The latest Google Algorithm update - Penguin

On 24 April, Google released its latest search algorithm update called Penguin. This update focused on 'webspam', which involves any practice that aims to rank a website higher in search engines, purposely using techniques that are against Google's guidelines and best practices.

The Penguin update primarily dealt with devaluing sites that were deemed to be participating in link schemes (or that had an unnatural number of links pointing to them), or websites that were ‘over-optimised’.

We recommend that you check your Google Analytics statistics, and if you notice a significant drop in traffic immediately after April 24th, then you may have been hit by the Penguin update. If you think you've been hit, speak to TA Fastrack about an SEO audit of your website to see what may have caused this penalty and provide advice on how to fix it and make sure your site is following all best practices and Google’s guidelines.

You can read more about the Penguin update here.

Pinterest: Do you need to start using it yet?

Is it time to add Pinterest to your marketing mix?

Here are a few key points for you to consider:

• Pinterest has an increasingly high amount of referral traffic.
• Research shows that Pinterest’s largest demographic is women aged between 25-44 years. Research also found that 44% of the women surveyed trust recommendations from fellow Pinterest users —that’s more than the trust levels for Facebook (33%) or Twitter (31%).
• Pinterest became very popular first with people who aren’t considered social media “power users.” This gives marketers a new audience to target.
• It's a great way to build a community and brand awareness with your customers.
• While Facebook and Twitter gives users the ability to add photos to their posts, Pinterest is the first social media site to combine the visual with outbound links.

For more information about social media marketing or if you need help getting started with Pinterest, speak with one of the marketing consultants at TA Fastrack today on 1300 659 289.

Get yourself out of a slump and back on the road to success

We've all been there, when you're feeling unmotivated and seemingly incapable of doing the tasks that need to be done.

Here are some tips for getting yourself out of a slump and getting back on track:

1. Write it all out - what do you want, what changes are you looking to make, what is your big dream.
2. Pick one goal - drill it down to just one goal, make it easy to achieve, now is not the time to challenge yourself too much.
3. Break it down into steps - write out all the little steps it will take to achieve this goal, and then number them in order of what needs to be done first.
4. Get organised - what do you need to get it done efficiently, de-clutter your space.
5. Delegate if possible - recruit others to the cause, or outsource to specialists.
6. Give yourself a time frame in which to get it done, and try to stick to it.
7. Re-read your goal and tasks several times a day to keep you focussed. If you find yourself slipping off into the land of YouTube or Facebook, then it is time to read your goal and tasks again.
8. Look at the other areas in your life that have been pushed off to the side and start to integrate them back into your daily routine. This might be as simple as walking the dog, or getting your receipts filed. 
9. Congratulate yourself on a job well-done. Every time you achieve something, even the small stuff, give yourself a pat on the back.

How to get your website ranking better with these SEO techniques

You need a sound SEO strategy to ensure that your website is found on search engines. Specific and targeted keywords and key phrases relating to your products and services used within your content, page titles and meta descriptions are all basic SEO techniques that will help with your website rank.

Below are some other SEO tips to help your website rank better:

1. Quality content is essential
Search engines will favour websites that provide high quality and unique content. Create content that your customers will find interesting and actually read.

2. Use relevant keywords
It’s still important to include relevant keywords and key phrases that your visitors will type into search engines to find your website. But ensure that you don't keyword stuff your paragraphs.

3. Link building
Integrate reputable links on your website and encourage other external websites to link to your website. This will help strengthen the reliability and reputation of your website.

Creating internal links within your website is also important. For example whenever you mention accommodation or things to do, link it to your rooms page or the location or activities page on your website.

4. SEO is a long term strategy
Continue to invest in your SEO strategy and it will slowly build up your page rankings over time. Getting found on search engines the organic way does not happen overnight. You have to continue to invest and work on your website.

If you would like more information on search engine optimisation for your website, speak to TA Fastrack today on 07 3040 3588.