Their itineraries are designed to immerse travellers in the rich history, stunning natural beauty, and vibrant culture of the South West. Whether you’re seeking to explore ancient landmarks like Tintagel Castle, stroll through charming villages and iconic harbours, or savour the region’s culinary delights, Select South West Tours ensures every journey is extraordinary. They also cater to special interests, offering tours focused on heritage, gardens, coastal adventures, and even famous filming locations from beloved TV series like Poldark and Doc Martin.

Each tour is led by experienced local guides who bring the stories and traditions of the South West to life. Traveling in luxury vehicles, guests can relax and enjoy the breathtaking scenery while experiencing a level of comfort and sophistication that sets Select South West Tours apart. With a commitment to sustainable tourism, they work closely with local communities and businesses, ensuring their operations contribute positively to the region’s economy and environment.

Their dedication to excellence has earned them numerous accolades and a loyal clientele from across the globe. From first-time visitors to England to seasoned travellers looking to discover a new side of the country, Select South West Tours offers a truly personalised and memorable experience.

MIHi Digital has worked alongside Select South West Tours to support their online presence through website hosting and assistance with SEO. This work aims to bring Select South West Tours’ offerings to a wider audience, enabling more travellers to discover the beauty and charm of the region.

You can find out more about them here: selectsouthwesttours.com

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What actually is ChatGPT?

Launched in November 2022 by OpenAI, ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer. To you and me, this basically means it’s a bot that has been fed mountains and mountains of data. It then uses this data to provide answers to… well, pretty much anything. It can answer questions, summarise information, generate copy, write code, and so much more – and will attempt to do as authentically as possible, mimicking a human conversation.

ChatGPT can be a lot of fun. But while asking it to cook up nursery rhymes about WWE fighters might be an amusing way to pass the time (probably for a minority that one!), is ChatGPT equally worth using to create highly effective, targeted content for your business? Let’s discuss.

What are the key benefits of using ChatGPT?

• It’s quick and easy to use – this can make your work much more efficient. For instance, rather than spending hours putting together a blog, ChatGPT will create you one in seconds (we did write this one though!).
• If you have an internet connection, ChatGPT is accessible to all.
• It can help with idea generation when you’re battling creator’s block.

Sounds incredible, right? Not so fast…

The danger of cutting corners

The thing is, just because you can use something, doesn’t always mean you should, or at least not all the time. Sure, you can use ChatGPT to write your new landing page copy, or to quickly whip up an email you need to send out within the next 10 minutes, but what’s the cost? Quality: that’s the cost. And if the quality drops? So could your traffic, sales, revenue, reputation… and so on…

That might sound terribly pessimistic, but let’s dig deeper into this.

You’re one the greatest assets your business has (if not the greatest asset). You understand your brand, its values, and its mission better than any bot ever could. And by getting ChatGPT to create your content, you are at risk of losing the very things that make your brand stand out. You may well start to sound just a bit more like everyone else does.

Let’s say you’re a holiday cottage based in the South West and you want to write a social media post about the best nearby beaches. ChatGPT will sort that out for you. But it will sort it out for anyone else too. And so, if we’re all using the same bot to cook up the same fun, snappy content, you’re going to lose your brand’s tone of voice.

While you can train ChatGPT to learn more and more about your brand and the writing style you’re after, this does take time and a lot of steering. And let’s be honest, regardless of the tone of voice you’re after, ChatGPT always leans towards relatively cheesy, sales-heavy copy. That might not be what you’re after.

No original content

Let’s reflect again on how ChatGPT works. In simple terms, it’s fed masses and masses of information and learns how to imitate this information as best as possible. In other words, it’s regurgitating existing content. No new ideas. No fresh opinions. Just copy and paste in a thousand different ways. So, if you’re looking to create original content with original ideas, you can’t leave it all to ChatGPT.

Will Google penalise content created by ChatGPT?

Google hasn’t stated that it’s outright against ChatGPT. In fact, their opinions concerning AI have been fairly inconsistent over the past years. On the one hand, Google’s Managing Director Sundar Pichai has described AI as the key ingredient to making people “more productive than we have ever imagined.” Google even has its own rival to ChatGPT called Bard. On the other hand, Google claims it will penalise content generated by AI.

While there are certainly ways that Google can detect whether content has been AI-generated, they haven’t officially confirmed whether they are actively tracking this.

But one thing we do know is that Google is against content that doesn’t make sense or add value. Any content that Google considers spammy will certainly be ranked lower.

In Google’s guidelines, they talk about “Spammy automatically-generated content” which they define as: “content that’s been generated programmatically without producing anything original or adding sufficient value; instead, it’s been generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users.” They give examples such as text translated by an automated tool without human review, or text generated through automated processes without regard for quality or user experience.

