AMERICAN FORK, Utah – March 14, 2012 – OrangeSoda Inc. today announced the release of Blend, a new advertising product for local businesses. Blend is a mix of SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay-per-click advertising), Maps Optimization, dedicated account support, a first-page guarantee, and a mobile-friendly website starting at $475/mo.

“We took a mix of all the things that make online marketing great and put them in one place,” said Todd Crofts, VP of Product and Marketing for OrangeSoda. “We made a mix of advertising products that do more when combined than they ever could have done by themselves.”

OrangeSoda’s simplified product comes after five years of serving small- and medium-sized businesses with online marketing services including SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay-per-click), Maps Optimization and their branded mobile-friendly websites called Microsites. “We believe that businesses want online marketing to be simple, and that’s what we’ve made it. We’ve created the simplest way for businesses to get online and start marketing themselves,” said Mark Delorey, Director of Research and Development. “Blend takes the guesswork out of online marketing. It gives business owners access to an industry expert who will take care of the marketing and help business owners strategize about how to best find more customers. It’s a full-service solution.”

Unlike most online advertising services and Yellow Pages advertising, Blend is focused not only on placement but on promising and producing meaningful results. “Blend has been engineered from the ground up with one question in mind: How do we deliver more new customers to our advertisers? Blend is the answer to that question,” said Delorey.

About OrangeSoda
Founded in 2006, OrangeSoda offers online marketing to local businesses with a unique blend of intelligent service and simple technology. By harmonizing services that cover the entire search engine results page, OrangeSoda provides the best return on investment. By using insider knowledge of how people use the Internet and how local businesses work, OrangeSoda always targets the right customers for clients. By integrating services and technology, OrangeSoda makes it easy for partners to provide Internet marketing services to their customers.

Follow us:
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http://www.Orangesoda.com/blog

What Is “Panda”?

Panda is software used by Google to help filter out content that may lack significant substance. It is called the Panda “update” because the filter only runs periodically. Each time it runs, all content Google knows about is resifted. Improved content escapes the filter; poor content gets caught again.

Benefits to the Panda Update

The Panda Update helps to improve the user experience by displaying content in the search results that is most relevant to each search made by the user. This gives the user exactly what they are looking for on their first search.

What changes have been made to search and what is included in Panda 3.3?

You can read the full official release from Google here. Here are a few highlights from Google’s blog post:

• Panda update: This launch refreshes data in the Panda system, making it more accurate and more sensitive to recent changes on the web.
• Link evaluation: We often use characteristics of links to help us figure out the topic of a linked page. We have changed the way in which we evaluate links; in particular, we are turning off a method of link analysis that we used for several years. We often rearchitect or turn off parts of our scoring in order to keep our system maintainable, clean, and understandable.
• Improvements to ranking for local search results: [launch codename “Venice”] This improvement improves the triggering of Local Universal results by relying more on the ranking of our main search results as a signal.
• Improved local results: We launched a new system to find results from a user’s city more reliably. Now we’re better able to detect when both queries and documents are local to the user.
• Data refresh for related searches signal: [launch codename “Chicago,” project codename “Related Search”] One of the many signals we look at to generate the “Searches related to” section is the queries users type in succession. If users very often search for [apple] right after [banana], that’s a sign the two might be related. This update refreshes the model we use to generate these refinements, leading to more relevant queries to try.
• Improvements to freshness: [launch codename “iotfreshweb,” project codename “Freshness”] We’ve applied new signals which help us surface fresh content in our results even more quickly than before.
• Improvements to English spell correction: [launch codename “Kamehameha”] This change improves spelling correction quality in English, especially for rare queries, by making one of our scoring functions more accurate.

How will OrangeSoda clients potentially be affected?

As with all Panda Updates we will see a fluctuation in some rankings. Most of these rankings will be on a national level. We will also see some change with our local, geo-targeted campaigns as well, but according to this Panda release the positive changes should outweigh the negative when it comes to local searches.

What are we doing/will we do to mitigate and respond to the effect the update can have on our clients?

• OrangeSoda has always used a great linking strategy that is in line with the Panda Updates.
• Each account manager will continue to monitor their clients (especially the national campaigns) to be proactive on any negative rank changes.
• Clients should be aware of the two things that can help their on-page SEO:
  • Correct spelling and grammar are crucial. Google is getting smarter and knows if content is quality or not.
  • Fresh content is a key ingredient to on site SEO. If the clients do not have a blog section on their website, they should create one that is kept up to date. Google loves fresh content. Websites that continue to provide solid content will not be negatively affected by these updates.
• OrangeSoda subscribes to the theory of “Themed Keywords.” These are keywords that are very similar to each other all working in one campaign. This helps to build the authority around that specific topic and will continue to be a good strategy through future Panda Updates.

