SEO Specialist Blog

Anyone in business – in order to be successful anyway – must have the heart of a salesperson to a large extent (or at least have sales experts surrounding them that can help them facilitate their company brand). Selling a business is about more than just talking the talk; it is about the sweet spot where all branding and marketing efforts combine. Before a potential customer talks to a company representative – who may or may not be able to convert them into an actual customer – they must first make the decision to have that talk; and that is decided in those first few seconds in their response to advertising and particular images.

This is most especially true for web sites where the sale happens virtually. It may be that a customer may never even talk to anyone from your company but it is all the more reason that everything that you do to “sell” them online is done with power behind it.

With online marketing this starts with actually getting potential customers to the web site; something that is most effectively facilitated through search engine optimization and pay per click. The web site must integrate particular keywords that will get the attention of targeted web site traffic; this is the lure that gets the consumers to the web site to begin with and it must be done with the utmost effectiveness.

Ultimately if search engine optimization efforts are effective then it becomes possible to increase web traffic. But if there is something for the visitor to connect to when they get to the site they may very well become customers.

In the last post we talked about the importance of diversifying marketing efforts online; for a web site to truly be successful it has to be supported on all sides and in online marketing this includes a balance of several things including ensuring that the web site itself is functional and optimized, search engine optimization techniques for organic rankings are put in place, and pay per click campaigns are implemented for fast traction.I

Helping them achieve their goals is often an online marketing firm; preferably one that offers “one-stop” shopping in terms of pay per click (PPC) management, search engine optimization, and on-site optimization to ensure that the web site is in the best shape possible.

Further, as we alluded to in the last post, there are additional tools that can help to further promote a web site and increase web site traffic including optimized press releases and newsletters.

Press releases can and should be sent out about the company on a periodic basis promoting anything that could be considered newsworthy by the industry. An optimized newsletter will detail information in the style of a traditional press release but include keywords identified for that particular company.

A newsletter can be a particularly effective element in marketing because it allows a company to deliver industry news to existing as well as prospective clients. For existing customers a newsletter is an added value – a place where they can get information; and also an opportunity for a company to communicate with its clients in another way. In reaching prospective clients, companies can use a newsletter to get their name in front of targeted web site traffic and perhaps get their attention in a new way.

The start of a New Year is enough for many of us to effectively hit the ground running in terms of breaking out of our rut and marketing our business more aggressively. But for online businesses this New Year may offer an even more compelling reason to get moving in the direction of more comprehensive web marketing – and that is the inauguration of President Obama. No matter what your personal political views, it cannot be argued that the new President used the power of the Internet to spread his message in an online world and his embrace of this technology only served to power his campaign.

Now in office, President Obama appears to be continuing his online communication by launching whitehouse.gov, a comprehensive portal onto which we can all log in order to get the latest news from the White House including legislation, Executive orders, nominations, and other news.

The launch of this groundbreaking new site sends a powerful message; not only about the new administration but also about the Internet itself and its expanded role in the lives of our citizens. And such a message is one that should be received enthusiastically by all online businesses; should only serve to renew their passion for getting noticed and engaging their target audience.

Marketing a web site dedicated to news from the White House is certainly going to be much easier to achieve than marketing any other web site, but the premise is the same - reach your target audience on their terms and you will increase web traffic and grow your business as a result, as we’ll continue to discuss in the next post.

Imagine you are driving down a highway; you are driving to a destination that you have visited often over the last year or so and you are so comfortable making this trip that your car could essentially drive itself. You are cruising at a good speed, listening to the radio, and ready to get off at the next exit – as you have done so many, many times previously. But as you near the exit, something looks wrong; and as you get closer you realize that the exit has been closed. There are no detour signs, no words of explanation; simply a barrier across the exit that blocks traffic from entering. You veer back onto the highway, your heart pounding and ice water in your chest. It is dark, you are expected at a certain time, you have no means of communication, and you have no idea of how to now reach your destination.

