Web Marketing Experts Blog » Search engine optimization

4 Ways to Get Local Links and Visitors to Your Site

Lucy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:02:09 +0000

A lot of businesses tend to assume that because they mostly serve people that walk in off the street and live in their local area, that web marketing is pointless. In fact, SEO can add quite a bit to that cash register at the end of the day, even if you only see people that live within a ten kilometer radius. Today we are looking at how to use web marketing to links from local business websites, and other direct ways to get visitors to your site that live close to your shop.

Get the people that matter to yoour business through your doors!

1. Join your chamber of commerce

There is one in most cities and suburbs – chambers of commerce are a place for all the shop owners in the area to meet and talk, well, shop. They usually have websites, and if you’re lucky they’ll be affiliaited with the local council, which gives you a .gov link. Great value in general business as well a s link building.

2. Check in with your local business partners

Send out an email, or make a few phone calls, to your local suppliers, agents, and other business partners asking if they would like to exchange links with you. There is a real possibility this will drive both foot traffic through your door, and net traffic through your home page.

3. Launch an affiliate program

Start an affiliate program where people are rewarded for recommending new customers to you. In many cases, they will do this via the internet … talking to people they know on Twitter and Facebook and Myspace. These links may have no Google juice, but the exposure they create could certainly lead to ordinary links.

4. Submit your site to relevant government resources

Government departments often create resource lists of businesses that can help people in an area do something. Take the time to look through your local and state government websites, seeing if your site fits into any of the categories. Write asking for inclusion if it does.

4 Ultra-Innovative Ways to Use Twitter for Internet Marketing Success

Lucy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:12:39 +0000

Twitter, like Facebook, is not an intuitively sales-oriented platform. Perhaps that is why businesses are so fascinated with figuring out how to use it for web marketing and to increase their profits … it’s just a challenge! Today we go over some very inventive examples of how to use Twitter as a marketing tool, beyond simple branding.

Twitter - Addictive

1. Coupon delivery

When it comes to coupons, people only want to know what they’re getting. They don’t need to be convinced of the worth of your product … they just want to know how cheap it is! Twitter’s 140 character limit is perfect for this sort of thing. Post a short description of your offer and a condensed link to your downloadable coupons. Don’t forget to tell people that you’ll be tweeting with discounts via your other web marketing methods.

2. Taking orders

While most Twitter marketing, and indeed most of social media marketing in general, is targeted at big firms, this is one that even the little guys can do. Tell your customers that they can now tweet their order direct to your store – it can be received on a mobile web device or a monitor can be set up near the checkout area. People don’t have to call to make a pickup or delivery request, then.

3. Contests

The best known example of this tactic is Moonfruit, a UK-based web design firm, that gave away Macbook Pros to people that tweeted with the hashtag #moonfruit. They have done amazingly well out of the contest, though it did cost them the price of 11 Macbook Pros and 10 iPod Touches…

4. Replace email with Twitter

This takes your private work conversations into the public arena … and while many feel uncomfortable about this, it has been quite a sales driver for some companies. Appos shoes pioneered this concept, and it seems that people love the openness.

SEO: Your Site Can Be Crawled –webmarketingexperts.com.au

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:33:35 +0000

SEO is the core of every effective web marketing endeavor. Optimization is as basic as web design, but many business owners avoid the SEO part in setting up a website. Ask an internet marketing company what is the main component of their consulting practice and they will tell you that search engine optimization is the base of all other online promotion that can be applied to a site.

SEO ensures that your site can be crawled by search engines. When this is achieved, additional internet marketing methods can be used to promote the brand or products such as paid methods in order to advance the popularity of the product. However, without a good SEO, the core component of successful online marketing is absent.

A site that can be crawled should posses certain elements such as links so that search engine spiders can follow the pages. These robots check the pages and make re-visits in the future. However, if several elements are missing, these search robots cannot detect the site so it cannot be included in the index list of worthy websites. The database can be missing one site- yours. Thus, SEO will guarantee that you can be crawled by search engines, and recommended to users through search results.

Some bad factors can be issues that will make it hard to get searched such as:

Ajax or Java Script navigation links- Googlebot in particular do not crawl sites that have links with JavaScript format. Knowing that Google has problems in terms of crawling files in this format; avoid it.

