Leading edge search engine optimisation strategies need to encompass both breadth and depth in terms of keywords, in order to strike the right balance between strong phrase URL associations and to increase the overall authority of the whole domain, according to PR, social media and SEO agency Punch Communications.

Whilst many traditional SEO strategies view a site as a holistic entity, another approach which is growing in appeal amongst the search community is to create a strong association between a specific keyphrase and a specific page – ie a ‘deep’ approach rather than a broad one.

Whilst clearly many sites cannot base their traffic numbers solely on the basis of a few well ranked keywords that are indexed and paired with sub-pages within a domain, the approach complements a broad strategy, where each link offers an incremental overall benefit to the whole site, effectively giving the best of both worlds.

Pete Goold, Managing Director of Punch, which has evolved from its roots as a PR agency, commented:

“The whole issue of branded versus unbranded keywords is interesting in the context of a deep versus a broad strategy – in effect it’s a question of making a judgement on a number of levels in terms of the most rapid route to traffic.

“On the one hand a deep approach will yield less overall benefit and relies on the success and prominence of one or possibly two specific terms per page. In other words, if interest in this term diminishes then the strategy will be less effective.

“However, a broad strategy relies on the continual improvement of the site and, on external factors, such as competitor activity, to a far greater extent. Conseqently whilst it’s ideal to rank as broadly as possibly and thereby cover all bases, it’s neither practical nor effective to do so, hence the growth in the appeal of the deep strategy as a swift route to traffic, if managed well.”

For more information regarding online PR or any other aspect of PR, Search or Social media campaigns, please visit www.punchcomms.com or call +44 1858 411600 for an informal chat. Add a comment

StreamSend, a leading email marketing software provider, has named ten top features businesses should expect from their email service provider (ESP).

“Businesses have learned that permission-based email marketing is an effective way for their organization to sell to known prospects, send out an email newsletter, and build customer loyalty,” said Dan Forootan, president of StreamSend Email Marketing. “They have also discovered the need for an ESP because their regular internet service provider is not designed for – and sometimes prohibits – bulk mailing. Here are ten key features they should look for in an ESP to help them execute professional, organized email marketing campaigns.”

1. Determine if you need a private IP address
If your email volume is large enough, you may not want to share an IP address with other customers at your ESP. Too many spam complaints against another customer could get your shared IP address blacklisted by a major ISP, preventing your emails from being delivered. Check with your ESP to see if you should have a private IP address.

2. Customer support and training
Your ESP should offer both online and phone customer support and training.

3. Robust infrastructure and locations.
Make sure your ESP has multiple, high-speed connections to the Internet through more than one source and hardware redundancy in case one of the Internet connections fails or there is a hardware failure. You will also want redundant location, e.g., data centers in two locations. Many ESPs will offer “click-tracking” tools that require links to go to the ESP first to track the click, and then they redirect it to your Web site. If the ESP servers go down, the valuable prospects and customers reading your emails won’t be able to click through.

4. Good Reporting
The ESP should offer a variety of user-friendly reports: deliverability success, open-rates, and click-through rates.

5. CAN SPAM compliance.
Your ESP should require customers to comply with the CAN SPAM Act and make it very easy to do so.

6. List Segmenting.
Your ESP should enable you to segment lists by demographic and other criteria. Targeting subsets of your list with content relevant to them leads to more successful email marketing campaigns.

7. Find your “Look”
Pre-built templates may be fine, but at some point you may want your own unique look and feel, so find an ESP that has experience building HTML email templates. Not only will you want the aesthetic benefit of that experience, you will want practical advice on readability, reader responsiveness and the necessary testing to make sure your emails work across all email platforms.

8. Free trial.
Most ESPs offer a free trial. Do a test drive to see if the service meets your needs.

9. No term contract.
Do not sign up for a service that requires anything beyond a month commitment. If you are unhappy with your service, you should be able to cancel and switch services at will.

10. Pricing Structure
ESPs host your email list on their servers. Some charge a monthly fee based on the number of emails on your list, while others charge a monthly fee based on the maximum number of emails you think you will send per month. Be sure to choose a pricing structure that fits your needs.

