Search Engine Optimization the beginning to Internet Marketing
December 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under General Articles
So you’re interested in getting to the top of Google! If you’re interested in search engine optimization then there’s about a 98% chance that it’s the reason you are reading this article. In SEO you have two choices you can hire a company to handle your search engine optimization, or you can read about a thousand articles like this one and learn how to do it your self in doing this I would also learn a little about html, and find a way to do some sort of keyword analysis because if you can not change your text on your website, and you choose worthless key words then your site will not be associated in the right category therefore you will not make any sales.
If you’re still reading this then you’re looking for the great hidden secret to getting to the top of Google. In order to rank high in Google you have to do two things have a better word score then anyone else for your keywords, and have more links coming to your site from sites with high page ranks. In getting a high word score you need to have some text on your home page and in this text you need to mention your keywords as many times as possible. When you optimize your web site for keywords you are basically getting your site ready for search engine optimization which in all reality is just getting incoming links to your site.
Before you submit your site to the search engines you should have a good amount of keyword rich text, Meta tags (Which are not obsolete by the way), a robots Meta tag, and a Google sitemap. Once you have done all these things you are ready to get some links to your site (this is how you get to the top). When you have incoming links to your site it matters a lot that those sites have high page ranks for example if you have a site with a page rank of 7 linking to you then Google’s algorithm will crawl your site every 24 hours which is very good.
There are some things that could have a negative effect on your ranking with the search engines these things are called black hat SEO tactics. You do not want to do anything to get your site black listed in the search engines. Before Google and all the other search engines changed there algorithms SEO Company’s and webmasters would use some techniques to get to there links to the top like hiding text, hiding links, link malls, and link farms. You should avoid anything that might have a negative effect on your page rank.
There is a lot more to Internet Marketing then just search engine optimization however search engine optimization is where it all starts. Search engine optimization improves the volume and quality of traffic to your web site. Before optimizing your site you should have knowledge of how search algorithms work, and research on what people looking for your site search for to get to it. This is one of the key factors in having a productive website, and achieving a good page rank.
Online Marketing – The End Of The Beginning
November 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under General Articles
The first two steps to successfully marketing online and through your website have little to do with online marketing itself. However, it’s critical to complete them before your campaigns begin. These two steps are Setting your Website Objective and Defining Your Online Target Market
Setting Your Website Objective:
Whenever a client is looking to drive more traffic to their website or is trying to raise their conversion rates, I always take them back to the beginning and ask them what the objective of their site is. This is always more insightful (and entertaining), when I’m meeting with more than one person from the company.
… “drive more sales”, “get more leads”, “reduce product support demands”, “gain access to new markets”, are a few of the more common responses. We then take a look at their site. It will often focus on who they are, their history, their commitment to customer service; all noble things, and usually all without a strong call to action that matches their now stated objective.
Setting an overall website objective is not easy but the benefits are huge.
Not easy: Real estate on the web is cheap. Add a page, add 100 pages, there is still plenty of room to expand. So it’s easy to quickly develop multiple objectives for your site.
Additionally, many people in the company will have different views on what the site objective should be. Human resources wants the Career section to stand out. Customer Service wants the Support area to be highlighted. Sales, of course, wants to highlight Product or Solution areas, and so on.
If you’re ruling by committee you’ll have a well balanced, but underperforming site. The winning play is to have one objective that rules all others. If that objective is to drive more sales, then the Home page must be geared to that. It will need to highlight and focus on information and calls to action to take web visitors down that path.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you won’t still link to support and careers sections. You just won’t focus on them on your Home and other main section pages.
Get Specific: Now if “Drive more sales.”, is your first-cut objective, you need to get a little deeper, more specific. Will you actually be closing sales over the internet (a la eCommerce), or are you driving the new prospect to call you or email you. What level of knowledge should the prospect have before they contact you. Should they know the part number or should they just know that your company is one they need to call.
Thus, your objective may evolve to “Drive qualified prospects to contact us to get detailed information on which of our products best suits them.”
