5 Social Media FAQs for Lawyers

By Gina Rubel

We recently discussed the top social media trends that we are likely to see in 2017, many of which apply to organizations that have been active on social media for some time. Still, we field questions all the time from lawyers and law firms about whether social media should be a part of their marketing plan. During a recent legal marketing webinar hosted by MyCase, I addressed the basics of digital marketing for lawyers. Here are links to a full recording of Digital Marketing for Law Firms along with a MyCase recap of the webinar on their blog.

This program discussed the reasons why lawyers should be engaging on social media, in blogging and what types of content draw the most attention. Here are answers to some of the most common legal marketing questions that came up.

Should companies that have various office locations make separate profiles for those locations, particularly on Facebook?

For companies such as franchises, the answer to this question is yes, and there is a framework in Facebook that allows users to do that. There is a Facebook discussion on the issue at Can you set up multiple locations for a business’ Facebook page?

For law firms, however, I do not recommend setting up separate social media profiles for each office location. The bottom line is that it dilutes the firm’s brand, increases marketing costs unnecessarily and decreases marketing productivity, thus diminishing the return on investment in marketing.

How often do you recommend lawyers update social media?

Social media is just that, “social.” Pick one platform to start with and make sure it’s the one that is used by the majority of your clients and referral sources. Remember, people do business with those they know, like and trust. Then spend 10 to 15 minutes each day updating your profile, connecting with people and sharing relevant information. That’s it.

If I’m posting on LinkedIn, do I really need my own blog?

If you are publishing on LinkedIn Pulse already and you are sharing that out, you do not necessarily need a separate blog. LinkedIn Pulse is essentially a blogging platform, but remember that it is not branded for your business nor does it have a URL that is unique to your practice area or location, which helps with search engine optimization.

Is there an application that will allow you to post on Facebook and Twitter at the same time, for efficiency purposes?

At Furia Rubel, we use Hootsuite for some clients and CoSchedule for others. There are many other apps that allow you to share on multiple sites and schedule your shares. Keep in mind, however, that when scheduling your social media shares, if something happens in the media, your posts can be easily misconstrued. For example, you don’t want to be advocating for Second Amendment Rights on the same day as a mass school shooting.

What is a reasonable ‘investment’ in SEO? Recommended budget figures seem to vary widely.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in many forms. “Organic” SEO is supported by creating and sharing content such as blogs, images, videos, and making website updates, distributing online press releases, garnering online media coverage, and just about everything we do at Furia Rubel for our clients. Organic SEO is a strategic byproduct of well-thought-out marketing and public relations initiatives. On the other hand, there is paid SEO services, which vary greatly from company to company, practice area to practice area, and region to region.

A good place to start in determining your SEO budget is to read “How much should you spend on SEO services,” published on Search Engine Watch, which provides more technical and detailed information about search engine marketing.

Myth-Busting SEO Techniques and Theories

By Megan Quinn

There are many different theories and myths about the best ways to create and maintain great search engine optimization results, called SEO. But that’s the problem; there are too many myths. How can we separate fiction from fact and better optimize our respective websites on Google search? Let’s see…by listening to advice from someone who works at Google.

Matt Cutts, Head of Google Search Spam, has seen various SEO techniques, ads and fluff sites used during the nearly 14 years he has spent with the company. He uploaded a video to YouTube in April of last year to call out the biggest SEO myths he had heard of at the time, but most of those myths are still believed to this day.

One of those myths is, “if you buy ads you’ll rank higher on Google.” That would be false, he says. Cutts says there also is an opposing theory that says if you don’t buy ads you will rank higher on Google. This also would be false, according to Cutts. He says that Google wants only to return great search results to the users and it is only about making the users happy. Why is that? So they will keep coming back to Google for answers, of course.

Sorry to disappoint you, Google conspiracy theorists!

Google and other search engines often change the algorithms that control what websites are displayed as the results of a search. Some of those changes are minor and some are major.
According to a recent article on PR Daily, Google’s algorithm tweaks continue to work to filter out the spammy websites that gamed SEO by stuffing keywords and other “black hat” tactics once used to claim the top search results spots.  As a result of those changes in recent years, the content (like press releases based on actual news, for example) with true depth can actually break the surface.

The truth is, one simple theory or approach will not guarantee that certain websites show up at the top of page one of a Google search. Many factors contribute to better search results – as many as 200 – and improving a website’s SEO is a long process.

What does this mean for companies that recognize the importance of good SEO? It means that investing in good writing has never been more important. Creating both textual and visual content that appeals to your target audience, and sharing it through integrated public relations and marketing, will help companies get found on the web – no myths necessary.

Easy Steps to Increase Your Corporate Social Media Presence

By Kim Tarasiewicz

Many companies these days are eager to launch a social media program, but once you have your system set up and your employees trained, how do you keep your people engaged with corporate social media? To be successful, any social media endeavor must be sustained over time. It isn’t enough to post a few things to Facebook and call it a day.

#169937638 / gettyimages.com

A monthly reminder email is a perfect way to keep social media top of mind for your employees. Send them a note asking them to connect with your company’s social media sites. This will boost your social media presence and expand your opportunities for potential clients to learn about your company.