Sure, this would likely not happen in today’s world considering our technology – our GPS systems in our vehicles, not to mention our cell phones that keep us in constant contact with the world. But the metaphor – the feeling of being caught off guard and disoriented that we can all relate to in one way or another – lends itself to explaining how out of touch and confused we can easily feel in the land of online marketing.

Online marketing, typically undertaken by search engine optimization companies and other web marketing firms, is a process by which web sites are promoted in the attempt to elevate their visibility and increase web traffic. But online marketing is a different animal than traditional marketing; it is ever-changing and must be navigated minute to minute in order for it to be successful.

In the next post, we’ll talk about how a finely tuned compass – possessed by reputable web marketing firms that stay on top of changing trends – can navigate web sites toward success.

There are few among us these days who are not caught up in the wave of social and professional networking sites that have become so popular; everything from Facebook to LinkedIn and everything in between – have revolutionized the way in which people communicate and share information online. Interestingly enough these sites are in more ways than one reflective of the shift in societal behavior. We are no longer a community that meets face to face in many respects; we live in a virtual world where many of us work from the comfort of our homes, pay our bills online, and communicate through email. So it would stand to reason that our interpersonal relationships would have their root in online resources, as the Internet is where so many of us spend our days.

This trend has allowed us to do everything from network professionally to find life partners; and savvy businesses – in promoting their web sites in their quest to increase web traffic – understand the necessity of incorporating these sites into their efforts.

When it comes to search engine optimization and the promotion of web sites, one of the largest influences on the success of a web site in this domain is inbound linking from reputable sites. Linking has always carried a certain weight in the world of online marketing and in the promotion of web sites but it just so happens that right now linking is exceedingly important (based on the ever changing formulas adopted by the search engines that they use to rank web sites).

By infusing information into these networking sites, web sites will begin to generate a buzz and start hopefully to inspire increased linking that will, in turn, increase web site traffic.

With many businesses closing around us and industries across the board struggling under the weight of the economy, it may be surprising to know that the outlook of online business is bright. It is not as if any business or industry has been spared the impact of the present situation but the growth of the Internet continues and bodes of a future business community that has a huge online presence. This means that marketing of those web sites must be a priority for businesses that want a foothold in this growing environment and want to best represent their company and attract new business in this arena.

Because online marketing will continue to be a consideration for companies that want to increase web site traffic and enjoy continued growth, it is paramount to align themselves with a solid web site optimization firm – a reputable web marketing company that offers comprehensive services and has a solid understanding of the online trends that will best serve their clients.

Short term does not work online. If you want successful marketing then you want marketing efforts that are approached with longevity in mind. This is not to say that the methods will not have to be tweaked or even redirected over the course of time; on the contrary. Internet technology and online marketing moves at such a rapid pace that it is necessary that any marketing company who is successful is able to negotiate these changes and even stay ahead of the curve. But ultimately it is the consistency that will give a web site results in terms of search engine optimization and other forms of online marketing; look for the web site optimization firm that’s in it for the duration.

In the last post we talked about the reason that businesses – web sites included – embark upon a marketing campaign. There are certainly many objectives that businesses have in this pursuit, but the ultimate reason that businesses go through such a process is to increase their profits. For web sites, working with a SEO specialist is often the way that they go about their marketing and hopefully they will work with a professional that understands their ultimate goal.

As we discussed, search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) are methods to increase web site traffic. They are approached in different ways – PPC is paid placement on the search engines and SEO is a process by which web sites come up naturally in a search engine’s results. But ultimately the goal is the same – to attract an audience and increase web traffic.

Keywords are the core of both of these campaigns – chosen to mirror what it is thought that potential visitors would use to seek out the products and services in which they are interested. These keywords are ultimately the most crucial piece in a web site not only generating traffic but increasing their profit. Choosing general keywords meant to spark visitation may realize some increased “hits” for a web site; this will obviously increase web traffic but may not ultimately increase profit.

