By Gervais Group LLC: For some of those not working with a search engine optimization company, keyword research is a simple process of either choosing search terms with the highest traffic counts or writing down a list of terms assumed to be relevant to the associated website. An example of the first method would be for a website that sells snowboarding travel packages to select a keyword like “snowboarding”.
Granted, in terms of traffic volume “snowboard” is an extremely popular search term within the category. Going with a broad keyword, however, presents a couple of different issues:
* The term is so generic that the competition for the keyword ranks near the top of the category. For even the most seasoned search engine optimization company the optimization process, at least one with any hopes of success, would take months or years of work and an enormous budget.
* Even if, against all odds, a successful search engine marketing campaign managed to get a high ranking with the search engines for the term, the resulting traffic would be so untargeted that a majority of visitors that clicked through to the site would depart quickly because they were looking for something else related to “snowboarding”.
* Search engine users are becoming savvier and are now employing more detailed search terms (aka keyphrases) to find what they are looking for. It’s very likely that the people this website would love to target would be using a keyphrase like “snowboarding travel packages Aspen” and skipping the generic term “snowboarding” altogether.
The process of making assumptions and/or guessing on the best keywords has its pitfalls as well. Using the previous example, a list of keywords and keyphrases formed around “snowboarding travel packages” might actually contain terms that could be optimized successfully. The issue is that, without analysis, choice of the terms which would provide the greatest returns would be based totally on guesswork.
For example, the assumed list could contain among its entries “snowboarding travel packages Aspen” and “snowboarding travel packages Big Sky Montana”. While Aspen is an internationally known destination, Big Sky might prove to be the better location to optimize for because they get traffic but there is less competition. Without keyword research the best keyphrase of the two would remain unknown to our theoretical company. Instead of guessing, keyword research done by an SEO company would define the answer to this issue, rank the other keyphrases by opportunity, and add many other cost effective keyphrases as well. This analysis is based on:
* Keyword and keyphrase relevance – Any terms which are going to be optimized must hold relevance at the site for the search terms. In this case, a person searching “snowboard travel packages” should immediately see that the page they have landed on is about “snowboard travel packages”.
* Potential visitor traffic – Optimizing for non-existent traffic is basically a fool’s errand. Getting to the top of a search engine results page with a term that doesn’t have any searches may be fun to look up on occasion but will do nothing in terms of getting visitors to the site.
* The level of competition for each search term – At the other end of the traffic spectrum lies high traffic/highly competitive search terms. These should normally be avoided as well in favor of terms that carry less competition but which can still deliver targeted visitors.
Keyword research is unfortunately one of the most neglected aspects of search engine marketing when website owners go it alone. The fact is, having the research done by an experienced SEO company can provide a massive return on investment by providing faster and more cost effective results while delivering targeted traffic which is much more likely to turn into customers that buy products and/or services.
For a complete keyword research report for your website visit: SEO Companies or call (770) 529 2262.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
How to Tell When Your Site is About to get Blacklisted, De-listed, or Banned
Gervais Group LLC - Internet Marketing Advice by Gervais Group: While a high percentage of websites need never to worry about these outcomes, there those that should. The developments that usually put a website into this kind of predicament typically run along similar themes:
1) The website owner decides that a presence on the search engines will be both necessary and profitable.
2) SEO shopping begins with bids coming in from a handful of reputable search engine optimization companies. Another bid comes in from an unknown company promising the same results as the other bidders, but at a fraction of the cost.
3) The website owners signs up with the lowball bidder.
From that point forward, many websites are put in the position where they run the risk of problems with the search engines, whether they knew about the black hat techniques employed on their website or not. Here’s a list of what to look for if the previously mentioned developments sound familiar:
* Keyword stuffing – This practice is one of the easiest to detect because all a website owner has to do is read the content on the site. Watch for keywords being used multiple times in a single sentence or in consecutive sentences. While this practice is unlikely to result in drastic measures by itself, it is a signal that other dangerous practices may also be in play on the site. However, the choppy and unprofessional content does carry the price of turning off any visitors who arrive at the site.
