Mediaworks founder Brett Jacobson (left) with Dan Hoggan.

Team Valley based Mediaworks has been chosen to implement a 12-month search engine optimisation strategy for the office supply giant Viking Direct.

Viking is one of the UK’s largest office equipment providers supplying thousands of offices throughout the country with equipment ranging from stamps and coffee to seats and desks.

Brett Jacobson, managing director of Mediaworks, said it was great to have another big name to add their client list.

“Viking is in a highly competitive market and we know that we can assist them to have the upper edge on their competitors, and ultimately boost its revenue”, he said.

“It just goes to prove that there is online marketing talent outside of the capital, and by winning such a lucrative contract I think that we have 100% proved it.”

Mediaworks use intelligently applied SEO tactics to boost a company’s visibility online for key, targeted phrases.

The company was established in 2007 by a Northumbria University graduate Brett Jacobson, and boasts an impressive client list including SCS Sofas, law firm Eversheds and Traidcraft.

Mediaworks is confident that it can aid Viking to become highly competitive online and boost its visibility nationally, and early figures are proving this true.

SES London is the leading search marketing conference in Europe and continues to get bigger and better year-on-year.

Bringing together the industry’s brightest minds and most seasoned practitioners, it truly is a wealth of search and online marketing nuggets.

SEO sessions

• Introduction to SEO
• Key Link Building Strategies
• SEO Tools of the Trade
• Meaningful SEO Metrics

Social Media sessions

• Introduction to Social Media
• Social Media Signals in Search
• Killer Advertising Tactics
• Measuring SoLoMo

PPC sessions

• Introduction to PPC
• PPC Tools of the Trade
• Analytics for Paid Search
• Yahoo/Bing Search Alliance

More info and how to register on the event website.

About four years ago in a Newcastle city centre pub a 21-year-old graduate fresh out of university met a local entrepreneur by chance.

That graduate was called Brett Jacobson, who today runs Mediaworks, a successful search engine company with over 30 employees. And the growth just doesn’t seem to stop.

Mediaworks’ strategic and analytical SEO has recently earned them several big global account wins such as Viking Direct, Regus and Alfred Dunhill.

“At the moment we are at advanced stages with several similar global businesses so in the next six months we will boast a portfolio of which any agency would be envious.”

“The growth potential within these accounts is phenomenal if we can deliver on our initial goals and immediate aims set out within the projects, which include a mixture of SEO, CRO and PPC services on an international level, then who knows where we could be.”

The secret of success?

Brett’s number one piece of advice to young managing directors is not to be afraid to ask questions.

“I learn something new every day through opening myself up to learn from those around me. It’s absolutely critical for both your personal and businesses development.”

“Another important piece of advice is to surround yourself with people who are better than you.”

“You can’t be the best at everything! You must learn to accept that if your company is to progress that every idea doesn’t have to be yours and that the biggest barrier to growth is usually yourself.”

“Your staff can be your biggest strength or weakness. Therefore recruit the best people you can find.”

Purer insight into Google’s algorithm

To stay on top in the ever-changing SEO landscape, Mediaworks have their entire team constantly monitoring the search landscape.

In addition, they have developed a tool which enables them to form a graphical view of their clients’ (and their competitors’) link profiles.

“By normalising this data we are gaining a purer insight into how Google’s latest’s algorithm is operating from a link strength perspective and how its relevancy factors are changing”, Brett said.

“Its pretty interesting stuff and is allowing us to give our clients both a competitive advantage and insight into their competitors strategy. ”

Proud to be in the North East

The North East corner of England might not be the most obvious choice when you’re setting up a business with plans to establish an international client-base.

For Mediaworks, the decision has proved a successful one. In fact, the Team Valley-based company has over 120 happy customers based all over the UK, Europe and the USA.

“Being based in the North East hasn’t hampered our growth or our ability to service clients at all, in fact its proving to be a useful sales USP and allows us to differentiate ourselves from the masses of southern agencies we regularly compete for new business with.”

