“Wow! How do you stay on top of it all?”
I’ve heard this question asked in many different ways, as a response to hearing about what DragonSearch does. And the answer points to the essence of what we’re all about – staying on top of an incredibly rapidly changing industry: online marketing. (more…)
Wordpress is, in my opinion, is one of the great phenomena’s of the Internet phenomenon. I’m talking about the open source blogging software here, not the hosted blogging platform. The software has undergone incredible refinement and improvement, primarily from a base of programmers donating their time and expertise.
There are also countless plug-ins and themes (template systems) that developers sell. Many of them are incredible bargains. If you consider the potential cost of having someone create custom programming, the availability of plug-ins, both free and for a cost, is simply wonderful.
I first heard about the Thesis theme from my director of SEO, Etela Ivkovic. Etela had been participating in a webinar being given by an industry expert. The expert had mentioned that Thesis is the way to go (more…)
Google Analytics is the preeminent web analytics tool used in today’s online world for several reasons including easy implementation, constant upgrades, and unlimited potential. Perhaps the greatest draw to Google Analytics is that it is completely free, which in the business world is almost unheard of these days. Given its unlimited potential and vast usage, what would your answer be to the following:
I’m going to provide an opportunity for any user to opt-out of tracking their navigation and behavior on your website, effectively making it seem as if they never visited your site or even existed?
This, in a nutshell, is what Google did a few weeks ago by releasing its Google Analytics Opt Out Browser Add-on which can be found here. Essentially, this opt out plug-in for the 3 major browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome) prevents a website’s Google Analytics tracking code from collecting information if that user visits the site. I completely understand the call for online privacy and security measures, but let’s take a general look at how Google Analytics opt out can have a significant impact on not only the website/business in question but also online marketing agencies such as DragonSearch. (more…)
Well.. not really… officially what we did was “Invite Local Hudson Valley Internet Marketers, Web and Graphic Designers, and Web Programmers to Talent Meet-Up” as a way to meet more local people in the area that shared skills that are important to both DragonSearch and 33Oxclove as we both continue to grow.
DragonSearch and 33Oxclove Invite Local Hudson Valley Internet Marketers, Web and Graphic Designers, and Web Programmers to Talent Meet-Up
Finding jobs in the Hudson Valley can be a challenge for many job hunters, but for two local Kingston, NY technology companies finding qualified employees is even more challenging. As other companies are laying-off employees and cutting hours, DragonSearch (http://www.dragonsearchmarketing.com/) and 33Oxclove (http://www.33delivered.com) are looking to use an informal technology talent meet-up to meet prospective employees.
Both local technology companies share office space at 280 Wall Street in Kingston and work together on various projects and, until earlier this year, were jointly owned. Rather than continually collecting resumes off of multiple job listings, they hope to identify valuable talent and access the incredible range of professionals.
We are seeking individuals who are passionate about the internet; creative digital marketers, web developers, programmers, graphic artists, project managers, internet geeks, bloggers, application developers. In some cases, formal training is not necessary. For instance, individuals who are very active in social media, spend much of their personal time online and are able to navigate their way through different kinds of website profiles could be well suited for working with social media or link building. Perhaps you have built websites for friends and relatives, or designed an interactive game in your spare time. If you have a passion for this type of online focused, creative work, we would love to talk with you.
Not all traffic to your website is equal
Looking for online marketing campaign goal and objective examples and ideas? Below are a few common goal and objective instances with some notes to help you get started with your Internet marketing campaign.
Traffic does not equal traffic. Your campaign’s goal is to get visitors to your site who actually care about what you offer and will want to be there. There is no sense in putting in time and effort to drive traffic to your site that will then bounce (come to a page of your site and leave without visiting any other pages of your site). (more…)
Eager and composed yet anxious and daunted; these words best explain my demeanor as my tawny stained and worn laces scraped the flat of 280 Wall Street in Kingston, N.Y. for what would be the third time, but the first time as DragonSearch’s newest member; the Intern, or as I like to call it, the Apprentice. An apprenticeship seems so much more rewarding than an internship. The word intern seems cruel. It seems angry. I guess this is why one definition for an intern is to restrict to or confine within prescribed limits as a prisoner. But after having survived my first week here at DragonSearch, I feel little like a prisoner. I feel welcomed. Everyone seems to be willing to teach me; I feel like an apprentice. (more…)
Starting very soon, Google will include yet another panel on its SERP’s pages. This time we can expect a panel on the left side, opposite of the PPC ads. It has actually been there all along, but its default setting is set to be off. One can find it by clicking “more options” on any SERP page. Today is the day, according to PC World, that they make the default position “on.” Below is an example of all the new search refinements:
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After having just watched two Brian Solis webinars that cover topics from his recent publication, Engage and thinking about Social Media and its relationship to search and the changes that Google is making to include social results in search, the only words that keeps popping into my head are online content creation. As always, content needs to be the most important aspect for your online marketing campaign.
I’m always taking note of social sites that show up in search engine results. This morning, I was doing some research on ecommerce, comparing Shopatron with Amazon. I searched on “shopatron versus amazon” (sounds like a Godzilla movie, huh?) – and found a fairly high ranking result was a Facebook discussion.
This demonstrates that using your company’s fan page discussion module can be a driver of traffic. Of course, it drives traffic to Facebook, and not the business’s web site – but I’m of the mind that we’re going to grow less concerned with that. I can hear Etela Ivkovic, DragonSearch head of SEO, gearing up the war engines to refute the point, even though I’m 200 miles away today.
The point is, we’re going to have a presence in a LOT of places. Best practices would dictate that all those places point back to our main site – but as Joel Coen said, the first pages of Google results is your brand.
