September 9th, 2010
Linking is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Search Engine Optimization, but is very significant to your business. If you don’t have a good linking program in place, your site won’t rank well. On last Thursday’s webinar, held by Paul Taylor and Travis Low, they focused on key points and tips on why building a good linking campaign is crucial for your site, especially those top 10 spots on page 1 of search engines site. To start off, let’s go over some need-to-know facts.
- Research shows if you are not on the first page, most visitors won’t go beyond page one.
- If you’re ranked number one on the first page of search engine sites, you will have 10 times more of a chance to get clicked on than someone who is ranked number ten (42% vs. 3% click-through-rate, respectively).
- Inbound linking is the most cost-effective way to improve rankings (we’ll get into definitions later).
- Nowadays, the top 3 positions on the 1st page are normally considered “above the fold.”
- Organic searches, overall, still get majority of clicks compared to Paid searches (but we’re currently working on a case study, so stay tuned!).
- The importance of ranking high will translate to more revenue, and business growth!
There are a few ways to link your site in order to get a better ranking. One way is through inbound links, which are hyperlinks on external sites that you don’t own which link back to your site. These sites should be relevant to your business and regarded high by search engines, so that the inbound links serve as “votes” that tell search engines your site is useful and relevant. It is also important to diversify your links, and not just add a whole bunch to navigate to just one page. Directories are the quickest and easiest way to build up your search rankings and press releases help optimize your keywords. However, one tool that does not help with ranking is social media. All social media sites that you are accustomed to—like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn—have no follow tags. They tell search engine spiders to not follow the text outside of their website, so your site can’t link any of the “juice.” For more information on the diversity of inbound links, download the slides (insert link).
In addition, internal links are links within your site for Google spiders to know what your site is about, and to see a “content silo” of inter-linked pages. It is imperative to keep the theme distinctive, which will strengthen your website and rank.
One thing that should be known about linking is that it is a gradual process. You want it to be a diverse group you’re ranking from, and the gradual buildup will allow your rankings to look like a natural evolution. Not all links are created equal, so you want to create one that will have a lot of domain authority as well as making sure Google sees that it is relevant.
Every site benefits from linking; e.g. if you don’t have the budget for a full SEO campaign but need to boost search engine rankings, if your site is optimized but not ranking well, and/or if your site needs to be optimized but faces technical limitations. Be sure to proceed with caution, and build a timeline for implementing this process! If you have any questions, or need evaluation and analysis, Webmarketing123 can assist you. Contact Mark Powers at (800) 619-1570 or Mark.P@webmarketing123.com–and don’t forget to ask for a copy of the slides!
-Sarah
Tags: content silo, inbound links, internal links, Linking, Links, no-follow tags, SEO, Webinar, Webmarketing123
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July 30th, 2010
For those of you who missed our webinar on BingHoo! or want a refresher, here’s a brief recap of Wednesday’s presentation. Big thanks to Antonio, Travis and Ben for leading the way on this one—but more importantly, to everyone who tuned in. Thank you for your questions and comments – we appreciate the constant participation!
The subject of this week’s Webmarketing123 webinar was the emerging alliance between Bing (Microsoft) and Yahoo search engines. We have to stress the fact that although the two companies are teaming up for many SEO, PPC and web search purposes, this alliance is not to be misconstrued as a merger between Microsoft and Yahoo. BingHoo!, as it’s being called, will maintain the Yahoo interface, while all organic searches for web, images, video and queries, as well as paid search results, will be powered by Bing.
In addition to the 5 Pillars of SEO (Keywords, Site Content, Meta Content, URL’s, and In-bound Links) that we have discussed at length in other webinars, a few major points to take away from Wednesday’s BingHoo! webinar are as follows:
- In the next year, as the alliance unfolds, focus more on optimizing for Bing than Yahoo. Be sure to have Bing Webmaster Tools installed.
- After the transition, Bing will represent roughly 30% of overall search queries.