The thing is that ChatGPT is notorious for producing this type of content – blogs stuffed with keywords but that don’t actually provide any substance. And so, you cannot rely solely on ChatGPT to help you climb the ranks of Google. Instead, you should be focussing on creating valuable content that your target audience will genuinely engage with.

Thinking practically

ChatGPT is good, but it’s not perfect. Sometimes it slips up and creates copy that simply doesn’t make sense, or is full of false information, or is just repeating the same sentences again and again. That means you have to go through your work with a fine-tooth comb and edit it. And that’s fine – to an extent. If you’re spending too much time cutting and snipping away at your ChatGPT-generated content, all it’s doing is giving you a false sense of efficiency.

So, is ChatGPT not worth it?

Is this to say that ChatGPT is worth ignoring? Not necessarily. Firstly, ChatGPT isn’t going to be the end of AI – not even close. And as systems evolve, they are going to offer a lot more potential. So, knowing what’s out there will only help you and your business to remain agile.

And yes, we know we said ChatGPT isn’t the best place for creating original content, but nevertheless, it’s still a useful tool for idea generation. If you can’t think of any new blog ideas, for instance, ChatGPT will happily give you some inspiration. By all means take it, but be prepared to bring your own ideas to the table too.

The key with ChatGPT is that the more specific you can be, the better. If you ask it to create an entire marketing strategy for you, it’ll be generic and relatively useless. If you ask if to recommend 5 free tools for social media content creation, however, you’ll get a much more defined answer.

The more you use ChatGPT, the more you’ll understand its strengths and weaknesses. And the better you’ll become at delegating tasks to it.

If you would like more digital marketing advice, get in touch with the MiHi team on 01566 232323 or email us at hello@mihidigital.co.uk.

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Their reputation means that their work takes them way beyond their base in Swansea, just as ours does from our little office location near the Tamar. That’s actually how they got in touch with us; they were facing some SEO problems and were referred on by another agency who knew that we were the perfect fit for them.

Having solved their SEO issues, we then moved on to building their new site. Taking a relatively primitive original version of just five pages, up to one with more than thirty pages full of tree surgery services and advice, will help them rank for even more key phrases, as well as reach more people in the process.

This one really has been a win, win, win!

You can visit their new website here: cantellowtreesurgery.co.uk

If you want to know more about how MiHi Digital can help your business grow, then get in touch with the team!

Call us on 01566 232323 or email hello@mihidigital.co.uk.

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Well, that’s exactly what’s happening right here in the South West! The scientists at Trelonk Wellbeing and the University of Plymouth have been taking crops and plants that have been grown for centuries across our green and pleasant land and putting them to real use; lavender, borage and sunflower (to name just a few) are all being put through their paces in the lab and going on to make a real difference to people’s daily lives.

So where does MiHi come in? Although we probably can’t help you sleep, what we can do is get the word out about this innovative brand. Having previously worked with a London-based agency, Trelonk teamed up with MiHi to build the second iteration of their website, which allows you to understand the right mix of products for you and buy them online.

As with all of our sites, we’ve included plenty of SEO work to enable the brand to reach further, as well as our unique understanding of ecommerce to increase conversion.

We’re looking forward to sampling some of the products in the future, but for now you can take a look at their site here: trelonkwellbeing.com

The post MiHi Digital launches new natural ecommerce website appeared first on MiHiDigital.

Located on the edge of Bodmin Moor, Ekopod is the perfect place to get away from it all and get a little closer to the nature that surrounds us in this part of the world. Having taken over the business in 2017, brother and sister team Matt and Rachael welcome guests from across the country (and even further afield) to stay in their four gorgeous geodomes, two spacious safari tents or their glamping pod (complete with stunning starlight views), all year round. 

Each pod is set in its own private area of the site, so wether you’re looking for a romantic couples break or a fun family holiday, there’s a slice of Cornish countryside with your name on it. Even four-legged friends are welcome to any of their pods and with so much to do in the local area for guests and their dogs, your pooch will enjoy the break as much as you will! 

The perfect Cornwall break for families…

When you and your family arrive at your pod, you’ll be greeted by comfy beds, beautiful bedding and everything you need to relax after your travels. Make sure to help yourselves to the complimentary pack of cookies, fresh milk, cheese, crackers, tea, coffee and hot chocolate too and find luxury toiletries from local business Kitty’s Herbery.

