Information Technology & Social Media News

Scenttrail Note Responsive Design
I wanted a post to explain Responsive Design's SEO implications in easy clear language and this ex.no post does that beautifully. I wanted an easy explanation of WHY RESPONSIVE so I could blow your mind a little.

Responsive impacts SEO because Google wants to be relevant to mobile search. The Ez.no post explains that dimension well, but there's another dimension rarely considered - Responsive Design's impact on data architecture.

Data architecture seems a lost science. Having spent most of the December tunneling into a friend's website (http://www.Moon-Audio.com) I can tell you there is NOTHING more important than how you classify information on your site.

The tug-of-war between search spiders and people has a new dimension now - mobile people. Mobile people need FLAT design, fewer options and smaller more visual presentation. Bless WordPress for making it so easy to Accordion a site's design, but if you don't think about HOW your information will be displayed on smartphone you are nuts.

Mobile people need different kinds of presentation and design than even laptopers. Mobile people need flatter, louder and more engaging User Interfaces.They need simple connection (to friends and social nets) and swiipe-y "waterfall" content.

You can't create "waterfall content" because your blog has rsponsive design built in. You get a site that doesn't sit well in its mobile coat. Better to STOP and RESTART with MOBILE FIRST as your content marketing guide and that means:

1. Visuals tease snippets.

2. Snippets tease deeper exploration (outside to social nets or inside to Snippet Plus content).

We don't READ on mobile devices we scan, swipe and send. Look at your GPlus or Facebook timelines. What gets all the engagement?

1. Pictures.
2. Questions
3. Videos

Some content such as contests and games combine those elements with deadlines, prizes and competition (always good for mobile). Are you thinking MOBILE FIRST? Share HOW and we will write a http://www.curagami.com post about how to THINK Mobile First.

Thanks & Happy New Year. Marty

Via Martin (Marty) Smith, Asela Ortiz de Murua @AselaVit

According to Wikipedia, infographics are “graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly.”

Simply put, it means taking data, organizing it, and making it visually digestible by converting it into graphs, charts, maps, and visual stories. Without having to read large amounts of text, the viewer can easily process the information that is being shared and is given the chance to explore a topic in a highly engaging way.

 

Visit the link to learn why and how infographics work, the benefits of infographics and the process behind creating them, including best practices and examples...

Via Lauren Moss, Ivo Nový

Infographic: Latest Trends in Web Design. Which web design trends have ruled the first quarter of 2013 and what you should be focusing on.

Via Martin (Marty) Smith, Gladys Pintado

Scoop.it Study
I've often thought Slideshare was the great underutilized weapon of content marketing. Thinking that and having the data to prove are two different things.

Thanks to the team at Scoop.it we now have the data to prove what I've FELT. In an extensive study the Scoop.it team shifted my thinking on Slideshare.

Always knew Slideshare was POWERFUL SEO VooDoo because I've had several decks BLOW UP such as:

http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo 
Absolute #1 position on "Storytelling is the new SEO" and has been top ranked for over a year.

http://www.slideshare.net/martinsellingzoe/content-marketing-network 
This deck held on for a year and has slide out of ranking now.

You don't get much more SEO competitive than "Storytelling is the New SEO" and "Content Marketing Network so personal validation supports the Scoop.it team's great work here.

The other paradigm they shifted for me today was thinking of Slideshare as an important "visual marketing" tool. Decks are LEAN, FAST and VIRAL so great ways to share and build authority and traffic. Just wish I could get my Slideshare profile styled better. Anyone know the secret sauce for that?

Great work Scoopiteers!  

Via Martin (Marty) Smith

There's a cute little trick on Facebook Chat that lets you create tiny emoticons from Facebook profile pictures.

Via malek