Moura Marketing Blog

Ran into this great article titled Web 2.0 dangers! This is a very small but information-packed article explaining some of the considerations when thinking about Social Media and Search Engine Optimization.

Here is my favorite piece and hopefully just enough to peak your interest in the full article.

“Although the threat is real for large blue chip companies, online brand management is just as critical for small businesses and start-ups. With 74% of online customers researching products and services online before buying, 77% of people using the top 5 natural results and 71% of people saying search engines are their most trusted source of information; any business cannot afford to ignore the search dynamic. (Source: Henley Centre / AOL).” Lucy Allen

My thoughts on the issue:

Being in Tucson Arizona, I would like to provide a local example to build on this great post, and ad one small point.

Try looking up “direct buy Tucson” in Google.

Notice the first or second result is sparing no adjectives when describing this company as “misleading and deceptive”.

I went to the local meeting after reading about the many complaints and negative information I found online just to satisfy my curiosity and frankly, to pitch our Reputation Management Services to the business, but to my dissapointment, the negative information was dead on.

Negative media is an interesting thing. While you have to watch out for people illegitimately trying to destroy others with words, one must also realize that the worst possible scenario is one where the client reads a negative media piece, checks it our for himself and finds confirmation.

Lucy is right on in saying “Although the threat is real for large blue chip companies, online brand management is just as critical for small businesses and start-ups.”

This particular business was advised of the negative comments online and replied by saying ” Yeah, we know, but that’s happening to everyone on the internet.”

Funny thing is that she may be correct, but how many of those businesses have a second chance to make a good impression, and completely blow it as she did? Hm…

-Yoda

Hello All,

The Tucson Search Engine Optimization Meetup group got off to a great start last Thursday night at Black Rose Caffe. For all of those who could not make the event, here are the meeting notes in order to get you caught up for the next meeting.

For any questions, comments, suggestions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. For more in depth information on SEO feel free to visit Moura Marketing.

Once again, a big shout out for those who showed up. For the folks who couldn’t make it, no worries, there is always next month.

Fabiano Moura

Tucson Search Engine Optimization Meetup

Tucson Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group Meeting Notes

A few posts ago, when I was a bit fed up with my experiences in relation to Wifi Coffee shops in Tucson, I began my post by stating that blogs are a place for ranting. To catch up, click here!

True as it may be, like many other things in the world, blogs can be used to destroy or to build up. I choose the latter, and for those who helped me get over my hang-ups, here are some kudos, as they are well deserved.

Black Rose Coffe House!
You guys rock! I visited your shop last night and was extremely well received and impressed with you entire gig.

A large Iced Chocolate Chai, a nicely sized beef sandwich cooked in raspberry sauce, a few slices of cantaloupe… need I say more?

Mariha and Demetrius, (the two cool cats I briefly met last night) I give you guys two thumbs up in my personal little review of Wifi Caffes in Tucson!

For all the minions who read this blog in Tucson, it has been written… Black Rose Caffe is a cool spot you must check out.

-Yoda

As some of you may know, Search Engine Strategies San Jose is currently going on, and some very useful information has been posted on a blog written by Ross Dunn from Stepforth.com.

Here are a few highlights from the post:

“How will the growth of universal search affect paid search marketing?: I was surprised by the answer to this question. Essentially the agency panelists agreed that universal search could be bad for paid advertising. The reason they cited was the more accurate organic search becomes the less likely it is that searchers will act on paid advertisements. I was surprised more by their candor than anything. In my opinion they are entirely correct which is why I firmly believe that organic search engine optimization is a key component to every online marketing campaign.”

Sure, we are an SEO company and this very much supports our cause, but it also makes just plain common sense doesn’t it? We think so.

In relation to targeting a local market (a specialty at Moura Marketing Inc.), here is a quote from Ross’s blog post:

“Local Better than International: Scott Linzer, Director of Search Marketing at Universal McCann loosely noted that the campaigns which made the more time consuming foray into creating locally targeted campaigns experienced a better bang for their advertising dollar in contrast to the more common national approach.”

Other topics from the Search Engine Strategies 2007, included URLs vs Name Brands, Covering Your Assets, Contextual Advertising and much more. You can read the full article by clicking here. Enjoy, and you’re welcome!

Yoda

This article is all about my experience over the past few weeks in relation to Tucson Wifi Coffee Shops.

In this post I will outline my experience in relation to three “types” of coffee shops in Tucson.

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Hello All,

Blogs are a place for ranting right? Well here it goes…this one is all about my experience over the past few weeks in relation to Tucson Wifi Coffee Shops.

In this post I will outline my experience in relation to three “types” of coffee shops in Tucson.

