Organic Search Engine Optimization – Better Value?
Posted on May 9, 2008
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I saw the following set of data regarding Paid Search showing the latest trends as measured in ad spending for the past two months.
Internet Search … So What Now, Microsoft?
Posted on May 8, 2008
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If Microsoft has walked away from Yahoo for good, and I think they should, it will be a blessing. Over 40 billion dollars for a name brand is what it amounts to. Yahoo had the world by the tail at the beginning of the decade. The clear leader in all things internet and they just plain blew it! What can be a better testament to inept, egocentric and out-of-touch management than Jerry Yang’s playing hardball with Microsoft without an ounce of justification; he just gave away as much as 50% of the value of the deal for no reason that anyone can muster. In fact, his actions over the past 3 months are downright irresponsible as he actually and willfully destroyed share holder value with the sole objective of thwarting Microsoft’s takeover.
But why was this a blessing for Microsoft? Firstly, it would have been a mistake. These are two companies that have made mostly bad decisions when it comes to online success and find themselves as progressively distant also-rans to the new sheriff in town … The Google. The companies would have had major culture shock going in many directions. Microsoft has yet another opportunity to more effectively plan and invest in a new strategy to offer a fresh, new and unique alternative to Google. Google is potentially vulnerable to vertically-based search engines that, if developed upon to provide significant advantages for the online community vs. the “all-world” model of Google could begin to eat away at Google dominance. Consider, for example, a great search engine specific to real estate or specific to entertainment or even more specific like tv, radio or satellite radio. What if Microsoft can find the best industry experts in these niche areas or verticals and design and develop a truly unique search experience that is more relevant, more entertaining … just plain better than the 800 pound gorilla? Why Microsoft … because they have the bucks. Do they have the commitment? Do they have the vision? Do they have the guts to start over and really innovate rather than follow … they have always followed; consider MSDOS vs PC-DOS, Windows vs. MacOS, MSN vs AOL, MSN vs. Google, Xbox vs. Sony, Nintendo et al. They have always followed. Are they ready to finally lead?
So, what does this all mean to you? It’s simple. Focus on Google and use a professional Search Engine Optimization Company to generate high rankings for your important keywords. Hire a Professional Internet Marketing Company to bring all the specialties and subspecialties to the table to get your company where you really want to be. Target Google and you will do just fine with all of the other search engines. The fact is, no matter what they are called, Google, Yahoo et al, it will always be about RELEVANCE and if you design the content of your site towards that aim, you will always do well.
Search Engine Marketing - Buyer Beware
Posted on May 7, 2008
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I just completed a phone conversation with someone who I originally talked with last week after he filled in a form on our website specifically asking about our Ecommerce packages and our SEO Services. I had provided him with some basic information and followed through with an email with links to specific pages / content on our website that were relevant to our conversation.
The interested party who we will call Mr. Prospect was partnering with a few other gentlemen to sell consumer-based household items that are clearly highly competitive i.e. there are over 30 million competing pages for many of the important keywords he shared with me.
Before I called him the first time I did some quick research on the site and found that it was just under construction … however I had to shake my head as I also noticed below the fold a long section of white-on-white massive keyword stuffing … this is the oldest trick in the book and can get Mr. Prospect delisted from the search engines.
When calling him, I pointed it out gently but with some authority and he indicated that he would talk with the web designer about this. We left it at that.
Today I called him and we more fully discussed his project, his objectives and where an online strategy fits in. I must say that I genuinely feel sorry for the man. He and his partners quit their jobs and are counting on this new online business to “take them to the promised land.” What’s worse is he is getting some horrible advice from whoever he is dealing with. Besides keyword stuffing, he is being sold “packages” … i.e. 150 backlinks for $8,000 in 4 months, social networking for $xxxx and so on. I know where this is going … another casualty of search engine marketers who are not focused on results but focused on certain services that they can bill for and perform; packages. What’s missing? RESULTS! What this uninformed consumer does not know is that these packages are not focused on results; and with just a little research on my part, I can guarantee him that putting it all on the pass line or at the race track is probably money better spent.
So, I did only what I could do and that is point out some of what he is missing … To give him some plain talk and some free consulting about the realities of SEO … that it is not cheap, it requires patience, and it requires a major commitment towards the steady stream of content. I could tell he’s never heard this before. I know he did not want to hear it because he is being told that he can do it for a few thousand dollars. I even shared with him some results that we are able to achieve with our clients.
