During Giving Back Month the folks at WebFuel have decided to use our Social Media for Social Good. We believe that Social Media is an incredible tool that can be used the change the world around us. It can help share a story. Increase awareness about an initiative. Influence the community around you. Raise money. Its reach, power, and versatility are incredible, and when used the right way, can make the world a better place.

We have invited a group of guest bloggers from local and national charities to tell us how they have used their Social Media for Social Good. Our first guest blogger in this series was Stacey Diffen-Lafleur who wrote about how The United Way Ottawa uses Social Media for Social Good. Next up Alexandra Reid tells us about how Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa is Using Social Media to make a difference.

Social Media for Social Good: Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa

Since its inception in 1970, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been an inherently social organization. Long before Social Media platforms began operating as virtual community centers, our locally focused and locally run programs were founded on the same principles that have now transferred into best practices in the Social Media space, namely community building and engagement.

There is nothing more fundamentally social than friendship, and while we believe that face-to-face interaction is vital to developing healthy bodies and minds in our young people today, technology can also play an important role in communication as well as initiating and maintaining healthy relationships.

As our organizational goals and those of Social Media align, it was only natural that we use these channels to develop the programs we’ve always provided on a deeper and wider scale. Our Ottawa chapter strives to be on the leading edge of the Big Brothers Big Sisters movement in Canada, and that includes adopting innovative technologies that allow our community to connect with us on their own terms.

Many of the young adults, youths and children suitable for our programs fall into the group widely known today as “Generation Y,” or the “Millennial generation.” The majority of the young people that fall into this category are so-called “digital natives,” which means they have never known a world without digital technology. Social Media has proven to be an excellent way of connecting with this tech-savvy demographic. They’re on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn sharing their experiences and asking questions about our organization, and so we’re on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn too, listening, answering and engaging.

Not to be boastful, but as a team of community-minded individuals, we do “get” what social really means. It does not mean aimlessly shouting press releases at our community, even if they are well disguised as tweets and status updates. It does mean listening and responding helpfully to our community’s inquiries and sharing appropriate and timely content that our community wants to hear about.

We’re also quite technologically savvy in our strategy, using Hootsuite to monitor Social Media streams for content shared by others, Google Reader to stay on top of blog posts and LinkedIn Answers relevant to our space and a wide range of analytics tools to track and measure our progress.

While staying on top of news in our space and finding appropriate opportunities to engage with our community isn’t exactly an easy job, Social Media has rewarded us in so many ways, we can’t imagine why anyone would be so silly as to ignore this valuable opportunity.

How, specifically, has Social Media helped us connect and build our community?

Social Media helps us establish relationships

Through monitoring Twitter streams, we find numerous people interested in learning more about our program and sharing their experiences. Even if these individuals aren’t in the Ottawa area, we reach out to them to answer their questions, start conversations and share their experiences on our channels. The simple act of listening bridges important relationships and gives confidence to those individuals that we truly believe in what we are advocating. Furthermore, sharing important stories demonstrates that we value and support their opinions and ideas as well. Listening and being supportive are virtues we encourage in our volunteers and so we must also practice them ourselves in the Social Media space.

But while our approach is genuine, it’s not entirely selfless. We are working to achieve specific goals by dedicating time to these platforms, and encouraging and then recruiting previously prospective volunteers is certainly a central goal if we are to continue moving our organization forward.

Social Media helps us maintain and develop relationships

Social Media has not only helped us recruit new volunteers, but also aided us in maintaining long lasting relationships that are vital to our success. In addition to volunteers, we also require consistent donations to continue running our programs. Social Media gives us the ability to open our doors completely and express our humanity online, while also allowing us to reach out to important financial supporters and develop those credible and trusting relationships that last.

Social Media helps us get our messages out

We also use Social Media to share our achievements, events and other news. To ensure a healthy balance, we follow the 80/20 rule, which suggests that just 20 percent of content shared by businesses and organizations is about themselves, while 80 percent is about others. Not only is this approach the most social, it’s also the most successful because it encourages reciprocal relationships whereby others feel encouraged to share our content, giving us the ability to tap into other communities and establish wider authority on our channels.