* Bad neighborhood links – This is another practice that signals trouble. Outbound links to adult sites, gambling sites, and link farms will eventually put the site on the search engine’s bad guy radar.
* Multiple title tags – Stacking titles allows for higher usage of keywords which can improve rankings. This is a relatively easy trick for search engines to discover and they don’t like one bit when they do.
Here’s where it starts getting serious. If any of the first three tricks are detected, it might be time to bring in one of the reputable SEO companies that weren’t chosen originally to look for:
* Invisible links – Invisible links are not intended for human use, they are there to fool the search engine spiders.
* Cloaking – Upon discovery by the search engines, a website employing cloaking practices will get banned. The practice involves setting up a page with two sets of content; one for the spiders and one for the visitors. The content for the spiders is then crammed with keywords for a higher ranking.
* Doorways and redirects – These are typically set up for relevant keywords but, when clicked, take the visitor to either unrelated content or a sales page for something else.
* Invisible text – Similar to cloaking, this practice puts text in the same color as the pages’ background to allow for keyword stuffing without sacrificing user experience.
Much like seeing a cockroach, seeing one of these practices is a likely indicator that there is a lot more going on than you know about.
In this kind of situation, the best solution is to immediately find a reputable SEO company like the Gervais Group to undo the damage before the search engines take action against your site. For more information visit Internet Marketing or call (770) 529 2262
1) The website owner decides that a presence on the search engines will be both necessary and profitable.
2) SEO shopping begins with bids coming in from a handful of reputable search engine optimization companies. Another bid comes in from an unknown company promising the same results as the other bidders, but at a fraction of the cost.
3) The website owners signs up with the lowball bidder.
From that point forward, many websites are put in the position where they run the risk of problems with the search engines, whether they knew about the black hat techniques employed on their website or not. Here’s a list of what to look for if the previously mentioned developments sound familiar:
* Keyword stuffing – This practice is one of the easiest to detect because all a website owner has to do is read the content on the site. Watch for keywords being used multiple times in a single sentence or in consecutive sentences. While this practice is unlikely to result in drastic measures by itself, it is a signal that other dangerous practices may also be in play on the site. However, the choppy and unprofessional content does carry the price of turning off any visitors who arrive at the site.
* Bad neighborhood links – This is another practice that signals trouble. Outbound links to adult sites, gambling sites, and link farms will eventually put the site on the search engine’s bad guy radar.
* Multiple title tags – Stacking titles allows for higher usage of keywords which can improve rankings. This is a relatively easy trick for search engines to discover and they don’t like one bit when they do.
Here’s where it starts getting serious. If any of the first three tricks are detected, it might be time to bring in one of the reputable SEO companies that weren’t chosen originally to look for:
* Invisible links – Invisible links are not intended for human use, they are there to fool the search engine spiders.
* Cloaking – Upon discovery by the search engines, a website employing cloaking practices will get banned. The practice involves setting up a page with two sets of content; one for the spiders and one for the visitors. The content for the spiders is then crammed with keywords for a higher ranking.
* Doorways and redirects – These are typically set up for relevant keywords but, when clicked, take the visitor to either unrelated content or a sales page for something else.
* Invisible text – Similar to cloaking, this practice puts text in the same color as the pages’ background to allow for keyword stuffing without sacrificing user experience.
Much like seeing a cockroach, seeing one of these practices is a likely indicator that there is a lot more going on than you know about.
In this kind of situation, the best solution is to immediately find a reputable SEO company like the Gervais Group to undo the damage before the search engines take action against your site. For more information visit Internet Marketing or call (770) 529 2262
Friday, March 18, 2011
Gervais Group News - Five Ways to SEO Your Way to Consumers Instead of Visitors
Gervais Group News: Getting traffic to your site is wonderful but visitors who don’t convert into consumers will come and go, leaving nothing behind. For a results-based website, just getting traffic simply isn’t good enough. In fact, a search engine optimization strategy which drives visitors instead of consumers is, at best, delivering a half measure. The key to operating a successful business on the web is the development of an SEO campaign which consistently delivers targeted traffic which, once on the site, converts from visitors to consumers. Here are five keys to getting targeted visitors/consumers to your site.
