Staying Safe with Google Panda, Penguin Updates

Google’s latest algorithm updates – Panda and Penguin – may have left some businesses feeling perplexed as to why their site was penalized. Some of the black hat SEO tactics targeted by Panda and Penguin include backlink stuffing, duplicate content, hidden links, low quality and unnatural links and other potential spamming techniques that Google deems as over-optimization.

If you want to remain safe from Google search ranking penalties in the future, follow these simple tips for SEO best practices:

1. Provide original content. The first step to great online marketing is a great website. Your website should be a helpful resource for your visitors and potential customers searching for information about your business. Original, high-quality content will keep visitors on your site longer, and will keep them coming back for more. Never post duplicate content to your site. Websites using this bad practice were among the hardest hit by the Panda update.

2. Build quality backlinks. Everyone knows backlinks are great for SEO. However, it is important to observe the quality over quantity rule for link building, especially after the Penguin update penalized heavily for bad link building practices. Before submitting a link to a directory, make sure that site has a high page rank and has not been associated with any black hat tactics.

3. Choose keywords wisely. Avoid harmful keyword stuffing by developing a diverse set of targeted keywords for your SEO campaign. Use free tools like Google Analytics to test different keyword combinations and options. After developing a set of keywords, implement them into your website copy and original content strategically and ethically to avoid any future penalties.

For advice on SEO best practices and SEO services, contact a Michigan marketing agency. Visit our blog, or contact Clarity Quest today at 877-887-7611. Request a quote.

Clarity Quest Launches Website for UNIVAL

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new website for Ann Arbor-based UNIVAL, Inc.  UNIVAL provides integrated healthcare services and technology to large health care insurance companies, health plan organizations and other major employers nationwide.

Ann Arbor SPARK Presents Conversations on Economic Opportunity

Ann Arbor SPARK continues production of its CEO Podcasts: Conversations on Economic Opportunity series hosted by CEO Paul Krutko. The latest guest of the podcast series, Jeff Finkle, is the president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Finkle’s résumé also includes his current positions as CEO of the National Association of the Installation Developers and heading his nonprofit, the Bollinger Foundation. Finkle and Krutko will discuss the mission of the IEDC, and the evolution of the profession and field of economic development. Click here to listen to the entire podcast.

Learn more about marketing events, networking opportunities, and educational programs from a Michigan marketing agency. Contact Clarity Quest today at 877-887-7611. Request a quote.

Home Business Resources

Home-based businesses can take advantage of a wide variety of resources.

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Home businesses obviously do not have access to the significant resources available to major corporations--or even the mid-sized businesses that populate most communities. Still, there are some useful resources that even the smallest of home businesses can draw upon, particularly in today's technology-based environment, where a wide range of online applications are available at low or no cost, and free information abounds.

SCORE, a partner with the Small Business Administration, was formed in 1964 and continues to be a useful source of resources for home-based and other small businesses across the country. From online resources to community-based training programs, events and volunteer business consultants, SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business. Assistance is available at every stage of business development--from idea generation to funding, to operations management and growth. SCORE has assisted more than 8.5 million Americans with online and face-to-face small-business counseling.

Home-based businesses can gain access to clerical and other types of administrative assistance without having to invite employees to set up shop in their homes. Virtual assistants (VAs) often operate in home-based environments themselves and offer administrative, technical and even creative (e.g. writing/design/computer) services to small and home-based businesses. They are contractors, not employees, so home-based business owners can take advantage of the benefits of having staff to assist them without some of the legal and administrative issues involved.

The Internet offers home businesses a wealth of information--much of it available at no cost--in the form of blogs, webinars and social media content available on virtually any subject under the sun. A quick search will turn up literally thousands of sources--business owners can also find access to these sources through organizations such as SCORE or the Small Business Administration.

The term SOHO emerged in the 20th century as an acronym for "small office, home office" as the proliferation of these businesses became more and more prevalent. SOHO-based groups exist on a national and local level and provide not only information resources for home-based businesses, but also opportunities to connect with other home-based businesspeople.

Leigh Richards has been a writer since 1980. Her work has been published in "Entrepreneur," "Complete Woman" and "Toastmaster," among many other trade and professional publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Arts in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.

Discrimination & Harassment in the Workplace

Workplace discrimination and harassment are unlawful activities, and employees are protected by federal and state laws that prohibit unfair treatment.

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A number of federal, state and municipal laws prohibit workplace discrimination. In some instances, employers and employees are unaware of these rules. There are also instances where employers and employees are aware that discrimination is unlawful activity; however, workplace discrimination may be controlled and eventually eliminated when it is recognized and addressed by human resources leadership.

Discrimination occurs when one person or a group of people are subjected to unfair treatment based on factors, such as race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or veteran status. Several federal laws address each type of discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the most comprehensive laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Title VII, as well as other laws that address discriminatory treatment. State human rights commissions that address statutes at the state level prohibit unfair employment practices.

Given the number of complaints, lawsuits and mediation pertaining to workplace discrimination, there are endless examples to illustrate how discrimination occurs on the job. Assume there are eight engineers employed by a company; there are six male engineers and two female engineers. All have identical qualifications and credentials. The six men are paid $50,000 per year and eligible for a 5 percent raise each year if their performance appraisal indicates satisfactory performance. The two women are paid $48,000 per year and are eligible for a 3 percent raise if their performance rating indicates superior performance. Granted, this is an egregious example of workplace discrimination but it helps paint a picture of discrimination and how it is perpetuated in business. In this case, the female engineers are clearly being treated differently, based on sex. This example violates several federal laws: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

When the discriminatory behavior exceeds that of engaging in unfair employment practices, and escalates to behavior that is verbally and physically abusive, it is considered harassment. Many cases of employment discrimination also contain complaints of a “hostile work environment.” A hostile work environment is created when the victim of discrimination is treated in a manner that makes it difficult or impossible to perform her job duties.