What is a QR Code?

QR codes (Quick Response codes) are like traditional barcodes, but on steroids. Traditional barcodes can only hold about 10–20 characters and information is read by a scanner in a linear, vertical format.

QR codes, on the other hand, store information like a traditional barcode in a vertical format, but also add information that is stored and read horizontally. This 2nd dimension is called a 2D matrix bar code. Because information is now stored horizontally and vertically, it gives QR codes the capability to store a larger number of characters than traditional bar codes: 4, 296 alphanumeric or 7,089 numeric characters, to be exact.[i]

Any information that is stored on the 2D matrix appears as a square filled with black and white square dots.[ii] For the most part, to take advantage of QR codes, you have to download an app that reads the code, unless your phone comes with one. Some interesting statistics about QR codes are 52 percent of people have heard of or seen QR codes, and 28 percent have actually scanned them. iPhone customers  lead the other OS platforms, Android and Blackberry, in actually scanning QR codes, with iPhone users at 68 percent, Android at  26 percent and Blackberry at only 4 percent[iii]. Some of the major brands that have incorporated QR codes in their advertisements include Google, Audi, Ford, Pepsi, Starbucks, Ralph Lauren, McDonald’s, Best Buy, Dryers, Crest, Redbox and Taco Bell.

Starbucks is already using QR codes

Starbucks has already started to utilize QR codes in an interesting way. In March 2010, Starbucks introduced their Starbucks Card Mobile iPhone app. Greg Kumparak of MobileCrunch explains how it works: “The entire concept is pretty simple: punch in your Starbucks Card info, verify some details, and BAM! The iPhone app becomes the gift card, presenting a secure QR code for the Barista to scan when it comes time to pay up.”[iv] There are many things QR codes have been used for including, branding campaigns, art work, T-shirts, coupons, and other creating things companies have come up with.

One interesting thing that Google started doing with QR codes in 2009 was something they incorporated in a campaign called Favorite Places on Google. Google blogged a question which read, “What if you could decide where to shop, eat or hang out, with a little help from local Google users?” To answer this question they sent over 100,000 window decals to local businesses in the U.S. (which included OrangeSoda.com). These local businesses had been heavily searched on Google and/or Google Maps.  The window decals indicated that the certain location was one of the Favorite Places on Google. The decal included a QR code that could be scanned. These QR codes took the scanner to the business’s place page, reviews, coupons, and enabled the scanner to “star” the business as a place they want to remember in the future.[v] A great info graphic that explains a little of the history of QR codes can be found here.

Generating your own QR codes

There are lots of free tools to generate your own QR codes, goo.gl is a pretty good one because it works as a url shortner at the same time and will track statistics, like how often a QR code is scanned. We take away a few points because the QR code interface is a little unruly =, while goo.gl creates creates QR codes automatically it can be a pain to try to get them the right size. So we recommend using goo.gl or another url shortner in conjunction with a QR code generator like this one. This way you can get nice, usable QR codes, with tracking.

Happy scanning!

[i] http://socialwayne.com/2011/03/05/infographic-qrcodes-statistics/

[ii] http://mobithinking.com/mobile-barcode-guide

[iii] http://mashable.com/2011/03/04/qr-codes-infographic/

[iv] http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/03/30/starbucks-now-letting-you-pay-for-your-coffee-fix-via-iphone-in-1000-target-stores/

[v] http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/explore-whole-new-way-to-window-shop.html

Think of a cork board that has notes, products you want to buy, or inspiration. This is the online version. People post pictures or video of things they love (called pins). Other people can follow them and add them to virtual pinboards (pinning).

The genius of Pinterest is that you can click on a pin and follow it to the source – including your web site or blog post.

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing web sites in the world with over 7 million visits a month.  According to research Pinterest is sending more traffic than Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.

The majority of people on Pinterest are women between the ages of 25 and 44. These are the perfect demographic to reach. Women tend to be “social extroverts” who like to talk about brands online. Together they represent incredible buying power (many are moms who make buying decision for their families).  They have special enthusiasm for arts, recipes and crafts.

Pinterest is simple to figure out and can get you from the home page. It’s addicting. Because of this Pinterest is reaching a new demographic of people who may not spend much time on social networking web sites. Even your mom who can’t figure out how to use Facebook is on Pinterest.

Unlike a lot of social networks, Pinterest doesn’t require a lot of extra time or the upkeep of say, your Facebook page.

How can a small business profit from Pinterest? 3 Ways: traffic, branding and business.

1. Add your products to the site.

There is a section called “gifts” http://pinterest.com/gifts/ where you can add a price with a picture and link to your buy page for that product. Be aware that if you have an affiliate program, Pinterest may become an affiliate and therefore keep a cut of the sales they send you.