1) Keyword research – It may sound a little mundane, especially when you’re ready to charge ahead, but finding keywords and phrases that will drive targeted traffic to your site in a cost effective manner will be the foundation on which the rest of your search engine optimization strategy will be built. The determination of “low hanging fruit” keywords versus those which are highly competitive can mean the difference between success and failure of an SEO campaign. This research can be time consuming and may be better executed by an experienced SEO company. Whether you do it yourself or hire out, keyword research must be your first priority when setting the course for your search engine optimization strategy.
2) On-Site Content – The content on your site must first capture visitors to keep them from leaving to continue their search elsewhere. This capture must happen quickly as visitors typically make the decision to stay or go within seven to eight seconds. In this, your content’s relevance to the keywords your visitor used to find you is of utmost importance. Whether they are being sent to a landing page or somewhere else on your site, visitors must be immediately assured that they have found what they are looking for. For example, if one of your search engine optimized keyword is work boots, the page your visitor lands on should have content relevant to work boots placed where it can be seen immediately. A common mistake here is to optimize for work boots and then place the relevant content “below the fold”, out of the sight of visitors unless they scroll down to see it. Many won’t bother, clicking the “back” button never to be seen again. An SEO company will engage in additional on site techniques such as optimizing meta tags and making the site search engine friendly.
3) Off-Site Content – This type of content can come in many forms including articles, blogs, and press releases. Off-site content should always be written with your targeted keywords and phrases in mind. As this content can often be the first impression of your business, it should also be engaging, well-written and informative. A high percentage of off-site content should be created with the objective of driving targeted visitors from the article/blog/release back to the site, specifically to a page which is highly relevant to the subject and keywords used in the originating content.
4) Link Building – One way links from both relevant and high page rank sites are considered to be the most important aspect of getting to the front pages of the search engines. Acting as a quasi third party endorsement, these links are heavily weighted in determining a site’s importance and relevance to its associated keywords. Your own off-site content, as mentioned, should created with one way links back to your site as a means of getting these desired traffic drivers but, in competitive situations a link building strategy must also be employed. Link building (ask any SEO company), is highly labor and time intensive. Unless you have endless hours available, outsourcing this activity to an SEO company will definitely yield the best results.
5) Capturing Visitor Information – While not as exciting as capturing a visitor purchase, capturing their contact information and building your own data base will allow for direct communication with those which have been to your site. A great way to encourage visitors to leave their contact information is offer something for free, such as a mini e-book, white paper, or newsletter. With visitor and consumer contact information in hand; you can stay in regular contact with them to build rapport, trust, and credibility. Consistent contact which encourages repeat visits to your site will ultimately result in conversions, usually at a much higher rate than that for new visitors.
Gervais Group LLC implements successful search engine optimization strategies for companies of all types and sizes. For more information, visit them at SEO Marketing Companies or call (770) 529 2262.
1) Keyword research – It may sound a little mundane, especially when you’re ready to charge ahead, but finding keywords and phrases that will drive targeted traffic to your site in a cost effective manner will be the foundation on which the rest of your search engine optimization strategy will be built. The determination of “low hanging fruit” keywords versus those which are highly competitive can mean the difference between success and failure of an SEO campaign. This research can be time consuming and may be better executed by an experienced SEO company. Whether you do it yourself or hire out, keyword research must be your first priority when setting the course for your search engine optimization strategy.
