Encrypted_Search_Terms, How am I being found for this?

If you check out the search terms that are being used to find your WordPress blog you may come across this phrase “encrypted_search_terms”. Why? Has your site been hacked? Or are you a sneaky SEO that has been hiding something and you’ve been caught by Google. If you are worried about this term showing up in your wordpress dashboard read on.

WordPress (Photo credit: Adriano Gasparri)

Encrypted_Search_Terms is now my all time biggest traffic term!

It is nice to know what people are finding your site for, so I keep track using wordpresses traffic tools. “Christmas Lights Ditto” has been one of my best search terms ever, but it and others were just passed by “encrypted_search_terms”. But it’s not that I rank for “encrypted_search_terms”, it’s because the search terms the googler searched are actually being encrypted. If you use Google Analytics you will find these terms labeled, “Not Provided”. Per Google it is only going to effect about 10% of your traffic. That was the stat they gave when they first launched this encryption, “to protect the user.” But there are many that report this impact is far greater than 10% and that it is only expected to grow.

Should I be worried about “encrypted_search_terms” showing up on my dashboard?

The term showing up does not indicate anything about your site. You are most likely not being found for that term. This term is now showing up for everyone using WordPress’s site tracking. If you care about knowing how you are being found, then yes you should be a little more than worried about this. Google is taking away search data. If you have been trying to watch your search terms trends then this will be a problem. Your data from year to year will now be flawed, especially if the percentages continue to change.

Here are a few more sources for you to really dive into this discussion:

• Google Introduces New Encryption Process for Organic Search Queries: Results May Vary
• What Google’s encrypted search means for Raven
• Google Introduces New Encryption Process for Organic Search Queries: Results May Vary
• The noticeable (not provided) impact on the Internet marketing industry
• [Keyword Not Provided]: A Deeper Look

Can I get this data back?

No. Sorry, but there is no real solution for you to get the data back. You can run analysis on which pages are being seen most frequently and make inferences as to what terms brought them to those pages. You can pay for pay-per-clicks to find terms that may become hidden. You can ask users to share the data. But there will be no going back to the days that Google shared openly with the webmaster this information.

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Yelp Penalty – Pest Control to Jewelers

You will find the following “Consumer Alert” on yelp:

We caught someone red-handed trying to buy reviews for this business. We weren’t fooled, but wanted you to know because buying reviews not only hurts consumers, but also honest businesses who play by the rules. Check out the evidence here. ( http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/saphoto/RU7bd3h2f6pBlf8BfAyxGQ/o.jpg )

Clicking the link provided will take you to an image caption of the correspondence between the yelp sting operative and the company. This jeweler was offering $200 for a review, per the craigslist post they had created. And apparently they are not the only ones using this technique… per google search for “Craigslist.org Yelp review”:

Does this Yelp Penalty Affect Ranking?

Levi Jewelers still ranks #1 in the yelp search “Jeweler” from a desktop, as of today. It still shows the 5 stars and 91 reviews. ( Interesting to note that they do have 366 filtered reviews. )

When you travel to their page the consumer alert is below the fold:

The mobile version does not currently show the consumer alert whatsoever. And the yelp deal with Levi, one that pays yelp, is still active.

What is the verdict?

Honestly, I think yelp could show some more teeth here. But for the sake of making a public example of this company, I believe they are opting to keep them up. This is also a recent update and I am sure that the future versions of Yelp penalties will be modified. The email correspondence occurred beginning Oct. 11th through Oct. 13th. It appears that it was leaked to the press very quickly and thus the public relations team is getting their message out.

However, from a previous yelp broken filter blunder in which Yelp quickly reacted to remove the reviews, I feel yelp still fails to make a solid stance. Their previous blunder only called for a quick cover up, it did not remove the members who violated the guidelines. Will yelp protect the other members that the Jeweler paid off to get good reviews? Will there be a point when businesses get an advocate to combat yelpers gone wild?

