Search Engine Optimization Guide - Intro

SEO - Search Engine Optimization. Before we get too deep into how to optimize a site to attract the search engines, let’s discuss a few basics. First and foremost, a webmaster or content writer should simply keep the visitor in mind and create content for the actual people that will be visiting your site. See more on copywriting and content creation. Secondarily, you can perform the following tasks to help your site gain popularity with the search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Okay. So, what is SEO? These are the tasks we perform to help the search engines push our web pages to visitors performing an “organic” search. Organic meaning, someone at home (or elsewhere) simply went to the Google Search page and typed in something to research such as “autism”, for example.

When this is done, two types of sources are provided within the user’s internet browser: Advertised or Organic. Organic search results are typically on the left side of the page with a bit of a description (a few sentences, technically no more than 150 characters of text.) Also, vertically down the right column, you will see sponsored Ads. These, of course, are paid for and quite a bit shorter in length. The titles and descriptions will vary and will be competing to catch the surfer’s attention.

So, we have two types of results:

1. Organic
2. Advertised (sponsored)

Organic Web Searches

The organic searches are the results of the most searched for topics. The title and descriptions provided are derived from the webmaster’s HTML code on the page listed. You can’t, of course, visually see the HTML code, but there is typically a “tag” or market hidden in the page that says “title” and the webmaster keys in that title during website creation. In the same manner, a site description is provided.

Usually, with an organic search, the web surfer is provided with the “home” or main page of the site. But, “internal” or secondary pages can also be listed. Further, if the secondary pages are in good hierarchal structure - leading to good solid content within a lower category, this will be indented and listed below the main page. Such as:

Autism
http:// web address of the site here
Treatment
Children

The lower sub-categories of the site will be automatically linked to the internal pages that lead in that category. As most are aware, the main page will have the main “navigation” (think table of contents or index). But, the sub-categories, “Treatment” and “Children” in this example, may have navigation (another table of contents) of their own.

If Google, MSN or Yahoos reveals these sub-categories in an organic search, it means the subcategories have been searched for extensively and were most likely structured by the webmaster (or web designer, if you prefer) in such a way that it is easy for both the web visitor as well as the search engines. This is why it is critical to structure you website in a well thought out manner prior to actually creating the site.

Sponsored Web Searches

As indicated above, and as opposed to organic searches, we have the sponsored advertisers. This is also known as PPC or Pay-Per-Click. Why? Glad you asked. PPC advertisements listed down the right side (typically) are created by advertisers to draw traffic to their sites without relying on organic searches. This does a couple of things for the site owners. First, it can create an huge influx of initial traffic. Second, they can advertise some product or feature not stated within the description HTML of their home page.

As the acronym PPC indicates there is a cost involved whereas the advertiser will “pay” for each click on each of their ads that are provided by the search results. If the advertiser wants to claim the top of the page (the number 1 position on the right vertical margin) they will usually pay handsomely for it. And, depending on how popular the topic is, the price is driven up. This is simply a supply and demand effect much like anything else in business.

PPC advertising can be quite dangerous for the novice advertiser and I can’t stress enough that this is a subject that should be fully researched before being approached. You can easily lose a mortgage payment on a PPC ad in a single day. Don’t take PPC lightly. There are several books and online courses devoted entirely to PPC. See our recommended sites for this topic.

On Page and Off

Back to the organic search arena - this can be further broken down into two basic approaches.

1. On-page SEO
2. Off-page SEO

“On-page” search engine optimization is basically the tasks performed to tweak the actual HTML (or other web building language) so that the search engines easily identify each element of your site. For example, providing a good description of an image or, as mentioned, good navigational structure.

“Off-page” search engine optimization, as you most likely determined are the tasks that are not performed directly on the site, yet still help the search engines find your web pages. The most basic and common of these tasks would be another site that has mentioned your site with a hyperlink pointing directly to your homepage.