We also share our content creatively. Instead of simply tweeting the title of a press release, we engage response from our communities by asking questions and starting discussions around the content. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Value of an Hour campaign, which exploded across Social Media channels nationwide, was proof that this approach works.

Social Media is also used to promote our upcoming events, such as Climb4KidsOttawa, a rock-climbing event to raise awareness and donations for Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa. Additionally, we start LinkedIn discussions, and ask questions through LinkedIn Answers and post our content as responses to relevant blog posts and news articles. There really is no end to how organizations can creatively share their content in ways that resonate with their audiences.

How do you use Social Media effectively and what are the benefits you have seen as a result of your efforts?

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) is the leading child and youth serving organization providing mentoring programs across the country. Providing support to more than 1000 Canadian communities, our over 128 local agencies offer the service that the organization was founded on: One-to-One Matching. Men and women (age 18 or older) give of their time to become a mentor to a young person who can greatly benefit from having an adult role model to look up to.

Times change. Volunteers change. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada has also changed. In response to the different needs and demands of children, youth, and volunteers alike, we have created new programs to fit our changing society. Couples for Kids, Cross Gender Matching, In-School Mentoring, Big Bunch, and Kids ‘n’ Kops group programs (for those kids on the waiting lists), and the new Life Skills Program all provide a variety of opportunities for volunteering and support to children and youth.

Each local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency is responsible for responding to its own community’s needs, so please see what exciting and innovative programs are being offered at your local agency.

If you are thinking about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, contact your local agency.

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Social Media for Social Good: Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

During Giving Back Month the folks at WebFuel have decided to use our Social Media for Social Good. We believe that Social Media is an incredible tool that can be used the change the world around us. It can help share a story. Increase awareness about an initiative. Influence the community around you. Raise money. Its reach, power, and versatility are incredible, and when used the right way, can make the world a better place.

We have invited a group of guest bloggers from local and national charities to tell us how they have used their Social Media for Social Good.Our first guest blogger in this series is Stacey Diffen-Lafleur who shares with us how The United Way Ottawa is using their Social Media for Social Good.

Social Media for Social Good: United Way Ottawa

We are always looking for ways to engage new audiences, to spread our reach and get their help to make our community better for everyone. We do this by sharing stories, demonstrating impact and making it easy for people to talk with us. Social Media has made a difference in our outreach strategy and how we engage people from across our city to make change happen.

Why are we using it? It’s a community conversation that everyone can contribute to and build on.

We’ve found that Social Media opens new doors for us. Since 2009 the team at United Way Ottawa has been using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Flickr to have a conversation.

Let me be clear, it’s not all about fundraising either. Our business is engagement. We use Social Media to demonstrate results, to share stories of the lives we’ve helped to change and to invite people to interact with us all with a goal of making our community stronger, healthier and safer for everyone.

Here are a couple of examples of where we’ve seen social media really make a difference.

Reaching out to up-and-coming leaders

Schmoozefest - an event run by our Next Generation Cabinet – recently celebrated six years with a complete sell-out. Money raised goes back into the community, again helping to make a difference in our community. How did we build a buzz about Schmoozefest? Via Twitter. And the people that came to schmooze got a lot more than they expected. Kelly Rusk, a member of Ottawa’s twitter community was there and shared her Schmoozefest experience through a post at Local Tourist Ottawa’s Blog.

And that’s just one aspect of social media supporting the work we do.

Bloggers are media too

We give bloggers the same access we give media, and we give them the same materials and same opportunities to meet and interview. And you know what? They like it. They write about us, they help us get the word out via the blogosphere about the work we are doing in and for our community.

QR Codes, offering more than just a quick read

QR (quick response) codes are another new way we are sharing stories of people who have had their lives changed through the help of United Way Ottawa. This year our print ads that feature people from our community contain a QR code that takes a reader directly to their story on our website, both written and in video format. What once was just a single view before the page is turned, is now generating traffic on our website and as a result, broadening our reach. Melissa’s story, a LiveWorkPlay program participant, has been scanned hundreds of times.

Twitter – a launch pad

Twitter remains one of my favourite ways to talk with people in Ottawa – and at the beginning I devoted a lot of time to building a following – both for my personal account and for @UnitedWayOttawa, our corporate account. Today the corporate account has its own momentum and has outpaced @TheStacey by several hundred followers. It is an instant channel to share daily campaign totals – which are retweeted regularly by news outlets and the general public. We use it to share lives changed too, these also get a lot of RTs. Everyone has a hand in helping us make change happen in our community.

