In April 2011, Google began blocking keyword information from anyone who was logged into their Google or Gmail account while performing a search.  People who are logged in are taken to a default secure search page and any keywords they use are not included in Analytics.  So, the “(not provided)” listing found in Google Analytics keyword reports is actually the number of searches performed by people who were logged into their Google account when finding your website.

As of right now, this data is only being withheld from organic searches, so pay-per-click campaigns still have access to search information from people logged into their Google account.

Unfortunately, there is not much that people can do to access this information.  We recommend setting up landing pages that could help direct search traffic, which would give you a better understanding of how may people were searching specific terms.  There is a bright side to this, however, the “not provided” figures do give you insight into how many people are searching when logged into Google–information that would be helpful if you want to integrate certain functionality, like Google+, into your website

Google anticipates that 10% of searches will be affected by this, but with Google encouraging people to stay logged in while searching, chances are that the number of “(not provided)” results will probably rise.

Don’t panic just yet though. When all is said and done, Google Analytics is still a really useful tool in any online marketing strategy and we think the data it provides is crucial to understanding your website’s performance. This change may make keyword analysis and SEO a bit more challenging, but we’re confident our SEO experts can get the job done.

Thinking about an SEO strategy? Visit our blog for SEO tips or contact us today for more information about our SEO services.

The Thekla site was built using the same Joomla framework we used to develop the websites for its sister clubs: Rock City, Stealth, Bodega, Splendour, and Rescue Rooms.  This means administrators can easily manage the content management systems for all the sites, while the website design stays true to each venue’s character and audience.

Thekla’s website includes information on live gigs and club nights, a gig archive, and a ticket purchasing option. It also includes social media feeds, a blog, and audio and video clips on artist pages.

Check out the new Thekla website and let us know what you think.

For more information on our services, please contact our team of web developers today.

From Weight Watchers to Rosetta Stone we’ve helped some of the world’s leading brands improve their Facebook marketing campaigns, and the new site showcases case studies on some of our best Facebook work.

So whether you are looking for Facebook apps or Facebook tabs, or need help developing a Facebook strategy or advertising campaign, Cite Social is the website for you. You’ll also find information on our Facebook services for media agencies.

Interested in our Facebook services? Check out the Cite Social website and let us know what you think!

Google claims that the new changes will only affect 3% of searches, however many webmasters feel that this figure should be much higher.  They claim that websites using legitimate SEO techniques have found their rankings plummet overnight, including major sites such as last.fm (-25%), digg.com (-35%), and dictionary.com (-40%).  Other opponents of Penguin claim that search results have not improved at all, and in some cases are now giving poorer search results.  Major brand sites also seem to be given more prominence, which could negatively impact smaller companies and niche sites.

Google is by no means trying to prevent companies from carrying out an SEO strategy, in fact they’ve stated many times that they think SEO can be “positive and constructive.”  What Google is trying to prevent is the use of “black hat” SEO that relies on generating spam links and poor quality content.  Google has cited this excerpt as an example of a website that clearly uses improper SEO and will be penalised through Penguin:

As you can see, this example shows how poor SEO leads to badly written content, poor quality links and keyword stuffing. It’s no wonder Google wanted to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

What do our SEO experts recommend?
As with every Google update, you may experience a slight shift in ranking, however you can often retrieve your spot with adjustments to your SEO strategy.  The important thing is not to panic and continue using approved SEO activities.

You should also check your Google Analytics to see if traffic significantly dropped after April 24.  If it has then your site was affected by the new changes.

If you have hired a digital agency to carry our your SEO, check with them to make sure all of their methods adhere to Google best practice guidelines.

Develop an SEO strategy that includes measurable goals and includes multiple methods of implementation, for example blogging, article syndication and quality link building.

Evaluate your progress on a monthly basis to figure out if any changes need to be made to your SEO strategy.

Be patient.  Good SEO takes time to develop, but once you’ve gotten a good ranking it is easier to maintain.

We’ve always encouraged people to use legitimate SEO methods, such as posting well-written blogs, implementing professional online PR campaigns, and developing quality inbound links.  The introduction of Penguin confirms our opinion that SEO is a long-term strategy, and quick fixes are usually questionable.

Read our “SEO Tips for Business” blog post for more great tips, or contact us today for more information on our SEO services.

Have you come across any funny social media signs? Send them to studio@cite.co.uk and we’ll add them to our page.

The EU Cookie Legislation
A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent from a website to a computer or mobile phone to identify a user and their behaviour on the site.  Cookies track user activity so a site can provide tailored content, allow for additional functionality, such as social media sharing, and gather web traffic information.

