How is your business taking advantage the 17 million Kenyans online?

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVATION…ITS TIME!!! 

The CCK released a report on Tuesday stating that we have 17 million Kenyans Online.

1. How will this impact the way you run your business?

Social media and  blogs are slowly becoming the platforms for businesses to promote their wares and grow the clientele base. Social media is instrumental in the success, sales and profit from any product.

2. How do you create more traffic? Capture more leads and convert them to sales?             

Contact our social media department for Social Media strategies, management and marketing

 Join us every Friday for Facebook Friday: 

http://www.facebook.com/GlassHousePr.ke

Join us every Tuesday for Twitter Tuesday: 

 https://twitter.com/glass_housePR

Email: info@glasshousepr.co.ke

  Call: 0727863090

10 Simple Google+ Tips!!! How does Google + work?

Google+ is arguably the most powerful social media platform for you and your business,With 343 million active users as of January 2013, Google+ is the second most popular Social Media Platform, second only to Facebook. 

Yep, you heard right - there are more active users on Google+ than on Twitter!

But the sheer number of users is only part of the equation. The real reason that Google+ is so important for SEO is quite simple. It's owned by Google - the be all and end of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Google is the largest search engine on the Internet. And in a world where your search rank is key to people finding you on the Internet - and using your services - an active Google+ profile can significantly boost your search ability.

If you have a Google+ account, try running a Google search on your own name. More often than not, the top results will be in Google+, rather than Facebook or Twitter.

So how can you take advantage of Google+ to help push up your SEO ranking?

Today's article shares 10 simple tips to take advantage of Google+ from an SEO standpoint!

Here are 10 simple steps to help make Google+ work for you: 

1.   Use It. (Sign up already!)

This is pretty basic. If you haven't done so already - it's time to sign up! You may not be first to the party, but you can still get on board and start using the platform to advance your business. 

2.  Set Up (or edit) Your Profile Carefully - With SEO in Mind!

As you set up your profile, SEO should be driving your word choice and decisions. Use your keywords in descriptions, titles and texts on your profile. Even your picture can be optimized! Choose a great photo that your readers and followers will want to look at. Then put an author tag on your photo that includes some of your keywords.

If you already have a Google+ profile, review what you have written there and make edits to add in your keywords. 

·   Is your picture compelling and friendly? 

·   Does your profile leave the impression that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy on the topics that matter?

3.  Set Aside 10 Minutes a Day for Google+.

Just 10 minutes. Dedicate the time while you're drinking your morning coffee or do it each day just before lunch. Spending a few minutes every day on Google+ can do wonders for your SEO and will boost your overall web presence.

Add posts, share interesting links or build new connections. Put yourself out there to connect with other users, clients and experts in your field. Share your knowledge and build your reputation by posting relevant, interesting links! 

4.  Include Keywords and Relevant Links on Your About Page

Choose your keywords carefully. Think about what your customers will be searching for and where your specific expertise lies. Use the Google Keywords tool to analyze which keywords are best worth investing in.

Don't be afraid to play around with content and keywords over time to track how different keywords affect your click through rates. While getting accurate data requires a critical mass of readers and several months of data,be patient! Looking at how people are interacting with your site and profile according to keywords can provide you with priceless data.

Once you have honed in on keywords that you want to push, you want to USE THEM all the time on Google+.

Google+ offers limitless opportunities to place keywords and relevant links inside the text that you produce. On your About page, include links to your business website or blog.  You can also link back to specific posts or pages within your website, so your readers will quickly have access to the information that is most relevant to their needs. 

5.   Use Keywords in Your Titles

Google+ sees the first sentence of each of your posts as the Title. This title tag ranks very highly in SEO and is a crucial place to include keywords. Use as many keywords as you can, without taking away from readability. Writing great first sentences will not only push your ranking; it's also the crucial place to pull in your reader. More often than not, a reader will decide in those first few words whether or not  to keep on reading! 

6.  Engage Your Audience:

This is true for any social media platform. The larger your network and the more involved you are, the more power your presence will have on any given platform. During your daily 10 minutes, spend time engaging with people in your field as well as with potential customers and clients.

Write posts that are interesting and factual. Establish your expertise and use your keywords and links whenever you can (without being obnoxious.)

As you build your presence, your circles will grow and your SEO ranking will soon follow suit. 

7.  Use Google+ Events

The Google+ Events feature is relatively new, but it's a great way to connect with your audience. You can use Google+ Events to design custom invitations to events both off and online. Whether inviting clients to a webinar or Google Hangout online, or welcoming business partners to an evening out to say thank you, Google+ Events presents another opportunity to boost your online presence and - of course - to use your keywords, build up your network and boost your SEO.

What are some other great bonuses of Google+ Events? 

·    You can invite users whether or not they are on Google+. 

·    Google+ Events syncs with your (and your users') Google Calendars! 

·    The "Party Mode" feature lets all the attendees instantly upload photos into an online album of the event, via the Google+ mobile app 

8.  Set Up Google Authorship for SEO Benefits

We wrote last week about the importance of getting credit for your writing with Google Authorship .  Google Authorship also has benefits for SEO. When you post blogs and writing around the web and use Google Authorship, the content will include a link straight back to your Google+ profile. Your Google+ profile picture (which, is of course already optimized for SEO) will appear next to the content you write.

By using Google Authorship, you can ensure that your smart, savvy writing, whether on Google+ or elsewhere, is working boost your ranking. So remember to include keywords in what you write, as well as links back to your website or blog.