Read more about their family breaks and book… ekopod.co.uk/glamping-for-families

The four-legged friends dream…

If you’re away with your pooch, then the Ekopod site nestled in the stunning Tamar Valley is the perfect area to explore together. There are 75 square miles of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) surrounding your pod and plenty of dog friendly walks and beaches close by, so you can both roam to your hearts content. 

You can find out more about dog friendly stays… ekopod.co.uk/glamping-with-dogs

The couples romantic Cornish stay…

Do you fancy running away for a romantic getaway? Well, each of the pods at Ekopod are set up to offer the best romantic experiences. With warm baths, large comfortable beds and gorgeous wood burners to keep you and your partner warm with a glass of wine under the Cornish starlight. You’ll have your own private terrace to enjoy your time together overlooking the beautiful Tamar Valley with a BBQ or picnic in the great outdoors. 

Treat your loved ones here… ekopod.co.uk/glamping-for-couples

The ideal getaway for groups…

For all the large family and friend groups out there, Ekopod is the perfect place to get together and enjoy some down time or celebrate an occasion. Each pod may be private, but close enough to enjoy time together, visit local attractions, listening to the sounds of birdsong and gaze up at the Cornish stars. If you need it, your hosts at Ekopod will be happy to assist you with your group booking and any catering required, even organising group activities like morning yoga, to help make your visit stress free. 

Although their ethos is a relaxing break away, Ekopod know some groups like to destress over a few drinks with friends and a party atmosphere. It is expected to respect the local beauty, the site and other relaxing guests. However, you can exclusively book the entire site for a celebration like a special birthday or a hen, so you can enjoy your break without having to worry about affecting the experiences of others staying around you. 

Find out more and book your groups stay… ekopod.co.uk/glamping-for-groups

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Established 16 years ago, the long standing national and international Coprorate Live Wire awards recently introduced regional categories to recognise those top firms showing demonstrable commitment to going above and beyond to support their clients and business communities at a more localised level.

This award is further recognition of MiHi Digital’s achievements and the firm is proud to add it to their UK Enterprise Awards ‘Best Web Design and SEO Agency’ win in 2020 and the similar 2019 accolade in the LUXLife Global Excellence Awards.

MiHi Digital Director Mark Worden said: “With an unprecedentedly turbulent 12 months for small and medium sized businesses, we have seen a significant increase in the number of clients seeking to improve their online presence.  Having taken on over 70 new clients in the last year, this win demonstrates our commitment to delivering top notch expertise and unbeatable levels of service and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Our team continues to grow to keep up with increasing demand from clients across the region and it looks like an exciting 12 months ahead helping more South West businesses to level up their online offering.”

For more information on MiHi Digital and their marketing services please visit: www.mihidigital.co.uk

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A local digital marketing agency has moved to larger premises as the company continues to go from strength-to-strength.

Having been set up by digital marketing specialist Mark Worden from the living room of a one-bedroom flat on the Exeter Quayside three years ago, the business will now service more than 150 clients from 900sq ft. of office space spread across two floors on the Devon / Cornwall border.

The company, which offers assistance on all aspects of online marketing including website design, social media, search engine optimisation and strategy, made the decision to move having taken on an additional two full-time members of staff in the past twelve months.

Managing Director Mark Worden said: “Much of our work comes from word of mouth and recommendation from our own clients; as that has grown exponentially so has our requirement for larger office space in order to grow and service the needs of the fast expanding client base.”

MiHi Digital will now be based in a renovated Sunday School. Originally built in 1860, the building has been completely renovated to provide open plan office space and a dedicated training area.

Mark added: “It’s been an incredibly exciting three years but we’re certainly not finished yet. We have further plans to expand, and to invest in the very best local digital talent as our people are at the heart of what we do and how we work with clients.”

For more information on MiHi Digital services please visit www.mihidigital.co.uk

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MiHi Digital Limited is a company offering online marketing support to businesses in Cornwall and Devon by way of website design, social media management, search engine optimisation, Pay Per Click Advertising, brand protection and online training.

IMAGE:
The MiHi Digital team outside the new office, from left, Amelia Chubb, Mark Worden (Director) and Ellis Taylor.

CONTACT DETAILS:
All media enquiries should be sent to Mark Worden, Director of MiHi Digital at mark@mihidigital.co.uk or by telephone to 07872 596771

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Stuffing your pages full of key phrases

So how do you rank for a certain key phrase ( a series of words someone would use to find your website)? You may think the answer is to artificially stuff your page with that word, as many times as possible, to make sure Google knows exactly what your page or site is all about.

You may have even had the misfortune to see this on sites that have a footer (at the bottom of the page) stuffed full of sets of key phrases!

Wrong.

