Archive for search engine optimization

Using Google to Market Your Business Part 4: Google Keyword tool

by Andrea J. Stenberg
November 13th, 2009

When it comes to marketing your business, there’s no better way than turning up in the top search results on Google. Since more and more people are using search engines rather than the phone book to locate business (even local businesses) you’d better make sure people can find you.

To get found, you need a plan to optimize your website so the search engines bring your website up first. This process is known as search engine optimization (SEO). Some of the basics of SEO include:

  • Having search engine friendly URLs. For example: www.mywebsite.com/rosesforsale instead of www.mywebsite.com/index.php?forumid&#4589482%.  Not only are these URLs more search engine friendly, they’re more people friendly.
  • Using appropriate keywords in the friendly URLs, as well as in the header of your page and within the body copy.
  • Getting incoming links, particularly from relevant websites. For example a florist would do better getting links from a wedding planner or interior designer than from a mechanic.
  • Having a sitemap

However, if you are a small business competing against hundreds or thousands of other businesses Read More→

Categories Marketing Basics, SEO, Technology
Comments (3)

Search Engine Optimization: Increase Your Chance of Getting Found Locally

by Andrea J. Stenberg
May 22nd, 2009

According to Search Engine Optimization expert Gem Webb, Google had added geography to its search algorithms. What does that mean? If you’re searching for a company that makes widgets, Google will try to include companies that are close to your location, even if you don’t include a geographic term in your search.

For small business, particularly “bricks & mortar” businesses with a local customer base, this is very good news. When it comes to getting your website found on Google, you don’t need to beat out the big players to get found. You just need to be better than your local competitors.

But how can you increase your chances of getting found by a local audience even more? There are a few simple steps you can take, to improve your chances.

First, have you noticed when you go to a website, there’s often a description of the site along the very top of your web browser? Those are known as title tags. You can control and change those tags to include keywords you think people looking for your products or services would use. Including local geographic terms is also a good idea. There are also meta tags, which visitors to your site don’t see but search engines do.

If you are using WordPress, you can use a plug-in to add or change these meta tags. I use the Platinum SEO plug-in. Once installed, it’s easy to add or change these tags. If you’re not using WordPress, get your webmaster to edit these tags for you. Or, find the nearest teenager. Odds are you can find one who can whip this off for you in exchange for a gift card for their favorite store.

But there’s another strategy you can use that’s a little more radical than tags, but in the long run will likely be more effective. Try partnering with other local businesses and work together to increase your entire community’s profile. “It’s not just building an online business, it’s building a local economy,” says website marketing expert Ryan Wiseman.

The first part of this basic strategy is simple link exchanges. Contact other local businesses and put each other’s links on your websites. This interconnectedness will help increase all your profiles on the web.

And you don’t need to worry about including “competitors” in these link exchanges. “I don’t see other graphic designers a competitors,” says Jennifer Harris, owner of Keylime Creative. “I see them as sources of information, future employees, future partners.”

This is the radical part of this strategy. Small businesses, particularly in smaller communities, need to stop looking at other businesses as the competition. They need to work together to promote the community as a whole. When businesses do this, everybody wins.

Beyond link exchanges, local businesses need to talk about other local businesses online. When you visit other local businesses and get good service or good value, write about it on your personal blog, Facebook, Twitter. If everyone makes a conscious effort to help promote each other, everybody wins.

Andrea J. Stenberg

What do you think about this idea of banding together with other businesses to help increase everyone’s visibility online? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts or experiences.

Categories Marketing Basics, SEO, Technology
Comments (11)

Online Press Releases – The Secret Weapon For Search Engine Optimization

by Andrea J. Stenberg
March 4th, 2009

By Michael Fleischner

Did you know that you can significantly improve your overall search engine rankings with the help of an online press release? For those of you without a marketing background, let me explain the nature of a press release and how you can use this little known SEO technique to improve your search engine rankings.

A press release is a written communication directed at members of the news to announce something of value. Today, most releases are distributed via the internet or emailed to reporters in a specific niche. Commercial press release services distribute thousands of news releases each and every day.

Many companies send out press releases to announce a new product, service, or event. The public relations industry has depended on press releases to both disseminate information as well as help cut through the clutter of millions of daily news stories. Reporters have come to rely on press releases as a way to sift through irrelevant stories and find actual news.