And regarding keyword stuffing … I asked him if he had asked his website designer about that. He told me the website designer told him that he was using new technology that makes it impossible for Google to detect this. This pretty much sums it up in my estimation. Mr. Prospect wants to believe and he is ignorant to the facts; he also seems ok with at least one form of trickery. What you have here is a pretty desperate and ignorant consumer being taken advantage of by an SEO company that is just trying to sell packages; looking for sales and not clients. Speaking strictly sales, I probably just wasted about 45 minutes speaking with Mr. Prospect. However as a consultant, and someone who genuinely wants to help someone, I can only hope that he heeds my advice, reads the material I have provided on our website and reevaluates his objectives and his budget.
What is surely the case is this … many of our existing clients came to Optimum7 after a similar experience that it looks like Mr. Prospect is about to have. Those that do the research and really get the facts about Search Engine Marketing such as is contained on our website can eliminate this costly and painful step.
Internet Marketing – Keywords…Keywords…Keywords
Posted on May 6, 2008
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Keywords are the central focus of any Search Engine Marketing strategy. Keywords need to be researched rather intensively to gain insight as to popularity, relative competition and, if you are engaging in PPC, the bidding data as it relates to budget.
There are various arguments, discussions, proponents for targeting less competitive keywords in the early phases of Search Engine Marketing work and an equal opposing view promoting the proposition that the more competitive keywords are the ones that are most popular. In other words, the competitive keywords are where the most honey is and therefore they should be targeted first.
However, it comes down to doing the real consulting of online marketing. Asking good questions of the client to understand exactly what the client wants to sell, where he wants the business to come from, and how he actually wants to execute the business of his / her business. It is only through this understanding that you can create a priority list of keywords and therefore focus on those keywords as the first target of generating all manner of SEO content.
Well planned, well written content generation targeting the priority list of keywords e.g. the top 25 keywords you and your client agree upon really answers both sides of the argument … less competitive or more competitive … less popular or more popular. Well written targeted and RELEVANT content does not play favorites, nor does it have to. It will address the most competitive and the less competitive; the more popular and the less popular. The fact is that you cannot afford to make a choice as to which is better, short term or long term. More general / more competitive keywords are generally searched for in more volume so you have the opportunity to get noticed by more people. If you get your “eye share” you will get business. Less competitive / more specific keywords will be seen by less folks but can also be indicative of a more serious buyer because they are being more specific about what they are looking for.
We have clients that are ranking on the top 3 pages for well more than 1,000 keyword phrases each. We know from our stats that there were over 900 keywords that were used as “entrance paths” for each of these clients. Some of these I assure you are “popular” and many are not. However, they are all valuable because the searcher was looking … AND … YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS SEARCHING.
SEO and the Power of Web Analytics
Posted on May 6, 2008
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There’s no question; no matter if you are a well known brand, or you are a small company just starting out, you need an online presence. And the best way to create an online presence is through Search Engine Optimization and Pay per Click. Both of these methods of online visibility require one very important parameter; analytics. It’s essential to have the right tools to calculate the effectiveness of certain online marketing strategies and campaigns.
When I have to consult any client, Analytics is always a major emphasis. We can do very affective targeted marketing for a client or a brand but without proper tools and analytics, it will not mean much. We have to be able to calculate ROI because all our decisions will be based on this data. User analytics and interaction with the site will tell us everything we need to know such as interest points and weak spots on a website.
Pay attention to the flags, if a marketing campaign is getting 100,000 unique hits, 5 minutes average time on site, 10 pages per user and only 250 Conversions (0.25% Conversion), there’s a problem there. We recently experienced this with one of our clients. And the problem was the landing page with not enough emphasis on call to action. When that was corrected with an A/B Split testing, the conversion rate jumped to 1.2%.
Web analytics has a lot to do with success in a competitive online market. Do not underestimate the effects of analytics on SEO.
Written By Duran Inci
Getting Search Engine Ranking Results – The Pleasure of it All
Posted on May 5, 2008
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I must say I took a lot of pride today in sending out our unique Performance-Based Fee Invoices to our clients who use Optimum7 SEO to achieve top 3 page listings for Google, Yahoo and MSN.
