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Archive Page 2

Mar

The Latest Trends in Web Design

By sung 0 Comments

Categories: Web Design

Let’s face it, we’ve all come across websites on the Internet that are less than appealing. With large, intrusive text, multitudes of bright colors competing with one another, and crammed information, it’s a wonder these sites accomplish anything at all. Today’s web surfers are quickly scared off by such websites, clicking away from them as fast as they arrived.

The good news is that there are just as many, if not more, sites that get it right. The graphic designers of these sites understand that websites aren’t about overloading the visitor with information in the form of text, images, and colors. They know that the eye naturally appeals to a more Zen-like appearance. They aren’t afraid of white, or blank space. In fact, they do their best to incorporate it into their designs. While they still integrate bright colors, the backgrounds are generally neutral and soothing, and the brighter colors are reserved for a limited number of attention-grabbing images and headlines.

A recent BBC article reported on new research that shows that the brain makes decisions in just a 20th of a second of viewing a webpage. It further stated that if people believe a website looks good, then this positive quality will spread to other areas, such as the website’s content. It concluded that since people like to be right, they will continue to use the website that made a good first impression, as this further confirms that their initial decision was a good one.

Site Layout
The most modern websites are leaning toward simple 1- and 2- column layouts around a central axis. Simplicity seems to be key here. The arrangement of these sites is very straightforward, and discourages the eye from wandering around. This more streamlined approach successfully keeps the visitor focused on the matter at hand, instead of bombarding them with several different messages scattered throughout different areas of the page.

The central orientation is a stray from the left-justified layouts common in recent years, and we’re learning that people don’t mind scrolling below the fold if there’s valuable information to be found there. Thus liquid layouts are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Less Design for the Sake of It
We’re seeing that site visitors appreciate intricate design as long as there’s a good reason for it being there. For instance, how often have you chosen to “Skip Intro” when visiting a site with a Flash intro? While intricate Flash designs can be entertaining at times, most of us don’t have the time to waste while a Flash movie loads and then plays through. And we won’t even get into the fact that not all browsers support such technology inherently. There’s nothing more annoying than visiting a site only to be told that you don’t have the proper software to display it.

The trend is leaning toward designing around content, not the other way around. Web designers are talented individuals who possess skills and creativity that others don’t have.but they don’t have to show off all of their talents on your home page. The design should be centered around communicating your message. A web designer can best display his or her skills by accomplishing that goal.

Subtle yet Impactful Images
Today’s web designers are incorporating smart icons and images that hint at the message they’re trying to deliver. They use subtle gradients to create a 3-D effect and utilize reflections and fades whenever necessary. Icons are often used to embellish a page, but a good web designer knows when enough is enough. The last thing they want to do is clutter the page and confuse the website visitor.

Icons are useful in separating and organizing content so that it’s easier to read. It helps direct the visitor’s eye when they are skimming through pages with a lot of copy. Do not mix icon sets, or if you’re creating your own icons, keep them consistent. Do not make one icon with a 2-D graphic when the rest of the set consists of 3-D graphics, even if they’re pseudo 3-D. Another don’t is making the icon too small that you can’t tell what it is.

Text Color and Size
Web designers should choose font size depending on the site’s audience. Oversize fonts, when used correctly, can be used to draw attention to a particular area of the website. Bolding and highlighting are also used to emphasize the most important points, but try not to use more than one or two fonts throughout a website. It is important to remember that overuse of any of these elements can ruin a website’s overall look and feel.

Mar

Web 2.0 for Businesses

By lillian 0 Comments

Categories: Internet Marketing

With the explosion of online social networks during the past couple of years, it was only a matter of time before businesses got in on the action. More and more small businesses today are bypassing conventional methods of advertising and setting up their profiles on social networking sites like MySpace and LinkedIn.

Social networking websites are especially attractive to businesses because these forums provide free advertising that has the potential of reaching an audience of millions. Local concert halls, restaurants, coffee houses, radio stations, publications, retailers, and car dealerships are just a handful of the types of companies that are taking advantage of the vast access to the younger demographic that these sites provide.

