As you might expect, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Online PR are among the portfolio of services we offer to clients - and this has made us look at ways of driving traffic to our clients’ sites.

The video below provides some interesting insights into SEO and the use of press releases with carefully selected ‘key words’. PR practitioners and marketeers are not alone in pursuing this strategy and indeed the media (Northcliffe, in particular) have concentrated on "SEO focused headlines."

However, we recently launched a website for Connexions West of England, www.ConnexionsWest.org.uk, with content that, while not specifically optimised for SEO, was designed to be interesting and relevant. The result was some 10,000 unique user hits in the first month ... which leads me to ask the question: would you rather read something that is written for you – or text manufactured for Google?

 

It is the conundrum of good sales and marketing activity, isn't it? You execute a perfect marketing plan, follow it up with an aligned and systematic sales drive, and what happens? Clients tend to arrive like buses, i.e. "three at once."

The above is certainly true for Montage - we have won several bits of work recently and so making time for blogging can be hard, but why should you keep blogging?

Well, web 2.0 or blogging is not a quick fix and there are countless blogs that I have seen that have been set up and then left. WHY? This gives the impression that you no longer value keeping your online shop window in order.  And what about your readers? They will migrate elsewhere and that's why regular content is important.

Blogging builds your contacts and networks faster than offline. I have found that a concerted blogging campaign online has considerably built my contacts in the media, among clients and suppliers and more rapidly than offline networking ever could. Imagine going to a huge networking event everyday! Montage's own PRBristol has had me stopped in the street, literally, for comment and people who I have met online wanting to introduce themselves.

Finally, blogging is a great way to own thought leadership and establish your credentials in a field of expertise. Why spend £1,000s advertising to establish market leading presence when all your competitors are quiet as a mouse online?

As headlines of "THE WORST RECESSION IN 60 YEARS!" ring in our ears, one has to ask: Is it really that bad?

I think that this type of headline is about Alistair Darling with an agenda and bad journalism all round. Consider these facts about the current economy:

• Are we on a three day week? 
  
• Is inflation over 25%?
  
• Are interest rates at 15%? (As they were in the '90s)
  
• Are there over 3m unemployed?
  

No.

I was at the GWE Business West Initiative meeting last night and took the opportunity to conduct a quick straw poll of a good cross section of heavy hitting business people on the state of the economy. The outcome was that it isn't that bad. Ok, the head of a major development company said that the construction industry, unsurprisingly, had shrunk by 40%. But the main gripe was that people are taking a lot longer to make decisions. Not that there was no money at all ...

Many businesses represented at the meeting - lawyers, serviced office suppliers and accountants - have never been so busy. So the outlook is mixed; some people have made mistakes and hit the wall. But then again, while others rubberneck at the car crash, there are big opportunities to be had.

My general advice would be to, yes, keep costs under control, but don't go into a retreat. Why cut off all your marketing when your competitors have? If customers are getting harder  come by then why hide away and wait for an upturn? Surely, a £1 spent now on marketing is worth £2 if your message has nothing to compete against?

I have covered this subject before in my blog and feel that what is needed is sustained, cost effective marketing, in order to maintain brand positioning and be in the box seat for the upturn.

If you want to know my secrets that include PR and driving word of mouth with online PR techniques, come along to my seminar at the Business Enterprise Network (BEN) at Bristol University, tomorrow evening (11th Sept) - Growth Opportunities in a Recession.

Following the apocalyptic headlines regarding our economy being in its worst state for 60 years and monsoon weather for the next ten days, I had to ask 'is it really that bad?'

I walked to work in glorious sunshine this morning and I don’t remember there being any reports of a 4 day working week or inflation being at 29% as it was in the 70s.

The gloomiest reports state that we are up for a drop in growth of 0.25 in 2009 which is nothing compared to the 90s

I can only concluded that doom and gloom headlines in the Sunday news papers only sell to a certain readerships, as the Mail on Sunday was the only news paper to increase its sales last month.

Either that or Alistair Darling is trying to bring our PM down