Prior to its release, we talked about this update in an earlier blog post “Penguin 2.0. Everything is Changing Again – Or is it?” So if you’re familiar with the original Penguin update then Penguin 2.0 should not look too dissimilar, as both are essentially designed to penalise websites with unnatural link profiles.

Google has always warned that paid link building is a violation of their terms of service and is liable to result in penalties. However, search results have previously suggested that Google has lacked the technology to completely enforce this and consequently, many websites have been able to get away with achieving high search engine rankings using suspect link building tactics.

So should you be worried about Penguin 2.0?

In a word, YES!

Before Penguin came along, the best way to get ranked for a particular keyword was to build large numbers of links to a specific page on your website using that keyword within the link anchor text. This worked because Google would read the word in the link and deduce that the page it is linking to must be related to the keyword, so you would gain some kudos in the rankings.

What has changed with Penguin 2.0 is that Google is now much better at understanding and interpreting the text and other content on your web page and consequently, is not so reliant on anchor text to figure out what the page is about. But rather than simply saying “we don’t need keyword anchor text anymore”, Google is taking it a step further and is saying that too many keyword anchor text links are a sign of suspect link building tactics and is downgrading the value of these. So if you have too many then you are likely to see a drop in rankings.

So how do you fix this?

The most common problem with websites that have suffered a drop in rankings is down to having too high a proportion of specific keyword anchor text links; as this is what makes a link profile look unnatural. So if you think you have been hit by Penguin 2.0 you should review your link profile and dilute your keyword links by creating more using just the naked URL and brand-related words because this is how most people link to a web page when they are linking naturally.

In addition to this you should also review the content on your website. As we have already discussed, Google is now much better at deriving the subject matter of a web page from the content you put on it and consequently this has a much greater influence on how Google will rank you. By creating more in-depth, relevant information in the form of text, images, infographics and video to name just a few different types of media you can implement, you give your website a much better chance of being noticed, understood and subsequently rewarded by Google.

So why is it that so many companies miss out on opportunities that newsletters afford by filling them with poor or ill-conceived content? Good content is absolutely critical to newsletter success, but bad content can jeapordise business by actively turning customers off your company. At the very least that individual you worked hard to get on to your email list might just unsubscribe.

While eye-catching headlines, brilliant images and stylish layout are all important elements of a first class newsletter, they are redundant without engaging content. In light of Google’s Penguin 2.0 update you probably already know that good content has never been more important. An e-mail newsletter is probably one of the best ways to socially amplify this content in a technology B2B environment.

The number one golden rule is not to treat a newsletter as a sales brochure. Keep it objective and full of useful information, with maybe just a hint of ‘soft sell’.

For technology companies, one major danger is to be over-technical. This is a mistake; newsletters should convey an easy-to-read, conversational tone. Though for the reader that does want to delve deeper be sure  to provide routes to other, relevant content such as videos, infographics and white papers. And, as the majority of today’s newsletters are provided in an electronic format they are perfect for links, prominent social sharing buttons or highlighted text that will take readers to further information and/or share other great content – all of which supports ongoing SEO activities.

Bear in mind that customers will receive daily e-mails with scores of offers to “read this”, so any newsletter needs to stand out. Consider regular sections as these can soon become reader favourites. Ideas might include: practical tips and how-to articles; teaser pieces on upcoming product releases; ask the expert; customer spotlights; quizzes or competitions; thoughts from the MD; and previews of imminent events.

Ultimately there are only two types of newsletters – those that get read and those that get deleted immediately. And one obvious – though often overlooked – way of increasing the chance of your newsletter making it into the first camp is the subject line that the recipient sees in their inbox. So a bit of time spent on this simple and short text can reap dividends in terms of click-throughs, leads and, ultimately, sales.

The fact is engaging newsletters build familiarity, and familiarity inspires traffic: a great way to draw attention to any business or website.

There’s a nice infographic “The anatomy of an email newsletter” that you should take a look at. Click the image to view a larger version.