Pest Control Guy Penalized on Yelp for Reviews

Rumor has it that there is a pest control guy that was caught red handed buying reviews on yelp as well. I have not been able to find this bugger. I am shocked however that a Phoenix pest control competitor of mine openly offers a credit for a yelp review on his website. It seems that this should certainly be a red flag for yelp.

“Love Us? YELP! Post a positive comment on YELP and receive $5.00 off any service. Let us know through our Contact Us page”

Apparently a yelp review is only worth $5 for pest control companies. That is a bit shy of the $200 the jeweler is offering and the $100 a restaurant in Sedona is offering.

Related articles

• After Sting Operation, Yelp Outs 8 Businesses That It Caught Trying To Buy Reviews
• Yelp Violation
• Yelp on Review Bust: No More ‘Shortcuts’
• Yelp Slaps Consumer Alerts On Business Pages For Those Who Have Paid For Reviews

Hashtags Trending on Google Plus

3 of 5 Trending Topics on Google Plus Have Hashtags.

Pretty funny considering hashtags are a twitter thing. Perhaps google+ should just copy that as well, oh wait they already did about 4 months ago. Now just wondering when they will add a Red Google+ Bird.

Just goes to show that the Google+ crowd is the same twitter crowd. Are they just copying and pasting their tweets? I wonder who would get dinged for duplicate content in this scenario.

 

English: Google plus one (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• Twitter’s First TV Commercial Is Oddly Endearing (theatlanticwire.com)
• Hashtags on Google Plus too! (hashtagify.me)
• 5 Reasons Hashtags Matter in Healthcare (himss.org)
• Twitter improves integration in the Facebook news feed (digitaltrends.com)

Pest Control Guest Post Opportunites

General rule of thumb,
if they mention you and/or your company,
then you deserve a link.

My boss was interviewed by a big magazine that published both off and online. He gave some great info and insight into running an exterminator business. What he forgot to do was ask for a link. While this should happen naturally from writers/editors, it doesn’t. Perhaps I live in a dream world that would deem that linking to your source as ethical. Maybe I am alone in thinking that writers should know to link out. Perhaps someday, but for now on my boss has been advised to proceed as follows.

ASK FOR THE LINK BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

It’s really very simple boss, when they quote you they need to do the following:

“Adam Seever, CEO of Bulwark Exterminating, says…”

If it’s an exclusive interview of you then they should conclude with an about section or begin with an introduction were they can build up more of your expertise. You can get a few more links in if it’s an exclusive interview.

“Today we are interviewing Adam Seever, CEO of Bulwark Exterminating, who has used database technology to create www.ScorpionReport.org”

In the past I would have pushed for an anchor text link for targeted keywords like pest control , and if I author a guest post for someone then I typically do drop in such a link, but today Google wants to see more of your branded keyword linking to you over heavy anchor text links. You can still accomplish this in an interview if you reference something you have written elsewhere online… “In my recent article on ant control I showed how statistical evaluation of treatments..”

You can also have them drop in easy links under a bio that lead to Find Bulwark on twitter, Follow Bulwark on Facebook: http://facebook.com/bulwarkpestcontrol Read Bulwark’s Blog …

These are just a few thoughts on how to get valid links through interviewing or blogging. But don’t over do your linking. If you submit an article to me as a guest blog post with as many self promoting links as what are in this article then I’d reject your article submission. I think 1-2 selfish links per article is permissible. More links are acceptable if they are not self serving. So if you want to load up a few more links then link to your friends.

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Mesa Exterminator Recieves Angie’s List Super Service Award (bulwarkpestcontrol.com)
• Promoted Tweet on Pest Control Twitter Stream by WHO? (pestcontrolseo.wordpress.com)
• Hope & Possibility (spiderx.wordpress.com)

Want to guest post? Then contact me: @Thos003

Facebook Ads Change with Timeline Layout

Samples of facebook ads and the change that the new facebook timeline layout has on the facebook ad space.

