Maybe you want to join in the fun and grow your circles of friends, family & acqaintances, but if you rely upon SEO to gain traffic to your websites you might want to learn about Google+ even more. Right now there doesn’t seem to be a direct impact and you are likely going about your business as usual, but you should keep your eyes open to developments with Google+.

Be social; collect data

There are several speculations regarding its impact on Search Engine Optimization and SERPs. The effect of social signals on SERPs has always been a subject of study among SEO experts. It was observed by many SEO professionals that shares and likes on Facebook meant high popularity of a link and this had direct impact on how Google ranked a page.

Google isn’t going social just because it’s popular — they don’t want to kill Facebook or Twitter. They are primarily after data collection. Users of social networking sites willingly hand over tons of information about their life, location, friends & family and, most importantly, what they love & hate. This is valuable information that Google can use in the search engine. However, earlier, Google had to extract data from social sites like Facebook, Twitter and so on in order to determine social signals associated to a site or a page.

Now, Google+ makes it even simpler, as it serves as a database for Google to easily extract social information, signals and more. The aim of the Google search engine is to take the info that their customers (or researchers) want to find and deliver a list of relevant, high quality websites, blogs, videos and images. The more accurate they are in doing this and the better content suggestions they offer, the more researchers will come to them rather than to other search engines.

And what can help them deliver the most relevant and useful sites better than cold hard figures telling them which websites, blogs, images and videos real people find most useful? The data can be collected through the circles functionality on Google+ and then directly applied to the ranking of websites in the Google search engine. This has a direct impact on everyone who is using SEO to generate website traffic. The sites that get the most “+1″ clicks could rise to the top of the search engines even though they might not be the ones using the best SEO strategies. This creates a whole new game that you have to play if you want to be — and stay — highly ranked.

But how? Let’s find out!

Real Time Search
It has been speculated that Google Real time search had been turned off one month before the release specifically to incorporate results from Google+. Previously, results from Twitter were shown on real time search. It is being predicted that soon Google will re-launch its real time search, now in a more relevant manner, with real time results from Google+. If you have relevant content, updated regularly on Google+, you can feature on the real time search often, and thus promote news and information on your website.

Sparks Streaming
Google+ has a content aggregator feature called Sparks which allows users to choose their favourite activity or interest such as media, sports, entertainment, … Users can get content streamed right onto their profiles according to their indicated interests. This could be a great way to promote your website or blog, if you produce good content of course.

Public Posts
If you select the visibility of your posts as ‘public’, they are indexed by Google and can reach the top of search results if it gets ample re-shares and +1s. However, it is still not very clear how Google is deciding ranks from the feed of Google+. But, watch out! Since Google+ will have an effect on SEO, you will be tempted to share every single thing you ever wrote. Fight the urge and just try to create good compelling content that others will be motivated to share on your behalf. Keep a good ratio of solid content to promotional content. So, share about 5 to 10 articles written by someone other than yourself before you share your own.

Business Pages
Google is soon to bring out products and features to support brands and businesses on Google+. Given the exponential growth and popularity of Google+, presence of your brand on this social networking site is an absolute necessity.

But be careful!

Most people are now aware of Google+, but not everyone has figured out how it could affect them. Some believe it’s just another social networking tool – like Facebook and Twitter – and don’t yet see how it could impact the world of search engine optimization and online marketing in general. Those that take SEO seriously are watching to see how fast Google+ progresses and what they decide to do with the data they have already collected — and the data they will collect now it has gone public.

But, what does this mean to you? Are you scrambling to get your foot in the door with Google+? Are you trying to figure out this new system so you are among the first to get your page rank up? Do you have some ideas of how Google+ could be used for marketing and SEO? 

If not, don’t worry. Just don’t forget to keep your eye on this latest Google development.

The city of Genk, Designregio Kortrijk and Flanders InShape can proudly look back at the Humin project. With the support of Europe and Flanders they have done their best to provide the necessary means to make this unique project a success.

The Humin project gave 30 companies and 20 designers the exceptional opportunity to discover and develop the newest design and innovation methods. The project kicked off in May 2009 and now reaches its apotheosis. Humin is a project that helps companies to increase their strength by means of ‘People-Centered Design’ or “innovation with and for people”. Humin’s goal is to support the managers in discovering their innovation potential and in implementing top-level design methods into the heart of the company.

