Following on from this I also noticed one of the biggest SEO & digital agencies in Leeds also made some interesting discoveries when it came to image search and the poor algorithm in place.

I wanted to run a range of tests over the next few weeks to see just how the image search can change for the better and to see just how poor it actually is. This project is going to see if anchor text to image URLS actually boosts there rankings in the image search. I have managed to get some help on this project from Manual Link Building to help me build some for the links and the anchor text to these image URLS.  Thanks to Gareth Hoyle for his help

I have chosen 3 images which I will hopefully look at getting indexed using three variations of anchor text, these are all displayed below.

Image 1

This image will be using some exact match anchor text which will be “Kevin Wiles” I will look at creating 50 links all with the same anchor text and see how it ranks within the Google image system.

From previous experiments and anchor text it doesn’t take much to appear high in Google especially for my name as it is not a heavy traffic keyword.

Image 2

This image will run slightly different to the first as it will only be using some partial anchor text which is going to be “Kevin is an SEO geek”. This image however has my full name in the file URL so it will be nice to see if a link with only some matching anchor can still rank well within the Image search and also to see how Google actually deals with this sort of thing.

While I don’t see this image being ranked highly it would be nice to see that Google can identify the image as me (my face) and also the file name.

Image 3

This image is going to have no relevant anchor text at all in fact it will be as broad as possible, I will be using “SEO Geek” for this test. Again I don’t think this image will rank well for my main keyword which is going to be Kevin Wiles but it would be good again if Google could recognise my face from other images in my Google+ account and also rank it for my name within the image search based on the file name and this factor.

Review

I am hoping this test will give me some hope that the actual image search within Google is not completely flawed. We know that Google are taking a lot of time to focus on spam and low quality link building within the main SERPS but is all this focus meaning other products and services of Google are not being focussed on as much?

These images are already hosted on my site on the above URLS so should be indexed or at least spidered by Google within the next 72 hours, this is the amount of time roughly I now believe it takes for Google to index images.

Over the next week I will then look at building a range of links to the image using the anchor text as shown above, from here I will then review the results over a 7 day period and see how the images change within the SERPS over this period to see if they drop or gain more presence.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

This is why I’ve really enjoyed segregating a time of my busy day when I can apply that focus and refreshing sense of clarity to what lies ahead. I do this by taking an early morning swim when no one else is in my local pool, I’m the pioneer of the waves and I’m ready to order my thoughts and wrestle any challenges to the bottom of the pool.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a person who flourishes best with variety so as I under take alternate lengths of crawl, backstroke or front crawl, in my head I order and prioritise my tasks for the day mixing longer tasks with shorter ones, quick wins with more challenging projects.

In my business as a communications consultant, I’m supporting a number of clients in different fields, offering different disciplines from internal communications and employee engagement initiatives to media relations, CSR or marketing communications. While there are markets that I specialise in such as construction, engineering, agriculture and IT, I’ve always found that it’s not always what you market; it is quite simply ‘how you do it’. I find that the creativity, lateral thinking and research that you apply make this approach unique every time.

And that’s the nice thing about thriving on variety, making things new and interesting for yourself so that you remain excited, motivated and ready for action. So in my pool planning mode, I mix up tasks for different clients during the day too so that I continually get a buzz from facing a new challenge with a different set of conditions and needs. There is another benefit to this too which is that being an outside/in person – I’m external but operate as the clients virtual Marketing or Communications Director – I get to apply the techniques and initiatives from one industry into another a bit like an experimental chef.

I’m never afraid to ask ‘What If’ and push the boundaries further to get a really creative and innovative result. But if I didn’t allow myself that space at the beginning of the day to set myself up for success, it would be harder to cast my spell and work my magic. When you consider the mental and physical preparation top athletes apply to an upcoming challenge, they always give themselves the space to focus and discipline their approach. As business owners, we are athletes of a different kind so creating the space you need to set yourself up for success is an absolute must.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

I have decided to see which Social Media platform Google pays more interest in and to see which image of Kevin Wiles will get indexed quicker and rank higher. I have some set criteria for this project which is outlined below.

