dimecres, 26 de gener del 2011

Los posts patrocinados se profesionalizan | Yorokobu

| Yorokobu: "Escrito el 09.25.09 en Interactive por Mar Abad
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Los posts patrocinados nacieron marcados por la polémica. Pero, después de miles de posts discutiendo sobre su conveniencia, hoy ya tienen su hueco en las estrategias publicitarias de muchos anunciantes. Audi, VW, BBVA, Destinia, Corporación Dermoestética, Eurorent o Magister, entre cientos más, los utilizan.
Sólo la plataforma Zync.es gestiona una media de 100 posts patrocinados al mes en casi 4.000 blogs españoles y la polémica está quedando atrás por la profesionalización del formato.
Los posts patrocinados empiezan a ser más respetados por dos razones, según Yago Arbeloa, director general de Sync.es. Una, estos artículos siempre informan de su carácter comercial. Dos, un patrocinio no implica que la crítica que se haga de un producto o servicio sea positiva. Un análisis honesto resulta mucho más veraz y efectivo que una enumeración de halagos.
“En realidad, se hace una labor de consultoría. Hay que decir lo bueno y lo malo”, explica Arbeloa. “Al principio había un problema de imagen pero ahora algunos blogs, al ver disminuir sus ingresos, los están utilizando más a menudo. Es una forma más de generar beneficios”.
De acuerdo con el director general de Sync.es, “funcionan muy bien. Se replican y se comentan en otros blogs. Se produce un efecto de bola de nieve. Es una práctica muy aceptada y los anunciantes suelen repetir después de la primera campaña”.
Una estrategia de posts patrocinados se puede diseñar como una planificación al uso, en la que el anunciante selecciona el tipo de blogs en los que quiere estar. El pedido llega a los responsables de esos blogs y ellos deciden si escribirlo o rechazarlo. Y de ahí pasa a su publicación previa aprobación del cliente.
La otra fórmula que propone Zync.es es el mercadillo. Un anunciante crea una cuenta y lanza su oferta (tema sobre el que escribir y precio que pagará) a todos los blogueros suscritos a la plataforma. Quien lo acepta, tiene 48 horas para escribirlo. “Normalmente las ofertas no duran ni 15 minutos”, comenta Arbeloa.
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Entre los blogs adheridos a esta plataforma se encuentran No puedo creer que lo hayan inventado, PuntoGeek, aNieto2k, Loogic, Arturogoga.com, Wwwhat’s new? y Mercado de fútbol.
Esta forma de generar ruido no sólo la utilizan los anunciantes. “Hay muchos particulares que lo emplean para dar a conocer proyectos, sus webs… Con 300 euros puedes tener 10 posts”.
Un post patrocinado puede costar 14 euros, 500 euros o cualquier otra cantidad entre esas dos cifras. La polémica sobre los posts patrocinados acaba para las empresas que se dedican a ello con esta cuestión: “Un post patrocinado informa de que es patrocinado. ¿Cuántos posts se han escrito porque una compañía ha hecho un regalo al bloguero? Y eso no se dice”.
Aquí puedes ver dos posts patrocinados sobre propuestas online para organizar eventos y hospedaje para jóvenes "