Social Media helps us to educate our donors, partners and our community about how we are investing their gifts and the results we are working towards. Additionally, we use it to help other companies who are holding events, doing workplace campaigns, or soliciting other kinds of support like sponsorships, volunteers or gifts in kind.

Over the next few months we’ll be rolling out a new, fully-sponsored website, and building on a grant we’ve received from Google, we’re developing a Google AdWords campaign. I am certain that other channels will appear, and some may change, but one thing I know, the conversation about our community and the potential for everyone – no matter where they work or how they want to engage – to make it better will only grow. Social Media is where that conversation is happening, I invite everyone to join.

Stacey Diffin-Lafleur, Senior Director, Marketing at United Way Ottawa has more than 19 years of marketing experience and is one of Ottawa’s social media community pioneers. She gets the Internet, she gets communication and she gets the impact that conversations – online and off – can deliver for our community.

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Social Media for Social Good: United Way Ottawa is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

As the Search Strategist for WebFuel, I respond to the company’s SEO inquires and unfortunately hear many horror stories. As a result, I work more and more on resolving serious Search issues on behalf of newly acquired clients. Most of the time, what has been done from a SEO perspective (previous to hiring us) is a mystery. So…. like a Search Detective, I work to solve the case.

Here are the top most startling Search issues.

1. Not in the Google Index (at all)
   This sadly happens too often. We have had to resolve this type of Search issue more than any other – and it is serious. The most common reason is that the client did not have a Search Engine Friendly website built. In other words, the Search Engines cannot crawl their site. This means no indexation – and they will NOT show up in a Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page). You should hear the client’s blood curdling scream when this is brought to light.

2. Disappearing from Organic Search
   This is horrifying!!! One day key high-ranking web pages, or even worse, an entire website, no longer appears in Google SERPs. And… even more terrifying, this is often not noticed for quite a while as no one is even monitoring this.

3. Wrong Geographic Area (not your target location)
   Yikes!!! We see many variations of this frightening issue. Canadian businesses targeting the United States – Google.com but appearing in Google Canada (Google.ca). This requires lots of expertise to resolve (not simply hiring an American SEO Agency). Or… equally disastrous, Canadian companies whereby the target location is Canada – and Google displays their search results in the USA on Google.com. At the local level, Search Engine repositioning is required due to wrong city (i.e. Nepean Search rather than an Ottawa Search) or not entire geo-graphic region (i.e. province).

4. Stolen Web Traffic(that should belong to you)
   This issue is rarely known by the website owner (how chilling) – and only discovered when we audit the account. The most popular perpetrators are the client’s competitors (or the agency that was hired by the competitor), the business themselves (due to a poor online strategy) – and the worst violation, in my opinion, a third party supplier for the client. We have seen a huge increase in this type of scenario over the past year. The 3^rdparty vendor steals (and some are big well-known brands) your web traffic in order to improve their results on your behalf.

5. Bad SEO (Black Hat Techniques)
   Call it bad SEO practices or unethical standards it’s quickly becoming the norm (now that is scary). In our SEO Audits, we have discovered keyword stuffing, hidden text, duplicate content, cloaking, doorway pages, improper use of redirects and extremely questionable linking strategies – including invisible links on a page and inbound links from bad neighbourhoods (how creepy!!!).
   This is mostly due to the inexperience of the Search Engine Optimizer and simply not understanding the complexly of SEO.  But we also see many cases whereby the SEO strategy is based on intentionally “tricking” the Search Engines. This is known as “Black Hat” techniques. The real horrifying story here is businesses most don’t know that they have hired a Black Hat SEO Agency.

6. Keywords Scams, Myths & Issues
   This list is endless… SEOs selling organic keywords “you can buy these two”, rank for keywords that no one searches for, translating researched keywords from English into French (this doesn’t work) or hiring an agency that also works for your keyword competitors (no non-compete clause or they don’t honour it).