- Incorporate and understand your new Bing webmaster tools and pay close attention to how the Bing Spiders crawl through your searches!
And here are a few tips on preparation for the new BingHoo! alliance:
- Continue to place your main focus on Google, a.k.a. the King. Typically, what Google does is followed by Yahoo and Bing.
- Look to optimize your searches using Bing algorithms – obtain “exact” domain matches whenever possible.
- Keep in mind that Bing favors sub-domain or root-domain keywords, so be sure that your domain names are effectively optimized.
- As always, be sure to obtain fresh in-bound links from a diverse array of sites. The greater variety of in-bound linkage that you have, the more traffic your site will receive.
As the effects of this alliance reveal themselves, the most important thing is to stay current on your company’s optimization. Look into in the future and plan for the long-term by planting the seeds for the release of new products within your keywords. Keep up with the pulse of your company’s keyword selection—it’s good practice to run a quarterly review of your keyword basket. Also, make sure that you’re in touch with your consumers and are able to effectively identify the language they use in regards to your company and products, as well as your industry as a whole.
With that said, keep your links fresh, keep your site content relevant and substantial, and optimize, optimize, optimize. SEO is the best way to boost traffic to your site!
Thanks again to everyone who participated in this week’s webinar. Next Wednesday’s webinar will be on integrating your SEO with social media. To sign up for next week’s webinar, please visit http://bit.ly/Web123-Webinar –it’s going to be a good one!
- Seth
Tags: 5 pillars, Bing, Bing-Hoo!, Google, in-bound links, PPC, SEO, Webinar, Webmarketing123, Yahoo
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June 23rd, 2010
How fast can you go?
Speed matters. On the internet, it won’t get you a ticket and it’s not even a waste of gas. Today’s webinar, The New Google Algorithm – Structuring Your Website for Optimal SEO, emphasized quickness as one of the newly important factors in how sites are ranked on search engine results pages.
(Ben, as our resident speed demon, approves.)
Speed, in this context, is not about having a lead foot or even fingers that type so fast they can’t be seen. The first crucial speed sector is how quickly pages load. No one likes waiting for a page to load. Google, in this instance, feels our pain. Slow-loading sites are now penalized for essentially annoying users who want their results and want them now.
To be fair, Google has also demanded time-trials for its spiders. Those little crawlers have to cover a lot more territory a lot faster than they used to. Spiders now check out more pages and pages deeper within sites. Quick! Get those supporting pages updated before the spiders see them!
Additionally, new content from social media sources pops up quickly on results pages. Someone’s tweet about an embarrassing accident with your product can show up on a results page above your home page. Getting engaged in social media and participating in the conversations that are already going on out there about your products or services can help you lay claim to those real time search results, not to mention speedily respond to praise or blame.
The clock is ticking…
Tags: Blogs, Google Caffeine, Google Real Time Search, Google spiders, Google Updates, Social Media, Webinar
Posted in Google Updates, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Webinar Highlights | No Comments »
May 28th, 2010
Yesterday’s webinar was all about the ABC’s of keywords optimization. Or as Travis puts it: “How much is that keyword worth to you?”
KEYWORDS are the FOCAL POINT of your SEO efforts. So naturally, identifying your highest impact keywords, and then strategically incorporating them into your site are crucial to your SEO success.
Keywords fall into two buckets: Head match and long-tail match. Head Match keywords are general searches, like “shoes” or “cookies”, whereas long-tail match keywords are more descriptive searches, like “women’s dress shoes” or “chocolate chip cookies”. Because long-tail keywords are more specific, they are better matched to the searchers needs, have less competition than generic head match keywords, and therefore can produce a high volume of impressions.
The first step in maximizing sales from SEO is setting the right keywords. This means focusing on a short and ideal list of key phrases your sales prospects and customers use to find you.