More on this topic coming.
Sam

Website and blog promotion can be a daunting task at first.  There is a myriad of avenues to accomplish the task, but weeding out the good from the bad has taken me years.  I’m sure new bloggers and webmasters are simply inundated with advertising and promotional ads promising the world and the ability to get a new site on the Big G’s page 1 overnight.  Be forewarned!  Do your homework.

There are some services that you would indeed pay for when you can afford to do so, then there are several that you will want to personally handle or simply just have fun doing such as the social arenas like Twitter where I found a tremendous resource for newbies and seasoned marketers alike.

Before I jump into this newly found resource, let’s recap a basic staple for new marketing folks.  Some of the top forms of creating traffic to your site are:

• Web Directories
• Article Marketing
• Blog Reviews (Paid or not, the debate continues)
• Social Arenas
• PR - the Press Release

Many of the above are dirt cheap if you know where to go and especially if you will be handling the bulk of it yourself. Actually, gaining a Google Page Rank of 3 or 4 can easily be done with the methods above. Anyone can get a PR 3 by just about sneezing. Gaining PR above 4 takes a bit more efforts. If you wish (or care) to show page rank of 6 or better, dig in and get ready for some real work (or break out the wallet and get ready to empty it fast.)

One of the most effective means to create a buzz about a new site (or re-establish an existing one) is the press release. I believe this is a far under-looked stream of traffic for most webmasters/bloggers, especially for newbies. There are several press release services out there, but before you join up with one or hire their services, do your homework. Check out what kind of syndication methods are available and how far their audience reach actually is. You DO want to hit Google News and Yahoo News just for starters. Many of the smaller PR outfits don’t offer this.

Recently, on Twittter I came across a fantastic new site by Kelly Crane of SoloPRpro.com. Kellye has nearly 20 years in the field and has worked with some huge outfits such as Fortune 500 companies, Coke, BellSouth, and the list continues. I reviewed several of her posts and she has some great tips, advice and tools anyone considering entering the field of PR Consulant.

Highly Recommended Reading:
44 Tools for the PR Consultant

While many of these tools are listed for the PR consultant, I have used several of them in the past to create press releases myself.  It’s simply a good concise list that I have needed to create for quite some time - way to go Ms. Crane!

I believe it goes without saying that writing a good Press Release takes skills.  I have seen several poorly written ones and there is no doubt that the company wasted a serious traffic resource and probably a nice chunk of cash.  If you are new to media copy, feel intimidated by “sales jargon” or simply don’t feel you write well, check with Kellye or another PR Consultant and get some help.  A fantastic press release can be worth it’s weight in gold!

Cheers,

pj

Technorati Profile

Before engaging in a hunt for a website purchase, a smart site flipper will pause and give serious consideration about what he/she needs the site to do and how it will fit within your goals and see it from a big picture approach. Here is a list of the top four strategies to think about when buying a new website for resale:

1. Buy a site that has targeted traffic for merchandise or a service. You can gain straight traffic from the fresh site to your present products/services in the course of promotion, email lists or sales pages. This is a fantastic way to launch a customer base very rapidly but you have to be positive that the traffic is quality, targeted traffic. Don’t fall prey to the catch of buying a high traffic site that munches through lots of bandwidth but doesn’t contain the kind of consumer you can pull for profits, or else you may be buying a beast, not a benefit.

2. Buy a site to produce advertising profits. In this instance you might not modify the site other than by willing to augment the quantity of traffic and progress the performance of advertisements on the site. Sites with lots of high-quality content are optimized for this strategy. Once you possess the rights to the material you can then additionally leverage it by repackaging and republishing the material in further ways – possibly information products, commentary marketing or as free enticements to attract an email list.

3. Buy a site purposely to turn it over quickly. This is, I know is the most scary method, because you have to find sites that are evidently under performing with the prospect for a big upside effect after you complete your revamping. If at all possible, you should seek e-commerce sites selling a product that has a reputable marketplace that is only just starting to take off online AND the owners are not well-versed in search engine optimization or online advertising, but are ready to sell.