1st- The large scale chain with many locations and heavy branding presence

2nd - The locally owned shop with more than one location, fairly well known in Tucson

3rd - The mom&pop shop with only one location

I will offer a true scenario for each type of Wifi Coffee shop in Tucson based on my personal experience as a client and small business owner. I am not here to bash or make business harder for anyone so the true names of the shops will be concealed, but you will get the idea.

1st- The large scale chain with multiple locations, big name and heavy branding presence.

I walk into the shop, notice the friendly staff, walk up to the counter and order my drink. The drink is served up in a matter of minutes and I am all set to begin putting in a few hours of research on my laptop. Opps, I just noticed that this coffee shop does not offer free Wifi, part of the reason I came in the first place. The Wifi service is offered through T-Mobile and costs about $10/month. The outcome is simple and predictable…I spent about half an hour reviewing some off-line documents, then closed up my pc, walked out and from that point on, will not consider this chain of Coffee Shops if I have any online business to take care of. (Just happens to be all of the time for me.)

2nd - The locally owned shop with more than one location, fairly well known in Tucson

As I walk in, I immediately notice the decor, the friendly staff and the great selection. I order my drink and find a place to set up. My drink is served up very quickly and I make my way to the desk where my laptop is. At this point everything is great, my drink tastes great, the place offers free Wifi and I am happy as a bird. As I begin to work, I can’t help but overhear two employees chatting behind the counter not to far from where I am sitting. I am not quite sure, but the turn of events and comments overheard convinced me they were talking about me. Some of the comments made were “well…gotta get your $3 worth!”, followed by laughter. Coincidently my drink cost $2.85. At this point, I began to pay more attention while pretending to be working and overheard “Yeah, he’s probably writing down everything we are saying to post online on some blog”, the as I began to cut and past a document rather quickly I overheard a mocking “Wooaaaa” and more laughter. As I made eye contact with the employees for the first time their eyes quickly turned away and as I looked down to my computer again the laughter and comments continued.
As I walked out of the shop I said ” Great music in here guys, you should really think about turning it up!”

I know this was an error on a few bad employees and probably not in the scope of the business owner, but the fact remains, I will not be back.

3rd - The mom&pop shop with only one location

This was my favorite coffee shop. The owner once told me that while they were in construction someone asked them if they would be offering Wifi. Her response was “Of course, that is the whole point”. This statement made me feel comfortable going in there a few days out of the week, buying drinks and a cookie, and making this my go-to place to meet with clients, most of whom had never been there before.
After about two weeks of this schedule, I noticed a bit of a shift in attitude towards my business. I often order a chocolate milk, I agree not the most exciting drink, but it is what I like. After ordering my drink I noticed a few friends of the business came in and sat down at the counter not too far from me. Again, I would not be listening in except that the conversation sounded to have my drink and presence as the focal point. “Here’s your NON-LATTE drink..” followed by mutual laughter amongst themselves as one guy looked back at me and smiled. I then noticed one of the owners walk in a bit frustrated. Apparently someone had parked in his parking spot at the front of the business. I then heard from the business owner to his friends, “Damn, second day in a row!”

Two things, the previous day my company had set up a business meeting with a few clients who had never been to this coffee shop. As we arrived and began our meeting (after purchasing about 4-5 drinks) we were approached by the business owner and my client was asked to go move his car from the employee parking spot. Although I fully understand the frustration from having a NO PARKING /Reserved for EMPLOYEES sign, and having people park there, I still would never have taken the route of interrupting a business meeting of a brand new client to clear up a parking space. Not much of a first impression. Besides..what is more important, having a great parking space as a business owner or reserving that space for first time clients? hm…

Anyway, on the following day I returned and as I mentioned, I found a frustrated business owner not too pleased with my presence as a walking billboard for his coffee shop, or as a paying customer to the products he is offering. Granted, I did not order a drink one of these days, but I would have thought that the 10-20 drinks I had ordered the previous weeks would be a consideration. I was wrong.
Needless to say, I called my clients and changed my meeting location to the large scale chain, where I do not have Wifi service for free, but I have the luxury of dealing with true business professionals who through their success have learned how not only to please clients and anticipate their needs (wifi aside), but not offend them.

I know I may be a bit sensitive here, but based on what I experienced…I don’t think so. As I mentioned to my wife, just the fact that I left these Tucson Coffee Shops wondering if my business was appreciated presents a huge problem. A client should never be made to feel this way. I always understood the general idea to be one of service and high quality in everything as a means to provide the customer with the best experience possible, thus leading to returned business, word-of-mouth advertising and branding awareness.