Without divulging specifics, all of our SEO clients are getting great visibility now. The invoice is accompanied by literally dozens of spreadsheet pages identifying the keywords, the associated URL’s, the position and associated pages for each of the major search rankings.
Our clients don’t pay these fees unless they are earned, the keywords are relevant and agreed to prior to the project, and they are listing on the first 3 pages of the 3 search engines. The fees are scaled based on position and competitive factors with the highest fee being on the first page of Google.
However, our work is far from done. We have to widen the reach in keywords and continually increase the rankings towards the very top.
More importantly, we don’t just define our Search Engine Services as keyword rankings; we are internet marketers and, as such, we will be paying more and more attention to human beings vs. the Google Spiders. We now will be looking at the all important stats of bounce rates, pages viewed and time on the site. We will pay more attention to the entrance and exit paths. Why? … To increase CONVERSION. Getting found is one thing. But what is the ultimate measure of success; it’s the business results as measured in sales or leads or other forms of conversion.
Improving conversion can only mean improving the interactive content located on the site and presenting it in a way that is relevant to the search performed, engaging to the visitor and providing the most positive of visitor experiences.
So, while other SEO companies see their job as complete or successful, we see the job as achieving a major milestone but with “miles to go.” Now we want to make sure that our clients get the CONVERSION that VISIBILITY now makes possible.
Search Engines and the Microsoft Yahoo Fiasco
Posted on May 5, 2008
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Today we learned that Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo is a thing of the past. Jerry Yang thinks he should get $38 a share and apparently Steve Ballmer at Microsoft won’t budge from his initial offer of $31, although some suggest that Microsoft was willing to go to $33.
So now what?
It is widely believed that Yahoo has been seeking cooperative deals with Google and others to thwart the bid, potentially hostile. If Microsoft stays away, will they feel the same sense of urgency to make these types of relationships become reality? Any careful of analysis of Yahoo vs. Google doesn’t present a pretty picture for Yahoo when it comes to Search. Ask.com has already changed its business model considerably, from one that tried to actively compete with Google (“it’s the algorithm”). Yahoo sees its share of the search market stagnating and declining. It appears that some combination or further relationship with Google is “in the cards.”
Here is what is important for Search Engine Marketing Companies, Professionals and their clients. Google is king! There is little doubt that this will change for a considerable period of time … for as far as the eye can see. Whether Yahoo and MSN combine, stay separate or horse trade somehow with Google, the fact is that SEO professionals must stay focused on Google and “stick to their knitting.”
I say let’s keep it simple and straight forward. The present and future path to online search engine success lies in RELEVANCE. No matter what is going on in the boardrooms of Google, Microsoft or Yahoo, relevance in the eyes of the Google Spiders is what those seeking online success should be entirely focused on.
It’s all about generating great websites and great websites are all about great content and great content is all about presenting human friendly and spider friendly engaging and valuable content.
Remember, it’s all about the visitor. Google et al will take care of the rest.
Search Engine Spiders are Hungry!
Posted on May 5, 2008
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SEO professionals, and hopefully their clients, are acutely aware that it is a very competitive world at the top of the search engine pages. When you are vying for top positions on the major search engines, you are now way beyond the mundane tasks of meta tags, title tags and other basic internal components that are best described in Search Engine Optimization “101.”
Competing effectively comes down to gaining and maintaining the attention of the spiders … the technical jargon for the search engine mechanism for “crawling” your website. The spiders are looking for new content and they keep coming back more and more often the more you feed them with new and relevant content. Yes, they have a voracious appetite for this.
The spiders are not much different from you and me, however. If it’s just reruns on TV, will you watch the show? Will you consider it of interest? On your website, if all you are providing the reader and the spiders, the same stuff (reruns), they will visit less often and will value your site accordingly.
Fresh and unique content is the food that drives the rankings ultimately because valuable content that is unique and published online and within your website is what the spiders are looking for, indexing and giving value to in doing their job for Google and the billions using this top search engine.
Public Relations weigh in here as well. Press Releases should be an important part of what you feed the spiders for a “well balanced diet.” Regular placement and wide deployment of well optimized highly linked Press Releases are nutritional boosters that Google Spiders crave.
At the same time, you are making your site more relevant and more interesting to regular human beings that are the ultimate target. Always remember, well fed spiders can help you get found; well fed human beings can help you actually generate the ultimate goals of your website.