• File names all the same
• All contain (Kevin Wiles Experiment around the image)
• All images are the same

I am only going to link the image from the original social media site and will only do one link to each image which will be from this blog post below.

Once all the images are indexed I am then going to change one image to have a different colour border and different text, the idea will be to then see how long it takes Google to re-cache the image

Update 3:

It now looks like all of the images via the ones hosted on my site have now being removed from Google image search, this doesn’t surprise me and just sort of proves that links are still more authoritative than social signals. 

Update 2:

So within a few hours of me updating my post with some information about how Google had indexed the Twitter image the quickest they have now also indexed the image which was placed on Pintrest which is very interesting considering it has only being shared on there once.

Update 1:

So after about 48 hours it looks as if Twitter was the quickest to get indexed as the image is now showing up 39th with no other images from the other networks currently being indexed. Now I need to also take into account the fact of how often this post was tweeted/likes etc

This post had 7 Tweets & 6 Facebook likes which is pretty even and then following from that it had 1 +1 and 0 shares on pintrest, this actually is allows me to have a pretty good idea on the best media site for getting images indexed quickest.

So the main social media sites I am going to focus on at the moment are going to be

• Pintrest
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+

After a while I will also look at adding other images to other social media sites to see if they can index and rank higher quicker than any other site.

So below are the images

Kevin Wiles Twitter

Kevin Wiles

This is the image I placed on Twitter for Kevin Wiles to see if Twitter was the main favorite to get indexed quickest by Google and also see if it had the most authority over other social media websites.

Kevin Wiles Facebook

Kevin Wiles

The next is exactly the same but this image is hosted on Facebook on my SEO business page, I have never really seen any Kevin Wiles images appear in the SERPS from Facebook so I don’t have high hopes for this image.

Kevin Wiles Google+

Kevin Wiles

I actually think Google+ images of Kevin Wiles will get indexed quickest and also rank highest purely because it is part of the Google platform so should be able to be found and indexed a lot quicker, I also think Google will give more authority to images on their site.

Kevin Wiles Pintrest

Kevin Wiles

I actually don’t use Pinterest much so I can’t really comment if this images of Kevin Wiles will appear well or not.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

Following on from various discussions with small companies around the Stratford upon Avon area I have decided to launch a small conference which will be free for anyone who wishes to attend.

The event will cover the basics of marketing and how almost anyone can get online in a few simple steps with almost no budget.

The conference will look into the best CMS systems to use for your website if you don’t already have one and also the best hosting providers.

I will then talk about types of things you should be doing on your website to promote and market your products or services successfully.

If you would like to come along to this event and also be given a unique marketing pack with some simple tips and advice and also some exclusive discounts to suppliers then please contact me directly and let me know how many tickets you would like.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

So firstly let me explain in late 2012, I got diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which is a form of cancer. This for me unluckily was in my throat, after having a few tests and being told I needed chemotherapy I thought my life as a 22 year old was over.

As well as this my granddad sadly was also battling cancer, so as you can imagine things where tense. I had some great support from people around me and I would like to now thank those people.

Personal Mentions

1)      Family

My family have being awesome so they definitely need to be mentioned around here somewhere. The support of my granddad has being amazing offering me advice and even tips on how to look good with thin hair for the ladies.

My mum, dad and sister have also being amazing. My sister has helped me out heaps with advice and also picking up the pieces when something bad happens.

So thanks you guys are awesome

2)      Friends

Well my friends have being around for some time on and off and have helped me in the last 6 months no end of times. They have all being there to support me and make sure I know not all is bad. From keeping I motivated to go out or go to the gym and do things I enjoy to giving me the support and advice I needed when my relationship broke down.

Thank you lads you know who you are and I appreciate all you have done.

3)      My Car

This one is a joke kind of but I love my cars in fact I probably love them a little too much and the insurance company love me even more. Having something to focus on has really helped me keep happy and busy and also allowed me to spend all my cash. So thanks

So now on to some professional mentions

4)      Gary Taylor

I’ve being speaking to Gary a bit behind the scenes and he has always made a point of asking how my treatment was going. Gary has also helped me learn more about SEO and tried to keep me busy.