7. Google Ban (Organic & Paid)
   This is the worst horror story from our perspective. Not adhering to, or in compliance with AdWords policies resulting in a permanently suspended account. Yes – this means no Ads on Google. Or likely an even worse nightmare, violating Google Webmaster Guidelines – and getting banned from Organic Search. As a result, your website no longer appears for branded & non-branded keywords. You are now invisible in a Search!

Got your own SEO horror stories? Please share your chilling tales.

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SEO Horror Stories: From a Canadian Perspective is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

What is a Google Places Page?

 Formally known as Google Local Business Center, Google Places is like the Yellow Pages of the Internet. Think of it like a Google local web page or an online listing of your business. This local listing can display information about your business in text, image & video format and is tied into Google Maps. According to Google, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online. And… over the past year, the Search Engine’s local algorithm in Canada has resulted in more visibility for local organic search results on Google.ca.

Google Places and Google Maps appear in a Google SERP in the organic section. It’s important to understand the placement. In a previous blog post, we addressed the layout of a Canadian Google Search Engine Results Page in terms of Organic Search vs. Paid Search as well as where the engine displays Google Maps and Places. It is very prominent. Check it out if you require better understanding.

With Halloween just around the corner, and people searching for pumpkin picking farms in Ottawa, we decided to feature a local Places page.

Here is an example of a Local Ottawa Google Places Listing:

Google Canada Place Profile for a Pumpkin Farm in Ottawa

Business Information Section
This section is ideally provided by the business owner. It includes the name of the business, relevant categories, a short description, address, website and photo number. A web visitor can phone you, visit your website for more information and get directions via Google Maps (Canada).

Photo Section
Business owners and Google users can upload photos. These photos generally include storefront, products sold and people behind the business. They must, of course, follow Google’s guidelines. Videos can also be uploaded.

Review Section
“What people are saying” about your business in a review format falls under this section. Reviewers must have a Google account to post. Owners have the ability to respond to positive as well as negative reviews.

Related Content Section
Related places that appear in this area of your profile are generated by Google. It’s based on the Google Places algorithm. Google displays other related Places pages in your geographic area. If you are positioned properly in Local Search, you will also appear on your competitor page in this section.

Google Maps Section
This section is also generated by the Search Engine based on your Places listing. Google displays a street view with a map icon to indicate your location. Web visitors can click on the map for a large view and get directions by car, bus, walking or by bike (if applicable).

Google Ads Section
Unlike your listing that is free, this section is for paid ads. This is where Google Ads (known as AdWords) are displayed. While you cannot remove these ads, you can certainly place your text ads on Places Pages.

How does this relate to SEO?
From a SEO perspective, your Google Places profile page can give you visibility in the SERPs beyond your website. Think of it as an additional web property. Depending on your industry, and relevancy from a Google perspective, your Places listing can even outrank your website based on a local branded geo-search. You can also rank in Places for generic searches based on related local non-branded keyword queries. And… your business listing can send you qualified web traffic via the inbound link on your page (SEOs’ love this!).

Your business can also appear on other Places pages under related places and/or in the ads section. From our perspective, this means more visibility in local search!

At least 20% of Canadian searches are local. People search Google.ca and Google Maps to find local businesses. Claim it, optimize it, monitor it -and measure it!

Can you get found?

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SEO & The Anatomy of a Google Places: From a Canadian Perspective is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Delaney Turner, originally from the radio world, now works with IBM as their Social Business Strategist. He commences his presentation with an up-beat video celebrating IBM’s centennial. Delaney talks about how IBM is evolving into a Social business while keeping their core competencies of intelligence and the emphasis on thinking. He claims that they are much more dynamic and entrepreneurial than most people believe. He even references some mock acronym meanings that people have associated with IBM, such as “I Block Momentum”. Turner ensures us that this is definitely not the case. “Our world is becoming smarter – it is now instrumented, interconnected and intelligent” says Turner.

IBM began their internal social movement back in 2003 with a board called ValueJam which they crowd sourced behind the firewall. From there, they continued to grow socially. They understand that Social Media is like any other new technology. He gives the example of the phone. Don’t restrict it. Allow people to learn, discover and use it efficiently. If you treat people like adults and give them autonomy, they are more likely to use the tool responsibly.

