To get straight to the awesomely awkward stock photos, just scroll down.

One of my favorite things to do on the internet is to find and collect the creepiest and most nonsensical stock photos. It’s a weird pastime, I realize this.

Stock photos are almost inherently awkward. They’re posed, staged, and usually don’t quite capture an essence of reality.

This blogger may have said it best:

When users see and recognize general stock photos they tend to feel like the site is fake or cheesy. Relevant photographs let the user know that you care about the experience and that you want to show them what is important to you. Also, bad photos — even relevant ones — can drive the user away for the same reason. Great photography is always a wise investment. Hire good photographers to take product, location and staff images.

While I agree wholeheartedly, sometimes we can’t afford a good photographer, or sometimes we’re in a situation where we need an interesting image, and fast. I would say avoid stock photos if you can, but if you can’t, then definitely avoid awkward stock photos like the ones below, unless your post, page, or content is equally as awkward.

If you follow us on Facebook, you’ve seen my obsession with awkward stock photos. So here is a gallery, which includes some of our favorite awkward stock photos along with our Facebook fans’ captions, where they exist.

Awkward Stock Photos

A Gallery of Awesomeness and Hilarity

All Images Courtesy of Shutterstock

I could go on forever, but I’ll stop at 20. At least for today.

At the Commerce Kitchen office we spend a lot of time coming up with weird metaphors for what SEO and web design would be if they were something done offline. Would they be construction? Remodeling? Housecleaning?

Let me explain. You see, we’ve come across a pretty consistent problem among business owners, an understandable problem, but still a problem nonetheless. Many business owners want their websites and SEO to be a one-step process.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), web technology is constantly changing, updating, and improving. A website that you paid tens of thousands of dollars for five years ago may need to be completely re-hauled today to perform well in search.

That’s not to say that your original design team did a bad job. In fact, they may have done better than anyone else could’ve done at the time. However, as technology changes, websites absolutely have to change in order to meet the standards of the web.

So you have two choices. You can either try to patch up an outdated website (which becomes increasingly harder to do as your business grows); or, you can invest in rebuilding your website so that it becomes more usable, searchable, and shareable. You can remain stagnant in the face of change, or you can improve your business.

I’m sounding harsh, aren’t I? Let’s talk in metaphors for awhile, wanna? Okay, so when you buy a car you expect to be able to use it for maybe ten years or so, right? What if every couple years the city completely redid the roads, and suddenly your car was uncomfortable to sit in, didn’t accelerate well, and none of your friends wanted to ride in it.

Luckily that doesn’t happen, but if it did you’d have to find a way to either buy a new car or invest in a monthly bus pass much more often. Web design is like that, especially if you want to keep up with your competitors, be competitive in search, and increase your conversions.

Here’s another metaphor: you can think of your online presence like a donkey or like love. Donkeys are reliable, predictable, strong, and loyal. Those are great qualities to have. However, according to our resident donkey expert Niki, if you change things up with a donkey, they get confused and ornery. Yikes. That is not a good quality for a business owner to have.

Love is also strong and loyal, but to make a relationship work you’ve got to be willing to change and grow. This is true for romantic relationships, for parent-child relationships, for all relationships where you love and care about someone.

Your customers and clients need you to listen to them and their needs. If they’re unable to navigate your site smoothly then you’re neglecting your relationship and they will leave you. Simple.

So what can you do? Well, you can set aside part of your budget for technology. Know that when you have a website built that you’re going to have to have it built again as your business grows and as technology advances.

My conclusion? There are no concrete, real-world metaphors for web design. We are living in the future that previous generations only envisioned: this a world that is temporary, virtual, and constantly in rapid flux.

Commerce Kitchen is your love donkey! Contact us today and we can help you plan your site redo so you can stay competitive.

Wine Friday is a great opportunity to connect, unwind, and have fun. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by Commerce Kitchen at 4pm on a Friday and come see what the hubbub is about.

Which brings me to the infographic of the week. Created by Moxy Creative House, this infographic is pretty much, well, awesome. Tell us what you think.

We recently started working with the Denver advertising agency S&D and we’re super excited about it. Check out their recent press release (and their new website!) about their updated brand and logo.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sadler & Dorchester re-launches brand with new name, new logo, new website.

Denver-based marketing firm, Sadler & Dorchester, has changed its name to S&D and with that launches a new brand, logo and website.

Denver, CO – December 1, 2011 – Sadler & Dorchester, a full-service marketing and advertising firm, today announced that it is changing its name to S&D. The new name reflects the brand’s evolution from a small regional advertising firm, to a multi-industry, multi-disciplinary marketing and advertising firm that services clients across the country.