How to choose and use the best target keyword phrase for an article


Arguably the most important aspect of writing or editing an article with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind is choosing the best target keyword phrase. It can also be one of the trickiest strategies of content SEO to master. But if you choose the right keyword phrase for a given article and weave it into an engaging and well-written piece, your article could be well on its way to a page one ranking in search engines for that phrase.
The target keyword phrase should be a two- to- four-word phrase (maybe even more words) that conveys the article’s core topic or message. While a given article might rank in search engines for a handful of different keyword phrases, the target phrase best conveys what the article is about and thus is emphasized more than other keyword phrases. If you could wish for your article to rank highly for any phrase, this would be it. Beyond the importance of shooting for a page-one ranking, there are at least three additional reasons why the target keyword phrase is so critical.
  1. It will make up a significant portion of your headline and meta title — usually the first part of your article a potential reader will see. It’s in those nanoseconds when you’re most likely to hook or miss a potential reader.
  2. The research you put into choosing the target keyword phrase can trickle down to the rest of the article. What you don’t choose for the main phrase can become secondary keyword phrases that will enrich the article’s deck, intro, subheads, etc., further enhancing the article’s clout in search engines’ indexes.
  3. Studying the keyword phrases people search for will make you a better writer and/or editor. Simply put, the research gives you insight into how your potential audience thinks about and looks for information.
Below is a step-by-step look at how to choose the best target keyword phrase for an article, including a hypothetical example to illustrate the steps. In my situation, I most often apply these steps to already written articles as they move through our editing process. There can be plenty of nuances to this setup depending on different situations, but the basic steps can be applied whether you are writing or editing, and whether your article is an online-original or the digital version of your latest magazine piece.
After you have a headline with a strong target keyword phrase, don’t consider your SEO work done. The best SEO isn’t just bolted on to an article or to the editorial workflow. What you learn via keyword research can be applied throughout the whole writing or editing process to improve the article’s readability and findability. The ultimate goal here isn’t to just please the search engines’ algorithms. It’s to make an article better for and more easily accessible by its potential audience.

1. Consider the Article

What is its main topic? Not broadly, but specifically. What is its main reader benefit? What questions does it answer?
Example: an article about the advantages and disadvantages of cork flooring — why it’s “green,” its pros and cons for different rooms in a house, different options of colors and textures, how much it costs, etc.

2. Brainstorm your keywords

Before you go anywhere near a keyword research tool, ask yourself what you would search for if you wanted to find an article on this topic. Scribble down a few phrases of varying lengths, but nothing shorter than two words (more on that later).
Example: cork flooring, cork flooring cost, is cork flooring green?, cork flooring uses, cork flooring options

3. Do your keyword research

My favorite resource for this step is the Google Keyword Tool. There are numerous keyword research tools out there with a variety of different options. Some of are the tools are free, some are not. For me at least, it’s hard to not use the tool from the No. 1 search engine. When you open the (free) Google tool, start by entering the best phrase(s) from your brainstorm list in the “Word or Phrase” box. Leave the “Website” box blank, unless you want to limit the results to keywords that bring your website traffic.
Google keyword tool
Another Google keyword tool is the Wonder Wheel search view. It shows how different search phrases are related in an octopus-like visual but does not give search volume numbers, so it’s better for keyword brainstorming more so than specific research.
Google Wonder Wheel

4. Review the results

At the top of the results list, you’ll see the phrases you searched for. Below that will be related phrases. The columns to the right of the phrases show search volume and trends in different ways and there are a few options to sort and customize the information. After you have your feet wet with this keyword tool, check out those customization options. But for now I recommend focusing on the Global Monthly Searches column.
Jot down the search volume numbers for the phrases you searched for and any of the related phrases that truly reflect what the article is about. Avoid phrases that aren’t natural language because they will be difficult to work into headlines and the text (more on that below). You may need to repeat steps three and four a couple times to find good phrases, or you might find great options right away.
Example: cork floors (90,500), cork flooring (74,000), cork flooring pros and cons (5,400), cork flooring prices (1,600), cork flooring cost (1,000)
Even though you’re looking at bunches of numbers, don’t forget that those numbers represent real people using search engines to find information your article might provide. If you’re unsure whether a particular phrase really matches the article’s topic, or you’re looking at words that can mean different things in different contexts, Google the phrase. The results will show you what the search engine regards as relevant results for that phrase. Googling the phrase will also reveal the competition for that phrase (both who and how much).