Explain to your employees the importance of supporting your marketing and public relations efforts. Show how sharing corporate social media pages will increase business and benefit everyone. Prompt employees with the following in a monthly email or perhaps an internal newsletter:

Ask your employees to keep in mind these questions and provide material to your social media manager when available:

1. Have you seen any significant industry trends or news about which you would like to write an article, blog post, etc.?
2. Do you have any industry-related experience that we could use to promote you as a resource for the company?
3. Is anyone in the company scheduled to speak at a business function within the next 60 days? Or have you spoken anywhere in the last 60 days?
4. Have you hired any new staff members that should be highlighted?
5. Has anyone in your department been nominated for an award or received any awards or recognitions?
6. Has anyone in your department been nominated or elected to any boards, committees or other positions? Even if it does not pertain to your industry, it can still help increase your SEO.

Remind employees to make corporate social media part of their weekly routine. Ask them:

1. Have you shared the company’s most recent blog post through your own social media sites? If not, please do (And provide them the link).
2. Have you reviewed the company website and, most importantly, your own bio lately? If not, please take a look and let IT know if anything needs to be updated.
3. Have you updated your LinkedIn profile with company contact information? Have you endorsed anyone for business skills? Invite at least two people to connect each month. This is a great way to create business leads and get the corporate name out there.
4. Have you visited a competitor’s social media pages? It’s always good to compare notes and make sure nothing negative is out there about your company, too.

Everyone needs a reminder once in a while. Whether a senior manager or an intern, when employees understand the importance of corporate social media and how it fits into your marketing plan, they are more likely to be engaged in it, thus helping your business reach its full potential.

How engaged are your employees with your company's social media presence? We would love to hear from you.

Quick Tips on Basic Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Websites

By: Laura Powers

What goes into search engine optimization (SEO) for a website?

There are a lot of moving parts – some of which come in at the planning and building phase but most of which are ongoing, long-term efforts post-launch.

The art of being found on Google is a science that takes many steps. The first is to identify the keyword phrases that your audience will use for search. These should be phrases such as "Philadelphia PA marketing firm" and can even be questions such as "what is search engine optimization for a website?" You may be able to do this based on your knowledge of your audience and your product, but research will help you know what they are really searching for – rather than just assuming you know. When we perform this task for clients, we use online keyword research tools.

There are two main approaches to help your business appear on Google.

PAID
You can pay for placement at the top of a search result page. These are the links that show up in the yellow area at the top of a Google search results page and on the right hand side bar.

ORGANIC
“Organic” search results require a concerted effort over time to make a difference in search engine results. There are many factors that go into having Google see your website as a valuable site but the most important thing is good, relevant and useful content for your audience. A blog helps support this, but you need to be thinking constantly about the keyword phrases you are incorporating into the body text on the site as well (among other things).

The paid approach is instantaneous. However, its results also end after the paid contract expires. The organic approach is a long-term investment that takes time and effort. Furia Rubel does not recommend the paid approach unless you have already thoroughly invested in the organic approach first.

A few quick things you can do right now that may help improve your placement on search engine result pages:

• Review and improve your online profiles at Google Maps and Google Places. 
• Set up a Google+ page for the business. 
• Review and add keyword phrases and information to your firm's social media profiles such as your LinkedIn Company page and your Facebook company page.

Do Google AdWords Work for Law Firm Marketing?

By Gina Rubel

We were asked recently about the efficacy of Google AdWords campaigns in marketing law firms, specifically to other businesses.

AdWords is Google’s paid advertising platform which can help drive traffic to your website. It takes advantage of Google searches, which people perform each day, and serves up advertisements for related products on the top and right hand side of the search results pages. It is called Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, a name which speaks for itself.



Running an AdWords campaign may or may not work for your law firm marketing efforts. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. This form of paid advertising has both advantages and disadvantages; it’s more complicated than just telling Google that you want an ad to appear, since more than 1 billion searches are conducted on the site daily.

It is also important to understand that there are various types of AdWords campaigns. For example, a “Search Network – Standard” targets your ads to high-potential customers searching for your services but does not allow for use of AdWords’ advance settings. More specific details about the features available for each campaign type are available on Google’s AdWords > Help > Setup and basics page.


Advantages of Google AdWords for Law Firm Marketing:

• AdWords ads give visibility to businesses whose sites are buried behind other companies’ pages on Google search results. This provides businesses with the opportunity to attract new customers.

• As with most Google products, AdWords is user-friendly and offers step-by-step instructions to create an advertisement with options tailored to your needs.

• The quick set up process and ability to set a maximum budget can be financially beneficial if the marketing budget is tight and the business does not have enough content (yet!) to appear on the first page of Google search results without paid help.

• Your advertisement has the potential to appear on thousands of other sites across the web, depending on how you set up visibility options. Remember that this may increase the expense of ads, but knowing your audience and anticipating how they conduct their web searches will allow a higher return on your investment.

• In a short amount of time, AdWords will help you identify the keyword phrases that are most effective for your firm, which can then be used in your organic search engine optimization efforts. No other keyword research tool compares with the data you will get from running an AdWords campaign.