“In fourteen years we’ve had tremendous growth and have become very well known, particularly, within the cable industry. Eventually, our clients and industry friends began to refer to us simply as S&D.” says Ronda Dorchester, President.

“Since we now serve many different industries and provide a multitude of services, we feel the shortened brand name is easier for our clients and others to remember us by in this fast-paced world. With our new name, we’ve also launched a new logo and a new website, www.sd-advertising.com. We invite everyone to take a look at our new look.”

S&D is still owned and operated by Lorie Sadler and Ronda Dorchester, who partnered to start the firm in 1997. They grew their company by providing uncompromising personal service with a “jump right on it” responsiveness. Their unusual operational model of hiring specialists and creative teams on an as- needed basis is one that is now being used by agencies worldwide since it is incredibly cost effective for clients as well as the organization. S&D’s clients include Comcast, NBC Universal, Cox Communications, Colorado Department of Education, Centura Health at Home and many others.

“We’re proud of our history, but very excited about our future as S&D. The marketing and advertising industries have experienced unparalleled change made possible by new technology, social media and changing consumer demographics. Our next chapter as S&D will be about harnessing the power of all communication venues to help our clients continue to grow and thrive.” concluded Dorchester.

Contact:
Marie Revenew, Director, Client Relations
mr@sd-advertising.com
303-785-3222

Ever since I started doing SEO I’ve had several friends contact me seeking help getting their blogs found in search.

While I love meeting up with friends to discuss blogs and SEO over coffee (especially if they’re buying me a Crema cappuccino), I thought it would be a good idea to actually create a blog post about it so that they, and you, can refer to it when creating their own blogs.

Blogs and SEO: The Best Platforms

First of all, I believe WordPress is the easiest blogging platform for SEO, at least for now. While I love Tumblr, and I’ve been known to use Blogger, in my opinion WordPress is the easiest to optimize. Now, this may not be true if you don’t have your own domain (e.g. if you’re using myblog.wordpress.com you may not be able to use the same plug-ins). But if you own your domain and are paying to have it hosted, then WordPress is excellent.

There are so many free and inexpensive themes and templates for WordPress that you can create a blog that looks pretty much however you want it to for next to nothing. Also, while Tumblr is incredibly easy to share, there are countless plug-ins available on WordPress to make it just as share-able, if not more.

I realize this sounds like an ad for WordPress, and I apologize. WordPress isn’t perfect, but if you need an easy solution for blogs and SEO, I believe it’s the way to go.

Blogs and SEO: What Do I Write?

1. Write what you know. 2. Write what other people want to know more about.

Write what you know: simple. What do you want to say? What do you know that other people might find interesting? What’s relevant to your industry, artistry, or whatever it is that you do? Be sincere and write according to your own expertise.

Write what other people want to know more about. To find out what people want to know about, do some basic Google searches on your blog’s overall topic or purpose, filtering by “Discussion.”

First, click on “More” to find the “Discussions” option.

This will show you page after page of questions that people have about your topic, and it might give you ideas on what to write about.

Blogs and SEO:
How Do I Optimize It?

Optimizing your posts is a two-step process: understand the way people search and implement that knowledge in the code (don’t get scared by the word “code.” I explain more below).

Google’s keyword research tool is a great way to know what people are searching for and the level of competitiveness for those search terms (a.k.a. “keyphrases”).

The keyword tool allows you to type in some of your ideas, then Google will actually make related suggestions according to how people search online.

So you can see that more people search for “how to make ice cream” than “making ice cream.” I can use this knowledge to create a blog post that responds to the way people actually search for information. [Note: I titled this blog "blogs and SEO" because more people search for that than "blogging and SEO." I did my research.]

Also, since my ice cream blog isn’t going to be incredibly popular, at least not at first, I’ll want to go for some of the less competitive terms. So even though a lot of people search for “ice cream maker” the fact that it’s a highly competitive term means that I probably don’t want to try and compete just yet.

So now that you know what people type into search when they’re looking for your topic, you can put that knowledge to work for you in the code. BUT I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HTML OR CODE OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! you’re thinking. Yes. And that’s fine!

The great thing about WordPress is that you don’t need to know HTML to create an optimized post. Hooray!

First, install an SEO plug-in. I usually use All In One SEO Pack, though there are others that are probably just as good. What this plug-in does is add meta-data to your posts and pages, including the browser title and meta-description. The browser title and meta-description are what people see when your site shows up on search, before they actually click on it, and the search engines read that information to find out what your post is about.

