What Does Website SEO And A Book Have In Common?

Is the term Search Engine Optimization (SEO) confusing? Are you not really sure what it means?  SEO can be very complex and hard to understand or explain.   I was enlightened this past week when Zain, our Director of SEO, simply explained that website SEO is just like a book.  A light bulb went on in my head and I thought; “Now that is an easy way to explain the concept of SEO”.

A book and SEO have much more in common than you think and it makes very logical sense.  SEO can sometimes be hard to explain and complex to understand.  Below is a list of analogies (between a book and SEO) that makes SEO easy to understand and remember, even for non-technical people.

  1. There is only one recognized publication in the library; a website domain registered in the Domain Name System or a book registered with the U.S. Copyright
… Continue reading

Get Your Landing Page Ready For Your 2012 Customers

Landing pages have been around for over 20 years. Even though the primary purpose of a landing page has not changed over time, the attributes that have turned viewers into converters has changed. This article will provide you with some landing page best practices to keep in mind that will help turn your visitors into converters. First, let’s talk about what a landing does for you.

The most important function of a landing page is to convince a potential customer to convert. Although the most profitable conversion is typically a sale, a conversion could be anything that you deem as valuable such as:

• Requesting additional information
• Making a phone call
• Completing a form
• Registering for an event
• Forwarding the page to someone else
• Donating to a cause
• Watching a video
• Posting a comment or proving feedback
• Completing a form
• Visiting … Continue reading

Business Owners Must Keep A Keen Eye On Customer Rating Review Sites

A study done by Citysearch indicates that people are turning more and more to review sites such as Yelp and Angie’s List for information on which to base their purchasing decisions. Mobile phone users, in particular, are going to these sites to view comments from others before deciding where to eat, what doctor to see, or even where to find the best organic fruit.

As always, consumers are looking for information online before making a purchase. The important thing to know is where they are going for that information.

Your Customer’s Comments Really Matter

As a business owner it probably comes as no surprise to you that what your customers say about your business really matters. Word-of-mouth marketing has always been incredibly persuasive. But, thanks to online review sites, word-of-mouth marketing is taking on a whole new meaning. In the days before Angie’s List, Yelp, and other review sites, people … Continue reading

SEO: Rankings Are Not The End All

On the surface it always seems better to be on top. We want to win, to be the best, and having our business highest ranking on the search engine results page feels great. But remember why you created an online presence in the first place: Leads and conversions. You want quality contacts that generate revenue. Having a high ranking keyword is great if it brings you to your goal. However, there are other things to consider.

In The One Mistake That Many CEOs Make About SEO, this problem is identified. The fact is, the top position is only as good as the performance of that keyword. SEO is about finding keywords that generate a ROI (return on investment). If a keyword has a good ROI, it’s a priority keyword. However, it if doesn’t, then reconsider insisting that keyword be top ranking, even if it is a relevant term in … Continue reading

Search Engine Marketing: Improving Your Quality Score

Quality score is a grade or rating you receive from search engines that represents how relevant the relationship is between your keywords, content, URL, and the user experience as shown by the click-through rate. A good quality score can lower your costs and increase your exposure. Why?

Well, think of it this way. A user types in a keyword in the search engine, and the search engine results page includes your ad. If there is a close relationship between the keyword, your ad and your landing page content, the user will likely find what they want when they visit your site. But if the relevance or relationship is poor, the user may visit your site and not find what they want. Getting irrelevant results can cause this user to go to another search engine next time.

In a nutshell, quality scores are used by search engines to provide a measurement … Continue reading