Picture this: fresh haircut, new outfit, big date... and you’ve got spinach caught between your teeth. Kind of ruins the mood, doesn’t it? That’s what it’s like when a typo or other grammatical miscue ruins otherwise well-planned and well-executed content. Davina Y. Gould, director of publications and online communications at Stetson University College of Law, reminds us of some common errors—and the value of a sharp editor. What other … [Read more...]
The Questionable Value of Real-Time Web Analytics
September 30, 2011 by
Yesterday, Google announced the availability of real-time data in Google Analytics. Hooray. Finally, we have it! Oh, wait. What do we have exactly? Real-time analytics is an attractive feature, but the value is questionable. What actionable insights can you make based on real-time data? (They do exist but are few and far between.) Google’s announcement prompted me to revisit a classic blog post by Avinash Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0, … [Read more...]
Google Says Users First With Lengthy Page Content
September 21, 2011 by
The simple secret to search engine optimization (SEO): focus on your users. In Google's latest attempt to improve search for web users, they have prioritized single-page versions of multi-page articles (if a single-page version of the article exists) in search results. This is a relatively minor tweak on Google's part, but it's a good reminder to create web content for people first and search engines second. Search engines aim to deliver … [Read more...]
Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together
September 19, 2011 by
When we talk about content strategy, we are most often discussing it with regard to our web content. But what about our communications channels? Those are also in need of some TLC (tender loving #contentstrategy). Particularly in higher ed, with disparate communications goals across schools and units and more channels than you can shake a stick at, a little content strategy elbow grease can go a long way. Diana Railton, founder of the U.K. … [Read more...]
Prioritize: Less Content, More Action
September 16, 2011 by
This week, Tim Nekritz, director of web communication and associate director of public affairs at SUNY Oswego, discussed the need for less talk and more action with web content. In the process of revising the SUNY Oswego Admissions page, he pared down the existing content. He focused only on essential admissions information and included a compelling video describing the SUNY Oswego experience. Nekritz’s revisions are a good example of … [Read more...]