Original Content is Where it’s At: Hard Evidence
Skeptical about this thing we call “content merchandising”?
For anyone who needs a reminder about why unique content is important, or for anyone trying to win that argument with a colleague, SEOmoz offers a short case study of none other than the Bodum Fyrkat Nipper. (No, you aren’t actually supposed to know what that is, but a name like that calls for a dramatic introduction. It’s grill tongs.) Using keyword analysis tools and page strength numbers, Kate Morris demonstrates that “even a tiny original bit of content can set the page apart from competitors.” This is how a small business based in upstate New York (up-upstate, a stone’s throw from Canada) was able to rank just below Zappos in the SERP for this product.
Read about the research process at seomoz.org.
Social Media Videos: Entertainment before Advertising
On ReelSEO, Blake Sanders shares eight tips for creating successful social media videos. Creativity, freshness, and frequency are key, as is what Sanders calls high energy. Treat your video as entertainment, rather than as advertising, and use the tools of the entertainment industry to keep viewers engaged (lights, angles, and other such cinematography). And, of course, make your content accessible and shareable.
Read the other tips at reelseo.com.
Mobile: Not Just an E-Commerce Platform
We already know that M-commerce is the next big thing, that retailers are and need to be scrambling to stay on top of this new platform, etc. etc. Let’s think beyond the phone, though. Some retailers are using mobile tools to enhance brick-and-mortar shopping by way of apps that give access to catalogs and to inventory in nearby stores, provide rewards for completing challenges in a game, and make it easy to scan barcodes to compare prices.
Find out which stores are successfully utilizing mobile at adage.com.