Now, you’ll want to go to All In One under Settings on your WordPress dashboard and make sure you have it filled out appropriately. What do you want your blog’s overall title to be (not each post, but the whole thing)? Sure “Ms. Lovely Cow Lady” is nice, but why not name it something else, too? Maybe “How to Make Ice Cream with Ms. Lovely Cow Lady” (you know, if you need the branding aspect).

When creating each blog post, the All In One boxes will show up at the bottom of the edit screen, and you can create a browser title and meta-description for each unique post. [Note: the meta-keywords tool / box is basically useless, so don't worry about it.]

Now, as for the content of your blog post, make sure you include in your post the keyphrases that you and Google agreed on. You don’t want to overdo it or use those phrases unnaturally, but here are a couple tips.

Include the keyphrases in a Heading tag. If you know HTML, that means an H1, H2, or H3 tag. If you don’t know HTML, then WordPress will give you the option to select one of the heading tags (only use heading tags 1-3 for SEO value). [Note: In this blog post, I'm using the H2 tag each time I write Blogs and SEO:.]

Blogs and SEO: Pictures

Pictures are great. People will read your blog if there are pictures in it. A big lump of text is daunting, but if it’s broken up with images it’s slightly more palatable.

If you don’t have your own images or photos to include in your post, then you can use a paid stock photo site or check out Wikimedia Commons for photographs and graphics that you can legally use.

Make sure your photographs have a name that makes sense. If the file is skiuurio123-harvardsiuouio-444444.jpg, then rename it to something that fits: ice-cream-cone.jpg. Also, make use of the Alternate Text option when uploading your photo. Include what your blog is about and/or what it’s a photo of.

Okay, so now your blog is ready to go! Post it, share it (Facebook, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Reddit, Digg, etc.) and let your friends know. I also suggest pushing it to Feedburner, which I’ll talk about in another post.

Blogs and SEO: Analytics and Off-Site

While I’m not going to go into too much detail here, I’d suggest installing Google Analytics into the head of your blog so that you can track how people are finding your blog. You might be surprised at what people are searching for when they find you, and you can use that knowledge to create posts in the future that your readership will be interested in.

Another basic principle of SEO that applies to your blog is getting (good) links: if high-quality, external sites share your information, then Google will trust you more. For example, if your amazing post about the chemistry behind making ice cream is linked to from a chemistry professor’s class website, Google will think that you’re pretty important and will rank you higher. Tell your friends about your blog, and encourage others to share it.

Hey look, that’s us! Thanks, Dawn!

That just about sums it up! It can take awhile to feel comfortable using these tools, and if you’re going to be blogging a lot you might want to learn some HTML. However, you don’t need to be tech savvy to blog well.

Local SEO is one of the most important factors in the SEO world as Google places more and more significance on local signals and citations.

SEOmoz had a great webinar last week on local SEO, with the gist of it being what we already emphasize every day with our clients: become active in your community (both online and locally), do great work, and don’t be afraid to share the love.

However, it’s also important that citations of your address are accurate and consistent across the Internet. This is harder than it seems. Several sites–such as Google Places, Yelp, Yahoo Local, and Bing Local–make it relatively easy to update your information. However, the online Yellow Pages sites often pull their info from slightly obscure sources, making it harder to update your information.

If you have multiple locations this complicates it even more. Be sure that your website has a page dedicated to each of these locations. Embed the Google Places map of your location on the appropriate page. While I’m not positive, I believe that it helps your local search results to have the embedded maps on each locations’ page.

We manage several sites with multiple listings. CPR123 has offices in Manhattan, Long Island, and Queens. ABC Garage Doors offers its services in Washington DC, Columbus, Virginia, and Maryland. And All American Moving Services operates out of Denver and Albuquerque.

While each of these sites uses a slightly different format, we find that providing unique content on each of the location pages can help Google to see that you really do have something to offer at each location.

You might also consider blogging about location-specific topics. Is there an interesting event coming up in one of your cities? Will your company somehow be involved? Blog about it! Google is currently all ga-ga over the "freshness" of blog posts, and we agree that they can definitely drive traffic to your site.

Finally, try to get involved in your neighborhood and community in each of the cities your business is active in. Support local nonprofits, sponsor events, and try and help improve and promote your neighborhood. It’s good for your community and your business.

Does your business have multiple locations? Do some of your locations do better than others in local search?

This week, our featured infographic comes from KISSmetrics, with data courtesy of HubSpot.