2. Start pin boards of things your audience will resonate with.

General Electric posts images of their present (machinery), past (historic photographs) and future (including new technologies). Online clothing company ModCloth pins fabric and dress ideas for their audience to give feedback on.

3. Ask your audience to participate.

Create a board with fun pictures of your staff. If you host an event, you can have participants (or speakers) send in pictures of themselves and links to their other social networking profiles. You can also host contests where people create a board and pin things they want. The winner wins a gift certificate or everything on their board.

4. Get content from your other social networks.

The best pins are funny, creative/unique, informative or gorgeous. Many times your fans on Facebook are already sharing pictures or video of themselves interacting with your business or products. Some of them may be perfect for pinning on Pinterest. Twitpics on Twitter could also be repinned. it can also be the other way around. You can also use content found on Pinterest on your blog, Facebook or Twitter profile.

5. Pimp (or pin) your own content.

While blantant self-promotion is discouraged, there’s nothing against starting a board featuring your own top blog posts, infographics or other content. If you have media mention, pin those in a newsroom board.

Here at OrangeSoda we walk our talk. We drank the Kool Aid (or soda). Follow OrangeSoda on Pinterest. And watch for my new book about Pinterest for business coming this Spring.

Is Pinterest is helping your business? Tell us about it in the comments.

PPC Data Provides Real Time Keyword Evaluation

Advertising tools that rely on PPC such as Google’s AdWords are popular with search engine marketers because they provide excellent data with a few customizations to your keywords and tracking settings. Google recently started pulling SEO keyword data which makes PPC all the more important for testing. PPC provides full visitor detail and is 100% accurate.

Use PPC Results to Refocus Website SEO Efforts

As you review your SEO and PPC results and gather a refined keyword list, you’ll now have some excellent tools you can use to improve the SEO capabilities of your website. Ray Comstock writes at Search Engine Watch about four key factors to review on your website in light of your SEO and PPC reports:

1. Page Meta Data optimized around targeted keywords
2. Previously optimized pages that need re-working
3. Pages with duplicate content, page titles, meta data
4. Additional content segments that need to be added to the site

You’ll need to evaluate which changes to your website will bring the greatest return and whether you have the time to invest in these updates. However, at the very least be sure that your page meta data is optimized (Learn how to improve your meta data here).

Identify Opportunities for Business Growth and Clarity

Based on PPC results, consider refining your overall business strategy to focus on the elements that customers find most attractive. Larry Stream writes at the internet marketing blog Word Stream, “By getting a PPC campaign off the ground, you can learn how much actual traffic you can expect, get a feel for how relevant searchers and Google consider your content for your keyword lists, and most importantly: find out if building content for a list of keywords will be profitable.”

If certain products and pages on your website receive the most traffic from your campaigns, you can use your SEO and PPC reports to capitalize on additional revenue opportunities.

Cut Back on Future AdWord Costs

Use PPC informed SEO to limit the number of PPC campaigns you need to pay for. Melanie Mitchell of Digitas suggests, “Based on the SEO performance, identify areas where you could refine the match type to phrase or exact without hurting campaign goals. By refining match types you can bring the media cost down and potentially invest back into the campaign.” In fact, many marketers  have found that improved SEO rankings make it possible to cut back on PPC campaigns since they can accomplish their goals more effectively with better user-targeted content that is informed by PPC data.

Use SEO to Refine Your AdWord Performance

The referring words generated in your SEO statistics can be tested in your PPC campaigns in order to broaden your reach. One of the keys to effective SEO is to optimize more than the top keywords. You need to also look for the long tail of keywords where you can gain an edge on the competition. SEO will help you find the terms that are worth testing in a PPC campaign.

Create an Integrated Search Marketing Program

The key to making PPC work more effectively for your business, you’ll need to set up an integrated search marketing program. Paul Burani writes at Web Liquid that it includes the following four elements:

1. Dedicate 1 hr./week to studying site analytics
2. Evaluate all ad copy on CPA basis (not CTR)
3. Begin planning an editorial calendar
4. Have a presence on social media sites

This guest post is written by Lior Levin, a marketing strategist for a company that provides a to-do list tool for business, and who also works for a company that specializes in psd to xhtml service.

“We’re getting 50 leads per month,” Drugmand says. “They’re solid leads. We’re finding that we’re able to close on these website- generated leads, probably on 75 [percent] to 80 percent of them, vs. 50 percent on a Yellow Page-generated lead. They’re definitely more qualified leads. So the 50 leads that we’re getting per month currently [are higher quality opposed to the pre-SEM] four or five a month.”