About StreamSend
StreamSend offers an easy-to-use, affordable and reliable email marketing software solution designed to help businesses make the most of their time and money when sending an email newsletter or other email campaigns. StreamSend offers a number of industry-leading standard pricing plans and also has strong private-label and affiliate programs. Started as part of EZ Publishing, a web hosting and design company founded in 1998, StreamSend is now the company’s flagship product. Add a comment

Today marked the introduction of a newer player to the email marketing business services industry. Start-up company Your Passive Income has officially announced its launch, and with it the introduction of an enhanced email marketing business solution for today's more Web-savvy businesses and entrepreneurs. The service is called Global NPN, and it boasts a full set of features designed to increase a business's email marketing opt in rate while improving conversions and ROI in a down economy - an important benefit for businesses that are currently strapped for funds. A comparison with well-known industry competitors shows Global NPN to be a definite email marketing services rival to be considered.

At a glance, Global NPN may look like any of the other email marketing business (http://yourpassiveincome.us/email-marketing-business-services/) services available today. A closer look, however, puts the Global NPN email marketing business service in a class of its own. A quick pricing comparison shows Global NPN plans to start out at an average of $40 less per month than most industry competitors while offering more subscribers. "As a business owner and a marketing consultant, I often use and recommend email marketing services. I've used several in the past, including Constant Contact, Aweber, Traffic Wave and most recently Feed Blitz," says Ina Stanley, Your Passive Income founder. "I was blown away when I found Global NPN, as they are by far the least expensive while offering more. I enjoy up to 25,000 subscribers and pay just $40 per month!" These savings make the Global NPN service a more affordable email marketing option for businesses in this down economy.

One of the most notable benefits of the Global NPN (http://yourpassiveincome.us/why-choose-us/tour/) email marketing service is perhaps its ability to increase email marketing opt in rates. Like many other email marketing providers, Global NPN is a double opt-in system, ensuring that only subscribers who truly want your information are subscribed. However, Global NPN offers the ability to have many more subscribers than its competitors for less per month - making it a scalable solution that can grow with a business. Sharing options and complete control over form creation allow users to increase their email marketing opt in rate in their own way, at their own pace and without increasing their monthly expenses.

Another notable benefit of the Global NPN service is its ability to improve ROI. Its plans are less expensive than most industry competitors, giving it longevity in the down economy. Additional tools such as split-testing rotators and link trackers make tracking email marketing more accurate. Tracking email marketing in this way allows businesses to see exactly which images, content, link variations and approaches have a more positive effect on subscribers, which can lead to increased sign-ups or sales. In addition to tools for tracking email marketing, Global NPN also includes tools to split-test banner ad and capture page campaigns - features that many industry competitors either do not offer at this time, or offer for an additional cost.

Your Passive Income has expanded its launch offer by adding a total email marketing package along with the Global NPN service. "In my experience as a marketing consultant, many businesses are often confused by how to set-up and use their email marketing services to the fullest," says Ina. "Our aim is not just to sell email marketing business tools, but to help our customers learn how to make the most of them with individual training, tutorials and extras that add more functionality to websites and blogs." New customers can also enjoy a custom 60-day marketing strategy as well as a free email course to help jump start their campaigns. Interested entrepreneurs can earn passive residual income to further support their businesses and lifestyles by becoming resellers. To learn more about the Global NPN suite of email marketing business tools as well as the income-earning opportunity, visit www.yourpassiveincome.us (http://yourpassiveincome.us).

Add a comment

The explosion digital media in our business lives cannot be ignored! Neither can the ongoing impact it has on Marketing Strategy.

While many marketers have embraced all that is digital, there are others for whom the world of Digital Media remains a mystery.

Oxford College of Marketing has launched 2 new exciting qualifications from CAM / CIM that aim to unravel the mysteries of the Digital World. The Diploma in Digital Marketing and Diploma in Managing Digital Media cover topics such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay per Click (PPC), Online advertising, Social Media as well as the relevant legislation, regulation and codes of practice that govern Digital Marketing.

Aimed at marketers who want to update their digital knowledge or increase their levels of expertise, Oxford College of Marketing offer flexible study options for the Diplomas by Online Distance Learning or by attending Intensive Weekends at one of 5 study centre's in Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Reading and Gatwick.

The Diploma in Digital Marketing comprises 3 units that can be studied separately as stand-alone awards or by completing all 3 assignments to gain the full Diploma.

The Diploma in Managing Digital Media comprises 5 units that are assessed by 3 work based assignments and 2 exams.

Oxford College of Marketing will also be delivering the Digital Diplomas by way of a short-course. Perfect for those who feel that their exam days are over but still want to update their knowledge. Add a comment