The first date for July is the 10/07/13

Drayton Old Lodge

146 Drayton High Road

Drayton, Norwich

NR8 6AN

Book your free SEO training course place

The post SEO Training Course At The Drayton Old Lodge appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness

1. Multitasking in iOS 7

Prehaps the biggest change for iOS 7 app development is the changes that have been made to multitasking APIs. Whereas developers were before limited to just a few select areas such as background audio, navigation, and VoIP, Apple is now allowing developers to run code at select intervals of their choosing. When a phone receives a push-notification, it can now act as a push trigger, allowing the app to wake up in the background for up to 10 minutes, execute code (which is more than likely going involve networking of some kind to allow data retrieval), and then close. This is to give the illusion that the app has run in the  background all along, as when the user next launches that app, they no longer have to wait for the data to be downloaded.

2. AirDrop

AirDrop facilitates a new way of sharing files between devices easily. AirDrop works over wifi or Bluetooth, and for short range communication, promises to be quicker than composing an iMessage or email. Apps that implement sharing should definitely take advantage of AirDrop. AirDrop has the advantage of not having to know the recipient’s contact details, as users can temporarily turn on AirDrop requests from those who are not already in their phone books.

3. UI Dynamics

iOS 7 is all about the new and radically different interface design. One thing that Apple is really focusing on is the intention of different UI elements. The introduction of the new API called UI Dynamics is built specifically for this purpose. UI Dynamics allow developers, in just a few lines of code, add physics to elements that appear on-screen, so that when they are touched and manipulated by the user, they can respond in a way that shows purpose and intent. An elegant example of this is on the lock screen. Just as with prior versions of iOS, there is a camera button in the lower right hand corner, than when slid upwards reveals quick access to the camera app. If the user decides half way through sliding that they no longer wish to use the camera, they can stop the slide and the lock screen will fall back to its original position. However, they could also physically slide the lock screen back down, or even do it with such a fast motion, that the lock screen bounces once it reaches the bottom of the screen. Implementing UI Dynamics in you app will help to add a sense of depth to your application and leave users of your application in awe as they see what clever uses you have been able to make of it.

4. General iOS7 UI improvement

Apps that use the stock iOS appearance now feel outdated, because the UI hasn’t been refreshed since it was first introduced back with the original iPhone in 2007. In order to make an app look good at present, it is necessary to perform heavy customisation of the UI by creating custom views. With iOS 7, it will be OK once again to use stock widgets to create your UI as it will result in an app that looks modern and up-to-date with the current style trends of iOS.

5. New frontiers

iOS 7 really does level the playing field, as not one app can get away with looking like a pre-iOS 7 era app. Whereas one or two apps dominate each App Store category in the App Store at present, developers have a chance to hit the road running and preparing an update to their app to take advantage of the new APIs and UI that is available with iOS 7 and create an app that will rocket to the top of their respecitve App Store category.

It’s safe to say, that with all of these changes, the next few months ahead will prove to be an exciting time for iOS developers in the realm of iOS 7 app development.

The post 5 Point Checklist For iOS 7 App Development appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Dan Williams

So, what exactly is Pinterest and how can businesses benefit from it?

Pinterest is believed to be one of the fastest growing social networks. In the words of Pinterest themselves, it’s a ‘tool for collecting and organising things you love’. Essentially, it’s a website which allows users to share and organise photos, known as ‘pins’. Significantly, pins link back to their source.

For businesses, there lies the opportunity to engage with users, also known as ‘pinners’. The more users pin your content – e.g. your photos, your articles, your video – the greater the chance of other people discovering it. A range of board’s can be created to reflect your brand’s personality, showcasing your products and services, as well as representing what inspires you.

Setting up a Pinterest business account

The process for setting up a Pinterest business account is relatively straightforward. As suggested in Pinterest’s set-up process, it’s worth getting your website verified, as not only will other pinners know you’re a trustworthy source, it will also give you access to Pinterest Analytics which allows users to track pinning activity from a website and monitor which pins are most popular. For those businesses, where visuals feature heavily, the ‘Pin it’ button can be added to a website and this makes it easier for users to pin directly from a page.