So what made them a qualified prospect. Were they qualified before they came to your site (maybe they were driven to your site from a trade show), or did they get to you through a search engine and know very little about what you do.
Your objective may ultimately evolve to “Visitors should find the information to qualify themselves as good potential prospects and contact us to get detailed information on which of our products best suits them.”
Huge Benefits: Once you’ve set your objective, everything becomes easier. Writing content (often the biggest challenge a company has), becomes clear. The path with which you lead visitors through your website becomes clear (e.g. entice, inform, qualify, call-to-action). Site architecture and layout become clear.
You now focus your efforts and resources around fulfilling that main objective. The sections that are not directly relevant to your main objective still support that main objective.
Now that you’ve clearly set your website objective, the next step is to know who your target audience is – and it may not be who you think.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Who do you want to visit your site. Are they researchers or decision makers. Are they likely to “convert” on their first visit. Do they know anything about your company already. If yes, how much do they know. Are they internet savvy. Are they over 40 and likely would appreciate larger type. Are they visual. Are they detailed. Are they a “people person” or do they prefer dealing with things or words. Are they likely to be highly educated. Do they like to have lots of options or lots of direction.
All these questions and a lot more need to be asked and answered. Initially, you’ll use this information to help in the design of your overall site. You’ll want the proper balance of image to text. You’ll want to set the text level at the appropriate level of detail. You’ll want to write to their probable education level.
Ultimately, the answers will drive the theme of your site. They’ll drive the type of online advertising you’ll use. They’ll drive the design of advertising landing pages. They’ll drive the keyword phrases you’ll target in search engine optimization. They’ll drive your call-to-action.
Now you’re ready to start your marketing. Knowing what you want to accomplish and to whom you want to accomplish it with, you’ll be able to structure the right ads, emails, keyword phrase targeting, etc. You’ll be able to focus resources on the proper additional web media (e.g. blogs, podcasts, more web pages, Flash demonstrations, etc.).
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, this will be the end of the beginning of your online marketing strategy, and you’ll be ready to begin a productive and effective online marketing campaign.
Click-to-Call what Local Search Has Been Waiting For?
October 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under General Articles
Click-to-call is an emerging contextual advertising format that will help spark the growth of localized search. It links online users to offline advertisers by combining Internet telephone capabilities. Although it has yet to hit its stride as a platform or even pierce consumer consciousness, the biggest interactive names, like Google, Yahoo, and eBay, are positioning themselves for a future in click-to-call. Let’s take a closer look.
Click-to-call ads (CTC) are delivered, like pay-per-click, through standard online search results. They mostly resemble standard paid search ads, too. The user sees the familiar text in a box, except there is an icon that can be clicked to connect the interested party with the designated advertiser via telephone. This process is fully online until the user activates the CTC functionality by clicking that icon delivered with the ad.
Next, the user is prompted to enter their telephone number, which may or may not be already stored with the search engine. Once the phone number is entered, the search engine calls the user and connects the advertiser at no cost to the user. It should be noted that search engines will be adamant about protecting the anonymity of user phone numbers in order to placate any understandable fears of being added to telephone marketing lists. It will be imperative for search engines to build user confidence because trust is precious, especially when introducing new products.
Since CTC incorporates phone use through the Internet, VoIP specific companies like Vonage and Fusion will be parlaying their niche of Internet telephony into partnerships with bigger Internet properties, as evidenced by Skype’s sale to eBay. Even an online advertising agency like ICMediaDirect.com has to consider the impact of a “hybrid” service, like click-to-call, will have on search marketing. Isn’t it funny how convergence, the calling card of technological progress, can make the telephone cutting edge?
Experts aren’t expecting great revenue generation straight out of the gate, but click-to-call could be at the forefront of yet another giant tech-based advertising expansion. One area that click-to-call may impact is local search. I believe CTC has enough functionality to ignite the long anticipated surge of localized search as a leading format of small business advertising. For example, if a person finally has had enough of a bad back – where do they go to find a chiropractor, the Internet? Could be. That’s where we can research and get a phone number. Just think what a chiropractor would pay per click of that icon that rings his office and the sufferer simultaneously. And you thought pay-per-click was targeted and relevant?