Posts with Google Authorship rank higher in SEO and are generally thought of as more credible - thus resulting in higher click through rates.

9.  Check Your Circle Rank

Google+ has a feature where you can check your circle rank score. This can help you track your growth and see how your profile compares to other Google+ profiles in your field. The feature also allows you to track the success and virality of specific posts.

Use this tool regularly to monitor what's working, and where you need to make changes. 

10.   Edit at Will!

One significant difference between Google+ and other social media platforms is that you can edit Google+ posts at any time.   If you see a post is going viral and that you want to add in a few more keywords - you can do it! If you start targeting new keywords, you can return to old posts and add them in. This flexibility is a great advantage over other platforms.

Google+ is a mecca for SEO opportunities! More than any other social media platform, Google+ offers a way to boost your ranking and give your visibility a huge push. If you want to use social media to find clients - and help them find you and your page - the 10 minutes a day on Google+ will quickly pay off.

QUESTIONS:

·  Have you had success with a Google+ Hangout? How many people came? What worked? What didn't?

·   Has a client or customer recently found you through Google+ ? Tell us about it!

By Kimgarst

Is your Facebook Business Page ready for Graph Search?

 Is your business ready for Facebook Graph Search?

This could be the biggest thing to hit the Internet since Google. Seriously!

For your business, this new search tool represents an exciting new way for you to find customers, followers and for customers to find you.

So what is Graph Search?

Graph Search is Facebook’s latest feature and it’s being rolled out to users in the coming weeks.  Some have it and some are still waiting for it to show up. Graph Search will allow users to search through Facebook’s content. It’s a search engine that searches only within Facebook. Unlike Google, results on Facebook will be more specified for each user and his or her social network.

The results will be based on three factors: Keyword, Category and Connection.

Keyword – Similar to Google, Facebook will scan all of the content on Facebook for words that match the user’s search terms. Unlike Google, the search results will be limited to Facebook content within the searchers network.

Category – In putting together search results, Facebook will scan the Categories that pages use to self-define their business. This is particularly important for Business Facebook Pages.

Connection – This is the key! Facebook will prioritize results based on who the searcher knows and who is in their larger network. (Friends and friends of friends for example.) 

Because we all prefer to take recommendations from people we know, Facebook will show results based on people within our networks and also relate them to location.

I still don’t get it. How does this work?

Let’s say a user searches for “Web Design” on Facebook’s Graph Search. Facebook will scan for the keywords, “Web Design” placing particular emphasis on looking for businesses that have Web Design listed as their category. Facebook scans profiles and pages for likes, check-ins, posts and comments. It’s important to remember that Facebook will only scan within the searchers network, so results are limited to pages with a connection to the user. Connection can relate to physical location or shared connections that have liked, commented on or otherwise interacted with a page.

So how can you get your page ready for Facebook’s Graph Search?  Dedicate some time to updating your Facebook Page. Just follow these 7 simple steps – and get ready for customers to start finding you! 

1.       Update Your Category

Take a few minutes to think about how you have categorized your business. Make sure the category describes what you do as accurately as possible. Your page category will hold significant weight in search results. 

2.       Location, Location, Location

Graph Search will look at the location of the searcher in relation to the location of businesses and other users, giving priority to results that are geographically close by. Make sure you have up-to-date address information on your Facebook page.

It’s also important to encourage your fans and friends to Check In to your business. This will help boost your ranking and the strength of your geographical location. 

3.       Write Your About Section with Keywords In Mind

When writing the About Section for your Facebook Page profile (see above graphic), think about what keywords your potential clients will be looking for. Use as many keywords as possible, but make sure the content is coherent and reads well. Use words that not only describe what you do, but also relate to specific search terms that you want to link back to your site.

4.       Keywords are Key – Use them in Tags!

Graph Search will look at Tags when analyzing results. So Tag pictures and write posts using your keywords. Encourage your customers or clients to tag your business as much as possible as well. Whether posting new photos, links, graphs or video clips, tag them profusely with keywords. 

5.       Content

Now that your Facebook content will be searchable, producing informative and compelling content on your Facebook page will be much more important. Post as frequently as you can.

Write posts that not only use your keywords, but also will attract likes, comments and interactions. Give people content they can use – whether to make them smile and laugh or to help them in their life in some way.

If Facebook sees that people are interacting with your page, it will get higher priority in Search results. And a larger network of followers on your page will mean you have a better chance of showing up in results. Each new Like or Follow connects you to a whole network of new potential clients! 

6.       Do Your Research.

Facebook’s Graph Search is new! New developments will be coming out all the time and even the experts are still learning exactly how Graph Search will work and how it can be used to help your business. Keep reading and learning about this new tool to make sure you know how to use it to best help your business. 

7.       Get on Early!

One of the best ways to ensure your business is on board and showing up in searches is to start using the tool as soon as possible. Facebook is releasing Graph Search in Beta version to users slowly. 

If you want to be one of the first ones to graph search you can sign up here to join the waiting list here: https://www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch

To sum it all up…

Graph Search is a whole new world and while it may seem daunting, it should be pretty simple to learn to use. Keep in mind the three keys – Keywords, Category and Connections – and you will master it in no time.

This new tool has incredible opportunity to help your customers (and their friends – and their friends’ friends) find you! Most successful businesses know that the best kind of advertising is word of mouth – and Facebook Graph Search allows you to incorporate the power of personalized recommendations with the large scale of social media.

By Kimgarst