Old Facebook Layout with Traditional Ad Space

Old Facebook Profile

New Facebook Layout with Slimmer Ad Space

New Facebook Layout

Side by Side Mitt Romney Ads

Bulwark Pest Control Ad

110 x 80

Image size in facebook ads are 110 x 80.

Full post on Dream Systems Media : http://www.dreamsystemsmedia.com/blog/index.php/facebooks-new-layout-changes-ad-space/

Related articles

• Facebook Timeline vs. Old Profiles – How Our Eyes Look at Them Differently [STUDY] (sociableblog.com)

Promoted Tweet on Pest Control Twitter Stream by WHO?

A Promoted Tweet on Pest Control term by an electrical company?

“Technology has to be invented or adopted.”  – Jared Diamond

Okay so this is a cool quote and all, but why?

Why would GE want to promote this tweet on the pest control stream? Where is the connection? Did someone just do some keyword research and find pest control related to technology?  Are exterminators a large consumer of light bulbs? Sorry, just not getting it.  Pest Control Technology… Hmmm…. I mean there is a pest control technology magazine. And I often feel that Bulwark Exterminating is becoming more of a technology company than a residential pest control service… but still not getting the full picture here.

I guess the plus side to this is that I am blogging about this simply out of awe. But does it make me more inclined to buy from the promoter of said tweet?

Related articles

Image by Thos003 via Flickr

• DIY Pest Control to Prevent Pest Control Problems This Fall (blogpestcontrol.com)
• Tulsa pest control Exterminator gets Complimented (pestcontroltulsaok.com)
• Twitter is a link building tool. (pestcontrolseo.wordpress.com)

The Best Link Placement in Twitter

http://danzarrella.com/new-twitter-data-optimal-link-placement-for-clicks.html

So yes, twitter can be a great place to get traffic and twitter is a link building tool. Dan shows us just where to place links for optimal Click Through Rate (CTR). So the best link placement in twitter per this data is about the 25% mark, or about 20 to 30 characters in. Hmmm, that would be right about where a mention would end. ( @DanZarrella Check http://www.this.com out! ) Which actually leads me to believe that the social side of social media is actually pushing the effectiveness of a link. No statement on if mentions effected the CTR.

And if you want to know just how successful your twitter links are at driving traffic then try using a link shortner: Bit.ly, Goo.gl, Tiny.cc

But is there a correlation with link placement in a tweet and SEO? My guess is “No”.

Related articles

 

• 7 Ways to Integrate Search Engine and Email Marketing (hubspot.com)
• Twitter SEO? Think Twylah. (windmillnetworking.com)
• Four Tips for Optimizing Your Twitter Profile for Better Search Engine Performance (dailyseotip.com)

Twitter is a link building tool.

Likable = Linkable

Image by Hug It Forward via Flickr

Twitter is a great tool for engagement. Yes you should use twitter to build links. You find like minded individuals. You share content with them. You tweet out their good content. You make comments on their blogs. You get invited to guest post. You build relationships, you build links. The best links come from humans, not bots, not tools, HUMANS.

In the same stroke. A relationship is about give and take. Again, yes, you should use twitter to build links. But tweeting out self promoting links every 5 minutes, or 10, or even hourly just to build links will sabotage your relationships. ( see rule #3 Thou Shalt Not Blatantly Self-Promote ) So I try to avoid too much self promotion on my own twitter stream. I don’t use my twitter stream to build links for me. I don’t want to loose influence with peers by flooding my twitter stream with ME, ME, ME. I know, as a pest control guy I probably don’t carry too much influence… Even more the reason to guard what little I may have.

No relationships = No Links

FYI- The best links I get and give from twitter usually come from behind the DM curtain. 

Related articles

• New Twitter Data Shows Where You Put Your Link in Your Tweet Matters (blogworld.com)
• New Twitter Data: Optimal Link Placement (everything.typepad.com)
• Should You Host a Twitter Party? (fathomdelivers.com)
• How NOT to Blow Your Social Media Reputation (johnchow.com)

( find me on twitter @Thos003 )

Why Follow on Twitter? Why unfollow on Twitter?

