read More
SEO George Freitag // 27 Sep, 2012
The Brick and Mortar of Local SEO
As we’ve discussed during the earlier parts of our Local Series, directories and social networks are vital to getting your business found online. Directories feed search engines the data that justifies your business’ inclusion in the local results. Social networks get the word out to your customers and let you connect with them online. But,… Read More
George Freitag // 18 Sep, 2012
Get All Your Questions about Local SEO Answered!
Last week we announced our new referral program for our PPC Essentials Package. There was a blog post about it. The world changed. We decided we really liked that feeling and wanted to hold onto it a little longer. So this week we’re announcing a special for our recently revamped and reworked Local SEO Package. For… Read More
SEO David Portney // 28 Aug, 2012
3 SEO Deal Killers You Need To Fix Right Now
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” -Proverb attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, if you can believe Wikipedia When the world wide interwebs came along, I was instantly intrigued. That was largely because when I was a (gullible) little kid I thought there was a book called “The Everything Book” that contained… Read More
SEO Marianne Sweeny // 6 Aug, 2012
SEO: Trading Tactics for Craft
I just finished 3 intensive days at MozCon 2012. Not for intellectual sissies or social introverts, the days were spent listening to presentations, demonstrations and exhortations from a list of luminaries. There was something for everyone: link building is the road to perdition, how-tos on link building, agile all over the place, data modeling, crunching,… Read More
SEO Nick Bernard // 30 Jul, 2012
7 Strategies for Getting .edu Links
As a linkbuilder, I love college websites. What’s not to love? Sure, getting authoritative links from .edu domains can pass a ton of equity, but college sites have a lot more going for them: They’re varied. Opportunities exist for every vertical. They’re fresh. You can expect the primary pages to be updated regularly. There’s nothing… Read More
SEO Ian Lurie // 5 Jul, 2012
How Google gave the spammers all the power
Google launched the Penguin update to filter out spammy links. Great! That’s fantastic! Lead us, oh tuxedoed little birdie, to the Golden Age of SEO! Content, marketing and all-around smarts will win the day! Penguin is not subtle. It targets link profiles that flunk fairly obvious, common-sense criteria: Don’t buy links; don’t get site-wide footer… Read More
George Freitag // 30 May, 2012
Goodbye Google Places, Hello Google+ Local
Business owners got a treat this morning as Google rolled out yet another update to its local platform, this time, ditching Google Places and replacing it with Google+ Local. This move completely integrates Google’s local listings with the current Google+ social network. Coincidentally, and equally newsworthy, Portent just happens to be moving to our new… Read More