Thirty SMEs throughout Flanders participated in this project. In cooperation with Richard Eisermann (Designing Demand) they received a program of professional workshops and were individually monitored for 18 months by 20 experienced design specialists who were trained as Design Coaches. Their task was to provide the companies with new insights and strategic advice. In this project, the Design Coaches are not consultants, but experienced and driven coaches who guide and support. Every company works at its own pace, according to its own potential and capacity.

The companies are proud to present their results and are very satisfied with the innovative modifications initiated by Humin.

—

this is humin

20th May – 8th June 2011
Design Centre C-mine
MON-FRI 9am-5pm; SAT-SUN 10am-5pm; & by appointment.
Closed on official holidays.

Learn more about this is humin & download the humin iPad app

The presentations will also be available on SlideShare — soon…

Have fun web writing!

Can you recall the countless times you’ve sat down, wanting & willing to write only to end up staring at a blank page for hours before finally giving up? Writer’s block is a problem that haunts copywriters way more often than they would like to admit.
So here are some easy peasy tricks you can use to get rid of your writer’s block.

Take a peek at your swipe file
You have a swipe file, right? If you don’t it’s about time you start creating one! (but that’s a whole new topic that I’ll be posting about soon). If you don’t have a swipe file yet, try any of the following techniques.

Brain training
Just like someone who is out of shape can not run a mile in a respectable amount of time, someone who doesn’t write frequently will not be able to produce successful writing in a timely manner. You have to train your brain to write, just like you must train your body to run. You’ll become a more proficient writer and faster runner through repeated practice and perseverance.

Outline it
Don’t have anything down yet? No worries — just write down the key points. Outlining your writing will break it up into easily manageable chunks. If you decide a section doesn’t work, you can always kill it later. It’s easier to fill in the missing parts than stare at a blank screen.

Write the fun part first
If you’re stuck at the beginning, quit whining about the perfect headline and try writing your favourite part of the piece first. Try writing the offer first, or introduce the price, or write the guarantee… and then work your way up to the rest of the letter.

Read something different than you write
Reading material in the genre of what you’re planning to write can actually make writers block worse, as it gives you the feeling everything has already been said. What helps though is to read something out of your scope, as it will help you get inspired to write something different and unique.

Write crap
In many cases, the best way to beat writer’s block is just to start writing. The first graph or even the first sentence is sometimes the hardest. Just accept the fact that your first draft will suck anyway. The more you get down, the easier it will be to continue. So get those fingers moving and write it… but don’t forget to edit later.

Listen to some music
This may not work at the office, but if you’re a blogger and you’re working on the weekend the right music can be highly inspirational. Try some electronic/jazz/classical music, nothing with too much vocals to distract your thoughts — just some instrumentals to push you along in the right mood (this works great for me). Put it on repeat, then stop fiddling with iTunes until your draft is done.

Stop beating yourself up
Beating yourself up over not being creative on demand is not going to help. You can’t create when you feel ass-whipped. Stop visualizing catastrophes & disasters and focus on positive outcomes. This is not some zen mumbo-jumbo. It’s a conscious attempt to change your attitude towards writing and it can work wonders when you’re feeling blocked.

A healthy mind in a healthy body
Your brain requires proper nourishment to function at optimal levels. I actually notice my mental output is directly proportional to how healthy I am eating for the week. Load up on protein, foods rich in antioxidants, juices, fresh fruits and nuts, vegetables and smoothies — you’ll not only feel better, but your writing will be stronger (whether you’re conscious of it or not).

Get your blood moving
Exercise is really good at getting blood moving through your brain and getting your creative juices flowing. Take a walk around your building, go to the gym, do something active and when you return to your writing, you’ll find your brain is full of oxygen and your head is much clearer.

Take a break
Sometimes when your brain is blocked, all you need to do is clear your head. Take a walk & stretch, clean out your kitchen cabinets, make strawberry ice cream… anything to get your mind off writing. Then come back and make a fresh start!

Write someplace new

If you’ve been staring at a blank computer screen for hours and nothing is happening, it might be time to swap surroundings. Turn off the computer, visit a local coffee house or stroll down the park with an old-fashioned pen and notebook. Leave your laptop and iPhone at home & you may find this works wonders.

