Picture this:
You have a website. You are not to be found in the search engines. An "SEO" company calls you and tells you that for $500 a month, he can get you in the top 10 listings of Google.
Question:
Do you bite?
Answer:
Only if you like paying for things that you can get, most often, for free.
There is a very good chance that what you are going to be paying for is PPC - Pay Per Click advertising. Those are those "Sponsored Links" that appear usually at the very top and to the right of the search engine results.
Now, I am not saying that PPC doesn't work. Sometimes it does. But what I am saying is that you probably don't need to go that route.
If you do a little homework by researching the proper keywords and phrases for your business, make a diligent effort to work on the content on your website and continue to keep the information on your site updated, there is a good chance you can obtain a top 10 ranking for free.
OK. Maybe you don't have the time or knowledge to work on your website. Then at least hire a SEO/web design individual that can do those things -- for a lot less than $500 a month! -- Like Crystal Clear Solutions.
We've gotten countless clients a top 10 ranking and without them spending a dime on PPC.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Email Marketing Overkill
This entry is going to be brief.
If you are doing any form of email marketing, whether you are using email marketing tools like Constant Contact or Bronto, or you simply have a list of email addresses you maintain yourself, HEAR THIS: Do not email your customers or prospective customers too frequently or you stand a good chance of getting a lot of "OPT-OUTS".
While you think you are being informative, you might actually be considered a nuisance. Try to limit your email campaigns to once a month.
If you have different messages (or specials, or events or whatever) for different audiences, then send separate emails to each group, rather than each email to everyone.
Email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and prospective customers and also periodically point them to your website for more valuable information. Don't overdo it!
If you are doing any form of email marketing, whether you are using email marketing tools like Constant Contact or Bronto, or you simply have a list of email addresses you maintain yourself, HEAR THIS: Do not email your customers or prospective customers too frequently or you stand a good chance of getting a lot of "OPT-OUTS".
While you think you are being informative, you might actually be considered a nuisance. Try to limit your email campaigns to once a month.
If you have different messages (or specials, or events or whatever) for different audiences, then send separate emails to each group, rather than each email to everyone.
Email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and prospective customers and also periodically point them to your website for more valuable information. Don't overdo it!
Friday, August 1, 2008
A pretty website doesn't guarantee good rankings
Question 2:
I have an attractive website which I designed, but I am nowhere on the search engines. Why?
Answer 2:
The expression “If you build it, they will come” is definitely not true on the world wide web anymore. There are several factors that go into play when you create a website, that are extremely important to establishing a search engine ranking on places like Google and Yahoo.
Content is very important – for the search engines and for your customers, of course. Think about your business. Think about the keywords or phrases a customer might use to find your business or your type of business. Once you come up with this list, you should make sure that these keywords and phrases are used on the pages throughout your web site. A program like WordTracker is very helpful in determining what keywords and phrases you might wish to include on your website. Another great resource is your existing customers. Ask them what they would type in to find your type of business. Sometimes the answers you get may surprise you.
I’ve seen some very attractive web sites that never show up in the search engines simply because graphics were used to design the entire site. Search engines read text, not graphics. If you must use a lot of graphics on your web site, be sure to include the ALT-TAG command with each graphic. That’s A-L-T T-A-G. If you are not sure how to do this, search the internet for this command and you’ll probably find some useful sites that explain how to use this HTML command.
Another important feature is the Title Bar. That is the line of text that appears at the very top of your browser window when you are on a web page. I know from experience that Yahoo places a lot of emphasis on this line of code and Google considers it important as well.
Search engines like Google also want to see relevant inbound or incoming links to your site. These are links to your web site from other web sites that are in a similar or associated line of business to your business (without being a competitor). Google’s technology shows that the more important Google thinks the associated site is, the more important they will think yours is, and establish your search engine ranking accordingly.
If you are looking for your website to have a good search engine ranking, speak to an individual qualified in search engine marketing that can help you establish your goals. Designing a website is only the first step in establishing your business on the internet. Incorporating search engine strategies into your web site is the next step and should be an ongoing endeavor.
I have an attractive website which I designed, but I am nowhere on the search engines. Why?
Answer 2:
The expression “If you build it, they will come” is definitely not true on the world wide web anymore. There are several factors that go into play when you create a website, that are extremely important to establishing a search engine ranking on places like Google and Yahoo.
Content is very important – for the search engines and for your customers, of course. Think about your business. Think about the keywords or phrases a customer might use to find your business or your type of business. Once you come up with this list, you should make sure that these keywords and phrases are used on the pages throughout your web site. A program like WordTracker is very helpful in determining what keywords and phrases you might wish to include on your website. Another great resource is your existing customers. Ask them what they would type in to find your type of business. Sometimes the answers you get may surprise you.
I’ve seen some very attractive web sites that never show up in the search engines simply because graphics were used to design the entire site. Search engines read text, not graphics. If you must use a lot of graphics on your web site, be sure to include the ALT-TAG command with each graphic. That’s A-L-T T-A-G. If you are not sure how to do this, search the internet for this command and you’ll probably find some useful sites that explain how to use this HTML command.
Another important feature is the Title Bar. That is the line of text that appears at the very top of your browser window when you are on a web page. I know from experience that Yahoo places a lot of emphasis on this line of code and Google considers it important as well.
Search engines like Google also want to see relevant inbound or incoming links to your site. These are links to your web site from other web sites that are in a similar or associated line of business to your business (without being a competitor). Google’s technology shows that the more important Google thinks the associated site is, the more important they will think yours is, and establish your search engine ranking accordingly.
If you are looking for your website to have a good search engine ranking, speak to an individual qualified in search engine marketing that can help you establish your goals. Designing a website is only the first step in establishing your business on the internet. Incorporating search engine strategies into your web site is the next step and should be an ongoing endeavor.
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