A lot of small-business owners are unaware that most of the images you find on Google are licensed for use, and that it is considered illegal to use any image that holds a copyright without the owner’s permission or without purchasing a license for its use. What could happen if you use a copyrighted image on your blog or website, and what can you do to avoid the consequences?

We always try our hardest to avoid using confusing technical terminology, and endeavour to explain everything in plain English. But there is just so much jargon out there that goes together with acronyms and abbreviations that can be difficult to make sense of if you’re not overly familiar with the web.So in this post we’ve covered a whole bunch of words and phrases digital-marketing related to help eliminate the confusion.You can even click here to download the list as a PDF - why not print i...

Social media is a phrase widely used over the last decade. People have started to use it vaguely to describe more or less any type of website, however; this is not the case. Let’s break it down and into layman’s terms to gain a better understanding.

Ever wondered how can you create web copy that ranks well with Google, while also persuading your potential customers to take action? That’s what SEO copywriting is all about, and in today’s post, we’ll be sharing some of our most valuable tips with you…

Nowadays we are so heavily reliant upon technology that it's hard to believe so many small businesses are yet to adopt an online presence. A well-built and well-optimised website can help you to target a wider audience, reach more potential customers through Google and other search engines and get ahead of the competition. So why are so many business owners opting out of what we consider to be a necessary tool in today's increasingly integrated marketing environment?

Copywriting in any sense can be a challenging task. But when writing content for your website, not only must you endeavour to impress your potential customers, you'll also need to kiss up to Google if you want to earn yourself a place on the first page of those search listings. 

Let’s face it; we’re all guilty of Googling our own businesses occasionally. For some of us it’s a vanity thing; we want to know that we’re performing better than our competitors are. For others, who may be spending substantially on SEO services, wanting to check up on the web company in question and making sure that they’re delivering what was promised, is fair enough! But could Googling your own website be doing more damage than it’s worth…?

In our recent series of SEO tips, we recommend bringing your content in line which the related Google searches by dropping in your most relevant keywords wherever possible (and where appropriate). Your page names, which form the basis of your website’s navigation structure, are an important element of on-page SEO, and should be optimised in the same way...

While their main objectives are to add visual appeal and to support and strengthen marketing messages, images can also have a positive impact on your SEO strategy. So for some useful tips on optimising your images for Google search, keep on reading…

It’s unbelievable how much free software there is out there. In fact, you’re pretty spoilt for choice so the following is what we believe to be ‘best in class’.

Let’s face it, there aren’t many of us who aren’t clued up to the world of Facebook. Since 2004, Mark Zuckerberg (who was just 19 at the time)’s multi-billion-dollar invention has taken the whole world by storm. Initially known as ‘The Facebook’, it started off as an online directory that connected people through social networks at universities, specifically at Harvard.Over the last thirteen years, it has evolved into an almost unrecognisable platform for not only people looking to connect...

Some website owners use 'black hat' SEO techniques to increase their visibility in organic search engine results, but typically end up doing their website more harm than good...

Not only can Googling your own website have an impact on its rankings, the results you’re seeing may not even be that accurate. This is because your search engine is likely using other factors, such as browsing history, physical location and logged in services to personalise your results. There are however a few cheats you can use to improve the accuracy of your search results, such as...

If part one of this post wasn’t enough to open your eyes as to why Google can be such a great tool for small businesses, part two is going to elaborate further into two very important parts of Google’s interface. Both are widely used by businesses and marketers across the world, and that should make you want to make a beeline for your laptop to get started with this Google business.

If you’re new to the world of social media and you’ve been following our social media series, waiting with baited breath for our next blog post; you may be feeling a little overwhelmed with all the new information. Or in contrast, you may have taken every piece of advice we’ve given you, got on board with it all and are eagerly anticipating our next post. Well here it is!

So, with our help, you’ve finally come to the realisation that you’ve got to be in it to win it. You feel good. You feel inspired. This is going to do wonders for your business, you tell yourself. You’re quite excited about seeing the likes flood in and having some fun conversations with your clients. You feel positive. You sit down at your laptop. Now where do you start?We’ve put together some tips and tricks firstly to get you started on social media.

It’s time to talk about the big three, and no I don’t mean The Bee Gees or the Harry Potter trio. It can be easy to over-complicate things when it comes to running your business’ social media accounts. Equally, it can be just as easy to neglect your accounts from posting quality content. You’ll find multitudes of information online about how to effectively run your social media accounts, although many of the articles/blog pieces you come across will give conflicting information and some of i...

Firstly, we’re sorry it’s taken so long to organise another Google masterclass. After speaking to lots of new and potential customers recently who have all reported a loss in positions, we thought it was about time we put on another session to help you get ahead in Google. There is no doubt about it; the rise of digital marketing has resulted in many changes in the way Google operates. That means it’s more difficult than ever to ensure your business is easily found on the first pages of Goog...

Born and bred, deep in the welsh valleys; your typical ‘small town girl’. I’m Taylor. I’m twenty-three and I’m so excited to be embarking on an exciting career in marketing. I’ve spread myself all over the UK in recent years and in a variety of different careers and can usually find common ground with someone very easily because of this.

Google uses an excess of 200 signals to rank websites, and unfortunately no one knows exactly what they are. The below pointers are based on many years of testing and research, and while this is by no means an exhaustive list, these are a few of the main points to consider.

Google said at the start of 2016: Starting 21st April we will be expanding the use of our mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change has affected mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will continue to have a significant impact on our search results.

If you managed to catch Part 1, you should already have a good understanding of what it takes to create a good website structure. But as it is such a central part of your website (and since we’re a generous bunch!), we’re going to share a few more tips that will help you to develop a structure that both Google and your end user will love.

Adding meta data to your website is one of the things you can do yourself in order to optimise your website for search. This post looks at three of the most important meta tags out there, and why you should use them on your website, whilst also providing some tips on how to maximise their SEO value.

There are several factors that can affect your website’s rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs), both on and off-site. On-site SEO encompasses a range of different processes that can help to boost your website’s position in the SERPs, most of which you can take care of yourself. We’ll be covering the basics of on-site SEO in today’s post, going into more detail about the specific tasks you can perform in the weeks to come...

Choosing the right content management system (CMS) for your website can be difficult, especially if you’re not entirely sure what to look for. Here’s a list of 7 things you should consider before making a decision.

DNN (also known as DotNetNuke or Evoq) is the content management system (CMS) we use here at MA Design. It uses open-source software based on Microsoft.NET, and powers the websites of some of the biggest brands in the World, including BP, NASA, Kia and Bose! I first started using DNN when I began working at MA Design last September. If I remember rightly, my thoughts after my first training session using the software were something to the effect of ‘that was easy’...

Are you commissioning a new website and unsure which CMS is best for you? While WordPress powers over a quarter of the websites on the internet and is the go-to option for lots of people nowadays, it’s not the only open source content management system out there. There are hundreds of other really powerful and predominantly free pieces of kit to choose from, like Joomla and DotNetNuke (DNN) to name just a few...

Your website should be easy to use; not just for the end user, but the administrator as well. Much of this is down to the CMS within which it is built, which begs the question; should you go for an "open source" or a "proprietary" provider? Read on to find out...

If you’re thinking about updating your current website or are commissioning a brand new one, one of the most important things for you to consider is whether or not you need it to contain a CMS. Here's everything you need to know about CMS', and some tips to help you decide whether you really need one.

Google has gotten tough on non-mobile-friendly websites over the last year, and luckily for you website owners Google has been nice enough to develop a mobile-friendliness test. But will your website pass or fail?