An exact membership total is not possible because the number grows by the second, but approximately 40 million members worldwide call MySpace home. In fact, MySpace is so popular that it receives more traffic than Google. LinkedIn, while currently less popular, is growing quickly with a membership of approximately 10 million. Facebook and Flixster are also part of the phenomenon, along with dozens of others.

LinkedIn is a network that connects businesses and professionals by industry, functions, geography and areas of interest. Since it is more conservative than the often-controversial MySpace, many professionals and business owners find it more beneficial to join LinkedIn. Plus, its sole purpose is to connect businesses for the purpose of advancement, so it’s basically a no-brainer.

Other business-oriented social networking sites that are growing in popularity include Ryze, Orkut, Ecademy, and NetParty. Although different from one another, what these networks have in common is that they all act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services. Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads.

Another very effective way for businesses to take advantage of Web 2.0 is by setting up a company blog. This presents a very user-friendly way for potential customers to find information about your service offerings. The idea is to post articles or short entries that provide useful information to visitors on your area(s) of expertise. For instance, if you own a home inspection business, you might want to blog about valuable do-it-yourself tips for homeowners. Blog-frequenters become just that because they appreciate the fact that they can leave feedback on blog entries. This interactive exchange of information is quickly becoming the norm amongst most of the top companies on the Web.

With customer satisfaction rates at an all time low, blogs and social networking sites present an opportunity for a prospective customer or prospective member to easily facilitate a real, human-level connection with individuals within an organization. This enables genuine business relationships to form and puts an authentic human face on the interaction, changing the external perception of an organization from a sterile, faceless behemoth into a collection of individuals who are ready to help.

While online social networks may be somewhat new to business, the so-called MySpace generation has grown up with them. That means that by the time these individuals enter the workforce, online social networking will be a major part of everyday business, and the organizations that have determined how to best integrate them into their operations will be the ones that are most successful.

Feb

Establishing an Effective E-Commerce Website

By lillian 0 Comments

Categories: E-Commerce

E-commerce debuted in 1994 when the first banner ad was placed on the Web. Since then e-commerce has grown in leaps and bounds and today generates yearly sales in excess of $108 billion in the United States alone.

Introducing a shopping cart to your website can mean significant cost savings and added revenues. If you are in the business of selling a product or service you should seriously consider getting in on the e-commerce sales action. Here we list several important characteristics of a successful e-commerce website.

Set up a well-designed website with easy access. First and foremost, your e-commerce website must be structured so that it is easily accessible from all types of browsers. In addition, be sure that it is set up in a way that ensures your products are no more than one mouse click away from the home page. Test your site to make sure its pages load quickly and correctly on various browsers, not just Microsoft Internet Explorer. Once you bring potential customers to your site you don’t want them getting frustrated because of a page that won’t load fast enough.

Be a source of information. To ensure repeat visitors, your e-commerce website should be more than just a means of selling your products and/or services. Provide your site’s visitors with instructive information about whatever it is you sell. If it is products, include dimensions (inches and millimeters). Have various images, rear, side, front and large views. Include only quality images; professional photographs are a great investment and can be used on all your visual collateral. If you are in the service business, provide in-depth information about your professional specialties.

Make your shopping cart user friendly. Use sophisticated software to create a shopping cart that is easy for your clients to navigate. It should be clear to a customer if an item is out of stock, or if it cannot be shipped to an international address. Customers who regularly shop on the Web will expect to be able to edit and save the contents of their cart in the event they are interrupted. Note: Your e-commerce website will give you the opportunity to sell to an international audience, so if you wish to take advantage of that you must provide local as well as international shipping costs and consider multilingual delivery of information.

Guide them one step at a time. The last thing you want is customers leaving your e-commerce website halfway through the checkout process because the system is too confusing for them. Clearly identify the steps in your sales process so that your customers always know exactly where they are. You should also send an order confirmation via email once the customer completes the checkout process to instill confidence that their order is being properly handled.

Guarantee secure transactions. With identity theft making headlines so often these days, consumers are often understandably wary of making online purchases. Put them at ease by offering a secure transaction environment. You can contract with managed security companies like ControlScan and Thawte that offer vulnerability scanning and secure certifications. Secure Socket Layers, or SSL systems, encode data sent over the Internet rendering it unreadable except by the payee it was meant for. Give your customers various payment and ordering options together with online credit card facilities. Include your phone and fax details and/or a PDF order form to download that can be faxed or mailed back to you.