5)      Charlie Southwell

This man is literally a legend he has helped me no end of times with sites and also tried to give me projects and tips on how I can keep learning. Personally he must be a pretty sweet seo dude as well.

6)      Twitter People

So I have being having some conversation on Twitter recently and although some of them are jokes and digs it’s amazing how having a little bit of banter can make your mood lift. This is all focussed around me and some bad image results but still I want to say thanks guys. The days I’ve felt crap that made me laugh.

7)      Ionsearch

You guys have made my week so thanks for letting me win the free ticket. Hopefully I will learn a lot and meet some awesome SEO guys.

Finally to wrap up I’ve written this post to say thanks to the people who have supported me luckily for me I am about to finish my chemotherapy tomorrow. My birthday is on Friday and I felt like I should thank all you guys.

The whole SEO industry is pretty dam amazing

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

So firstly the main reason above all else I should win these tickets to the Ionsearch conference because it’s my birthday on the 19^th.

So you could make me go from this…

To this..

Who wouldn’t want to see that smile

Now down to the real reasons I should win these tickets, I’ve never being to any SEO event and I have missed out on some great topics and being able to learn. This is mainly down to me being lazy and not booking tickets.

So for me I would love to see various people talk as everyone  can bring something new to my thought process but the main person I would like to see present is David Naylor.

Iv’e followed David’s blog and his company blog for some time and personally I have learnt a lot from his approach.

So firstly Dave has to be someone I like as he does some cool things outside of SEO for example restoring an old VW Camper. Someone who can restore vans to such a high standard is a man who should be respected.

Secondly on a more search based level Dave does some great work helping companies know where they are going wrong in search. For example the below shows just a few of the amazing posts created by Dave in recent months.

One of the best ones which I make sure I share with local companies is Dave’s huge post on “Social Media Best Practices”. This post has personally helped me and also provided a lot of new companies who are new to Social Media a good reference point.

As well as that whenever I need to know about the latest updates or some changes Google are rolling out. Yep you guessed it I head over to Dave’s blog. Dave recently even wrote about “Similar Searches” something I still am yet to see within the SERPS.

Now everyone can write about how good SEO is or how to optimise a page but not everyone gets stuck in and builds tools which are actively used by the awesome SEO community. Dave has got some awesome SEO tools, be sure to check them out.

I think one of the best things I like about Dave’s approach to SEO is he is brutally honest and cuts all the smoke and mirrors away to deliver advice and information in a none bullshit format.

Dave knows a lot about SEO and had a lot to say when recently Interflora had some pretty bad issues within Google. Although the full write up was written by Anthony Shapley you can bet your bottom dollar Dave had some input and man it was a write up and a half.

Interflora the real deal with links

Now I could go on for hours as to why I want to see Dave Naylor talk at Ion but ultimately without winning these tickets it won’t happen so, what do you say an early birthday present?

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

So as we know the web is getting more and more reliant on quality content which is not only unique but also carries a purpose to the end user.

The below highlight some simple ways you can come up with some unique content ideas, obviously if you have a brilliant skilled content team you won’t need these tools as your more than likely have one better (your brain).

1)      Google Alerts

This can be an amazing way to come up with new content ideas. Personally I look at adding in keywords and then reviewing results before seeing if a good piece of content can come out of it.

Remember this it is important to develop your own content which is unique use Google alerts as a base for ideas not for the title of your content.

Sign up to Google alerts  here -

2)      SEO Gadget Content Tool

SEO Gadget are one of the UK’s leading performance driven marketing agencies, they have some amazing staff and tools on board. One of those tools is the content. The tool helps come up with new ideas to ensure you can continue to write great content for your website.

Content Strategy Generator

3)      Hire a Guru

We all know content can be hard to come up with and we know too well the surprises Google can have in store for us if we don’t deliver the quality they are looking for. I cannot stress enough if you are not confident at writing or you don’t have the time to write well thought content, hire someone to do it for you.