5. Resist the temptation of big numbers

I know I said to focus on the Global Monthly Searches column, but don’t just run with the short and/or broad phrase that has the highest number of searches. Your odds of ranking on page one will be higher for a more specific phrase that gets less search activity. It’s far better to rank on page one for a phrase that gets a few thousand searches a month than to be on page 19 for a phrase that gets a few hundred thousand searches a month.
The trick is to look at phrases that most accurately reflect what the article is most specifically about and then use the numbers to weigh the different options within that. There’s no magic number of search volume to choose or ignore. I’ve found that, for people who are new to SEO, choosing one phrase out of the options is the hardest part of optimizing content and that the temptation of big numbers is hard to resist. It’s really important to focus on the relevancy of the phrases and use the different search volume numbers more so as a tiebreaker than a compass.
Example: In this case, all the phrases related to cork flooring are specific enough for consideration. But say the writer had turned in the article with a vague headline like “Great Flooring Option for Green Homes” or “Great Green Flooring Option.” “Flooring” (4 million) is way too broad and too big. “Green homes” (74,000) isn’t necessarily too big, but is broader than the specific topic of the article. And “Green flooring” (6,600) isn’t specific. Say the author used a headline like “Why Cork Makes for Great Floors.” The problem with that is that it doesn’t really target any phrase. It doesn’t cover “cork floors” (90,500) because there are other words in between.

6. Choose the long tail

After you have experience researching keyword phrases, if you still have trouble weighing the options and/or feel the temptation to choose vague phrases with super-high search volume, try this: You can get a sense of the ideal search volume for your topics and website by using Google Analytics.
Look up the top entrance keywords for your website, then enter those phrases into the keyword tool. Then compare their search volume to the number of visitors they actually bring to your website. You might be surprised that some of the most continually productive entrance keywords for your website don’t have huge search volume. Enter the Long Tail theory.
Whereas a shorter and more general phrase may have a much higher search volume than a longer and more specific phrase, the people searching for the latter are on a more focused and determined path. Generally speaking, when people search for short and broad phrases they are in early research mode and they’re likely to refine their search quickly to something more specific. When people search for a longer and/or more specific phrase, they are closer to making a “conversion,” which could be any or all of the following: read the article, share it on Facebook, sign up for your newsletter, subscribe to your magazine, etc.
These days, ranking for long tail keywords is more important than ever. People are becoming increasingly savvy with using search engines at the same time as the amount of information those engines access continues to expand exponentially. According to the SEO experts at Bruce Clay, Inc., nearly 60 percent of search queries are for three words or more, and the fastest growth in number of searches is for six- to seven-word queries.
Example: “Cork flooring pros and cons” caught my eye from the beginning. It conveys the content of the article and speaks to an audience that knows about cork flooring, but needs to know if it’s right for them. And this phrase is especially advantageous with the next tip in mind.

7. Double up if you can

Know that if you target a multiple-word phrase, you’ll also effectively target the words and phrases within that phrase. A win-win scenario is when a high-volume, broad phrase is verbatim in a longer and more specific keyword phrase.
Example: “Cork flooring pros and cons” effectively covers both that phrase and “cork flooring” (74,000)

8. Write the headline

Look at your short list of target keyword phrase options and write different headline options for the article. If you want the article to rank on page one for the phrase, odds are the phrase needs to be in the headline. Your best bet is to start the headline with the target keyword phrase.
If that’s awkward, place the phrase as early in the headline as possible. A strong keyword phrase early in the headline will please the search engines’ algorithms. It also will hook the attention of quick-moving readers when they see the exact same phrase they searched for in a headline on a search results page.
Keep in mind that your final headline needs to be clear and engaging, with natural language. The last thing you want is a franken-headline that makes the reader do mental acrobatics to understand it.
Example: “Cork Flooring Pros and Cons” is pretty strong. Ideal headlines for SEO are a little longer (about six to 12 words), but I think adding another phrase to this headline would make it awkward. This example isn’t an especially challenging one, but it’s not uncommon for a headline to fall into place like this once you have a good target phrase.