Provide reliable customer service. Make it easy for customers to reach you either by telephone, email, or by completing a “contact us” form on your website, and make it company policy to respond to all inquiries in 24 hours or less. Set up a customer service area on your e-commerce website in which your returns policy is clearly defined. In addition, this area should include a comprehensive list of FAQs, details on how to place an order, shipping and privacy policies, and contact information (company’s physical address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address).

Wrap it up! Supply well-branded, quality packaging to ensure goods are protected when shipped. This is a customer service opportunity, so be sure to send an email shipping notification and provide a thank you note in the package. In both instances you can include a catalog or promotional material and an offer of savings on the customer’s next purchase with you.

4 ways to boost website sales

Create a message board or blog for your website. This is a casual forum in which you can provide additional information and resources for your customers. This form of marketing, dubbed Web 2.0, is becoming increasingly relied upon by consumers because it is less salesy and more informative. Do not underestimate the power of ‘word of mouth’ advertising. A prospective customer is more likely to respond to a positive message board post about your company than just reading your ad copy.
Take advantage of email marketing. Include an opt-in email newsletter signup box on your website. Use this newsletter to inform customers of special sales and new products, as well as industry news and informative articles. By providing this newsletter to your recipients free of cost you’ll increase your subscriber base of non-customers, who will eventually purchase if you use your newsletter wisely. Make sure to give your subscribers the option to easily unsubscribe should they wish to stop receiving your newsletter.
Reward customer loyalty. Let’s face it; loyal customers are your company’s bread and butter. So reward them for repeat purchases with a discount or a special bonus item when the purchase a specific dollar amount. People love the idea of special treatment!
Ask for feedback. Set up a product review area for each item on your website. You can boast about a product’s great features and benefits all you want, but people are much more inclined to purchase a product when a fellow customer gives a positive review. And don’t be afraid of negative reviews.it gives your website more credibility if you also include constructive feedback.

A successful e-commerce website can only be achieved when you know your customers and provide them with the information, products, or services they need. Follow our tips toward designing and promoting your e-commerce site and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a respected and relied upon online business.

Feb

9 Steps to Improving Your PPC Results

By lillian 0 Comments

Categories: Internet Marketing and PPC Campaign

When paid search is done correctly, it can deliver the best results for your advertising dollar. However, it can be quite challenging and requires careful selection of keywords and phrases, expert copywriting for ads and landing pages, and in-depth analysis and testing of results.

Mistakes can cost your company dearly in bottom line profits, so it is important to employ a series of best practices when developing pay per click campaigns. Here are nine steps you can take to vastly improve your PPC results:

Develop more 3, 4, & 5 word keyphrases.
A good keyword program has a mix of single keywords as well as multiple work keyphrases. The reason for this is that single keywords are often less profitable because they cost more and have lower conversion rates. It is therefore crucial that you incorporate multiple keyword phrases that are less costly and higher in conversion. Although the exact percentage varies from industry to industry, you should aim to have at least 60% of your search traffic emanate from multiple word keyphrases. Also be wary of the higher priced and less relevant terms resulting from broad matching. Broad matching tactics are not a substitution for keyword development.
Write qualifying descriptive copy.
Successful ads feature copy that brings qualified buyers to their landing pages. For example, if you run a high-end clothing boutique, your ad should target clients that are prepared to pay the high price associated with such luxury. An ad that includes general copy such as “wide selection of women’s clothing” leading to a site selling high-priced clothing most people cannot afford would be misleading. Instead you should say, “Shop designer women’s fashions,” or some variation. Your ad copy should accomplish two things: a) encourage qualified customers to click on your ad, and b) discourage those who are not interested in your product or service. Keep in mind that you only pay the search engines when someone clicks on your ad, so make the click worth its price by using qualifying copy that results in conversion.
Send searchers to a relevant landing page.
Today’s experienced Internet users expect to find exactly what they want when they click on an ad. If they are taken to a website’s home page, a broad category page, or worse, a totally unrelated page, they are likely to leave your site as quickly as they arrived. Analyze each keyphrase you are using and determine the best landing page your site has to offer the searcher. Regularly test all SEM links to ensure that they are bringing users to the appropriate web page. Make it your business to deliver a top-notch user experience to website visitors, which includes having well-designed, easy-to-navigate landing pages that communicate a clear call to action.
Don’t rely too heavily on automated bid management strategies.
Technology alone cannot bring you sales. Human intervention is imperative in the creation of a successful PPC campaign. You’ll achieve the best results by using a bid management tool combined with the careful analysis and qualitative research that can only be performed by humans. Technology can be used to retrieve information, crunch numbers, and sort data. People should then analyze that information and data and make bidding decisions based on a clear understanding of the business.
Don’t allow affiliates to bid on your branded products and company trademarks.
If your company has branded products and trademarked items, allowing affiliates and resellers to bid on these terms can be a huge mistake. It can negatively impact your performance, raise marketing costs, and even reduce your sales. Instead you should make your affiliates sign a Rules of Engagement document that states they can bid on everything except branded terms. Then assign someone to monitor your branded search terms on all engines to ensure compliance.
Accept that the top listing is not always the best.
Most companies assume that the top search engine position is always the best. However, it is more profitable to determine the position that yields the best volume and profitability. Top positions are the most expensive, and might not deliver the best ROI for you. If you can obtain the top position without paying through the nose, by all means grab it. But it is important to realize that other factors are involved here. Perhaps your product and pricing are better than that of the competitor listed above you. If that is the case your target audience will realize that regardless of your position.
Analyze what your competitors are doing.
It is important to keep in mind that the actions of your competitors can directly impact your SEM performance. Identify who your competitors are and then devise a plan to monitor their search activities. Choose the top keywords that account for 80% of your PPC budget and closely monitor those every day. Then adjust your bidding strategy accordingly, taking advantage of bidding gaps and more aggressive opportunities.
Understand the differences between the major search engines.
Not all search engines work the same way, and it is very important that you realize this when putting together a PPC campaign. For example, Yahoo treats the singular and plural forms of keywords as one, but Google requires you to submit keywords in both the singular and plural format in order to have visibility for each. In addition, some search engines have an open auction environment that allows you to bid into each position, but others have invisible bidding forums wherein your position and click price are determined via a relevancy score algorithm. Another major difference that exists is the set of copywriting rules that each search engine enforces. Each has its own unique character limitations and word restrictions that must be followed.
Watch out for click fraud!
It’s time to face reality. Click fraud is real, it can happen to you, and you should have a plan in place to deal with it. Search engines are constantly working to improve this situation, but the bottom line is that you must take steps to protect yourself against fake impressions, fraudulent clicks, “click pimping,” and attacks by competitors. Put safeguards in place using reporting and analysis to uncover data that may suggest fraud is occurring. If you discover that you are the victim of click fraud, present your case to the search engine provider and be persistent in demanding refunds.

Feb

The Highest ROI for Your Marketing Dollar

By tim 0 Comments

Categories: Internet Marketing

Business owners are constantly looking for the most successful and cost-effective ways to grow their businesses and boost their bottom lines. So why are some businesses still not taking advantage of email marketing?

Studies show that the majority of adults who use the Internet have a positive attitude toward receiving email marketing communications, as long as they are from a familiar source. Most consumers look to email communications for special discounts and offers as well as informative articles relating to their specific lifestyle.

In fact, as proactive, educated consumers, many Internet users have come to rely on these email promotions to help them get the best deals possible. Once commonly viewed as SPAM, email marketing has evolved over the years, and is now considered one of the most effective ways to market.

If you have been reluctant to institute an email marketing program for your business before, there is certainly enough evidence to position this form of marketing as a valuable tool for any business to take advantage of. Consider these remarkable facts:

In the US alone, 88% of adult Internet users have personal email accounts.
Another 46% have email access at work.
Added together, that’s an estimated 147 million people across the country using email every day.