Disadvantages of Google AdWords for Law Firm Marketing:

• Not all clicks are good clicks, so there is a chance of wasting money. For example, if you are a personal injury lawyer, a broad keyword search can rack up a hefty cost-per-click bill in a short amount of time.

• There are no competitors to Google AdWords; therefore, there is no other company with which to compare data. Google has a monopoly on this one.

• You have 70 characters to sell your business. This line would be it.

• Since AdWords is a money maker for Google, the company is interested in resolving issues. Still, Google is an enormous company, and customer support may be spotty; you may have to “google” for help instead of calling someone directly.

AdWords for Law Firms Considerations

Ask yourself what type of return you want to get from your investment. Determine how much money you would need to invest in AdWords to accomplish that return. Tailor your AdWords campaign to reach a very specific target audience (assuming that target audience is finding legal services through advertising and the web).

As far as its efficacy for B2B marketing, it depends on the purchaser of your services. For example, if your law firm handles government contracting, the likelihood of AdWords being advantageous to your business development efforts may be very slim. On the other hand, if you are a person injury, workers’ compensation, family law or criminal defense law firm, AdWords may prove valuable.

In any event, it may be more advantageous to launch an organic search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. Leveraging your law firm news, press releases and blog posts; creating content-rich videos that appeal to your target audience; engaging in media relations; building relationships; sharing valuable content via social media networks such as LinkedIn; and presenting online CLEs are just a few tactics we execute for our clients to boost their visibility in online search.

Remember, it is the organic, well-placed, relevant content that will remain on the Internet long after an AdWords campaign has ended.

E-newsletters – How to Increase Your Open Rate

by Kim Tarasiewicz

Does your company send an e-newsletter? It’s a great way to touch a large audience and keep your brand in front of them in a positive, valuable way. The trick is how to get your audience to open your newsletter with so much “In-Box” clutter.

Your readers are more likely to respond, repost or take action on an event in the newsletter if they feel it is meant for them personally. Providing the recipient with a useful tip, guide or item of interest makes them more likely to share your newsletter with friends and expand your company brand. Industry tips can be useful and relevant, especially when they include a “Secrets of…,” “How to…,” or “Trends in…,”section. Trivia, interesting images and humor will keep your reader engaged while providing them a break from strictly business communications.

Keep a spreadsheet of topic ideas during the month and ask employees for input. Has one of your employees won an award or completed a community service project? –Share the link and alert that organization, which will boost their presence and show another side of your business. And be sure to keep the articles timely.

10 Best Practices When Creating E-Newsletters:

• Make the design consistent with your website and collateral materials. This maintains your branding and awareness.
• Add an opt-in subscription tool on the website and social media sites.
• Host all newsletter content on your website and only provide teaser copy with links in the e-newsletters.
• Be sure to review open rates, evaluate trends and readers’ habits over time, and adjust your newsletter content to meet the needs of the readers.
• Send at regular intervals.
• Send at optimal times.
• Use a “from” address that is identifiable with your company.
• Include engagement tools: surveys, polls, forums, ways to provide feedback, links to social media.
• Test everything before sending your newsletter. Once it’s gone, you cannot get it back. 
• Be sure to include an opt-out link. Familiarize yourself with the CAN-SPAM Act.

And remember, if you keep it interesting, your clients will look forward to opening your newsletter first when they check their emails.

Search, Social and Content Marketing Webinar Hosted by Arnie Kuenn

by Liz Jenei

I recently participated in a webinar hosted by Target Marketing Group:  “How to Win at Search, Social and Content Marketing” by Arnie Kuenn, CEO of Vertical Measures. Kuenn shared details regarding how to achieve success through search, social and content marketing in today’s Google-driven world.

The most important point I took away from the webinar is that people using the Internet are mostly online for one reason: to find the answer to a question.

Of the people using Google as a search engine, 46 percent are searching for answers to a question and 26 percent are looking to be educated on a particular topic. Combined, there is an average of 72 percent of the people using online search engines to seek an answer to a question —so when you think about how to create content that will populate at the top of Google searches, draft your content in the form of questions people ask and the answers people are seeking.

Kuenn says one of the easiest ways to come up with good search worthy content is to start within your own company by asking your employees the simple question: What do you get asked most about our company or the services we offer? This is something our CEO, Gina Rubel, has been saying for years. In fact, she tells staff and clients to keep a notepad next to the telephone to record the questions that are most frequently asked. The answers to those questions will almost always serve as excellent blog content or content for website FAQs.

Those same questions are inevitably the questions that qualified and interested parties are going to search on Google, Yahoo! and Bing to seek answers.

Another great tip is to use Google-suggested search to find top industry keywords. You can do this by going to the Google Adwords Keyword Tool under “Tools and Analysis” and conducting a search for keywords relevant to your topic. I should also note that you need a Google account to access Google Adwords – a simple and free Gmail account will suffice.

For example, if I was the marketing manager for a law firm in center city Philadelphia, I would most certainly have the key phrases “Law Firms Located in Center City” in either a blog on my website or on the company website itself after seeing that it’s one of the first phrases to populate on Google.

