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.

Is it time to revamp your website?

If you feel that rebuilding your website from scratch is too daunting a task, then you could consider revamping or re-skinning your website. Below are some reasons why you should consider revamping your website:

1. Quicker turnaround time
By using the basic structure and content of your existing website, you can achieve a new and revitalised look and feel for your website in a very shorter amount of time then if you were to rebuild a new website from scratch.

2. Custom designed website
A web designer can work with your existing website structure and create custom designed mock-up to suit your company’s branding and personality.

3. Updated graphics and styles
All it takes to make your website look fresh and modern is some new graphics, or a simple layout update. This could include fresh and updated colours, updated photos etc.

4. Lower initial cost
A revamped website could be a cheaper option then designing a whole new website from scratch.

5. Increase conversion rate and ROI
Revamping your website could help increase your website conversion.

If you would like more information about a website design for your business, speak to one of the marketing consultants at TA Fastrack today on 1300 659 289.

The Complete Guide to Successful Landing Pages - An infographic

The Complete Guide to Successful Landing Pages - An infographic by the team at Pardot Marketing Automation

Top tips to get more 'likes' and fans on Facebook

Below are some tips for businesses who have a Facebook page and want to increase the number of fans.

Share great content
It’s important to keep the needs of your customers in mind – why are you on facebook and why should they like your page?

We recommend sharing relevant, informative and useful information. For example, links to interesting videos, articles, blog posts, news, photos etc. Content is central to driving likes and engagement and it's important to always have fresh and relevant content to get new customers and keep existing ones.

To keep fans interested, we recommend the 80/20 rule - 80% of all content on your page should be targeted at the customer and their interests (eg links to videos, photos, ask questions etc) and the other 20% can be sales focused updates about your products and latest promotions and specials.

Keeping your fans interested
The key to attracting more ‘likes’ and to keeping the attention of existing fans. We recommend building a lifestyle or concept around the brand. For example, posting photos of the view, or links to major events in the area to entice fans to visit your property again.

The new timeline look
Facebook recently changed the layout of business’ pages to display posts as branches on a timeline. The most recent content appear at the top of the page. The new timeline best suits photos and businesses can pin a special offer at the top of the page.

Run a competition
One of the easiest ways of getting more fans is running a competition with material incentives.

Research shows that 57% of consumers follow a business or brand's facebook page so they can enjoy a discount at that business. The second most popular was giveaways, with 45% of respondents indicating this as a motivator for engaging with a business or brand on social media, followed by invitations to events and product information (41% each).

Before you run a competition, make sure you adhere to Facebook's contest regulations and guidelines.

Facebook Ads
Another easy way of building fans is by using Facebook Ads. The ads work in a similar way to Google’s AdWords as they are priced on a pay-per-click basis that businesses bid for. The beauty of Facebook ads is that it can be targeted to your specific demographics or interest, for example, female aged 25-45, living in Sydney, who have expressed an interest in travel etc.

Facebook ads are very learn to set up and flexible.


If you need any further information about Facebook marketing, speak to TA Fastrack today on 07 3040 3588 or visit www.tafastrack.com.au for more details.