Email is also healthier for your bottom line than any other marketing application. Here’s how it compares to traditional marketing methods:

Email ROI per $1 spent: $51.45
Print catalogs: $7.20
Non-email Internet marketing: $21.08

Virtually any type of business has the ability to effectively market through email. Retailers, professional service providers, publications, learning institutions, and promoters are just a few of the business sectors that successfully market via this medium. Whether you are looking to generate sales, deepen your relationship with your clients or prospects, publicize an event, create buzz, or increase brand awareness, email marketing can work for you.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of email marketing is its measurability. While it can be very difficult to measure the success of most types of marketing and advertising, a good email marketing program allows you to monitor your marketing campaign with up to the minute data for every email you send. You can see the number of emails sent, emails opened, bounce backs, unsubscribes, click-through rates, and more. All of this useful information can help you send highly targeted campaigns to the individuals most likely to respond to your offer, thus improving your future results.

The fact that email marketing is fast and convenient is just the icing on the cake. The bottom line is that in the present business climate, any company not taking advantage of this valuable marketing tool is missing out on considerable revenue.

Feb

The Panamazation of Paid Search

By david 0 Comments

Categories: Internet Marketing

First announced in April 2006, Yahoo’s “Project Panama” promised a revamped paid search engine marketing platform that would eliminate its “open auction” structure in favor of the invisible bidding format already in use by Google, MSN, and Ask. Yahoo began Panama’s launch in December and plans to have all of its clients utilizing the new platform by the end of February.

We understand why Yahoo had to remodel its search platform. And it sounds like they’ve made some nice improvements. The comprehensive dashboard, practically instant ad activation, testing capabilities, ad grouping, and scheduling features are just a few of the many new additions Yahoo has made to its platform. However the jury is still out, as many of Panama’s new features have generated mixed reviews thus far. Here are the major changes Yahoo’s PPC clients will face:

Account Dashboard - Although shocking at first, Yahoo’s new account dashboard promises easier management and better visibility and control over your campaigns. Your new dashboard will feature a performance overview complete with graphs and a customized “watch” list of your top campaigns.

Ad Activation - In what might be the most attractive new feature for Yahoo’s PPC clients, ads will go live within three to five minutes instead of three to five business days as was standard on Yahoo’s old platform.

Ad Testing - Advertisers on Yahoo will now have the ability to test drive their advertising messages in order to improve the quality of their ads. This means you can easily determine which messages perform best with your target audience.

Geo-Targeting - Yahoo now allows advertisers to target by location, narrowing ad distribution to cities and surrounding areas. When done correctly, this can help improve your ROI.

Campaign Scheduling - With the promise that you’ll more efficiently manage your ad spending, Yahoo now offers users the ability to control the timing of their campaigns with optional date scheduling.

Ranking - In the same way that Google’s AdWords works, Yahoo will now factor in the ad’s quality as well as the bid amount. The old system awarded the highest position to whomever paid the most for it. Now they will consider how well the ad actually performs along with actual bid amount for each ad.

Ad Groups - Keywords can now be grouped according to a common subject, so that keywords in groups can now be served with multiple ads. Hopefully Yahoo is right and this will save advertisers time setting up and monitoring their campaigns.

Reporting - Instead of pre-defined reports, Yahoo now offers reports that are customizable in order to deliver marketers more information that really matters to them.

After a rough go in 2006, obviously Yahoo’s intent is to make their pay per click advertising program more attractive and easier to use for advertisers, thereby retaining its current client base and attracting new ones. Panama’s initial announcement pleased investors, but is it enough to pull Yahoo out of the woods? We’ll just have to see what the outcome of 2007’s transition period brings.

Jan

The 80/20 Rule of Search

By david 0 Comments

Categories: Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization

There is a new concept being talked about in the web marketing industry. This new paradigm, dubbed the 80/20 rule of search, has sprung out of the realization that many of the earlier beliefs about search engine marketing are no longer true, or perhaps were never true in the first place.

When they were first introduced to search engine marketing (SEM), many marketers believed that with this innovative new concept, web marketing could be handled solely through the use of technology, and that human interaction wasn’t necessary in producing successful online campaigns. However, after results fell short time and again, these marketers were forced to take a second look at their original ideas.

Marketers are now learning that words like “autopilot” and “set it and forget it” are no more than advertising ploys used by companies that simply don’t understand what it takes to manage search effectively.

The new belief is that for SEM to live up to its promise, it is time for a completely new model - the 80/20 rule of search. The idea behind this rule is that:

20% of the success of a paid search program is rooted in technology; and
80% of the success of a paid search program is derived from a human component.