Another important point Kuenn makes is that spending most of your efforts in compiling effective, smart and compelling content can be even more successful than social media tactics. While social media is effective and can drive viewers to your website, well thought out, searchable content statistically drives more views than social media.

New content is also important. Kuenn highly suggests having a company blog and updating it as much as possible. Companies that blog (or create new content) 15 times or more a month have five times the amount of traffic than those which do not have new content. 

So when it comes to having a search worthy site, the key point to remember is to have great, searchable content which is updated regularly and incorporates keywords.

Kuenn’s full PowerPoint presentation of How to Win at Search, Social and Content Marketing is available on Slideshare.

The State of SEO and Internet Marketing in 2012

I listened in on a fabulous webinar today conducted  by Rand Fishkin (@randfish), CEO + Co-founder of SEOmoz and Dharmesh Shah (@dharmesh), CTO of HubSpot. They delivered information on The State of SEO and Internet Marketing in 2012. SEOmoz conducted an SEO-related industry survey that saw 6,491 respondents provide detailed answers to 53 unique questions. The survey formally ran from March 21 to May18, 2012. From independent consultants to agency SEOs to in-house marketers, HubSpot got to see responses from a wide swath of the industry's demographics. Individuals from more than 100 countries contributed.

From: HubSpot Marketing Software

In the one-hour webinar, there were tons of nuggets of great information. The Twitter Hashtag is #StateofSEO but be careful when you review the posts – it appears that spammers saw it trending toward the end and starting posting some obscene content. Be sure to look at some of the earlier tweets from 1:05 – 1:55 pm EST (8/20/12).

Take-aways: 

• Google gets 3 billion-plus searches/day and 75% of all clicks go to SEO (organic) links
• As soon as you stop paying for search ads, they go away. SEO is an enduring asset (investment)
• There are a lot of SEO opportunities in multi-channel distribution if done right. 
• Nearly 20% of people were fighting against the PANDA update and now companies are fighting against PENGUIN. 

• PANDA is all about the content on your website and the near duplication of content – you don’t want to have “biotech law Philadelphia pa”,  “bitech law chester pa”, “bitech law bryn mawr pa.” 
• PENGUIN – this is all about links and if you are building them, manipulating them, purchasing links, etc., all of which is considered a big no no. 

• Exact Match Domains are dying slowly – it is much better to invest in the brand and building the brand.
• Shrinking domain diversity – when you search you will find a lot of links to the same website (check out weather 98122 on Google).
• There are massive opportunities in Polls, Surveys, Video, Audio and Whitepapers when it comes to SEO.
• Media mentions are extremely important for SEO.
• Detailed contact information is an essential brand signal for SEO.
• Need to be listed in all SEO registered official bodies for better SEO (Better Business Bureau, etc.).
• Slow, steady and authentic content is much more valuable to SEO than quick blasts of a lot of content.
• Google rewards real businesses that provide real value.
• You need to have a Google+ profile – there is a trend that they are going to become extremely powerful in search results and directly biasing the rankings.
• With fewer companies showing up in SERPS, solid and consistent branding is essential.
• Most bloggers are being measured so share good content.
• Guest bloggers are a great way to increase value of content and traffic.
• Blog comments are a great way to build reputation but you should not use it for link building – add value to the conversation – don’t just comment for commenting sake.
• Predictions: Mobile will change marketing and Facebook will dominate the social field.
• The most popular inbound marketing action for 2012 was setting up a Facebook business page.

SEO Tips:

• In order to be in the top results, everything you post should answer “does this make me more rank worthy?”.
• A faster speed on your website makes it more SEO friendly. Whatever changes you make should happen site-wide. 
• Need to make sure your website is crawl-able but most websites have major problems in their design – need to get the basics right first.
• High performance websites lead to higher visitor engagement, retention and conversations.
• Have a third party review your website regularly.
• Pay it forward – promote the promoters.
• One of the best things you can possibly do for SEO is create some incentive to share your content (anything but direct payment) (Example “People love us on Yelp” sticker) – try to build in an incentive structure (survey).
• If you’re new to SEO, start with the long tails where other people are not ranking yet then move up that chain which will get you better long-term results.
• Don’t beg influencers to share content, involve them (ex: include them and tell them in research/content).
• Don’t just go for rankings, aim for click-through rate (CTR) – use images, dates, rich snippets, meta descriptions, etc. 
• Create content that delights and surprises users. This should be required for every piece of copy. 
• Get transcripts of your programs and use them on your websites and blogs – they are great for SEO.

Resources mentioned:

• Followerwonk.com (Twitter Analytics)
• Inbound.org (SEO industry information and news)
• Speechpad.com (Transcripts)

Five Key Benefits of a Microsite for Business

Posted by Laura Powers

A microsite is a website concentrating on a very specific topic, product or service that can range in size from a single landing page to several linked pages. Microsites are typically used to support a larger website and share specialized editorial or commercial content. They serve as an easy-to-scan resource of focused information and content for audiences.

When a company provides niche services or products pertaining to a very specific market, microsites help support integrated marketing efforts. As part of creating a space in the marketplace, a company must be able to highlight a specialized offering and target a specific demographic. Examples of this may include: a law firm’s focus on a specific practice area; a company initiative to develop thought leadership in a particular industry; or the promotion of a special event.