In this new age of Social Media and Web Marketing, businesses can not afford this model. Negative publicity may work for actors and musicians, but not for Tucson Local Businesses.

Chances are that someone will find this blog through a search related to Tucson Wifi Coffee Shops and will wonder which coffee shops I am referring to. All it would take is one unsatisfied client such as myself, but with a much more vindictive attitude, to post an article such as this one including your business name, location, employees involved, possibly an audio file of the conversation, possibly a video and photos of your business, and the damage would be done.

This article is a rant, but also a warning. Moura Marketing Inc. is a firm specializing in Social Media Marketing, New Media Advertising and Web Promotions. We understand the power and incredible impact social media can have on your business or product. We also specialize in Advanced Search Engine Optimization so that clients who are looking for your products or services may find you trough the major search engines.

Does your business need a Social Media Analysis?
Has your business suffered from negative Social Media?
How important is reputation management for your business?

These are some of the questions we suggest business owners ask themselves as we enter into a new era or marketing and advertising, where everything is out in the open. This is great for the good guys, as they will receive the recognition they deserve, but should be scary for the slackers who still see themselves as the center of their business instead of the clients which support them.

-Yoda

Being extremely involved in Search Engine Optimization brings allot of information my way. One of my daily tasks is to try to keep up with the industry, the many changes and additions that seem to add up daily, and to stay on top of what people are saying and thinking about SEO.

One of the things that confuses me is the number of firms, individuals, and groups of people who are quick to claim that SEO is dead, a thing of the past or simply out of date.

So, to clear up some confusion here is a list of 5 simple questions to help you decide for yourself.

1. Do people still use the internet? (No brainer..)
2. When using the internet to search for things, do the majority of people still use search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN?
3. Is there still competition based on performance and relevancy for top Rankings within the search engines?
4. Is there a new platform under construction which will do away with search engines as a means of searching via the internet?
5. Is the concept of “Marketing”" dead as well?

The bottom line is that SEO is alive and well. The methods may have changed a bit, new tactics are always being created and introduced, but for those of use that truly know and practice SEO, the time is ripe to set yourself apart from all of those in the industry who are so quick to pass judgment on thing they know very little about.

As long as people are buying and exchanging products and services, and as long as there are search engines offering relevant search results, people will continue to use the internet and search engines to locate what they are looking for, thus validating the need and importance of SEO for companies that want to compete in this arena.

Don’t get me wrong, SEO should be one part of a full marketing strategy for clients, a sort of “Tool” you would use to address a specific problem or correct a certain condition, but the story does not end there. With the integration of WEB 2.0 and other viral marketing approaches, the rise of Social Media Marketing has introduced a whole new gadget for the tool box, the trick is knowing how to use it.

In conclusion, don’t be mislead by the hype. SEO is alive and well just as are Marketing, Advertising, and Branding concepts. I find that most sources who claim that SEO is not important, do not understand how it all works or at least have not dug deep enough before casting their opinions and judgment on the industry.

SEO is a part of a complex strategy that helps businesses grow, attracts new clients, increases brand awareness and ROI for your business, product or service.

My warning is not that SEO is dead or even slightly ill, rather it is a warning for those who are serious and committed to their business success to explore, research, compare and learn a bit about SEO from credible and ethical sources such as Bruce Clay Inc, or Moura Marketing Inc., before making a decision which may heavily affect the success of your business.

We are here to answer any questions you may have, discuss any point in this blog or simply chit-chat about our experience in the industry thus far. Feel free to add a comment, contact us or visit our website for more information on Search Engine Optimization.

Until the next,
-Yoda

Reading countless articles on search engine optimization and the online marketing industry, I have become convinced that SEO is much like everything else, it looks simple enough at the surface, but the deeper you search the more you find.

I am pleasantly surprised and amused to see individuals giving their opinions on keywords or title tags. I especially like the folks who are advising clients that meta tags are dead and a thing of the past. And of course, I get the biggest kick our of the people who claim SEO is altogether dead.

Consider someone who approached you and said ” you know that whole business and marketing concept? Well, we think its dead!”

Sure, the shifting tides often change the landscape of SEO, but for anyone claiming that this business has reached its peak, I would simply leave them in their misconception while adding on clients and doing what we do best. This is the equivalent of trying to talk someone into building a website for their business. Meaning, in today’s business environment, if you are still unsure about the need to have a web presence, there isn’t much we can do for you.

I am not sure about other regions, but in Tucson Arizona, Search Engine Optimization and Online Marketing are definitely not dead, I will go one step further and say that they are in their birth stages. Sure we still have plenty of folks who are operating their businesses in the manner appropriate for 10 years ago and simply do not see the value of having an optimized website, but these folks represent a very small minority.

