SEO Specialist Blog

In the last post we talked about the variety of avenues that web sites can take in the journey of marketing themselves most affectively. The fact of the matter is that there is much to learn about what the Internet has to offer in terms of self-promotion and in most cases it makes much more sense for a web site to turn over the reins in this regard to a professional web marketing team that can best navigate this terrain.

With regard to making the most headway in marketing online, a combination of a SEO and PPC campaign is often the most effective. SEO – or search engine optimization – refers to the generating of organic listings on the search engines. This is most successfully accomplished by search engine optimization companies that understand the work that must be done to achieve long term results, not just short term ranking. A SEO campaign often involves generating content that contains specifically chosen keywords and keyword phrases, along with a strategic linking campaign that will align the site with other highly ranked and relevant sites. This work – done consistently day to day – is mean to propel the site higher and higher in the search engine organic listings and subsequently increase web site traffic.

PPC refers to pay per click whereby web sites bid on particular keywords or keyword phrases; the winning bidders appear in the top most location of the page but all sponsored links (spots purchased through pay per click) appear along the top and right hand side of the page. Because position is so important and because payment is made to the search engines every time a user clicks on the link, it is best that PPC bidding, as well as the subsequent campaign be managed aggressively – something that a web marketing firm can also provide.

The world of online marketing is difficult enough to navigate without trying to figure out the difference between SEO and PPC – more in a long line of acronyms that in some way relate to the amount of web traffic that your site is able to generate and how this all, of course, corresponds to how successful your site is at converting visitors to customers and growing your business accordingly. The ins and outs of such web knowledge is easy enough to get your hands on but as the Internet is essentially a living breathing entity that changes day to day it is greatly beneficial to a web site to have on its team web marketing professionals that can deftly navigate these roads.

There is much talk about sponsored links versus organic listings and how this all translates to a web site’s ability to market itself most successfully. In order to understand it you must understand the role of the search engines in terms of matching potential visitors to the sites they seek. When a search engine users enters a keyword or keyword phrase into the search engines it delivers results based upon that criteria. On Google – the most widely used and popular search engine - the organic results are those that are listed in the body of the page and they are ranked according to relevance. The sponsored links are to the right and on top of the page. They are essentially paid advertising space occupied by web sites. Both organic listings and sponsored links are effective, although research has shown that search engine users are more apt to respond to organic results. But all in all, a marketing campaign that makes use of both organic listings and sponsored links will do the most to generate web traffic. More to come…

Now is not the time to be spending too much money – individuals and businesses alike have certainly heeded that warning. Faced with an economic standstill and no way of knowing how long it will last or how much worse it could possibly get, everyone is terrified to make a move in any direction. Businesses have certainly seen the brunt of this in trying to decide between holding onto money or spending some to at least try to market themselves aggressively enough to reach an audience and turn a profit. It’s a tough call but one thing is for certain; nothing should be spent without knowing that it will be effective spending – that it is money that will likely get your business a return on the investment.

Web sites are among those businesses that are struggling to know what to do at the present time. But their situation may be even more dire. A traditional company can choose not to put an ad on a billboard but people generally still know the business is there. Web sites don’t have that luxury. If they are not marketing their business they run the risk of falling into the online abyss. With so many web sites competing for attention, those that are not on the radar of the search engines may find themselves in big trouble in terms of web site traffic.

Search engine optimization is still important even in these times; especially in these times to be more accurate. By working with a SEO specialist, a web site can ensure they are doing all they can to achieve their goals and stay viable in the online market.

In the last post we talked about the end of the holidays and how it often leaves most of us with a feeling of deflation and anti-climatic disappointment. It is difficult not to expect this; after all, we are coming off an extended period of time where there was activity, social engagements, and plenty to occupy our time and thoughts. Come January, when a New Year has begun, many of us are slow to return to our “normal” patterns of activity but it is something that must be done, especially in the world of business. As we discussed, this is the time of year when businesses really turn their attention to the goals at hand. Web sites do the same thing; examining their rate of success in the year previous and making plans for the year ahead.