Microsites benefit a company and enhance a brand in many ways. Below are five key benefits that companies should keep in mind when considering an investment in a microsite.

Builds Trust by Detailing a Clear Path to Information

As an online tool for leading audiences to a call-to-action, a microsite supports your relationship and deepens your connection to a targeted audience by providing them with a resource and thereby building trust with that audience. Microsites offer the freedom to expand on a topic in more detail, providing information such as specifications, background, history, etc. The site might explain industry trends in detail or include specific and relevant information to educate audiences.

Enhances the Brand

Overall brand support is a primary objective of a microsite, yet designs should be completely customized to appeal directly to target audiences with strong images and design elements. With the audience in mind, unique and targeted design can be employed which should echo the company brand, but be influenced by the site’s content. Well-designed sites will naturally demonstrate the flexible, diverse and innovative nature of the company. The connection between a main company site and a microsite should be obvious. A microsite, as a devoted resource to a subject, service or product, should also support the primary brand’s communication goals.

Focuses Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Efforts

Microsites support SEO by the nature of their content and even microsite domain names can be specific to each microsite’s topic, service or product. A unique microsite domain name should be secured to not only support SEO in this manner, but also to make the search engine result that a user sees that much more relevant to their search inquiry. A more relevant search result for users means a better chance that they will click through to a site. A site with a strategic domain name, relevant keyword phrases and well-written, search engine-optimized content will perform well in search engines. This, in turn, will strategically support the company's overall SEO efforts.

Supports Targeted Lead Generation

By reaching the right people at the right time by utilizing targeted content and SEO strategies through a microsite, the site is bound to attract interested visitors. These types of relevant visitors are likely to be strong leads for the company. By providing highly-targeted, clean SEO along with relevant content, your audience is likely to find your site and be genuinely interested in what it has to offer. Include strong calls-to-action and your lead generation strategy for the microsite will become a powerful engine for new business development.

Demonstrates Commitment

Another way to approach a microsite initiative is to consider the influence on the public perception a microsite may have. As a devoted slice of Internet real estate, a microsite demonstrates a commitment to a particular aspect of a business. The investment of resources in the site itself is an effective foundational piece of the company’s demonstrated commitment. By providing this level of dedication, not only do you inherently influence perceptions about the company’s market share of that service or product, but you are also building an audience's confidence in the company’s ability to provide it.

If your company is looking to niche in a particular subject matter or highlight a specific call-to-action, a microsite may be a digital marketing solution to consider as part of your integrated marketing efforts.

SEO Best Practices for Lawyers and Law Firms - Avvo Webinar Recap

Posted by Amanda Walsh

I had the chance to listen in on an Avvo webinar today lead by Leigh McMillan about SEO for law firms and lawyers.

In the webinar, On Page SEO vs. Off Page SEO was discussed. Ayodhyanath Guru over at jafaloo.com has some easy to understand definitions: “On Page SEO is the science of optimizing the contents of a website such that it becomes friendlier to the search engines. Off Page SEO is defined as the things you do offline to your website in order to achieve good search engine ranking.”

Tips to keep in mind:
- Each practice area should have an individual page within your website. Don’t put all your content onto one webpage.
- Optimize internal anchor text. Anchor text refers to links within web copy that link to another internal page within your website. These links should be keywords and NOT say “click here,” as generic language doesn’t tell the search engine what the link leads to.
- If your firm is mentioned on association websites, directories or as part of nonprofit sponsorship, be sure that the mention links back to your website.
- Excessive Flash animation and images will hurt your rankings. Utilize alt tags and sprinkle keywords throughout the text.
- Be sure to redirect your website URL without the “www” to your entire website URL. For example, furiarubel.com redirects to http://www.furiarubel.com/. Don’t build two separate sites as this can hurt your Google search results. Talk to your web developer about doing 301 redirects.

Do NOT:
- Buy links. Google knows when links are not legitimate or relevant and have tools to evaluate these links.
- Engage in comment spam. This is the practice of commenting on blogs ONLY to insert a link.
- Leigh also recommends avoiding vendors who utilize these practices.

Free Tools and Resources:
- Toolbar.google.com – Doesn’t give precise ranking, but a good guide.
- Google.com/webmasters/tools – This is a free tool, but registration is required to prove ownership of the site; Google will tell you if it has problems “reading” your site.
- Seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors – Great website for analyzing Google’s search factors.
- Backlinkwatch.com
- Davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml

Be sure to keep these tips and tricks in mind when working on a strategic SEO campaign for your law firm's website.

Pinterest: The Visual Phenomenon Of The Internet

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Pinterest is an online visual bulletin or pin board that allows users to gather or "pin" images on the Internet to categorized boards thus organizing them together on a themed page. The images retain the original URL of the web page from which the user pulled the “pin” creating a visual bookmark for future reference. Other users can “repin” or "like" your images to their boards then share them to Twitter or Facebook, which creates a viral link-sharing environment.

The invite-only website began in March 2010, as a way to manage or curate an inventory of images on the Internet. First growing popular with Etsy crafters, mom bloggers and designers, the website’s popularity has grown to 421 million page views according to Mashable.