Google Search Rankings and the Grocery Store
Posted on May 2, 2008
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Sometimes a simple analogy goes a long way towards explaining how things work. Search Engines and Search Engine Marketing are often times confusing to consumers and businesses alike. What is Search Engine Marketing? How does it work? What can it do for my business?
Anyone who has gone to the grocery store knows that it all works pretty much the same way as it always has. You go to the supermarket with a shopping list or the list is memorized in your head. You go up and down the aisles selecting the items you desire. After you’re done, you go to the checkout line and you bag and pay.
While this is a very orderly process, have you ever thought about the products you selected vs. the products you didn’t select? Why did you buy those products and not others? The grocery store knows this and the food manufacturers and distributors know this too. They know and you may know as well that it is mainly “steered” by shelf space or shelf location. What few may recognize is that in the back offices of the grocery store and meetings in other nearby locations, there is a marketing war going on; it’s all about shelf space. The manufacturers and distributors seek the best shelf space, the best location in the store and on the shelves or in a strategic location on the floor and in the aisles. We are talking ferocious competition to achieve the best locations in the store. It’s simple; they seek to be found, noticed, picked up and purchased simply by catching your eye.
Search Engine Marketing is the successful and ever ongoing war to achieve top rankings in the biggest online markets of Google, Yahoo and MSN. First page listings are the desired shelf space of all savvy online marketers. Just as in the grocery store an intense war is fought daily to compete successfully to win the attention, the notoriety and the ultimate relevancy score in the eyes of The Google. Getting the eye of the buyer, precisely when they are ready to buy … occurring daily at your nearby grocery store and at your fingertips through Google.
Whether it is PPC Advertising or Organic Search Engine Optimization or SEO, these are the avenues to the consumer. Online, the consumers don’t want to take the “scenic route” … they want main street and that is defined as the first page of a relevant Google Search.
The US Economy, The Media and Your Online Business
Posted on May 1, 2008
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While the media, traditional and online, provides its daily drumbeat of negative economic and financial woes, there seems to be precious little discussion of what the hard facts really are in the US Economy and the global economy. You would think from all of the mindless chatter and stale debate between supply-siders and demand-side promoters that the unemployment rate is approaching double digits, inflation is racing to hyper inflation 1970’s style numbers and that the US economy will soon be dead and buried.
However the facts speak a different truth. The unemployment rate is about 5%. This used to be a dreamed about goal. The GDP didn’t fall in the first quarter; instead it rose by 0.6%. While this is an admittedly anemic number, it doesn’t forecast anything more than a slowdown in the economy and not the first quarter of actual recession. This is despite a poor housing market and a falling dollar, which has a great deal to do with increase in the oil price. Does anyone speak about the fact that oil and gasoline prices are actually cheap in other countries that currently enjoy a stronger currency? The decline in the dollar is the worst part of the economy; yet it has recently turned and the price of oil drops sharply every time the dollar rallies. This is an indication that we are near the bottom of the dollar decline and near the top of the oil bull market. In any case, the American economy has so much underlying strength that even a $120 price per barrel and a decline of almost 30% in the dollar have not yielded a recession.
The fact is that the largest contributor to doom and gloom is the frantic and sensationalist media. CNBC has everything under a super electronic microscope providing great significance to the clearly insignificant. All you have to do is look and see that they measure time by hundredths of seconds and measure stock prices on charts in tiny ranges to accentuate stock price changes to make them look more significant than they really are. They do this microsecond by microsecond, hour by hour, day by day … and they follow the exact same script asking the same questions with no real guidance or proportion to the meaning of the information they provide. CNN, Fox and the rest are no better I assure you … it’s the same information with a different emphasis, but equally out of proportion. It’s the information age or so they say … however we have never seen so much disinformation in the history of the world.
So, what does this have to do with you? Everything! Don’t let all of this noise throw you off your game. Let me tell you what I see. Our clients are enjoying record traffic to their websites. As internet marketers we rely on statistics, not what the pundits in the media tell us what they want us to think. The stats tell a far different story. If the media was accurate, there would be less people searching for things to buy or transact business with. The stats show that record numbers continue to dominate. Record numbers of searchers … and if you are an effective internet marketing company, record numbers of impressions, visits, and conversions. This is precisely what we are seeing and, I might add, without exception.
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