Flash navigation links- This too cannot be crawled by robots. They just hate to detect sites with Flash files.

Forms that have embedded navigation links- This is a complex way of getting indexed by search robots. Drop down menus that contain forms are difficult for robots to crawl.

Few links of authority- If other sites point to your site through links, it means a vote of confidence for your site. Lack of relevant links to your site’s pages will take a longer time to be crawled.

Navigation elements can be created with CSS, a search engine friendly coding that has the same functionality of Flash, Ajax or JavaScript. An alternative navigation can be setup through the footer links in the page for easier navigation.

In creating your website, it is best that the designer and developer know these conditions so that your site can be search engine friendly.

If you need more tips on creating website that is search engine friendly, check out www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.

SEO Can Launch Your Business To The Next Level – webmarketingexperts.com.au

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:52:48 +0000

Do you want to earn more than the usual flow of income you have? This is possible. Employing a web marketing technique that can direct the path of your business is a wise move. Search Engine Optimization is in the business of giving your site a good reputation in search results.

Imagine you are bringing a basket of chocolates for sale. You are in a crowd of 1,000 people. You want to find a way to offer your goodies, but there are 20 business people in the crowd that have also brought baskets of goodies for sale. You think your basket has more value for money. You need to give them this great opportunity to try your product but is there a way to get to the front of this crowd?

SEO works this way. The online marketplace is filled with competition; some from small companies, and from already established businesses, big and influential companies. With the proper search optimization technique, you can land in the front page of searches. As in any kind of business, you have to be seen by your market. People rely heavily on visual presentations, and this can be half-achieved when they can see your site among the top search results in your niche. The real achievement comes when people come to consume the products that you have offered them. Definitely, with a strong internet marketing plan, you can make that happen.

Gain traffic from the ranking that you get in search results. This is the easiest way to get introduced to potential buyers. A steady flow of traffic can be provided by search ranking, and organic SEO is very good at this. It works on a consistent basis when you are really serious about getting a good turn for all your internet marketing efforts.

Applying SEO is not a one-off strategy but it rewards you best because you can profit from the site visits over a prolonged period. It is a continuous method, and even the big brands all over the world get their site optimized. It is one thing to remind the users that you are still in the market. This is how advertising can launch your business. Promote your site for search engines to improve your business!

SEO: Winning Means Improving – webmarketingexperts.com

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:10:43 +0000

It takes more than a fully functional website and credible content to get ahead of the SEO game. True, it has and will remain to be an essential part of search engine optimization. But apart from the glitz and glamour of presentation, page ranking and traffic are gained through meticulous refinement of the building blocks of site and content.
The title is the hand that is raised when the search engine calls for sites pertaining to a particular search subject. As such, it should be created in a manner that attracts. Not to mention that it should present within itself, the gist of the whole write-up that is being considered. This is an important consideration that SEO experts often neglect, having focused on other components of the process. In the same way, the application of meta tags are also carelessly made. Meta tags, like titles, help searchers understand what your site or write up is all about. They are keywords and descriptions that are presented by search engines on the SERP. Upon these two rests the chance of people visiting your page when they stumble upon it on the search engine list. Thus, they should be cautiously formulated in order for them to fully serve their purpose in SEO.
Now, on the other hand, some web designers go into so much trouble in making their pages more creative and interactive for the users, that in the end, they fail in getting their sites indexed on search engines. Mind you, despite being visually pleasing, certain applications are not readily recognized by web crawlers. As such, they are often discarded from indexing activities. As a result, these sites do not show on the search roster, and in effect, do not get that many visits as expected. So it’s best not to overdo website design. Make sites simple enough to be understood by web crawlers and appreciated by visitors. And then, spend that excess time building your links and optimizing your keywords. With regards to links, make sure that you continue to harvest associations with well ranked sites. And for keywords, constantly be conscious of the density (3-5%). And make sure that you don’t overrun your website with keywords. It can actually do more harm than good.
All in all, a site will require continuous thorough enhancement of its parts in order to keep its position on the search results. Like a formula one car that needs to be constantly checked and fine tuned, a site must be regularly honed in order for it to keep its winning shape. With the unpredictability of the internet marketing track, those that make it number one are websites that endeavor to continuously improve themselves.