Some popular pin board categories include wedding ideas, home decoration, crafts, recipes and fitness tips. I started using Pinterest a few months ago and quickly became addicted to the visual sharing aspect of it, as well as the bookmarking capability. It can be a great go-to when in need of ideas or creative ways to do just about anything.

Brands have begun to jump on board for the SEO and viral link-sharing advantages as well. Three examples of brands using Pinterest include:

- Zales: The jewelry store has some interesting boards of what else? Jewelry! The company also switches it up a bit with a board for “Favorite Quotes” and another of love songs called “Sounds like Love." Not only is the company advertising their own products, but they are adding value by sharing romantic visuals that could be associated with jewelry.

- Whole Foods Market: The grocery store known for organic and natural food products, has 493 pins of seasonal recipes for different times of the year, along with dinner or dessert ideas. Additionally, the company’s boards reflect edible art displays from around the world, recycling ideas and pins of Whole Planet Foundation. According to Whole Foods’ website, Whole Planet Foundation “is a private, nonprofit organization established by Whole Foods Market.” The Foundation funds “grants to microfinance institutions in Latin America, Africa and Asia who in turn develop and offer microenterprise loan programs, training and other financial services to the self-employed poor.” This is an example of how Whole Foods uses Pinterest to not only share recipes using products from their stores, but also to spread the mission of their nonprofit foundation.

- Cabot Cheese: Run by Cabot Creamery, a family-owned farm cooperative located in the hills of Vermont produces all-natural cheeses. On their Pinterest boards, the company pays homage to farmers and farms, their state of Vermont and the cows that produce the milk to make their cheese. To me, this helps to tell a brand’s story and humanize the everyday production for consumers.

Other ways businesses can utilize Pinterest include, adding the “Pin It” widget to their website so users can easily pin website images and/or follow a company-branded board.

Gina Rubel has done an excellent job of adding value by pinning relevant infographics for PR and communications professionals, as well as link sharing of events that she supports. Check out her boards here: http://pinterest.com/ginarubel/social-media-and-marketing/.

Resources to learn more include:

• How 11 brands are reaching customers on Pinterest
• 3 ways to use Pinterest for business right now
• Pinning Your Interest: The Potential SEO Value of Pinterest
• What’s behind the Pinterest craze? 15 super-users share their thoughts
• 5 Ways Brands Can Use Pinterest to Boost Consumer Engagement
• Pinterest: Behind the Design of an Addictive Visual Network 

Photo courtesy of http://www.women2.org.

Helpful SEO Website Resources

Photo courtesy of SimplyZesty.com

Posted by Amanda Walsh


To follow a recent post about SERPs and Eye Tracking Research, I thought I would share some go-to resources for the latest news in the SEO arena. Furia Rubel's Vice President of Marketing, Laura Powers, helped to pull the list together. These are some of the websites that we visit frequently to learn more about Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and other best practices, news and trends. 


Search Engine Watch
Some interesting links on Search Engine Watch are: Most U.S. Moms on Facebook, But May Be a Tough Crowd for Marketers [Study] and Google Opens Dynamic Search Ads Program


SEOmoz Blog
This post includes a video: How Big is Your Long Tail? – Whiteboard Friday 


ClickZ Search Section
A few resources on ClickZ are: Google+ and +1  and Just Because They Liked You, Doesn't Mean They'll Convert 


Media Post’s Search Marketing Daily
This article on Media Post discusses industry news regarding Google+ and Microsoft's Bing: Why Google Has To 'Get' Platforms: It's The Future Of Search


Website Magazine SEO / SEM Resources


Search Engine Land


Did we miss an important resource? Feel free to leave a comment below with the URL for additional SEO / SEM news outlets. Have a great weekend!

Google+ Breaks Onto The Scene

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Google + has been the topic of a lot of buzz in the blogsphere recently, with many bloggers and journalists predicting the demise or success of the new social media networking tool from the search engine giant, Google.  “Basically, Google+ is an incorporation of several services many already use. The idea, according to Google, is to do them better.” If you’re not familiar with Google +, check out this great article from BusinessInsider.

I don’t blame some of the naysayers, given Google’s past history of social media gaffes including Google Wave and Google Buzz. However Google+ seems different. Like many others, I believe it’s still a little too soon to say whether the attempt will sink or swim.

From a PR and marketing perspective, there is positive news for brands and companies to get on board.  Early adopters of Google+ include Ford Motors Company and Mashable, however Google wants to keep close tabs on the brands that are using the platform and encourages companies and brands to apply for the Pilot program.

This interview with Christian Oestlien, the lead product manager for social advertising at Google, was featured on Ad Age Digital. Oestlien reveals the rollout of brand pages could happen very soon.

One thing Google will have to overcome in the coming months is keeping up with the demand from current and potential users. Recently, the network was blocked out to some potential users and invitees to allow the company to play catch-up with the large demand of people wanting to sign up.  Last week, Stephen Shankland of Cnet.com reported that Google was ready for another growth spurt in population, allowing those already able to access the platform the small window of time to invite others.