“The facilities are first class in the region and Mediaworks are proud to be based here which is something that will never change.”

A well established online marketing company is looking to recruit an individual to join their award winning search marketing team.

Reporting to the Client Services Director you will work closely with colleagues and clients to deliver exceptional search marketing strategies.

As an SEO professional, your technical knowledge of search will be used and challenged on a daily basis, involving:

• providing key phrase research and insight for new business development;
• creating search marketing strategies which deliver against clients’ business and marketing objectives;
• conducting onsite optimisation reviews of websites and providing actionable recommendations to ensure maximum search engine visibility;
• working with clients and their third party suppliers to implement recommendations;
• planning, managing and executing link building campaigns;
• managing clients search marketing campaigns effectively by delivering against client objectives within budget; and
• delivering reporting, insight and competitor analysis to clients; in written format and verbally.

Account management:

Our client prides itself on proactive account management. Adhering to company values, you’ll be expected to:

• build relationships with clients through diligent, conscientious account management;
• continue to be a trusted source of search marketing insight for your clients;
• retain a detailed understanding of the client’s business and marketing objectives;
• act proactively to identify opportunities and generate ideas for your clients, within and outside of briefs to help deliver against their business and marketing objectives;
• identify opportunities to increase revenues from clients; and
• use entrepreneurial spirit to develop those opportunities and convert them into additional revenue for the search team.

Key performance Indicators:

You’ll be expected to perform well against key metrics in your role as search marketing manager:

• Capacity to deliver against clients’ business and marketing objectives.
• Ability to meet revenue targets and client retention targets.
• Contribution to development of the search marketing service.
• Contribution to a positive team atmosphere and company culture.
• Achievement of bi-annual personal objectives.

Qualities, skills and experience:

• Excellent technical ability.
• Interpersonal / communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial spirit.
• Strong analytical capabilities.
• A passion for search marketing.
• Work with a ‘make it happen’ attitude.
• Good knowledge of HTML and CSS.
• Working knowledge of numerous SEO tools.
• Link building & copy writing.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply by contacting Sharpe Recruitment.

Sharpe Recruitment is a North East based consultancy, dedicated to placing professionals in rewarding jobs throughout the North of England across a variety of disciplines including Digital Media, Creative Advertising, Sales & Marketing, PR, IT and Business Operations.

A well established online marketing company is looking to recruit an individual to join their award winning search marketing team.

Reporting to the Client Services Director you will work closely with colleagues and clients to deliver exceptional search marketing strategies.

Main Duties of the post:

As an SEO professional, your technical knowledge of search will be used and challenged on a daily basis, involving:

• providing key phrase research and insight for new business development;
• creating search marketing strategies which deliver against clients’ business and marketing objectives;
• conducting onsite optimisation reviews of websites and providing actionable recommendations to ensure maximum search engine visibility;
• working with clients and their third party suppliers to implement recommendations;
• planning, managing and executing link building campaigns;
• managing clients search marketing campaigns effectively by delivering against client objectives within budget; and
• delivering reporting, insight and competitor analysis to clients; in written format and verbally.

Account management:

Our client prides itself on proactive account management. Adhering to company values, you’ll be expected to:

• build relationships with clients through diligent, conscientious account management;
• continue to be a trusted source of search marketing insight for your clients;
• retain a detailed understanding of the client’s business and marketing objectives;
• act proactively to identify opportunities and generate ideas for your clients, within and outside of briefs to help deliver against their business and marketing objectives;
• identify opportunities to increase revenues from clients; and
• use entrepreneurial spirit to develop those opportunities and convert them into additional revenue for the search team.

Key performance Indicators:

You’ll be expected to perform well against key metrics in your role as search marketing manager:

• Capacity to deliver against clients’ business and marketing objectives.
• Ability to meet revenue targets and client retention targets.
• Contribution to development of the search marketing service.
• Contribution to a positive team atmosphere and company culture.
• Achievement of bi-annual personal objectives.