The assumption is that you can swiftly put into practice your changes, fine-tuning a small number of points that creates increases in several areas, resulting in a good double figure boost in sales in a tiny period of time. If you can complete your efforts in a minimal timeframe, prior to the public catching up, you can make a mint by advertising the site at a premium previous to the Internet becoming drenched and your early mover advantage is eroded or the market slows.

4. Obtain a community driven site. If you are into flipping websites, and can purchase a community driven site wherein there is an enormous forum overflowing with a nice objective niche audience you can make a gold mine. Time and again hobbyist fans, not meaning to build a huge traffic machine may not know the value they have in other fields. Their website might have ballooned in expansion to the position where the bandwidth is costing them a lot each month and given that they are not skilled in website monetization, they will be in a position to sell the site at a great price. This can be an awesome strategy to make create a huge income, but be very cautious with your new audience. Some forum communities are very tricky to make money from and may end up costing you more in ongoing hosting fees.

Janae

A lot of folks are always asking me “How can I make money on the Internet?”. Well, of course, the list is endless, but can be shortened considerably depending on your web experience. Webmasters and bloggers, of course, have an advantage over most. But, there is a new and exciting method available: Bukisa

With Bukisa, you simply create a profile and begin posting on their site.  You can earn a split advertising revenue on page views as well as referrals - 3 levels deep.  Also, not only can you upload high quality text, they allow audio, videos, slides and more:

Image Courtesy of Bukisa

Not only is it fast and easy, you can use Bukisa to get articles indexed and drop in a few links to your other sites - promotional value.

Anyone can do this and best of all, it’s a free service. Bukisa makes money and you make money.  It’s a win-win situation.  The more content you post, the higher your income.  Sure, it is not very much at first, but if you stick to it and perhaps invite a few friends (although not required) you can easily supplement your current income.

We are testing them out, have already made a few bucks in just a few days and will post updates from time to time.  We hope they stick around for a while.  Check them out.  It’s definitely worth a look!

Cheers,

Sam

The other day I was working on setting up a free SMS text messaging portal type of site.  I have seen a few out there and several folks are selling a script (or a modified clone) that I had purchased rights to, but never evolved because the publisher wouldn’t respond to my email about the license keys even though I meticulously followed his instructions.

Regardless, having the O.C.D. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) tendencies, I’m often texting on the way to the car, in the grocery store, etc.  Well, just as I was about to give up on the idea entirely, I found a brand spanking new WordPress plug-in by Brian Feldger, A.K.A. Mister Nifty.

As you can you see, I have it installed here on my site.  It installs in a snap.  I had a minor issue with the sidebar as it somewhat overlapped and my OCD kicked in and I had to fix it.  I jumped over to Brian’s page and he already had a quick fix with the DIV setting.  (Just set it to null, leave it blank) and then it looked fantastic.

Of course, I tested it out first on my nifty Apple iPhone and then asked a few friends to check it out.  The plugin creates a cool little sidebar utility within your WordPress Dashboard:

WP Ver 2.7

As you will notice, you have the ability to create groups, see a list of your subscribers and effect style changes.  Additionally, it, of course, has built-in phone verification quite similar to the aforementioned script that I purchased.  But, YES, this one is totally free.

Now, you can add this to your WordPress blog and text your loyal subscribers whenever you have an update or simply to clue them in on some quick news.  (Psssst…., you can also create a group and simply text your closest friends.)

It’s a quick install, easy to use, great social value and simply fun to enjoy!

It’s available at Brian’s site: Mister Nifty or at your regular WordPress Plugin respository. If you decide to obtain this latest free Wordpress plugin, please buy Brian a “soda” via the Paypal donation link within the plugin management area.

Have fun with it. I did!

Great Work Brian!

Scott

A website designer can turn your ideas for an online presence into a reality that will become a magnet for visitors, and keep them coming back.