Over the past weekend, I noticed an influx of invites and was able to access my own Google+ account and invite friends. However, with growth can come bugs and errors.  According to CNN, some users reported being spammed with notification emails but many were quick to forgive the search giant.

PR and Marketing professionals should also be mindful that another platform to join the mix means another tool to be monitored. A PRDaily.com article noted the opportunity for marketers to utilize Google+ for it's search engine optimization opportunities and the +1 button via Google. Glenn Gabe in his Internet Marketing Driver blog shares, “You can target users in Search, and follow them to Google+. Yes, you will be able to reach them when they go back to their friends and family to find recommendations or to share information. That’s not possible with Facebook.”

Courtesy of xploringminds.com

Some interesting features that have made Google+ unique so far are:

• Circles: This feature allows users to segment their connections into categories called Circles. Many are praising the ease of use of this feature that Facebook didn’t quite capture with their Lists feature. Now targeted messages to Circles can provide customized outreach.
• Sparks: An integrated tool to allow users to easily perform searches about a topic and find content to share with their Circles. 
• Hangouts: A group video chatting ability that allows up to 10 users to interact at once.  This feature seems to directly compete with the recently announced video ability that Facebook rolled out. Unlike Facebook’s video conferencing, Google + users can invite an entire circle or individual people to join the “hangout” and collaborate.

It seems like this service is moving faster than light. Just yesterday, ComputerWorld reported some changes coming this week to the platform. Today, Mediabistro.com reported that 10 million users have signed up for Google+ in two weeks!

Here at Furia Rubel we will continue to explore the opportunities that Google+ can offer our clients and keep the readers of ThePRLawyer in the loop with new features and benefits for their business.

The Socialization Of SEO

Posted by Leah Ludwig

My colleague, Gina Rubel, shared a very interesting article with me recently about social media and its affect on search marketing. The article from SEOMoz.org discussed how and why a huge social reach is now playing a key role as a competitive advantage in search engine optimization.

In his post, blog author Rand Fishkin discusses how for many years the best way to gain rankings in search results was to have accessible pages featuring quality content and targeting the right keywords – in a way that naturally earned external links. You can reference other organic SEO tips in a previous ThePRLawyer blog post. These tips are still very much the same, but there is a new game changer, or shall we call it an “x-factor,” thrown into the mix. Fishkin’s blog goes on to outline how search engine results are now being altered and how this is an eye-opener for search engine marketers.

This is how it works. If you are logged in to a Google account and have social media profiles that you actively engage, you will notice images from your social media network in your search results demonstrating what links and search terms your social media contacts have shared, liked, retweeted, talked about, etc. Try it out. Do a Google search while not logged in to your Google account and then try it while being logged in. There is definitely a difference. I captured my own searches to demonstrate just how it works.




Have you noticed this in your own searches? Harnessing the power of a network and growing a social media circle can really effect and benefit search engine optimization. Fishkin said, “Not only is Google annotating the listing with a photo, creating social proof and certainly increasing click-through-rate, they're also biasing to put these results on page one that might normally rank in utter obscurity. This isn't just true for obscure, random searches either, nor is it exclusive to [only the social network feed of] Twitter.”

As a side note, since these blogs were posted it seems that Google has shut down its real-time search deal with Twitter. You may only see older Twitter shares in your Google searches, but nothing after July 2, 2011 – for now.

I also got some insider feedback from our in-house search engine marketing guru, Laura Powers. She says, "If you’re working to market a product, service or brand, there’s now a direct incentive to build your online social network as large as possible among all of your target audiences. The socialization of search is more than just working within the platforms of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., it's about your social circle becoming more aware of your engagement in their search results and the power you have to influence those results.”

These new developments really demonstrate how a huge social media reach is acting as a competitive advantage in SEO. If you haven’t already, it is time to get on board and begin to proactively engage social media.

New Google Algorithms Aimed To Fight Link Farm Websites

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Big news from Google is revealed in “Google Declares War on Content Farms” by Stan Schroeder posted on Mashable.com today.

The company has announced a “major algorithmic change to its search engine, subtle in nature and perhaps unnoticeable to many users, but one that should dramatically improve the quality of Google’s search results.”

Content farms are low-quality websites that pile up useless content and links in an effort to improve ranking results in Google searches. Unfortunately, a technique called Black Hat SEO is used by some to try and unscrupulously rank a website high on Google search.

The official Google blog post by Matt Cutts and Amit Sinhal explains the changes, which could upset some website owners. “We can’t make a major improvement without affecting rankings for many sites. It has to be that some sites will go up and some will go down.”

Google's announcement of changes will undoubtedly improve search results for all users. As of right now, there aren’t many details from Google, but we do know 11.8% of Google’s queries will be impacted. Stay tuned and happy searching!

Logo credit: Google.com

The Press Release Lives On – Even In Web 2.0 World

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Contrary to what some have been saying, the press release is not dead! A recent article featured on the Search Engine Watch.com blog reaffirms the important role of this public relations tool and defends optimized press release usage within the public relations industry.

We have written a little about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in past posts, but I’d like to bring some readers up to speed on what exactly SEO is. According to Wikipedia, SEO “is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a Web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.”