Sign up for Pinnacle’s newsletter and see if you agree.

One of the reasons is that scientists and engineers are trained to think in different ways: scientists explore the boundaries of systems in order to better define and understand them; while engineers use that understanding to develop optimal solutions to problems.

On the face of it, the challenges should be the same – especially if the new product (or service) is the best solution to a well-recognised problem. However, even the most experienced marketing teams can stumble when trying to make the leap into the laboratory market.

One of the key issues is that engineers are taught to use models that hold true under certain conditions to develop products and services that customers want.

In contrast, scientists are trained to develop hypotheses to explain observed phenomena and then devise experiments to test if those hypotheses are robust.

In short: scientists are taught to challenge and ask “why?”, while engineers are taught to build and optimise.

Simply developing something that is faster, more sensitive, smaller or easier will not be sufficient to overcome the attachment that customers form over years of buying from a trusted brand. And a short advert in the product pages of a magazine is not enough to spark a scientist’s curiosity to explore further.

Pinnacle has developed a process that will help you avoid the pitfalls that can catch out the unsuspecting marketing team, and instead show you the path to generating better leads and sales opportunities.

Here is a simple plan guaranteed to annoy or frustrate editors. Follow these simple rules and you will be assured that every editor you come into contact with rolls their eyes heavenward*

1. Send press releases that are not relevant. I recently received one about how long someone has worked in a company’s accounts department. (Should I have run it as a news item or expanded it into a feature?)
2. Be unimaginative and send unsolicited comment on recent news events. The editor will insist that if they want comment they will contact you, but you can’t take that risk, can you?
3. Mask the content of an email with a generic subject line. Something like “News from A N Other Company” works well or” A N Other Company releases new widget” is another good one that means no-one will be able to guess if it is worth opening the email.
4. If the editor gets past this and opens the email, make sure they cannot fathom what it is about by putting as much non-descript text in the first paragraph. The object is defy the journalist convention of answering the questions: “what, why, how and/or when” in the opening paragraph. Do not – at all costs – reveal what the item is, why it is special and what need it meets in today’s market, or suggest useful ways to use it.
5. If this fails, and the editor reads further than the first paragraph, make sure that the text has plenty of unsubstantiated claims. (Tip: there is no such thing as too many!) Replace: “The part-number1234 is the industry’s smallest at 2x2mm, saving 80% real estate compared to the company’s last generation” with “The ground-breaking part-number1234 is much better than the competition’s offering. It is small and neat and everyone should have one.”
6. Pictures are another great tool that PR companies can exploit. If the editor persists and wants to use the story, make sure that pictures are not readily available. There are many ways to achieve this. For example, a link to a press area where the material is hidden or listed as obscurely, is one option. (Having to register to access the site each time, increases the time required to retrieve a mediocre image.) Another tip is do not include a graphic representation of the image at all so the editor does not know if the image is worth considering before following these routes away from the press release.  A short-cut would be to attach one or more large picture files so that the editor’s mailbox gets clogged up. A benefit of this is that the editor spends time clearing their email inbox rather than editing material. One other tip is to make sure the company logo, brand and name are prominently placed and as large as possible so that the editor won’t know if this is editorial or an advert.D
7. Don’t ask if the editor has any preferences as they may respond with requests. If they should express particular requirements, e.g. Word document attached / press release embedded in an email, continue to send a mass-email in your company’s chosen format regardless.
8. Pitch articles that are not relevant to the readership. Bonus marks can be earned if you are able to send a completely irrelevant article saying it is for a particular feature (e.g. one about electric vehicles in response to a mil/hi-rel call for copy).
9. At one-to-one meetings that you have requested on behalf of your client, always open the discussion by asking the editor : “So, what do you want to know?”
10. Any tricky questions, NEVER respond with “I’ll look into that and get back to you”. Instead reply “I cannot share that information”.
11. Always include a graph that shows absolutely nothing, with no explanation of the X and Y axis. Ideally one illustrating how the technology has developed in an unspecified way over an unspecified period of time.
12. Never have less than 12 foils in a PowerPoint presentation. Ideally each of these should have exactly the same material as the verbal presentation. That way you can read out what is being projected, rather than use the text or image as a starting point that the speaker and audience can expand upon. Here too, plenty of non-descript graphs add to the experience.
13. If you can work on the PowerPoint between printing it out for the meeting and presenting it, it is much more entertaining to see the editor’s flipping between pages to find the vital, missing page currently under discussion.
14. Never research too thoroughly before pitching an idea to an editor. Be assured an editor will never ask “What is the meeting about?” “What does the client do” or “Why is this news?”
15. Remember deadlines are fluid and commutable. A magazine team will hold up print or digital production schedules for you if you want more time to make sure the article is “just right”.
16. If an editor asks for 12 points, always supply more!