20% - Technology’s Role in the Process

There are three areas where technology is crucial in search engine marketing:

Gathering and sorting huge amounts of data from numerous engines. This includes information on impressions, clicks, number of conversions, and dollar value of conversions. All of this gives us the ability to capture information for every keyword/search engine combination.
Calculating important ROI metrics based on the data collected such as ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend); CTA (Cost To Acquire); CPL (Cost Per Lead); and CPO (Cost Per Order).
Producing a wide range of reports, including top-level summary reports, detailed trend analysis, grouped keyword analysis, and individual keywords.

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The Other 80% - The Role of Human Intelligence

The 80% human component in the equation consists of marketers who interpret data and market conditions to make the best possible bidding decisions. These qualitative contributions involve developing expansive and relevant keyword sets as well as call-to-action marketing communications. They also include creating succinct landing pages that meet the expectations of search engine users and set consumers on the conversion path.

Keyword Development
Automated tools can certainly offer ideas for keyword development, but intuitive thinking is an essential factor in developing a robust keyword list. Just a few of the various issues to consider are product and brand names, synonyms, misspellings, singular and plural forms, features, benefits, and competitors.

Search Term Copywriting
Writing ads for search engines involves a combination of art and science that cannot be emulated by technology. One must adhere to the strict rules enforced by search engines while still drawing the reader in with a tempting promotion. Successful ads accomplish two goals: 1) encourage customers to click on your ad rather than your competitors’ ads, and 2) discourage non-qualified consumers who are not interested in your product or service. This task is not easy given that it must be achieved with three lines of text and no graphics.

When the proper marketing communication strategy is applied, the highest quality site traffic is delivered to your website with the greatest likelihood of conversion.

Destination Page Analysis
One of the biggest and most frequent errors made by companies in paid search engine marketing is consistently sending all searches to their home page or to pages that are totally irrelevant to the search term. Today’s web-users expect relevant information when they click on an ad, and when they do not receive it they quickly move on to their next option, which is usually your competition.

Review of Multiple Variables When Making Bidding Decisions
Each company must establish its own complex set of rules in making bid and position decisions. It is important to remember that being #1 isn’t always the right choice; often times dropping down in position makes more sense. Bid setting is not just about price, it’s more about relevant position. There are multiple variables that must be reviewed prior to making bidding decisions. Marketers must analyze the types of competitors listed above and below them on a search engine, the various marketing messages of competitors, the ROI effects of raising bids and conversely, of lowering bids, they must perform a historical position analysis, and they must consider the impact of affiliates, resellers and other third parties.

Conclusion
While the all-technology solution for paid search is clearly enticing because it involves less work and seems more cost-effective, the reality is that today’s technology is only capable of covering 20% of the requirement for an effective campaign. Technology is limited because it relies solely on quantitative factors and is unable to consider qualitative factors such as consumer search intentions, marketing copy triggers, and irrelevant landing page content.

That’s why it is imperative that the other 80% of a successful SEM program includes the human element. The result is a powerful combination of the complex intelligence of the human brain and cutting-edge technology. Apply this rule in your online marketing endeavors and you’ll soon benefit from the truly extraordinary power of the web.

Jan

The Inside Scoop on URL Canonicalization

By david 0 Comments

Categories: Search Engine Optimization

Canonicalization is the process that search engines use to determine the best URL or website address when several different choices exist. This is a common issue that is predominantly related to home page files at the root level. For example, to a web user, the following URLs all appear to be the same:

www.yourdomain.com
yourdomain.com
www.yourdomain.com/index.shtml
yourdomain.com/default.asp

However, search engines view the above URLs as different pages. Web servers see each URL differently and treat each independently, therefore each of the above URLs could display different content if desired. When a search engine attempts to “canonicalize” a URL, it seeks to choose the best page to represent the website.