Unplug the internet
This is similar to the tip above, but applies when you can’t get away from your desk and need focus. The web is a big distraction when you want to get good writing done — close Facebook, turn off Twitter and stop checking your site analytics. In fact, just unplug the Ethernet cable or turn off your Wi-Fi altogether and you’ll really start to focus. I am more connected than any person should be, but good writing or beating writer’s block needs you to disconnect.

Get some coffee
This is a quick solution if you don’t have time to exercise. Despite what they say, caffeine is a great boost and will stir your mind. Just make sure what you’re working on is the only thing open while you sip your coffee so you actually work on that project (many people tend to multi-task after coffee).

Try taking a nap
When you’re tired, you’re more likely to suffer writer’s block than when you’re well rested. Seven hours of sleep a night is minimum in my mind for optimum levels of successful brain-processing. However, if you need to get through your writer’s block now a quick nap can reset your brain. Or try the caffeine nap — it is scientifically proven to work (and from experience, it actually is quite effective).

Try some freewriting
When everything else fails, just start writing. Open your word processor (or even your windows notepad), turn off your computer monitor and just write anything for a fixed period of time — 10 minutes should work — and don’t stop, even if you know what you’re typing is gibberish, full of misspellings and grammatically psychopathic. Get your hand moving and your brain will think it’s writing, which it is. See?

Don’t force it
Just like you shouldn’t try to force sleep when you have insomnia, don’t try to force writing when you’re truly stuck. The outcome is the same in both cases — frustration. If you really can’t get writing and you’ve tried everything it may just not be your day. That’s OK; no one can be successful with creative tasks every day. It may be a day to focus on a more technical project.

Keep a notebook with you 24/7
It’s said that prevention is better than cure. Coming up with original ideas to write about is sometimes the hardest challenge of all. But if you’ve got a notebook with you at all times, you can build up a topic reserve to draw upon when you need it. Inspiration usually hits when you’re not trying. That’s why all creatives need to carry a digital or analog notebook for scribbling down ideas.

——
* kick ass slang
verb
to have a strong effect on someone or something; forceful, powerful
adjective kick-ass
exceptionally good; spectacular, impressive; cool, awesome

140 characters, that’s all you get to tell other tweeps ”what’s happening now?”. And don’t be mistaken, the battle for attention is hard, very hard. So, your tweets need to be interesting, original, outstanding. But how? @lafillenelle will reveal some (t)witty tips.

Seduce me…
A hot title can make the difference between being read or ignored. Titles are read 5 times more than text. So seduce your tweeps with irresistible titles. How?

Shout!
Too much exclamation marks make you come across as a loudmouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The number of people interested sinks with the number of exclamation marks. And if you can’t help but using one, then please just use one!

Capitals
CAPITALS CAN BE HELPFUL, BUT TOO MUCH IS JUST TOO MUCH. “An entire tweet in CAPITALS is difficult to read” is much better, don’t you think?

To tweet or to retweet?
Do you want to get some retweets? Then keep your tweets short. Don’t use all 140 characters for your tweet, leave space for at least a “RT @yourname”, so they can retweet you. Keeping your posts even shorter allows for multiple retweets. But only making your tweets short will not help, if they are not interesting to your followers.

Be irresistible…
So you have the power to catch the eye. Once you’ve got it, keep it! tweeps aren’t interested in ”what’s happening now?”. They are however in ”what’s in it for me?”. Tweet about stuff that is advantageous or interesting to your followers. Moreover, posting useful links, news, funny or bizarre things is more likely to get retweeted.

Hashtags
Use #hashtags in your tweets. tweeps scan tweets for useful information. They often receive hundreds of tweets a day. Hashtagging facilitates scanning and helps the user decide quickly whether tweets are interesting or not. What’s more, it will make your tweets seen even by those who are not following you, but are searching the hashtags.

Call to action
Provoke a reaction with a clear call to action.
For example, “RT please” (this may look desperate, but it usually helps…) or “Read the article here”.

Clarity lasts longer
Posting confusing tweets or just tweeting for the sole purpose of tweeting is a no-go. Make it clear what your tweet’s all about. Confused tweeps become rebellious an apathic. Trust me, you don’t want that.