Qualities, skills and experience:

• Excellent technical ability.
• Interpersonal / communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial spirit.
• Strong analytical capabilities.
• A passion for search marketing.
• Work with a ‘make it happen’ attitude.
• Good knowledge of HTML and CSS.
• Working knowledge of numerous SEO tools.
• Link building & copy writing.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply by contacting Sharpe Recruitment.

Sharpe Recruitment is a North East based consultancy, dedicated to placing professionals in rewarding jobs throughout the North of England across a variety of disciplines including Digital Media, Creative Advertising, Sales & Marketing, PR, IT and Business Operations.

Brett Jacobson and Dan Hoggan of Mediaworks.

The region’s top search engine marketing agency Mediaworks is enjoying a period of expansion as demand grows for multilingual SEO.

The Team Valley based company has recently been appointed by a number of organisations looking to explore foreign markets.

Using multilingual SEO allows companies to trade internationally without having to open office or shop space abroad.

According to Brett Jacobson, Mediaworks managing director, the use of SEO in a foreign language is becoming increasingly popular.

“We are constantly receiving enquiries about boosting online presence and sales in other countries, primarily in Europe and the Far East”, he said.

Best talent available

Initially just a team of two, Mediaworks now has 30 staff at its Team Valley base with the workforce growing month on month.

“We have found that growing talent in house has proven hugely beneficial to both our clients and the company”, Brett said.

“We recruit the best talent available and then offer superb training and development opportunities.”

Brett, a Northumbria University graduate, is now looking to expand Mediaworks further with new office space in the region as well as opening a London office later this year.

We’ve seen the skills of web developers grow and their clients becoming more and more tech savvy resulting in innovative and good looking websites.

But not for all. Accessibility guidelines are still considered as a drag by too many web developers leaving a huge number of web users excluded.

We talked to Gary Robson, Technical Director at Industrial Strength, a North East web design company, to find out what’s so off-putting about accessibility.

A by-product, not an addition

The first place where people tend to go wrong with accessibility, Gary said, is thinking it as separate addition.

“For a long time accessibility has been seen as an optional feature and because of this, it would generally have a cost implication that was difficult to justify for many clients”, he said.

“This should no longer be an issue, with the increased capability of all the browsers. Building an accessible site to a reasonable standard, should generally be seen as a by-product of building a site well.”

For Gary, a realisation of the importance of issue came with a visit to the accessibility lab at the Department of Disability Services at Cardiff University.

“It was quite an eye-opener to see what they have to put up with day-to-day purely because web developers and designers have historically seen catering for them as too much work!”, he said.

“The main problem now is that that attitude hasn’t changed across the whole industry, and many still use accessibility as a tool to upsell.”

Not just about ticking the boxes

Gary admits that there are some issues with the W3C’s accessibility guidelines which have been criticised as being too complex and vague.

“It’s too easy to game the system, tick all the boxes, and still end up with an inaccessible site”, he said.

“I’m not sure whether this is an issue with the WAI [Web Accessibility Initiative] guidelines as such, but the complexity and the sheer number of grey areas don’t make for a level playing field when you have those who just want to tick the boxes, and those who actually want to build an accessible site.”

According to Gary, the key thing to keep in mind is that good accessibility can’t be achieved in isolation.

“Don’t think accessibility as an afterthought”, he said.

“It should be considered as part of the bigger picture – site content requirements, SEO, accessibility and design can and should bleed into each other when making specs for a website.”

Buy accessibility, get SEO for free

For those in search of extra motivation to invest in accessibility, Gary suggests to think of it as a form of search engine optimisation.

“A good accessibility standard and a good SEO aware site overlap in so many areas that its almost buy one get one free!”

