journney

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but, honestly, I wish I’d had the benefit of what I know now two years ago – it would have saved so much wasted time.

Talking to others who do a similar role to me (agency owner, director, creative content marketer), they too have had similar experiences. I find this oddly reassuring, a relief to know that the roller coaster of content marketing hasn’t been a solo ride. Continue Reading

Penguing 2.0 Recovery Strategies - Chris Fielden - 06.06.13

What is Penguin 2.0?

Penguin is the name of a Google algorithm update that penalises websites with poor quality links in their backlink profile. If you have undertaken any spammy SEO practices in the past, like paying for links from a known link network for example, your website is likely to be penalised.

Penguin was first launched in April 2012. Penguin 2.0 is the latest algorithm update. You can see a full history of Google algorithm updates on Moz. Continue Reading

Derpy Dumb and Dumber - Chris Fielden 31.05.13

Google: the brand name might sound familiar. For anyone who has spent the last decade shipwrecked or in a coma, Google is an innovative internet search tool that enables the populace of the planet easy access to documentation on all conceivable subject matters.

Google is the Aston Martin DB5 of search engines. It should be cherished, respected and driven carefully. Sadly, Google is a DB5 that’s owned by everyone on Earth. Everyone gets to drive it. As fast as they like. For free.

When certain individuals (AKA most people) don’t have to deal with the insurance claim resulting from driving a DB5 a tad too quickly into a tight bend, certain individuals might be tempted to exceed the speed limit, just to see what will happen.

This is the mentality I’ve chosen to study with the Exterminate blog series. Continue Reading

Facebook Fatigue - Colm Hebblethwaite 28.05.13

Facebook is an icon of the modern business world, a totemic example of how an internet user’s desire for connectivity and interaction can be turned into a hugely profitable and social influential corporate entity.

But if the recent flurry of reports, speculation and apocalyptic predictions about the site across the internet are to be believed then Facebook has begun to haemorrhage a significant amount of its most precious asset: its users.

The reported drop in users regularly visiting the site has been linked to a mysterious condition known as ‘Facebook fatigue’ that is beginning to affect people in the site’s core markets and if true, could have some serious repercussions. Continue Reading

Penguin 2.0 Release - Holly Hayman - 23.05.13

Matt Cutts – Google spokesman and generally helpful chap – has released a statement on his personal blog about a new release of Penguin: Google’s link-busting algorithm update.

 

Penguin 2.0 is set to effect around 2.3% of US English language queries, with differences according to language.

 

We’re keeping our eyes on the organic traffic for all of our clients, but it looks like this has had much less of an impact than the first Penguin algorithm release. The future of great content, copy and ‘earning’ links rather than generating them has seen many sites protected from this update. Continue Reading

Karma for Links - Gareth Simpson - 17.05.13

If you didn’t already know, links to a website are often considered one of the most important aspects of SEO. Historically this was a strong indicator of a website’s credibility, that was until the spammers learned to manipulate these factors in order to increase rankings. Google had no choice but to penalise these low quality sites with the Penguin algorithm update.

The search engine has made it clear that it does not like these low quality techniques. In fact, they have been saying the same thing in their Google Webmaster Guidelines since around 2002.

So what does Google want to see? It wants to see brands earning recognition for the good work that they do. It wants links to be a representation of a real world relationship or affiliation. They want quality and meaningful search. Here are a few ideas for sustainable methods of “like building”. Continue Reading

Google Human Fail - Banana As a Weapn - Chris Fielden 26.04.13

I have conducted 3 experiments to date, investigating the marvellous (and often frightening) world of people’s search engine habits. They often result in amusing (scary) Google fails. You can see them here:

I thought my work was done. I’d proved that the Daleks were right in trying to exterminate humanity. Surely things couldn’t get any worse…

I was wrong. Extremely wrong. It’s not just the Daleks we should be worried about. If there are any intelligent lifeforms out there and they find us and study our use of technology – particularly the internet – they will all come to the same conclusion, no matter what the temperament their species might have: humans should not be allowed to survive. Continue Reading

Google Yourself - Seashell - Holly Hayman - 12.04.13

The internet really is the biggest diary in the world.

Almost everything you’ve ever created – whether that’s a status update, a comment, a witty tweet, a snarky message, a funny picture or a superbly well written and researched blog post – could be saved indefinitely worldwide.

But is this global scrapbook really the way to go? Or should people have the right to forget and move on? Continue Reading

April Fools!!! - Chris Fielden - 1.4.13

It was all a joke. IoII didn’t turn the internet off today for four hours so that they could install a new bank of Quadruplex iPillio Dualclops e671 Cumulonimbus Servers. We got you good and proper.

Now, with your face beginning to turn crimson with embarrassment, you need to start thinking about what you are going to tell your family after you spent all day yesterday convincing them to forsake Facebook, chocolate and the obligatory showing of Citizen Kane for a cold 24 hours in the bunker.

But at least you can be safe in the knowledge that you are not the only person that has been caught out today. Continue Reading

No Internet - Chris Fielden - 30.03.13

On bank holiday Monday, April the 1st 2013, IoII (the Institute of Internet Innovation, a recently formed governing body responsible for internet security) plan to undertake a major update of their servers. The installation – a huge bank of Quadruplex iPillion Dualclops e671 Cumulonimbus Servers – is expected to bring unprecedented technological advances in data security and search functionality. Continue Reading

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