On May 5th or 6th 2010, depending on where you live, Google changed its search results page. One of the changes included the Google Wonder Wheel, a keyword expansion tool which shows related searches to your current search inquiry. The Wonder Wheel is an incredible tool and particularly helpful with finding other options for keywords.
Using the example that Travis used during the webinar, let’s say your company is in conveyor services.
In Google, search “conveyor systems” and on the left side of your screen click on “Wonder Wheel”.
Here, you can see other keyword options, to help narrow your search. Since you are in the industrial sector, click on “Industrial Conveyor Systems”.
Boom! Now you have six other keyword options to help optimize your search. We’ll go with “belt conveyors”.
Other Key Tools and Highlights:
- Google Insights – diagnose keyword search trends & its popularity in geographical regions
- Google Analytics – helps you understand what your customers are typing in to find your website, and which keywords you need to push to optimize, or if you need to start a PPC campaign
- Make sure that your company‘s terminology is in line with your customer’s terminology—the keywords they search for should be the ones you’re optimizing for!
- Keyword selection is your foundation for optimization. Keyword selection takes 2-3 weeks, in order for the account management team, analysts, and engineering teams to understand your keyword selection base.
Choosing the right keywords are the KEY to success—wow, that was cheesy…but you get the point. See you at the next webinar!
Tags: Google, Google analytics, Google insights, head match, Highlights, keyword selection, keywords, long-tail keywords, SEO, Webinar, wonder wheel
Posted in Google Updates, Search Engine Optimization, Webinar Highlights | No Comments »
May 13th, 2010
Anchor
We talk a lot about links around here, both internal links and inbound links. In today’s Introduction to SEO webinar, SEO Linking Essentials: How to Generate Inbound Links, Travis got into the nitty-gritty of the process.
Anchor text is a little like the outlet that links plug into. If your outlet is poor, you’re not going to get good performance from your link because it won’t have reliable power. Using your carefully-chosen keywords as anchor text for relevant inbound links gets the amps flowing. As tempting as it is to write copy for your site that tells people to click here and here, it is much better to give them an idea of where they are going, say, Grand Canyon or Great Barrier Reef. That way you don’t lose your visitors and you don’t confuse the crawlers.
Just for fun: anchors.
Tags: Blogs, Google spiders, Highlights, keywords, SEO, Webinar, Webmarketing123
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May 12th, 2010
Measure, measure, measure!
Measure your results. Travis and Barbara said that that was the one thing they really wanted everyone to take away from today’s webinar, Google Food Recipe: Integrating Blogs, Website, and Social Media.
Measure your results.
That’s not the first thing that jumps to mind when I hear about Facebook or Twitter or blog posts. It’s not the second or third, either. It seems awfully mathy for something as relaxed and comfortable as social media, but it’s not. When you are using social media tools for business purposes, you have to know that the time you spend is not wasted.
Barbara suggested a plethora of tools to use to get measurements for return on investment, including Google Analytics, Facebook and YouTube Insights, Radian6, ScoutLabs, Sysomes, and Webtrends. What I found really interesting, however, was the way she quantified reactions to social media, giving various responses actual dollar values. Someone tweeting you directly to ask about your products or services is obviously a higher-value contact than someone who just decides to follow you. What value you actually assign to the different possible responses depends on your business, but conceptually, the idea holds.
Go get yourself a ruler or a scale or a calculator or all of the above and get measuring!
Tags: Blogs, Highlights, SMM, Social Media, Webinar
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May 11th, 2010
In today’s webinar, Thematic Optimization, Travis said something that should have been obvious, but wasn’t. One of the reasons that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in general and thematic optimization in particular are so important is that Google spiders only evaluate your company based on your website.
That is, spiders don’t care about your huge revenue, your wall full of awards, your industry reputation, or even your marketing budget. The spiders can’t crawl those things. This makes your website design and architecture absolutely crucial.