Turner goes on to talk about the limitations of email, and how it is inefficient, and in a way, anti-social. “Email is where information goes to die” Turner says. It is a closed, limited and siloed was of storing and sharing information. Instead, IBM has integrated Social into everything they do. Every morning they have meetings with all of their brands and subject matter experts to strategize how to use Social more effectively.

Next, Turner explains the value of blogging. He says that through blogging, IBM employees have been able to create an enormous amount of buzz and awareness by increasing social interactions and ranking higher in search results for specified keywords. Given the tools and autonomy, IBM employees have been able to share their expertise and capitalize on the power of the Social space. Today, not a single campaign or event goes out the door without a huge social component.

These are some of the things that are making IBM an Social Business. There is an important distinction between Social Media and Social Business. “It’s not just having a Facebook Page for your brand.” says Turner, “A Social Business embraces networks of people to create business value. It is engaged, transparent and nimble.” In order to encourage social integration into everyday business at IBM, they implemented education resources for employees interested in engaging with Social Media. Provide them with the tools to do the job and you will see results.

Despite their efforts, IBM still has some challenges when it comes to Social. Do these efforts lead to more sales? How do we effective measure the ROI of all this? As a global company, how do we approach Social across different languages? What is our strategy for dealing with negative feedback?

This morning’s talk was very interesting and thought provoking. I left the event with a flurry of thoughts and questions in my mind.

Thanks to Delaney Turner of IBM, the organizers, The Great Canadian Theatre Company, Cara Rowlands for her incredible muffins and to all of the attendees a for making this another very successful Social Media Breakfast. Stay tuned for the next Social Media Breakfast Ottawa on November 23rd with Sean MacPhedran. I hope to see you there!

You can follow Delaney Turner on Twitter at @DTurnerBlogs and at @IBMSoftware.

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Social Media Breakfast Ottawa 25 Recap: Delaney Turner is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Last night marked the inaugural SEMPO Ottawa Meetup at The Hard Rock Cafe in the Byward Market. Dozens of Ottawa area marketing professionals and students gathered for a night of networking, education and discussion. WebFuel in association with McGill Buckley and SEMPO Ottawa hosted Google Canada’s Agency Lead Nectarios Economakis who spoke about the emergence of Mobile Marketing and why it’s still not too late to be early. Working the registration table I got a chance to see a lot of familiar faces, as well as meet many new people. Thank you to everyone who made it out, and for those who couldn’t attend, here is my recap of last night’s event.

Mobile Marketing: it’s still not too late to be early

The event’s MC Steven McGill of McGill Buckley took the stage at 7:00 pm sharp to welcome everyone to the event and to introduce our speaker, Nectar Economakis. Dressed in a sharp suit, he exuded confidence. Despite some minor microphone problems, Nectar captivated the crowd with his calm nature and strong voice. Nectar began by asking the crowd “Who owns a smartphone?”. Pretty much everyone. The majority had iPhones. Another sizeable chunk were BlackBerry users and one or two people used Android. But remember, this crowd is unique – we are mostly marketing nerds and geeks (sorry, but it’s true). Look at our entire population as a country – by the end of 2014, half of Canadians will own smartphones. That’s pretty incredible. Furthermore, mobile is expected to exceed desktop usage in the next 3-5 years.

“Mobile is ramping up faster than any other technology we have seen in the past” – Mary Meeker, Kleiner Perkins

He goes on to explain that in past years, the trend with desktop usage is that it drops during the holidays – people are busier, they are out shopping, at family events, etc… But so is not the case with mobile. In fact, Mobile usage actually increases during the holidays. People’s mobile device have become their own personal shopper to help them find stores, items, best prices, reviews, etc. Also, how easy is it to pull out your mobile device at the table and show everyone a funny Christmas commercial on YouTube? Very easy. The thing with mobile is that it is always on, and is always on us. It allows constant connectivity.

So how is Google adapting to this shift?

Google operates under the assumption that people carry their mobile device with them everywhere. Based on that assumption, Google wants to build applications that will allow people to be more productive and entertained. Bottom line is that mobile should always come first. The mobile device has become an extension of the body. The camera is it’s sight, the microphone enables hearing, the speakers enable voice and the screen allows touch.