Choose a web developer that can create customized, dynamic website pages for your new business that will bring you to a entirely new level.  The design should showcase your talents today, but also be able to grow and suite your future needs.

The website designer will take care of a multitude of tasks alleviating you and your core business a substantial amount of time to concentrate on why you are creating the site in the first place.  But, this being said, there are several things we have clients shrug their shoulders on.  Therefore, here are a few tips to keep in mind so that you hopefully won’t be caught off guard.

Elements or Responsibilities of the Website Designer:

1. Graphic Design: Structure, Presentation, Layout
2. Digital Photos: Making them web-ready and able to load quickly
3. Photograph Licensing:  This can be commercial or Creative Commons
4. Copy Writing:  You can do this. If not, be SURE to be specific and you will likely need to proof-read
5. Programming:  Contact Forms, Shopping Cart, Inventory Handling, Databases, etc.
6. Domain Name Registration:  Easily done by you, but they can handle as well
7. Hosting:  You can aquire this yourself, but they are used to it and have preferences.
8. Navigation code:  Menu systems are critical to your visitors.  Choose wisely.
9. Company Information:   Taking what you give them and how it’s structured for SEO and navigation
10. Publishing:  Transmitting it from a test side to the World Wide Web

What is This Going to Cost?

The website designer or design firm should readily be able to provide a breakdown of costs.  There are several ways to convey this.  The most common are:

1. By the project
2. By the hour
3. By the page and or feature
4. Miscellaneous charges - usually by the hour

In addition to the above, you might want to ask about search engine indexing and other “off-page” SEO techniques that can be employed.  Once your new site is built, the task of creating a horde of traffic is another ball game altogether.  The hiring and project complete of a website designer is a major step in the right direction, but your new website’s success will rely on how well it’s marketed on the Internet.  These are simply good reasons to hire a professional graphic designer.

It may go without saying that you will want to see some examples of work.  Most webmasters will have a portfolio and can show you samples of past work and hopefully a few good testimonials.  If you’re strapped in the finance deparment, be sure to check out some freelancer such as Get A Freelancer or RentaCoder.com.  This can be inexpensively done, but the homework on your website designer needs to be done in an adequate manner.

Cheers,

Pj

Hello again,

Continuing in our Keys to Success series, we will now delve into the almighty search engines.

In order for your blog or site to come up in search engine results, the search engine must know it exists. Getting discovered, and indexed, by search engines is a critical first step to securing search engine traffic.

Contrary to the beliefs held by some, a search engine cannot simply “find” your blog or web site on its own. It must be led to the blog in some fashion. There are two general ways by which this can happen. You can either tell the search engine about your blog, or you can devise a means by which it will find you.

At first glance, it seems like just telling the search engine would be the optimal solution. At one time, this strategy was the easiest way of getting indexed. However, it is no longer the best way to go about things.

You can directly submit your site to Google, for instance. However, it may take the search engine months to get around to your request. At some point, in frustration, you might be led to submit the information again. There are fairly credible reports that frequent submission of a blog or web site directly to the search engine may actually lead to a penalty. They would prefer to find you all by themselves.

I have personally not noticed any problems with direct submission to MSN’s search engine. However, considering the variety of ways by which one can be found without utilizing direct submission, it does not seem necessary to tip off MSN in that manner.

This is a bit of an overview.  In the next few days we’ll get more into the meat of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Have a great day!

Janae

Content Usability

Our next sub-topic on the “Keys to Traffic” (and a successful web site or blog) is Content Usability.  Usability, as it relates to online endeavors, can involve everything from site structure to color choices. With respect to written content, we will primarily be concerned with constructing posts that comport with readers’ preferences and expectations for written materials.

Internet readers tend be “scanners.” They generally scan a page or post and then make a determination as to whether or not to invest more time and effort in reading the material carefully. If their scan does not provide them with something to grab their attention and interest, they are more likely to click away than they are to continue reading.

Thus, content should be offered in a way that is easy for users to scan. It should also be provided in a way that encourages online reading. What does this mean in terms of practical considerations?