Finding out which businesses will advertise on local search via click-to-call is an easy task – they’re the ones filling the yellow pages of your phone book. These small businesses (think: pizza parlors, law offices, florists) are already heavily vested in local advertising, yet almost none use search advertising because the format has yet to incorporate small business. It’s believed that there are nearly 15 million small businesses in the United States today and almost none are benefiting from local search the way that it’s envisioned. When geo-targeted search is smoothed out and more popular, and CTC gets rolling, local advertising will realize more convenience and more targeting – and the world will witness another online advertising revolution.
Click-to-call is even more targeted than the pay-per-click search format as we know it today. Advertisers are going to pay more for CTC because anyone who takes the time to call is certainly a higher-percentage paying customer than your basic web surfer who indicates interest. While some web surfers may click ads to satisfy curiosity, few visitors will be clicking icons to make idle talk with businesses – as far as I can tell, this isn’t an issue for businesses listed in the Yellow Pages. Click-to-call is a potent ad format and advertisers are going to shell out top dollars for it. Keep an eye out for developments in this format and be ready to adjust your strategies accordingly.
Joseph Pratt
Media Analyst
ICMediaDirect.com
http://www.icmediadirect.com
e: joseph@icmediadirect.com
Making Sense of Internet Marketing
October 14, 2009 by admin
Filed under General Articles
The key components of an Internet marketing program include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Placement, Affiliate Marketing and Viral/Social Marketing. The goal of all of these is to increase a website’s traffic (number of people who visit) however each uses a different tactic to meet this goal. An effective Internet marketing program leverages a mix of these components to maximize their value at a particular point in the overall program.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an attempt to increase your website’s ranking in ‘organic’ (non-paid) search results in Google™, Yahoo!™ and other search engines. Search engines use complex, proprietary algorithms to determine how a page ranks. In general higher ranking is achieved by optimizing the actual website content to increase its relevancy to certain search words (keywords). Additionally, SEO attempts to increase the website’s perceived ‘authority’ by acquiring quality links to your website from other complementary sites (back links). Finally higher ranking websites are highly visible to search engines meaning most or all of their web pages are indexed by the search engines.
Many aspects of a complete SEO effort can be outsourced, but some aspects are more effective when controlled by those most familiar with the product or service. SEO generally has a longer-term ROI than other Internet marketing methods because a website’s authority is generally built over time. It is important to know that SEO is never truly finished. Competition and buyer preferences change and evolve over time, therefore, the authority of a website changes and must be re-evaluated routinely.
Effectiveness of a SEO program is measured in terms of search result rank, search engine saturation and overall visibility. Result rank is determined by how high a website appears in organic results. Saturation is an indication of how much of a website is indexed by search engines and overall visibility shows how many references are found for a website.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) essentially is a shortcut to increased search result rankings. By sponsoring links in search engine results, advertisers can ensure that relevant links are displayed along with search results whenever certain keywords are searched for. These are generally displayed above or in a separate column beside organic results. In these pay per click (PPC) programs advertisers bid to determine ranking and only pay when links are actually clicked by a visitor.
SEM can be, and probably is best, outsourced. Experienced SEM practitioners can maximize the results of a pay-per-click program by increasing the quality of website visitors. Additionally, knowledge of the bidding process and keyword selection can significantly reduce the amount paid per click-through over time.
SEM has the shortest term ROI as resulting traffic is immediate and measurable. The ability to tightly control expenses, all the way down to cost per click, makes the expense very predictable. Negatively, there is little if any residual value effect of SEM beyond potential relationships with new buyers. SEM is predominately a point in time exercise, although it can be very effective during a campaign.
Paid Placement is similar to traditional print or media advertising. Advertisers pay a fee to have their ‘ad’ displayed on a website or alongside search engine results. Ads are often ‘banners’ that include a marketing message that entices viewers to click the ad and be transferred to the advertiser’s website. Paid placement also includes sponsored links on content pages, paid reviews or ‘pop-up’ ads that appear before or on top of a content page.