In order to comply with the new regulation, websites must now inform visitors of any cookies used on the site and receive their consent before setting any cookies that the site does not need to function (for example Google Analytics).

Most cookies will fall under this new legislation, however there are some exceptions, including those designed for:

• Load-balancing
• Remembering shopping basket details on ecommerce sites
• Keeping user data secure, for example user identity information in online banking

The legislation will be monitored and enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). While the regulations do affect almost all websites, many businesses have actively chosen not to comply.

The Controversy
Preparing your website for the cookie law is simple enough, the debate is really about whether or not to comply at all.  Since it is expected that most people will not opt in to cookies, many companies and online marketers are concerned about the negative impact this law will have on information tracked through Google Analytics, as well as how useful a visitor will find a website.  Even the ICO has admitted that only 10% of its visitors have accepted its cookies since putting an announcement on its site, which is sure to have an effect on how the organisation understands its audience and how it proceeds with its online marketing.

Since companies are a bit wary in complying with this new law, we’ve put together a list of pros and cons for getting your website ready for the legislation.

Pros for complying:

• Avoiding any ICO penalties, which could include a fine of up to £500,000 for serious offenders
• Maintaining an open and honest relationship with your audience
• Showing that you take privacy seriously
• Auditing your website, which could lead to some well-needed housekeeping and better functioning of your site

Cons for complying:

• Less data from Google Analytics, making reporting unreliable
• Potentially less effective digital marketing campaigns
• Confusion and concern among your site’s visitors due to a sudden message about privacy and tracking
• Less information about your customers’ online activities, putting you at a disadvantage to competitors who are based outside the EU

There are some who argue that the ICO can’t actually enforce the new regulations and companies that do take some steps in compliance won’t have to worry about being penalised.  In a December press release the ICO stated, “The ICO will focus its regulatory efforts on the most intrusive cookies or where there is a clear privacy impact on individuals.” It’s no surprise then that many companies are waiting to see what the impact actually is and how the law will be enforced.

Our Thoughts
So, as a digital agency, what do we recommend companies do? In all honesty, the bare minimum.  Cookies are an important part of being able to provide an engaging user-experience and they are integral in understanding how your audience interacts with your site.  We join the ranks of the 82% of online marketers who don’t believe this legislation will benefit the web*.

That being said, we would suggest some steps in order to prepare for the deadline. We recommend all companies take an audit of how their website uses cookies and remove any that are unnecessary.  Also, familiarise yourself with the legislation and ICO guidelines so you know exactly what websites are required to do.

We recommend companies write an official cookie policy for their website that describes what cookies are used and what information is gathered from them.  This will inform users and put them at ease about how their information is tracked.

Ultimately the choice of asking for consent is up to you and either decision will have an effect on your online marketing.

This will be an interesting story to follow and we encourage all of you to make an informed decision on your company’s action regarding the new law. If you would like assistance in complying with the new legislation or want to discuss it further, please contact us 0116 254 9888.

The Global Business Challenge, which is held in partnership with Barclays, is an international business management competition open to full time undergraduates of public and private colleges and universities around the world. Cite were taken on board earlier this year to assist with implementing the GBC’s Facebook strategy and this is one of three Facebook tabs we’ve developed.

The new tab allows users to post a badge to their Facebook profile in support of one of the 22 participating countries in this year’s competition. The badges appear in a user’s Timeline and friends’ newsfeeds, and users can also invite others to take part.  To encourage people to revisit the app, we will be rolling out new badges for people to collect on their Facebook profile throughout the various stages of the competition.

In addition to the GBC Club, we’ve also developed the GBC Yearbook App and a Welcome Tab for the Global Business Challenge’s Facebook Page.

For more information on how our Facebook app developers can help your social media campaign, please contact us today.

Pay-Per-Click
The premise of PPC is that you only pay for an ad when somebody clicks on it.  So, if your ad is shown to 100 people and only 10 of them click through, then you will only pay for those 10 ads.

Costs can range from 10p per click to £10 and beyond.  Prices for PPC ads are generally based on a bidding system, so the more people who want to appear for a specific search term, the more expensive that word will be. Savings can be made on this type of ad by choosing keywords that are less competitive, so it is important to do research using keyword tools (like Google Adwords) and traffic analysis tools to determine how popular a search term is and how much it will cost.

PPC ads should be used when businesses have a call to action for the reader, for example visiting their website or filling out a contact form.  PPC ads are also good for businesses on a tight budget because they guarantee traffic to your website.

Pay-Per-Impression (Pay-Per-Mille)
PPM adverts are based around charging a pre-determined fee for every 1,000 impressions of an ad. So, for every 1,000 times your ad appears, you will be charged regardless of whether anyone clicked the link.   This type of ad is similar to more traditional forms of advertising in the fact that ads are placed in accordance to how many people will see it rather than how many people will be driven to your site.