One should offer text in a size that is easily read. They should also offer content in the form of shorter paragraphs and make use of “white space” to make scanning easier. Long paragraphs are not as well-received as shorter ones.

The choice of a font should be based on readability rather than on whether or not one feels it possesses some greater aesthetic value.

Content usability is important and any blogger truly interested in maximizing the comfort and value of the user’s experience. That attention to detail can increase repeat visitation and total page views.

Sam

Controversy

Continuing our series on driving traffic to your sites, I thought I would briefly touch on the topic of Controversy.  You see this in the newspapers, tabloids and more.  You have probably heard the adage, “Bad publicity is still good publicity.”  Nothing gets noticed quite like the controversial. If you are looking for a way to get some attention (and, thus, traffic), it is possible to do so by taking controversial stands on issues related to your topic. This can get you noticed in a hurry!

However, utilizing controversy as a means of generating traffic is not usually a reasonable long-term strategy. First, how controversial can you be on a regular basis? If your site’s success is based upon your willingness to take outlandish or controversial positions, you will put yourself in a position where you are forced to either constantly one-up yourself or becoming boring by comparison.

Second, intentionally taking a non-mainstream perspective just to get some attention risks alienating a portion of your potential audience. You want traffic, but you would probably prefer that not all of it came from people who want to argue with you! If you have a strongly held position that might create some controversy, don’t feel as though you have to hold back. Self-expression, after all, is what blogs are all about. However, you probably should not fall into the rut of using wild claims or inflaming rhetoric to drive traffic to your blog or web site. Instead, concentrate on authoring relevant, quality, thought-provoking content.

More on the “Keys to Traffic” tomorrow!

Have a great day,

p

Keywords and Content

Search engines operate on keywords. Put simply, keywords are the words for which people are searching. By making sure you use these keywords in your content, you are more likely to be discovered.

Thus, you can produce some pretty remarkable traffic jumps by using the keyword phrases people are typing into Google. This is obvious, but it does bring up a few interesting questions.

How do I find which keywords are popular for searches in my niche? There are a variety of free online tools available to help with keyword research. Earlier, we mentioned Nichebot, which does an admirable job of showing what phrases and keywords are in “high demand.” A quick Google search for “keyword finder” and other similar phrases should provide you with some other options. There are paid services, like WordTracker, that also assist in keyword research, but free options remain available.

How should I use the keywords once I have found them? This is a subject of some debate. The question about how many times keywords should appear in order to trigger a positive response from search engines is a constant topic of argument in the search engine optimization field. Some will argue that a keyword should be used enough to comprise 3-5% of the total text in any post.

Others will argue that a higher density is necessary. Some will maintain that keyword density is not as important as producing content that contains the keyword and related relevant terms.

There are a few ways of making sure your content does its job when it comes to keywords. One is to carefully monitor your use and to write posts around popular keywords related to your topic. Another is simply to focus on turning out good, relevant content and assuming the volume of your output and its overall quality will produce desired keyword results. Generally speaking, the best strategy for most bloggers probably lies somewhere in the middle of those extremes. By producing content with an understanding of keywords while not compromising its integrity in an effort to stuff every post with popular search terms, one can usually be relatively successful.

One should strive to make use of their primary keywords in the titles of their blog’s posts. They should also attempt to use those words and phrases, along with keywords of secondary importance within the posts themselves. There are free keyword analyzers available online that will give you breakdowns of keyword density for your posts. It makes sense to check your work against these at least occasionally to make sure your content is working its hardest to get you that coveted search engine traffic.

One should beware of overusing keywords. Search engines grow smarter all the time, and the days when one could get real results by stuffing keywords onto a page without rhyme or reason are gone. Remember that the search engine algorithms are designed to reward sites that are using keywords in a valuable context. They are able to discern that an endless stream of keywords is probably nothing more than an effort to fool their robots.

Continued tomorrow!

Have a great week,

Pj