Internet marketing news roundup, August 5

This week’s internet marketing news headlines might remind marketers that content is king when it comes to SEO. From Google News updates to content marketing spend reports, it’s becoming increasingly clear that businesses are turning to content (distributed across search and social channels) to become visible on the web.

For the first time since it’s launch, Google+ didn’t completely dominate the online marketing conversation this week. Of course, the social network made some headlines after comScore released more figures about its rapid rise. Multiple sources have reported that the figures suggest the social network is the fastest growing one to date, with 25 million users.

Meanwhile, Facebook entered the online marketing conversation again. The site generated buzz because of a recent eMarketer webinar on turning Likes into loyalty, which demonstrated that some organizations have made money off of Facebook. It also made (perhaps less positive) headlines when a Roost study indicated that just 15 percent of local businesses’ Facebook fans were actually local….

Another social network that made major headlines this week is LinkedIn. LinkedIn now reaches 115.8 million U.S. members, and its revenue is rising. Businesses’ revenues might also rise if they harness the site to reach consumers. The platform’s content aggregator, LinkedIn Today, is likely linked to its Q2 growth, which might remind marketers to publish quality content to the social site (and others) to catch clicks from users.

Speaking of content marketing, a new industry report released by the Custom Content Council reveals that content marketing adoption has hit 79 percent. Moreover, nearly half of marketers say they will be investing in more website updates this year. Website updates include adding new blog posts, articles or other content pages to a site. Last year, marketers updated their sites about three times on average, and more frequent updates are on the horizon this year. (Brafton has reported this is good for post-Google Caffeine SEO as well as sales; fresh content for blog marketing brings leads, with 90 percent of businesses that gain clients via blog marketing updating their content multiple times per day.)

On a similar note, Brafton reported two case studies of content marketing success this week. In a Brafton blog, we went over how content led to Panda recovery for a client site. We also reported that one company saw business increase 600 percent thanks to blog content that generated demand for its products.

Those looking to develop content marketing strategies that will convert site visitors might want to check out recent insights from search expert and author Louis Rosenfeld. He advises that sites use site search analytics (SSA) can help determine what type of content will best engage their convertible audiences. In a Search Engine Land interview, he detailed the benefits of SSA with respect to strategic content.

Google is offering news content marketers a new way to get their content visible in search. As Brafton reported, the search giant announced an Editors’ Picks page this week. The feature lets marketers showcase their most relevant timely content pages in an RSS-like tab along the right side of News results. Of course, this option is only available to brands with content featured in Google News… but marketers may content marketing attracts links from mainstream journalists. A recent study from Arketi indicates that 91 percent of journalists search the web for leads, and around half turn to company blogs for leads.

In addition link building, the SEO benefits of quality site content are becoming clear in light of Google’s recent webspam report update. The company launched the new webspam form this week, and Google’s Matt Cutts has called it the most dramatic update in around 10 years.

Another Google change making headlines is the company’s new ad placement (trial). As Brafton reported, some users are seeing ads at the bottom of SERPs. In contrast to Bing’s recent test of mixing ads into organic results, Google’s approach may translate into organic listings get pushed toward the top of search screens (meaning more organic results above the fold) and more emphasis on natural listings.

Next week, marketers will want to be on the lookout for updates about Google and Bing’s ad placements and the potential implications for organic listings. Plus, we might expect Google+ memberships and buzz to offer some indication about whether or not the site will have longevity as a social marketing platform – and how it could impact Google search results…. Stay tuned!

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