Van West Media’s Top 10 War Movies of All Time

May 27, 2016

popcorn-802047_1280Work has been pretty hectic here at Van West Media, so we just want to chill out this Memorial Day weekend. If you feel like we do, pencil in some time to sit back and watch a classic movie or two or 10.

In the spirit of paying tribute to and remembering all the brave men and women who gave their lives while serving our country, it’s only fitting to watch a classic film of war this (potentially VERY RAINY) weekend. 

Here’s our office list of the top 10 war movies of all time:

10) Saving Private Ryan

images“U.S. soldiers try to save their comrade, paratrooper Private Ryan, who’s stationed behind enemy lines.”*

Watch here.

VWM Note: Have Kleenex on standby. A real tear jerker.

9) The Dirty Dozen

MV5BMTc3ODc5MzIyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjM5OTk4._V1_SX640_SY720_“Lee Marvin as Major Reisman leads a group of 12 hardened convicts on a suicide mission deep into Nazi Germany.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

8) The Bridge on the River Kwai

bridgeontheriverkwaiposter

“Allied commandos are dispatched deep inside the Burmese jungle to blow up a strategic bridge built by British POWs.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: The bridge cost $250,000 to build; construction began before anyone had been cast.

7) The Thin Red Line

g4ApW90svay7veAPgxU8OsNMEOB“In 1942, Private Witt is a U.S. Army absconder living peacefully with the locals of a small South Pacific island.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: Best watched with a bottle(s) of America.

6) Army of Shadows

movieposter“This adaptation of the book by Joseph Kessel paints a portrait of the French Resistance during World World II.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: For those of you who like to lurk in the shadows of tension, paranoia and distrust.

5) Patton

patton-original“George Patton was the only allied general truly feared by the Nazis.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: Ronald Reagan wanted the lead role, but producers never offered it to him.

4) Full Metal Jacket

MV5BMjA4NzY4ODk4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTcxNTYxMTE@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_

“Stanley Kubrick’s take on the Vietnam War follows 18-year-old  Private Joker from boot camp to heavy fighting.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: Kubrick had never heard of the Rolling Stones before filming.

3) Platoon

imgres“A young soldier must choose between his two platoon leaders and their opposing views and confront his fears in the terror of Vietnam.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: If they seemed high, they actually were.

2) Apocalypse Now

images“In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard takes a perilous and hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate a once-promising officer who has reportedly gone mad.”

Watch here.

VWM Note: The making of this film was described as Hell on Earth.

1) Paths of Glory

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“In the third year of World War I, French General Broulard orders his troops to seize the heavily fortified ‘Ant Hill’ from the Germans.”

Watch here.

VWM NoteWinston Churchill claimed that the film was a highly accurate depiction of trench warfare and the sometimes misguided workings of the military mind.

Happy Memorial Day to everyone and have an amazing long weekend!

Image Source: Amazon.com

Time to Spring Clean Your Local Business Listing for SEO

May 5, 2016

Many companies fail to update their address or complete their information for local business listings. This seemingly minor oversight can negatively impact search presence, and ultimately directly affects their businesses. A little spring cleaning could benefit your company’s current rank within local search. Making sure your business has an accurate and complete business listing profile in Google, Yelp and other local listings can help your company stand out from its competition. So where should you begin?

Is your company taking advantage of optimizing its search presence on Google with a complete and accurate business listing?

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  • First things first: if you haven’t signed up for your Google My Business page, you need to. Right now. This feature is a free business listing on Google where you can get your business hours, phone number, and directions on Google Search and Maps. Claiming and verifying your business in this space is important and tells Google you are legitimate so they can better match you to related queries.
  • After setting it up, make sure to stay consistent when posting all important information about your business. You’ll want to include your full name, address, and phone number (NAP). Make sure that all of this information is frequently and distinctly displayed on your website in an easy-to-index format.
  • You’ll also want to include as many real reviews from customers as possible. These reviews are especially important as they have a direct impact on local search rankings. A great way to start your review acquisition strategy is to find a way to get in touch with your existing customers and see if they are willing to leave a review.
  • Other local on-page SEO factors to think about are adding your City/Region, plus a relevant keyword in as many parts of your landing page such as the title, URL, content, etc.
  • It is also important to focus on localized link building. Local SEO relies on links from other local websites that are relevant to your business. For a more in-depth description of link building strategies click here or here.
  • Lastly, don’t forget to make sure your website is mobile-friendly (if it’s not – Van West Media can help you)! These days, more people are conducting mobile searches than desktop computer searches, so it’s important to stay on top of Google’s mobile search update.

There you have it – with a little touching up and some assistance from our team at Van West Media, your search presence on Google can be upgraded and your local business will be ranked. SEO should be an important factor for any web business.