Do you want twitter followers? Well this a little on why I follow or unfollow people on twitter. Not claiming any secrets on how to gain followers. But perhaps a little honesty from a pest control guy could help one figure out this twitter thing.

 

Follow:

I follow people that are willing to converse with me. If you follow me and have a conversation with me on twitter then I’ll usually follow you. If you follow me and respond to a DM of mine, then I’ll follow you. I have a lot of conversations in private. There is a lot that is said behind closed doors. I find those conversations very valuable. There are a lot of people that I check in on, but don’t follow. I use lists.

Unfollow:

I unfollow people that self promote too much. I unfollow people that publish just links. Sorry, but if you if I do follow you and you unfollow me, then I take that as a sign that you don’t want to openly converse anymore and I’ll unfollow you. And yes, I trim down my list on occasion, so if you’re not following me, or not conversing with me then you’re probably not making the cut. Sorry Bob.

Facebook:

Facebook has been a bit more private use for me so I only allow people I’ve meet in real life into my facebook circle. But don’t worry, you’re not missing much if you aren’t there. I don’t facebook much.

I’d also like to thank Kenneth Gonzalez for his engaging conversation that help spur some of this post. Find his blog at,  http://blog.engagedconsulting.com/ … Now back to that problem of me following 666 people. Sorry but need to change that. If you still say, “I don’t get twitter.” then you should read some of the following articles. Or just start posting comments and questions below. …Its called engagement.

Related articles

• To Unfollow or Not to Unfollow – My Twitter Strategy (jonwellman.com)
• It’s not personal, but I’m unfollowing you… (social-media-enthusiast.com)
• The 7 Deadliest Twitter Mistakes (searchenginepeople.com)
• What do you look for when deciding to follow/like someone? (sphinn.com)

Social Media Report: Scorpion Sting Facebook, Google+, Twitter

Social media platforms are constantly put in head to head comparisons. So when Mat Siltala from Dream Systems Media did a post about his scorpion sting on all 3 social media platforms simultaneously, the intuitive nature of Mat kicked in. Between Facebook, Google+, and twitter, which platform would be most responsive to a post about scorpion stings? What would be your guess? The results may surprise you a bit.

Google+ Count

Have Matt in circles (2158) – That is a fairly good audience. Google+ is fresh. It’s the new upbeat social hang out. One could speculate that it has more real users… or not. But Google didn’t take the cake for Mat’s scorpion sting post.

Twitter Count

3,618 Followers – That is a healthy twitter following. Mat Siltala has been a very busy busy body on twitter. His follower to follow ratio is fantastic. He puts out a steady stream of useful content. And he laughs out loud some funny infographics. But can twitter compete with the socialness of facebook?

Facebook Social Weight

Friends (602) – Clearly Mat is more selective with his Facebook audience. With a count of 602 the facebook audience is a fraction of Mat’s Google+ and Twitter following. But honestly, Facebook seems to be more intimate. Mat’s lower friend count is because Mat is selective about who views his Facebook stream. And in Mat’s case, he shares things that are bit more private. So I naturally believed that Facebook would be the best setting for a conversation about scorpion stings. Regular life happens on facebook.

And the Scorpion Sting Survey Says…

Twitter wins!

So wait… twitter isn’t just about news and high-tech stuff? You can actually have a conversation on twitter about life? Do you want to know what I had for breakfast?

Okay… I will keep the meal tweets to a minimum. But I was shocked that twitter got the bulk of the interaction. Granted, this wasn’t a planned out scientific test so there are a number of variables that alter this example. But even still, a pest control guy can pick up a conversation on twitter about bugs. And if you know how to converse then you can effectively communicate with twitter. If you can communicate then you can market.

What are your thoughts on operation Scorpion Sting?

Related Articles

• What does a scorpion sting feel like? (bulwark pest control .com)
• FDA approves Scorpion Anti Venom for scorpion stings (blogpestcontrol.com)
• Video: Personal story of Anascorp saving young boy’s life.  (youtube.com)