Ensuring that you have compelling content based around keywords and organized into thematic structures convinces the spiders that your site makes sense and has relevance. No matter how long you’ve been in business, the only credibility markers the spiders recognize are your inbound links. When you optimize your pages around themes and tie your inbound links to particular, selected pages, the spiders move more easily, allowing them to crawl deeper.
It’s the spiders’ world and it’s time to adapt to it!
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April 30th, 2010
Thursday’s webinar, Unleashing the Social Media and Search Power of Your Website, brought up an interesting point: conversations happen with or without us. I mean, sure they do. Conversations are going on all over the world that I’m not included in right this very minute. But I can get into a lot of them through social media.
Shy?
If I’m involved in conversations, the people I’m talking with get to know me and I get to know them. We can build a relationship. We can work out any misunderstandings that arise. It gives me a chance to make more friends, tighten up my connections. That’s terrific!
For a business, it is more than terrific. It might just be essential. If people are posting about your products or services, you have a huge opportunity to connect directly to your clients. You can respond to their questions, appreciate their compliments, and, if necessary, clear up their complaints. You can present your company in the best possible light as engaged, responsive, and caring.
So the time has come to get out of the corner and into the middle of the room. Talk to people. It’ll be fun.
Tags: Blogs, Highlights, Social Media, Webinar
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April 29th, 2010
Warning!
When I was a kid, my parents from time to time left me in charge of my younger brother. Since we both still had all our limbs when they returned, they figured it worked just fine and they could keep on doing it. Neither my brother nor I particularly enjoyed it, but we coped. (Kicking and screaming are valid methods of coping, right?)
I bring this up because the biggest problem with me taking care of my brother, from my perspective, was unsupervised thinking. When he was quiet and calm, it was NOT a blessing; it was a warning that he was about to break out in a new direction. It was much better if I could preemptively direct his thoughts toward a safe goal, like a nice game of 52-pickup, before he came up with something like indoor dodgeball.
Unsupervised thinking is dangerous when it comes to website visitors as well, as I learned today in our webinar, Proven Copywriting for SEO and PPC. When people click on a PPC ad, they arrive at a landing page. That page should give them clear direction about what to do next: fill out a form, download a white paper, request a demo, etc. A little guidance will help a lot with your conversion rate.
If the page has too much information on it, the clickers get confused or frustrated. They may forget why they came to your site in the first place. They may click away to some other site instead of staying to buy your product or request more information. Help them out; give them a clear and simple path for their thoughts, a goal to click toward.
Tags: Blogs, Conversion Rates, Highlights, PPC, SEO
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April 22nd, 2010
What a lot of spiders! They must like it here!
Why should I bother to read your site? There are so many sites out there and I really don’t have time to look at yours.
Good question. Both human and crawler visitors want to know. Answering that question with your content is the big task of content writing. Fortunately, our latest webinar in the Introduction to SEO series, Copywriting for SEO: The Art and Science of Content Creation, provided insight to our audience today.
To begin, you need some attention. Great titles for your articles attract readers, but they won’t stay long if that’s all you have on offer. Spiders, much like people, get impatient and bored with the same old stuff. Give them a compelling subject underneath that great title, and they’ll stick around. It’s even better if you make it funny, educational, engaging, or all of the above.
However nice it is to have folks sticking around to read the content you’ve spent so much time and energy creating, it’s not enough. You want them to DO something while they’re with you. Ensuring that there is a call to action—a link to click to download a white paper, perhaps—up high on the page helps to turn casual visitors into actual leads.
Finally, write like a human, but keep an eye on the spiders. Spiders understand a lot more about context than they used to. They will be able to get the gist of what your content is about, much like your human readers. Using your keywords in your content makes spiders notice them and subsequently improve your rankings for them.
The answer to why I should bother with your site? Because it’s fascinating, timely, relevant, useful, and often really entertaining. And I don’t mind all the spiders it attracts; I don’t have arachnophobia.
Tags: Blogs, Google spiders, Highlights, keywords, SEO, Webinar, Webmarketing123
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