Nectar went on to show us a few video examples of how people are being both productive, and entertained using some of Google’s mobile applications. My favourite example was a video that featured a group of kids playing the classic game “Chubby Bunny” using Google Voice as the referee. Not only did this video make us laugh, but it showed the power of Google’s apps.

Key Mobile Trends Moving Forward

What does Google see for the future of mobile? The first has got to be entertainment. People don’t stand in lines anymore. They stand in lines and browse their smartphones. Here are a few stats for you – 125 years of Angry Birds is played everyday and there are 200 million mobile playbacks a day on YouTube. Wow!

Mobile is also immediate. At any point in time we can pull out our phones and make a call, write a review, send an email, book a hotel. We have so much immediate power at our fingertips.

Mobile compliments other media. During the SuperBowl in February, mobile searches on GoDaddy.com increased 315 times compared to 38 times on desktop. Why? People saw the ads and were intrigued. But when you’re sitting in the living room with your buddies watching the game, you’re not going to get up and go to your desktop – you’re going to pull out your smartphone.

Mobile is local. In fact, 1 in 3 mobile searches are local. After looking up a local business on a smartphone, 61% of users called and 59% visited. That is pretty amazing.

Last but not least, mobile is the ultimate shopping companion. 74% of users have purchased due to using their smartphone while shopping and 79% of smartphone users use their smartphone to help them shop. Whether it’s reading reviews, finding directions to a store or comparing prices, your mobile device is hands down your best shopping companion.

Three purposes for accessing the mobile web

1. Entertainment – make the brand experience fun with a game or engaging video content
2. Information – provide consumers with information about brands and product categories
3. Transaction – help consumers get what they want, faster and easier

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SEMPO Ottawa Google Event: Mobile Marketing Recap is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

SEMPO Canada / SEMPO Ottawa Meetup

Date: Thursday, October 13, 2011

Time: 6:00 – 9:00PM

Location: Hard Rock Café in the Byward Market (Map & Directions)
The bar will be open (and food orders can be placed)

Presenter: Nectarios Economakis
Agency Lead at Google |  Montréal, Canada

Mobile: It’s not too late to be early
Mobile is ramping up faster than any other technology we have seen in the past. Your mobile device is a better shopping companion because it is personal, interactive, local and dynamic. Come learn about what is driving the growth of mobile, the key trends and how you can take advantage of mobile right now. We will look at Canadian mobile trends as well as Canadian Search habits on mobile devices.

Agenda

6:00PM - Event Registration & Networking

7:00PM - Nectarios Economakis Presentation (and Q & A session)

8:00PM - SEMPO Ottawa Meetup & Networking

Cost: $10.00/per person

SEMPO Members (free)
Just pay in advance and we will reimburse you at the event. You must be listed on the SEMPO Member Directory.

If you are not a member, join SEMPO now and attend for free. Plus receive all the benefits of a SEMPO membership for 12 months! Be sure to select the Canada Chapter when you sign up.

Student Admission (free)
Calling all students! We want you at our upcoming event featuring Google Canada’s Nectar Economakis. So much so that we will pay your way in. That’s right. We know that money can be tight. We were all students once. And besides, we don’t want you to miss out on this great event!

Just pay in advance and we will reimburse your money at the door – with a valid student ID that is. Courtesy of your friends at WebFuel & McGill Buckley.

Hashtag: #sempoottawa

Space is limited. Register for this event now!

Online registration is available until: Tuesday, October 11th (or until all tickets are sold out).

About SEMPO Canada
SEMPO Canada is a working group of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO). We have meet-ups across the country, in Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. To learn more, please visit the SEMPO Canada website – and join our group on LinkedIn (English & French).

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SEMPO Ottawa, Google & Mobile Event: From a Canadian Perspective is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

As the mobile platform continues to evolve and grow in popularity we are faced with the question “What is the impact of smartphone use on the work/life balance?” In her research, Ladner found that not only are people bringing their work life home with them, but they are also bringing their domestic lives to work. Ladner not only examined what this shift means to marketers, but also how smartphone use is changing social interactions.

