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Job Description:
Experienced search (SEO) campaign analyst required to help develop & deliver bespoke search marketing campaigns (SEO) according to each client’s objectives. This is a technical role with responsibility for researching, executing and reporting SEO campaigns for this international SEO company.

Role responsibilities:
Responsible for implementation and delivery of search marketing strategies including keyword analysis and selection, link analysis and recommendations, editing/creating SEO META data and
technical audits etc.

• For assigned tasks, manage projects through implementation ensuring appropriate standards of quality and timeliness
• Assist with business proposals
• Build client relationships through on-going communication and presentation
• You’ll work within a team but there will also be some client-facing work involving meetings and telephone/email contact.

Essential Skills Required:
• You should have a real passion for SEO/SEM
• Up to two years search marketing experience, with at least some of this being from within an agency environment.
• English to high-level of fluency.
• Able to produce written documents to a professional standard
• Excellent organisational skills
• Experience of at least one web analytics package
• Strong attention to detail
• Able to prioritise, sometimes in a pressurized environment
• Confident with good communication skills
• Keen to learn

Desirable Skills Required:
• Fluency in other languages is very desirable
• Technical skills with JavaScript, PHP would be advantageous
• Understanding of conversion rate optimisation and user experience would be an advantage

Salary dependent upon experience, plus annual bonus

To apply for the position please send your current CV covering letter and salary expectations to:
Grant Holbrook
Email grant@obanmultilingual.com
Tel: 01273 704434

Closing date for applications 11th July 2010

STRICTLY NO AGENCY’S PLEASE

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South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) and global internet payment system PayPal announced their new partnership at the end of March. This means that South African internet shoppers can now carry out transactions to and from their FNB accounts, and sell and purchase services and goods with 190 markets worldwide swiftly and safely. The move highlights ecommerce opportunities for foreign markets at a time when, thanks to the World Cup, South Africa is in the spotlight, and reflects the general progress being made in SA to improve and encourage international ecommerce.

Previously, South Africa has been considered an almost ‘no-go’ area for foreign businesses wanting to carry out ecommerce. A low internet population, poor connectivity, and issues with fraud and payment problems being a few of the hurdles they would have been expected to jump. However, the internet is moving forward in SA, and this is opening up windows of opportunity for businesses worldwide.

The 17,000 km SEACOM undersea cable system was launched in July 2009, and is the first in a series of undersea cable systems expected to vastly improve South Africa and neighbouring countries international internet connectivity by linking them to various regions across the world. The cable has increased bandwidth enormously, and the hope is that it will support South Africa’s economic and technological growth. Already, the effects the cable has had on internet usage in South Africa are evident. Between 2002 and 2007, internet population growth never rose above 8% year on year. In 2009, there was a reported 15% growth from 2008, from 4.6 million to 5.3 million, and by 2011 the internet population is expected to be at 11 million. Plans for further cables are underway, and if all are carried out, the international internet capacity of SA will have increased 150-fold since 2008.

The undersea cable has also had a positive effect on internet pricing in South Africa. Before 2009 Telkom held the ISP monopoly in the country. Now, although Telkom still holds the market share, there are a range of competitors, including Neotel, Vodacom and MWeb. With such competition, operators are now working on providing users with the best rates. MWeb and Vox Telecom have just announced plans to provide customers with an uncapped ADSL broadband tariff, and Vodacom offer a 50% off deal for their business customers. In a country where, for many, internet has been inaccessible due to expensive rates, these price drops should open up access for a much wider demographic of the country.

The outlook is promising for ecommerce in South Africa. Statistics show that there was a 7% increase in internet retailing in 2009, and with higher rates of employment and disposable incomes, people will be looking for quicker and convenient ways to shop. Previously, trust in online shopping has been low, however, with some of South Africa’s leading retailers such as Woolworths and Pick ‘n’ Pay opening online stores, trust is expected to increase. The Mastercard Worldwide Online Shopping Survey 2010 showed only 5% of respondents use only offline channels to browse and purchase goods. With these statistics in mind, South Africa could hold a lot of potential for UK businesses. Research into South African ecommerce and internet usage should be carried out in order to develop an international SEO and web marketing strategy. By doing this, businesses can not only expand into a market which holds great potential, but also assist in the economic and technological advancement of 2010’s most celebrated country.

Expedia recently investigated online holiday booking behaviour amongst Swedes and reported some interesting behavioural trends in when, how and what people look for when they book a holiday.  Read more…

Who knew that Indonesians were such an active online crowd? The country, which boasts the world’s fourth-largest population (at 230 million people), is the third biggest Facebook-using nation in the world, and has the most Facebook and Twitter users in Asia.  Read more…

The first few catalogues from travel agents have already arrived in mailboxes throughout Denmark, full of glitzy pictures of white sand and sapphire oceans. But when it comes to finding inspiration for the summer holidays, Danes prefer the internet. Read more…

China’s largest search engine, Baidu, and Japan’s major online e-commerce site, Rakuten, have recently opened China’s largest online mall. The two companies announced a few months back that they would invest £32 million for three years to create this B2C online mall, called JV (Joint Venture).  Read more…

It was a historic day for the web. On May 6th, the first Arabic language web addresses became available for public use. Read more…

Multi-national companies are on the rise, and India is at the forefront of the expansion, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has announced. Over 2200 Indian companies are set to develop their operations outside of India in the next 15 years, highlighting the importance for UK businesses to forge relationships with businesses from overseas.

Some businesses in ‘emerging’ countries such as Russia, Malaysia, India, and parts of Eastern Europe, are finding it hard to establish themselves due to rising levels of competition, and are looking to set up camp outside of their home countries in order to secure resources and build better relationships with foreign markets.

It’s important for UK businesses to form alliances with these multi-national businesses in order to secure their own place in the market.

“UK companies need to work hard to interact and deal with the new players and also to expose their own goods and services to rapidly growing markets around the world. Companies that are able to build early alliances with emerging market multi-nationals will be safeguarding their business models for the future.” said Chris Hemming, Global Head of Corporate finance, PwC.

Anna Pearce, Oban Multilingual, International SEO

International online retail giant ASOS have announced they are to launch an online marketplace, allowing users to sell their new and second hand clothes at a fixed price via the ASOS site to buyers in all of it’s markets.

The global success story that is ASOS will advise sellers on how best to present their clothes in order to help them maximise their sales, and will also allow independent retailers to set up their own stores, similar to the marketplaces of Amazon and EBay’s fashion outlet.

The company, who saw a massive 102% growth in overseas sales last year up to March 2010, and a 35% growth in overall revenue, are keen to pursue the same successes for 2010, and chief executive Nick Robertson has highlighted the company’s plans to focus further on its international players by launching country-specific sites in Germany, France and the US.

ASOS have said they are in the ‘advanced stages’ of launching the marketplace and it is expected to arrive later this year.

It looks like 2010 could be another exciting year for the company, and also international fashion etail.

By Anna Pearce, Oban Multilingual SEO