2) On-Site Content – The content on your site must first capture visitors to keep them from leaving to continue their search elsewhere. This capture must happen quickly as visitors typically make the decision to stay or go within seven to eight seconds. In this, your content’s relevance to the keywords your visitor used to find you is of utmost importance. Whether they are being sent to a landing page or somewhere else on your site, visitors must be immediately assured that they have found what they are looking for. For example, if one of your search engine optimized keyword is work boots, the page your visitor lands on should have content relevant to work boots placed where it can be seen immediately. A common mistake here is to optimize for work boots and then place the relevant content “below the fold”, out of the sight of visitors unless they scroll down to see it. Many won’t bother, clicking the “back” button never to be seen again. An SEO company will engage in additional on site techniques such as optimizing meta tags and making the site search engine friendly.
3) Off-Site Content – This type of content can come in many forms including articles, blogs, and press releases. Off-site content should always be written with your targeted keywords and phrases in mind. As this content can often be the first impression of your business, it should also be engaging, well-written and informative. A high percentage of off-site content should be created with the objective of driving targeted visitors from the article/blog/release back to the site, specifically to a page which is highly relevant to the subject and keywords used in the originating content.
4) Link Building – One way links from both relevant and high page rank sites are considered to be the most important aspect of getting to the front pages of the search engines. Acting as a quasi third party endorsement, these links are heavily weighted in determining a site’s importance and relevance to its associated keywords. Your own off-site content, as mentioned, should created with one way links back to your site as a means of getting these desired traffic drivers but, in competitive situations a link building strategy must also be employed. Link building (ask any SEO company), is highly labor and time intensive. Unless you have endless hours available, outsourcing this activity to an SEO company will definitely yield the best results.
5) Capturing Visitor Information – While not as exciting as capturing a visitor purchase, capturing their contact information and building your own data base will allow for direct communication with those which have been to your site. A great way to encourage visitors to leave their contact information is offer something for free, such as a mini e-book, white paper, or newsletter. With visitor and consumer contact information in hand; you can stay in regular contact with them to build rapport, trust, and credibility. Consistent contact which encourages repeat visits to your site will ultimately result in conversions, usually at a much higher rate than that for new visitors.
Gervais Group LLC implements successful search engine optimization strategies for companies of all types and sizes. For more information, visit them at SEO Marketing Companies or call (770) 529 2262.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Combining Search Engine Optimization, Sponsored Ads, and Pay per Click Strategies
Gervais Group - News by Gervais Group LLC: Once the decision has been made to use search engine marketing to raise the ranking and visibility of a site, the next question asked is, “What are the best and fastest ways get results?” Considering that search engine results pages are essentially divided into two parts, organic results and paid advertising, it usually makes sense to employ both for optimal results. In fact, paid advertising has two options in itself, presenting a total of three options to market a website. These options are:
* Search Engine Optimization – Aimed at achieving high rankings in the organic search section of the results pages, SEO is an online and on-site marketing strategy made up of several different elements. These elements include keyword research, the creation of off-site content such as blogs, press releases, and articles, on-site optimization, and link building. This process, unless a site is operating in a micro-niche with little in the way of competition, yields optimal results when left to an experienced SEO company due to the time, expertise, and labor required to execute a successful strategy. In the view of many, the biggest drawback of search engine optimization strategies is the length of time it takes to see results. As opposed to the immediate gratification offered by on and off-line paid advertising, getting to the front pages of organic search rankings can take weeks or even months. That being said, organic search (specifically on the front pages of the search engines) is where a growing majority of consumers go to research, find, and buy products and services. This makes the rewards of a successful search engine optimization strategy well worth the wait. For those looking for more immediate results while the search engine optimization work takes effect, the following paid advertising solutions can achieve the aforementioned instant gratification.