Pay-per-impression ads are generally cheaper than PPC ads, however because they don’t guarantee any further action on the part of the viewer, they can end up costing a company more money for the same ROI.

Pay-per-impression adverts are great for companies that want to increase brand awareness and aren’t looking for anything beyond getting their name in front of as many people as possible.  In general, PPM campaigns require less keyword research than pay-per-click, however some research is still needed to make sure the right people are seeing the ad.

There may come a time when a PPM campaign is cheaper than a PPC campaign and is equally as effective.  This usually occurs after a PPC campaign has been running for some time, is fully optimised, and getting a high click through rate. So, it is always good practice to calculate what the tipping point is and when it is beneficial to switch over to pay-per-impression ads.

Comparison
Here’s a quick example of cost.  Let’s say you have a budget of £1,000 a month to spend for online advertising.  A pay-per-click campaign may cost you £1 per click, which would guarantee you 1,000 people would visit your website. But, with more money being spent per person, perhaps only 5,000 people would see your ad.  A pay-per-impression campaign, on the other hand, would allow more people to see the ad for your £1,000, for example 10,000 users, but there is no guarantee how many people would click through to your site. So, you could get 500 people going through to your website, or 5,000.

The decision to choose pay-per-click or pay-per-impression advertising should be based on the objectives of your campaign and how much money you are willing to spend.  Once a campaign has begun, monitor it regularly to make sure it is performing as expected and continue optimising it until you get the results you are looking for.

For more information on our online marketing services, including PPC/PPM campaign management for Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook, please contact us today.

Founded in October 2010, Instagram was originally launched as an iPhone app designed to let people share photos using their mobiles.  The app currently has over 30 million users (a mere drop in the bucket compared to Facebook’s 850 million) and they share 5 million photos a day. Part of Instagram’s popularity stems from the fact that users can share images to different social networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and that special filters can be applied to photos in order to change their look and feel.

Last week Instagram announced a new Android version, and since then it has been gaining 1 million users a day.  So what is this free mobile app worth? Well, according to Bloomberg News, just about $500 million, so why did Facebook pay twice that amount?

While Facebook hasn’t explained the reason behind this acquisition, here are a few possible suggestions:

• In its IPO filing, Facebook admitted that its mobile services aren’t what they should be and that so far it has not been a lucrative venture for them.  So one theory suggests that perhaps Instagram would help get Facebook’s mobile services up to speed.

• In June 2011, Facebook was reportedly working on a standalone photo-sharing app, however that was never released.  Some think Facebook couldn’t provide a better app, so it bought Instagram instead.

• Others think that Facebook acquired Instagram in an effort to stay ahead of its competitors.  Since both Google and Apple could have benefited from the app, and with the rise of photo-sharing social network Pinterest, Facebook may have been trying to keep competitors at bay before its IPO floats later this year.

• The acquisition may have been part of Facebook’s efforts to enhance Timeline since it has big expectations for this new layout.  Will Instagram encourage even more people to upload their photos onto Timeline?

The acquisition was made surprisingly fast and interestingly, this is the first time Facebook has made such a large purchase with a company that has this many users.  So whatever its reasons Facebook clearly wanted Instagram.

Instagram users, on the other hand are not so keen on the new deal, and many feel like their independent start up has gone corporate.  While Facebook and Instagram executives insist that Instagram will keep going independently, past Facebook acquisitions, including Friendfeed, Drop.io and Beluga haven’t been so lucky.

Whatever Facebook’s reasons were, this will be an interesting story to follow so keep checking out blog for any updates. What are your thoughts on the purchase? Leave your ideas in the comments section below.

Facebook and Instagram are just two of the social networks we could use to improve your social media strategy. Contact us for more information on our social media services.

Videx had very specific requirements for how their product catalogue should be structured. Based on this, our technical team selected MODx, a powerful Content Management System (CMS) as it met the project requirements perfectly. MODx now sits alongside Joomla, WordPress and Magento in the suite of open-source software solutions we use to develop websites for our clients.

The design of the site has been modernised and is being used as the basis for other marketing activities to promote the company.

Technical Director Rob Sands said “We’ve trusted Cite over the past 12 years to design our company web site and we’ve never been disappointed. We’re delighted with the new site, which continues to form a key part of our marketing and sales strategy. Cite have a great track record in delivering B2B manufacturer websites and are a pleasure to work with”.

Visit the Videx Security website today and let us know what you think.

For more information on our web development services, contact us today on 0116 254 9888.