Twitter-Google Deal Is Going into Effect. Tweets Now in Google Search Results. For Real This Time.

Remember at the beginning of the year when Google and Twitter announced a deal that would allow tweets to show up in Google search results? Well the two tech giants are delivering on their promise and now Google is showing tweets in search results on mobile; Google has mentioned that the effects of the deal will show up on desktop searches in the near future.

Our Chicago SEO team did a test run and it looks like tweets will appear on the page in a slider format. If you search for a hashtag, or keywords that are strong enough on Twitter, those tweets will appear one at a time with the option to see "more tweets for [subject]."

The only trouble is that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for where the tweets appear on the results page; sometimes they appear at the top and sometimes they appear in the middle or bottom. Sometimes the tweets won't appear on the search results at all. Presumably, according to our SEO agency, is that you will see the tweets surrounding a hashtag or topic when that subject is trending. 

Even though social media marketing was becoming more and more of a common practice for businesses, this deal between Google and Twitter has put it on the fast track.

If your business is not taking SEO or social media for business seriously, it needs to start doing that. If you have no idea how to do that or don't have the time, then call or email Integraphix and get a free consultation.

5 Myths About SEO That Are 100% Wrong

There are lots of myths out there about SEO, some of them have validity, while others are just wrong. Here are some of the worst offenders out there.

1. Search engine optimization is a big scam. It is sad but true that many business owners feel this way. They have been sold on SEO by not-so-honest SEO companies; they promise SEO services but deliver no results. If you are paying for SEO and not getting traffic and/or rankings after a few months (maybe not fantastic data, but it's still there) then you have fallen prey to inadequate SEO techniques. 
2. Google can figure out how which URL is the main one. Many website developers and owners like to think that creating many URLs for the same site is a good idea in hopes of having more URLs to rank for. Sure, it sounds like a good idea to have lots of optimized URLs for the same site but it is not! Google will never figure out which is the main one. Your site will suffer because of it. 
3. Google doesn't work for extended periods of time. Some people have this belief because they did SEO, it worked, then it didn't. Just because SEO stopped working perfectly after a period of time doesn't mean it doesn't work for a long time. If it stops working after a while, then something needs to be fixed. Such as…
1. Link degradation
2. Old keywords
3. Outdated content
4. Your competition is outperforming you
5. Etc. 
4. Link building doesn't work. The classic, and founding, method of SEO is not dead nor has it ever been. Old-fashioned link building is still liked by search engines and is still a heavyweight in determining your rankings. 
5. SEO and social media marketing are not connected. This is not true at all. They are heavily connected. Your activity on Google+, Twitter, and even Pinterest (somewhat Facebook and others) are monitored by Google and can even rank! Beyond that, the more activity you have on social media, the more exposure you have, the more traffic your site gets, the more SEO does for you. 

Don't fall prey to the myths that float around about SEO. If you have questions about SEO, then contact Integraphix and see how our Chicago SEO company can help your business get noticed on the web! 

The Power for Instagram for Food Trucks at SXSW

At SXSW Interactive, food trucks have become a bit of a staple for goers to enjoy. Food trucks have seen a resurgence in popularity across U.S. cities, especially here in Chicago as they are finally legal. At the SXSW festival, food trucks line the streets and sell their innovative recipes and twists on traditional food items, fitting with the innovative theme of the tech, music, and films at SXSW.

Every food truck promotes via social media marketing at SXSW; all of them using their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram profiles to generate buzz. Instagram creates a great platform for food trucks to promote themselves since it is visual and mobile based. With the support of hashtags, attendees can quickly view the different foods being offered by tapping on the different hashtags.

As a Chicago SEO firm that has visited the SXSW festival in prior years, we have spoken with many attendees who tend to skip the food trucks since their lines can grow to hours long. However, the lines this year have grown even more due to the stepped up presence on Instagram and more people flocking to SXSW.

Using Instagram allows the food trucks and restaurants in the area to connect with customers, even when they are not near their locations. Yes, that is true of all digital marketing other times as well, but it has a profound effect at SXSW since attendees can quickly move to their locations at any time.

However, the social bug has not bitten every SXSW attendee when it comes to finding a cure for their growling tummies, some still use the old-fashioned nose, eyes, and tastebuds. They smell, look for visual confirmation of good scent, and taste to confirm it was worth the purchase.

Is your business in need of better social media marketing? Then email Integraphix, a SEO company in Chicago with over 25 years experience in marketing. 

