Copyright © 2010 I-COM International 2010-09-09T20:23:20+0100 2010-09-09T20:23:20+0100 http://www.i-com.net/blog/ Leading Manchester SEO, SEM and web design agency blog. http://www.i-com.net/blog/ http://i-com.net/images/icom-net.gif http://www.i-com.net/blog/ Leading Manchester SEO, SEM and web design agency blog. I-COM International blogmaster at i-com dot net I-COM International I-COM International en SEO, SEM, Web Design, Web Development 1440 http://www.i-com.net/blog/seo-results-you-cant-afford-to-ignore-339/ Here at I-COM were never happier than when clients are happy with the level of success they are receiving from our online marketing and SEO services. So we were really excited when we received this fantastic testimonial from the MD of one of our long standing clients: "I can honestly say that engaging with I-COM is one of the best business decisions I have ever made. At the outset of the SEO campaign, I never foresaw that we would have the sort of positions, visibility and prominence in the search engines that we do today. Even now, three years into our relationship, I-COM continue to surprise and impress me with the results they deliver." Our client specialises in recruiting top quality candidates for sales and marketing positions in leading UK healthcare, ethical pharmaceutical, dental and veterinary companies. This is a highly competitive industry online and I-COM has helped to make them one of the major online players. Theyve been with us for three years, and in that time we've used our not inconsiderable SEO, web development and design nous to drastically improve their visibility in the major search engines. According to Google Analytics weve seen a massive increase in their visibility in the search engines. When comparing the period 01/01/10 - 31/03/10 to 01/01/08-31/03/08, we found that: The site had achieved many top ten listings in Google for medical sales related keywords. The site received traffic for 3,108 keywords, as opposed to 1,474 in 2008. Based on just organic traffic, the total number of number of conversions had increased, from 185 in 2008 to 471 in 2010, an increase of 154.59%. The goal conversion rate increased from 4.21% to 7.96%. Page views had increased from 23,434 in 2008 to 37,453 in 2010, suggesting visitors are now exploring more of the site, finding the jobs more easily and finding more useful information in general. Overall, organic traffic to the site also increased from 4,396 in 2008 to 5,916 in 2010, a percentage increase of 34.58%. When considered in conjunction with a 19.88% drop in the bounce rate over this period, we concluded that these visitors were more targeted, and were therefore able to find the information they required much faster than previously. We've achieved these results by, amongst other things, making some fundamental changes to the structure of the site which allows all jobs to be indexed by the search engines and adding search engine optimised content to the site. In addition our in house social media specialists have begun establishing a social media presence for the company. We've got big plans for the future SEO of our client, which should see their website continuing to enjoy a high level of visibility in the search engines, but more importantly providing them with a fantastic return on investment. Here's to the next three years! Search Engine Optimisation 2010-04-20 10:16:11 http://www.i-com.net/blog/seo-results-you-cant-afford-to-ignore-339/ http://www.i-com.net/blog/manchester-growth-show-wednesday-april-14th-334/ The good people over at Business Growth Show have asked me to lead a seminar tomorrow on 'Why SMEs Should Blog' at their free event at Ramada Manchester. The day starts at 9am and ends at 3pm, and I'll be leading the first seminar, presenting what I feel are the ten key benefits of blogging from a business perspective. The Manchester Growth Show is a great opportunity for local business leaders to learn more about other industries and potentially grow their businesses as a result. Run by the team at Corkscrew Events, the Business Growth Show has been facilitating networking and new business connections in cities across the UK since 2003. Tomorrow's Manchester event will also feature speed networking, talks on networking and an eclectic collection of exhibitors from a range of industries. Hope to see you all there! I-COM News 2010-04-13 09:20:09 http://www.i-com.net/blog/manchester-growth-show-wednesday-april-14th-334/ http://www.i-com.net/blog/4networking-business-breakfast-tuesday-260110-premier-inn-trafford-centre-west-304/ I'll be sharing my online marketing secrets with attendees to the 4Networking Business Breakfast on Tuesday 26th January, at Premier Inn, Trafford Centre West. The event will run