9. Weave it in

If you want an article to rank for a given phrase, it must be in the article. If it works naturally, use the target keyword phrase again in the deck and subheads of the article. If not, use secondary phrases. Definitely use the target phrase at least once within the article’s introduction. Then sprinkle it here and there throughout the piece.
There’s no magic number for this — too little or too much will depend on the context of the article and what the search engine considers natural for that topic. Generally speaking for a feature-length article, aim for at least three uses in the body copy: intro, middle and conclusion. But don’t force it. The bottom line is that the target keyword phrase should be a valuable phrase for the article, so using it a handful of times shouldn’t be awkward. If you find yourself struggling to rewrite a sentence to get the phrase in there for the Xth time, stop.
Example: It should be easy to use “cork flooring pros and cons” in the introduction and in the conclusion. But it may not be natural to use it more than that, which is fine.

10. Use secondary phrases

Phrases from the cutting room floor are great for to use in the deck, subheads, body text, etc. You may even discover new ideas for related articles or sidebars.
Example: Phrases such as “cork flooring durability,” “cork flooring installation,” “cork flooring prices” may naturally be in the body text and lend themselves to subheads.
All of this may sound like a lot of steps, but with practice you’ll find that the whole process generally moves swiftly and smoothly for most topics. Each time you do it, you’ll get faster and you’ll learn something new.
The payoff can be enormous — 15 to 30 minutes of work in choosing and applying a target keyword phrase can lead to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, more people reading your hard work. Plus, you’ll become a better writer/editor because you will be all the more in touch with your audience.

women's communities versus social media

 "Ron Mwangaguhunga's Blog
Are communities more influential than social media among women?"

Are women’s communities more influential than social media among women? That's kind of hard to believe, considering that women already numerically dominate sites like Facebook, Bebo, Twitter and Flickr, where they are also more active (in social gaming, for instance). But iVillage EVP Jodie Kahn believes that women's communities have more influence among women.
"The iVillage Women Like Me study clearly validates that women's communities engender an unmatched level of trust among their viewers," says Kahn, "and are ideal places to go for product and brand information."
The Women Like Me report, issued yesterday by the NBC Universal-owned site, shows that that more respondents of the proprietary study lean toward meaningful discussion on women’s online communities for information on products and brands (51%) than for the same information on social media sites (14%).
Those findings mirror those found in the Beauty is in the Eye of the Blog Holder study on women's shopping behaviors. In the study, blogs were found more than twice as likely as magazines -- by 63% to 26% -- in driving beauty product purchases over the last six months. The study had a sample size of 1,027 women and was conducted last October by BlogHer in conjunction with DeVries Public Relations. The study's most interesting finding: when seeking recommendations about beauty products, participants turn to and trust "familiar" bloggers more than store websites or social networks. Familiar bloggers were just over twice as helpful as social networks, according to the study.
Finally, a third recent study, Women, the Web and their Wallets, done in August 2010 also by BlogHer but this time partnered with Create with Context, offers similar results to the other two studies on women's online behavior. This study found that when offered multiple reasons for making beauty product purchases, the top motivations of women participants in the study were cost savings and recommendations from friends. No big news there for the cosmetics and beauty business, a $7 billion a year industry, by the way. But here's where it gets interesting: when asked to determine which resource provides the most helpful advice in assisting with cosmetic and beauty purchase decisions, 61 percent of women in the study chose "Familiar Blogger." "Store Website" came in second, with "Social Network" coming in third.
Underlying all of this is the question: Do women and men approach social media differently? It's a question of interest to all publishsers and advertisers. Jenna Goudreau of Forbes wrote an interesting piece last year titled "What Men and Women Are Doing on Facebook" that may go a ways in explaining the differences. Goudreau found that most women on the Forbes Woman Facebook page -- with over 11,000 fans -- agreed that women are more likely to value and trust information from online women's communities than other social networks and portals.
What do you think?