The New Face of Facebook – webmarketingexperts.com.au

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:05:14 +0000

It’s amazing how things have become more meaningful over time. Before, social networking sites were just for common activities: finding friends and talking with them, sharing photos and status, as well as comments. Now, there is a whole new world to the social networking scene. With its rise in popularity and its millions of users worldwide, sites like Twitter have become suitable venues for online business. And with the convenience it provides, social networking sites has been made a trading ground for consumers and producers, as well as a venue for correspondence between companies and employees.
This new facet to social networking might have influenced the creation of a new face for the social networking site, Facebook. In a recent blog posted, Facebook announced that their improved Publisher feature now permits users to view anyone’s updated status whether on or off the site, using any search engine. This places Facebook at par with Twitter in delivering real time information to every searcher, anywhere they are in the world. In effect, this opens new possibilities for business ventures on the site. Now, companies can stretch out their influence through another widely utilized social playground, giving potential customers more access to their business. At the same time, searchers are given the opportunity to get in touch with people or companies on Facebook, without actually being tied to them first.
Though the blog does not clarify how this will be possible, given the situation, those who plan to use the site must place ample consideration to search engine optimization techniques in order to make them more palpable online. Whether through search engines or through a Facebook application, proper account optimization is necessary to help people find your posts on the internet. Thus, the right density and the right set of keywords must be utilized in order for status updates to be recognized and ranked by search engine crawlers. In addition, the right principles for link application must be used on Facebook to help propagate information; just like how we do it on Twitter. In this way, businesses are not only made accessible but also visible on the net. Now, although we hold an inkling on the eventual turn out of this endeavor, we can expect that the world of social networking sites still holds plenty of surprises for SEO. After all, the World Wide Web is a continuously evolving entity. And in as much, its constituents continue to change.

SEO: Caution Ahead

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:13:49 +0000

Search engine optimization encompasses a collection of online activities that help a website improve page ranking and gain more traffic. It endeavors to make one site more visible to searchers in the hopes of getting more visits and generating more income. SEO breaks down search engine processes and makes use of it to a site advantage. Now, the task may be tricky, but it can be done. The only issue is if it done correctly. Search engine algorithms are quite advanced and are sensitive to any misdirection. In playing SEO tricks, it is imperative that one exercises caution. Optimization must be properly executed using the right methods. Otherwise, all efforts may actually pull a site down the ranks instead of boosting it up.
Link building is one full-proof method of increasing your website’s PR. But if you lose control of it, then, you can just expect a quick and damaging decline in your site’s popularity. You’ve got to be careful of your associations. Never link yourself to a low ranking, non-related site. What use will a thousand links have if none of them are actually good? Don’t just depend on numbers, research and opt for quality links. If you have to give up the task to a third-party SEO practitioner, make sure that they are extremely professional and well-connected. And as always, keep yourself involved in the process.
On another note, keep your keywords relevant to your content. Don’t just stuff in your targeted words or phrases in an article wherein they don’t belong, just for the sake of indexing. Remember that search engines are thinkers as well. While they may be initially fooled by the act, search engines will eventually discover your secret and penalize you for it. Furthermore, avoid “title stacking”. Search engines are also aware of this form of deception and are not very merciful towards the act. Work out SEO magic by using simple, applicable keywords on your site’s content. There’s no better way to do it.
Now, the use of sub pages that drive inbound traffic to your site may appear quite clever. But these pages are frowned upon by search engines. Aside from serving little content, these pages don’t have any personality at all. Its only purpose is redirect. Make sure that when you create a page, it is filled up with useful, keyword related articles that are of great relevance to your website. This way, the traffic that page will direct to your site will be more substantial.
Aside from those mentioned, there are still plenty of potholes and puddles to be weary of on the road to SEO success. One must be vigilant enough to recognize the signs and prevent tripping over the pitfalls of the SEO campaign.

SEO: Writing as the Best Tactical Approach

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:09:48 +0000

Content weighs heavily in the success of an SEO campaign. After all, it is the content that web crawlers identify when trying to index a site in a search engine. When writing an article or blog, one should be considerate about what he/she talks about. Beyond keywords and links, the content should above all, take full responsibility of disseminating useful and insightful information to readers. It should be one that attracts and one that compels. Search engine optimization is a constant battle. In as much, all its aspects require meticulous planning. Who is the target audience? What interests them? How do they want their information served? These are the questions that need to be addressed in writing up content for SEO.