Clarity lasts longest
When you’re reacting on a tweet, be sure to make it clear to what you’re reacting. Your reaction might not be seen immediately. If necessary, repeat the whole tweet. Am I doing it right?
No, @lafillenelle – Interesting. Thanks!
Yes, @lafillenelle – 10 witty Twitter copywriting tips: Interesting. Thanks!

Schrijven voor het beeldscherm, by Willem Hendrikx (5th edition, 210p., published 2009 by Sdu, Den Haag) – in DUTCH
This book contains a minimum of technical info and a maximum of practical info, so you can get started right now — writing tips, examples and useful checklists show you the way to go. For those who want to take it up a notch, this edition also offers some info on how to make your website search engine optimal.

Letting Go Of The Words: Writing Web Content that Works, by Janice (Ginny) Redish (384p, published 2007 by Morgan Kaufmann)
This practical & informative book will help anyone creating web content do it better. It contains clearly-explained guidelines with full color illustrations and examples from actual websites throughout the book. It is written in easy-to-read style with many do’s and don’t’s. It also provides specific guidelines for web-based press releases, legal notices, and other documents.

Hot Text: Web Writing That Works, by Jonathan & Lisa Price (528p., published 2002 by New Riders Press)
This book tells you how to write for the web — FAQs, help, e-mail, marketing copy, press releases, news articles, electronic newsletters or even your own resume. You get specific guidelines, before-and-after examples, case studies, challenges, resources and personal advice & learn to write hot text.

Last week, I gave a workshop entitled schrijven voor het wwweb (wwweb writing) @ C-mine in Genk.
You can download the presentation here (PDF, 17MB & sorry… only in Dutch).

For those interested, the presentation is also available on SlideShare.

Enjoy!

p.s. Thanks to everyone who attended!

The first weekend, the core functions of the renewed energy buildings will be presented. 3 Cs will be central: C-mine Overture, Capital-C & John Cleese.

More creativity during the weekend of 18-19th September with creative workshops for professionals and non-professionals.

In the weekend of 24th till 26th September the C-mine partners organize a Media and Design Event. The event takes off in an informative context to wrap up in a unique media & design bash. Innovation & experience is provided by Nascom and other C-mine partners.

The first weekend of October Children’s Creativity is placed in the spotlights.

On 9th October the First C-mine Moment is closed with a new artistic creation made in commission of C-mine Cultural Centre Limburg All Stars.

During this event, Nascom will serve you with 4 workshops around (social) media & design.

1. Designing for multi-touch interfaces — Robert Winters
What? — Multi-touch interface computing, such as the iPhone or iPad, lets us achieve some of the most amazing feats with our fingers. This major technological change presents developers with new and exciting design possibilities. In this session we will elaborate on how designing for multi-touch differs from designing for traditional interfaces and how you can approach this. Moreover, you get some hands-on experience with Quick & Dirty paper prototyping and you learn how to test an iPhone prototype easily on your phone, without programming knowledge.
When? — 21st September 2010, from14h till 16h
Who? — Interface designers.

2. Social Media as a promotional tool — Robby Remmerie
What? — How can you use the internet and new media to promote yourself or your business creatively and economically? This workshop gives you an insight in new and social media, the basics of a perfect campaign, the DOs and DON’Ts, some commonly made mistakes & some successful & less successful examples.
When? — 22nd September 2010, from14h till 16h
Who? — Professionals and SMBs.

3. Web wwwriting — Nele Waelbers
What? — Communicate swiftly & with style — writing that’s compelling, interesting & unique; writing that’s magnetic. When writing for the web, it’s of dying importance to get your message across a quickly as possible. Therefore, less is more — talk less, say more. This workshop tells you how you can pull it off!
When? — 23rd September 2010, from14h till 16h
Who? — Everyone who owns a website

4. Away3D – David Lenaerts
What? — What is Away3D? Do you want to get an insight in 3D in Flash? Or have you used Away3D before, but you want to know more? This workshop focuses on the basic principles of Away3D, an Open Source 3D Library for Flash, and on how it can be used in building web-based content. Finally, you’ll get the chance to ask questions about concrete issues.
When? — 30th September 2010, from 18h30
Who? — Flash & 3D geeks with a basic knowledge of Flash and Actionscript.

For more info, visit www.c-mine.be (only Dutch)