Over the years technology has changed. Ladner reminises to the days when her family was the only one on the block with an answering machine – now virtually everyone owns a cell phone, the majority of which are smartphones. This technological shift is changing the way we communicate. With mobile, you are no longer contacting a place, you are contacting a person. Twenty years ago you would pick up the phone and call someone’s house – or send a letter to their physical mailbox. Today, we call people. We text people. We email people. We send calendar invites to people. We Facebook and Tweet people. All of these channels of communication are going right to the individual – right to the smartphone in their pocket.

While we now have more channels to contact others, the social context in which we do so is also becoming more complex. There is no longer a distinct barrier between home life, work life, liesure life, etc. They now overlap each other. Yes there are people who check their work email after dinner, or call their coworkers for last minute changes to the morning presentation before bed. But at the same time, we are responding to personal text messages and checking our fantasy sports team, for example, at the workplace. But it doesn’t end there. We now have our time between work life and home life – called “interspace”. Sitting in traffic, during our lunch break, etc. This is where much of the overlap happens.

So what impact does this have on our social interactions? The problem with this shift is that most of us are now sending information to others without understanding the social context on the other end. Is that other party at work? In a meeting? Eating dinner with their family? At a hockey game? On vacation? We don’t know. And most of the time, due to the aforementioned overlap, it doesn’t matter. They will respond regardless.

But with this, other problems arise. You are now expected to always be available for communication with your various social groups. Family. Friends. Work. They all feel entitled to be able to communicate with you at all times. And because of this, many people are finding themselves “slaves” to their smartphones. Does your smartphone sit next to your bed? Do you check your texts or emails in the middle of the night? While some think this is normal, others suggest “parking” you smartphone in a specific location overnight, outside the bedroom.

However, we cannot put all the blame on the technology. Sure, the smartphone’s capabilities is what allows this to happen. But it’s our changing culture – the “panic culture” as Ladner puts it. We have this sense of urgency that we must always be available and respond in the most timely manner possible. While some people may view this as productive, Ladner argues that organizations tend to have more speed than sense. Most people will respond to an email right away rather than sitting back and thinking about it. “Your organization cannot innovate if you don’t give it time to reflect” says Ladner.

Ladner undoubtedly hit home with the majority of the audience this morning. I observed many people, including myself, nodding along to the points she was making. Are you ever just sitting around, waiting for something – the bus let’s say – and you pull out your smartphone for no reason. Unprompted. Just to look around? I do that all the time.

As the technology continues to evolve, and mobile becomes more of our every day life, how will we adapt? What impact will this continue to have on our work/life balance?

Thanks to everyone who came as well as the organizers for making this another very successful Social Media Breakfast. Stay tuned for the next Social Media Breakfast Ottawa on October 19, 2011: Social Business Strategies with IBM. I hope to see you there!

Follow Sam Ladner on Twitter @sladner and her project Mobile Work Life @mobileworklife

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Social Media Breakfast Ottawa 24 Recap: Sam Ladner is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

May 30, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada –– WebFuel Inc. an Ottawa-based, full-service Search Engine Optimization (SEO) agency, is pleased to announce the appointment of Information Technology industry veteran Les Faber to the position of Director of Technology, effective immediately.

With over 25 years of consulting experience garnered primarily with global technology and information management service providers, Les Faber joins WebFuel at a time when the company is experiencing increased demand for its core SEO agency services which help companies increase their visibility on the Internet.

Les Faber, Directory of Technology, WebFuel

In his new role with WebFuel, Les Faber will take the lead in shaping the firm’s sustainable technology infrastructure and platforms, which will be expanded to support continued company growth and enhance the delivery of ethical search services. WebFuel’s core services include – a comprehensive range of SEO Services, Google AdWords Services, Google Analytics Services and Social Media Services.

“WebFuel has always been singularly focused on working with companies who are serious about search,” says Les Faber. “What I think my appointment shows is that WebFuel is also very serious about implementing the kind of technologies that can drive solutions for our clients. While what we deliver to customers are comprehensive search agency services, the technologies we employ are an integral part of powering successful and seamless SEO service delivery.”

In addition to developing the strategies behind WebFuel’s core technologies, Les Faber will draw on his years of consulting and project management experience to provide guidance to WebFuel customers. Increasingly WebFuel clients are facing more complex choices and issues as they manage expanded web properties.