Write naturally about a topic and you will by default include the key phrases relevant to the topic you’re talking about. Think about this page – I’m talking about SEO errors, Google and search engines. By default, I’m therefore going to be including these words as I write.

Don’t try to game the system by stuffing in the same word over and over.

Your visitor won’t like it and neither will Google.

Moving or deleting content and creating broken links

Over time you may move content from one place to another. Some content may even be deleted as it becomes out of date. What this creates is broken links; links that point to a page that no longer exists or has moved. Google doesn’t like this; consider how frustrating it is for your visitor when they click on a link and it comes up with an error. Google feels their pain!

Make sure you go through your site from time to time and check all of your links are working (there’s a plugin that’ll help to do this for you if you’re using WordPress).

Not having a sitemap

Imagine how hard finding an address without a sat nav or a map would be!

A sitemap is a file that tells Google where pages are, and when they’re added. This will enable Google to find your pages quicker and more easily than before.

If you don’t have one you should.

Tell the robots about it

Search engines such as Google find new content and keep their rankings up to date by sending robots called spiders around the web, crawling for new and great content.

On your site should be a little file that tells that robot where to go (this is called a robots.txt file and won’t be seen on your actually website, but should be in the files held on your server).

We’re getting geeky here, but what this should include is a link to the sitemap we’ve mentioned above. You can think of this as giving the search engine spider some tourist information before it explores your site. You’re essentially giving it the map to your site so it knows where to go when it arrives.

Duplicate content

We wouldn’t be impressed if we paid for a magazine only to find that many of the pages had the same information on them. Google won’t be impressed if your site has duplicate content. If you have the same information on many different pages then you’re going to be committing an SEO sin.

Every page should be unique. If they’re not then is there any real need for the content to be duplicated across more than one page?

Page Titles and Descriptions

The page title is the first line of your ranking with Google.

Your page description is the next two lines that appear underneath it.

These should also be unique on every page. Why? Because these two bits of information tell you what the page is about. If every page is unique, then the description and title of the page explaining what it’s about should be too.

Not sure where to find your page title? Hover over the tab at the top of your browser when you’re on a page. Your page title is the words that appear in that tab.

We often see lots of sites with these duplicated across multiple pages. If yours are too, you will be missing out.

Summary:

1. Write naturally and don’t worry about stuffing key words into your copy.
2. Check your site for broken links and fix any you find.
3. Add a sitemap to your website.
4. Refer to the sitemap in your robot file.
5. Don’t duplicate your content or your page titles.

Want to know more about SEO or to get your site reviewed and fixed so it can soar up the rankings? Find out more about our services here or our SEO audit by clicking here. You can also give us a call on 01566 784860.

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Does the number of Facebook Likes or Twitter Followers you have directly affect your ranking in Google?

Matt Cutts explains that to the best of his knowledge Google does not currently have any mechanism that uses these signals.  In other words the number of followers you have on Twitter or the number of people that like your Facebook page does not directly correlate to a higher ranking in Google.

Why doesn’t it take this into consideration?

Two reasons are given for this:

1. Social Networks potentially blocking Google from crawling their pages

Google crawls the web in order to provide us all with the best and most relevant sites related to our search queries.  One major social media network blocked Google from crawling its pages for around 6 weeks and it sounds like this may well have annoyed Google just a little bit.
They say that their engineers would be reluctant to build advanced systems to crawl those pages when the social network has previously restricted access and could do so at any point in the future.

2. Keeping a pace with changing circumstances on social media

When Google crawls the web it provides the user with a snapshot in time i.e. if Google visit your site today then it will crawl and understand the information and content on it at that specific moment in time.  What they’re saying is that this is imperfect for social media and the results they are able to return for social sites wouldn’t be perfect.
For example, if someone were to block another person or change their relationship status moments after Google had crawled the site then their search results would no longer be insightful, representative or up to date.

But I see sights with big social media presences ranking really well in Google – surely they’re linked?

This is referred to as correlation not causation.
The reasons people like a Facebook page or link to a website article are the same.
For example if you’ve posted an amazing image on your Facebook page then people may well like your post.  Throw that forward to your blog; same amazing image, same result but with people linking to it and sharing it rather than liking it.
At the heart is amazing content; it’ll have a big social media presence for the same reasons people will link to it, but it won’t rank higher because of those social media likes in isolation.

What do you need to take away?

As if we didn’t already know, content is the key, the king and the rainmaker.  By creating content that people will want to share and link to you’ll be creating buzz around your site and ultimately an upturn in your ranking fortunes.
For more information on how we can help you create great content, increase search engine rankings or punch harder with your social media activity please give us a call on 01566 784860 or email hello@mihidigital.co.uk

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