Twitter's Gameplan for SXSW

Social media giant, Twitter,  plans on doing several things at the famous SXSW Interactive fest. One of their main objectives is to promote the site's video capabilities, which allows users to share easier than ever before, better advertising opportunities, and an autoplay option (possibly).

The past year, video has been on Twitter's mind and has consumed a lot of their efforts. They worked hard on launching their native video service, which impacted both social media marketing and search engine optimization efforts for brands, as well as keeping up with other social media companies. One of the events that sparked Twitter's efforts was Facebook's purchase of LiveRail in 2014, since Facebook wanted to improve their video service.

Until this year, Twitter's approach to video has been a little confusing, allowing multiple services to play video for Twitter. Now, it doesn't matter where the video was produced nor on which device, it will all be seamless and uniform. Now, with Twitter's native video platform, users can shoot and upload video directly to Twitter. Also, in efforts to create a better video experience digital marketing teams and general users, Twitter purchased SnappyTV; this allows lets media companies broadcast content quickly and sell ads with that.

Twitter is still working out an autoplay feature, allowing videos to begin playing as users scroll through their feeds. 

Connect with your customers via social media marketing and engaging video! Email Integraphix- a Chicago SEO company - about digital marketing services and advertising. 

How to Get Your Audience to Give a Hoot About Your Digital Campaign

One of the most challenging parts of creating a successful campaign for digital marketing is generating consumer engagement. When your consumers don't give a hoot, they don't engage.

So how does a brand generate engagement from its consumers with social media marketing? Answer: by making consumer feedback part of the process and be heard!

When you make the consumer part of the process, granted, it has to be for something fun/worthwhile, then you will see their interest and willingness to engage will increase.

Let's look at one fantastic example of "making the consumer part of the process" from Lay's, the beloved brand from Frito-Lay. The past few years, Lay's has run the digital marketing campaign called, "Do Us a Flavor"; the highly-orchestrated creative internet marketing campaign has allowed consumers to submit their ideas for a great (or, rather terrible) potato chip flavor. The four best ideas (determined by user votes) are turned into flavors. From there, consumers purchase the chips and give their feedback; the winning flavor from that group is then turned into a real flavor and available for mass purchase for one year.

How wonderful is that? Not only is the consumer a vital part of the campaign, and more than just a purchaser, but the point of the campaign is worthwhile and fun! It matters that your campaign is worthwhile, otherwise, you still won't get any engagement. It is a delicate balance.

Does your business desire better engagement with its audience? Then email Integraphix - a Chicago SEO company - about how to create a campaign that makes consumers want to engage and can generate worthwhile ROI! 

Who Won the Social Media Battle Between Facebook & Twitter During the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl on Sunday night attracted record viewers and was the most mentioned Super Bowl in history. Not to mention its popularity on Twitter but it was also a huge hit with Facebook as well. According to Facebook, 65 million people engaged in conversation.

The game was a terrific background for the two social media giants as they tried to get into good relationships with marketers. Twitter has already been a terrific platform for brands who wanted to join conversations; despite having fewer users, Twitter was actually the better place to discuss the game and its infamous ads than Facebook was.

Between the two, Twitter is the more popular place for live social commentary. However, Facebook has made some progress in being a go-to place for discussions like Twitter has. Facebook features trending topics, like Twitter, and they even setup a a hub for Super Bowl conversations. Both platforms have their pros and cons.

Marketers, such as our Chicago SEO company marketing team, engage differently on Facebook than they do on Twitter. Here's a list of comparisons between the two & how they performed on Sunday night (with things related to the Super Bowl).

• Facebook had 265 million posts, comments, & likes. 
• Twitter had 36 million tweets & 2.6 billion impressions. 25 million more tweets than last year. 
• Both were buzzing with chatter when the Patriots sealed the win with the interception. Facebook had 1.36 million comments per minute. 
• Twitter had 395,000 tweets per minute talking about the interception. 
• The halftime show had 3 million tweets; Facebook had 1 million people per minute discuss the show. 
• Half the Super Bowl ads featured hashtags, Facebook was only mentioned 4 times. 
• Top 3 performing moments on Facebook were the win, halftime show, and the 3rd quarter touchdown for the Seahawks to take the lead. 
• Top 3 performing tweets on Twitter were the final interception, the victory, and the final moments of the halftime show. 

Social media marketing is a big deal for days and moments like the Super Bowl. It is a big topic for people to comment on and give their input, don't let your brand miss out. Does your brand need great digital marketing? Then email Integraphix and see how our Chicago SEO company can help your business capitalize on big moments, or, simply have a presence on the web!