Which businesses are using it well?

Online marketplace, *Etsy, is an interesting case study as it has managed to successfully harness Pinterest to reach a much wider audience and achieve its goal of not only increasing sales for its community of sellers, but also inspiring customers. The company analyses which pins are liked and re-pinned, and uses this information to inform content strategy – if an item is popular on Pinterest, it’s a good indication that it will be liked amongst the wider Etsy community. It’s currently one of the few companies that has received special attribution treatment, from Pinterest, whereby a small icon appears whenever a user pins from the Etsy website:

*Marks & Spencer is just one of the Top 10 UK retailers which has a large following on Pinterest:

Each board has its own focus, whether it’s weddings, recipes, living room ideas menswear etc. When users click on an image of a product they are taken through to the Marks and Spencer website. Vice versa, if a user browses the main website and comes across products they wish to share on Pinterest, they can easily do this using the ‘Pin it’ button.

Locally, *Norfolk Brides has plans to further integrate Pinterest into their website and has over 700 followers. *Fabulous Norfolk is a good example of a business following Pinterest best practice:

Note how:

• on the Fabulous Norfolk Pinterest board, the tick appears next to the website url (this means it’s been verified and is a trustworthy source).
• there are clear, different themes for different boards.
• where appropriate, pins link back to the Fabulous Norfolk website.
• there’s repinning activity from other users (see top right, where the word ‘repins’ appears). Businesses should pin other people’s images and like them too. This encourages engagement and shows that it’s not all ‘me, me, me’.
• one of the board’s is labelled ‘Fabulous Norfolk Things We Love’. This board is in an insight into the brand’s personality and we can see some of the things, either online or out and about in Norfolk, which inspire the company.
• the Fabulous Norfolk website itself has a Pinterest follow button on the homepage.

You may already have joined or be thinking of joining, if so here are 3 tips for using Pinterest:

1. Get creative!

Creativity can go a long way. Sometimes it’s not about showing your product or service in a literal sense but rather in context. For example you may be selling clothing and you could upload a pin of one of your products, for instance a jumper. Or you could upload a pin of the same jumper being worn by a model who has been styled with appropriate accessories in an interesting setting. You could upload a picture of a tile, or you could upload a photo of a bathroom complete with a tiled wall and plumbing fixtures. Similarly, you may sell local produce, lets say honey, and a photo of this could be uploaded to Pinterest. Another way to showcase the honey would be to show dishes which have been created using your product. You get the idea. Sometimes, photos which represent a lifestyle can encourage repinning activity.

2. SEO and keywords

In terms of SEO, keywords remain important on Pinterest. As a business you want your target audience to easily find and share your pins. If you want users to search and find your content, remember to use relevant keywords when considering wording for your profile section, board names and descriptions. Even though Pinterest is about photos/pins, search results are still based on words. Aim to use words which your customers understand and can relate to. To find items, users search via the search facility, indicated below, and can then choose to view results dependant on pins, boards or pinners. Plus, following a recent update, it’s now much easier to search your own pins; results can be filtered by selecting ‘All pins’ or ‘Just my pins’ allowing users to search and find their own pins much more quickly:

3. Don’t forget about video

Did you know, as well as images, video can be pinned to boards? One way to do this is via the ‘pin it’ button which allows you to easily pin things you find online. Once again give careful consideration to the description of the pin so that not only can users find your content easily but they know what to expect if they view the content.

Should my business be on Pinterest?

More and more businesses are embracing Pinterest and incorporating it into their social media marketing strategy as they begin to realise the opportunities the platform offers to engage with customers, build loyalty, drive traffic back to a website and increase sales. It’s a channel on which customers can discover products and content. But, like other social media, it’s not for everyone.

Data suggests that women are 5 times as likely as men to use Pinterest. It might also help to know that according to the latest Pinterest Stats, by Repinly on 6th January 2013 the most popular pins and boards are as follows:

Still, not sure whether Pinterest is for your business?  This infographic is useful but bear in mind some non visual, non creative industries, are finding it to be beneficial. Don’t forget, to cross-promote Pinterest on other social networking sites you may be on, as well as on company literature and newsletters.

