Posts

Just Tiger Tokens

Handy post, have moved you over to the G+ Local Pages forum

Well I'll tell you the secret, but everyone must promise to send me

I've been thinking about a

As a non SEO consultant but someone who is fascinated by the subject, I think a lot of the updates are obvious and common sense. As you say, in most industries you can see changes coming, which I think is exactly the same in the SEO/SMM world.

Google rules the roost currently, and has a pretty good set of guidelines. If people read them, absorb them and follow them, then you have very little to worry about. I've banged on about it for years, steer a straight line. It may take longer to get results, it can be frustrating to see people gaming the system and get away with it, but eventually, if you are in it for the long haul, the straight line approach wins.

As for future predictions, this is easy, look where the current system gaming is, and you can expect that this will be closed down in the future. If you're short cutting the system, expect to pay a price at some point.

I said I can't wait for the social networks to start penalising fake likes, +1's etc, and it's starting to happen, I suspect targeting rogue social signals will increase sharply in 2013.

Google wise, I can see them really ramping up with targeting and penalising fake reviews. This has been a long time coming and review sites (us included) have had plenty of time to get our houses in order. Those that ignore it will no doubt be shouting and crying on various forums how unfair it all is etc.

I only hope though that while most of the algorithm changes make sense and the primary reason is fair, that the quality of some of the implementations increases, removing some of the collateral damage. Sometimes you get the feeling a change is rushed out without been fully tested or thought through.

No doubt 2013 will be no different and we will have some major upsets as Google causes a few friendly fire incidents

I think it is still the remnants of the frontier mentality, ie "the internet is new, and it's good to have a presence, but in reality I will get most of my clients off line".

A lot of older professionals and tradespeople haven't grasped how embedded and routine the internet has become, and with that, the average users expectations are a lot higher than 5 or 10 years ago.

But now explain that to a seasoned builder or accountant who probably gets a lions share of their work as word of mouth, and you will struggle to sell the professional online concept, when they see TV adverts of free business websites, understanding little or none of the implications or limitations. Even if for a fraction of the cost of their own services, with a professional site you know they could potentially increase their customer base.

But to go against my own argument, when I recently selected a builder for our own extension, he had no website presence at all, had no interest in advertising online, and was traditional word of mouth.

Now it will be interesting to see how that will play out with on-line reputation management, as review sites sway more and more of the publics opinion. Lets be honest, most of us will google any supplier/tradesmen before thinking of parting with any cash, and anything negative could mean a lost sale/opportunity.

So I can see a professional website presence as well as online reputation management being essential in the very near future, even for the die hard traditionalists

Then again there is the other argument, the shiny new professional website with a zero marketing budget and no marketing strategy

Well shall be shortly getting the kids to bed, then settling down to a night in front of the goggle box, dreading the obligatory fireworks and drunken cheers that will no doubt wake the nippers up... Bah humbug...

So whatever you are doing, or whatever timezone you are in, just leaves me to say Happy New Year!

Disagree, it will be 99p shops and charity shops!

Nope, these will be aspiring entrepreneurs who will be in need of online advertising and I know just the bloke to help them out...

I'm thinking there will be an invasion of Aupairs from Sweden to help out all the new busy entrepreneurs

Nahhh, we are due a heatwave and drought, otherwise I want compensation on all the global warming claptrap I've had to listen to for the last 10 years!

hmmm can't argue there

Now if that was an election manifesto, I'd vote for you!

...and Lloyds now I sold out on both

True, but we think we have finally found a solution to stop them landing here! Or at least we're getting there!

What? With all these Poles willing to work for a Jammy Dodger and a packet of smarties?

My Predictions

• I reckon this year we will see one of the Pet chains collapse, as Pets at Home seems to dominate the market.
• Maybe the final death dive of the UK arm of Blockbuster? No idea how it is still trading and competing with the likes of netflix etc.
• Possibly a supermarket chain buyout/merger?
• Guarantee will we hear continual references to Eurozone crisis, the last chance (again) for Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland....
• Triple dip recession? Quadrouple dip? Looks like the USA is about to slide again, no doubt that will drag us down to.

But on the upside, Google will wake up one day and feel the need to buy a quality directory for millions of pounds and I'll go live in the Caribbean on a diet of lobster and rum

I'd simply settle for mediocre mobile reception and Shakespeare's town gets a few visitors a year!

Anyone losing their job, regardless of the time of year is sad, but from a business point of view I'm more cynical.