But the more specifically and carefully chosen keywords are more likely to not only increase web traffic but targeted web site traffic – visitors who are more likely to have a real interest in what your site offers. Work only with search engine optimization companies that understand the crucial link between keywords and profits and will set your marketing course accordingly.

Why do web sites engage in marketing efforts? Sure, it’s to maximize their exposure so that people know they’re there, create a brand identity that people can recognize, come up early and often in the search engine results, inspire people to visit their site, and generate new business. But ultimately, the reason for all of this effort is to increase profits as is the goal of any business. Businesses want to make money, plain and simple. And web sites, as they are businesses, want the best solutions for marketing themselves so that they can achieve all that they have planned and – in the end – make money as a result.

The best search engine optimization companies – those professional vendors that expertly guide their clients through the world of online marketing of their web site – understand the ultimate goal of their clients; to increase their profits.

This may sound like this is information that would be a given for any company charged with marketing a web site, but the fact of the matter is that often profit is overlooked in many ways. Search engine optimization is a process by which a web site uses specifically chosen keywords and phrases, as well as other methods, to attract the attention of the search engines and elevate their page rankings in the search results. The goal? To attract more web site traffic. But what many people fail to understand is that these keywords – if not chosen correctly – may serve to increase web traffic but only the kind of traffic that logs on, checks out the site, and moves on; not the targeted web site traffic that is more likely to be interested in the site’s product and services and is therefore more likely to become a customer. More in Part II.

Businesses face a daily challenge to market their products and services most effectively. What it essentially comes down to is this: you can have the greatest advertising and marketing campaign on the planet but if you are showing it to the wrong audience then it is falling on deaf ears and blind eyes. It will not be effective and there’s no way around it. Like showing insurance commercials to kids and toy commercials to adults, there is little that can be done to bridge the communication gap.

Online marketing falls under the same umbrella in terms of reaching an audience. Web sites that do not do enough to reach targeted web site traffic are missing the boat in terms of delivering their message, plain and simple. Without the audience in place to receive the transmission it is essentially lost in space.

So it’s important to always keep your audience in mind when it comes to everything you do online in terms of marketing. Don’t forget that marketing pertains to everything that has to do with your site – the content that you post, the functionality of the site, the way that it looks, the video you embed on there, and the search engine optimization effort that you pursue to increase web site traffic.

Forget your audience in any one of these components and you are likely to fall flat in your efforts. You design your site with your audience in mind – in terms of the aesthetics and how it will appeal to them; you make sure the site works and is effective – as a slow loading site with broken links will damage SEO and likely cause visitors to leave; you fill your site with the information and content that will appeal to your audience; and you consider your audience when making plans for SEO services as we’ll discuss in the next post.

The key element to the growth of any Internet based business is increasing targeted web site traffic. Simply increasing web site traffic in general can lead to more visitors that happen across a web site while looking for something completely different. Attracting individuals searching for the particular content on a web site is what truly leads to effectively marketing and increasing revenues.

There are many ways to increase web traffic to a particular web site. Some of these means prove more effective than others. Simply spreading the word about a web site through marketing and advertising may potentially drive more clicks out of curiosity, but these “curiosity clickers” do not always result in more sales. Driving specific targeted web site traffic provides a much greater ratio of clicks to revenue.

Search engine optimization is an extremely effective means to increasing targeted web site traffic. This process drives a web site towards the very top of the search engine results where most browsers begin clicking in their search for particular products or information. This is done through the process of adding quality content frequently to the web site. Over a relatively short period of time, these web sites bounce to the first page of search results based upon the match of the phrase entered to the search bar.

Increased web traffic certainly provides the potential for businesses to increase their revenues as a result of more potential customers entering the virtual doors. However, increasing the targeted web site traffic is instrumental in ensuring growth.