I hope this post has given you some food for thought. As increasingly more social media platforms emerge on which to engage with customers and clients, it can be difficult to know what to sign up to. In order to help you decide where to focus your efforts, think back to your business goals and consider where you can find your target audience. With some research and a plan, it’s often a case of trying different things and tracking results to see what works best.

With Pinterest constantly striving for a more user friendly experience and developing features for businesses to get the most out of it, it will be interesting to see how this relatively young social media network develops.

Blog post by Sandeep, Owner of Chai Marketing

*Note, I’m not affiliated with the companies mentioned.

The post Using Pinterest for Business appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Sandeep Cavill

After doing this you have to develop a content strategy, that satisfies the previously mentioned target audience. There are lots of very different content strategies in the internet. They all provide various ways how to promote your content successfully. You may choose the strategy that fit’s you best, because you won’t be able to combine all of them.

But talking about HOW to be successful in digital marketing is falling shortly. You need to know the pitfalls that you have to avoid. If your audience is dissatisfied, you’ve lost them and will have a hard time to gain back their trust.

The Form of Content

Since you know your target audience, you know what content you have to deliver. I don’t have to tell you, that you have to deliver value for your audience to stay satisfied. But do you provide the content in the right form? It’s proven that podcasts and video series boost your traffic for 30% in average. But it’s more than just the traffic boost. You need to use the medium, that your audience prefers most.

Let’s say that your targeting business man, that travel a lot. Do you have a podcast they could listen to while driving the car? Business man love to consume content passively while doing something else, so make your content accessible in that passive way.

Or is your content about guides and tutorials? Have you ever tried to follow a written road map? Make sure that you provide videos of your guides, allowing your audience to follow your process step by step.

Blogposts are the most common way to provide content and they perform very well. It’s the standard that you probably shouldn’t miss. You just need to aware of other mediums that your audience might like.

The Behaviour

Interacting with your audience is very essential. You want to build up a relationship with your visitors. When you aren’t able to gain their trust, they won’t believe you. Switch the positions and view yourself as if you where a visitor seeing your page for the first time. Are you using the right tone in your voice? Do you adopt the wording your audience is used to? Is the design of your site related to your topic or just to your own preferences?

Is your text easily readable? Most people don’t read texts, they skim through them. You need to format your text accordingly, so it is easy to get the important statements without having to read the whole text or even searching for them in way too long sentences like this one. Don’t use long paragraphs, they prevent readers from quickly skimming your text.

The Value

Probably the most important pitfall that may trap you is the value. When you’ve overcome the first two pitfalls and you get your audience to actually consume your content, you need to provide the value your audience is searching for. There are several ways, how you can find relevant content. You just need to use them.

For example when you’re in the dog training niche, search in Google for “forum:dog training”. This will give you a list of all forums that are relevant for dog training. Then you can search for threads named “Need help with…”, “Don’t know how…” and so on. Other useful Google hacks are the searchterms ‘intitle:’, ‘inurl:’, ‘site:’ or ‘related:’.

Other ways are searching the bestseller lists on Amazon.com. Most books provide a look inside, which gives you the table of contents. Of course I don’t encourage you to copy the contents. Instead you can use this as source of inspiration and digg deeper into the topic. Since the book is a bestseller, you publish content the people are definitely searching for.

The third source I want to mention are trending topics. Regardless of Google Trends, Twitter or social bookmarking sites – you can see what the internet is talking about on those platforms.

So, these are three of the most important pitfalls in digital marketing, that you definitely need to know about. Make sure, that you keep them in your head everytime you publish content!

The post Pitfalls & Opportunities in Digital Marketing appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Jan Koch

Places are available on the final free course in May you can register one of the final places below.

On the course you will learn

• How to do keyword research
• How to create relevant websites
• How to correctly structure your website
• How to link build
• How to implement Google Authorship
• And much much more

The post Free SEO & Digital Marketing Training Course Norwich 30th May appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness

Our SEO training course in Norwich is becoming increasingly popular, this year we have sourced a great location, the conference room at the Garden House. This has allowed us to once again put the course on with no charge to the attendees.