Point being, not everyone is an expert! There are countless opinions being thrown around on the internet concerning the SEO industry, and to stay afloat you need to be able to filter out the crazy and the unethical. In the next few days we will offer a 5-part series on the major things to look for and the obvious things to look out for when considering an online marketing partner and strategy for your business in Tucson, Arizona.

Our 5-part series will cover these topics in relation to Search Engine Optimization in Tucson. All topics are created to provide you with information on how to prepare and equip yourself to deal with the mountain of information that can be found about SEO within the internet.

SEO in Tucson - 5-Part series on what you need to know about SEO.

1. Taking SEO information at face value

2. Search Engine Optimization - Forums vs. Blogs

3. Tech-Talk, how to recognize and avoid it

4. Common SEO sales tactics, pitches and hooks you should know about

5. SEO open book or secret sauce?

Stay tuned for the first article in this series coming soon!

Moura Marketing Inc. is an SEO firm located in Tucson Arizona committed to brining ethical and effective SEO marketing solutions to local businesses. For more information on what we can do for your business, product or service please visit our website, Moura Marketing.

Search Engine Optimization is an industry of analogies. You may have heard about how SEO is like a plant, or how SEO can be compared to a construction project, so here is a new one for you to consider; SEO and Drag Racing. As we will discuss, Drag Racing offers a great analogy and means of explaining the process and moving parts of SEO.

In Drag Racing there are three major components which make the process work.

• First, the race track and facilities.

• Second, the race car, including the engine, the shell of the car, the tires, the breaking system, the steering system and all else which makes the “machine” run.

• Third, the human team, including the driver, pit crew, mechanics, and support staff.

In SEO there are also three major components which make the process work.

• First, the World Wide Web or the internet.

• Second, your web site, including the programming, graphics, value-adding features, optimization, professional content, navigation and all else which can be viewed as a “machine” to be worked on, fine tuned and analyzed just like a race car.

• Third, the human teams, including the actual people who develop, maintain, optimize and fine-tune your site from week-to-week or month-to-month.

Now, let’s compare each and gather the similarities from this simple comparison.

First – The race track is much like the internet as this is where your work is displayed, where it competes for rankings and #1 position. Winners are normally determined by who has the better car or “machine”, and who has the best working human team of mechanics, technicians and advisors. Obviously, racing without a drag strip would be impossible or at least very difficult. The drag strip, much like the internet, provides a competitive platform for different teams and groups to compete and rank based on performance, knowledge, insight and past experience.

Second – Think of your website as a highly tuned and customized drag racer. Your engine can be compared to your programming and code languages, while the shell of your car can be compared to the graphics, layout, colors and menu option of your site. In a drag car there are countless small systems which work together to create a safe automobile just like in a web site. Much like a drag car, when it comes to a web site, what you see upfront is not always what lies under the hood, but just as using the wrong components in a race can lead to serious negative results, the same applies to building and operating your web site. The idea here is to build a web site that is safe, ethical, and captivating. The last thing you want is a blown out piston aggravated by spamming techniques which will place your drag car in the sidelines while others compete for your industry related products and services. Not to mention the costs of re-building a drag racer or starting from scratch with your web project.

Third – In either case, the team or professionals you hire to operate the machine within the competing platform will determine your overall success. Imagine having a great drag racer with all of the latest components, but the driver is not up to par. This is the same thing as having an incredible website that is being handled and optimized by a company which is not suitable to compete with the car racing next to you or that competing web site for your product or service. This is arguably the most important piece of the equation, as while having everything in place but lacking the human piece will lead to second place rankings at best and disqualification at worst.

This simple analogy between search engine optimization and drag racing provides a clear picture of the major moving parts and the basic components necessary to effectively compete within for search results rankings in the race platform provided by all major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Moura Marketing Inc. is a Search Engine Optimization firm located in Tucson, Arizona, committed to bringing you the latest in white-hat SEO technologies and strategies to help you effectively compete within your specific industry’s online business environment.

Contact Moura Marketing Inc. today to see what our professional team of SEO’s can do for you.

-Yoda

Welcome and congratulations for finding the best resource for Search Engine Optimization in Tucson, Arizona.

This post will be the first of many relating to search engine optimization and the online marketing industry in the Tucson region. This blog will provide general information, resources, tips, guidelines and strategies for a successful search engine optimization campaign or online marketing project.

In an industry categorized by many as unethical in nature, it is now more important than ever to be proponents of white-hat SEO methods and strategies.

So the question stands… Is Tucson ready for SEO?