Google Instant SEO Trick Observation

March 25, 2011 //
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One observation I have had recently with web development firms and SEO companies is that they appear to be employing a very interesting tactic in relation to the anchor text links on their webpage footers that potentially are designed to affect Google Instant results.

It began as an observation. I clicked on a link located on a website footer only to discover three quarters of the word hotlinked, though masked by CSS. Weird. Why would anyone do that?

e.g. Google Instant Trick

Next I saw it the following day, I saw the same thing on a differing website. Conincidence or have web developers gone mad and were just so excited about linking a domain that they couldn’t wait to highlight the entire word?

Then it dawned that this could be a small stroke of genius:

Hotlink an incomplete word > because there is not much competition on that incomplete phrase / word, it will possess strong potential for a high ranking > bank on people getting three quarter way through typing their phrase before selecting a result from Google Instant and hey presto you have beaten your competition.

Nifty and crafty.

Though I do agree this is a bit of a long bow conclusion, but I think an interesting one. What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Is it the work of Google Genius’s manipulating Google Instant or just the work of inept webmasters?

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Brandrally ~ Web Design Brisbane | Graphic Design Brisbane
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Graphic Design Tip: Listen to your client.

October 29, 2010 //
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A small advice snippet from this week in Graphic Design. Lesson 101: listen to your client and at all times be aware and take note of the actual brief.

We had a Client that asked us to professional design for them a flyer. The brief was very simple and straight forward – A non-for-profit organisation aiming to attract new members / chapters. They have a preexisting brochure that they themselves had created  in Word that was not too flash though did the job. They wanted this updated / professional looking.

Sounds simple. One problem. No Logo. This organisation has many chapters across Australia thousands of members all run by volunteers – with a variety of clip-art logos based on direction of each chapter.

So where did we go wrong then? Well, just because they have no Logo, Does not mean they want a logo!

We jumped the gun. They asked for graphic design of their brochure – We gave them a Logo at our first presentation. Enter elephant in the room. Our client was polite and friendly, though a new logo is still a fair distance from being considered.

It is always important to listen to your client at all times. Really adhere to the brief, and if there is scope to develop a brand. Discuss this first before putting mouse to pixel. As a matter of interest, here is what we proposed for their brand. Let us know your thoughts and comments.

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Brandrally ~ Web Design Brisbane | Graphic Design Brisbane
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Verification

September 14, 2010 //
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Social Media Profiles

September 13, 2010 //
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You have your social media profiles taken care of or do you? Facebook – Check. Twitter – Check. Youtube – Check. What about all the different social media channels such as Foursquare, Slideshare, and Propellor? Have you put in a place a strategy for finding out what the new emerging social networks are so that you can keep one step ahead of your customers and your competitors?  If you are like most, there simple is never enough hours in the day to keep-up-date.

Knowem (Knowem) and UD Namecheck (UD.com) are two simple easy-to-use services that actually help you get across the social media universe. You can use them for free to find out where you need to be, or you can simply pay them a fee and get them to set it all up for you. Either way, stake a claim to your virtual real estate as soon as possible (and while you are at it make sure you register your personal name & kid’s names as URLs – The ultimate Christmas gifts).

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The Successful Person.

August 2, 2010 //
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“The successful person in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which, they simply persue their vision of excellence in whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both.

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Better search engine rankings with Coupons

July 22, 2010 //
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Coupons, They are a not exactly a new concept – They have been around since retail was first invented though do they now possess a greater ability to deliver more than just a sale, but better search engine rankings?

I had my thinking cap on the other day when I was acquiring some stock photography. Above where I had entered my credit card details there was a little box that said coupon code. Interesting. I went to my  preferred search engine and though right lets see if I can find one for this site.  *Gasp* there were hundreds and hundreds of websites dedicated to providing me with a coupon code for this particular website.

I thought that this one very ordinary business model. I mean why would you ever pay full-price when you can get it for 20% less.

Then I got my head a little more around the concept.

The coupon codes for the photo site only lasted for a set period of time. This meant that for the voucher to be useful to the user, the coupon website needs to continually update it’s  content and check for relevancy and accuracy.

Best of all these coupon websites provide topical information about the product and service whilst actively promoting and linking back (back links) to the source website. Brilliant for obtaining authority for search engines and increasing search engine rankings.

What are you thoughts on this theory, do you think coupons are an untold hero of search engine rankings in the retail sector?

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Brandrally ~ Web Design Brisbane | Graphic Design Brisbane
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Viral marketing videos both famous and infamous

June 9, 2010 //
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Love a good piece of online viral video to get you through your day? Viral video is the next frontier for advertisers, and is the dream of marketeers. They have the ability to go right AND the ability to fall off the cliff and land with a gargantuan thud that would make even Chuck Norris grimace.

Here we have put together a snapshot of our favourite campaigns, and the campaigns that began with good intentions and somehow lost their way.

The Good Viral Marketing Videos –

1) German Language School

2) Another fun one is the ADIDAS Star Wars ad that combines all the levels of the modern day geek with a couple of unexpected cameos

3) Four words. Terry Tate Office Linebacker

4) Dulux – Dulux Walls in HD

5) Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

6) BMW, Clive Owen and James Brown.

The … err… interesting?

1) Ford .. Poor little kitty.

2) Hootie from Hootie and the Blowfish in this Burger King ad.

Whenever I see this I think of the McBain line from the Simpsons, “How do you sleep at night?? – On a bed of money surrounded by many beautiful women”

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Brandrally ~ Web Design Brisbane | Graphic Design Brisbane
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A great resume guide for designers

April 19, 2010 //
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So you are looking for a new position or just have graduated – You have a great folio, great work experience, you’re energetic and you’re motivated – though getting employed is proving a little tricky. Here are some helpful tips to getting your foot in the door with your resume.

