Search engines like Google are continuously changing their algorithms to accurately match search queries to page results. With the ever increasingly influence of social media, sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are expected to hold even more relevance in ranking online content in 2012. Social influence could be the next big game changer as social media continues to integrate into search engine results, validating individuals and businesses online and giving authority to their content.

In short, online social influence is the impact that an individual has on an online audience. Someone with high social influence has the ability affect someone’s beliefs and drive action online; it determines who to trust and who to avoid within a network of users. Initially, social influence could be measured by how many ‘Likes’ a person had on Facebook or how many times their content was ‘retweeted’ on Twitter. However the increasing popularity and controversy surrounding sites like Klout in 2011, reveal that measuring social influence, and thus its importance, is a growing trend.

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Welcome to the final installation of my opinion on the ongoing debate of SEO vs. PPC.

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3 part series, I took a look at some of the individual benefits of SEO and PPC and how they compare to one another in terms of effectiveness. Today I’ll be taking a look at the outcome of this debate and drawing some conclusions from the benefits of each marketing method that we’ve identified in previous blog posts. Check it out…

So, who’s the winner?

Truth is there is no “winner” as such. SEO and PPC both have their individual benefits and are in essence two very different search marketing tools that can’t actually be compared to one another because they are just too dissimilar. The “winning” situation and strategy that all companies should really think about implementing is a balanced combination of the two strategies in order to take advantage of both of their individual strengths.

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Every New Year inevitably brings with it a surge of new resolutions; gyms are crowded, savings accounts are opened, cigarettes are ditched in favour of chewing gum. It’s a time when many individuals make the decision to take better care of their health and happiness. In the same way, it’s the perfect time for business owners to take stock of their company’s strengths and weaknesses, and identify the areas that require the most improvement in the coming months.

Naturally, there’s plenty of advice going around for search marketing companies looking to enjoy a healthier, wealthier start to 2012.

Here is the MediaVision list of three essential New Year’s resolutions for SEO company owners:

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We are already well on our way into January and need to make sure our SEO and marketing strategies are suitable for the new year. There are already plenty of SEO predictions 2012 being discussed across forums and blogs, and considering the latest updates to the search engines, it is a good idea to keep them in mind when planning and conceptualising campaigns for the upcoming year. We take a look at the top predictions that your SEO agency needs to think about for 2012.

1. Fresh, Relevant and Enticing Content

Regardless of how exhausted the poor Panda may be, Google is almost certainly going to continue its focus on providing good quality and relevant search results by penalising sites with duplicate or low quality content. So the first of the SEO predictions for 2012 is that more emphasis will be placed on new and relevant content.

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The last week of November marked an auspicious event for the MediaVision team- the annual end-of-year celebration. The much anticipated weekend trip to the Breede River was not only a reward for all the hard work of a busy and successful 2011, but encompassed the company ethos of maintaining spirited and passionate staff members to ensure only the highest quality of work is produced. The directors, Louis, Thomas, Brett and Melissa go to great lengths to ensure that the MediaVision team works as a single motivated unit, extending work activities after hours, much to the appreciation of the employees. After all, for a search marketing and SEO team to succeed as we do, individuals must be passionate, creative, willing to share ideas and of course, enthusiastic about simply coming to work in the morning.

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A Couple weeks ago I discussed the benefits of an effective SEO campaign and the long term benefits it has on a website’s traffic as well as the overall monetary value of a website. This week, we take a look at the advantages that an effective PPC campaign can bring to an online business or any type of website.

The Benefits of PPC – Pay Per Click – Paid Search Marketing:

PPC, an acronym for Pay Per Click, literally refers to advertising on search engines via display advertising that you only pay for once somebody actually clicks on one of your displayed ads. The cost of the click is determined by a bidding system whereby relevance to a search term combined with the amount bid on an advertisement determine when and where your ad will be displayed. I could go into much more detail regarding the calculation of the actual cost per click, but that’s for another blog post on another day.

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After working with the established team of Mediavision Interactive for just over a month, you can tell this team lives on the edge of a multitude of things. Whether it’s the primary business of SEO that satisfies the broad client base we serve or the experiences after hours, this ethos is the driving force behind the team. So when the offer appeared of Quad biking in the Paarl Wine region with a tasting at a prestigious estate, the team mounted up and speeded off to claim a day of sunshine and adventure. Everyone assembled at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate for briefing with our expert guides and then were herded off to the safety department to claim helmets to ensure nobody rattled their noggin extensively. Dave was the true winner, scoring a suave equestrian number from the spring line while the rest of us got an 80’s “Chips” style dome, with Brett needing a set of Aviators to complete the look.

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It’s that time of year again; Social Media Week is nearly upon us and cities all over the world are gearing up for a number of exciting social network events and presentations. In the UK, social media professionals will be flocking to Scotland to participate in Glasgow’s Social Media Week – and it’s been rumoured that this year, the Scottish capital will be hosting the biggest SMW outside of the US.

Social Media Week in Glasgow will include more than 130 events, which will take place in venues across the city from September 19th – 23rd. Speakers from Google, Nokia, CNN and BBC will be participating in the 5-day celebration of social media.

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