“There are a variety of reasons why the Furia Rubel team utilizes the press release. The PR tool helps us to ensure that we have all accurate and relevant information from our clients, compiled it in one place with details and contacts. In this way, press releases are an invaluable resource when directly pitching media representatives because everything is clear, concise and together in one space. Also, with each release we write, our team specifically incorporates SEO language to increase online visibility for our clients,” said Leah Ludwig, Senior Account Manager at Furia Rubel.

The Search Engine Watch.com blog offers some interesting information from a 2010 PRweek/PR Newswire Media Survey, “Journalists use a variety of tools during the course of research for a story. Ninety-five percent use Google/search engines, 93 percent use the company web site, 47 percent use Wikipedia, 36 percent use the web site of a commercial newswire, 34 percent use the company blog, 33 percent use social networks, 32 percent use general blogs, and 19 percent use LexisNexis/Factiva.”

If journalists are using Google to research, an effective way for public relations professionals to get their news out there is through an optimized press release. A new challenge has presented itself however, because press releases are competing with news media for top search results. This does not mean that the press release is dead, just that it is important for SEO experts to stay abreast of the changing SEO terms and results.


(photo credit: webdesigngeek.info)

Google Instant Provides New Search Capabilities

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Google has finally debuted their new search feature, Google Instant. According to the website, “Google Instant is a new search enhancement that shows results as you type.” The company also shared the following “Did you know?” facts about Google Instant:

* Before Google Instant, the typical searcher took more than 9 seconds to enter a search term, and we saw many examples of searches that took 30-90 seconds to type.

* Using Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search.

* If everyone uses Google Instant globally, we estimate this will save more than 3.5 billion seconds a day. That’s 11 hours saved every second.

* 15 new technologies contribute to Google Instant functionality.

Google Instant only works if you are signed into a Google account. This may be a part of an effort to encourage more people to sign up for Google Accounts. The Instant feature can be turned off if you find it bothersome - simply adjust your settings via the Google.com/preferences page. For now, the Instant search is only available in the USA. To read more about this check out the article, “Google Instant - 10 Things Marketing Teams Need to Know.”

The Google Instant unveiling comes after a week of tantalizing “doodles” or logos on the Google landing page that kept everyone wondering what the big surprise would be.

On September 7, the company made public a fun, kinetic-like “doodle” or logo on the landing page. Dozens of boisterous balls formed the Google logo but scattered when the user brought their mouse arrow near. Check out a video here. The very next day, another doodle was put up on Google.com that featured a colorless Google logo. When a user began to type in their search query, the letters in the Google doodle would be filled-in with a different color after each keystroke. Read more about that here.

In my opinion, Google did a great job growing buzz around the unveiling of Google Instant. Everyone took notice of the changing logos and the people at Google posted tweets to build curiosity even more. What do you think about Google Instant and the build up to the unveiling of the new feature?

The more important question that has the blogosphere humming is, how do you think Google Instant will effect Search Engine Optimization? I'm curious to see more statistics and numbers as website analytics show the effects this new feature. Stay tuned!

(photo credit: devicemag.com)

Organic SEO - Web Tips

Our in-house SEO expert Laura Powers shares with readers the top three rules for creating successful websites:

1. Easy-to-use navigation
2. Regular updates
3. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Navigation
No one wants to have to dig for information on your website. Make sure you have a site map that makes sense and points to the right categories. If you have a larger site, design a site map so that users can access pages more easily.

Content
Keep your pages fresh with new content. You will increase your website traffic and your site will show up with higher ranking on search engines like Google. Here are some examples of ways to add new content to your site:

• Press releases
• Blog entries
• Articles
• E-newsletter blasts
• Online shopping products

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines like Yahoo, Google and MSN work like directories for the Internet. They crawl pages for relevant content according to the “key words” users input to find information. To make sure you show up on the pages, you need to look at a few things:

Organic options

• Keywords & Metatags: Make sure your website html has keywords and metatags relating to users’ potential searches
• Online Directories: Make sure you are listed in all free online directories like Google
• Blogs: If the content is updated regularly you will rank higher in search engines
• Press Releases: Similar to a blog, this will also keep you ranked higher in search engines

Paid options

• Google Adsense: Allows companies to purchase ads that appear on certain section of Web page when keywords are used
• Pay-per-click: Targets consumers in same industry as yours with ads on all sorts of high-traffic Web sites

Yahoo Releases Style Guide for Web Content

Posted by Katie Noonan

Yahoo! has released a style guide much like the AP Stylebook that offers help for those who write Web content. “The Yahoo! Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World” includes useful articles on writing Web content, creating effective headlines, grammar, punctuation and style rules for Web-specific language, and an "Ask an Editor" feature for questions not addressed through the online guide.

What I like about Yahoo!'s style guide is that it takes into account search engine optimization in addition to editors' preference. Mashable brings up an excellent example- according to the AP Stylebook, "e-mail" should still be hyphenated, but in common usage it is often used without the hyphen. Since those who write for the Web have to take into consideration what people are most likely to conduct a search for, a seemingly small distinction like "e-mail" or "email" matters.

The Yahoo! Style Guide is currently available online and will be released in print and for iPad and Kindle on July 6.