* Pay per Click - Found on the right hand column of the search engine results pages, Pay per Click (PPC) advertising can be combined with an SEO campaign to buy “real estate” on the front pages of the search engine results pages. Buying this real estate is done by determining the bid prices for PPC ads and making a bid which is high enough to reach the front page for the keyword or phrase selected. Once the bid has been selected and a short (about ten words) ad is created, searchers are able to see the ad on the front page for the relevant keyword or phrase as long as higher bidders for PPC spots don’t come along. From that point forward, a charge will occur each time someone clicks the ad in order to be directed to the associated website. Bid prices can vary widely depending on the level of competition for the keywords selected. This is another area where keyword research by a search engine optimization company can make a huge difference, providing a basis for avoiding expensive and competitive keywords with high bid prices, instead allowing for alternate keywords that can generate traffic without a high price tag.
* Sponsored Advertising – Search Engine Placement (SEP) is a relatively new approach to Search Engine Marketing which can actually guarantee fixed placement in the top three sponsored spots on the first page for your selected keywords. These fixed placements are found in the sponsored links/results/sites in the shaded area at the top of the search engine results pages. Unlike pay-per-click, the fixed payment guarantees a spot in the top three sponsored positions for as long as it is maintained. The fixed price eliminates issues such as exorbitant click-through fees, being out-bid, and/or being removed from an ad spot when the budget is exhausted.
While an organic search engine optimization campaign cannot be expected to deliver immediate results, adding pay-per-click and search engine placement ads can provide a front page presence while the SEO campaign gains traction.
The Gervais Group is an experienced SEO company that specializes in balancing these three activities for maximum returns. For more information, visit them at: Website Marketing or call (770) 529 2262.
* Search Engine Optimization – Aimed at achieving high rankings in the organic search section of the results pages, SEO is an online and on-site marketing strategy made up of several different elements. These elements include keyword research, the creation of off-site content such as blogs, press releases, and articles, on-site optimization, and link building. This process, unless a site is operating in a micro-niche with little in the way of competition, yields optimal results when left to an experienced SEO company due to the time, expertise, and labor required to execute a successful strategy. In the view of many, the biggest drawback of search engine optimization strategies is the length of time it takes to see results. As opposed to the immediate gratification offered by on and off-line paid advertising, getting to the front pages of organic search rankings can take weeks or even months. That being said, organic search (specifically on the front pages of the search engines) is where a growing majority of consumers go to research, find, and buy products and services. This makes the rewards of a successful search engine optimization strategy well worth the wait. For those looking for more immediate results while the search engine optimization work takes effect, the following paid advertising solutions can achieve the aforementioned instant gratification.
* Pay per Click - Found on the right hand column of the search engine results pages, Pay per Click (PPC) advertising can be combined with an SEO campaign to buy “real estate” on the front pages of the search engine results pages. Buying this real estate is done by determining the bid prices for PPC ads and making a bid which is high enough to reach the front page for the keyword or phrase selected. Once the bid has been selected and a short (about ten words) ad is created, searchers are able to see the ad on the front page for the relevant keyword or phrase as long as higher bidders for PPC spots don’t come along. From that point forward, a charge will occur each time someone clicks the ad in order to be directed to the associated website. Bid prices can vary widely depending on the level of competition for the keywords selected. This is another area where keyword research by a search engine optimization company can make a huge difference, providing a basis for avoiding expensive and competitive keywords with high bid prices, instead allowing for alternate keywords that can generate traffic without a high price tag.
* Sponsored Advertising – Search Engine Placement (SEP) is a relatively new approach to Search Engine Marketing which can actually guarantee fixed placement in the top three sponsored spots on the first page for your selected keywords. These fixed placements are found in the sponsored links/results/sites in the shaded area at the top of the search engine results pages. Unlike pay-per-click, the fixed payment guarantees a spot in the top three sponsored positions for as long as it is maintained. The fixed price eliminates issues such as exorbitant click-through fees, being out-bid, and/or being removed from an ad spot when the budget is exhausted.
While an organic search engine optimization campaign cannot be expected to deliver immediate results, adding pay-per-click and search engine placement ads can provide a front page presence while the SEO campaign gains traction.
The Gervais Group is an experienced SEO company that specializes in balancing these three activities for maximum returns. For more information, visit them at: Website Marketing or call (770) 529 2262.
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