Google’s Starter Guide for Search Engine Optimization

I came across this guide from Google [PDF] on search engine optimization (SEO). With the huge amount of information available online about SEO, this guide from Google is an invaluable, credible resource.

The key points from the guide could as easily be about building good sites for users as they are about building good sites for Google:

  • Create unique, accurate page titles
  • Make use of the “description” meta tag
  • Make your site easier to navigate
  • Offer quality content and services
  • Optimize your use of images
  • Use heading tags appropriately
  • Promote your website in the right ways

For most professionals involved in any aspect of SEO, the guide doesn’t contain any breakthrough insights, but it does work as a great reference.

As content management software becomes nearly ubiquitous for even the smallest online presences, the job of SEO is increasingly falling on the client. People who never would have had to know anything about SEO are starting to need to know the basics. This manual works well as a primer for them. It is even written in a tone that people new to SEO concepts will find approachable.

Bitdefender Rebranding Video

Rebranding videos are an often overlooked part of the rebranding process. Which is unfortunate, because they often do a great job of providing some much-needed context and reasoning to a brand’s employees and its customers. Furthermore, they’re usually a lot of fun and can reenergize an otherwise tired audience.

This video launching the newly updated Bitdefender identity is a good example of this type of work. Brand New has a writeup of the rebranding that is, as always, quite good.

Chuck Testa Taxidermy

I love this commercial that went viral last week. It’s got this self-effacing attitude about itself, without feeling forced. I’m really digging the way that small brands are able to use a bit of relatively cheap consumer equipment and the internet to create powerful advertising.

When your Product is Strong, Simple Sells

Watch this video. It’s simple, not overproduced, and it will sell the heck out of the company, Resource Furniture. The video could be made in an afternoon using any consumer grade video camera and a copy of iMovie (though it was produced by the fine folks at Core77).

The video works because the features and benefits are made so clear. They don’t bury the lead, they get right into the good stuff: demoing their products.

Their website could use an update, but I’m still jealous of the lucky people who get to market stuff like this.

Science Channel Rebrand

I often have a hard time explaining to clients how modern identity work can be multi-dimensional and dynamic, but I don’t think I’ve ever done a great job of it. But this little video announcing a new logo for the Science Channel is about as good of an example as I can think of.

Why We Crave Creativity but Reject Creative Ideas

As someone who makes a living out of pitching creative ideas, I read this article on the paradox of creative ideas with keen interest. People fear creative ideas. A good, creative idea is unsettling, and feels risky, even though it may not be at all. This dislike of creative ideas is so consistent, that I got really good at predicting which concept out of two or three a client would like best during a pitch. It’s always the least creative one. And every time the “safe” idea lost out to the better, more creative concept, it was a letdown.

This article on Science Daily is a great read that gets into why this happens. The real meat of the article is the summary of the studies’ findings:

Creative ideas are by definition novel, and novelty can trigger feelings of uncertainty that make most people uncomfortable.

People dismiss creative ideas in favor of ideas that are purely practical — tried and true.

Objective evidence shoring up the validity of a creative proposal does not motivate people to accept it.

Anti-creativity bias is so subtle that people are unaware of it, which can interfere with their ability to recognize a creative idea.

Clever creatives, however, can always reframe their daring concepts as the safe choice. Seth Godin has been preaching since at least 2002 that Safe is Risky.