Following on from the morning session which covers the concept of relevancy in SEO . The afternoon session delves into how to create authority for your website so that search engines a more inclined to rank your pages highly for important terms.

After you have enjoyed lunch in the restaurant downstairs at the Garden House or in one of the nearby Cafés or Deli’s on Unthank Road, come back and get stuck into learning how to build authority for your website.

You will learn:

• factors search engine use to rank websites
• Link building – What is a link and why all links are not equal
• The impact of social media on search & SEO

The new course content also includes sections on Google authorship and the impact of increased personalisation in search results.

The post SEO & Digital Marketing Training Course 23rd May 2013 appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness

If you are attending the next Yodelay free digital marketing & SEO course at the Garden House in Norwich you will spend time learning to understand this concept.

Duncan will take you through all the established steps to understanding how internet users make search queries and how to use your website to effectively answer those queries.

In the morning the training will cover:

• How to do keyword research
• How to understand the different types of search query (Informational, navigational & transactional)
• How to identify commercially important search terms

Duncan will then take you through the important steps of how you incorporate keyword research into your website copy, this includes

• Best practice for search engines 
• How to create compelling content for users.

The training course will be at the Garden House PH On Pembroke Road in Norwich. The course starts at 9.30 am and should finish at 4.30 pm.

Please note as the course is provided at zero cost to you we can not provide free refreshments, you will however be able to purchase food and drinks from the bar.

The Garden House can be found in the Golden Triangle area of Norwich, the pub does have limited parking onsite and there are also some nearby streets which are non permit zones.

The post SEO & Digital Marketing Training Course Norwich 16th May 2013 appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness

The Yodelay free SEO & digital marketing course in Norwich

The requests for more free training events have been mounting all year, finally we have got a great event organised for you…

We have just confirmed the dates for this years round of free SEO & digital marketing training days.

This year to change things up and keep the event fresh we are holding a series of popup events in Norwich the aim is to train 120 new businesses in three days.

Starting on the  16th of May we will be hosting a three date residency at the sumptuous Garden House pub here in the Golden triangle in Norwich.

The Garden House allows us to move away from the typical lecture or class room type environment and gives you a more informal setting for networking with the fellow attendees.  Plus they have a fantastic beer garden for use at lunch and for post event drinks, where we can chat to you on a one to one basis to answer your questions.

Each event only has 40 places available so you need to be quick with your booking. 

SEO relevance & authority

Once more we will take you on a trip through SEO fundamentals teaching you how to create great SEO & digital marketing campaigns which have real impact on your bottom line.  This year you can take part in an expanded section on Google authorship and the impact of increased personalisation in search.

For a full run down on the course content take a look at the SEO training  course page.

What will you get from attending?

Our aim is to provide you with a firm understanding of what you can achieve with SEO & digital marketing, we have no magic pills to sell. We just offer advice which has been tested by thousands of SEO companies and agencies globally. We will also ensure that you leave the day with insights about the future of search and where you should be looking for the next big developments.

At Yodelay we are are passionate that each company or business is its own best resource for digital marketing and we hope that you get inspired on the day to push your business forward online.

We look forward to seeing you on the day!

The post 2013 SEO & digital marketing training course dates announced appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness

SEO copy should of course include your keywords and phrases, but if this is its only ingredient then the potential of your content will be severely limited.

Web copywriting is about persuasion

The purpose of your content is not simply to be found by web users; if it was then SEO alone would suffice. Its other purpose is to persuade people to read on and then take action. To do this your content needs firstly to be top notch – it should be written convincingly and compellingly and contain no errors. This will persuade the reader that your company has a professional attitude and lends a certain air of authority to what you have to say.

By focusing on the quality of your web copywriting, you make your audience more receptive to any claims you make about your products or services. To persuade them further you should then back your claims up with proof. Finally, a killer call to action, or CTA, should be used to explain succinctly how the reader can take further action. For example, ‘call us today for a consultation’ or ‘download our product catalogue’.

Focus on benefits

To really connect with web users, your SEO copy should not focus on the features of specific products or services, but instead, on the benefits that they can bring to the reader. Avoid talking only about your company and its products, tell them about how their lives will be improved by taking up your offer.