Paid placement can include SEM tactics, but here the sponsored links appear on content websites rather than search engine results pages. Placement is based on relevancy of selected keywords and the displaying website’s content. The advertiser has limited control over where ads appear. Ads on content sites generally rank higher for lower bids than on search engine results.
Direct placement of ads on specific content sites is generally based on a set fee or per million impressions (displays). Direct placement allows an advertiser to specify specific website, durations and potentially exact placement on a page. This is most effective if a product or service would appeal to visitors of a specific website. For instance, Dell might place an ad on a computer buying guide website.
Purchase and management of direct placement ads can be outsourced, although it requires less expertise and oversight than SEM.
Affiliate Marketing allows website owners to resell products or services for a percentage or set fee commission. Commissions may be paid for sales, leads or even website visit referrals. Almost all major retail stores support affiliate marketing programs and generally use a third party service to manage the relationship with affiliates. While affiliate marketing allows a product or service provider to extend its marketing capability it is still responsible for all aspects of distribution.
Affiliate marketing can be outsourced in part or whole. Generally the affiliate marketer selects an affiliate management provider to handle acquiring and managing new affiliates.
Although not an absolute, Affiliate marketing tends to be most utilized by product or service providers who have a wide range of products to offer. This increases the likelihood that content site owners are going to assign valuable screen space to a product. Alternatively the provider may offer higher incentive commissions or target very specific content sites.
Viral/Social Marketing is similar to traditional ‘word of mouth’ advertising although done through websites. Marketers attempt create ‘buzz’ about their products by leveraging social networks, emails, blogs, videos or other venues that allow viewers to easily ‘spread the word.’ This form of Internet marketing is often associated with the term ‘Web 2.0‘ because it tends to leverage more user driven venues and content rather than commercial content sites.
Viral/Social Internet marketing, much like SEO is an ongoing effort and similarly it is possible to outsource all or some efforts in this area. Development of complex marketing campaigns would likely be outsourced to a marketing firm specializing in leveraging the Internet, however, smaller campaigns and the tactical aspects could be handled internally or by your SEO/SEM partner.
In closing, an effective Internet marketing program will leverage some or all of these components in a complementary way. Each component brings visitors to a website through its own unique tactics, timeframe and cost. If planned and managed properly, each component can be utilized by the next one to create even greater value. A successful Internet marketing plan will consider the short-term, long-term and budgetary goals of the product or service provider, deploying the components that met those goals.
SEO Info! Search Engine Optimization
August 25, 2009 by admin
Filed under Search Engine Optimization
Intro to http://www.Mixcat.com for Webmasters and business owners. Lots of great tips and trips for search engine rank!
Duration : 0:0:37
SEO (search engine optimization):: Good Morning Marketers:: thunder::tech
August 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Search Engine Optimization
An introduction to search engine optimization (SEO). This is thunder::tech’s second episode of Good Morning Marketers, our monthly morning show dedicated to the latest marketing trends.
Duration : 0:3:26
Internet Marketing – $100,000 in 30 Days With Your Website.
July 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Internet Marketing
Can you really make $100,000 from your website in thirty days? From the book Best Website: Simple Steps to Successful websites by Nelson Bates.
Duration : 0:8:20
SEO Social Media Marketing Strategies
June 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Search Engine Optimization
Boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with Social Media Marketing Strategies. IMPAQT’s Vanessa Cooper explains how to leverage Social Media tactics for Search Engine Marketing campaigns by touching upon: the effects of Online Video on SEO, the importance of Social Bookmarking for an Enterprise-Level Company and the Role of Marketing in Online Communities. Learn more about Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, and Online Video by contacting IMPAQT.
http://www.IMPAQT.com.
Duration : 0:3:58
SMX Travel Hotel Internet Marketing
June 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Internet Marketing
Social Media, The Long Tail & Web 2.0 presentation at SMX Travel on 11/12/07. Presented by Jon Schepke of http://www.simpartners.biz.
Duration : 0:9:39
Introduction to Search Engine Optimization
June 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Search Engine Optimization
An overview of search engine optimization basics.
Duration : 0:7:5