It is a given that before going to war, a soldier must know his enemies. In the same way, a content writer must first get acquainted with his readers before he starts ranting away on script. There are plenty of relevant topics to feature: sports, business, news. But above all of this, the writer must have insight on how to approach online searchers, in a way that he would attract the right readers, keep away the wrong ones, and benefit on the visits. It would be more advantageous if the blogger attempts to respond to the target audience’s needs by his write up. This is an effective strategy considering it is his/her desire to get a better chance at appealing to the target viewers.

Once there is greater knowledge on the “prey” so to speak, it is now the writer’s responsibility to meet their expectations. If the searchers are interested in flowers, then the article must feature a general overview of the topic; followed by specific categories (such as roses, tulips, etc) and then, finally, answers to possible concerns such as “where to buy” and “how much”. It is easy to predict the needs of your target audience if you just become a keen observer of the keywords they often use and the search patterns they follow.

Lastly, as a content writer, you got to know how to grab attention. Research would be useless if you can’t put it to the test. The title is the frosting on the cake; the strawberry on top of the ice cream; the finishing touch. Seal the deal with an impressive and fascinating article heading.

With SEO, it’s not so much about the act of selling as to what is being sold. Social bookmarking would be a waste if it doesn’t create traffic because of poor content. For people who are thinking about optimizing their site, ample consideration must be placed on the content. The best tactical approach in this internet marketing competition is to make blogs, articles and other social media submissions audience-centered.

3 Must-know Process of Web Marketing (Part 3) – webmarketingexperts.com.au

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:49:24 +0000

…continued from 3 Must-know Process of Web Marketing (Part 2)

Considering that even if every business is considered unique, you always have several competitors to beat. The brand serves as the identity of your business and you as the owner. That is why it is very important to develop your brand. If you have made your brand famous, your advertising won’t be a problem because you might not need too much advertising to gain customers; the customers would be looking for you and not you who would be looking for customers. If people would search your business through search engines, visibility will not be a problem. Search engine like Google puts more weight on specific brand. Your site would most likely rank on top because your brand is itself being looked for, and not the generic product or service. In order to attain that, you must have done your on-page optimization very well.

Social media networking sites, blog sites, microblogging service, and video sharing community are the best tools for branding and brand developing. To name a few, you can use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. The mentioned sites are recommended because they are famous. They are famous simply because they are the sites that have the largest number of users. You can gain millions and millions of audience in these sites because they cater worldwide users. With social media tools, your internet marketing venture would achieve its goals in time.

Continue reading here: 3 Must-know Process of Web Marketing (Part 4)

Follower Responsiveness: Twitter Marketing View (Part 2) – webmarketingexperts.com.au

webmarketingexperts.com.au — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:36:57 +0000

Continued from Follower Responsiveness: Twitter Marketing View (Part 1)

Responsive twitter audience can be easily gained if you are already as famous as celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Britney Spears, Perez Hilton or someone like Oprah, Barack Obama and others. Such names mentioned are already interesting so getting natural followers is easy. However, if you’re not famous, building online reputation would be the only effective way.

The process of building your online reputation to achieve your online marketing goals is difficult. You will have to spend more of your time in the internet. There are a lot of ways to build your online reputation or brand. Your brand building site must not start on Twitter. You should do it outside of it. Following, tweeting and chatting are not good ways of building your online reputation/brand. You can create a blog. Update your blog with worth-reading entries that are relevant to you market niche. The more often you update your blog with fresh contents, the more likely that your blog will gain more internet visibility via search engines. That is why it is also important that you have the knowledge about search engine optimization to do everything smoothly.

Aside from blogging, you can also create accounts to article submission sites. Write articles and submit. You have to make sure that you choose only popular article directories or article submission sites such as Ezinearticles, Goarticles, Amazines, Articlesbase and more. This is to ensure web traffic. Of course, it is a common sense to write quality output in order to be read.

Continue reading here: Follower Responsiveness: Twitter Marketing View (Part 3)