Section 21.051 of the Texas Labor Code states, “An employer commits an unlawful employment practice if because of race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, or age the employer: (1) fails or refuses to hire an individual, discharges an individual, or discriminates in any other manner against an individual in connection with compensation or the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment; or (2) limits, segregates, or classifies an employee or applicant for employment in a manner that would deprive or tend to deprive an individual of any employment opportunity or adversely affect in any other manner the status of an employee.” The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division enforces the state’s laws and investigates complaints filed by employees who believe they have been subjected to discrimination.

There never will be a cure for discrimination; however, employers can educate employees on the illegality of discriminatory treatment. An understanding of differences in race, culture, sex, national origin and other factors that are separate from job qualifications will help prevent some instances of discrimination. An employer’s responsibility is to provide a safe workplace, free from harassment and discrimination.

Ruth Mayhew began writing in 1985. Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry" and "Human Resources Managers Appraisal Schemes." Mayhew earned senior professional human resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Guidelines to Manage Workplace Diversity

The best managers are ones who promote diversity and accept all types of people.

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Diversity in the workplace is an increasingly relevant issue and refers to the differences between coworkers--whether ethnicity, sex, religion, age, background or position. According to an article from ZeroMillion.com, an online business resource, in the 1960s, more than 60 percent of American workers were white males. Now, with a variety of people in the workforce, the best managers are ones who can effectively manage and promote workplace diversity.

Even the best of managers cannot create diversity and cultural awareness out of thin air. During the interviewing process, look for people who can contribute to a diverse staff or people who are on board with your vision for workplace diversity. Add diversity to the list of requirements--or at least an awareness--for prospective employees. Hiring a diverse and culturally aware staff will increase the number of perspectives in the office, open lines of communication with more groups and, in turn, increase productivity, according to a 2004 diversity article at DiversityWorking.com.

An office retreat, whether a day trip to a park or a weekend in the mountains, can be a great time for your employees to get to know each other. Maybe you've recently added some diverse individuals to your team and you want them to have a seamless transition. A retreat allows your employees to get to know each other out of the office and see each other in a recreational setting. Set up board games, sporting events and team-building activities for the day or weekend. Be open about the fact that it's a diversity and team-building retreat. According to a University of Nebraska article by John Leonard Harris about how to plan a diversity retreat, an essential component is to appoint a facilitator to guide the weekend. This person must have a working knowledge of current and relevant issues, people skills and be well-respected in the workplace. The facilitator will lead discussions about a variety of diversity topics and inspire conversation between employees.

Despite how much diversity training you provide your staff, issues will arise. People will feel unfairly treated, people will treat others unfairly and diversity will not always be on employees' minds. But a way to combat the slip-ups that will occur from time to time is to keep an open door policy. Inform your employees that you are available to chat about diversity and workplace issues, productivity concerns and relevant issues. Allowing employees to express their concerns when they need to will result in happier, more productive individuals while giving you an idea of how to improve diversity in your workplace, according to a diversity article by Lenora Billings-Harris, a nationally renowned performance improvement consultant, on SideRoad.com.

Mitchell Holt has a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Abilene Christian University and has been freelancing since 2009 with work published in various newspapers and magazines like "BostonNOW" and "The Abilene Reporter-News." Holt also writes sales copy for small businesses. His clients include The Kyle David Group, ITNewton, 18 Vodka, RoboQuote and more.

Employee Morale Issues

Morale is affected by several factors and costs companies millions each year.

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Good workplace morale is the state of mind of employees displayed through hard work, cordiality, confidence and discipline, according to a 2007 organizational leadership article by Roberts Wesleyan College graduate student Nicole Fink. Employees with low morale cost the American workforce about $350 billion each year through health-related issues, missing work and general unhappiness at work, according to Fink's article. Several consistent issues cause low employee morale.

According to Entrepreneur and a 2006 study from Rasmussen Reports--a company that collects and distributes public polling information--92 percent of managers claim to be doing an "excellent" job supervising employees, but only 67 percent of employees agree. Not only are managers one of the main causes of low morale, they don't know that they are. Poor leadership often comes in the form of lack of communication, micromanagement and discrimination. According to eWeek, positive leadership and poor leadership are what determine the tone of an office, directly improving or deteriorating employee morale.

Employees with limited chance of advancement are more likely to have low morale than those who can grow with the company, according to Fink's morale article. Lack of advancement makes employees feel like they are in a dead-end job, promoting lack of motivation and, in turn, low morale.

One or two employees can negatively affect and entire staff of employees, according to IT Managers Inbox. Problems that arise in the workplace--whether workplace bullying, disrespect, discrimination or general disagreements--negatively affect morale and decrease productivity. To a certain extent managers must keep an eye out for workplace dissent, but much of the responsibility lies with employees, who should stick up for unfairly treated coworkers and keep an eye out for morale issues. In addition, according to a human resources statistics page from Entrepreneur, about 63 percent of employees who feel mistreated at work leave within two years, putting employers right back where they started, training a new set of employees.

Many employees bring personal issues to work--often concerns regarding family and finances--and this often negatively affects performance and morale. According to "Entrepreneur", about 40 percent of employees in the U.S. let personal finances and other issues affect their performance in the workplace. Employees dealing with personal issues usually seem distant, out of touch with coworkers and don't contribute to communication in the office--email threads, comments in business meetings and phone calls.

Mitchell Holt has a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Abilene Christian University and has been freelancing since 2009 with work published in various newspapers and magazines like "BostonNOW" and "The Abilene Reporter-News." Holt also writes sales copy for small businesses. His clients include The Kyle David Group, ITNewton, 18 Vodka, RoboQuote and more.