My best advice for finding someone who can come up with good content is taking to social media. Facebook, Twitter & Linked are all great sources for finding content creators.

4)      Use Twitter

Twitter can be a great place to find questions people have asked but need a more in depth answer, look into various social tools to search for keywords and then create compelling content based around these questions.

5)      Keyword Tools

Google Keyword Tool (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

I cannot think of any better way to try and find new exciting content ideas, I love the idea of being able to use keyword tools to help me find new topics or search terms to write content about. There are plenty of tools around from Google Adwords Keyword tool to paid versions.

I also have a list of content tools which might be useful over on my SEO tools page check it out for some more inspiration.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

• Blue Glass Interactive Careers
• Expedia Careers

So firstly the main reason for this interview is for me to gain more experience of what Directors of Search Agencies are looking for. I decided to publish the answers in an interview format as I thought they would help others also get a good understanding of how they can adapt to find the best SEO role.

Hire Us (Photo credit: Dita Margarita)

Do you find people with a Degree in Marketing more ideal for your business?

Martin MacDonald- No. People with a flair for business, ambition and have demonstrated a technical knowledge is far more important. There is a school of thought that a university degree demonstrates an ability for structured learning, but in my experience those with technical knowledge by definition have already demonstrated that. Also, as I don’t have a degree it would be disingenuous of me to insist on it!

Kevin Gibbons - In general yes – it’s definitely a good background to have, but it really depends on their skills and interests in particular. Looking back, one of the proudest achievements I have over the last few years would be recruiting and building extremely strong search teams. It’s very difficult to know what you’re looking for based on a list of skillsets and backgrounds – it’s much more about the people and then giving them what they need in order to succeed.

What qualities do you look for when hiring?

Martin MacDonald- Someone who is personable, that is able to communicate sometimes difficult technical concepts in a clear and succinct way to others that may not have that kind of understanding. Someone who is confident enough to be able to get their point across.

Kevin Gibbons -Passion and willing to learn are the biggest qualities I would look for. You don’t need to have 10 years experience, but if you’ve got a keen interest to learn and are inquisitive enough to ask questions and test out concepts, as opposed to just accepting what you read as fact – then that’s the type of person we’d normally see fitting in well.

Do you check out their social media profiles?

Martin MacDonald- Without doubt, its the first thing I would do before even asking for an interview. And the whole gamut as well, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and any others that may be specific to an industry.

Does this make a difference in your hiring process?

Martin MacDonald- Of course – if your twitter feed is full of profanity or abuse then its not going to happen. If its full of just personal communications then fair enough, but best case scenario it demonstrates that you are genuinely interested and enthusiastic about the industry, in which case it reflects very well.

Kevin Gibbons - Yes definitely – most people in our team

have active social profiles – and that’s not because it’s a requirement (I know a lot of very clever SEO guys who rarely tweet, if at all) – but that’s just generally the type of people they are. We’re in the digital marketing world after all, so it makes sense to practice what you preach and it does show that willingness to learn and stay on top of the game.

Do you judge based on English written skills?

Martin MacDonald- It would depend on the role, but generally yes. Its conceivable that there might be a role where no written communication would be required, but thats an unlikely scenario. An example might be for a creative artistic design role, where the only aspect to the job was hands on. If an incredibly outstanding candidate suffered in this one niche alone I am pretty sure we could find a work around, but it would be an edge case.

Kevin Gibbons - It depends on the job role – if it’s a copywriter, then yes of course. But sometimes people can be excellent in a job role and have very strong verbal communication skills, but writing just isn’t their strength – so I wouldn’t rule them out for that. Even some bloggers are great story tellers, but not always the best with grammar – so as long as you’ve got someone to help fix that, you wouldn’t want to lose that creativity that is so important.

Does anything make a CV stand out to you?

Martin MacDonald- Creativity in the CV itself is something that is very infrequently seen, the recent example on Mashable that mimics an Amazon product page (http://mashable.com/2013/01/24/amazon-page-best-resume-ever/) not only stands out, but just makes me want to create a job to give to this guy. Creativity like that stands out, creates conversation and would always be the candidate that you would be most looking forward to meeting.