A press release is easy to create. Most include the date of the release, a headline, body copy, and a brief company description. Online releases include the same information with a link back to the company’s website or product page. The challenge is creating a release that’s newsworthy and gets attention.

Over the last decade, hundreds of online press release websites have come online, helping reporters sift through these notifications and find the information they need. What does this mean to internet marketing? It means that there are sites that publish your news and are viewed by tens of thousands of people seeking targeted information daily.

This is good news for anyone trying to promote a new product, service, website or blog. But how do you get noticed? When I started out in Internet marketing, I thought it was all about writing a fantastic release and having it distributed across the web. And even today, that still holds true. However, when using press releases for SEO value, the key is simply to write a good release that helps build back links to your website or blog.

There are a few press release services out there, much like article directories that allow you to submit your release and include a link back to your website. Unlike article directories, many of these sites are not free. However, a small handful cost nothing, dozens charge less than twenty dollars and others will charge more.

When I need to build a ton of back links to my website quickly, I always gravitate toward online press releases. You can implement this today. Do a Google search for free press releases and look at the top 10 results. You will find many that do not charge. Be mindful though that a lot of these sites do not let you include a link unless you are going to pay a fee.

I’m okay as long as the fees are less than twenty dollars. With a small budget, you can have your release, and your links, distributed across the internet. Try using press releases to build back links to your website. You will be amazed by the results.

Are you looking to improve your search engine rankings? Go now to The Marketing Tips Blog to get your FREE SEO lessons. Find more SEO tips to improve search engine rankings at The Webmasters Book of Secrets website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Fleischner
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Press-Releases—The-Secret-Weapon-For-Search-Engine-Optimization&id=2010751

Categories Marketing Basics
Comments (2)

Keys to Choosing a Good Domain Name

by Andrea J. Stenberg
March 3rd, 2009

Whether you are just starting your business or launching a new product with it’s own url, choosing a domain name can be a scary proposition. Your url will be with you for a long time, so you want to get it right. On the other hand, domain names are cheap. For as little as $10 you can register a new one and redirect or link to your other site.

Length of Domain Name

While you can register a domain name of up to 63 characters, you probably don’t want one that long. Imagine trying to fit it on your business card or a customer trying to type it into their web browser. It’s annoying and has more chances for error. Trust me – every time I have to type out www.thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com, I curse having such a long domain name.

So how long is too long? Many experts suggest that staying under eight characters (not including the .com) is best. However, if you can’t find a shorter name, a longer one will work if it’s:

  • easy to read
  • easy to hear (no one is going to think you said something else)
  • easy to spell
  • easy to type
  • easy to remember

Once again, www.thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com falls short. Trust me, no one can spell entrepreneur. And if they can, your fingers just don’t want to type it. Every time I need to enter that stupid word in my computer my typing speed slows down to nothing.

Keywords

Where possible, having keywords related to your business in your domain name is a plus. Having keywords in your domain will help with people looking in search engines find you. Read More→

Categories Marketing Basics, SEO, Technology
Comments (10)

Use Website Grader to Check Your SEO

by Andrea J. Stenberg
January 27th, 2009

If you’re wondering how your website or blog stacks up against the competition when it comes to SEO, it’s time to stop wondering. Website Grader is a free tool that gives you a very comprehensive analysis of your website.

I learned about this tool from Boris Mahovac – Email Marketing Coach who left the link in his comment to my post How to Improve SEO by Getting Links. Boris will be my guest on the February 25th edition of Andrea’s More Effective Marketing Podcast.

This tool is easy to use and not only tells you your site’s page rank, inbound links and more, but it tells you what needs your attention.

For example, Website Grader told me my blog isn’t listed in the directory DMOZ. I had applied to be listed but apparently didn’t follow up to see if I actually got listed. Thanks to the report, I immediately went to DMOZ to reapply.

The report also commented on my meta tags, headings, images, the last time my site was crawled by Google and much more.

Not only can you get a report on your own site, you can get a comparison between your site and a competitor’s site. This way you’ll know where you need to improve to beat your competition.

Now this site is not perfect. The report tells me I have no inbound links. I know this isn’t true because I belong to a couple of blog carnivals who regularly have links to my blog. I also know several people have quoted me in their own blogs and included links.

In spite of this problem, I’d definitely recommend using Website Grader.

Andrea J. Stenberg

Categories SEO
Comments (6)
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