Those who are in charge of marketing a web site may find themselves at a crossroads in terms of search engine optimization and may, in fact, be considering hiring a SEO specialist to help them realize their objectives in the coming year. Some of the things that web sites may consider when making the decision whether or not to hire search engine optimization companies include:

• Did web site traffic stay somewhat consistent this year or was there a marked reduction in visitors to the site?

• Did the site enjoy a high page ranking with the search engines or was it necessary to look pages and pages in to find the site’s address?

• Was there a high conversion of visitors to customers to did visitors stumble upon the site and leave?

A SEO specialist can offer professional guidance in terms of SEO and help a web site achieve what it has been missing – web traffic, search engine rankings, and a growth in business.

In the last post we talked about the importance of networking for any kind of business. For traditional companies this will generally mean getting out there in their community in a way that allows them to meet other business leaders from a variety of industries. Then, should one of that person’s contacts or clients need a product or service that your company provides, the person whom you have made an effort to get to know will feel confident in recommending your company. And, of course, you will make an effort to do the same for him one day. This is the reciprocal world of networking and it takes place in many shapes and sizes.

In the online world networking takes place on web sites that are actually dedicated to the cause – professional and social networking sites where people can connect with one another. Forums on such sites are the online version of meeting people, shaking hands, and striking up conversation. And so posting on such forums can bring web sites a multitude of benefits in terms of their search engine optimization and effort towards increasing web traffic.

Being a consistent forum poster allows companies to gain recognition in that specific community and to link to information about their company. More than anything, however, such forums allow posters to share their knowledge about their industry and to engage in conversations that will further their business relationships and hopefully grow their online business.

It is important, however, that forum posting be done in a way that is fitting with a company’s overall search engine optimization efforts: and therefore it is often best to allow a SEO specialist to identify beneficial forums and help a company proceed accordingly.

A huge component in the success of a modern business is networking; it’s always who you know more than it is what you know – an expression that may be overplayed but still very much resonates with those of us in business communities in which we have made an effort to be connected. We know from traditional business that we can take out all the ads that we want and run all the television and radio commercial spots that money can buy – even take out space on a billboard aside the busiest highway – but unless we are a trusted entity in the business community or at least a name that is associated with a personal experience, we’re going nowhere fast. Networking is still – even in this day of computers and email – one of the most effective ways in which companies can drum up business, make a name for themselves in their industry, and establish their reputation as a trustworthy purveyor of products or services.

How does networking translate for online companies – for web sites that want to accomplish the same thing as if they went to a weekly breakfast and networking meeting in the traditional world of business? The answer is forums.

The Internet has sparked a variety of professional and social networking sites designed to allow people with similar interests to connect with each other. And forums on such sites allow people to communicate back and forth about a particular topic of interest. This is the online equivalent to hitting that weekly meeting; because for a web site to be able to post on a regular basis in online forums they are gaining the recognition they need to further their search engine optimization efforts and increase web site traffic, as we will continue to discuss in the next post.

The Internet has gotten to the place where there are actually web sites that are considered “old” or antiquated. When you consider that information it really is quite staggering when most of us can remember a time not so long ago when anything that came up on our computer screen was a miracle of magnificent proportions. But the Internet is also something that grew rapidly and before any of us knew what was what it had taken up a front place at our desks and tables, providing us the conveniences without which we could not do most of what we do on a day to day basis.

And so, as the online arena grew and businesses far and wide discovered that they were seriously behind the game if they did not have an online presence, web sites were added every day. And as technology advanced web sites flourished. Before long those web sites that had seen the beginnings of the Internet were no longer viable and looked just plain outdated like a photograph from the early 90s.