Kevin Gibbons - Relevant experience and a proven track record of getting results are a good way of filtering out who to interview initially. LinkedIn recommendations are useful also – but beyond that it’s very difficult to tell is someone is a good fit until meeting face-to-face.

What are the very best skills a Candidate can bring?

Martin MacDonald- Punctuality. Being late is always a bad start. Creativity. Standing out from the pack is key in a competitive market.
Enthusiasm. Sometimes you interview 20 or more people for a role, a bit of energy from the candidate really helps!

Kevin Gibbons - I very rarely seem to recruit directly for skills these days. Everything in search changes so quickly that we all need to adapt and learn on the job, obviously their skills and experience is very important – but beyond that, equally their passion and interest is vital. Do they live and breathe search and are they always learning – so it’s got much more to do with the person and how they can fit within your team, as opposed to a direct skill.

So there you have it you can now change your job strategy to ensure you attract the best attention from some of the leading SEO agencies and companies around.  You can find Kevin Gibbons & Martin MacDonald on Twitter.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

I actually took some time to flip this theory on its head, what if actually your agency needs to be more creative and have more personality when looking to hire someone? Our industry is all about being creative and coming up with new ideas.

Sweets! (Photo credit: lisabatty)

So let’s look at the, SEO jobs and inbound marketing positions are in high demand we know this but in the same instance there are literally thousands of jobs for people to choose from.

In my local area alone there are over 268 SEO roles going and this is just statistics from one website. Luckily some people can be choosy about the type of role they take on next and for good reasons. They might be very experienced or just awesome at SEO.

If I am looking to join an agency or make a move to another in house SEO role I would be sure the work environment matches my personality and I would make sure I could see myself being there for a long time.

This is why I personally think more agencies need to be more creative when recruiting. Take a look at the below for some examples of what sort of things I mean in creating an inviting recruitment page which will have people applying for your company in no time.

Found SEO

Found do a great job of selling you a role within London working for them, look at some of the key things they list on their recruitment page.

• Fantastic office location
• They go Paintballing and Make Chocolate
• They rain in and out of the company
• They keep food for you

SEO Gadget

SEO Gadget does a similar thing offering various benefits but some of the bestselling points for any company I have seen

• Free Nandos
• SEO Learning
• Room to grow

Fresh Egg

Fresh Egg does almost the same as found offering and stating they offer training and development within the company.

They also have some other great benefits which they add to the page

• Commercial Grade Gym
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Social Events

StickyEyes

As you can see some of the above sites really nail down not only the role but also the perks and the company personality within their adverts.

A boring advert written in all plain text with no creative twist is boring and it doesn’t sell the company or working environment.

I’d love to hear your thoughts do you think more agencies need to be creative when it comes to recruitment? Do you know of agencies doing things differently in terms of recruitment? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant

I guess now I am looking for more inspiration and advice from some of the well-established SEO’ers in the industry. SEO has always played a key role in everything I do and in fact I can’t think of a time I haven’t wanted to be involved in SEO.

Badass (Photo credit: sk8geek)

Although I have never actually learnt from any Senior SEO or Inbound Marketing types I have always tried to learn from others online and through other networking sites. However now I feel I have a range of skills which I can’t seem to focus or put into practice.

My theory behind this is purely down to never having learnt from someone or having the opportunity to put these skills into practice. The aim of this article is to try and find out what Skills or Personality Requirements you look for when you’re thinking about hiring someone for your agency.

Do you think the relocating to a city still holds the key for a successful career?

So let me get a few questions out in the open to start things off

1. What kind of Skills do you look for when hiring?
2. Does personality count any more?

Following on from this have you ever given someone a break even though you know they need a lot of work? Maybe they showed determination or ambition to learn and grow?

Finally if you could give one piece of advice to anyone looking to move into SEO or get there foot on the career ladder what would it be and why?

I’d like to thank those people in the industry who have helped me get to where I am today. You know who you are

Article originally created via SEO Coventry | Online Marketing Warwickshire | Kevin Wiles SEO Consultant