The simplest way to discover if you are experiencing this issue would be to perform a search using part of the content found on your homepage. If more than one result appears on the search engine result pages, you may want to correct the issue using a 301 redirect on your web server. The 301 redirect will instruct the search engine as to which URL you desire to be “canonical.” In addition, this 301 redirect will permanently readdress to the specified URL, as seen in the sample below:

When a user types this address into their browser:

www.yourdomain.com

The 301 redirect will redirect any request to the specified address:

www.yourdomain.com

I have seen countless websites displaying the same content on two or more different URLs. Search engines penalize websites that feature duplicate content, causing problems and poor performance for the site owners in obtaining organic rankings. Ironically, most website owners aren’t even aware of this problem and if they are, they don’t know it pertains to their sites.

Jan

What’s all the noise about SEO?

By lillian 0 Comments

Categories: Search Engine Optimization

If you’re a marketer, odds are you’ve been hearing a lot about SEO lately. But what exactly is it? And how does it work?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of arranging a website’s content in a way that makes it a) easy for search engine “spiders” to read, and b) dense with topics your consumers are searching for. Spiders, also known as robots, are the computer programs search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN use to navigate web pages, index their contents, and add them to their databases.

The outcome of all this busywork are the search results pages you see when you submit a search query on Google, Yahoo, MSN, or any of the other numerous search engines that exist. Have you ever wondered why some sites rank higher than others? When you look at a search results page, generally the first items you notice are the “Sponsored Links,” or paid advertisements. We’ll talk about those next time; for now let’s just focus on the results that appear naturally.

The search engines use a complex algorithm to determine which websites are ranked the highest on their results pages. The natural, or organic search results, are ranked as a result of each website’s content. For instance, if you submit a Google search for “moisture meter,” the first organic result that appears on the page is www.moisturemeterstore.com, which just so happens to be one of our clients. Two reasons this site appears first is due to the number of occurrences of the phrase “moisture meter” on the site and the positive linking structure that exists there.

Keyword density

First let’s talk about the density of the phrase “moisture meter” on that website. Because the site’s main purpose is to sell moisture meters, we identified that as a key phrase for SEO purposes. We then developed website copy that was rich with that key phrase, but that was also logical and not so repetitive as to make visitors and spiders want to leave the site as quickly as they arrived. It is also important that each page has unique content, because as much as redundancy would be mind-numbing to visitors, spiders are wise to this tactic and they have methods in place to penalize websites that attempt to “trick” them.

Positive link structure

Now why don’t we address the positive link structure we created for the site. Good link structure helps visitors and spiders navigate your site with ease. If you click on the first product that appears on the website’s home page, the Tramex Encounter Plus, you’ll land on a page that provides all the details about that moisture meter. Notice the URL that appears in your web browser at the top of the page. This is how it appears:

www.moisturemeterstore.com/moisture_meter_M254.shtml

The first thing to point out about this URL is that the words “moisture meter” appear in it twice. The second point is that it is very logical. It begins with the website’s name and continues on to moisture_meter, which is the type of product you are viewing, and ends with the model number of the product. The simplicity of the link not only makes it easy for a visitor to write down if they want to come back to that page later, but also makes it very search-engine friendly.

In addition to the simplicity of the link, each significant page on the website links to the other significant pages of the site. For instance, from the Tramex page you landed on it is very easy to find your way back to the home page you originated from. Just click on the “home” icon in the navigation bar or click on the company logo in the top left hand corner of the page.

In addition to key phrase density and positive link structure, there are numerous other techniques that are incorporated into a good SEO program. Some of them include URL canonicalization, link acquisition, site maps, 404 pages, website architecture, hosting, title tags and meta description tags. We’ll explore those more advanced techniques in future articles.

But wait.before you go, we’d like to leave you with some astounding statistical data regarding SEO.

77% of adults who research online before making a purchase use search engines.
54% of small businesses currently use SEO.
Four out of five Internet user sessions begin at a search site.
93% of consumers worldwide use search engines to find websites.
Three out of four of those surveyed said their main vehicle for traversing the web were search engines.
33% of users think that a company with top rankings on a search engine is a leader in its field.
17 out of 20 qualified visitors to a website are driven through search engines.
55% of all Internet purchases begin with a search engine. 93% of these users do not look past the first two pages of results.

All of these percentages and statistics add up to the fact that SEO is a valuable tactic for any company to take advantage of. It increases visibility, brand awareness, and ROI. Hopefully you’re on your way to establishing a keen knowledge of the search engine optimization process. We’ll see you next time!