* We would like to point out that Pinnacle is not guilty of any of the faux pas mentioned here!

The first rule, perhaps somewhat obviously, is to deliver a powerful opinion. Avoid being courteous, sympathetic or diplomatic…and forget about presenting both sides of the argument…this isn’t a discussion piece! Here, the use of first person, active voice works best.

Secondly, there needs to be a link to the subject: impact will be minimised if the commentator hasn’t actually experienced a full workforce strike, suffered a malicious database attack, or been fined unfairly for an alleged breach of ROHS, for example. Opinion pieces need to be ‘sold’ to the reader by delivering insight and understanding based on knowledge. Tell the reader why they should care about the issue.

In terms of structure, make the strongest point up front using clear, powerful and direct language – try to emphasise active verbs; then lay out the argument in the subsequent text. If possible, always avoid the obvious slant without straying beyond recognised areas of expertise. And keep it brief – 300-500 words is typically more than adequate.

Opinion pieces also offer one of the few platforms where a little wit or anecdote can work a treat. Entertaining wordplay or a clever turn of phrase is wondrous at keeping the reader engaged and typically, unlike most other trade press materials, editors will typically use ‘as is’.

Finally, the ending should summarise the argument with a catchy, thought-provoking final sentence. Tell the reader what action they should take and ask them to disagree with you and how they can do it!

On that note, if anyone has an ‘opinion’ about this particular blog, please feel free to post a comment.

Entitled “Start up and want to get in the big league”- Think PR, the focus of this event was to give practical advice and lessons for start ups who want to raise their profiles either amongst potential investors or customers. The whole event was ‘stripped back’ to highlight the basics of PR in terms of what it is, why PR is vital to the success of your brand and where PR fits as part of the communication mix.

Ian’s presentation covered the topic of how inbound/content marketing can be used to encourage lead generation in a 21st Century PR campaign. Delivered as a step-by-step guide the presentation discussed topics such as keyword strategies, website optimisation, blog creation and social media. The aim was to show how inbound marketing could deliver sales leads and ultimately add value to the bottom line.

“It was a great to be part of an event where innovation was so evident amongst the start up companies that were there” stated Ian. ‘”There was a real eagerness to learn about the benefits that PR could bring to their businesses and the questions after were buzzing with enthusiasm”

While interviews with journalists and editors from the trade press are generally more pleasant, that doesn’t mean that you should be any less prepared than you would be for a meeting with national or broadcast press. Trade journalists are typically busy people and what they want is a good story that they know their readers will want to read. If you can give them that story, there is a good chance that you will be able to generate some good coverage for your company based upon your conversation. If you can’t – or if you are perceived to have wasted their time – at best you will get no coverage and at worst you could damage an important editorial relationship.

But how can you ensure that your interviews go well and you don’t end up being misrepresented? You could start by following the “Do’s and Don’t’s” outlined in our latest eBook.

Described as a ‘discovery engine’, Million Short basically allows the user to eliminate the top sites from their search (this can be the first million, hundred thousand, thousand, or hundred). The idea is that rather than just getting the popular, more predictable sites showing up, the user can come across sites that might actually be more interesting but don’t rank that highly on the search engine results due to poor SEO, or because they are new.