1. Get a decent email address.
Sure we all have fun email addresses with our mates, but mega-super-awesome-rad-dude@hotmail.com might not really be the best first-impression.
Something like your.name@hotmail.com or me@yourname.com is better.

2. Use any other than Times New Roman!
90% of the resume’s we receive use these formats – drives everyone crazy.

3.  Layout and Format
This one is really important. The best thing you can do for a resume or cover letter is design it in the format of the job you are applying. If you after a graphic designer position, create your resume and cover letter through an industry appropriate application like indesign and supply it as a PDF.  If you applying for a web designer position, have an online folio to showcase yourself. Most importantly print it out and see whether it is legible and looks good.

4. Be personal and specific in your cover letter.
Research a little and mention something you find unique about the company you are applying for…  and perhaps involve a little flattery.

For example:
“The work you did on project x was great!  I would love to work on projects of that nature and would really appreciate the opportunity to show you the great things that I can do.”

As opposed to:
“Dear Company, I greatly enjoyed your website; I thought it was forthcoming and informative. I would like a job. “

5. Spellcheck
Ensure your resume is grammatically correct and all words are spelled correctly. Designers are particular on this. A firm grasp on language is a necessity as correcting spelling mistakes on brochures / billboards can be a very costly exercise.

6. Talk about what you things you do outside of of work.
Interesting people do interesting things. Bosses really like to see active people in the community, so if are part of design association, have won awards, like to ride your bike, collect stamps – tell them about it.

7. Check your social media / blog.
It’s amazing what is out there. Reality is that most employers search for you online. Get rid of / hide awkward photo’s, bad comments by your mates, any video of you on youtube singing karaoke drunk / falling over – basically anything that you wouldn’t want your grandmother seeing. That way if an employee searches and finds you, they find only positive things.

8. Please don’t make things up!
Claim only the work that you made yourself / were a part of. It’s the nice thing to do and ultimately our industry is such where one finds out very quickly whether you can do the things you say you can.

9. Have fun and be creative.
WOW them with creativity. Be quirky. Be different. Be Fun. Be Clever. Make them laugh. Make them cry.
Get them to talk to their friends about this ‘amazing’ resume they just received.

Below is a link to an excellent article by Smashing Magazine on this topic!
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/01/10-handy-tips-for-web-design-cvs-and-resumes/

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Brandrally ~ Web Design Brisbane | Graphic Design Brisbane
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10 quick tips to create your personal brand.

March 25, 2010 //
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‘I remember when I first saw you”. It’s a phrase our parents say that on our 21st birthday and our partners recall this on anniversaries – but do our clients do the same? It can be a glance, it can be as quick as a handshake or the way you introduce yourself but the impressions you develop in the business world are long lasting.

The way we talk, walk, work and think all relates to our own personal brand. Controlling our image and the aspects that people perceive from us in the first 10 seconds of an introduction, has the ability to set the benchmark base-point of a relationship. If business practice tells us anything, the higher we can position a product in the market place – the better, The lower you position, the more of a battle it is to get to the top and so it is always important to put your best foot forward.

Making an impression should not necessarily mean changing the fundamentals of who you are.  Iconic in both their appearances, Richard Branson and the late Steve Irwin were both the personification of a very unique recognisable personal brand. The jeans and a tee-shirt, or the khaki look, did not diminish their presence. In-fact it created it. So it is not always about being conventional, it is about being authentic.

Below are 10 quick tips to create your personal brand.

1. Be genuine
When you speak, when you listen, when you respond.

2. Don’t fall in with the crowd
If you like wearing bow-ties, wear a bow-tie. Don’t be afraid to define who you are by what you wear.

3. Smile
It has an amazing affect

4. Handshakes.
We all remember bad handshakes.
Be firm, though breaking the other person’s hand does not make you awesome.
Don’t be afraid to practice.

5. Confidence
Be proud of who you are and your ideas. Don’t be intimidated by others who seem more confident that you. Most people carry around inside the scared little boy or girl afraid of being found out. We are all in the same boat.

6. Clothes
If you look good, you feel good.
Ensure you are wearing a watch and good shoes (yes, people still look to see if you are “down at the heel”).

7. Grooming
You aren’t planning to date the people you meet, but it really doesn’t hurt to pretend that a business introduction is a first date.
Keep clean and fresh. People do remember these things.

8. Names.
Never forget a name in a conversation. Develop techniques to help you remember their name. It might be by way of asking their origins of their name, or by associating their name with someone you have met in the past. Finish a conversation with a “it was nice to have met you <Name>” –  It has a lasting affect.

9 Opinions.
Have a voice and let it be heard.
Remember that giving an opinion means you must be willing to have an opinion.

10. GOOGLE yourself.
It is amazing what is out there. Google yourself – if you find something that you think is not great, contact the person who put it online and see if you can have it removed. Be polite and ask nicely, otherwise you could create more challenging information to clean up.

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Brandrally provides comprehensive design solutions by offering strategic graphic design, Web design Brisbane and Internet marketing services. Servicing clients in Brisbane, throughout Australia and internationally, we apply significant emphasis on design, strategy formulation and process and deliver successful outcomes for our clients, every time, on-time and in-budget. From Corporate Identity, through to full content managed websites, we provide professional solutions to suit your business needs.

Visit: www.brandrally.com.au

Brandrally
Address: 50 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley Brisbane. Telephone: (07) 3216 0442.
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