between 08.00 and 10.00am. Here at I-COM we believe that having a great looking website is useless if no-one ever sees it, which is why we offer all our clients comprehensive SEO strategies, designed to get them into the most relevant SERPs to their business. I'll be sharing my inside knowledge on the ins and outs of search engine marketing, including tips on how you can make the most out of your online presence, turning those casual visitors into paying customers. Attendance to the event costs just 10. Book your place today. If you only attend one business breakfast this year, make it this one. I guarantee you'll be enthused, amazed and inspired! I-COM News 2010-01-25 13:50:39 http://www.i-com.net/blog/4networking-business-breakfast-tuesday-260110-premier-inn-trafford-centre-west-304/ http://www.i-com.net/blog/online-advertising-overtakes-tv-advertising-grows-by-46-in-the-uk-244/ Interesting to see that the IAB and Price Waterhouse Coopers latest report shows that, while overall marketing spend has slid by 16% due to the recession, spend in online marketing grew in the UK by approximately 4.6% to 1.752bn between January and July of this year. For the first time ever, the amount of money companies spend on online advertising has overtaken that spent on TV advertising.This comes as no surprise at all to us here at I-COM. We're seeing the recession accelerate companies' migration of advertising spending from more traditional media to digital technology.It's no wonder that online advertising and marketing has grown even in such difficult times. Growth in online adverts is driven by; Multi-media / Rich Content: Online Video and interaction makes the internet much more engaging E-commerce: People are now taking to the internet to find bargains and discounts, especially in recession Direct Response: Marketeers can measure the success of online advertising much more effectively Cheaper Broadband / WIFI Services: Allow for a much wider audience whom advertisers can provide with richer content More and more clients are coming to us looking to get the best possible Return on Investment for their advertising spend and more importantly, are realising that digital media, particularly search marketing, provides the best possible ROI. Internet Marketing 2009-09-30 09:32:18 http://www.i-com.net/blog/online-advertising-overtakes-tv-advertising-grows-by-46-in-the-uk-244/ http://www.i-com.net/blog/what-to-look-for-in-an-internet-marketing-expert-211/ At a recent seminar I attended I was asked what the qualities that someone should display who goes under the title of "Internet Marketing Expert."In my opinion a true internet marketing expert should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of the current position and objectives of the business and sector they are going to work in. Write a cohesive Internet Marketing Strategy to achieve those objectives. Demonstrate that they can and have implemented SEO strategies to gain higher Search Engine Listings Understand how Social Media Marketing can be utilised in the Internet Marketing Plan Explain and demonstrate where they have utilised online reputation management strategies to improve Search Engine listings, Internet Real Estate and promoting of the brand, product or individual. Demonstrate where they have used copywriting to achieve high conversions and usability not just search engine listings. Demonstrate how the utilisation of article and blog submission has helped one of their clients to gain a) New Clients and b) Internet Real Estate Clearly discuss the importance of link profiles and off site search engine optimisation. If they can provide examples of where they've done all these things you truly have an Internet Marketing Expert in front of you. Unfortunately our industry is plagued by a lot of self publicists and individuals that see the internet as a way to make a quick buck. Our advice to you is make sure you check them out before you spend any money; speak to the people that they have worked with and get personal recommendations, don't be satisfied with on-site testimonials or videos - make sure you pick up the phone and speak to someone. If they are a true internet marketing expert they will have proven, tried and tested techniques, but also an individual plan for your business! The process of employing an Internet Marketing Expert should go from initial consultation, through to strategic planning and effective implementation that brings measurable results. Good luck and I hope this has helped you to start thinking about the questions you should be asking prior to employing the services of an Internet Marketing Expert! Internet Marketing 2009-07-30 12:33:15 http://www.i-com.net/blog/what-to-look-for-in-an-internet-marketing-expert-211/