Given that the vast majority (it is estimated that it is over 90%) of user searches rarely go beyond the first page of results and the effort involved in actually getting to the millionth normal search result manually, the developers of Million Short feel they have something of real value to offer. Through it they believe users will be able to dig a bit deeper, find more obscure sites and get access to a side of the Internet that would otherwise go unseen.

The question is does this effectively turn the whole reason for using a search engine on its head? If Million Short became a serious rival to established search engines, then wouldn’t the time, money and effort that companies put into their SEO activities suddenly become irrelevant?

Personally I can’t see this happening. Though it is a rather quirky idea, Million Short is never likely to even come close to being a major threat to the likes of Google and Bing. Once the novelty value has worn off, people who try it will go back to the usual methods of searching for information. Though Million Short could be a bit of fun on occasions, the reality is people want to get to the most relevant material and this will never prove to be an efficient way to do that. The importance of investing in SEO is only going to heighten as the plethora of data located on the Internet increases.

For a journalist or editor attending a tradeshow, press packs are both a boon and a burden. While they do serve as great memory aids, after collecting two or three of them they quickly become a burden on the poor journalist that has scheduled interviews and meetings with company executives all over the exhibition center.

When I used to work on the other side of the great media divide, I would end up throwing away the pretty packaging that housed the paper press releases and would keep only the press releases and perhaps the backgrounder – in part because of luggage weight restrictions. I know I was not alone in being forced to be so ruthless.

Journalists and editors took a collective sigh of relief when companies started giving them the option of taking away all the press materials on a CD or USB stick.

But how can you improve the chances that your press release will be among those to make it into the editorial pages? And perhaps more importantly, how you make the most of this important opportunity to create a relationship between your brand and the editor?

Click here to learn more

Indeed when budgets won’t allow for translation into multiple languages WordPress blogs and websites can use widgets such as global translator that will automate and cache the pages effectively creating a 48 language website effortlessly. As long as the fact the translation has been done automatically is clearly stated it is rare to see a complaint, but the benefits can be significant.

Of course, it’s well known that online translation tools lack attributes such as ‘tone’ and ‘suggestion’. However, there are ways to help improve automated translation. For instance, sentences should always be clear and concise. Keep well away from slang terms, colloquialisms, neologisms and ambiguities, as well as any unnecessary clauses, fragments or run-on sentences. Similarly, idioms, proverbs and figures of speech that are well known in English may have absolutely no relevance in another language, particularly when translated automatically. Furthermore, do not split compound verbs and always use common vocabulary. Additionally many people find that non-technical translation services will translate word for word and even translate technical terms that ought to remain in English – ‘user-friendly’ being translated into amichevole in Italian for example (meaning friendly as in a person!)

Like most things it is best to keep it simple and stick to one idea at a time: bite-size chunks of information are far easier to translate than long, complex sentences strung together with commas and semicolons. Always explain abbreviations and acronyms in full. It is also a good idea to assess whether key words or concepts you are mentioning have homonyms in other languages. Otherwise the result can be downright rude – or funny at best. In Spanish for example, the term ‘fresa’ means as much strawberry as… cutting tool.

Using a consistent word or term for a product or process is especially important in technical writing. In English, writers often prefer to avoid repetition, but this can confuse speakers of other languages as well as online translation tools, so a happy balance is needed. Incidentally, the same is true with business concepts. Modern French – especially Belgian French – makes heavy uses of English words, be it ‘management buy-out’ or ‘Chief Executive Officer’.

Of course, the test of writing for translation is to use an online tool to ‘back-translate’, which will give a clear idea of comprehension and the ultimate test is to find a locally distributor or sales office executive that can check it for you, or translate it completely in the first place! Although as true technical translation is an art not a science you then need to wonder if they have changed the text so that it is still on brief.

Technical translation is a tough subject to crack and although automatic tools can do a job there is no real substitute for a locally based technical translator and a marketing agency that employs local language speakers to do the job for you.

Download our guide “Technical writing for translation.”