Those businesses that have made a way for themselves online have been able to succeed by changing it up on a frequent basis. They redesign their sites, add different kinds of content, photography, video, and take advantage of all the resources available to them. They may not, however, follow through with this effort by calling upon search engine optimization professionals who will help them grow their business by increasing web traffic.

So how does an SEO specialist bring an older web site into the modern world and deliver it with the web site traffic it needs to thrive? We’ll find out in the next post…

Nothing worth having comes easily. We’ve all more than likely heard this expression; reminding us that all the hard work is worth it in the end. It should also be a reminder – on a different level – that those things that come too easily may not be what they seem. Consider Laura, who had a very particular idea of what running a web site would be; something that ultimately had nothing whatsoever to do with reality. Granted, she had a great idea for a product – geared towards children; her target audience the mothers of the world that were looking for high quality, educational products that could be found from the comfort of their home – but Laura was very naïve with regard to how the process would ultimately play out.

She thought that having a great product was enough. And, like many web site owners, she thought that by simply putting her product out there – against the backdrop of a fantastic looking web site that the product would sell itself. Ultimately she missed a whole big piece of the puzzle.

Initially Laura saw pretty steady web traffic which she could attribute to the pre-launch marketing that she did by emailing moms’ groups and the word of mouth she generated on her own. She also attributed it to the fact that her site looked great – and it did! – and the product was superior – which it was. But after about the first month she noticed that not only was she unable to increase web site traffic, but the traffic that she had been seeing had declined sharply. Being proactive, Laura called in the troops immediately; in this case a search engine optimization firm which, through her subsequent research, she determined would help her fill in the gaping hole of her marketing plan. More in the next post…

In the last post, we discussed the approach of Labor Day and how this affects those web sites that are product focused. Labor Day is, after all, associated with significant sales throughout the retail industry and those who shop online are expecting the same sort of bargains as they would if they were hitting the traditional retail shops.

For those product focused sites that are already engaged in comprehensive search engine optimization efforts, the approach of a sale period may give them more fodder in developing content, creating a buzz around the web site, and ultimately increasing their page rankings on the search engines. In order to help make Labor Day something that will bring them business both in terms of product sales and the culling of additional web traffic, web sites may:

• Send out press releases to online news sites that specialize in relating retail news. By getting the word out about an impending sale, web sites are able to create a buzz that will serve them well in not only stimulating web traffic but also in raising their visibility with the search engines.

• Utilize the social networking sites. Anything worth talking about these days is talked about on the myriad of online social networking sites that allow users to share information. By being plugged in to such a network, web sites are able to share their product offerings with others.

• Change up content and keywords. Of course a large part of search engine optimization is the development of keywords and keyword phrases that relate to the site’s specialty. In light of an approaching sale, web sites may wish to stimulate search engine optimization efforts by changing site content and utilizing more specific keywords.

There are many reasons for a web site’s success; a conglomeration of components that have come together to deliver a site with consistent web traffic and good business. Web sites tend to be most focused on search engine optimization efforts in terms of attracting business and SEO has essentially become the end all and be all; the promise land for a successful site.

SEO services are crucial for a web site; there’s no doubt about it. The search engines are the driving force behind online travel; those users that are in need of information or particular goods and services are right to turn to the search engines as they will undoubtedly deliver them with the results they seek. But SEO services are only a piece of the puzzle in terms of success.

What a web site really needs to ask themselves is whether are not a visitor – having now found you – will come back again? Are you giving your customers enough of what they need and desire in terms of products, services, and – most importantly – information, to inspire them to return? If you can’t answer yes for sure to this question then you are in danger of not only losing web traffic but of sustaining future success.

Consider that you have done all that you can do in terms of search engine optimization and that potential visitors are able to find you easily through your high page rankings. This web site traffic is likely to bolster your business initially. But when these visitors get to your site it is not enough to give them high quality products and good prices (although this is important); they need something that will inspire them to return.

In the next post, we’ll discuss some of the elements that would propel visitors to return to a web site.