It’s a subtle shift from the usual: “We made this great product to help with your time management…” to something more personal for your reader – something that addresses his or her needs: “Time is short, we know. Keep some of it for yourself with Nifty-Product-Name.”

Hone your own online voice and your marketing messages

Really successful online companies take the time to craft a distinctive voice and incorporate this into all their web copywriting. By developing your online voice you can distinguish yourself from the potentially hundreds of similar companies out there who are also trying to capture the attention of your customers.

You should also decide on a number of clear marketing messages that you are trying to convey, and incorporate these into your SEO copy. For example, you might offer the fastest delivery, or exceptionally high levels of customer service.

Interest and intrigue your visitors

One of the things that is often overlooked in online content when it is created with SEO in mind is that it should be interesting and really hook the reader. Dry, bland content might bring get noticed by a search engine that will direct readers to your site, but it certainly won’t keep those visitors there.

Make your content easy to follow

The structure of your content is also an important factor, as it can impact heavily on user experience. Your web copywriting should flow naturally and be broken up into relatively short paragraphs, divided in appropriate places by subheaders – like this post!

Finally, it’s worth remembering that Google’s algorithms now take things like quality and user experience into account, so whichever way you look at it, there’s more to web content than SEO and keywords.

The post There’s More to Web Copywriting than SEO appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Derryck Strachan

latest market data shows that Bing has continued its growth of paid advertising spend in 2012 & 2013 showing some impressive figures from the U.S.

The organic search market share data however reveals cold comfort in these numbers as the Bing / Yahoo alliance struggles to gain ground on its rival.

In Europe Google commands a massive  85% plus market share and hovers around 67% in the U.S.

U.S based agencies are reporting large growth in client spend on Bing especially mobile. This may be driven in part by the growth of mobile advertising and the desire of agencies to constantly seek the most profitable CPC rates for clients.

This could also be linked to the arrival of Google Enhanced campaigns which can be seen as a strategy  to drive up mobile CPC, therefore increasing Google revenues.

What happens in the EU may shape the global organic search landscape

The EU is currently conducting  an anti trust investigation concerning  how Google reportedly favours its own products  when serving search result pages to users. The complainants who sparked the investigation are a group led by Microsoft.

The situation is somewhat contradictory  as reports early this week indicated that a proposed settlement from Google had been accepted by the EU.

However a Tweet by Joaquin Almunia vice president of the European Commission and the man in  charge of competition and antitrust in the EU indicated that the investigation was still ongoing.

Almunia responded to a critical Tweet, after it was revealed he ‘sometimes’ sends text messages to Google Chairman Eric

Google off the hook. I guess that’s what happens when the starstruck Commissioner brags about texting with Eric Schmidt… @almuniajoaquin

— yidtech (@yidtech) April 16, 2013

@yidtech don’t worry, our Google investigation continues!

— joaquin almunia (@AlmuniaJoaquin) April 16, 2013

Key feature of the Google EU antitrust settlement proposal

Google has reportedly offered to label more clearly its own results when search results pages are created. This would be an attempt to differentiate Google services from competitor results.

Mostly this would concern the scraping and use of items such as reviews where Google has for a long time incorporated these items into its own results.

Unconfirmed reports also indicate a willingness by Google to include links to other search engines.

We have to wait to see the EU recommendations and what, if any enforcement Almunia chooses to impose. This is a difficult balancing act for him. Given his propensity for informal communication with the highest levels of Google. It may be fair to assume that he is looking for Google to offer voluntary self regulation rather than having to enforce it on them.

This will prove difficult as Microsoft has itself been on the receiving end of stringent financial penalties from the EU previously will be pushing for the same on Google.

One potential outcome is the possibility of creating different results pages for different geographic regions in order to comply with any antitrust agreement with the EU.

Without a voluntary agreement secured from Google, the complaint would have to be settled by a lengthy legal process which we can be sure the EU & Google wish to avoid.

The post Search Engine Market Share & The Google EU Antitrust Situation appeared first on Yodelay it was written by Keir Harness