This case study is living proof that the landscape of the internet is changing. No longer are businesses who only sell physical products benefiting from the efforts of online marketing. Service based businesses are also experiencing the positive influence SEO has on generating high quality leads. For the full case study check out Target Marketing magazine.

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Happy holidays, everyone.

However, marketing is only this simple with one key piece in play: you have to know what you really do and why a prospective customer should come to you.  Knowing what you REALLY do can lead to simple and easy marketing messages and will help dictate what types of marketing you do.  Here are a couple of questions to ask.

What makes my business different? – What do you do differently than your competition?  Often times, it is what you do different, unique, or above and beyond that is the best indicator of “what you do”.

What line of business am I the best at? – Often times, one company can have many lines of business.  For instance, a plumber could provide plumbing repair, plumbing maintenance, emergency plumbing services, plumbing for new homes, etc.  What this plumber does best may be the message that he/she should share.

What would my loyal customers say about me? – It has been said that your brand is no longer what you say it is, it is what your customers say it is.  In terms of marketing, I would say that the same thought applies to “what you do”.  Ask your most loyal customers what they think about your business.  They’re loyal for a reason.  Find out why.

Simple marketing can lead to better decisions, allocation of funds and results.  Invest a little time in determining what it is that you do, and start telling people.  Once you start telling them, do it over and over again.

Example #1—United Airlines and the viral YouTube video.

Back in 2009, David Carroll created a music video on YouTube with his fellow band members detailing the story of his unsuccessful attempt to get compensated by United Airlines for his pricey guitar that was broken by baggage handlers. After nine months of failed attempts, Carroll turned to social media to tell everyone else about his story—and it definitely worked. Within the first day, his video “United Breaks Guitars” got more than 150,000 views and today it has more than 10 million views.

United Airlines contacted Carroll within the first day of the video’s release to try and make things right; however, it did little to dissipate the major PR crises caused by this video. United Airlines learned a lot from this situation, and other businesses can too. Go the extra mile to provide customers with the service they are asking for or they will find another way to get your attention—potentially involving millions of other people in the process. Whether they use YouTube, blogs, Facebook, or Twitter to blast the information, one way or another, it could end up producing more negative perceptions of your business than you would ever want. So don’t take the chance—doing the right thing in the first place is always a better move than trying to repair the damage after it’s too late.

Example #2 – Southwest Airlines and the Weight Loss Blogger

While Southwest Airlines responded much faster in this situation than United Airlines did in the previous example, it still shows how even one negative situation can be brought to the attention of millions of people with the use of social media. Popular weight loss blogger, Kenlie Tiggeman, was about to board a return flight on Southwest Airlines when gate agents caused a scene in front of dozens of people about their weight making them unfit to fly. When asked about specific weight policies, the airline employees couldn’t give a straight answer that would back up their claims. Just like any clever blogger would do, Tiggeman started recording the incident on her cell phone and subsequently wrote about the incident on her blog. Soon after, the story was picked up by the mainstream media and was spread through CNN, MSNBC, CBS News New York, and others. Southwest did provide her with free flight vouchers soon after the incident, however, the airline still did get a bad wrap for the way their employees acted towards their customers.

So what can we learn from these two examples? Don’t ever assume that ignoring customers or treating them with less than they expect will make the problem go away. As we can see from both of these situations, the problem escalated to something bigger than these Airline companies every though they would. However, if an incident happens to arise, act quickly to make amends. One way or another, frustrated customers will find a way to get the service they’re looking for. So instead of letting social media become your business’s worst enemy with viral news, use it as a proactive tool to keep your customers satisfied in the first place.

Make It Valuable

Don’t just write content for the sake of getting a link. Write content that people will want to share with others in their social circle because it provides valuable information of some sort.  Don’t hesitate to ask the opinions of friends or colleagues to get ideas about what readers would be interested in hearing about.

Make It Relevant

Even if you have created potentially valuable content, it won’t mean much if it’s not relevant to the target audience you’re writing to. Before you reach out to bloggers for guest posts, make sure your topics are interesting and relevant to what their readers want to see. Don’t reach out to just any blog just because a lot of people follow it—do some research about some of their most popular topics to see if it fits with what you want to write about.

Use Authority

If there’s one thing you want to avoid when creating content for guest posts, it’s discrediting yourself. Whether writing in first person or not, be sure that your content always carries an authoritative voice for the topic you’re writing about. Don’t give readers a reason to ignore what you are writing about right off the bat. Always choose a topic that you have a broad knowledge base in and are confident in writing about.

Utilizing guest blog posting as a link building strategy can take some time to develop. It may take longer than you think to reach out to and build relationships with bloggers that are willing to use your guest post. However, persistence typically pays off in this arena, and you could end up with several high-quality, useful links.