“To excel in either discipline requires some dedicated work, but an accessible site that assistive technology, such as screenreaders, can understand is also a site that Google can understand.”

And finally, for all the designers who see accessibility as something that ruins their fancy plans; can accessibility and innovative design work together?

“Yes. For a long time there was a difficult balancing act between design and accessibility but this, to a big degree, has been overcome by a mixture of technology and common sense. An accessible site is no longer shorthand for ugly/minimalistic.”

Case study

Accessibility on agenda for BBC and Google

Web developer Gary Robson says that the BBC provides a great example of what can be achieved when the owner of the site views accessibility as a basic requirement, not an inconvenient optional extra. Read more…

This role will be varied on a day to day basis and will require a bright, enthusiastic and creative candidate who can multi-task effectively. This is an ideal opportunity to join an innovative, dynamic and rapidly growing company which can offer excellent career growth prospects to the right person.

Duties are varied and will include carrying out intense Link building activities for a number of clients simultaneously as part of a team. A full induction and training program will be given but basic knowledge in Link building and an understanding of the underlying principles of SEO are a prerequisite.

Candidates who carry out the duties satisfactorily will have the opportunity to gain additional skills in SEO, PPC and CRO, if they wish, to diversify their search marketing knowledge. Link building is a dynamic and constantly evolving environment which requires flexibility, an inquisitive mind and a willingness to learn as you go.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Identifying potential link opportunities and partners using SEO principles and analytical skills 
• Investigating online competitors and thinking creatively about how our clients can do better than them
• Contacting link partners using email and telephone
• Negotiating partnerships with site owners, webmasters and bloggers
• Meeting clients to develop good working relationship
• Research and creation of unique content on behalf of clients
• Providing reporting and occasional presentations to the team, wider company and clients on progress
• Support sales team with detailed research reports on prospective client websites

Knowledge of Internet and web development technologies: HTML, XHTML,CSS and PHP would also be desirable for this role. Naturally you will have knowledge of the Search Engine Marketing industry, as well as passion and drive to excel in this fast paced environment.

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope of the role.

How to apply

If you want to become involved in one of the fastest growing industries on the planet and work for one of the leading UK search marketing agencies then please apply now via email with your CV and covering letter to info@mediaworks.co.uk. NO AGENCIES.

Posted via Jobs in Digital

A small marketing consultancy is seeking an experienced SEO/Online Marketing professional to join their team.

Working alongside an established Marketing team, our client have up until now been outsourcing all projects concerning the SEO and marketing of their websites. However due to increased online demand, our client would like to appoint a designated digital professional, who has established experience in maintaining and developing the efficiency of their website and digital marketing.

As the main point of contact for all digital and SEO projects, candidates must have a proven track record in managing digital projects and be confident in attending client facing meetings, taking briefs, writing reports and making recommendations.

Working with the support and expertise of the marketing team, key tasks will include data streaming and management, developing and executing online promotional activities and measuring success rates and online consumer trends.

Candidates should also have experience and be proficient in managing on Google Analytics, Adwords, and PPC campaigns. A basic understanding of Web Development – HTML, CSS and Web standards and accessibility would also be desirable.

Responsibility for the overall look and maintenance of our client’s web presence is also intrinsic to this role, and would suit candidates with a keen eye for proof reading and overall layout. This is a great opportunity to bring a wealth of experience to an established team and to play a major part in the development of our client’s digital activity moving forwards.

Great remuneration on offer to attract the best candidates. So if you’re looking for digital jobs in the North East, this could be your ideal opportunity. Apply by contacting Concept Personnel.

via Concept Personnel Vacancy : Digital Account Manager.

Definition

Organic SEO is the phrase used to describe processes to obtain a natural placement on organic search engine results pages (SERPs). Some examples of techniques used for organic SEO include using keywords and keyword analysis, backlinking, link building to improve link popularity, and writing content relevant for human readers.

via Webopedia Computer Dictionary.