“Just a few years ago, WebFuel customers were likely only concerned about the visibility of a single website,” Les Faber says. “Today they are likely still managing their main site, but also could well be responsible for a mobile site, a growing number of social media properties, online advertising programs, custom landing pages, web analytics and much, much more. When our customers need us, WebFuel will be there and happy to help.”

For more information contact:

Helen Faber
President & Search Strategist
WebFuel Inc.
Telephone: 1.613.302.1057
Email: helen@webfuel.ca

About WebFuel Inc.

Founded in 2004, WebFuel is an Ottawa-based, full service Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Agency that specializes in Canadian Search. WebFuel search agency services include Organic Search, Paid Search, Local Search, Social Search and Search Analytics. WebFuel services are driven by the latest SEO knowledge, developed using ethical strategies and delivered by employing industry best practices. With experience in a wide range of vertical markets, WebFuel is committed to empowering both domestic and international clients who want to improve their search engine rankings in Canadian searches.

WebFuel is a Google™ AdWords Certified Partner and a strong supporter of SEMPO Canada, a non-profit professional association working to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in Canada.

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Les Faber Joins SEO Agency WebFuel As Director of Technology is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

This morning Gomez spoke to a packed house about “Designing for Humans”. He began my giving a little history on himself, which included many laughs – not an easy task at 8:00 a.m. Here are my key takeaways from Martin’s talk about users and design.

Convention

Gomez explains that often times the best way to do something is the way it’s always been done. Users are creatures of habit – they will almost mindlessly complete tasks with little thought, so don’t confuse them by unnecessarily changing the design of your product. Gomez gives the example of a Ferrari. Very few of us have ever driven a Ferrari, but if we were given the keys and told to get in and drive, we would enter the car through the front left door with the keys naturally in our right hand – because to us, that is the way we have always done it. Don’t try to innovate if innovation isn’t necessary. If you can’t make users ignore the old way of thinking, you are wasting your time.

User Centered Design

When designing a product, keep the user in mind. Ask yourself, “How is somebody going to use this thing? What can go wrong?” As users, we take many great design features for granted. Most of us only notice design flaws instead of the features that can make a product great.

Simplicity

Less options mean less thinking – which in turn leads to more enjoyment by the user. Gomez gives the example of an over complicated remote control. As a user, I want to be able to change the channel, volume, etc. without having to look away from the TV and stare at the remote. Simple is good. “Most remotes ask a lot from the user” Gomez states “when all I want to do is watch C.S.I.”

On the contrary, Gomez gives an example of classic interface design that was implemented to actually complicate usability - the QWERTY keyboard. It was designed to make users type slower in order to not jam type-writers. Well, it looks like we’ve adapted to this design. Imagine you bought a laptop today and all of the keys were in alphabetical order? No thanks.

Innovation

Never force innovation – and don’t claim you are doing it unless you actually are. The new “innovative” design must be so intuitive that the user immediately forgets about the convention. Example A) the iPod. When it was first launched is looked like a “bar of soap” (according to Gomez). But it’s functionality and intimate user experience made everyone forget about every other MP3 player on the market.

Satisficing

Satisficing is the satisfaction that a user gets from solution that is just adequate enough. Often times users won’t look for the optimal solution, but one that merely suffices. Users do this all the time on websites. They arrive and their eyes (and the mouse) perform the ‘F’ formation – they scan the top of the site, and as they go down their eyes cease to wander all the way to the right. This is where we often satisfice on a website – we find an option that is adequate.

With design, specifically web design, it is all about lowering stress – make something that looks difficult or stressful very easy. It’s like walking across a plank of wood on flat ground as opposed to that same wood between two pillars. Eliminate the stress, make it easier to do.

Gomez explains three simple things that the user wants:

1. Don’t waste my time
2. Don’t make me think
3. Show me what to do

You have a very limited time to get your message across, so if you ignore the three items above, you will lose the customer – and they will go somewhere else.

In closing, Gomez stresses “Don’t reinvent the wheel unless you are sure that you’ve got a better wheel.”

Thanks to everyone who came as well as the organizers for making this another very successful Social Media Breakfast. Stay tuned for the next Social Media Breakfast Ottawa, in early July!

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Social Media Breakfast Ottawa 23 Recap: Martin Gomez is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel