Thursday, December 28, 2006

Google Ads

Running Google ads (and/or Yahoo ads) can be a good way to determine which keywords you should make the focus of your optimization campaign. Use your log analysis tool to find out which keywords are being clicked on the most, and then see which ones turn into sales. If you don't have a log analysis tool, speak to your webmaster about setting one up (they are handy for more than just optimization).

Once you figure out which keywords give you the best bang for your buck, start optimizing for them.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Branding

A good SEO campaign will also help with your branding.

When you look at hiring a SEO specialist or company, make sure they understand that one of your goals is to improve the visibility of your brand.

They should be able to accomplish both; good rankings and increased visibility for your brand.

Copy

Writing good copy (text that describes your product(s) or service(s)) is essential to turning "browsers" into "buyers."

One of the keys that will enable you to succeed in generating good search engine rankings is also one that will accomplish the point made above.

Anyone can slap together pages that get decent rankings; not everyone can do that and make a sale.

The lesson? When you hire a search engine optimization specialist or company, make sure that you or they have a good writer on hand.

Friday, December 22, 2006

KISS

We all know KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid!

The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) guideline for success is one more example of how this principle works.

To get better, good, then great rankings is simple, just follow this guideline:

         Build a site that people want to visit

It really is that simple. Create a site that others will point their friends to; make it a place where folks can find the information they are seeking. Then people will start linking to your site, word will spread, more links will be made, and the search engines will give you points towards higher rankings.

The best sites got their great rankings by following this simple advice.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Won't Be Fooled Again

Do not be fooled by claims of an instant rankings boost; it just won't happen, no matter how much money you spend. If your site does not rank well now, it will only do so with planning, time and effort.

And do not be fooled into buying one of the myriad "search engine submission" packages; you do not need them! Good content and valid inbound links will yield good rankings over time.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Basics

Three keys to successful search engine rankings:

   1. the age of your site
   2. the material (text) on your site and the way it is optimized
   3. the links you get from other sites like your's (*)

I cannot help with #1; I can definitely help with #2 and 3.

(*) How do you get links? Simple, become recognized as a valuable source of information in your area of expertise.

Good rankings bring potential buyers to your site. Why else would you have one?

How does your website stack up against the competition in terms of top rankings at the search engines?

Do you feel like it is impossible to understand what changes need to be made to your site to rank well?

Is your website bringing in as much business as you expect, need, or want?

In this blog we will discuss ways to help you get the search engine rankings that you need to bring in more potential buyers.