A World of Tweets

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Have you ever wondered how many people were tweeting right this very second? What about now? Frog Design recently launched a site showing Twitter activity all over the world. Seems like it would be pretty busy huh?

Their new site shows the activity with a heat map based on activity all over the world. As you watch the map over a course of several minutes you can see the hot spots for twitter. It seems that the US, Europe, and Indonesia are clearly the tweet addicts. The site also shows statistics Continue reading →

What cool things can HTML5 do?

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wilderness downtown html 5Arcade Fire, an indie rock band based out of Canada, teamed up with Google to create an interactive music video online for their song “We Used to Wait.”  The video titled “The Wilderness Downtown” is a new idea which has spawned a few similar interactive videos from other musicians as it appears Arcade Fire may have started a new trend.  The video displays some of the capabilities of HTML5 as well as Google’s web browser Chrome.

Before the video begins you are asked to enter your address of the home where you grew up and after doing this the video will begin.  Multiple windows will popup and they are all used in the interactive video as it takes you through images of your old home to recreate the experience of your childhood.  Multiple images and video run without skipping a beat as you experience the video.  At the end of the video you will get to create a postcard writing to your younger-self with the idea of giving yourself advice already knowing what you will have gone through.

Arcade Fire plans to use the postcards in several different ways to keep their fans engaged as they tour across North America.  After watching this video I had to try several different addresses just to see how cool it really was.  Is this the new age of music videos? What do you think?

Google Instant “shields us” with pre-emptive censoring

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google instant, baby on computerNow don’t get offended!

That’s what Google is trying to prevent from happening with Google Instant. It’s an understandable concern – who wants to be bombarded with, let’s say “work-inappropriate” images and content accidentally when you’re searching for something much less scandalous? That could be embarrassing.

It all works based on algorithms of the billion+ Google searches people do every day. They go through these searches and figure out if the results seem pornographic, violent or hateful. If they do, then voila – the search term is blacklisted from instant search.

And of course, just because certain search terms are banned from Google Instant doesn’t mean you can’t pull them up on a regular search query. You’re going to have to go through the hard work of hitting the ENTER key, just like in the old days. Google just refuses to read your mind and suggest a term that has been deemed naughty.

Here’s the full list of search terms banned from Google Instant.

It’s a fine line that Google is treading right here – a line between freedom of speech and information, and protecting us (or, as Google reps say, it’s meant to safeguard children) from the obscene. Any kind of censorship is always controversial. Google Instant has brought us a new realm of controversy.

What do you think? Should Google Instant keep adding to the black list, or should they mind their own business?

SEO Copywriting: 5 guidelines to help your ranking

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SEO, search rankingOne thing you learn quick in our industry is that designing and developing a beautiful site is one thing. But if it doesn’t rank anywhere in the search engines and no one can find it, it doesn’t do you or anyone else any good.

That’s why we explain to our clients that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is such a crucial part of promoting their site.

Yes, they can direct clients to the site, or even pay for online advertising, but one of the most rewarding and effective leads is from an organic search.

I know there’s a lot of talk about SEO, but even a lot of our colleagues in the marketing industry are still novices in the practice (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Here’s a few tips from a really helpful article by Brian Clark on CopyBlogger with 5 guidelines for SEO copywriting success. (Read full article)

  1. Title. Identify target keywords and include them in the title of your content. “The closer to the front of the title your keywords are, the better,” Clark notes.
  2. Meta Description. Though it’s debatable whether keywords in your meta description influence rank, Clark observes that SEO copywriting is also about the presentation of your content in a search engine. “Try to keep the meta description under 165 characters, so the full description is visible in the search result,” he advises.
  3. Content. To make search engines happy, Clark says, use unique and frequently updated content (at least 300 words), “tightly on-topic and centered on the subject matter of the desired keyword phrases.”
  4. Keyword Frequency. Keyword frequency is the number of times your targeted keywords appear on the page. Keyword repetition affects ranking, but don’t over-do it, Clark cautions, or Google might penalize your page.
  5. Page Links. Link to relevant content early in the body copy. Other suggestions: Link to relevant pages every 120 words or so; link to relevant interior pages (not just home pages); and link using naturally relevant anchor text.

Diagnosis: Classic Website Syndrome

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You’ve spent countless hours in front of a glowing computer screen, strained eyes deciphering hyperlink text as morale around the office builds with anticipation. The day is here, you’ve finally reached that marking point on the road to success – your company has launched its very own website. Congratulations! The only problem is your hits tracker hasn’t moved in days. This isn’t quite the marketing breakthrough you were hoping for. Diagnosis: Classic Website Syndrome.

Build it and they will come. If only it was that easy when it comes to promoting a website for your company. The Internet offers Continue reading →