Which reminds me, if you’re interested in creating an infographic in-house, there’s no reason you have to do your own market research if the data is already out there. Check your sources carefully to make sure they’re accurate and reliable, then put your creative skills to work and design something awesome and compelling.

The Best Time to Post on Facebook and Twitter

So without further ado, here it is. The best time to post on Facebook and Twitter, aka, the Science of Social Timing.

Did you know that Commerce Kitchen just kinda sorta loves to create infographics? While we’re not explicitly an infographic company, we incorporate infographic research and design into our SEO and social media packages.

We’d like to start featuring one infographic a week on our blog. While we’d love to feature local stuff from Denver SEO companies or marketing firms, if you or your company has created an infographic you’re especially proud of, send it to me! natalie@commercekitchen.com

This week we’re featuring a Black Friday inforgraphic created by Mashwork. Mashwork did the research and design for this practically over night. And the results are fascinating.

Are you looking to hire a Denver SEO firm or a Denver infographic company? Contact us today. We’d love to work on your marketing campaign.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is getting a lot of attention on Twitter today for the way he responded to a negative tweet from a high school student in Kansas. Even though the story just broke yesterday, it’s already making the Twitter rounds (and images like the one on the left are popping up).

The young woman tweeted her dislike of Brownback while on a school field trip to his office, and in response Brownback–whose staff monitors Twitter for negative feedback–contacted her school to report her. The school officials are forcing the girl to write a letter of apology to Brownback and his office.

Regardless of your political beliefs, this is not the best way to respond to negative attention on Twitter, or any other social media platform. I understand that the Governor and the school wanted to show the young woman that what you say on social media is public, but I would advise any business, public official, or organization against taking this angle.

So instead, here’s what we advise you to do when you receive negative press on social media.

Governor Brownback on Twitter: What He Should Have Done

One: determine if it’s even worth responding to. No offense to her intelligence, but the girl’s tweet wasn’t worth it. Using the hashtag #heblowsalot, the girl joked that she criticized Brownback to his face. Not really a big deal.

Governor Brownback and his office should have let it go. He’s highly unpopular with people on the other side of the political spectrum, as are most politicians. If you have a public face, you have to expect that people will disagree with you. The first amendment encourages this, and Twitter facilitates it.

Two: if the feedback is something tangible, for example someone complains about a specific product or service, then I recommend responding to them directly, asking them to DM you on Twitter or email you directly.

There’s no reason not to try and ameliorate the situation in this way, and allow others to see (publicly) that you are responsive to your customers.

Three: sometimes people are trolls. They want to say negative things, whether or not they’re true. If they refuse to contact you to try and discuss what they’re upset about, and simply continue to complain about you even after you’ve attempted to contact them, then there are a couple things you can do.

If it’s on Facebook, what we do is erase any posts that come after your post that invites them to contact you directly. There’s no reason for all of your fans and followers to watch a messy tantrum unfold.

On Twitter, however, your options are fewer. You can block someone from contacting you, but you can’t censor what people say about you. There are some good examples of how companies have dealt with this on Twitter (see our post about Urban Outfitters and how they tweeted in response to the negative feedback), but making someone apologize to you is definitely not the way to respond.

Governor Brownback has created for himself a social media disaster, and what was once an innocuous tweet by a young woman has now become a trending topic around the country.

In the end, the lesson to be learned isn’t for the girl who tweeted. Instead, it’s for Governor Brownback and Shawnee Mission East High School: forcing someone to apologize for tweeting negatively about a public official or company that they disagree with is the surest way to receive exponentially more bad press.

If your organization is looking for a Denver social media management company or social media consulting, contact us! We have extensive experience in social media consulting and management in a variety of industries, including nonprofit, education, corporate, and small business.

I set up a Google+ page for Commerce Kitchen recently, and today I wanted to login and make some edits. Eek! I couldn’t figure out how to login as Commerce Kitchen rather than myself, and no one out there seemed to be able to tell me either.

Ends up that it’s really easy, you just have to know where to look. So without further ado, here’s how to use Google+ as your business, rather than as yourself.

Once you’re logged in to Google+, you’ll be on your personal homepage. However, on the left right under your name and next to your profile picture, there’s an option that will show you any business pages you’ve created. Mine says 1 Page. I scroll down, and voilà! I can easily switch over to using Google+ as my business page.

A closeup.

Super simple, right? But having not used Google+ very much, I didn’t know how to make the switch like I do in Facebook. But now I know, and so do you!

If you don’t yet have a Google+ page set up for your business, Google will walk you through it. If you need social media consulting, advice, or management for your business, call us and we can help you pick the right social media package.